Giants Notes: Fluker, Randolph, Veteran CB
- D.J. Fluker has been lining up exclusively at right guard this offseason for the Giants, but James Kratch of NJ.com does not see any chance that the former Charger will unseat John Jerry at the position. There is always the possibility that Fluker moves back to right tackle, where he played during his first two seasons with the Bolts, but Kratch says Big Blue is very optimistic about Bobby Hart and will give him every opportunity to earn the right tackle job. In fact, Kratch does not foresee a true competition shaping up at right tackle this summer, and there is a good chance the Giants simply cut Fluker and save $1.5MM in the process.
- D.J. Fluker has been lining up exclusively at right guard this offseason for the Giants, but James Kratch of NJ.com does not see any chance that the former Charger will unseat John Jerry at the position. There is always the possibility that Fluker moves back to right tackle, where he played during his first two seasons with the Bolts, but Kratch says Big Blue is very optimistic about Bobby Hart and will give him every opportunity to earn the right tackle job. In fact, Kratch does not foresee a true competition shaping up at right tackle this summer, and there is a good chance the Giants simply cut Fluker and save $1.5MM in the process.
- In the same piece, Kratch says he does not expect the Giants to add a veteran cornerback at this point, and he also observes that, as much as everyone is rooting for UDFA Travis Rudolph because of his personal story, it’s going to be difficult for him to crack a loaded WR corps. Rudolph, Roger Lewis, and Darius Powe will likely be competing for, at most, one receiver spot, and that’s only if New York elects to keep six wideouts.
No NFL Comment On Pending Giants/Manning Lawsuit
The Giants and quarterback Eli Manning will soon be dealing with a memorabilia fraud lawsuit, but ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio notes that the NFL still has no comment on the situation. Specifically, the reporter wonders if “a civil finding of memorabilia fraud” would ultimately lead to a review under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, especially considering the vague explanation of the rule:
NFC East Notes: Redskins, Pryor, Eagles
Will free agent addition Terrelle Pryor wind up being the Redskins‘ leading receiver in 2017? JP Finlay and Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic put the question up for debate. Pryor’s 55% catch rate last year wasn’t great, but Finlay argues that he couldn’t have done much better given the quarterbacks he had throwing to him. If Pryor was able to haul in 77 receptions for 1,007 yards with a rotating cast of unimpressive QBs, then he could put up even bigger numbers with Kirk Cousins throwing to him. On the flipside, Tandler notes that wide receiver Jamison Crowder and tight end Jordan Reed both figure to be targeted more than Pryor, giving the Ohio State product long odds of being the team’s top pass catcher.
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- Eagles running back LeGarrette Blount can earn $50K if he weighs in between 240-245 pounds on the team’s reporting date for training camp, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Blount’s one-year deal calls for $1.25MM in base pay, but he can earn a total of $2.8MM through incentives, including the summer weigh-in. Blount is coming off one of his best seasons, having achieved career highs in carries (299), yards (1,161), and touchdowns (an NFL-leading 18).
- If a deal does not get done between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins, don’t be shocked if Washington leaks the last offer rejected by the quarterback, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. It’s likely that the final offer will sound impressive in comparison to what Cousins has accomplished so far on the field, so the Redskins can win some fan sympathy by giving a selective peek behind the curtain. An extension is currently viewed as a longshot and Cousins might be fundamentally unhappy with the team.
- Could the Giants consider free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis? It would make for an excellent story, but James Kratch of NJ.com writes that it doesn’t make sense for the G-Men financially. Revis can collect his $6MM salary from the Jets by sitting on the couch and some have speculated that he would want $8MM from a team in order to actually play this year. Not only is that an unreasonable asking price for Revis at this stage of his career, but the Giants couldn’t fit that salary under the cap even if they wanted to make it happen.
- Alterraun Verner, on the other hand, would be a more realistic option for the Giants, Kratch writes. Verner was apparently out of shape when he auditioned for the Jaguars in May, but he’d be an interesting slot option if he is now ready to play football. The Giants have a great slot corner in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but they don’t have a Plan B in the event of an injury.
Devin Taylor Signing Drawing Positive Reviews
The Giants’ decision to hand defensive end Devin Taylor a minimum salary benefit deal last month has mostly generated positive reviews around the NFL, with one source calling it a “great signing,” reports Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. One NFC source took a less enthusiastic tone, however, calling Taylor “just a guy.” But, considering what they’re paying him, the Giants aren’t expecting Taylor to do much more than provide passable depth behind stars Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon. Taylor, who started in all 16 of the Lions’ games last season and piled up a respectable 4.5 sacks (down from seven in 2015), will rotate at defensive end with the Giants and could see time as an interior rusher on passing downs, according to Raanan.
