Giants Sign Corbin Bryant
The Giants have signed defensive tackle Corbin Bryant and waived interior offensive lineman Khaled Holmes, tweets James Kratch of NJ.com.
The 29-year-old Bryant brings a fair amount of experience to New York, having appeared in 56 games with the Steelers and Bills since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent from Northwestern in 2011. Fifty-five of Bryant’s appearances have come in Buffalo, where he started in 16 of 24 games from 2015-16. Bryant missed half of last season, an eight-game, six-start showing, and received poor marks from Pro Football Focus for his performance. The year before, though, he saw action in each of Buffalo’s contests, piled up a career-high 45 tackles across 10 starts, and drew a positive grade from PFF.
Now, Bryant will attempt to catch on with a Giants team that lost starting D-tackle Johnathan Hankins to the Colts in free agency. Big Blue still has standout nose tackle Damon Harrison, of course, and used a second-round pick on former Alabama D-tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Backups Jay Bromley and Robert Thomas are also on hand to offer some experience, but not as much as Bryant.
Holmes, who joined the Giants on a reserve/futures deal in January, has seen his career stall since the Colts cut him after the 2015 season. The 2013 fourth-rounder started in nine of 17 appearances as a Colt over three seasons.
What Extension For Odell Beckham Jr. Could Be Worth
The Jets moved on from linebacker David Harris and wide receiver Eric Decker solely for financial reasons, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Jets owner Woody Johnson, realizing that the team wasn’t going to compete this year even with Harris and Decker, decided it would make more sense to save $13.75MM than spend it on the two veterans. Committing to a rebuild is a commendable approach, writes Mehta, though he questions the way the Jets handled the Harris situation. Jets bigwigs assured Harris back in March that he’d return to the team for an 11th year, but they then approached him about a pay cut 72 hours before releasing him, per Mehta. Johnson’s desire to save money drove that decision, and Harris is now looking for work at a time when free agency has died down. Harris’ agents complained Tuesday that the Jets didn’t just release the defender over the winter, as doing so probably would’ve led to a stronger market for his services.
As for two of Johnson’s highest-ranking employees, general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles, they should be in line to return in 2018 if the rebuilding club’s young players progress this year, writes Mehta. But Brian Costello of the New York Post passes along somewhat different information, relaying that Maccagnan will probably stay on but that “Bowles is viewed as a goner by nearly everyone.” Talent-wise, the deck is stacked against Bowles as he enters his third season with the Jets and the penultimate year of his contract. “They have the worst roster in the league and it’s not close,” one executive told Costello. Harris’ release added another hole to the roster, and his exit hit Bowles “hard,” according to Costello.
- Colin Kaepernick‘s inability to find a job as a backup quarterback continues to be a popular topic, and one of his friends, Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin, weighed in on the matter after Seattle signed Austin Davis instead of Kaepernick. “The organizations, they’re going to be giving the younger guys the first and second look. They know what Colin can do,” Baldwin told the Associated Press on Tuesday. “They know he’s a starter in this league. They’re going to give every opportunity for the young guys to compete, show their talents, and then whatever falls he’ll get his opportunities once all this dust settles.” While many believe Kaepernick is unemployed largely because the then-49er refused to stand for the national anthem last season, Baldwin doesn’t see that as a significant factor. “To some degree, but I think that’s really minor,” Baldwin said. “There are 32 teams out there. Not all of them really care about that. I have no doubt in my mind he’ll have a job here rather quickly.”
- With one report suggesting that Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. hasn’t attended OTAs because he wants a raise, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk contends that it would likely take a multiyear deal with at least $30MM guaranteed to lock him up. Meanwhile, Steve Serby of the New York Post proposes a six-year, $103.5MM contract – including $47.5MM guaranteed – that would make Beckham the game’s highest-paid wideout.
- Contrary to a prior report, Calvin Johnson did not repay the Lions $320K of his $3.2MM signing bonus when he retired in March 2016. The former receiver actually forked over a much larger sum, at least $1MM, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
John Mara Wants Odell Beckham Jr. To Be Careerlong Giant
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday morning that Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been away from OTAs because he wants a new contract. That isn’t the case, according to The Record’s Art Stapleton, as a source told him that Beckham’s absence amounts to nothing more than a player exercising his right to skip voluntary workouts. Regardless of where the truth lies, the Giants are motivated to keep the 24-year-old superstar for the long haul. Contract negotiations haven’t begun yet, co-owner John Mara revealed Tuesday, but he added, “Obviously we want him to be a Giant for the rest of his career.”
Giants’ Odell Beckham Pushing For New Deal
Odell Beckham Jr.’s absence from voluntary organized team activities is directly tied to his desire for the Giants to give him a new contract, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Meanwhile, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan that Beckham is expected to attend minicamp. Unlike OTAs, players who miss minicamp are subject to hefty fines. 
