Landon Collins Expects To Stay A Giant
The latest from the NFC here, continuing with a key Giants offseason decision:
- Landon Collins is rehabbing an injury that is expected to impact him well into the offseason. The Giants safety said he risked further damage to his injured shoulder by continuing to play, though he said during an appearance on The Michael Kay Show (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, on Twitter) he would have considered staying on the field if the Giants had beaten the Eagles to stay in a more realistic playoff pursuit at the time. Collins’ contract expires soon, and the Giants are not believed to have engaged in extension talks with him yet. Collins, though, would prefer to stay in New York and is, as of now, expecting to return (Twitter link via Raanan). The franchise tag — expected to be worth approximately $11.2MM for safeties — is likely, Raanan adds.
- Another high-profile player might not be back with his current employer. Matt Kalil signed a somewhat surprising five-year, $55MM Panthers contract in 2017, and that deal still has guarantees going into 2019. The Panthers would be tagged with $14.7MM in dead-money charges if they released Kalil next year — and such a move would not net Carolina anything in cap savings — but The Athletic’s Joe Person notes (subscription required) the current sense is Kalil will be released. The Panthers have a new owner in David Tepper, and the GM that authorized the Kalil contract, Dave Gettleman, is now with the Giants. So, a cut-your-losses maneuver would add up more compared to if the decision-makers behind the contract were still in place. Kalil has spent all season on IR.
Giants Want Eli Manning Back In 2019
It has been a rough couple of years for Eli Manning, but it sounds like the Giants will continue with him as their starting quarterback in 2019. When asked if he wants Manning back next season, head coach Pat Shurmur responded in the affirmative. 
“Yeah. I want all our players to be back. I believe experience matters,” said Shurmur, who went on to confirm that he believes Manning still has “years” left in the tank.
Manning will turn 38 in January and there are obvious signs of decline. Yesterday’s 17-0 loss to the Titans was the latest rough outing for the veteran as he completed just 47.7% of his throws and coughed up a costly third quarter fumble.
On the other hand, there are some good reasons for the Giants to keep Manning. For starters, he’s fared a whole lot better this year than he did in 2017. His 65.9% completion percentage would represent a career high and his 18/9 TD/INT rate is an improvement over last year’s 19/13 mark.
There’s also his contract to consider. Manning is scheduled to count for a $23.2MM cap number in 2019 and the Giants would be stuck with $6.2MM in dead money if they released him. The savings of $17MM is not insignificant, but the Giants might not be able to get a veteran quarterback for less.
If the season ended today, the Giants would be on track for the No. 8 overall pick in the draft. That could put them in range for one of this year’s top QBs, which would enable them to use Manning as a bridge in ’19. Right now, that seems like the most likely scenario for the G-Men.
Kyle Lauletta Demoted, Deactivated
We learned earlier today that Eli Manning is increasingly likely to remain with the Giants in 2019, and the fact that New York does not presently have a legitimate replacement on its roster is a big reason for that. Indeed, although the team selected Kyle Lauletta in the 2018 draft and repeatedly indicated it wanted to give him some game action this year, Lauletta’s first appearance in a regular season NFL game — during garbage time in last week’s blowout win over the Redskins — did not go well. Lauletta has now been demoted to the team’s No. 3 QB, where he spent most of the season, and he is inactive for the club’s game today. As Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com suggests, that move speaks volumes about where Lauletta is in his development.
Eli Manning Increasingly Likely To Return To Giants In 2019
Although no decisions have been made to this point, the odds that Eli Manning is back with the Giants in 2019 are getting better by the day, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (video link). We heard several weeks ago that Manning could indeed return to Big Blue — which seemed like a crazy thought when Manning was struggling earlier in the season and when the Giants were sporting a 1-7 record — and that scenario appears increasingly likely.
