Shane Vereen Returns To Practice For Giants
The Giants could be getting one of their most talented running backs back on the field. Shane Vereen was in attendance for practice today, as Seth Walder of the New York Daily News writes. 
Vereen was placed on IR in September with a triceps injury. After sitting out the necessary eight weeks (and then some), Vereen is eligible to return to action. Without Vereen, the Giants have used Bobby Rainey as their top reserve pass-catching back. Rashad Jennings has been in the lead role, when healthy, and rookie Paul Perkins is finally starting to see some work. If and when Vereen gets back in the game, he will probably take a good deal of snaps from Rainey and maybe even chip into Jennings’ workload.
Vereen’s recovery timetable is not immediately clear, but yesterday’s release of Orleans Darkwa could be a sign that he will be 100% sooner rather than later. The Giants presently have the three aforementioned tailbacks on the 53-man roster with tailback George Winn on the practice squad.
Opinion: Giants Need To Extend JPP
- The Giants need to extend defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul before he hits free agency, argues Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Now more than a year removed from a fireworks accident, JPP has returned to his old form and could look to score on the open market next spring. New York, of course, has already invested heavily in its front four by handing large contracts to Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison, and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is also headed for free agency.
Giants Place Orleans Darkwa On IR
Orleans Darkwa headed to the injured reserve list, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. The running back has been dealing with a leg injury and he’ll need to take some time off to recover. To take his place, linebacker/safety Eric Pinkins has been promoted from the practice squad.
Darkwa entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Tulane in 2014. After spending time on the Dolphins’ active roster and practice squad, he found his way to the Giants. He has been a low-cost rotational piece for the G-Men ever since. Darkwa’s season ends with 30 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns..
As Darkwa exits, fellow running back Shane Vereen is getting ready to make his return. The veteran probably won’t suit up this week, but we may see him on the field in December. For now, the Giants have Rashad Jennings, Bobby Rainey, and rookie Paul Perkins at running back. Right now, Jennings is seeing the most action of any Giants back, but the share of carries could tilt towards Perkins down the stretch of the season.
Shane Vereen Could Return Soon
- Giants RB Shane Vereen, currently on IR, could be on his way back to the field. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Giants are optimistic Vereen can return for the club’s December 11 matchup with Dallas.
Robbie Gould Had Offers Before Joining Giants
Before the Giants agreed to sign Robbie Gould to replace the embattled Josh Brown, they apparently had some competition for the veteran placekicker. Speaking to reporters, including Mark Cannizaro of the New York Post, Gould said he received a “bunch of offers” before inking a deal with the Giants.
[RELATED: New York Giants Depth Chart]
“I was in a great position because I could wait for the perfect opportunity to get into a situation where I knew I could win and possibly win a Super Bowl and find a place I could stay for a little bit of time,” Gould said. “The biggest thing for me was I want to win a Super Bowl and play for a great organization and with the Giants everything fit that mold. So it was a really easy situation to say yes to.”
Gould, 34, said last month that he wouldn’t have signed with the Giants if he didn’t think he had a good chance of staying with the club for the duration of the season. Given that New York has since released Brown, Gould will likely remain the team’s kicker for the rest of the 2016 campaign, but thus far, he hasn’t gotten much work. In three games, he’s attempted just one field goal (a successful 29-yarder against the Rams), but he’s also converted each of his field goal tries. Additionally, Gould ranks eighth in the league in average kickoff distance.
On Sunday, Gould will square off against the Bears in something of a “revenge game” given that it was Chicago that released him before the season began. “If my performance wasn’t up [the Bears’] caliber, then that was their choice,” he said. “I was kicking great, had a really good camp, kicking off well, kicking field goals great. It was just was a decision that they made. I didn’t know it was coming.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB David Fales
- Cut: TE Austin Traylor
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Logan Thomas
Giants Promote Interior Lineman
- The Giants promoted interior offensive lineman Shane McDermott off their practice squad and waived linebacker Deontae Skinner, James Kratch of NJ.com tweets. A guard/center, McDermott could be insurance for interior-line backup Adam Gettis, Kratch notes, for a Giants team that recently lost Justin Pugh and Brett Jones. McDermott has yet to play in an NFL game. Skinner hasn’t played in one since 2014, when he played in seven and started in one for the Patriots.
Giants S Darian Thompson Done For Season
The Giants announced that safety Darian Thompson will undergo season-ending foot surgery. Thompson, of course, will be placed on injured reserve. 
Safety was a problem spot for the Giants in 2015 and they were hopeful about turning it around this year with the help of Thompson, a third-round pick. Unfortunately, the rookie was hampered by a Lisfranc injury in training camp and could not fully recover, even after resting for the last six weeks. Thompson’s first NFL season ends with seven total tackles in two games.
The Giants will continue to rely on safeties Landon Collins, Nat Berhe, and Andrew Adams going forward, though they could add a fourth player to that group.
Giants Promote OL Adam Gettis
The Giants are promoting offensive lineman Adam Gettis to the active roster, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes. In a related move, wide receiver Da’ron Brown has been signed to the practice squad, taking Gettis’ place. 
[RELATED: Giants OL Justin Pugh To Miss Time]
The G-Men were forced to do some roster shuffling after learning that guard Justin Pugh will miss multiple games with a knee sprain. The Giants will now try to do their best on the O-Line for the next 2-4 weeks without the player ranked as the league’s top interior lineman by Pro Football Focus. Gettis figures to slot behind John Jerry and Bobby Hart as the team’s only true guard off of the bench.
Brown, meanwhile, joins the practice squad after wide receiver Geremy Davis was plucked by the Chargers. Brown was one of 13 players to audition for the Giants this week and got himself a deal, along with fellow wide receiver Kevin Norwood. Brown, a Northern Illinois product, has made the practice squad rounds but has yet to appear in an NFL game. As a college senior in 2014, Brown caught 68 passes for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns, setting himself up to be taken in the seventh round of the ’15 draft by Kansas City.
Giants Audition 13 Players
- The Giants tried out 13 players (Twitter links): offensive linemen Cyril Richardson and Michael Bowie; quarterback Sean Renfree; wide receivers Da’Ron Brown and Kevin Norwood (practice squad); tight end Kyle Carter; defensive end Jordan Williams; linebackers Reshard Cliett and Austin Jacques; and defensive backs Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Sam Brown and Jacob Huesman.