Beckham has been one of several Giants players who have missed OTAs, but his absence has garnered the most attention. It has been suspected that a contract dispute is at the heart of his absence, but today’s report from Schefter is our first confirmation of that.
Beckham, one of the game’s very best wide receivers, is slated to make $1.8MM in 2017 per the terms of his rookie deal. The Giants have picked up his fifth-year option for the 2018 season which should pay him ~$8MM, but ODB is looking for dollars and certainty beyond that point. After three straight seasons with at least 1,300 receiving yards, the 24-year-old is likely looking for a deal that will reset the market at his position.
In theory, the Giants don’t have to rush to give Beckham a new deal. Between the aforementioned option and the franchise tag, Beckham could be under team control through at least the 2021 season.
Giants WR Roger Lewis Arrested For OVI
Giants wide receiver Roger Lewis was arrested on Sunday and charged with operating a vehicle while impaired, the Reynoldsburg, Ohio Police Department confirmed (via James Kratch of NJ Advance Media on Twitter). TMZ Sports first reported the arrest yesterday. Neither the player nor the Giants have commented, and Lewis will presumably face potential discipline from the NFL.
Lewis was reportedly pulled over when officers observed him speeding in a vehicle with “overly tinted windows.” The officers noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and they observed that the 23-year-old appeared to be impaired. The wideout “was released from jail on his own recognizance,” according to Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com.
The 2016 undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green appeared in 13 games (one start) for New York last season, hauling in seven catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis also collected five tackles on special teams.
Lewis was competing with Dwayne Harris and Tavarres King for snaps behind Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, and Sterling Shepard.
D.J. Fluker Serving As Backup Right Guard
- The Giants signed D.J. Fluker this offseason to help bolster an offensive line that was a major weakness last season. Fluker, whom the Chargers drafted as a tackle, shifted inside to guard over the past couple of seasons, but it was expected that he could at least compete for the Giants’ right tackle job this summer. But the Associated Press reports that Bobby Hart has manned right tackle during OTAs, which has relegated Fluker to John Jerry‘s backup at right guard.
Josh Johnson Likely To Be Giants' No. 2 QB
Veteran signal-caller Josh Johnson is likely to emerge as the Giants‘ backup quarterback in 2017, which means free agent signee Geno Smith is in danger of being released, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Johnson spent the entire 2016 campaign with Big Blue, and though he was only for two games, he earned the trust of Giants’ coaches. New York, meanwhile, would only incur $325K in dead money by parting ways with Smith. Third-round pick Davis Webb, of course, is slated to open the season as the Giants’ third-string quarterback.
Giants Waive/Injured Jalen Williams
- The Giants announced that they’ve waived/injured wide receiver Jalen Williams, who has since cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve. Williams, a UMass product, signed with New York as an undrafted free agent just over a month ago. During his senior collegiate season, Williams posted 27 receptions, 520 yards, and six touchdowns. Now that he’s cleared waivers, Williams could conceivably be let go with an injury settlement, a transaction that would allow him to become a free agent.
Giants Waive CB, Sign Another
- The Giants have waived corner SaQwan Edwards and re-signed fellow corner Nigel Tribune, tweets Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Edwards, a 2015 undrafted free agent who hasn’t yet played a regular-season game, only spent two-plus weeks with the Giants after they added him in mid-May. Tribune, undrafted from Iowa State, first signed with Big Blue on May 11.
- The Giants have signed wide receiver Jerome Lane, an undrafted rookie from Akron. He is the son of former Pitt basketball star Jerome Lane, whose backboard-shattering dunk in 1988 led to Bill Raftery’s famous “Send it in, Jerome!” call. The younger Jerome Lane was a standout college athlete in his own right, as he hauled in 101 receptions (on 17.8 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns with the Zips from 2015-16.
- The Browns have signed running back Terrence Magee and waived fellow RB Darius Jackson with an injury designation for his knee. Magee combined for five carries with Baltimore and Seahawks from 2015-16. Jackson didn’t see any action as an undrafted rookie in 2016, but the former Eastern Michigan standout generated some interest after the Cowboys cut him in December. Along with the Browns, who plucked Jackson off waivers, the Eagles, Giants and 49ers put in claims.
- The Giants have waived corner SaQwan Edwards and re-signed fellow corner Nigel Tribune, tweets Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Edwards, a 2015 undrafted free agent who hasn’t yet played a regular-season game, only spent two-plus weeks with the Giants after they added him in mid-May. Tribune, undrafted from Iowa State, first signed with Big Blue on May 11.
Giants Sign Wayne Gallman
- The Giants signed fourth-round pick Wayne Gallman today, reports Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (via Twitter). It’s a four-year deal worth $2.8MM, with a signing bonus worth more than $400K. The former Clemson standout previously earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and the organization is hoping that those talents will translate to the NFL. As Schwartz notes, this leaves first-round pick Evan Engram as the team’s lone unsigned rookie. The tight end finished his final season at Ole Miss with 65 receptions for 926 yards and eight touchdowns.
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