This Date In NFL Transactions History: Giants Acquire K Lawrence Tynes
On this date 14 years ago, the Giants and Chiefs pulled off a trade that probably would have been filed under one of our ‘Minor Transactions’ posts (had PFR existed at the time). While no one knew it at the time, the key player in the trade would ultimately play a major role in both of the Giants Super Bowl runs. On May 22, 2007, the Kansas City Chiefs traded kicker Lawrence Tynes to the Giants for a future seventh-round pick.
The 2001 undrafted free agent out of Troy had to spend a couple of years in the Canadian Football League before finally getting an opportunity with the Chiefs. He spent three years in Kansas City but didn’t do anything miraculous, converting only 78.2-percent of his field goals attempts. He also blew a field goal attempt in a playoff game against the Colts, drawing the ire of head coach Herm Edwards. The organization would later select UCLA’s Justin Medlock in the fifth-round of the draft, leading to Tynes departure.
The Giants seemed like a natural trade partner after losing Jay Feely in free agency, and they were looking for a veteran who could compete with former undrafted free agent Josh Huston. So, on May 22, 2007, the two teams pulled off the transaction, with Kansas City receiving a reported ‘undisclosed’ pick. We later learned that the mystery selection was a 2008 seventh-round pick (which ultimately turned into No. 239), which the Chiefs used on fullback Michael Merritt.
Tynes ended up winning the job for the Giants, and he proceeded to have a career year in 2007. He connected on a career-high 85.2-percent of his field goals, and he converted 40 of his 42 extra point tries. However, the kicker truly inserted himself into Giants lore with his performance in the 2007 postseason. At one point, Tynes was in the doghouse instead of the penthouse; in the NFC Championship Game, he missed a pair of fourth-quarter field goals (although one was on a bad snap), and the game ultimately went to overtime. However, Tynes redeemed himself by making a 47-yarder in overtime to send the Giants to the championship game. Tynes wasn’t the hero of the Super Bowl, but he still converted his one field goal attempt and two extra point attempts, earning himself his first ring.
Tynes missed most of the 2008 season with a knee injury, but he returned to the starting gig the following year. The kicker maintained his 83-percent(ish) field goal percentage in 2009 and 2010, but he started to show some cracks in 2011, missing five of his 24 field goal attempts. During the 2011 postseason, Tynes redeemed himself once again with playoff heroics. He kicked another game-winning field goal (this time against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game), becoming the only player in NFL history to have a pair of postseason overtime/game-winning field goals. The Giants would again beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, with the kicker making each of his field goal attempts in that game.
Tynes would spend one more season in New York, making a career-high 33 field goals. He signed with the Buccaneers the following offseason, but he missed the entire season thanks to a toe infection that ultimately led to a lawsuit against the team (if you’re curious, Google ‘Buccaners MRSA’). Tynes ultimately retired after getting released the following offseason.
When this trade was pulled off on May 22, 2007, it probably didn’t catch the attention of many fans. However, with the value of hindsight (and considering Tynes’ penchant for making dramatic overtime field goals in the playoffs), you could argue that this was one of the biggest transactions that influenced the Giants two Super Bowl runs.
Giants Release QB/WR Joe Webb
The Giants claiming Ryquell Armstead will result in the team moving veteran Joe Webb off its roster. The Giants released the quarterback/wide receiver/special-teamer Tuesday.
An 11-year veteran, Webb caught on with the Giants late last season. The team then signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January. Webb, however, will return to free agency.
Webb, 34, has been one of the NFL’s more versatile players during his career. He started a playoff game at quarterback — a Vikings first-round loss to the Packers — and has seen action at receiver and extensive work on special teams. The Giants signed Webb after Daniel Jones went down with an injury last year. He played in two games with the team, seeing brief time on special teams.
The Lions parted ways with Webb during the 2020 season, doing so after the Texans cut him loose earlier last year. Webb has played 104 regular-season games — with the Vikings, Panthers, Bills, Texans and Giants — over the course of his career.
Giants Claim RB Ryquell Armstead
After seeing COVID-19 wipe out his 2020 season, Ryquell Armstead will have a chance to resume his career. The Giants submitted a successful waiver claim for the running back Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
A 2019 fifth-round pick, Armstead saw action behind Leonard Fournette as a rookie in Jacksonville. Going into his second season, however, Armstead encountered perhaps the NFL’s most severe coronavirus case and needed to be hospitalized twice for significant respiratory issues. The Jaguars cut Armstead on Monday.
