Notes On Pugh, Darkwa, McAdoo
- James Kratch of NJ.com believes Giants O-lineman Justin Pugh will be looking for $11MM annually when he hits free agency after the season, with around $30MM guaranteed. Kratch adds that Big Blue will be interested in re-signing Orleans Darkwa, who is also a free agent at the end of the year, though the club will not break the bank for him.
- James Kratch of NJ.com believes Giants O-lineman Justin Pugh will be looking for $11MM annually when he hits free agency after the season, with around $30MM guaranteed. Kratch adds that Big Blue will be interested in re-signing Orleans Darkwa, who is also a free agent at the end of the year, though the club will not break the bank for him.
- Giants head coach Ben McAdoo might have ceded play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, but as Howie Kussoy of the New York Post rights, McAdoo retains “veto power” if he does not approve of a play that Sullivan calls.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/19/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Buffalo Bills
- S Trey Caldwell; CBs Brian Dixon, Deji Olatoye, Trovon Reed (link)
Detroit Lions
- DBs Robert Blanton, Ed Reynolds (link)
New York Giants
- LSs Andrew East, Derek Hart, Colin Holba (link)
New York Jets
- TE Jason Croom; WR Patrick Owusu (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- CB Marqueston Huff; S Robenson Therezie (link)
Washington Redskins
Giants Owner Did Not Push for McAdoo to Give Up Play Calling
- Building off the news that Ben McAdoo gave up play calling to offenisve coordinator Mike Sullivan for their Sunday night contest against the Broncos, it is now known that neither owner John Mara nor Giants executive chairman Steve Tisch asked the head coach to give up the offensive playbook, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It would seem that McAdoo made this decision on his own with the results being positive thus far as the team shocked many by going into Denver and winning by double digits.
DRC: I Never Asked Giants For Trade
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie clashed with Giants coach Ben McAdoo in a big way last week. But, the cornerback says that he never asked for a trade (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). 
DRC wasn’t acting like someone who wanted to stay with the Giants last Wednesday when he bailed on a defensive meeting, cleaned out his locker, and left the team’s facility. When asked about why he did that, the veteran downplayed the significance of his actions.
“I’m dramatic. I’m crazy,” Rodgers-Cromartie said.
Rodgers-Cromartie was banned indefinitely after four separate blowups with the team, including his choice to storm off the field in the midst of the team’s loss to the Chargers. But, on Tuesday, the Giants formally ended his ban. DRC probably isn’t McAdoo’s favorite person in the world right now, but the 1-5 Giants had little choice but to bring him back this week.
Should things sour between DRC and McAdoo again, the Giants may want to keep the Oct. 31 trade deadline in mind.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/17
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Deonte Thompson
- Released: RB Joe Banyard
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Michael Mauti
- Promoted to active roster: RB Daniel Lasco
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Nathan Stupar (story)
- Released: T Bryce Harris
- Waived: LB Adam Bighill
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers: LB Nigel Harris
- Placed on injured reserve: DE Romeo Okwara
- Waived/injured: CB Michael Hunter
New York Jets
- Released from injured reserve: DT Anthony Johnson
Giants End DRC’s Ban
Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is back with the team. His suspension is over and he’ll rejoin the Giants in advance of Sunday’s game against Seattle, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Giants have since confirmed the news via press release.
Rodgers-Cromartie clashed with coach Ben McAdoo last week – apparently, on four separate occasions – before being suspended “indefinitely” for conduct detrimental to the team. The collective bargaining agreement dictates that teams can not suspend players for more than four games for such an infraction, so DRC was never facing a ban of more than one month.
Surprisingly, the Giants pulled out their first win of the season on Sunday without DRC in the lineup. The G-Men are now 1-5 after a solid defensive performance against the Broncos, including two interceptions.
Still, having Rodgers-Cromartie in the lineup going forward will give them their best chance to win. The playoffs are almost certainly out of reach, but the Giants would like to avoid a morale-crushing season.
