Joe Judge: No “Radical Changes” Expected Yet
The Giants are off to an 0-3 start, and one of the biggest sources of angst for frustrated fans is offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Second-year HC Joe Judge showed he wasn’t afraid of making an in-season firing when he sacked O-line coach Marc Colombo last November, but Judge is not ready to make a similar move just yet.
When asked about Garrett’s job security, Judge said, “[w]e’re going to stay consistent with what we’re doing and keep improving as a team. here’s a lot of things we’ve got to clean up coaching-wise, execution-wise. We’re going to stay on track with it and make sure we get those things right before we make any radical changes” (via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv).
Despite scoring the second-fewest points in the league in 2020, New York retained Garrett largely because the club did not want young QB Daniel Jones to have to adapt to a third OC in his third year in the league. And, though Garrett has been heavily criticized for his scheme and play-calling, Jones has performed well over the first three games of the season.
The No. 6 overall pick of the 2019 draft has completed over 65% of his passes for 782 yards and has thrown two touchdowns without throwing a pick. He has also rushed for two scores. His efforts represent one of the few bright spots in what is shaping up to be another disappointing year for the Giants.
Of course, if the team does not experience a major reversal of fortunes, then it would be shocking to see Garrett and GM Dave Gettleman brought back for 2022 (if they even make it to the end of this season). But for now, it sounds as if Garrett will keep his post for at least a while longer.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/21
Here is Saturday’s batch of minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: LB Dennis Gardeck
- Promoted: S Chris Banjo, OL Eric Smith
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: CB Cam Lewis
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: S Kenny Robinson, RB Rodney Smith
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: WR Malik Turner
- Promoted: DT Austin Faoliu, DT Justin Hamilton, RB Nick Ralston, TE Jeremy Sprinkle
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: LB Curtis Robinson, OL Austin Schlottmann
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: K Ryan Santoso
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Placed on IR: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (story)
Houston Texans
- Promoted: QB Jeff Driskel, DB A.J. Moore, LB Hardy Nickerson
- Activated from IR: K Ka’imi Fairbairn
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DB Dicaprio Bootle
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from IR: LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
- Promoted: RB Buddy Howell, LB Justin Lawler
- Waived: S J.R. Reed
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: C Cameron Tom
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: G Dakota Dozier, CB Parry Nickerson
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: C Will Clapp, T Jordan Mills, WR Kenny Stills
New York Giants
- Promoted: C Jonotthan Harrison
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: S Ashtyn Davis, S Sharrod Neasman
- Promoted: OL Isaiah Williams
- Waived: RB Josh Adams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: OL Jack Driscoll, CB Josiah Scott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: OT Chaz Green, WR Cody White
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DL Maurice Hurst
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: WR Cody Thompson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Pierre Desir, TE Codey McElroy, CB Rashard Robinson
- Waived: DL Khalil Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DL Amani Bledsoe, FB Tory Carter
Giants Activate WR John Ross From IR
The Giants will be relying fully on offseason acquisitions at wide receiver Sunday, having ruled out both Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton. One of their outside hires will make his season debut in Week 4.
John Ross is off the Giants’ IR list, moving onto the team’s active roster after the mandatory three weeks. The Giants placed Ross on IR with a hamstring injury, one he suffered early in training camp. After extensive rehab, Ross will have a chance to begin his second-chance effort.
Ross will join Kenny Golladay, first-round pick Kadarius Toney and late-summer waiver claim Collin Johnson as the Giants’ top receivers against the Saints. Shepard and Slayton are on the shelf due to hamstring injuries sustained in Week 3.
Despite Ross not coming particularly close to justifying the top-10 investment the Bengals made, the Giants gave him $2.25MM this offseason. They signed Ross before coming to terms with Golladay, and the team later drafted Toney. Ross still holds the Combine’s 40-yard dash record time — 4.22 seconds — but he did not pan out in Cincinnati and has run into frequent injury trouble during his career.
Ross did show promise in 2019, averaging 63.3 yards per game over an eight-game sample, but that was the only season in which he cleared 250 yards.
Giants Restructure James Bradberry’s Deal
Holding less than $600K in cap space going into the weekend, the Giants created some breathing room Saturday. They restructured James Bradberry‘s contract, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets.
The team created $2.7MM in cap room by redoing their top cornerback’s contract. This marks the second time this year the team has used the Bradberry pact to add funds. Big Blue created $4MM in cap space with its previous base-to-bonus conversion involving Bradberry’s contract.
While the Giants have made some personnel missteps under their current regime, the Bradberry contract has worked out. The Giants gave the former Dave Gettleman Panthers draftee a three-year, $43.5MM deal in March 2020. Bradberry made his first Pro Bowl last season and has four interceptions as a Giant.
