No offense to Roy Robertson-Harris, but the thought of holding a roster spot open all summer for a rotational defensive lineman who wouldn't have even been able to contribute until late in the season -- if ever -- never felt right.
Earlier in the offseason, the New York Giants defensive tackle tore his Achilles, ending his 2026 season before it ever began... or so we thought.
Instead of immediately placing him on Injured Reserve, the Giants chose to keep him on the roster in the hopes that he'd somehow come back later in the season. It looks like head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen are finally waving the white flag on that flawed plan, officially putting him on IR on Wednesday.
Giants Roster Moves 8/5
— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) August 5, 2026
Free Agent Signings:
▪️DB D.J. James
▪️DB David Long
Waived/Injured:
▪️WR Beaux Collins
Reserve/Injured:
▪️DL Roy Robertson-Harris pic.twitter.com/cZMGRS6M8O
Because of preseason IR designation rules, this move officially shuts down Robertson-Harris for the whole year.
Roy Robertson-Harris’ move sparked a flurry of Giants roster moves
Putting Robertson-Harris on IR kicked off a busy afternoon of roster shuffling.
The move comes after New York signed cornerback D.J. James from the UFL. Originally a sixth-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, the 25-year-old has bounced around quite a bit before getting an opportunity in East Rutherford -- err... White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where the team is currently holding training camp.
James spent time with the New England Patriots before transitioning to the Orlando Storm of the UFL. He'll now have to fight through one of the most daunting training camp battles remaining.
Robertson-Harris wasn’t the only player whose summer came to an abrupt end. Former undrafted free agent Beaux Collins also got the axe. The 23-year-old second-year receiver has been waived with an injury designation.
Big Blue grabbed the former Notre Dame standout after the 2025 Draft last season. After becoming a preseason darling last year, he spent his rookie year trying to find a consistent role but couldn't crack the rotation. If he clears waivers, he's expected to land back with the G-Men on their injured reserve list.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, meaning Collins' roster spot didn't remain vacant for long. In is veteran cornerback David Long. Long is a former third-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams back in 2019.
In seven seasons, the former Michigan Wolverine has played for five teams: the Rams, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, and Green Bay Packers. Funnily enough, during his time with the Wolverines, Long actually played under Jim Harbaugh -- the younger brother of the Giants' new head coach. He brings 80 games of NFL experience to West Virginia, giving the coaching staff another seasoned option to look at before the preseason games kick off.
This was always where the Robertson-Harris situation was headed. The rest of the moves were your classic training camp shuffle, but at least the Giants can finally use that spot on someone with an actual shot to help them this season.
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