Golden Tate Unlikely To Win Appeal
- Giants wideout Golden Tate is fighting his recent four-game performance-enhancing drug suspension, but sources tell Ralph Vacchiano of SNY there’s “almost no way” the ban gets reduced. Tate has said the failed test stems from a prescribed fertility drug, but that explanation is unlikely to help his cause, as multiple sources tell Vacchiano the NFL’s drug policy is both “unforgiving” and “rigid.” In a best-case scenario, Tate could see his suspension cut from four games to two or three, but that’s an unlikely outcome. New York can ill afford to lose any more pass-catchers after Corey Coleman tore his ACL and Sterling Shepard suffered a fractured thumb.
NFC East Notes: Golden Tate, Redskins, Cowboys
On Saturday, Giants wide receiver Golden Tate was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Though the veteran is appealing the suspension, don’t expect him to win that appeal, NJ.com’s Ryan Dunleavy writes.
After the suspension was doled out, Tate took to Twitter to say the test stemmed from a fertility treatment and he and the Giants are confident in the facts coming out. Citing former NFL doctor David J. Chao, Dunleavy expects the suspension to remain.
“Appreciate the story but if this is the basis for appeal, suspension will be upheld under current CBA. Like admitting you went over the speed limit because your speedometer broken. Still means a ticket,” Chao said [Twitter link].
Dunleavy went on to compare the case to that of defensive end Robert Mathis, who was suspended in 2014 for using the fertility drug, Clomid. He also cited the NFL does not typically reduce suspension lengths upon appeal.
With the suspension to Tate adds insult to several injuries for the Giants, who lost Sterling Shepard and Corey Coleman to injuries earlier in the week.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence held off on shoulder surgery until after he inked his new deal this offseason. The star pass-rusher is targeting the season opener vs. the Giants for when he will get back on the field,” Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams writes. “I’m not saying I’m going to overload my workload for the season opener or what they want to do with me or have me off the PUP list by the season opener, but hopefully be ready by the season opener.”
- Staying in Dallas, linebacker Sean Lee is playing teams in training camp, the first time playing with the unit since his second season in the league, Williams writes. “I am just trying to help anyway I can,” Lee said Sunday. “I like being on the field. I want to try to make an impact. You can make a lot of plays on special teams, hopefully plays that can change a game. Having an impact anyway I can, that’s my goal.” With the emergence of Leighton Vander Esch in 2018, Lee is also moving to strongside linebacker in 2019.
- Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said receiver Trey Quinn has the slot-receiver role locked up, ESPN’s John Keim tweets. This was long expected as Quinn has received rave reviews and the lack of depth at the spot on the roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/19
Today’s minor transactions:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB A.J. Ouellette
- Waived: OT Ka’John Armstrong
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Moral Stephens
- Waived: P Justin Vogel
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Bengals: RB Darrin Hall
- Waived: OG Larry Williams
Houston Texans
- Waived: S A.J. Hendy
- Waived/injured: WR Isaac Whitney
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Amba Etta-Tawo
Philadelphia Eagles:
- Waived: DT Anthony Rush
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Jordan Thompson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jawuan Johnson
Tennesse Titans
- Signed: DB Jonathan Crawford
Giants Sign T.J. Jones
In the wake of Golden Tate’s four-game suspension and Corey Coleman’s season-ending injury, the Giants have added reinforcements. On Saturday, they signed fifth-year wide receiver T.J. Jones and former practice squad player Amba Etta-Tawo, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Reactions, Notes On Golden Tate’s Suspension]
Jones, 27, had 64 total catches for 814 yards and four touchdowns in his first four NFL seasons with the Lions. Etta-Tawo, 25, spent some time on the Giants’ practice squad and played for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football League.
To make room, the Giants formally placed wideout Coleman on injured reserve and waived kicker Joey Slye in corresponding moves to free space.
Reactions, Notes On Golden Tate’s Suspension
Shortly after the news broke that Giants wide receiver Golden Tate was set to be suspended for four games, the veteran took to Twitter to offer an explanation.
“This past April, during the off-season, my wife and I decided to see a specialist for fertility planning. I started the treatment prescribed to me and just days later I discovered it contained an ingredient that is on the league’s banned substance list. I immediately discontinued use, I reported the situation to the Independent Administrator of the NFL Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances, and I spoke with my coaches and general manager. I did all of this well before a failed test was even confirmed.
Per NFL protocol, an initial suspension was imminent, but myself and the Giants organization are confident in the facts, and eagerly await my appeal to put this behind us.
During the entirety of my 10 year career I have taken great pride in playing this game the right way, have been an ambassador for the NFL and have never had any issue with the league’s policy. The treatment this past April had no effect on the upcoming season, and I did not, and could not have undergone this treatment in April for any competitive advantage. I deeply appreciate the support from the New York Giants Organization, and will continue to hold the highest level of character and integrity, while being a leader in the locker room.
In respect to the team and my teammates I won’t be speaking on this again until after the appeal. I’m focusing on football, and will not let this be a distraction.”
Tate surely sounds confident in his argument, and we heard earlier that the receiver had high hopes for the appeals process.
Let’s check out some more notes and reactions following Tate’s ban:
- Speaking of the appeal, the meeting is set to take place in early August, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That means the team will have some clarity on Tate’s availability for the start of the regular season.
