New York Giants News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/23

Here are today’s minor transactions and callups for the remainder of the Week 17 matchups:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Alualu is set to make his Lions debut after signing earlier this month. Given the injury issues Detroit has faced up front, the 36-year-old has the chance to see playing time through the close of the regular season and into the playoffs. Alualu expressed a desire to continue playing with the Steelers this offseason, but he remained a free agent deep into the year. His tenure in the Motor City could help boost his free agent stock if he wishes to remain in the league in 2024, though.

NFC Notes: Gannon, Allen, Campbell, Saints

Jonathan Gannon‘s Eagles exit brought a tampering penalty against the Cardinals, who made impermissible contact with their new head coach during the offseason. New Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort reached out to Gannon shortly after the NFC championship game, after the two-year Eagles DC expressed a desire to stay in Philadelphia. Gannon did not tell the Eagles about Ossenfort’s pre-Super Bowl call or his intention to interview with the Cardinals, according to ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. This affected Philly’s timing regarding Vic Fangio, who was perhaps this offseason’s most coveted coordinator.

A consultant with the Eagles last season, Fangio was well-liked and became the team’s choice to succeed Gannon as DC. Fangio all but confirmed the timing involving Gannon led him out of town. Before Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles had expected to retain Gannon, McManus adds. When Ossenfort was in Tennessee, he put Gannon’s name on a short list of possible HCs — in the event he landed a GM job. A Jan. 29 report indicated Fangio would accept the Dolphins’ DC offer; he was officially hired Feb. 2. The Cardinals’ Gannon interview request did not emerge until Feb. 12. By that point, the Eagles were aiming to retain Gannon after Fangio had bolted. With the Eagles having demoted their new DC — Sean Desai — and given Matt Patricia play-calling duties, Gannon’s Philly return this week will be interesting.

Here is the latest from the NFC:

  • Listing Jonathan Allen as a player he expects to be traded during the 2024 offseason, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Commanders defensive tackle is not eager to go through another rebuild. Allen made his views on that matter fairly well known recently, after the team traded Montez Sweat and Chase Young. A losing streak commenced soon after, and Ron Rivera and Martin Mayhew are expected to be fired. Teams asked about Allen at the deadline, and while the Commanders resisted, new owner Josh Harris‘ involvement in the Sweat and Young deals showed an openness to stockpiling draft capital. Allen’s four-year, $72MM extension runs through 2025. It would cost Washington $18MM in dead money to trade Allen before June 1, so it would stand to take a nice offer to pry the seventh-year veteran from D.C.
  • The Giants have phased Parris Campbell out of their receiver rotation, going as far as to make him a healthy scratch in each of the past three games. Campbell signed a one-year, $4.7MM deal in free agency, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan noting he is losing out on $100K per-game roster bonuses with these scratches. As the Giants emphasize bigger roles for younger wideouts Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt, Campbell is preparing to leave in free agency come March. “When I came here, did I think things would be different? Of course,” Campbell said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “… During free agency, the market was kind of slow for receivers, but the Giants gave me an opportunity — and that’s all I want. This coming offseason, whoever is interested in me and wants to give me an opportunity, I’ll take it.” After three injury-plagued seasons, Campbell has stayed mostly healthy over his past two. The ex-Colts second-rounder, however, has 20 receptions for just 104 yards this year.
  • It is unlikely Marshon Lattimore and Michael Thomas return this season, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Lattimore suffered a significant ankle injury and has missed the past five Saints games. Thomas stayed healthier this year than he has since the 2010s, but the former All-Pro wideout has also missed New Orleans’ past five contests. Thomas, who may well be in his final weeks as a Saint, is down with a knee injury.
  • Six teams put in waiver claims on linebacker Christian Elliss, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. The Patriots won out. Had Elliss not garnered any claims, the Eagles wanted to bring him back on their practice squad. A 2021 Eagles UDFA, Elliss had led the team in special teams snaps at the time of his exit earlier this month.

Giants RT Evan Neal To Undergo Surgery On Fractured Ankle

Believed to be dealing with a sprained left ankle, Evan Neal continued to see his potential return pushed back. The Giants have since ended the second-year tackle’s season, placing him on IR over the weekend. This amounted to a lost year for the top-10 pick.

More has come to light on why Neal missed the second half of the season. The Giants’ starting right tackle suffered a fractured ankle, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports. Brian Daboll alluded to a procedure likely being necessary, and Leonard confirms surgery is on tap.

Neal has struggled to justify the Giants’ No. 7 overall investment, and he missed time before this ankle malady shut him down in early November. The Giants are not expected to consider sliding Neal inside to guard, despite the Alabama alum having played there at points in college. But the team has seen its Andrew Thomas bookend partner have a tough go as an NFL RT.

