Giants Designate Devonta Freeman For Return
The Giants designated running back Devonta Freeman for return on Friday, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. Freeman landed on injured reserve in November with an ankle injury, and New York now has three weeks to add him to the active roster.
Raanan expects Big Blue to do just that. In his first practice since being put on IR, Freeman was reportedly moving well and appears close to a return.
The former Falcons standout joined the Giants on a one-year deal worth up to $3MM in late September, and though he started four games for the team, he did not do much to disprove the notion that he is just not the same player he was a few years ago in Atlanta, where he earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods from 2015-16.
Freeman, 28, averaged a mere 3.2 yards per carry over 54 totes with the Giants this season. He had the chance to seize a prominent role in the wake of Saquon Barkley‘s season-ending injury, but general ineffectiveness and the ankle injury prevented that from happening.
Still, the Giants surprisingly find themselves in the middle of a playoff race, and they can use all the help they can get. In Freeman’s absence, Wayne Gallman has stepped up in a big way, racking up 561 yards and six TDs on 121 carries (good for a 4.6-YPC average). 32-year-old veteran Alfred Morris has also maintained a 4.6-YPC average as Gallman’s complementary back.
New York, 5-8, will try to keep its postseason hopes alive with a win over the Browns tonight. They will again call upon backup QB Colt McCoy, as starter Daniel Jones is battling an ankle sprain of his own and a lingering hamstring injury. The G-Men will also be without top CB James Bradberry, who is on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: CB Delrick Abrams Jr.
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Pierre Desir, QB Tyler Huntley, TE Eric Tomlinson
- Waived: TE Luke Willson
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: CB Xavier Crawford
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: G Michael Dunn
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: CB Trevon Diggs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Chidobe Awuzie
- Promoted: T Jordan Mills, RB Sewo Olonilua, CB Chris Westry
- Placed on IR: CB Deante Burton, LB Justin March-Lillard
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: T Halapoulivaati Vaitai
- Promoted: LB Kareem Martin, OL Marcus Martin, CB Alex Myres
- Placed on IR: DL Da’Shawn Hand
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: LB Brennan Scarlett
- Promoted: CB Anthony Chesley, WR Chad Hansen, DT Auzoyah Alufohai
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: OL Joey Hunt
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: CB Chris Claybrooks, G Andrew Norwell
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Tre Herndon
- Promoted: CB Quenton Meeks, OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Isaiah Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Jake Gervase
New England Patriots
- Activated off IR: LB Shilique Calhoun
- Waived: DT Isaiah Mack
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: OL Will Clapp, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR Juwan Johnson, WR Tommylee Lewis
- Waived: TE Garrett Griffin, QB Trevor Siemian
- Placed on IR: WR Deonte Harris
New York Giants
- Activated off IR: S Adrian Colbert
- Promoted: QB Clayton Thorson, QB/WR Joe Webb, DB Jarren Williams, DB Quincy Wilson
- Waived: DB Montre Hartage
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: K Sam Ficken
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, LB Sharif Finch, DL Tanzel Smart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Blake Countess, CB Jameson Houston
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: LB Mark Nzeocha
- Promoted: TE Daniel Helm, OL Dakoda Shepley, OL Isaiah Williams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Charlie Woerner
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/suspended list: DE Damontre Moore
- Placed on IR: RB Travis Homer, OL Jamarco Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: LB Brooks Reed, OL Daniel Munyer, LB Wyatt Ray
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kalif Raymond
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: QB Steven Montez, RB Michael Warren
QB Colt McCoy To Start For Giants Tomorrow
Colt McCoy will get a chance to start against his former team tomorrow. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran quarterback will start for the Giants vs. the Browns on Sunday.
Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones tried to overcome his right hamstring strain and a left ankle sprain this week, but the second-year pro will ultimately be sidelined for his second game of the season. It’s a tough blow for a Giants team that’s attempting to remain in the postseason picture.
However, if you’re a fan of narratives, there’s something to be said of the fact that McCoy is playing his former team. The former third-round spent the first three seasons of his career in Cleveland, starting 21 games (all in his first two campaigns). Tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens, who will temporarily be taking over play-calling duties in place of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, will also have a bit of motivation against his former team tomorrow.
Following a six-year stint with Washington, McCoy joined the Giants this past offseason. He got a start during his team’s Week 13 win over the Seahawks, completing 13 of his 22 passes for 105 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In three games, he’s completed 60-percent of his passes for 154 yards.
There is a bit of good injury news for the Giants. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets that Evan Engram is expected to play tomorrow. The tight end had been listed as questionable with a calf injury. The former first-round has appeared in all 13 games for New York this season, hauling in a team-high 50 receptions for 526 yards and one touchdown.
