New York Giants News & Rumors

Giants Looking Into Veteran RBs

April 9th, 2024 at 12:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be interested in a mid-round running back last year, the Giants waited until Round 5 (Eric Gray) to make that move. As a result of their plan last year, a talent gulf existed between Saquon Barkley and the rest of the Giants’ backfield.

To be fair, Barkley is talented enough that would be the case for several teams. But the Giants did not roster a notable backup in 2023. With Barkley on the franchise tag, that strategy was somewhat curious — especially given the six-year starter’s injury history. Barkley is now an Eagle, and the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll duo reunited with Devin Singletary on a midlevel deal. The team may not be eyeing only the draft to supplement Singletary.

The Giants are in the market for a veteran backup to team with Singletary, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes (subscription required). The Giants balked at re-tagging Barkley, though they were among the four teams that made an offer. The Schoen-led front office viewed Barkley as too expensive. Singletary is now in place as New York’s starter, having signed a three-year, $16.5MM deal with $9.5MM guaranteed at signing. It would surprise if Big Blue was willing to spend much to add a veteran complement, but given Singletary’s history, the team’s primary backup may not be on the roster yet.

The 5-foot-7 back has topped 190 carries in a season once — last year, when the Texans gave him 216 handoffs — but Duggan does add the recent free agency addition should be expected to operate in a workhorse capacity. This would be an interesting strategy. While Daboll did coach Singletary for three seasons in Buffalo, Zack Moss was in the picture for two of those campaigns. Singletary has logged 888 career carries. That number is considerably lower than Barkley’s (1,201), and while the former has proven durable (two missed games in the 2020s), he is not exactly built for bellcow-like workloads.

A few veterans of note remain available. Ezekiel Elliott has once again been connected to the Cowboys, but the two-time rushing champion is unattached. J.K. Dobbins has visited the Chargers and Chiefs; the latter ended up re-signing Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the day of the visit. Cam Akers is unsigned; he joins Dobbins in coming off a severe injury. Kareem Hunt, Rashaad Penny and Boston Scott — he of some success against the Giants — join multiyear Barkley backup Matt Breida as available backs. Breida, 29, averaged just 2.7 yards per carry in 2023; though, the ex-49er fared better under Daboll in 2021 and ’22.

A mid-round RB addition certainly makes sense, though this year’s class is not regarded as highly as 2023’s. Gray and 2021 sixth-rounder Gary Brightwell represent the Giants’ current top backup options. That probably will not be the case when training camp begins.

Darren Waller Addresses Timetable For Retirement Call

April 9th, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Seeing Evan Engram prosper with the Jaguars, the Giants made a move to bring in a comparable receiving tight end by trading for Darren Waller last year. But that addition brought more Waller injury trouble; now, the former Pro Bowler remains uncertain on playing in 2024.

Considering retirement after a few injury-marred seasons, Waller looks to still have a place with the Giants. The ex-Raiders standout brings an upper-echelon skillset as a receiving tight end, and the Giants would not have an easy time — particularly at this juncture — replacing him. Waller, 31, plans to inform the team of his decision before the June hiatus between minicamp and training camp. While informing the Giants by the draft would give them the opportunity to find a young replacement hopeful, Waller cannot guarantee he will decide by then.

“That would be ideal, but I also don’t want to put that on myself,” Waller said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) of informing the Giants by the draft. “It’s gotta be before summer break, for sure.”

The prospect of a Waller retirement surfaced in early March, but the Giants did not add a starter-caliber tight end in free agency. The position became thinner before the market opened, with Dalton Schultz re-signing with the Texans and Hunter Henry staying with the Patriots. Noah Fant re-signed with the Seahawks during the legal tampering period. Mike Gesicki was available, but he is now with the Bengals for just $2.5MM. Following his Falcons release, Jonnu Smith joined the Dolphins. Gerald Everett rejoined Shane Waldron in Chicago.

Blocking tight end Chris Manhertz and ex-Eagles backup Jack Stoll joined the Giants, but if Waller is truly done, they need another option. Daniel Bellinger remains under contract, but he amassed just 255 receiving yards in 17 games last season. Bellinger also missed a chunk of his rookie year due to injury.