It is unclear when Neal’s diagnosis changed from a sprain to a fracture, Leonard adds, but the updated injury explains why Neal — who had resumed practicing on a side field following the Nov. 5 injury — was never able to return to action. A CT scan, which took place after Neal was not progressing during his rehab, revealed the fracture, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. He ends his second season having played in just seven games.

The Giants have encountered a few misses at right tackle since Super Bowl-era bastion Kareem McKenzie‘s 2012 exit. First-rounder Justin Pugh could not stick at the position, being moved to guard during his first New York stint, and free agent Geoff Schwartz battled injuries during his Big Apple stay. Seventh-rounder-turned-starter Bobby Hart ultimately proved overmatched, and Dave Gettleman cut him on his first day as GM. Gettleman hit big on Thomas but was not able to find a right-edge blocker. After switching Nate Solder to RT in 2021, the Giants used the second of their two 2022 first-rounders on Neal. But he has disappointed thus far.

Pro Football Focus rated Neal as this season’s second-worst tackle. That came after the advanced metrics website placed in in the same spot (80th out of 81 qualified tackles) last year. It will be interesting to see if the Giants attempt to add a veteran to compete with Neal, but offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said (via Duggan) it remains too soon to fully evaluate the young blocker. That point is fast approaching, however, as the Giants will need to see significant improvement from Neal to avoid right tackle being a top priority come 2025.

Giants To Turn Back To Tyrod Taylor As Starting QB

After making a Christmas Day relief effort, Tyrod Taylor will return to action for the Giants. Brian Daboll confirmed the team will move Tommy DeVito back to the bench and go with Taylor against the Rams in Week 17.

The Giants had wanted to look at DeVito for a possible backup role down the line, and the team gave the popular rookie six starts. It took Taylor breaking four ribs to move DeVito into the lineup, though. Daniel Jones‘ top backup going into the past two seasons, Taylor lost his job to a rookie for a fourth time in six years. But the free agent-to-be will have a chance to continue his audition Sunday.

Numerous starters going down due to injury this season could make this an important audition for Taylor, should the NFL’s QB2 market balloon come 2024. Taylor joins a number of veteran backups headed for free agency. With the Giants not expected to re-sign the 13th-year veteran, he is set to continue submitting tape for other teams to evaluate.

Taylor, 34, expressed disappointment when the Giants activated him from IR and kept DeVito in place as their starter. A three-year Bills starter, Taylor has certainly grown accustomed to teams making similar choices. Baker Mayfield replaced him early in the 2018 season, and a pregame injection mishap led to Justin Herbert‘s rise in Los Angeles two years later. Davis Mills usurped Taylor with the Texans in 2021. DeVito represented the most unlikely candidate to jump Taylor on a depth chart, being a UDFA who had petitioned the NCAA for an extra year in college. That being denied led the ex-Illinois and Syracuse starter to the Big Apple.

Daboll initially did not let DeVito throw much once he replaced an injured Taylor against the Jets, but the second-year Giants HC soon loosened the reins. En route to a popularity surge, DeVito has quarterbacked the Giants to three wins. But he struggled in losses to the Saints and Eagles, taking sacks at a high rate as the Giants fell behind by multiple scores in each contest.

The Commanders’ decision to bench Sam Howell stands to be more important for the team’s post-2023 future. This DeVito benching likely does not affect a potential future starter. Jones has been expected to return as Big Blue’s starter for 2024, and the fifth-year veteran is aiming to recover from this ACL tear by training camp. That is not a lock, and GM Joe Schoen mentioned a QB addition as being necessary due to Jones’ injury.

It will be interesting to see how closely the Giants are linked to QB prospects in the draft, as Jones’ contract effectively ensures he will be a Giant in 2024. (The team currently sits fifth on the 2024 draft board.) DeVito can be kept through 2026, via ERFA and RFA tenders, but this benching makes it a bit early to project that far ahead regarding the local product.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

While the Panthers, Cardinals and Commanders continued their losing ways in Week 16, the Patriots’ effort in Denver shook up the top of the 2024 draft. New England has dropped from second to fourth in the ’24 order.

In a strange spot in which Broncos fans and and undoubtedly many Pats supporters wanted the Russell Wilson-driven comeback to succeed, Chad Ryland‘s 56-yard game-winning field goal dropped New England out of the No. 2 spot, injecting doubt about the team’s ability to nab a top-flight QB prospect without trading up next year.

