It feels like just last offseason that the New York Giants were holding their breath over the unexpected summer duel between undrafted rookie receivers Dalen Cambre and Beaux Collins. That’s probably because it was last offseason... but in the NFL, a year feels like a lifetime.
Oddly enough, Big Blue's receiver room ran so thin last season that both guys eventually made an impact. Collins surprisingly made the 53-man roster coming out of the summer, while it took Cambre a bit longer to finally crack the lineup.
It’s crazy how much difference a year can make. As the Giants dive headfirst into the padded portion of training camp, Collins is officially off the roster, and Cambre is making a strong push to crash Big Blue’s receiver training camp battle party. Gunner Olszewski’s season-ending Achilles injury certainly doesn’t hurt his chances, but he’s earning the opportunity on his own.
When speaking with the media on Wednesday, head coach John Harbaugh couldn't have made it more obvious that the former Louisiana Ragin' Cajun has been lighting it up at camp, making a serious push for a roster slot:
"I see him make a circus catch every single day. And not just that, he's doing all the other things. He's doing special teams. He knows what he's doing. He's running great routes. I think he's making a move. I think he's done a great job, and he's got our attention."John Harbaugh
If Harbaugh giving you a gold star for special teams work -- and doing "all the other things" -- doesn't punch your ticket to an NFL roster, I don't know what does. For a former undrafted guy simply fighting for a shot, Harby's endorsement is gold.
Dalen Cambre is making the Giants rethink their receiver room
While the 25-year-old builds his case, the Giants have continued to rework the bottom of the roster. The team waived Collins with an injury designation on Wednesday following a medical setback.
It's a really tough break for the former Fighting Irishman, who beat out Cambre for a 53-man spot this time last year. Collins' departure coincides with Cambre's camp surge, which is clearly impacting the coaching staff's decisions on who'll round out the backend of the receiver room.
At the top of the depth chart, the Giants are still figuring out a few moving pieces. Malik Nabers is still the alpha, but New York is bringing him back methodically as he works his way back from last year's ACL and meniscus injury.
To help take the pressure off Leek, Big Blue will be leaning heavily into the Isaiah Likely experience, utilizing the tight end's unique size/speed combo to soak up a considerable amount of the targets left behind by Wan'Dale Robinson.
Darius Slayton and Darnell Mooney look like locks as the other boundary wideouts, but everything else is seemingly up for grabs. Odell Beckham Jr.’s return has been better than anyone could have imagined so far -- it's still surreal he's back in the New York groove.
The 33-year-old has been logging extensive first-team reps with Nabers restricted to individual drills, while Slayton and JuJu Smith-Schuster manage minor injuries. Third-round rookie Malachi Fields and Calvin Austin III are all but guaranteed to make the roster, leaving a spot or two for a camp surprise like Cambre to make a move.
By pairing reliable hands in team drills with relentless work on special teams, Cambre is building a serious roster case that stands on its own merits. It's a complete flip of the script from twelve months ago. Last summer, the G-Men were hoping for a reason to keep him; this year, with Collins gone and the receiver room more up in the air than ever, they'd almost be crazy to let him go.
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