After the New York Giants released Evan Neal on Sunday during roster cut day, there was still a chance his Giants career wasn’t completely dead yet. As a vested veteran, Neal was free to sign wherever he wanted, including back in East Rutherford on the practice squad.
Well, New York has now filled all 17 spots, and Neal is nowhere to be found.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh got to work building out the P-Squad on Monday, bringing back some notable names, including Braxton Berrios, Dalen Cambre, and even, shockingly, Jalin Hyatt. They initially filled only 13 spots on Monday, leaving Tuesday as another opportunity for Big Blue to reunite with its former No. 7 overall pick.
Tuesday’s practice came and went, and four more names joined the group. Neal wasn’t one of them.
So, unless something changes down the road, the Evan Neal era in North Jersey has finally reached its merciful conclusion. Now the 25-year-old, 6-foot-7, 340-pound former “can’t-miss” prospect gets to find out whether another team believes it can fix what the Giants never could.
Here are three teams that might be willing to try.
3 teams that could convince themselves they can fix Evan Neal
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are a little tough because they kept 10 offensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster, so they’re not exactly desperate for another body. Right guard is where things get a little more interesting.
Anthony Bradford is still penciled in as the starter, though he’s had his own issues in pass protection and could be gone after the season. Seattle has spent the past few years throwing young options at the position without finding much certainty behind him, either.
The former Alabama standout obviously comes with plenty of baggage of his own, but there was a reason he went seventh overall four years ago. Seattle could stash him on the P-Squad, let him keep working at guard, and see if a change of scenery does him any good... even if the 12-man fanbase wants no part in the experiment.
Detroit Lions
Detroit might be Neal’s best option if he’s looking to disappear for a little while and get his head right. Think of it like LeBron James going "zero-dark-thirty" mode, but not in the corny way.
The Lions’ offensive line is going through a bit of a makeover, with Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge now occupying the two guard spots. More importantly for Neal, he’d get to work with Hank Fraley, who has quietly become one of the most respected offensive line coaches in football.
That’s kind of exactly the situation Neal needs at this point. He might’ve moved inside last season, but he never saw a snap at guard during a regular-season game. I think us common folk probably take for granted how difficult a position change actually is, even when it’s technically within the same position group.
Injuries definitely didn’t help his cause -- his season ended in November after landing on IR -- and probably took away some of the practice time he needed to get fully acclimated.
New Orleans Saints
Last but not least -- the team that might make the most sense from a literal fit standpoint. The Saints only kept eight offensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster, which is already enough to make Neal worth a phone call.
New Orleans also knows a thing or two about failed first-round tackles from the 2022 class moving inside. Trevor Penning, the No. 19 pick in the same draft Neal went seventh, made the move to guard last season before the Saints eventually shipped him to the Chargers.
Neal has found himself on an eerily similar path just a bit further north. The Giants moved him to guard last season after three years of failing to stick at tackle, and now he’s looking for a new home altogether. New Orleans could use another body on the line, and taking a flyer on the massive 25-year-old feels almost too fitting.
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