Giants Not Prioritizing Odell Beckham Deal
Amid questions over whether the Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. would stage a holdout this summer, co-owner John Mara said earlier this month that he wants the wide receiver to spend his entire career with Big Blue. Beckham went on to downplay concerns over his current situation – he could play the next two seasons for a relative pittance – and Mara addressed the three-time Pro Bowler’s status again Thursday (via Neil Best of Newsday).
On whether the Giants will hand Beckham an extension this summer, Mara told Mike Francesa of WFAN: “There’s always a chance, but it’s not our No. 1 priority right now. But we do want to get it done. We have some time to get it done. But I can’t give you a timetable on that.”
Mara also explained why he wants Beckham to be a lifelong Giant, saying: “Well, he’s one of the best players in the league, and he makes us a different team when he’s on the field. He puts a lump in the throat of the opposing defense. He’s only 24 years old. And I think he can help us win a championship.”
Having amassed eye-popping numbers (235 receptions and 35 touchdowns) so far in his career, the three-year veteran could be on his way to eventually signing a record-setting contract for a receiver. But the Giants don’t have much financial incentive to lock up Beckham now, as the 2014 first-round pick from LSU is due a paltry $1.8MM this season and will be controllable in 2018 via his fifth-year option for a reasonable $8.5MM. Beckham’s situation becomes cloudier thereafter, but it seems likely the Giants will franchise tag him for an affordable $18MM-plus in 2019 if he remains a star and the two sides don’t have a long-term deal in place by then. The relationship between them is seemingly on solid ground, though, with Mara revealing that he sat down with Beckham for “a very pleasant meeting” in May.
“He’s a smart young man and he wants to be the best,” Mara said of Beckham. “He wants to win a Super Bowl. I wish we had a dozen more like him.”
Which Giants UDFAs Could Make The Cut?
- The Giants historically have gotten big performances out of undrafted free agents like Victor Cruz, Mark Herzlich, Romeo Okwara, and Will Tye, so James Kratch of NJ.com surveyed the current roster to find the next diamonds in the rough. Cornerback DaShaun Amos, he opines, is the most likely UDFA to make the final cut this year. The Giants presently have two cornerbacks spots up in the air and Valentino Blake is the only one in the fringe group with real NFL experience, so Amos seems to have a good chance. Linebacker Calvin Munson, tackle Chad Wheeler, wide receiver Travis Rudolph, and cornerback Nigel Tribune round out Kratch’s top five Big Blue UDFAs.
Details On Devin Taylor's Deal
- The Giants‘ deal for defensive end Devin Taylor is a minimum salary deal with just $40K guaranteed, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. The advanced metrics haven’t been crazy about Taylor’s play, but he did record 11.5 combined sacks over the last two seasons.
Jay Bromley Pushing For Starting Job
Giants defensive tackle Jay Bromley has totaled just three starts in 39 games since going in the third round of the 2014 draft, but he’s pushing for a No. 1 role this year, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. When asked who will start next to elite nose tackle Damon Harrison, Bromley told Schwartz: “If I’m being honest, man, I see me. I see me.’’ The position opened when the Giants lost Johnathan Hankins to the Colts in free agency, though Big Blue subsequently invested a second-round pick in ex-Alabama D-tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and signed former Bills lineman Corbin Bryant. The fact that those two are in the mix will make it difficult for Bromley to achieve his goal of starting, but as a contract-year player, a breakthrough season would be a boon to his bank account. Regarding his lack of long-term security, the 25-year-old offered: “It’s there and obviously something you have in the back of your mind. I have a family now, so I have to keep that in mind. I know I have the talent, I know I have what it takes, it’s about being consistent each and every day, proving to the coaches I’m their guy.’’
Opinion: Giants Smart To Keep JPP
- There were some mixed views on the Giants re-signing Jason Pierre-Paul, but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan was a fan of the move. The G-Men gave JPP $40MM guaranteed, but Raanan argues that good pass rushers are hard to find and that scarcity makes the deal a savvy one. The Giants’ need for JPP, he argued, was only underscored by the team’s awful pass rush against the Packers in the postseason when they were without him.
Giants Sign Evan Engram
The Giants have signed their first-round pick, tight end Evan Engram, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter). The team’s entire six-player draft class is now under contract.
Engram, whom the Giants chose 23rd overall, played the previous four years at Ole Miss, where he combined for 162 receptions and 15 touchdowns. He pulled in career highs in catches (65), yards (926) and scores (eight) last year en route to First-Team All-America honors and a high selection in the draft. Now, the field-stretching Engram (6-foot-3, 234 pounds) should take over as the Giants’ top tight end, supplanting Will Tye, who caught 48 passes for a paltry 8.2 yards per reception last season.
Here’s a refresher on the rest of Big Blue’s picks:
- 2-55: Dalvin Tomlinson, DT (Alabama)
- 3-87: Davis Webb, QB (California)
- 4-140: Wayne Gallman, RB (Clemson)
- 5-167: Avery Moss, DE (Youngstown State)
- 6-200: Adam Bisnowaty, T (Pittsburgh)