- If the suspension is upheld, Tate would lose around $1.75MM in 2019 money, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Perhaps more importantly, the receiver would forfeit his $7.975MM in 2020 guarantees. Tate signed a four-year, $37MM deal with the Giants this past winter.
- Last offseason, the Giants signed defensive end Josh Mauro with the understanding that he was facing a four-game suspension. That wasn’t the case this time around, as Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com tweets that the Giants only learned of the impending suspension after inking Tate in March (which makes sense considering the timeline detailed in Tate’s tweet).
- We learned earlier today that the Giants would be hosting a workout for free agent wideouts, and it sounds like a signing is pending. Head coach Pat Shurmur said the team would likely be added a receiver at some point today (via NFL.com’s Adam Maya). Following Tate’s suspension and injuries to Sterling Shepard and Corey Coleman, the Giants current depth chart consists of of Cody Latimer, BennieFowler, Russell Shepard and Darius Slayton.
Giants WR Golden Tate Suspended 4 Games
The Giants are down another receiver. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that wideout Golden Tate has been suspended four games for violating the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Substance policy. Schefter notes that the veteran will appeal the suspension and “believes he has a legitimate case.”
It’s been a tough week for Giants receivers. Former Browns first-rounder Corey Coleman tore his ACL yesterday, ending his season early. Meanwhile, top wideout Sterling Shepard will be out for the foreseeable future after fracturing his thumb. The Giants are still rostering the likes of Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, Russell Shepard and Darius Slayton, but the team will surely be looking for some reinforcement.
In fact, Greg Joyce and Jared Schwartz of the New York Post write that the Giants are set to host a workout for free agent receivers this weekend. That initial grouping of players included rookie Flynn Nagel and veteran Kelvin Benjamin, although ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets that Benjamin wasn’t among those auditioning this morning.
The Giants signed Tate to (partly) replace the production of traded wideout Odell Beckham Jr.. Between the Lions and Eagles, Tate hauled in 74 passes for 795 yards and four touchdowns in 2018. It was the first time he failed to crack 800 yards since the 2012 season. In New York, he’ll likely be one of Eli Manning‘s preferred targets alongside Shepard, tight end Evan Engram, and running back Saquon Barkley.
Giants’ Corey Coleman Done For Year
More bad news for the Giants. On the same day that Sterling Shepard suffered a fractured thumb, fellow wide receiver Corey Coleman went down with a torn ACL, according to a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Sterling Shepard Fractures Thumb]
Coleman, of course, will be unable to play this season. The Giants will soon place him on injured reserve, making it all official.
Coleman technically returned to the Giants on a one-year, $720K deal this offseason, though it was some creative accounting. As a former first round pick, his ’19 salary was already guaranteed, so the Browns are paying the remainder of his $2.025MM paycheck.
This was, potentially, going to be a big year for Coleman. The Giants also tacked on $1.7MM in incentives to his new deal and there was quiet belief that he could break out after the departure of Odell Beckham Jr.
Without Coleman, there will be even more pressure on Golden Tate to perform. Ditto for Shepard, though his Week 1 status is presently uncertain.
Sterling Shepard Fractures Thumb
Giants camp is not off to a great start. One of their top weapons will be out for a while. The team announced Sterling Shepard fractured his thumb on Thursday.
While the fourth-year Giants wide receiver will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis, he will certainly miss some time. It is not certain if the recently extended talent will need surgery. The early word is Shepard’s Week 1 status will be in question, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Shepard signed a four-year, $41MM extension earlier this year. The team committed to him after trading Odell Beckham Jr. While Shepard and Golden Tate form a solid wideout duo, the Giants are quite thin behind them. They have former Broncos Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler on board, and sixth-round rookie Darius Slayton showed promise in minicamp. But 2016 Browns first-round pick Corey Coleman profiles as the likely No. 3 wide receiver to start the season. Coleman (five catches in eight Giants games last season) now figures to see extensive time in Big Blue’s starting lineup.
This injury hit the Giants early enough where it’s not out of the question the former second-round pick could be back in time for New York’s opener. Jimmy Graham played through a broken thumb last season, but each injury is obviously different. Shepard finished last season with a career-high 872 receiving yards, his yards-per-reception figure jumping from 12.3 to 16.7 in the games Beckham missed to close the season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/19
Here are today’s minor moves, which feature a few recognizable names:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR/RS Jaydon Mickens, G Norman Price, DL Bijhon Jackson
- Waived: RB Elijah Hood, G Ian Silberman, DT Elijah Qualls
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: QB Taryn Christion
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: C Daniel Munyer, RB Aca’Cedric Ware
- Waived: DE Dadi Nicolas, G Nico Siragusa
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: TE Neal Sterling
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Derrick Gore
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: LB Jayrone Elliott
New York Giants
- Claimed: WR Da’Mari Scott
- Released: CB Tony Lippett
- Signed: TE Isaiah Searight
- Waived: TE Eric Dungey
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Temuchin Hodges (formerly known as Bucky Hodges)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Damontre Moore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Troy Niklas
- Waived: WR Xavier Ubosi
Giants Unlikely To Sign Cyprien, Boston
- The Giants worked out free agent safeties Johnathan Cyprien and Tre Boston several days ago, but Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com does not believe Big Blue is going to pay for a starting-caliber safety at this point (Twitter link). He thinks the club was simply doing its due diligence.