NY Giants projected 53-man roster after Week 2 of the preseason
By Zak Musso
The NY Giants defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 25-22 at MetLife on Sunday, which was great to see. While many Giants players stood out in the victory, the major storylines were the injuries. Rookie superstar Kayvon Thibodeaux was hit low in the legs by a dirty chop block from Thaddeus Moss and was in serious pain on the ground. The cart came out for Thibodeaux, which made the collective hearts of Giants fans drop, but luckily Thibodeaux got up and walked straight pass the cart.
Luckily Thibodeaux avoided serious injury and just sprained his MCL. He could return in time for the season opener. Fellow rookie linebacker Darrian Beavers was not as lucky, as he tore his ACL and will be out for the season.
While injuries make calls extra hard for the Giants, we’re inching closer to when Joe Schoen must bring things down to 53. A lot of difficult decisions will have to be made and Schoen will definitely be scouring the league’s wavier wire next week to add additional help at cornerback and safety, two positions with a serious lack of depth. Here is the Giants projected 53-man roster after Week 2 of the preseason.
Quarterback
In: Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Davis Webb
Out: None
Daniel Jones is firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback. Jones was impressive during the second preseason game, going 14-16 for 116 yards and he led the Giants on a touchdown drive. Taylor has proven throughout training camp and the duration of his career that he is more than capable of playing quality football.
Webb has been the biggest standout of the first two preseason games. Webb has led two game-winning drives, and completed 22 of his 27 passes Sunday night for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Webb gave up a job on the Bills coaching staff to join the Giants, so it is unlikely he would do that without assurances he’d make the roster.
Running backs
In: Saquon Barkley, Antonio Williams, Jashaun Corbin
Out: Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Sandro Platzgummer
This is where the surprises will start. Barkley is firmly entrenched as the starter and will likely play all three downs. The backup job, however, is still up for grabs. Williams has been a camp standout and came over with Daboll from Buffalo, so he knows the offense better than any of the other backs.
Corbin looked great while returning kicks in the first game, and his explosive speed gives this offense a different element. Breida, a veteran who was expected to be the backup to Barkley, has been injured for most of training camp while the younger backs have shined, which could lead to the Giants deciding to give the younger backs the roster spot. Brightwell is known for his special teams acumen and has also been injured. With Williams and Corbin both proving they can handle special teams duties, it would not be surprising to see Brightwell be a late cut.