Giants Claim LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
Waived by the 49ers last week, Ray-Ray Armstrong will make his way to the Big Apple. The Giants submitted a successful waiver claim for the linebacker, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Armstrong played in 10 games for the 49ers, including the team’s win over the Giants earlier this month, before being cut. He started in five.
With the Giants, he’ll join a linebacking corps that’s struggled with injuries. B.J. Goodson‘s been plagued by maladies throughout the season. He missed Week 12 with an ankle injury. Big Blue also has J.T. Thomas, Keenan Robinson and Nigel Harris on IR, where Mark Herzlich has resided since Week 1.
A former Raiders starter, Armstrong made 53 tackles and recorded a sack during his 49ers tenure this season.
Janoris Jenkins Needs Ankle Surgery
The Giants‘ disastrous 2017 season keeps getting worse. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, New York cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been playing for the last two months with a “debilitating” ankle injury that has limited his ability to cut and change direction (which certainly could explain why he has regressed this year after enjoying a strong 2016 campaign, his first with Big Blue). Schefter says that Jenkins will need to undergo ankle surgery at some point, and doctors are scheduled to discuss the matter tomorrow. It sounds as if Jenkins will be shut down so that he can have the surgery, which makes plenty of sense given that the Giants do not have anything to play for this year.
Criticism Nearly Caused Eli Apple Walkout
From a cornerback turbulence standpoint, the 2017 Giants are having one of the worst seasons in memory. Now, a third player appears to have been involved in an internal dust-up.
Following the one-game suspensions of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins earlier this season, Eli Apple was at odds with the Giants for a short period.
Apple, who has not been active for the past two Giants games, considered walking out of the team’s facility recently after pointed criticism came his way from coaches and teammates, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports.
A film session of Big Blue’s embarrassing loss in San Francisco led to harsh critiques coming Apple’s way, mostly regarding his effort level, per Schwartz. And the 2016 first-round pick “did not handle it well at all.” Schwartz reports Apple was so dismayed by this he twice said he was ready to walk out of the facility. A source informed Schwartz Apple endured harsher critiques than any other player in that meeting.
While a discussion with Ben McAdoo led to the second-year corner not creating a scene by leaving the building, Schwartz reports Apple’s recent actions played a part in the Giants deactivating him the past two weeks.
Apple did not report to the team facility for the next two days, but he was excused because his mother was undergoing brain surgery, Schwartz reports. McAdoo said the practice absences were the reason he wasn’t on the field against the Chiefs. The coach also said a lack of game-speed readiness, due to light practices on a short week, led to Apple being a healthy scratch against the Redskins.
Earlier this season, the Giants benched Apple for multiple series during a loss to the Chargers. After the game, the Ohio State product made comments about being the scapegoat for a Giants culture that needed repairing. Schwartz reports that comment did not register well with teammates or coaches.
Apple started 11 games for the Giants last season and seven in his second campaign.
Potential McAdoo Replacements, Two Players Out For The Year
The Giants coaching questions are now back in full force after the team lost to Washington on Thanksgiving night. There was some reprieve from the consistent rumors after Giants head coach Ben McAdoo beat the Chiefs two weeks ago, but now there is speculation about where the front office may turn if they chose to replace McAdoo at the end of this season.
- The Giants have dealt with a number of injuries this season. The team has likely lost two more players for the season in cornerback Donte Deayon (fractured forearm) and linebacker Curtis Grant (knee), reports Dan Duggan of NJ Advanced Media. New York has placed seven defenders on IR so far this season, so losing two more depth pieces doesn’t bode well for how competitive the Giants can be in the final six weeks of the regular season.
Halapio To Get The Start At RG
- In regards to the late Thanksgiving game between the Redskins and Giants, the expectation that New York will have offensive lineman Jon Halapio make his first professional start at right guard, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. The 26-year-old would be replacing D.J. Fluker, who has already been ruled out for Week 12 with a toe injury. The move represents another shift in the offensive line for the Giants, who had rookie Chad Wheeler make his first NFL start during the team’s victory over the Chiefs in Week 11.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/17
Here are today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Jace Billingsley
- Promoted to active roster: DT Christian Ringo
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted to active roster: LB Neville Hewitt
New York Giants
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Kevin Norwood
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted to active roster: WR David Moore
New York Notes: Jets, Giants, Darnold
The misdemeanor assault charge against Jets outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin has been dropped, as Darryl Slater of NJ.com writes. Mauldin was said to have punched a 22-year-old man in the face, but New York authorities did not find enough evidence to move forward with the case. Still, Mauldin faces a civil suit and league discipline is still possible even though he is in the clear, legally speaking.
Mauldin, a third-round pick in 2015, was in the mix for a starting job this season. Instead, he lost the entire season to a back injury. Next season is slated to be his final year with the Jets and that may mark his final opportunity to make a good impression on a regime that did not draft him.
Here’s more out of the Meadowlands:
- Who will be the Jets‘ starting quarterback in 2018? Ralph Vacchiano of SNY profiled some candidates, including incumbent Josh McCown and top draft prospects Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. The Gang Green beat writer gives top odds to McCown (5-1) while dismissing chances of middling prospects Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Baker Mayfield being the guy (500-1). At 25-1, he’s perhaps more bullish on the Jets landing Kirk Cousins than anyone else.
