Should the NY Giants give Cody Latimer one more shot?

With the NY Giants lacking size at wideout, retaining Cody Latimer once again might make some sense in 2020 if the team has no big plans for the position.

As I’ve found out after mocking Jordan Jefferson out of LSU to the NY Giants in my mock draft, most Giants fans don’t seem to feel that wide-receiver is a position worth dumping any assets to this offseason. It’s unknown where GM Dave Gettleman stands on the matter, but basing off his history, he probably is on their side as well.

I understand this team has some gaping holes, but it’s hard to win in this league (if you’re not the Patriots) without having a big-bodied outside wideout. Although Cody Latimer has yet to live up to his potential in the NFL, giving him another one-year prove-it deal should be on the table if the Giants brass has no plans of making a big move.

For Big Blue to make a splash at wideout, it’d likely have to involve moving on from Golden Tate, something that’s not likely in Gettleman’s plans despite the aging wideout’s PED suspension opening that door.

Standing 6’3 and weighing in at 225 LBs – while possessing 4.4 speed – it’s really a wonder why Latimer hasn’t been able to put it all together yet. Injuries have surely played a role, as the former Indiana Hoosier has played less than eight games twice in his six-year career while missing 30 out of a possible 96 total games due to injury.

Latimer actually ended up playing 15 games with the NY Giants in 2019 but he was unable to make his mark, catching only 24 balls for 300 yards and two touchdowns – Darius Slayton’s breakout rookie campaign had a lot to do with that. 2019 was, however, his best statistical season which does cast some shade on his legitimacy as a starting-level wideout.

The wideout’s seasonal averages come out to only 155 yards and 1 touchdown over the span of that six-year career. In addition to the injuries playing a part in that, so do his mind-numbing first three years as a Denver Bronco where he failed to surpass 8 receptions or 100 yards in any season.

Even still, any Giants fan that’s watched him should be able to notice the potential that is oozing out of him. With new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett favoring bigger wideouts, it’s fair to wonder is Latimer could enjoy a breakout season should the team decide to retain him.

The good news on all of that lack of production is that Latimer will come cheap. After signing a 1/$2.5M deal when he initially joined Big Blue, Latimer returned in 2019 for just $1.4M. Unless there are other suitors out there, that’s the ballpark the wideout should expect to be paid in again this offseason.

When you combined the low-risk contract and his potential, Latimer represents a solid plan B option for a big wideout should the starting WR core stay the same as most expect it will.

While I would love to see the NY Giants move on from Tate and make a play for a more ‘Air-Coryell’ system-type wideout, I’m on board for giving Latimer one more shot.