After all, as Rapoport observes, the club does not have the heir apparent to Manning on its roster, and after the Giants’ late-season surge — they are 4-1 in their last five games, with a narrow loss to Philadelphia sandwiched between the four wins — it may make sense to keep Manning around, if only to groom a younger QB. Manning will carry a $23.2MM cap number in 2019, and the Giants could save $17MM by cutting him, which will still be sorely tempting. But Manning’s improved performance, combined with the fact that there is unlikely to be a signal-caller available in free agency that would represent a marked upgrade, suggest that the benefits of keeping the soon-to-be 38-year-old outweigh the benefits of letting him go.
Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com also explores Manning’s future, and the future of the team in general. He points out that the Giants’ success over the last few weeks has come against lower-level competition, and that the final three games on the docket will truly determine how New York will proceed in the offseason. If the club stumbles to the finish line, it would have a better shot of landing a franchise quarterback in the first round (either Dwayne Haskins or, if he declares for the draft, Justin Herbert). But if the Giants end up picking in the middle of the first round, then it becomes much more difficult to get such a player, and the next tier of collegiate signal-callers do not offer nearly the same level of upside.
Either way, Manning could be back. If the Giants are able to get Haskins or Herbert, or if they deem someone like Will Grier or Drew Lock to be a franchise-caliber QB, Manning will be an excellent mentor. And if New York does not get its next quarterback of the future this offseason, Manning now seems like a decent enough bet to provide solid play and a chance at the postseason.
Odell Beckham Jr. Discusses Quad Injury
Odell Beckham Jr. is set to miss his second-straight game this weekend, and it sounds like we’re finally getting some clarity on his injury. Speaking on the UnInterrupted Facebook docuseries, the wideout said he’s been dealing with a hematoma to his quad, and he acknowledged that he aggravated the injury during a practice on December 6th.
We already knew that Beckham had suffered a quad injury, but many reports referred to it as a standard sprain. As Ralph Vacchiano of SNY tweets, a hematoma is described as “a collection of blood outside a blood vessel.” The reporter notes that the injury can be slow to develop, could require draining, and may be a sign of a larger, underlying problem.
Furthermore, while the Giants’ coaching staff has generally been tightlipped when it comes to their star’s quad, Beckham provided some insight into when he may have suffered the injury. The 26-year-old indicated that he suffered the injury during a late-November game against the Eagles. While the ailment was improving, Beckham seemingly aggravated the injury after going too hard at an early-December practice despite being less than 100-percent.
“I kind of had an injury toward my left quad after the Philly game,” Beckham said in the video (via Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com). “Treated it up. Went to (face) Chicago. Played through this kind of hematoma, bruise, whatever you want to call it. It was just there. I just worked on it. I got dry needled. I got the same kind of treatments I’ve had done.
“Then Wednesday (Dec. 5) we had a very hard practice. I had probably some of the highest sprint speed distances I’ve had. I had a real good practice. I felt amazing. Thursday real amazing practice through 90 percent of the practice. I was saying to back off just a little bit, just a little bit. But I am competitive. I just kept working hard. It was the last play in the last period of practice. I went to accelerate for a ball. I just felt like something weird happen.”
One could surmise that Beckham is indicating that he shouldn’t have been going full-out to begin with, and it sounds like he’s not entirely taking responsibility for that decision. Beckham has had semi-feuds with coach Pat Shurmur and co-owner John Mara this season, and a scene from later in the Uninterrupted episode indicates that he still harbors some ill will for being “called out” by the duo. As Dunleavy notes, the team may have wanted to keep this injury information private, but Beckham is continuing to operate by his own rules.
Following an injury-plagued 2017 campaign, OBJ is having a bounce-back season in 2018. Through 12 games, the wideout has hauled in 77 receptions for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns.
Beckham Out Another Week
- Odell Beckham Jr. will miss a second straight game this week, Giants head coach Pat Shurmur announced today (Twitter link). Beckham is dealing with a quad injury, but the details are murky. He apparently suffered the injury a few weeks ago, and was initially able to play through it, but seemingly it’s taken a turn for the worse. The team has been very tightlipped about what exactly happened, but more details should leak out eventually.
Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends GM Candidates
The Fritz Pollard Alliance has released its annual list of minority candidates for general manager vacancies. Much like the latest batch of recommended coaching hires, the suggested GM list is more than twice as long as last year’s. 
[RELATED: Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends Head Coaching Candidates]
Here’s the full rundown, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link):
- Ray Agnew (Rams)
- Joey Clinkscales (Raiders)
- Quentin Harris (Cardinals)
- Alonzo Highsmith (Browns)
- Brad Holmes (Rams)
- Champ Kelly (Bears)
- Martin Mayhew (49ers, ex-Lions GM)
- Will McClay (Cowboys)
- Jimmy Raye III (Lions)
- Jerry Reese (ex-Giants GM)
- Doug Whaley (ex-Bills GM)
- Doug Williams (Redskins)
Clinkscales, Highsmith, McClay, and Williams were all featured on last year’s list, but none of those executives landed GM jobs. The only executive from the last round of recommendations who did not carry over to this year was Ray Farmer, the former Browns GM who is currently serving as a senior consultant with the Rams.
Of the dozen suggested executives on this list, only three sat for GM interviews in the last cycle: Mayhew (Panthers), Raye (Texans), and Whaley (Packers). McClay was asked to interview for the Texans opening, but declined the opportunity and instead signed a two-year extension to stay with the Cowboys. McClay may garner consideration again this time around, but he might not be interested in leaving Dallas.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Justin Evans
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Ashton Lampkin
- Placed on injured list: DB Robert Jackson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Oni Omoile
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT DeShawn Williams
- Released: DE Anthony Winbush
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR C.J. Board
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Martez Carter
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Woodrow Hamilton
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Roubbens Joseph
- Placed on injured list: OL Casey Dunn
Giants To Activate Cody Latimer
Cody Latimer will return for the Giants’ final games in 2018. The wide receiver will be activated for Week 16, allowing him to play him against the Colts and Cowboys, as Matt Lombardo of NJ.com writes. 
The Giants designated Latimer for return in late November, opening up a three-week window for activation. So far, he’s looked healthy on the practice field, and doctors have given him clearance to play again.
The Giants aren’t playing for much at this point, but this will be an opportunity for Latimer to play his way on to the 2019 roster. For now, he’s scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency in March after the expiration of his one-year, $2.5MM contract.
Latimer, 26, was enjoying an expanded role in the Giants’ offense against the Eagles on Oct. 11 before he went down with a hamstring injury. The wide receiver had six catches for 108 yards across four games before being sidelined.
The Giants will not have Latimer for Sunday’s game against the Titans and it remains to be seen whether they’ll have Odell Beckham Jr. for the contest. OBJ has been sidelined with a quad injury and did not practice on Wednesday morning.
Odell Beckham Jr. Out For Week 14
The Giants‘ opponent Sunday will be dealing with a greater volume of injury replacements, but the Big Apple’s NFC team will be missing its biggest star. Odell Beckham Jr. will not play in Week 14. The Giants ruled out Beckham for their Redskins rematch because of a bruised quadriceps. Although Beckham practiced this week on a limited basis, the Giants are sitting him for the first time this season. New York’s 4-8 record may well be contributing to the decision. This season has not gone well for Big Blue, but Beckham has enjoyed a productive slate after an ankle injury wiped out most of his 2017 season. He has five 100-plus-yard performances and exited Week 13 with 1,052 receiving yards, six receiving scores and two touchdown passes.
- Washington may be planning to go with tackles Austin Howard and Ty Nsekhe at guard against the Giants, per Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington. Jay Gruden has this option at his incredibly depleted guard spot, or the fifth-year Redskins coach could deploy Luke Bowanko or Zac Kerin. Gruden indicated he may use a rotation. The NFC East leaders for most of this season, the Redskins lost Jonathan Cooper — also an in-season replacement — for the year and will be without Tony Bergstrom. Howard, Bowanko and Kerin were in-season pickups for a Redskins team that now has five offensive linemen on IR. Washington is 6-6 and on the verge of seeing this injury-plagued season veer off the playoff course.