Bret Bielema Leaving Giants, Named Illinois Head Coach
The Giants have lost a key member of their coaching staff. Outside linebackers coach Bret Bielema is heading to the University of Illinois as the school’s next head coach (via an announcement from the school).
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that it’s a six-year contract beginning at $4.2MM per year. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports (via Twitter) that defensive assistant Jody Wright and inside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer “will inherit Bielema’s responsibilities” in New York.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Bielema, as the 50-year-old was born in Prophetstown, Illinois and previously coached in the Big 10.
“Illinois and the Big Ten is home for me, and I can’t be any more excited about the opportunity in front of me with the Fighting Illini,” Bielema said. “We want to build a program that makes Illini Nation proud and regain the passion that I’ve seen when Illinois wins.”
Illinois fired previous head coach Lovie Smith last weekend. The former Bears and Buccaneers head coach spent four-plus seasons with the school, collecting a 17-39 record.
Bielema worked his way up the coaching ladder and eventually landed the head coaching job at Wisconsin in 2006, a role he held for seven years. He was a Big 10 champion for three of those seasons, and he finished his stint with a 68-24 record. He left for Arkansas in 2013, but he was fired after leading his team to a 29-34 record over five seasons.
He joined the Patriots staff in 2018, and he followed Joe Judge to New York this past offseason. Over the past two years, he’s continued to garner interest from college programs, including Michigan State, Colorado, and Southern Miss.
It’s been a busy week for the Giants coaching staff. We learned that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was going to miss this weekend’s game after testing positive for COVID-19. Former Browns head coach (and current Giants tight ends coach) Freddie Kitchens will take over play-calling duties against his former team. Quality control coach Bobby Blick will be serving as tight ends coach for the game.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers from Vikings: CB Mark Fields
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Hjalte Froholdt
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DB Rashaan Gaulden, LB Javin White
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: LB B.J. Bello, DE Jessie Lemonier, S Jaylen Watkins
- Waived: RB Troymaine Pope
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Devonta Freeman; Freeman remains on IR
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: NT Folorunso Fatukasi
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Austin Walter
Washington Football Team
- Placed on IR: S Deshazor Everett
COVID-19 Latest: Giants, Bubble, Rosters
The biggest game (to date) of this Giants season will take place without Jason Garrett. The team’s first-year offensive coordinator tested positive for COVID-19, and the Giants announced former Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens will call plays against his old team in Week 15. The Giants converted their Thursday practice into a remote session and have announced no high-risk close contacts of Garrett have emerged. The former Cowboys HC may also miss the Giants’ Week 16 game against the Ravens. Hired as Cleveland’s running backs coach in 2018, Kitchens rose to the position of offensive coordinator that year and made the jump to become the Browns’ head coach in 2019. That ended in a one-and-done scenario, but Kitchens found his way to Joe Judge‘s staff this year.
Here is the latest on the NFL’s coronavirus front:
- In another blow to Big Blue, the team announced James Bradberry will miss Sunday night’s game. The Giants placed their top cornerback, and arguably their top player this season, on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This is not related to Garrett’s positive virus test, according to the team, which revealed Bradberry has not tested positive for the coronavirus. Bradberry came in contact with a COVID-positive person while receiving chiropractic treatment away from the Giants’ facility, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). The Giants not having Bradberry will weaken their chances of knocking off a nine-win Browns team. Pro Football Focus rates Bradberry as its No. 6 overall corner.
- Not only will the NFL not follow the other three major American professional sports by using a centralized playoff location, the league will also not mandate teams be sequestered in home-market bubbles for the postseason. Teams may still provide hotel rooms for players who choose such an arrangement, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, but the league and the NFLPA agreed they will not force players on playoff teams to be away from their families.