Giants Notes: Manning, McAdoo, Sullivan, DRC
Although the Jaguars have been speculatively mentioned as a trade destination for Giants quarterback Eli Manning given the presence of executive VP Tom Coughlin, Manning has no interest in being dealt, as Bob Glauber of Newsday writes. “I’ve not heard [the Jacksonville speculation], I’ve not felt it, not thinking about it,”Manning said. “I don’t want to play anywhere else. I love this team, love this organization, and I want to be here.” New York, of course, won its first game of the season on Sunday night, while Jacksonville fell to 3-3 with a loss to the Rams. Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles‘ role in the team’s offense has been severely reduced, but general manager David Caldwell & Co. will likely finish out the campaign with Bortles under center before targeting signal-caller upgrades in the offseason, as Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com writes.
- On the heels of their dominant first win of the season over the Broncos on Sunday night, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY pointed out (Twitter link) that Giants coach Ben McAdoo gave play-calling responsibilities to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan for the team’s Week 6 affair. McAdoo had been a subject of criticism given the Giants nightmarish start to the season, but it looked like the change may have things turned around, at least for the time being, as New York avoided many big mistakes with the offense going to a more run-oriented approach. The team rushed for a total of 148 yards on the game, with starter Orleans Darkwa accounting for 117 of those yards on 21 carries.
- In another Giants twist, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is scheduled to report to the team’s facility tomorrow morning for a meeting/update on his status, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. The 10-year cornerback was suspended indefinitely last week for a number of events, which included walking out on a team meeting as well as storming off the field after the Giants lost to the Chargers two weeks ago. Rodgers-Cromartie was one of the best nickelbacks in football last season with him being voted to a second team All-pro by Pro Football Focus and the Associated Press in 2016-17. However, New York’s defense didn’t seem to miss the veteran defensive back all too much as the team picked off Trevor Siemian twice and held the Broncos out of the endzone for much of the game last night.
Branden Albert Declines Seahawks’ Offer
The Seahawks tried to sign Branden Albert, but they apparently did not put enough money on the table. Despite receiving an offer, the tackle has left the Seattle area without a deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Over the weekend, Albert postponed a scheduled meeting with the Giants since he was close to signing with Seattle. Now that he’s not joining up with the Seahawks, it’s possible that he will circle back to the G-Men.
Albert’s asking price may have been to high, but the Seahawks’ best and only alternative right now is to move forward with Rees Odhiambo, who ranks as the worst tackle in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Despite the shaky offensive line, the Seahawks are 3-2 as they come off of their bye week. Strangely enough, the Giants are next up on the schedule.
Latest On Giants, DRC
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie‘s “indefinite” suspension may soon come to an end. Giants head coach Ben McAdoo tells NBC’s Al Michaels that he will meet with the cornerback on Monday (Twitter links via Dan Duggan of NJ.com). 
McAdoo also explained that DRC had four separate incidents before the suspension went into effect last week. The coach did not get into specifics, but based on a previous report, we have a pretty good idea of what went down. Cromartie walked out of a team activity last Friday, stormed off the field during last Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, and bailed on a defensive meeting on Wednesday before the ban finally came down. Perhaps we’ll learn about incident No. 4 at a later date.
Despite the Giants’ early season struggles, Rodgers-Cromartie was doing alright through five games. DRC still ranks as a starting-caliber corner in the eyes of Pro Football Focus with a quality 80.3 overall score. That’s down from his best work, but, regardless, the Giants need him on the field in order to rack up some Ws.
If Cromartie is reinstated this week, as expected, he’ll be able to suit up against the Seahawks on Sunday at the Meadowlands.
DRC To Return In Week 7; Marshall Not Retiring
- In keeping with reports from several days ago, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Giants CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will miss Big Blue’s matchup against the Broncos this week, but he will be back for next week’s game against Seattle, which means he will have served just one game of a possible four-game suspension.
- In keeping with reports from several days ago, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Giants CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will miss Big Blue’s matchup against the Broncos this week, but he will be back for next week’s game against Seattle, which means he will have served just one game of a possible four-game suspension.
- Giants WR Brandon Marshall, who is out for the season due to an ankle injury, has no plans to retire, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Said Marshall, “I’m a competitor, and I don’t want to go out like that. I’m definitely not going out like that.” The report does not come as a major surprise, as Marshall indicated when he signed his two-year deal with the Giants that he would retire at the end of that contract, which expires after the 2018 season.