The 28-year-old defender’s deal was already set to count $20.5MM on the Giants’ 2022 cap. That number will again rise. Given Bradberry’s performance and his high cap number next season, the Giants would seemingly stand to benefit from an extension that keeps their standout cover man in New York into the mid-2020s. New York also has Adoree’ Jackson set to count $15.5MM against the cap next season. The cornerbacks’ 2022 cap figures are third and fourth on the team — behind Leonard Williams and Kenny Golladay.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Harry Crider, OL Javon Patterson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Jordan Lucas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: RB Trey Ragas, WR Javon Wims
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed (from Steelers): OLB Jamir Jones
New York Giants
- Signed: Omari Cobb, OL Sam Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Phillip Dorsett, TE Ryan Izzo, QB Jake Luton
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Abdullah Anderson
Washington Football Team
- Signed: WR Kelvin Harmon
Giants Add Isaiah Wilson To Practice Squad
The Giants are signing former Titans first-rounder Isaiah Wilson to the practice squad (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Despite his turbulent Tennessee tenure, the offensive tackle could be a tremendous value addition for the G-Men. 
Wilson auditioned for the Giants on Tuesday and showed enough to earn a spot on the 16-man taxi squad. Of course, the NFL had higher hopes for him last year when the Titans made him the No. 29 overall pick in the draft.
The Titans traded Wilson to the Dolphins after a four-snap rookie season. Then, he ran into extensive off-field trouble as a rookie and encountered more this year, with a January arrest involving a high-speed chase leading the Dolphins to cut bait as well.
The Giants could certainly use Wilson’s help up front with Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux are out for the season. If Wilson impresses in practice, he might be able to support former Georgia teammate Andrew Thomas and veteran Nate Solder on the outside.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/28/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Mazzi Wilkins
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Nate McCrary, S Jordan Richards
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DB Madre Harper
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Herb Miller
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Ibraheim Campbell, TE David Wells
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Ka’dar Hollman, OT Jordan Mills
New York Giants
- Released: WR Matt Cole, DT Willie Henry, OT Foster Sarell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: TE Richard Rodgers
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Sharif Finch
- Released: DL Andrew Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Jace Sternberger
- Released: WR De’Quan Hampton, TE Michael Jacobsen, WR Connor Wedington
Washington Football Team
- Released: WR Dalton Schoen, DT Gabe Wright
Giants Work Out T Isaiah Wilson
Despite a turbulent Titans tenure, Isaiah Wilson has managed to draw interest from multiple teams in recent days. The Giants worked out the 2020 first-round pick Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
This audition followed Wilson’s Colts meeting. While Wilson’s stock has fallen off a cliff since the Titans made him the No. 29 overall pick last year, the young tackle has resurfaced and could have another chance soon.
The Titans traded Wilson to the Dolphins after a four-snap rookie season. The Georgia product ran into extensive off-field trouble as a rookie and encountered more this year, with a January arrest involving a high-speed chase leading the Dolphins to cut bait as well. After several months off the radar, Wilson is aiming to catch on with a third team.
The Giants have gone through considerable issues on their offensive front, an area that has been a problem for several years. Both Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux are out for the season, with the former’s career possibly in jeopardy. At tackle, the Giants are starting ex-Wilson Georgia teammate Andrew Thomas — chosen 25 spots before Wilson last year — and veteran Nate Solder. They are trying 2020 third-round pick Matt Peart at guard, with the injuries causing some early-season promotions.
At Georgia, Wilson lined up opposite Thomas at right tackle and earned second-team All-SEC acclaim in 2019. After letting Jack Conklin walk in free agency, the Titans had Wilson penciled in as their heir apparent on the right side. His myriad issues interfered with that vision, however, and resulted in a quick trip to the workout circuit. Even at 22, Wilson is already running out of chances.
Giants’ Blake Martinez Done For Year
Blake Martinez‘s season is over. On Monday morning, the Giants linebacker was diagnosed with a torn ACL (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). 
This was the immediate fear after Martinez was forced out of Sunday’s game with a non-contact injury. It’s a bad blow for the Giants, on the heels of their latest defeat and a gruesome leg injury for offensive lineman Nick Gates. The Giants are now 0-3, without two of their team captains for the rest of the year.
Martinez moved on from the Packers last year to ink a three-year, $30.75MM deal with the Giants. Installed as the Giants’ left inside linebacker, he tallied 151 tackles, three sacks, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and one interception in his Big Blue debut. This year, he’ll finish with 23 stops in three games.
Martinez, 28 in January, will focus on recovery as he looks ahead to his next walk year in 2022. In theory, the Giants will have an escape hatch once Martinez gets medical clearance next year. He’s due to carry a $14MM cap number, but they can save $8.525MM with $5.5MM in dead money if they drop him. But, given his production while healthy, they’ll likely keep him in the fold.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: LB Daelin Hayes
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: CB Rashaan Melvin (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed (off Raiders practice squad): WR David Moore
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: RB Trey Ragas
New York Giants
- Signed (off WFT practice squad): G Wes Martin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated off Reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kevin Minter