Giants Sign Three Picks, 14 UDFAs
The Giants have signed three draft picks, second-round defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (Alabama; previously reported), third-round quarterback Davis Webb (California) and fifth-round defensive end Avery Moss (Youngstown State), per a team announcement. Additionally, the club has added 14 undrafted free agents, all of whom are listed below:
- Josh Banks, DT (Wake Forest)
- Jessamen Dunker, OT (Tennessee State)
- DaShaun Amos, CB (East Carolina)
- Jadar Johnson, S (Clemson)
- Keeon Johnson, WR (Virginia)
- Jarron Jones, DT (Notre Dame)
- Calvin Munson, LB (San Diego State)
- Travis Rudolph, WR (Florida State)
- Evan Schwan, DE (Penn State)
- Shane Smith, RB (San Jose State)
- Colin Thompson, TE (Temple)
- Nigel Tribune, CB (Iowa State)
- Rob Wheelwright, WR (Wisconsin)
- Jalen Williams, WR (Umass)
Keenan Robinson Rejected Multi-Year Offers
Before re-signing with the Giants, linebacker Keenan Robinson received multi-year offers from other clubs, as he explains to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com.
“Other teams offered multiple-year deals, but I’m still young,” said Robinson. “A one-year deal is fine. I’m still 27, so, like I said, right now I’m in a great situation. So I wanted to be a part of it. I was willing to make it work and be flexible as far as that goes.”
Robinson, who visited the Bengals and Bills prior to re-upping with New York, ultimately received $2.6MM ($1MM guaranteed) from Big Blue. Returning in a similar role, Robinson will likely serve as the Giants’ nickel linebacker in 2017, per Raanan — the fifth-pro played 70% of the team’s defensive snaps in that capacity last season.
Giants Sign Dalvin Tomlinson
- The Giants have agreed to terms with second-round defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, tweet his agents at SportsTrust. Tomlinson, the No. 55 overall selection, could help New York make up for the loss of Johnathan Hankins, who signed a free agent deal with Indianapolis. Although he’s more of a nose tackle, Tomlinson will likely play much more three-technique for the Giants given the presence of All Pro Damon Harrison at nose. Tomlinson’s four-year deal with Big Blue should be worth approximately $4.572MM in total, while the Alabama product will receive a signing bonus of ~$1.465MM.
Giants Notes: Pugh, Herzlich
- After playing out his fifth-year option in 2017, Giants guard Justin Pugh will become a free agent next spring, and he’s aware of the rising price tags for interior offensive linemen. “The guard market has gone up,” said Pugh, according to Dan Duggan of NJ.com. “Do you even know who some of those guys are that were getting paid? I feel good about where I’m at.” New York is reportedly interested in signing Pugh to an extension, but the 26-year-old will likely have expensive demands after grading out as the No. 16 guard in the league last season, per Pro Football Focus. Kevin Zeitler reset the guard market this offseason after inking a deal with Cleveland that pays him $12MM annually.
- Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich is changing his jersey number from 94 to 44 so that can appear eligible on offensive plays, as Tom Rock of Newsday writes. While Herzlich didn’t identify which offensive position he’ll be playing, tight end and/or fullback would seem to make the most sense. Herzlich has played tight end on New York’s scout team, per Rock, but otherwise hasn’t seen time on offense since high school.
Brandon Marshall Wants To Retire After 2018 Season
Brandon Marshall wants to retire after his two-year deal with the Giants expires. The 33-year-old wide receiver said today he would like to end his career after 13 seasons.
Although, there is a notable catch to his late-career outline. The outspoken wideout wants to win a Super Bowl before leaving. While that should probably go without saying, since that’s generally a goal for NFL performers, the Giants’ potential ascent in the next two years could now have an impact on how long Marshall plays.
“Two years,” Marshall said, via NJ.com’s James Kratch, after speaking in a mental health forum at MetLife Stadium. “I just decided that last week. Two years. I’m going to get my Super Bowl and then have a little bit more fun and go change the world in the mental health space.”
Marshall signed a two-year, $12MM deal with the Giants — one that would take him through his age-34 season. The wide receiver was diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder in 2010 and has been involved in raising awareness for mental health issues for years as well. A six-time Pro Bowler, Marshall began a natural transition period to a post-football life by starting as a full-time analyst on Showtime’s Inside the NFL in 2014.
The Super Bowl goal would mark a vast ascent for a Marshall team since he’s enjoyed a highly productive career but has done so exclusively for outfits that failed to make the playoffs. He’s 0-for-11 in that department. The Giants are coming off their first playoff berth in five years.
Top 8 Fits For RB LeGarrette Blount
In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen veteran running backs Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, and Marshawn Lynch find new homes. However, LeGarrette Blount is still without a job. 
The Lions and Giants are known to be in on Blount, but we can’t help but wonder if there could be other potential fits out there for the player who I consider to be the best running back currently on the market. The PFR staff huddled up on Wednesday to run down possible landing spots for the power back:
- Giants – The Giants have been connected to Blount for some time now and the interest is said to be mutual. The Giants are looking for a bruising running back to complement Paul Perkins and Blount, presumably, wants to join a potential contender, so it’s a solid match. Eli Manning‘s 2016 struggles are well documented, but a well-balanced offense would help him find Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall as much as possible.