- Following the unusual Dez Bryant situation that left the Ravens a man down for their Week 13 game against the Cowboys, the NFL made another adjustment to its pregame roster policy. If a player must leave the field pregame because of a positive COVID test or because he qualifies as a high-risk close contact, teams may activate a replacement, Pelissero tweets. The usual rule of teams submitting their inactives 90 minutes before games left Baltimore down a player against Dallas, after Bryant was forced to leave the field shortly before kickoff. Teams will now be able to make an emergency activation in such instances.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/15/20
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: QB Trace McSorley
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Dez Bryant, DB Geno Stone
- Promoted: TE Eric Tomlinson
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers from Browns: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Ben Bartch
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Derwin James; James remains on IR
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: CB Kris Boyd
- Activated off IR: CB Mark Fields
New Orleans Saints
- Claimed off waivers from Raiders: G Patrick Omameh
New York Giants
- Waived: CB Brandon Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed off Washington’s practice squad: C Ross Pierschbacher
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed off Chiefs’ practice squad: OL Danny Isidora
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: CB Kristian Fulton
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: P Bradley Pinion, K Ryan Succop, LS Zach Triner
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/20
We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Eric Tomlinson
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Lafayette Pitts
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley
- Waived: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Parnell Motley
- Placed on COVID-19 list: K Brandon McManus
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on COVID-19 list: LB Jordan Glasgow
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: LB Reggie Gilbert
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: G Patrick Omameh
New York Giants
- Waived: DB JaQuarius Landrews
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed off Washington’s practice squad: C Ross Pierschbacher
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/12/20
Here is Saturday’s usual barrage of minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: LB Tyrel Dodson
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: LB Adarius Taylor
- Promoted: DT Woodrow Hamilton, WR Marken Michel, DT Mike Panasiuk
- Waived: LB Chris Orr
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: S Trayvon Henderson, DT Kahlil McKenzie, WR Stanley Morgan
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: C Tyler Biadasz
- Promoted: T William Sweet, CB Chris Westry
- Waived: C Adam Redmond
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Derrek Tuszka
- Promoted: TE Troy Fumagalli, CB Nate Hairston, S Alijah Holder, LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: Kareem Martin, S Bobby Price, T Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: G Ben Braden, TE Dominique Dafney, WR Juwann Winfree
Houston Texans
- Promoted: CB Anthony Chesley, WR Chad Hansen, WR Steven Mitchell Jr., S Jonathan Owens
- Waived: LB Nate Orchard
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: P Ryan Allen, C Joey Hunt
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: CB Quenton Meeks, K Aldrick Rosas, OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
- Waived: K Chase McLaughlin
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DB Chris Lammons, OL Stefen Wisniewski
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DE Vic Beasley, DE Chris Smith
- Placed on IR: S Jeff Heath
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: RB Justin Jackson
- Promoted: LB B.J. Bello
- Waived: LB Asmar Bilal
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jachai Polite; Polite tested positive for the coronavirus, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter)
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: LB Blake Lynch, LB Hardy Nickerson
- Waived: S Curtis Riley
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: CB Justin Hardee
- Promoted: WR Juwan Johnson, WR Tommylee Lewis
- Placed on IR: CB Patrick Robinson
New York Giants
- Promoted: CB Jarren Williams
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: CB Bless Austin, TE Trevon Wesco
- Promoted: WR Lawrence Cager, LB Noah Dawkins, S Saquan Hampton, WR Jaleel Scott
- Placed on IR: S Ashtyn Davis, S Bennett Jackson, G Greg Van Roten
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: OL Jason Peters (story)
- Promoted: CB Jameson Houston, CB Kevon Seymour, LB Rashad Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DL Alex Barrett, CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, DL Darrion Daniels, OL Dakoda Shepley
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Ray-Ray Armstrong, T Chad Wheeler
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: CB Kareem Orr
- Promoted: LB Wyatt Ray, LB Tuzar Skipper
- Placed on IR: CB Breon Borders
Washington Football Team
- Placed on IR: DE Ryan Anderson
- Promoted: RB Javon Leake, T David Steinmetz
Daniel Jones Expected To Return In Week 14
The suddenly surging Giants are expected to have their QB1 back against the Cardinals on Sunday. Daniel Jones returned to full practices this week, and the team saw enough from its starter Saturday to clear him for a Week 14 return, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets.
While Colt McCoy gave the Giants their first win over an above-.500 team in two years last week against the Seahawks, the veteran posted 105 passing yards on 4.7 per attempt. Jones has certainly enjoyed an up-and-down career thus far, but the second-year passer provides the Giants a higher ceiling from a passing perspective.
Jones suffered a hamstring injury in the Giants’ Week 12 win over the Bengals. It marked the second time in two years the Giants needed to replace their young starter. This, of course, is a change of pace for the NFC’s New York franchise. Eli Manning did not require an injury replacement in his 15-plus-year run as the team’s starter. The since-retired passer ended up filling in for Jones in two games late last season.
By virtue of their two wins over Washington, the 5-7 Giants remain in first place in the historically woeful NFC East. They still have three more games — against the Cardinals, Browns and Ravens — vs. winning opposition this year. Jones will return to action with just an 8-9 TD-INT ratio in 11 starts. This represents a steep drop from his 2019 production, when the Duke product’s 24 touchdown passes (in 12 games) were fourth all time among rookies. QBR does place Jones 16th, however, during this uneven season.