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.
Giants, Daniel Jones Agree To Terms
The Giants will soon have their heir apparent quarterback under contract. They’ve agreed to terms with No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones on his four-year rookie deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Duke product is set to receive all of his signing bonus this year, Rapoport adds (on Twitter).
This completes the Giants’ 2019 draft class and trims the list of unsigned picks to four. Over the past three days, the Giants have come to terms with their final two holdouts — Jones and outside linebacker Oshane Ximines. Giants rookies begin work on Tuesday, and Jones will obviously be the centerpiece of those workouts. Veterans join practices Friday.
Jones, 22, worked as the Blue Devils’ starter for three seasons. The Giants saw enough to draft him at No. 6, rather than waiting until their No. 17 window opened. Having taken Jones over Dwayne Haskins and edge defender Josh Allen, Dave Gettleman has tethered himself to the scrutinized prospect.
Perhaps the most controversial pick of this year’s draft, Jones went off the board several picks before he was expected to. This prompted criticism directed at Gettleman, but the second-year Giants GM believes the former David Cutcliffe pupil will be the player to succeed Eli Manning. Jones impressed Giants brass this offseason, doing so to the point the team might only keep two quarterbacks on its active roster.
Nick Bosa (49ers), Quinnen Williams (Jets), Brian Burns (Panthers) and Deebo Samuel (49ers) are the final unsigned draft picks. Here is the full Giants draft class:
- 1-6: Daniel Jones, QB (Duke): Signed
- 1-17: Dexter Lawrence, DT (Clemson): Signed
- 1-30: Deandre Baker, CB (Georgia): Signed
- 3-95: Oshane Ximines, LB (Old Dominion) Signed
- 4-108: Julian Love, CB (Notre Dame): Signed
- 5-143: Ryan Connelly, LB (Wisconsin): Signed
- 5-171: Darius Slayton, WR (Auburn): Signed
- 6-180: Corey Ballentine, CB (Washburn): Signed
- 7-232: George Asafo-Adjei, OL (Kentucky): Signed
- 7-245: Chris Slayton, DT (Syracuse): Signed
Giants To Work Out Cyprien, Boston
The Giants are looking for help in the secondary and they’re starting with a pair of big names. On Monday afternoon, the Giants will audition free agent safeties Johnathan Cyprien and Tre Boston, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). 
Cyprien, who turns 29 next week, missed the entire 2018 season due to a torn ACL. He also worked out for the Colts this week and should be able to hook on with a contender if he is indeed back to 100% health. The advanced metrics have never been high on Cyprien, but he has been a starter for his entire career and has a reputation for delivering hard hits.
Boston, 27, has averaged four interceptions, 61 tackles, and 8.5 passes defended over the past two seasons (30 games) with the Chargers and Cardinals. Pro Football Focus was also fond of his performance, ranking him among one of the top defenders in the NFC West last season. Still, a big free agency payday continues to elude him.
Giants To Sign Oshane Ximines
The Giants have an agreement in place with 2019 third-round linebacker Oshane Ximines, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Old Dominion product is expected to sign his rookie deal Monday morning, when rookies report for training camp.
Big Blue is in dire need of pass rush help, having jettisoned Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon over the past two years. To that end, the club signed Markus Golden to a low-risk, high-reward free agent contract this offseason, and they drafted Ximines, whose sack production steadily increased throughout his collegiate career.
Ximines posted 11.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss for Old Dominion in 2018, and while it’s difficult to read too much into raw numbers for players at smaller programs, he does have a fairly complete repertoire of pass rushing techniques. He will need to improve his run defense to become an every-down force, but he should at least get plenty of burn on passing downs as he works to refine the rest of his game.
With Ximines about to be under contract, only No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones remains unsigned. Ximines’ contract will be a four-year deal worth $3.56MM and will feature an $833K signing bonus.