Although Waller missed five games due to more hamstring trouble, he totaled 552 receiving yards. Considering the limited opportunities the Giants’ passing attack offered its aerial cogs last season, that is a fairly impressive number. Only Darius Slayton (770) topped that. The Giants have a major need at wide receiver, but if Waller returns, their passing game would present a higher floor.

Currently helping tight end prospects train for the draft, Waller would need to inform the Giants of his plans in early June if he is to make good on his timetable. The team’s minicamp runs from June 11-13. As part of the extension Waller signed with the Raiders in 2022, he is due $10.53MM in base salary in 2024; that figure is nonguaranteed.

DB Logan Ryan Announces Retirement

April 9th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly two months after returning to the Super Bowl stage, Logan Ryan is stepping away from football. The versatile defensive back announced his retirement after 11 seasons Tuesday morning (video link).

The former Patriots draftee later made his way to the Titans, Giants, Buccaneers and 49ers. The San Francisco agreement did not come to pass until early December, shortly after Talanoa Hufanga‘s season-ending injury. Ryan, 33, went from spending most of 2023 out of football to playing 62 defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVIII. He closes his career with 19 interceptions.

That marked Ryan’s third Super Bowl appearance. The 2013 third-rounder was a backup cornerback in Super Bowl XLIX but a starter by the time the Patriots returned to a Super Bowl two years later. Ryan played every Patriots defensive snap in their historic comeback past the Falcons, parlaying that season into a three-year, $30MM Titans contract.

A Rutgers alum, Ryan started 124 games and suited up for 19 playoff contests. Primarily playing cornerback in New England and Tennessee, Ryan was one of the top tacklers at the position during this NFL period. That helped a transition to safety commence during his Giants tenure. The Giants picked up Ryan late in the 2020 offseason and handed the New Jersey native an extension (three years, $31MM) months after that signing.

During Ryan’s final Titans season (2019), the team voyaged to its first AFC championship game since 2002. The 5-foot-11 defender had returned from a broken leg that ended his 2018 season. Ryan helped the 2019 Titans’ cause by making 113 tackles — 31 more than any other corner registered that season — as primarily a slot defender. Ryan’s 2019 playoffs included a pick-six on Tom Brady, ending the Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII title defense in the wild-card round. Ryan also intercepted a pass and sacked Brock Osweiler during the Patriots’ divisional-round win over the Texans in 2016.

The COVID-19-marred 2020 offseason led to several veterans lingering in free agency for months, as visits were shut down for an extended period. Ryan belatedly landed with the Giants on August 31, 2020, soon completing the transition to a safety role. This came after he displayed high-level blitzing chops, tallying 8.5 sacks over his final two Titans seasons.

Teaming with Xavier McKinney in 2021, Ryan notched a career-high 117 tackles in his second Giants season. Ryan’s two Giants years overlapped with ex-Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge’s New York tenure. The team moved on shortly after hiring Joe Schoen as GM, cutting Ryan and letting Jabrill Peppers join the Patriots in free agency. The Giants have since passed on re-signing ex-Ryan safety teammates McKinney and Julian Love, effectively starting over at the position.

The Buccaneers gave Ryan an opportunity in 2022, but a foot fracture limited his on-field work in Tampa. Ryan played in nine games with the Bucs, starting six, but the team did not bring him back in 2023. The 49ers reached out to Ryan following Hufanga’s injury, encouraging him to go on a booked cruise with his family before joining the team for the stretch run. After playing 12 defensive snaps over his first three 49ers games, Ryan was on the field for every San Francisco defensive play in Week 17, as the team wrapped up home-field advantage. He then played 100% of the 49ers’ defensive snaps against the Packers in the divisional round.

Ryan moved into the San Francisco slot role by Super Bowl LVIII and was the closest defender in coverage on Mecole Hardman‘s game-winning touchdown — one that wrapped the NFL’s longest Super Bowl — but the veteran safety/corner provided the 49ers with some pivotal reps leading up to that point. Discounting a short-field, one-play TD possession in the third quarter, it took the Chiefs until overtime to mount a touchdown drive against the 49ers. Ryan played in both the NFL’s overtime Super Bowls.

Over his career, Ryan earned just more than $69MM. The Titans authorized Ryan’s biggest contract, one he played out in the late 2010s, but he earned more than $15MM with the Giants as well.

