Giants pass on bigger names with unexpected pre-training camp signing

Just when you thought the New York Giants were done making moves before heading to West Virginia for training camp, general manager Joe Schoen said, "Hold my beer."

On the eve of training camp opening day, the Giants' 90-man roster underwent some last-minute adjustments. Schoen spent the last 24 hours working the bottom of the depth chart, searching for available bodies to take the spots of recently released Cam Jones and C.J. Ravenell.

Big Blue hosted a massive 18-player free-agent workout to scour the market for some late-summer depth. The tryout featured some fairly notable names like former first-round linebacker Kenneth Murray and former Fresno State star and New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener, looking for a way back onto an NFL sideline:

Ultimately, only one player walked away with an offer from the team, and not the one you'd likely expect. Former Iowa State tight end Tyler Moore beat out the others for a chance to make the team. The 2026 undrafted free agent had previously spent rookie minicamp with the Carolina Panthers.

The Giants also signed defensive tackle Marlon Davidson following the workout.

Tyler Moore’s role with the Giants is already pretty clear

The addition of the undrafted rookie should raise some questions about how new head coach John Harbaugh and the rest of the coaching staff plan to use him over the next couple of weeks. At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Moore was a blocking specialist and pseudo-fullback in college.

Unfortunately for him, unless he plans to surpass 11-year veteran Chris Manhertz on the depth chart, that "I can only really block" role is already taken. So let's call this what it truly is: a camp invite that could lead to the practice squad.

That’s where things get interesting. The Giants were already loaded at tight end. Schoen and Harbs invested heavily in the position this offseason by signing prize-of-the-offseason Isaiah Likely to a three-year, $40 million deal in free agency. They also re-signed Manhertz to a one-year deal and still hold sky-high expectations for rising third-year weapon Theo Johnson.

With three spots already seemingly locked down, Moore's arrival is directly tied to the health of second-year tight end Thomas Fidone II.

Fidone is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list while working his way back from a lingering foot injury sustained last year. Moore will essentially serve as the Fidone camp body replacement for the next few weeks, giving the G-Men an extra blocking specialist to fit Harbaugh's new bully ball mentality.

For a team that’s trying to become more physical under Harbaugh, having another blocker around camp isn’t the worst thing in the world, even if Moore’s long-term outlook remains an uphill climb.

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