Giants Notes: Jones, Remmers
- The Giants plan on Eli Manning being their starter in 2019, they’ve made that very clear. But if he were thrust into action, New York’s coaching staff is already confident that sixth overall pick Daniel Jones would be ready to go from day one. “I think he’d be ready to go, that’s my personal opinion,” Giants offensive coordinator Mike Shula said when asked if Jones could be an instant starter in the league, per Tom Rock of Newsday. “I think he has that capability.” Defensive coordinator James Bettcher also had high praise for the rookie signal-caller after watching him take part in rookie minicamp. The selection of Jones was widely criticized as a reach, but the Giants’ coaching staff seems quite happy with their pick, for now.
- Speaking of the Giants, the team signed offensive lineman Mike Remmers earlier today, and now we have details on the contract. It’s a one-year deal with a base value of $2.5MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). If he meets some play-time incentives, the value of the deal can increase to $4MM. Remmers started all 16 games at right guard for the Vikings last year, but his agent confirmed the Giants will be moving him back to right tackle, his original position. The Giants have put an emphasis on rebuilding their offensive line, and as of right now it looks like Remmers will be a starter on the outside opposite Nate Solder.
Giants, Mike Remmers Agree To Deal
The Giants will add a possible right tackle solution. Following two visits this offseason, Remmers intends to sign with the Giants, according to his agent (Twitter link).
Remmers’ agent, Brett Tessler, indeed confirmed the Giants are signing Remmers with the intent of using him as a right tackle. The Vikings initially stationed Remmers at that spot, during part of their 2017 NFC championship game-qualifying season, but played him exclusively at right guard last season. A former Dave Gettleman addition in Carolina, Remmers will attempt to resurface as a steady right tackle option in New York.
After trading for Kevin Zeitler, the Giants were linked for several weeks to veteran right tackles. They had trouble staffing that position last season, moving from failed first-round pick Ereck Flowers to former UDFA Chad Wheeler. Gettleman has voiced a continued desire to upgrade the Giants’ offensive front, and after 2018 brought Nate Solder and Will Hernandez into the fold, Big Blue now has two more veterans — in Zeitler and Remmers — in its projected lineup.
Remmers, 30, did not grade especially well on an embattled Vikings front last season — which preceded a Vikings release. But he started 16 games and has proven durable since becoming a full-timer in 2015. He manned Minnesota’s right edge to start 2017 but was moved inside during the season. Remembered for his struggles against Von Miller in Super Bowl 50, Remmers nonetheless will bring 59 games’ worth of starting experience to the Giants’ O-line.
While some of Gettleman’s personnel moves have been hotly debated, the Giants undoubtedly feature a much better offensive line compared to when the 67-year-old GM took over.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: T Justin Evans, G Zack Golditch, G Will House, DT Pasoni Tasini, WR Jalen Tolliver, T Brant Weiss
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: LB Blair Brown, G Parker Ehinger, FB Dimitri Flowers, LB Donald Payne, RB David Williams
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: TE Austin Roberts
New York Giants
- Signed: K Joey Slye
- Waived: LB Ukeme Eligwe, DE Myles Humphrey, DB Michael Hunter, RB Robert Martin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: CB Jack Tocho, K Matt McCrane
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Nick Bellore, OL Marcus Martin
Giants Never Made Offer To Landon Collins
The Giants had 14-plus months of exclusive negotiating rights with Landon Collins. Although his contract came up in reports in that span, no serious negotiations were reported to have commenced.
Collins took that a step further, indicating (via NJ.com’s Ryan Dunleavy) the Giants did not make him an offer.
“I wanted to be one of those guys to finish his career on one team,” Collins said. “They didn’t give me the opportunity to do that. It’s a business. I can’t do anything about that. … They never made an offer. I knew when they were about to trade me how it was going to go. Very, very eye-opening.”
Trade offers, one from the Buccaneers including a third-rounder, came in for Collins before the 2018 deadline. But the Giants stood pat. They then opted not to use their franchise tag, which would have meant an $11.15MM 2019 price, letting Collins hit free agency. His Redskins deal reset the safety market in a major way. Collins signed for $14MM per year; he and Tyrann Mathieu are now the league’s highest-paid safeties.
The Giants prioritized an Odell Beckham Jr. extension in 2018, doing so as Collins entered his contract year. Neither are part of the 2019 Giants. New York replaced Collins with Jabrill Peppers, acquired in that Beckham trade with the Browns.
Giants Sign RB Rod Smith
Rod Smith landed another gig backing up a Pro Bowl running back. The Giants signed the former Cowboys backup on Wednesday.
Set to transition from playing behind Ezekiel Elliott to appearing on a Saquon Barkley-fronted depth chart, Smith will change teams for the second time in his career. The former Ohio State running back began his NFL career as a Seahawk before becoming a steady backup in Dallas.
The Giants still have Jerry Reese-era draft picks Wayne Gallman and Paul Perkins behind Barkley. They cut Jonathan Stewart earlier this offseason. In being a Dave Gettleman signing, Smith should challenge to become Barkley’s primary backup.
The Bengals worked out Smith last month. No known Smith audition commenced with the Giants. The 27-year-old former UDFA backed up Elliott last season, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry. But in a more crowded Cowboys backfield in 2017, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound back averaged 4.2 yards per tote and scored four touchdowns. Smith also showed some outlet ability, hauling in 19 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown that season.