The Giants already handed out a notable backup running back contract, giving Devontae Booker a two-year deal worth $6MM. They also selected Gary Brightwell in the sixth round and signed Corey Clement over the weekend. The team did lose top 2020 rusher Wayne Gallman, however. Armstead, 24, will join the mix of players vying for a spot behind Saquon Barkley.
The Jags drafted Armstead 140th overall out of Temple. A Matt Rhule-era Owls recruit, Armstead played a key role for the American Athletic Conference program in his final three seasons. In 2018, he amassed 1,098 rushing yards and totaled 13 touchdowns. Armstead did not opt out in 2020, so two seasons remain on his rookie contract.
Giants Sign Kelvin Benjamin
Apparently, the Giants liked what they saw from Kelvin Benjamin. After bringing Benjamin in for a tryout this weekend, New York has agreed to terms with the former first-rounder, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter).
Benjamin, of course, entered the league as a wide receiver, and that’s where he has played since Giants GM Dave Gettleman — then the general manager of the Panthers — drafted him in 2014. But Benjamin primarily worked out as a tight end during this weekend’s visit, so it appears he is undergoing a position change.
Now 30, Benjamin’s size (6-5, 245 pounds) makes him something of a natural fit at TE. And given that his career fell off a cliff after he was traded from Carolina to the Bills midway through the 2017 season, he almost had to try something different. Indeed, after spending the final few games of the 2018 campaign with the Chiefs following his release from Buffalo, there were no public reports of interest in his services until he got a call from the Giants.
With Evan Engram and free agent acquisition Kyle Rudolph ahead of him on the depth chart, Benjamin will battle for a a TE3 job alongside the likes of Levine Toilolo and Kaden Smith. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv believes Benjamin is facing an uphill battle in his quest for a regular season roster spot (Twitter link), but his background as a receiver and his physical stature make him an intriguing low-risk flier just the same.
Benjamin is the second of the five veterans Big Blue recently invited to the facility to get a contract. RB Corey Clement has also put pen to paper, and as Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets, the Giants waived RB Jordan Chunn and TE Nate Wieting to make room for Clement and Benjamin on the 90-man roster.
Giants To Sign RB Corey Clement
The Giants are set to sign running back Corey Clement, as Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News writes. Clement auditioned on Friday and Saturday, impressing coaches and beating out a handful other vets vying for a spot on the team’s offseason roster. That group included fellow RB Ito Smith, per Leonard. 
Clement is best known his Super Bowl LII touchdown and taking the Eagles’ “Philly Special” snap. He spent the last four years with the Birds, though his usage has fluctuated over time. In 2019, he did not see a carry in four games. Last year, after Jordan Howard left, he still only saw 21 carries in 15 games, spending most of his time on special teams.
All in all, Clement has logged 655 yards and seven touchdowns off of 163 carries, plus 37 catches for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Now, he’ll look to solidify his place behind Saquon Barkley and Devontae Booker.
Smith, meanwhile, will look for work elsewhere. The 2018 fourth-round pick cut by the Falcons in April, even though he’s shown a penchant for game-changing plays in the past. As a rookie, Smith made noise with 6.4 yards per carry in an admittedly small sample. He hasn’t looked quite as sharp lately, but he still managed to take 63 carries for 268 yards (4.3 ypc).
This Date In Transactions History: Bill Parcells Steps Down As Giants HC
Bill Parcells‘ Hall of Fame coaching career included stops leading four teams. But he is best remembered for the first of those stays, when he led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles. That run came to an end 30 years ago today.
On May 15, 1991, Parcells stepped down from his post as Giants head coach. Although Parcells did not indicate health reasons prompted this move at the time, he later confirmed as such. Parcells spent eight seasons as Giants HC, rising from his role as Big Blue’s defensive coordinator to assume that post in 1983. The Big Tuna’s exit signaled the end of the Giants’ best Super Bowl-era stretch.
“This is the ’90s; I was in the ’80s. It’s going away from me. My interests are going in a new direction,” Parcells said upon announcing his exit. “I’ve given everything I could for 10 years. This job for me now was going to be just to maintain.”
Parcells, 49 when his initial coaching sabbatical began, led the Giants to five playoff berths and two Super Bowl wins. His final Giants team won Super Bowl XXV despite losing Phil Simms for the season that December. The 1990 Giants ended the 49ers’ three-peat bid and upset the Bills, who were seven-point favorites. The Giants’ 1991 coaching staff looked quite different.
Bill Belichick served as Parcells’ defensive coordinator from 1985-90 and was with the Giants throughout the ’80s. However, shortly after Super Bowl XXV, the future Hall of Famer agreed to become the Browns’ head coach. While Belichick would have been a logical Parcells successor, he was in Cleveland when then-Giants GM George Young promoted running backs coach Ray Handley to head coach. (Even had Belichick not left, Young was not especially high on him succeeding Parcells.) Parcells did not inform Young he was leaning toward leaving until late April of 1991, and the Giants promoted Handley the same day Parcells stepped down.