The Bears (via the Panthers) remain atop the table, holding a one-game lead on the Cardinals. Carolina closes its season with two games against eight-win teams — the Jaguars and Buccaneers. Arizona will face Philadelphia and Seattle, and with Carolina’s strength of schedule at .522 and Arizona’s at .561, the draft-order tiebreaker reaffirms the Bears’ placement on the doorstep of entering a second straight offseason holding a No. 1 overall pick. The Justin Fields matter remains an important big-picture NFL topic, but GM Ryan Poles is close to having his pick of the 2024 QB prospects.

It is not clear if the Commanders will be interested in a quarterback in the first round, but they will have a new regime running the show. The last time Washington held a top-three pick (2020), it passed on Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert due to having drafted Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. With Sam Howell struggling as of late, Josh Harris‘ next set of decision-makers may want to bring in their own prospect. The Cardinals could stand in the Commanders’ way, via another trade in the top three, but suddenly Washington could be a player for a 2024 first-round QB.

Ahead of Week 17, here is how the 2024 draft order looks:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. Arizona Cardinals: 3-12
  3. Washington Commanders: 4-11
  4. New England Patriots: 4-11
  5. New York Giants: 5-10
  6. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-10
  7. Tennessee Titans: 5-10
  8. Chicago Bears: 6-9
  9. New York Jets: 6-9
  10. Atlanta Falcons: 7-8
  11. New Orleans Saints: 7-8
  12. Green Bay Packers: 7-8
  13. Las Vegas Raiders: 7-8
  14. Denver Broncos: 7-8
  15. Minnesota Vikings: 7-8
  16. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-7
  18. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-7
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-7
  20. Indianapolis Colts: 8-7
  21. Seattle Seahawks: 8-7
  22. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-7
  23. Los Angeles Rams: 8-7
  24. Buffalo Bills: 9-6
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-6
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 10-5
  27. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  28. Detroit Lions: 11-4
  29. Miami Dolphins: 11-4
  30. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-4
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 11-4
  32. Baltimore Ravens: 12-3

Jaguars Sign QB Matt Barkley Off Giants’ Practice Squad

Dealing with yet another injury this season, Trevor Lawrence is not a lock to play in a pivotal Week 17 spot. Although the former No. 1 overall pick has continued to play through his myriad health issues this year, the Jags now have some additional insurance at quarterback.

They signed Matt Barkley off the Giants’ practice squad Tuesday. Because Barkley is being plucked from another team’s P-squad, he must remain on the Jags’ active roster for at least three weeks. The Jags’ prospects of extending their season into the playoffs have suddenly become foggy, but Barkley will be part of Jacksonville’s 53-man roster for the regular season’s remainder.

This is team No. 11 for Barkley, who came off the 2013 draft board 98th overall. The Jaguars were the team that traded the Eagles that pick, moving down three spots 10 years ago. Barkley has not played for all 10 of his previous teams — the Eagles, Cardinals, Bears, 49ers, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Panthers, Falcons and Giants — but is perhaps Josh Johnson‘s chief competition for the top spot among active QB journeymen.

The Giants added Barkley to their practice squad in late October, following Tyrod Taylor‘s rib injury, and bumped him up to their 53-man roster in the wake of Daniel Jones‘ ACL tear. Taylor has since returned, and Barkley did not factor into the team’s plans with both Taylor and Tommy DeVito on the active roster.

Succeeding Mark Sanchez as USC’s starter and starting four seasons with the Pac-12 program, Barkley has managed to play 11 NFL seasons without ever being viewed as a team’s preferred starter. Barkley, 33, has not seen game action since 2020 with the Bills. A Josh Allen backup for multiple seasons, Barkley did not make Buffalo’s 53-man roster this summer. Six of Barkley’s seven career starts came for the 2016 Bears, who had lost Jay Cutler for the season.

Lawrence has battled through a knee sprain, an ugly-looking high ankle sprain and a concussion this season. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick now has a sprained AC joint, per Doug Pederson. The injury led Lawrence out of a Week 16 blowout loss in Tampa, and the Jags have plummeted to 8-7. While Lawrence has never missed a game as a pro, he has seen injuries impact him significantly this season.

The Jags, who played their Week 16 game without wideouts Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, have C.J. Beathard in line to start if Lawrence cannot go. Barkley would be in line to back up Beathard in that event. E.J. Perry remains on Jacksonville’s practice squad. To make room for Barkley on the 53-man roster, the Jags placed backup safety Daniel Thomas on IR.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/23

Sunday’s minor moves around the league:

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Facyson has not played all season, but the Raiders opened his practice window on Dec. 6, making him eligible to return to the field. The 29-year-old played for the Colts last season, but he spent the previous year with the Raiders, starting nine of his 12 games. Facyson is under contract through 2024, but none of his $2.27MM salary is guaranteed. Logging some game action down the stretch could thus be beneficial to his roster security.