Barkley received 261 carries as a rookie, becoming the third first-year player in NFL history to exceed 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Gallman received 51 carries (averaging 3.5 yards per handoff), however, so some work exists behind the Giants’ three-down Pro Bowler.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/6/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DE Aaron Adeoye, CB Terrell Bonds, OT Darrell Williams
- Waived: DB Robertson Daniel, S Evan Worthington, OL C.J. Toogood
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Tommy Doles, DE Jalen Dalton
- Cut: DB Adarius Pickett, DE Lawrence Marshall
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Jhavonte Dean, RB Travon Gray, LB Willie Harvey
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed: WR Jawill Davis
- Signed: WR Darrius Shepherd, CB Chandon Sullivan
- Released: RB Lavon Coleman
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reserve/non-football injury list: DE Tim Ward
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Bryce Hager
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Terrance Alexander, DE Stacy Keely, DB Isaiah Wharton
New England Patriots
- WR Xavier Ubosi
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Kenny Bigelow Jr., RB Devine Ozigbo, CB Jordan Wyatt
New York Giants
- Signed: G Austin Droogsma
New York Jets
- Waived: QB Brandon Silvers
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: P A.J. Cole, DT Ronald Ollie
- Waived: P Drew Kaser, OL Jamar McGloster
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed: OL Willie Beavers,
- Signed: LB LaRoy Reynolds, RB Austin Walter
- Waived: RB Matthew Dayes, DL Ryan Delaire
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/5/19
Here are today’s minor moves. We’ll update this list throughout the day:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: K Cole Hedlund, DT Sterling Shippy, LB Tre Thomas, CB Shakial Taylor
- Waived: Clayton Hatfield, CB Chris Rayford, DE Anthony Winbush
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Tenny Adewusi (UDFA/Delaware), P Ryan Anderson (UDFA/Rutgers), DE Alex Jenkins
- Placed on IR: Nate Harvey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Austin Walter
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/3/19
We’ll keep track the latest late-round draft pick signings here:
- The Ravens announced the signings of running back Justice Hill (fourth round), guard Ben Powers (fourth round), cornerback Iman Marshall (fourth round), and defensive tackle Daylon Mack (fifth round). With that, the Ravens have just four stragglers left to go.
- The Giants inked defensive back Julian Love (fourth round), tackle George Asafo-Adjei (seventh round), and defensive tackle Chris Slayton (seventh round).
- The Packers, as of this writing, have four draft picks under contract – sixth-round cornerback Dexter Williams and seventh-round linebacker Ty Summers signed their deals, following the lead of the club’s first round picks.
Giants Sign 13 UDFAs
The Giants announced that they have signed the following undrafted free agents in advance of tomorrow’s rookie minicamp:
- Paul Adams, OT (Missouri)
- Jake Carlock, DB (LIU Post)
- C.J. Conrad, TE (Kentucky)
- Eric Dungey, QB (Syracuse)
- Jeremiah Harris, DE (Eastern Michigan)
- Nate Harvey, DE (East Carolina)
- Jon Hilliman, RB (Rutgers)
- Mark McLaurin, DB (Mississippi State) ($20K guaranteed base salary and $10K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter)
- James O’Hagan, C (Buffalo)
- Josiah Tauaefa, LB (UTSA) ($95K guaranteed base salary and $15K signing bonus, per Wilson on Twitter)
- Jacob Thieneman, DB (Purdue)
- Alex Wesley, WR (Northern Colorado)
- Reggie White Jr., WR (Monmouth)
Cue the quarterback controversy, as Dungey could be coming for Daniel Jones‘ job. Well, probably not, but Dungey was in high demand after the draft was over, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Dungey had offers from about five clubs, but a telephone call between the former Orange signal-caller and New York head coach Pat Shurmur helped seal the deal. Dungey could theoretically stick as the third QB if Big Blue goes in that direction, and his athleticism will certainly help his case for a roster spot, as he could contribute on special teams and/or as a gadget player. Dungey passed for 9,340 yards with 58 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in his four seasons at Syracuse, but he also rushed for 1,993 yards and 35 touchdowns.
The Giants addressed their flagging pass rush to some degree in the draft by selecting Old Dominion defensive end Oshane Ximines in the third round, and they may have uncovered a gem in Harvey, a converted running back. Harvey had 14.5 sacks last year and was named the AAC’s Defensive Player of the Year.
As evidenced by the large amount of guaranteed money they’re giving him, the Giants think highly of Tauaefa, a tackling machine who is capable of making plays behind the line of scrimmage and who posted over 100 tackles in two of his three collegiate seasons. And after adding three DBs in the draft, Big Blue added three more via UDFA signings, further underscoring its commitment to improving its defensive backfield.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/19
Here are today’s minor moves, which feature several recognizable signal-callers:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Ryan Winslow
- Waived: K Cole Murphy
Chicago Bears
- Waived: OL Dejon Allen, Willie Beavers, WR Cyril Grayson
Denver Broncos
- Waived: QB Garrett Grayson, WR Chad Hansen
Detroit Lions
- Signed: NT Darius Kilgo
- Released: RB Kerwynn Williams
- Waived: OL Jarron Jones
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Josh Carraway
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Jawill Davis
New York Jets
- Claimed: QB Luke Falk
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: S Delvon Randall (signed as UDFA with partially-guaranteed contract on May 1)