No one should pretend Bryce Ford-Wheaton was going to be some kind of offensive juggernaut. He's a back-of-the-depth-chart, special teams guy. But his loss matters. The guy was quietly one of the New York Giants' most electric special team players, and after his brutal Achilles tear on Sunday, the door’s now open for someone else to fill in and replace him.
New York almost instantly turned to an old friend for some reassurance. Gunner Olszewski is a known commodity, especially in the return game, and he obviously wouldn’t be back in the building if the G-Men didn’t believe he could help out the special teams unit.
But don’t expect his return to come with a roster lock. That’s because there’s another name that just refuses to go away: Dalen Cambre.
The undrafted rookie has been putting in the work since Day 1, and while he’s not the established returner Olszewski is, he’s not some throwaway flier, either. For those who have paid attention to camp, there's a good chance they've seen or heard his name. They've seen the reps with the starters. And you’ve probably started to wonder if this kid might actually sneak onto the final 53.
Final Giants roster spot will go to the better special teamer
Cambre won't shake up the receiver room. And neither will Olszewski. Their camp battle is about who can make plays on punt and kick coverage, and who can make the most out of the six special teams snaps they’re going to get in a game. In that fight, Cambre absolutely belongs.
The 5-foot-11 rookie didn’t rack up flashy stats at Louisiana, but he was essentially a player-coach on the field, handling holder duties, gunner reps, and serving as a key communicator on coverage units.
There’s a reason he was one of the first UDFAs the Giants went after. He knows his role and understands the assignment.
And now, with Ford-Wheaton done for the year, there’s a real shot for him to make this roster. Whether he beats out Olszewski, who has All-Pro credentials but also a pretty lengthy injury track record, is still a long shot, but this is a summer battle worth following. Especially because Beaux Collins, another undrafted rookie, is also lurking and flashing on offense.
New York will likely only keep one of them, if it chooses to keep either. And that one spot might go to whoever brings the most juice when the pads make their way to the special teams.
Well, pads just came on Monday. Olszewski just came back Monday. Coincidence? I think not. Now that the physicality is about to ramp up, it's the perfect time for a good old-fashioned specialist camp battle to start brewing.