The Giants took a step back under Handley, going 8-8 in 1991 and 6-10 in ’92. Fired after two seasons, Handley did not coach again. Parcells resurfaced in New England in 1993, revitalizing a Patriots franchise that had sunk to the bottom of the NFL. Belichick went 1-for-5 in playoff berths in Cleveland; the franchise fired him shortly after becoming the Ravens in 1996. He rejoined Parcells soon after, becoming the Patriots’ secondary coach for the 1996 season. After the Parcells-Belichick tandem led the Jets from 1997-99, their paths diverged for good. Parcells left coaching after the 2006 season, his fourth with the Cowboys.
Giants Plan To Re-Sign Nate Ebner
Nate Ebner followed Joe Judge from the Patriots to the Giants last season, signing a one-year deal in March 2020. He is on track for a second season in New York.
Although the veteran special-teamer remains a free agent, Judge said he intends to bring him back for a second season, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). Ebner, 32, is currently participating in a different sport that will occupy his time for a bit.
The Ohio native is training to be part of Team USA’s rugby squad for the Tokyo Olympics this summer. Ebner participated in the 2016 Rio Games, when the Patriots granted him the opportunity to make that team, and suited up for 19 games as part of New England’s Super Bowl champion outfit that year. The expectation this time around is Ebner re-signs with the Giants after the Olympics conclude, Raanan notes. These Games, which the COVID-19 pandemic delayed by a year, will run from July 23-August 8.
Ebner played 16 games for the Giants last season, logging 332 special teams snaps (81% of Big Blue’s special teams plays). The 2021 season would be the former sixth-round pick’s 10th in the NFL.
Kelvin Benjamin Works Out For Giants
FRIDAY: Benjamin is working out as a tight end, Raanan tweets. Once referred to on Monday Night Football as being a Popeyes biscuit away from being a tight end, Benjamin — at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds — was one of the biggest wide receivers in NFL history. Rather than attempt to join a crowded Giants receiving corps, the former first-round pick will opt to try his hand at tight end. The Giants have Evan Engram going into his contract year, and they signed Kyle Rudolph earlier this offseason.
THURSDAY: The Giants are going to be having a surprising familiar name tryout this weekend. New York will host veteran Kelvin Benjamin alongside some young guys, a source told Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
While this news certainly wasn’t expected since Benjamin hasn’t played in a game since 2018, it’s also not totally out of left field. Giants GM Dave Gettleman drafted Benjamin when he was with the Panthers, so there’s at least a connection here. Benjamin was drafted by Carolina 28th overall back in 2014, and he put up big numbers with Cam Newton as a rookie.
In his first pro season, Benjamin had 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. After missing 2015 with a torn ACL, he had 941 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016. He was traded to the Bills midway through the 2017 season, and his career went downhill quickly after that.
Buffalo cut him toward the end of the 2018 campaign, he latched on with the Chiefs for the final few games, and hasn’t signed anywhere since. Not only that, but we haven’t even heard of any known interest in him since then.
The Giants have a crowded receiving depth chart after drafting Kadarius Toney in the first-round, so Benjamin should be considered a long-shot to make the team. That being said, it’d be a fun story if this does lead to a contract.
Giants To Work Out RB Corey Clement
The Giants will audition running back Corey Clement this weekend (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan). Clement will audition alongside wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and other vets vying to join the G-Men.
[RELATED: Giants To Have WR Kelvin Benjamin Tryout]
Clement is best known his Super Bowl LII touchdown and taking the Eagles’ “Philly Special” snap. He’s spent the last four years with the Birds, though his usage has fluctuated. In 2019, he did not see a carry in four games. Last year, after Jordan Howard left, he still only saw 21 carries in 15 games, spending most of his time on special teams.
All in all, Clement has logged 655 yards and seven touchdowns off of 163 carries, plus 37 catches for 340 yards and two touchdowns. If the workout goes well, Clement could join Saquon Barkley, Devontae Booker, and Elijhaa Penny on the Giants’ RB depth chart.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/21
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Parker Hesse
- Claimed off waivers (from Colts): C Sam Jones
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Mike Bell, OL Steven Gonzalez
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Michael Pinckney
New York Giants
- Waived: DE Breeland Speaks
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): RB Austin Walter
- Waived: RB Pete Guerriero
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Joshua Moon, DT Walter Palmore, DE Marcus Webb, S LaDarius Wiley