Neal has missed the past five games due to an ankle injury, and today’s move means he will be shut down for the remainder of the season. The 2022 first-rounder underwhelmed when on the field, to the point where a switch to guard was suggested. No such move has been given consideration, but Neal will nevertheless face considerable expectations to rebound in 2024. Peart will have the chance to see playing time late in the year after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 5.

CB Adoree’ Jackson Eyeing New Giants Deal

Adoree’ Jackson had visits lined up with the Eagles and Giants during free agency in 2021. The veteran corner elected to immediately take a deal with New York, though, and he is now on the verge of hitting the market again. He does not hope to be on the move during the spring.

Jackson inked a three-year, $39MM to join the Giants, though he has not enjoyed signficant success during that time. New York is on the verge of missing the postseason for the second time in the former first-rounder’s three years with the team, a contrast to the Eagles’ Super Bowl run last season and their chance of winning the NFC East in 2023. Still, Jackson does not regret the commitment he made to the Giants.

“I think I made the right decision,” the 28-year-old said, via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post“It’s never been about the money. It’s about where you feel comfortable and where you feel at home. I didn’t go down there [to Philadelphia] so I couldn’t tell what it was like, but it just felt good here. That’s where my heart was after I prayed about it.”

Jackson has remained a full-time starter during his Giants tenure, one which could continue into 2024 and beyond. The former Titan said he wishes to stay in New York, though it will be interesting to see how willing the team is to negotiate a new contract. Talks on an extension did not produce an agreement this offseason, leaving Jackson as a potential (albeit high-priced) trade candidate. No deal emerged, but the USC product has not had a stellar 2023 campaign. Jackson has allowed a 69.6% completion percentage and a passer rating of 108.5 in coverage this year. Those figures have helped lead to a 45.3 PFF grade, by far the lowest of his career.

The Giants added a pair of corners during the 2023 draft in the form of first-rounder Deonte Banks and sixth-rounder Tre Hawkins. The former in particular figures to be a long-term fixture in the secondary, but Jackson could still provide an experienced option in a starting or rotational capacity on a new Giants pact. He is aware of the possibility he could end up departing in the near future, however.

“It’s always unfinished business when you don’t win anything,” Jackson added. “I would love to be here – keep grinding, developing and bringing a winning culture here – but if that doesn’t happen I’m not going to be mad. It might hurt… But the show goes on, life goes on… so I don’t stress too much about things like that.”

Giants Sign K Mason Crosby

Dealing with another injury situation at the kicker position, the Giants have again turned to a veteran. Mason Crosby has joined New York’s practice squad in advance of playing this week, as first reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The team has since announced the move.

Randy Bullock – himself brought in as an injury replacement for Graham Gano – was placed on injured reserve yesterday. Bullock’s injury paved the way for a third full-time kicker seeing game time for the Giants this season, which appeared to put Cade York in position to join the active roster. The latter suffered an injury of his own during practice this week, though, and York has been placed on practice squad IR.

Once again in need of a healthy option, the Giants will look to Crosby to close out the season. The 39-year-old joined the Rams midseason amidst their struggles in the kicking game, but he did not see any game action. Crosby was released from Los Angeles’ taxi squad last week, leaving him free to join any interested team.

A new opportunity has arisen via New York’s continued bad luck in terms of kicking injuries. Crosby has not played since his Packers tenure came to an end last season. 2022 marked the 16th season Crosby spent in Green Bay, but the team elected to draft his replacement (Anders Carlson) this spring. The former Super Bowl winner made it clear he intended to keep playing in 2023, however, and he will now have the chance to do so.

The 5-8 Giants will play the Eagles on Christmas Day while attempting to keep their playoff chances alive. Crosby will likely have the opportunity to finish out the season with the Giants and look to build off his 86.2% field goal success rate in 2022 (which marked a noticeable rebound from his 73.5% mark the previous year). Since punter Jamie Gillan made one field goal after Bullock’s injury, Crosby will be New York’s fourth kicker this year.

York was let go by the Browns following his struggles in training camp and the preseason. The 2022 fourth-rounder initially joined the Titans, but his move to the Giants seemed to set him up well for an opportunity in the wake of Gano being lost for the year. His young career has now hit another roadblock, as the Giants prepare to move forward with Crosby for the time being.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/23

Today’s minor moves:

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Anthony McFarland Jr.‘s stint with the Steelers has come to an end after three-plus seasons. The former fourth-round pick got an extended look as a rookie, collecting 167 yards from scrimmage on 39 touches. Over the past two-plus seasons, he’s compiled only 66 yards on 14 touches, with the RB being firmly behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on the depth chart. That duo will continue to command the majority of the snaps at the position, with Godwin Igwebuike now serving as Pittsburgh’s RB3.