After an eventful offseason in which the New York Giants turned over most of the roster, general manager Joe Schoen might still not be finished tweaking his squad.
During the Giants' preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings, Schoen revealed a hint about what his next roster move may be. He joined NBC's broadcast of the game, speaking with Bob Papa, Carl Banks, and Phil Simms about the current state of the roster. While breaking down his current defensive tackle group, Schoen indicated that he's still looking to add to the room.
Schoen said, "That's gonna be a position that we continue to look for and see if we can't upgrade."
Giants still aren't done adding to their DT group
New York was aggressive in reshaping its interior defensive line this offseason. After trading away Dexter Lawrence II in a pre-draft blockbuster, the G-Men signed both D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris. The veteran tandem offers reliability on the interior, even if it lacks the dominance that Lawrence brought.
Second-year defender Darius Alexander is expected to step into a bigger role this season. He has had a strong training camp and could earn a spot in the starting lineup. The Giants will also hope to get something out of rookie nose tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis. Still, the group lacks depth, especially without Roy Robertson-Harris in the picture.
The defensive tackle free agent market is already fairly picked over. Still, veterans like DaQuan Jones and Sheldon Day could make an impact as depth pieces. Jihad Ward is still sitting in free agency, and he has experience in Dennard Wilson's system. He can play on the edge or kick inside, offering useful positional versatility as a part of a rotation.
Schoen did mention that the Giants are currently fifth in the league's waiver claim order. As teams let go of players in the coming weeks, Big Blue will have an early opportunity to bring them in for a second chance.
Alexander looked solid in the preseason loss to the Vikings, while Reader and Harris were both inactive. Even if all three players stay healthy throughout the season, the Giants will need at least one more body in the rotation to keep each player fresh.
Schoen already has his eye on making another outside addition on the interior of the defensive line. Don't be surprised if a move comes within the next couple of weeks.
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