Giants Re-Sign Isaiah Simmons

April 9th, 2024 at 8:09am CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 10: Simmons will stay with the Giants on a one-year deal worth $2MM, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. The deal will include $1.4MM guaranteed for the former Cardinals starter.

APRIL 5: Last summer, Isaiah Simmons saw his time with the Cardinals come to an end. The former top-10 pick was dealt to the Giants with the hope of finding a consistent role on his new team.

Simmons succeeded in earning himself an extended stay in New York. The Giants announced on Friday that he has been re-signed, allowing him to continue his play from the 2023 campaign. Simmons, 25, appeared in all 17 games last season while starting four. He logged a defensive snap share of just 33%, but he chipped in on special teams as well.

Last year injected more instability into Simmons’ situation. Already a hybrid player whose role fluctuated in Arizona, the Cardinals shuttled him from linebacker to safety on a full-time basis. Simmons is believed to have requested the move, but the Cardinals’ new regime instead accepted a low-end return — a seventh-round pick — to ship him to the Giants.

This came after the Cardinals, joining the Ravens (Patrick Queen), Seahawks (Jordyn Brooks) and Chargers (Kenneth Murray), declined the fifth-year option for their 2020 first-round ILB pick. All four of the 2020 draft’s first-round linebackers have since relocated. New York then returned the Clemson alum to a linebacking role but did not install him as a starter.

Simmons, 25, had started 30 games for the Cardinals from 2021-22, including all 17 during the ’21 season. In New York, he played behind Micah McFadden and free agency addition Bobby Okereke. McFadden logged nearly 300 more defensive snaps than Simmons last season, though Pro Football Focus still viewed the trade pickup as a top-35 player at the position. Simmons did return an interception for a 54-yard touchdown — in a midseason win over the Commanders — and start the final three games, but he only saw a full-time workload in one game as a Giant. This brought a change from his high-usage Cardinals past.

After adding Okereke on a $10MM-per-year deal in 2023, the Giants have not made any outside moves at the position this offseason. McFadden remains under contract, but the Giants do have a new defensive coordinator — in Shane Bowen — calling the shots. It will be interesting to see if the new DC is intrigued by the prospect of a former top-10 pick being in the mix and offers an opportunity to vie for a starting role alongside Okereke.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

UNC QB Drake Maye Giants’ New Focus?

April 7th, 2024 at 10:23pm CST by Ely Allen

There have been rumors aplenty in the last few weeks claiming that the Giants are extremely interested in drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, so much so that they would be interested in trading up from the No. 6 overall pick. The rumors have had New York going in a lot of different directions with their trade up, and Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports has them going in another new direction with a focus on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Only three days ago, Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post projected a trade up for the Giants that saw them taking LSU passer Jayden Daniels. He also claimed to be hearing that New York was highest on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but his projection had the national championship winner being selected one pick before by the Commanders. As a result, he predicted that the Giants would settle for the Heisman winner.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan also connected Daniels to New York, this time claiming that he was one of the team’s favorites to look out for. According to Raanan, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll both believe the LSU passer would be “an ideal fit in their offense.” He also noted McCarthy as a name to watch, especially if he’s still available by the sixth pick, rendering a trade up unnecessary.

Vacchiano posed a different view just two days ago. Vacchiano, like the others, points out that the Giants could certainly be tempted to trade up for a quarterback, but he specifies that it would need to be the right quarterback. He claims that Maye is the man who fits the bill. Vacchiano posits that if the Bears and Commanders select USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Daniels or McCarthy with their respective picks, the Giants would jump on the opportunity to trade up for Maye.

Maye has long been viewed as the top draft option following the near-certain No. 1 overall pick, Williams. Daniels was the first to rise quickly up draft boards and challenge Maye for that No. 2 spot, followed shortly by McCarthy. Now most mocks have all four of the picks to the open the draft being used on quarterbacks.

The biggest issue with most of these scenarios is that they assume the Patriots will be willing to move back. Like the Bears, Commanders, and Giants, while New England is home to multiple potential starters at the quarterback position, many have labeled passer as a position of need for the Patriots. Veteran Jacoby Brissett, last year’s backup Bailey Zappe, and former Canadian Football League star Nathan Rourke all bring something to the table, but there are many in the league who still believe the team will use their top draft pick to bring in a new competitor to start under center.