- Speaking of Jackson, Manish Mehta of the Daily News hears that the Jets do not believe that Jackson can thrive as an NFL quarterback. Other teams may be higher on the Louisville product, but Mehta cannot envision the Jets investing a Round 2 or 3 pick in him.
- In the interest of equal time, Vacchiano looks at the candidates for the Giants‘ starting job. The odds remain strong that Eli Manning will be the Week 1 starter, but Vacchiano does not completely rule out Rosen, Darnold, or in-house options Geno Smith and Davis Webb. In related news, Vacchiano hears from multiple team sources that there are no plans to play Webb the rest of the way.
Latest On Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold
After the latest USC-UCLA game brought numerous scouts and NFL personnel executives, some fallout from the Trojans’ 28-23 win over the Bruins emerged. Most notably, one of the two quarterbacks looks like a good bet to leave school early while the other isn’t certain yet.
Josh Rosen declaring for the 2018 draft is viewed as a “done deal,” Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.net reports. Sam Darnold has not decided yet, and Pauline reports that decision is a ways off. This gels with what came out about Darnold over the summer.
Albert Breer of SI.com added the teams at the top of the draft will play a part in influencing the redshirt sophomore’s decision.
“Sam Darnold has great support around him and comes from a great family and my understanding is he’s going to take everything into account … that includes who is at the top of the draft,” Breer told 92.3 The Fan (via Scott Patsko of cleveland.com). “It includes the coaches that he sees drafting first, second and third overall. That will be part of the decision-making. What is best for me? What will put me in the best position to have a long NFL career.”
As for Saturday night’s game, at least 20 teams sent scouts. Pauline reports four franchises — the Browns, Bills, Jets and Giants — had key front office personnel at the game in addition to scouts. Mike Maccagnan and Jerry Reese were confirmed to be on hand.
Pauline’s consensus from discussing Darnold with on-hand personnel would be the passer could use one more year of seasoning. While a few of these evaluators said Darnold would be the 2018 No. 1 pick if he entered the draft due to his arm talent and athleticism, the prodigious talent drew Jay Cutler comparisons as well. Darnold wouldn’t be the first quarterback to bypass a draft as a possible No. 1 overall pick, with Peyton Manning and former Trojan Matt Leinart among those to do so in years past.
GMs and scouts who spoke to Pauline viewed Rosen as possessing possibly a bit more ability than Darnold, but his personality appears to be turning off some NFL folks. At least two GMs issued “stay away” warnings regarding Rosen. Another GM whom Pauline notes runs a team that will likely own a top-12 pick and is in need of a quarterback said he would not select Rosen with it due to character concerns.
Overall, Pauline reports the consensus on the 2018 quarterback class is Rosen and Darnold are clearly atop the field.
Giants Could Make Sweeping Changes This Offseason
- Although Giants ownership recently indicated that head coach Ben McAdoo would at least get the opportunity to finish out the season before they make a decision on his future with the club, La Canfora says the club’s evaluation will not be limited to the coaching staff. He believes ownership could also make changes to the personnel side of team operations, suggesting that GM Jerry Reese could be on the hot seat.
Giants Don't Plan To Play Webb In 2017
Webb was “all but anointed” as Manning’s successor come 2020, Vacchiano notes, but that was before the team lost eight of its first nine games. Now, the Giants have ramped up quarterback scouting, Vacchiano confirms, because of their lost season and a possible top-five draft choice that would then be awarded. The reporter adds Big Blue will “strongly consider” taking a quarterback with that pick.
Mired in their worst season in 14 years, the Giants could soon be faced with a tough decision at quarterback. But for now, their plan isn’t changing. Eli Manning will continue to be their starter, and Davis Webb‘s role doesn’t look to be increasing. The Giants do not plan to play the third-round rookie in 2017, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports.
Webb has not been receiving additional practice reps and remains behind Manning and Geno Smith, the latter being expected to keep operating as the backup quarterback. Giants wide receivers coach Frank Cignetti said the Cal product is making “tremendous progress” and noted the team would “obviously” get a better read on Webb with game action, but the 1-8 Giants may have other plans in the works regarding their post-Manning quarterback.
Webb was “all but anointed” as Manning’s successor come 2020, Vacchiano notes, but that was before the team lost eight of its first nine games. Now, the Giants have ramped up quarterback scouting, Vacchiano confirms, because of their lost season and a possible top-five draft choice that would then be awarded. The reporter adds Big Blue will “strongly consider” taking a quarterback with that pick.
- Both the Giants and Jets have sent their GMs to Los Angeles on Saturday night for the UCLA-USC game featuring high-end quarterback prospects Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. While Jerry Reese is heading the Giants’ contingent, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter), Mike Maccagnan, VP of personnel Brian Heimerdinger and a scout are representing the Jets. Cimini adds Gang Green might be leading the pack among interested teams here. That’s interesting because, as of now, the Jets won’t be in position to have the kind of draft pick it will likely take to land Darnold or Rosen, provided they declare early. While it’s uncertain how many other GMs are at the Los Angeles Coliseum for UCLA-USC, at least 20 teams have sent scouts.