- Lions – On paper, the Lions should have had a strong running game with Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick leading the way. Unfortunately, injuries cost both players significant time last year and rookie Dwayne Washington didn’t set the world on fire when given the opportunity. Zach Zenner had some flashes of brilliance, but the lesson learned here is that you can never have enough depth. Blount would be a great counter balance to Abdullah’s speed and Riddick’s reception focused game and he could be called on as the No. 1 guy if the injury bug strikes again.
- Packers – Running back was a clear need for the Packers heading into the draft, but they did not select a top RB from this year’s deep pool of talent. Now, they need running backs even more after releasing Christine Michael and Don Jackson earlier this week. WR-turned-RB Ty Montgomery figures to be the lead guy in Green Bay, but the Packers could use some experience behind him. It’s not clear if the Packers have reached out to Blount’s reps yet, but they should.
- Ravens – You might have missed it in the midst of the free agency frenzy, but the league suspended Kenneth Dixon for the first four games of the season after a PED policy violation. The Ravens can use free agent pickup Danny Woodhead as their lead back in the opening month, but it would make sense to add some depth along with Javorius Allen, Lorenzo Taliaferro, and Terrance West, particularly since Woodhead missed the majority of last season.
- Dolphins – The Dolphins aren’t an obvious fit, but it’s possible that they could be in the market for a running back if Damien Williams continues to stay away from the team. The downside here is that Jay Ajayi is the clear No. 1 guy and Blount would have to fight Kenyan Drake for carries. In a scenario where Miami signs Blount and Williams is eventually brought back into the fold, there would be even less work to go around.
- Chiefs – After moving on from Charles, the Chiefs might want to add some veteran help to a depth chart featuring Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West, and rookie Kareem Hunt. C.J. Spiller currently projects as the RB4, but he hasn’t been able to stick with a team in some time.
- Redskins – The Redskins are shopping Matt Jones and that could free up a spot for someone like Blount. The Redskins have four other backs in Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson, Keith Marshall, and Mack Brown, but there are no superstars in the bunch.
- Eagles – Ryan Mathews is scheduled to carry a $5MM cap number in 2017 and the Eagles can wipe $4MM of that off of the books by cutting him. Releasing the speedy but aging Darren Sproles would also yield $4MM in savings with zero dead money. At this stage of the offseason, Blount would represent a much cheaper option than either guy. Beyond Sproles and Mathews, there’s not much experience between Wendell Smallwood, Byron Marshall, Terrell Watson, and fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey.
Connor Byrne and Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Victor Cruz Plans To Continue Playing
Victor Cruz hasn’t garnered much interest on the open market, but he’s not about to retire from football. The former Giants wide receiver says that he has no plans to quit and insists that he can “still play,” (Twitter link via Zach Braziller of the New York Post). 
Cruz was on the field for 15 regular season games last year but the Giants still released him this offseason in order to free up $7.5MM in cap space. The salsa dancing wide receiver visited the Panthers soon after being cut, but he left Charlotte, North Carolina without a deal. The Panthers have added three wide receivers this offseason via free agency, but that door theoretically could still be open after they did not select a wide receiver in the draft. Former Buccaneer Russell Shepard has the ability to play in all three wide receiver spots, but Cruz could be a consideration as a slot specialist.
Cruz caught 303 passes and 25 touchdowns as a member of the Giants. With millions of dollars in the bank and a Super Bowl ring, no one would blame the 30-year-old for retiring, but he sounds determined to take the field in 2017.
Lions, Giants In On LeGarrette Blount
The Lions and Giants are in play for LeGarrette Blount, league sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. The Giants’ interest has been known for a few weeks now, but the Lions connection is new. 
[RELATED: Lions Pick Up Eric Ebron’s Option]
The Lions did not select a running back in the draft but they might look to bring in some extra competition at the position. Ideally, the Lions would like to use Ameer Abdullah as their main ball carrier with Theo Riddick as the pass-catching specialist, but Abdullah’s health cannot be counted upon. Zach Zenner, who impressed at times last season, and Dwayne Washington round out the running back depth chart. If signed, Blount could potentially squeeze Washington out of Detroit.
Blount remains on the market after turning down a modest one-year offer from the Patriots. At this stage of the game, he may have to settle for a similar deal if he wants to find an NFL home.
Giants Want To Add Veteran Kicker
- Giants GM Jerry Reese revealed Monday that he wants to add a veteran kicker (Twitter link via James Kratch of NJ.com). Considering the only kicker on the Giants’ roster is Aldrick Rosas, who has never played an NFL game, Reese’s desire to bolster the position isn’t surprising. Free agency isn’t exactly teeming with options, though, with Dan Carpenter and Zach Hocker representing the most experienced unsigned kickers.
Giants Waive Two
- The Giants have waived running George Winn and quarterback Keith Wenning, per a club announcement. Winn has been a member of seven organizations since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2013, though he has only seen action with one (Detroit). As a Lion from 2014-15, he rushed for 74 yards on 23 attempts. Wenning, who went to Baltimore in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, signed with the Giants’ practice squad in late December. They retained him on a reserve/futures deal in January, but he’s now out of the organization roughly five months later.