Regardless, with the big day still two and a half weeks out, everything is subject to change. Within the course of three days, we’ve seen different sources claim that McCarthy, Maye, and Daniels were all the preferred options for the Giants to pursue in a trade up at different times. Though the muddy waters often tend to clear up the closer we get to the draft, this year may be the exception as the waters seem muddy as ever.

NFC Contract Details: Packers, Moore, Maddox, Burns

April 7th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on recent new contracts around the NFC:

Eric Wilson, LB (Packers): One year, $1.38MM. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Wilson’s new contract with Green Bay includes a base salary of $1.21MM and a signing bonus of $167.5K.
Kristian Welch, LB (Packers): One year, $1.21MM. Demovsky also tells us that Welch’s re-signed deal will have a base salary of $1.13MM and a signing bonus worth $20K. Welch can earn an additional $20K with a workout bonus as well as a per game active roster bonus of $2,647 for a potential season total of $45K.
Chris Moore, WR (Cardinals): One year, $2MM. Moore’s contract with the Cardinals will have a guaranteed amount of $750K comprised of $250K of his 2024 base salary (worth a total of $1.28MM) and a $500K signing bonus, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports. Moore will add another $50K with a workout bonus and an additional $10K per game that he’s on the active roster for a potential season total of $170K in per game active roster bonuses.
Avonte Maddox, CB (Eagles): One year, $1.5MM. Maddox’s new deal will have a guaranteed value of $875K consisting of $500K of his base salary (worth $1.13MM in total) and a $375K signing bonus.
Brian Burns, OLB (Giants): Five years, $141MM. We noted recently that Burns’ deal was not worth the reported $150MM amount and was actually for $141MM. Thanks to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, we now know that the $9MM difference comes from incentives wherein he can earn an additional $1.8MM for each year that he either reaches 12.5 sacks, makes a Pro Bowl, or earns first-team All-Pro honors. He’s reached that sack total once in 2022 and made two Pro Bowls in 2021 and 2022, but because he didn’t reach any of those achievements last year, the potential $1.8MM won’t count against New York’s cap space in 2024.

Latest On Commanders’ No. 2 Pick, Giants-Jayden Daniels Connection

April 7th, 2024 at 10:45am CST by Rory Parks

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is seemingly a lock to be drafted by the Bears with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Although most prognosticators believe the next three players off the board will be quarterbacks, it is less clear who those quarterbacks will be, and which teams will be selecting them.

Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post recently suggested that the Commanders, owners of the No. 2 overall pick, will select Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, whose draft stock has soared thanks in no small part to an excellent pro day performance. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe (subscription required) says that, of the seven team executives, coaches, and scouts that the publication recently polled, three of them believed Washington would select LSU’s Jayden Daniels, two believed UNC’s Drake Maye would be the pick, and one said it would be McCarthy (the final executive said a trade-down maneuver would be the Commanders’ best bet).

The opinion of that cheeky non-conformist notwithstanding, it would be surprising if the Commanders traded down or picked a non-QB with the No. 2 selection. But if Washington opts for a player other than Daniels, then the Giants could suddenly become a team to watch, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes.

In possession of the No. 6 overall pick, Big Blue has been doing its due diligence on this year’s top collegiate passers and scheduled “30” visits with each of Maye, McCarthy, and Daniels. According to Raanan, Daniels is particularly well-regarded within the organization, and sources close to GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll believe the reigning Heisman Trophy winner would be an “ideal fit” in the Giants’ offense.

That said, New York would almost certainly need to trade up to land Daniels, and the Patriots’ No. 3 overall pick likely represents the highest choice that could be available via trade. It appears that New England is prepared to stay put and select a QB of its own, though a trade could still be on the table if the right offer comes along. The problem is that the Giants have just six picks in the 2024 draft and a great number of roster holes, so efforts to jump up the draft board could be cost-prohibitive.

