4 NY Giants players barely hanging on to a roster spot
• There are some tough decisions on the way for GM Joe Schoen
• Some surprises are on the way for the Big Blue offense and defense
By Lior Lampert
As we approach the start of the NFL regular season, teams are beginning to make their final roster cuts. Unfortunately, only 53 players can make an active NFL roster.
After the NY Giants made one of the more shocking moves this offseason by acquiring Arizona Cardinals linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons on Thursday, there is seemingly one less roster spot up for grabs now. There have been some fun positional battles to follow throughout Giants training camp and it will be fascinating to see who emerges.
With that said, here are four Giants players whose spots on the roster are hanging by a thread:
4. NY Giants wide receiver Jamison Crowder
After being selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft as an undersized wide receiver out of Duke University, Jamison Crowder has been able to carve out a solid NFL career. Crowder was drafted by the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) and has proven himself as a slot receiver.
During Crowder’s time in Washington, he eclipsed 65 receptions and 750 yards in consecutive seasons before his last campaign with the team was cut short due to injury. He signed with the Jets in 2019 in hopes of earning a bigger role. Crowder went on to have the best year of his career for the Jets in 2019, catching 78 passes for 833 yards while scoring six touchdowns. He signed with the Bills last season and barely played, catching six passes for 60 yards in just four games.
After things didn’t go the way he’d hoped in Buffalo, Crowder decided to follow former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to New York. Unfortunately, Big Blue has made notable additions to the receivers room aside from Crowder. They signed Parris Campbell and Cole Beasley while also trading for tight end Darren Waller (who mostly lines up inside). Not to mention, Wan’Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard should be ready to rock for Week 1 - Robinson is a bit of a question mark there.
Crowder has proven to be a reliable veteran receiver. His combination of quickness, burst, and route-running has enabled him to extend his career into his age-30 season, but his time with Big Blue may be coming to an end sooner than later.