While owner John Mara has consistently endorsed incumbent QB1 Daniel Jones — who is on track to be back from his ACL tear by training camp — Mara has also given Schoen the green light to select a quarterback with the Giants’ top choice. Schoen is no stranger to trading up the board, and the team has been connected to such a move for at least a month. Regardless of the overall strength of a roster, there is almost no price too steep to pay for a franchise quarterback, particularly since Jones has generally failed to impress during his pro career and since the 2025 class of signal-callers is generally considered to be a weak one.

In the above-referenced piece, La Canfora says the Giants are actually higher on McCarthy than any other non-Williams quarterback, a sentiment that Raanan apparently does not share. Raanan does say the team has interest in McCarthy, but he suggests that such interest would be at its zenith if the former Wolverine should fall to the No. 6 pick. In other words, the ESPN scribe seems to believe that while Schoen would contemplate a trade up to land Daniels, he may not sacrifice additional draft capital to acquire McCarthy.

One way or another, as Howe succinctly puts it, “there’s more mystery surrounding the 2024 quarterback class than there’s ever been.”

NFL Draft Rumors: Cowboys, McCarthy, Robinson

April 6th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys hosted a number of 2024 NFL Draft prospects for “top 30” visits this week. The visiting group included potential first-round targets like Taliese Fuaga, Graham Barton, and Darius Robinson as well as projected Day 2 selection Junior Colson.

Fuaga, an offensive tackle out of Oregon State, and Barton, a projected interior offensive lineman out of Duke, make sense considering the Cowboys’ losses on offensive line this offseason of Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz. If Fuaga is able to start, this would allow Dallas to keep Tyler Smith at guard, where he earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023. In order to land Fuaga, though, the Cowboys would likely have to trade up earlier into the first round. Barton played left tackle for the Blue Devils for the last couple of years, but his early college film at center shows the versatility that he could bring at the NFL level.

Robinson, a defensive end out of Missouri, feels like the typical Cowboys pass rusher selection and adds depth to a position that saw Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler follow former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Washington. A bigger defensive end, Robinson could provide some versatility across the defensive line and may be available long enough for the Cowboys to trade back to collect some extra picks and still select him. Colson, a linebacker out of Michigan, would be a nice addition to a position that could use some attention with Micah Parsons spending more time at end. While he’s likely a second- or third-round pick, he’s worth note as he’s expected to be the first linebacker off the board.

Here are a couple of other rumors making the rounds in the weeks leading up to this month’s draft:

We have seen the draft stock of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy soaring over the last few weeks. Once considered a tier-two quarterback behind Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, the polarizing McCarthy has somehow found himself in consideration for the No. 2 overall draft selection. While his stock continues to inflate, Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan pointed out some of the red flags that have some scouts feeling less than confident about the former Wolverine. McCarthy has been compared to former Steelers’ first-round pick Kenny Pickett “due to his inability to drive the ball down the field.” His strong sense of timing made up for a lack of arm strength in college, but some worry that it will prevent him from being able to make some throws at the NFL level. While he’s almost guaranteed to be a first-round pick due to the top-heavy nature of the position this year, many don’t have a first-round grade on McCarthy.
Chop Robinson is set to be the next pass rusher out of Penn State to be selected in the first round. The projected Day 1 edge rusher had already taken visits with the Eagles, Ravens, and Saints, but Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz informs us that visits with the Giants and Jets were scheduled for this past week, as well. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 adds that the Texans have Robinson firmly on their radar after meeting with him at the NFL scouting combine.

Latest On Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

April 5th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The runup to the 2024 NFL Draft has been a rollercoaster for Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Initially viewed in the second tier of top draft-eligible passers alongside Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Penix has dipped in and out of the first round in mock drafts over the past several weeks, while McCarthy has skyrocketed into the top tier. Now, at this point in time, OutKick’s Armando Salguero tells us that at least three teams have Penix on their board with a first-round value.

Initially, there were concerns about Penix’s history with injury issues, as detailed in his recent Prospect Profile. His four season-ending injuries in as many years at Indiana had many uneasy about his health at the next level. After getting cleared in medical evaluations, Penix will be able to get most teams to look past his injury-history, though some may still hold on to their reservations.

As for which three teams have him slotted as a first-rounder, it’s difficult to say for sure. Penix has scheduled several different “top 30” visits over the last week. He’s set to meet with the Giants, Falcons, Raiders, Broncos, Steelers, Vikings, and Commanders, while the Seahawks have been mentioned as a team of interest, as well. The Commanders can probably be taken out of the mix. Even if they have a first-round grade on Penix, they are seemingly set to draft one of the top-tier passers at No. 2 overall.

The Falcons are an interesting team to watch after they sent “a sizable group to Seattle to conduct a private workout with” Penix today, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. It’s hard to see them as one of the teams with a first-round grade on the 23-year-old, though, as they just signed Kirk Cousins to a big contract to start for them at quarterback.

Instead look to teams like the Raiders, who have been mocked to draft Penix on multiple occasions. Despite the team’s aggressive efforts to move into the top three draft picks, Las Vegas doesn’t seem to have the capital to make it happen. Those efforts show their desire to draft a quarterback, though, and if they’re stuck at 13th overall, they may have to settle for Penix.

With most mock drafts predicting a run of four passers in the first four picks, it only takes one or two more teams in the remaining 28 picks to pull the trigger on Penix or Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. With plenty of teams needing help at the position, Penix could join the ranks as one of up to five or six first-round quarterbacks.

Giants Sign South Carolina RB Dante Miller

April 5th, 2024 at 8:53pm CST by Ely Allen

The first college athlete has been signed to an NFL contract, still weeks away from the 2024 NFL Draft. The Giants announced the signing of South Carolina running back Dante Miller today, marking the start of his NFL career following an absurd college journey.

Less than a month ago, Miller was participating in the Gamecocks’ 2024 pro day, hoping to land on the league’s radar as a late-round draft pick or, perhaps, earn an opportunity at a rookie tryout out during minicamps. Instead, it was discovered that Miller did not qualify for the 2024 draft. In fact, he had qualified for both the 2023 NFL Draft and the supplemental draft that followed it, making him a signable free agent.

Miller spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Columbia. Ivy League schools don’t allow for redshirt seasons, giving players only four years to fulfill their four seasons of eligibility. Unfortunately for Miller and all Ivy Leaguers, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the loss of the 2020 season and, as a result, the loss of a year of eligibility. They had two options, accept the end of their collegiate careers or transfer outside of the Ivy League, where they would still have eligibility.

So, Miller transferred to South Carolina, moving from Columbia University to Columbia, SC. It was reportedly communicated to the Gamecocks that Miller would have two seasons of eligibility at South Carolina: his unused redshirt year and the extra year of eligibility allotted to college players because of COVID.

With budding rusher Marshawn Lloyd entering the year as the starter, Miller was happy to fill in as a depth and special teams player, thinking he would be able to earn a bigger role in 2023. Unfortunately, six games into the 2022 season, South Carolina’s officials realized they had made a mistake. Miller was only granted his redshirt year, meaning he didn’t have three years to play two seasons, he only had two years to play one.

In college football, you can only play in four games if you intend to redshirt a year. The school tried to appeal, pointing out that Miller had only played three snaps in his fifth game and two snaps in his sixth. Miller chose to sit out the remainder of the season, counting on the university’s appeal to come through. A lengthy review process ruled that five snaps were too many, leading to NCAA to refuse Miller another year of eligibility, despite the deadline to enter the NFL draft having long passed at the time of their decision.

So, Miller set his focus on the following year’s draft. He went to the Gamecocks’ pro day and put up a 4.27-second 40-yard dash, a time that would’ve bested any running back who ran at the combine. His 28 bench press reps of 225 pounds would’ve topped the combine’s best performance by a running back by one, as well.

Suffice it to say that Miller leapt onto the radar of every scout there who had intended to watch wide receiver Xavier Legette and quarterback Spencer Rattler. One scout went so far as to research Miller’s eligibility history and ask Miller’s agent if he was even draft eligible, per Andy Staples of On3. The NFL reported back that, no, he should’ve been eligible for the prior year’s draft. Miller was granted free agency. He was given the ability to sign with any team he wanted and would be able to negotiate a salary outside of the draft’s slotted salaries.

Miller visited the Giants this week, and they immediately offered him a deal. He had other visits scheduled, but returning to New York, where he had earned his college degree, was too enticing. As a result, he signed with the Giants and will head to the team facilities much earlier than anticipated.

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