Big Blue Nation, get ready. The NY Giants veterans will report to training camp on Tuesday and the first session is all set to get started on Wednesday. Coming off an incredibly shocking 2022 season that saw the Giants win their first playoff game since Super Bowl XLVI, there are many reasons for optimism.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen and the entire G-Men front office put in a ton of work this offseason. Schoen added linebacker Bobby Okereke, defensive linemen A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches to bolster the defense in free agency, while signing Parris Campbell Jr. and trading for Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller to help the offense.
Despite last season's success, the Giants had one of the worst rosters in football and had very little depth. This year the Giants have built up profound depth at almost every position on the roster. That level of depth will create some intriguing roster battles this summer. The Giants surprisingly cut Blake Martinez last summer, and there will undoubtedly be more surprises soon too. Here are four surprise cuts that could be on the way in the coming weeks:
4. Darnay Holmes
Darnay Holmes has served as the Giants primary slot cornerback since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of UCLA. Holmes has shown flashes of being a serviceable NFL slot corner, but there is no denying his 2022 season was an unmitigated disaster.
In training camp last summer, Holmes was the Giants defensive star. In each practice, he seemingly broke up passes, intercepted passes, and returned Danny Dimes' throws to the end zone. Of the 118 qualified cornerbacks, PFF gave Holmes the 116th-best grade. PFF also gave Holmes the second-worst pass-rushing grade among corners, the ninth-worst coverage grade, and the second-worst run-defense grade.
In camp this summer, Holmes will compete against Cor’Dale Flott for the starting slot job. Flott, the Giants 2022 third-round pick who is just 21 years old, seems to have a leg up in the competition. Flott was a Schoen draft pick; Holmes was a Dave Gettleman draft pick.
The Giants would save $2.743 million in salary cap space by releasing Holmes. Schoen could use that money to sign more quality depth pieces after NFL teams cut their rosters down to 53.
3. Shane Lemieux
The Giants 2020 fifth-round pick has had an injury-riddled tenure in New York. In his rookie season, Shane Lemieux played in 11 games for the Giants, two in mop-up duty at left tackle, and nine at left guard (all starts). Entering the 2021 season, it appeared that Lemieux would either be the left guard or center of the future in New York.
Lemieux started the 2021 season at left guard but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season opener against Denver. Lemieux was scheduled to start on the Giants offensive line again in 2022, but suffered a toe injury in the preseason opener in New England. He missed the first 11 weeks of the season, returned to start at left guard in Week 12, but suffered another toe injury that kept him out for the season.
The Oregon product has played just 56 offensive snaps the last two seasons. The Giants drafted John Michael Schmitz in the second round of April’s draft and he is the center of the future, Mark Glowinski is locked in at right guard, Ben Bredeson and 2022 third-round pick Josh Ezeudu will compete for the starting left guard job in training camp, which begs the question, where does Lemieux fit in? As of right now, it does not appear as though there is a place for him.
2. Gary Brightwell
The Giants running back room is fully stocked. Saquon Barkley’s future is somewhat murky after not agreeing to a long-term contract before the deadline. Still, behind Barkley, the Giants have 2022 fifth-round pick Eric Gray, veteran Matt Breida, recent signee James Robinson, Gary Brightwell, and Jashuan Corbin.
The Giants kept four running backs to start last season. Two players will be trimmed from that room if they keep four again. Barkley (unless he sits out) and Gray are roster locks; Breida was a serviceable backup last year, so he will likely return, and given his track record, Robinson is ahead of the other two on the depth chart.
Brightwell has been on the Giants for the last three seasons, so it would surprise some to see him cut. Brightwell was the Giants kick returner last season and served as the third-string running back, but New York has plenty of better options to return kicks in 2023. Brightwell has received just 32 carries (31 in 2022) in his NFL career, so the coaching staff clearly doesn’t hold him in the highest regard as a ball-carrier.
1. Jamison Crowder
If the Giants running back room is fully stocked, the Giants wide receiver room is overflowing. New York signed Cole Beasley on Friday afternoon, bringing the Giants wide receiver room to max capacity ahead of camp.
The Giants will likely keep seven wide receivers to start 2023, which means they will cut more than half of the current room. Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell Jr., Darius Slayton, and rookie Jalin Hyatt are all locks to make the roster. Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson are recovering from ACL tears, but as soon as they are healthy, they will be on the roster.
That is six wide receivers locked in. That realistically leaves Beasley, Collin Johnson, Jamison Crowder, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, and Jeff Smith battling for one slot. Beasley should have a leg up in the race due to his familiarity with Daboll and Schoen from their time in Buffalo, but I wouldn’t count out Johnson, a training camp star in 2022 before tearing his ACL. Johnson also dominated during the Giants minicamp this spring. Crowder is likely to be the odd man out, which will surprise many, as he is a recognizable name.
Crowder plays primarily out of the slot, and the Giants already have five guys (Campbell Jr., Beasley, Hyatt, Shepard, and Robinson) who can also play in the slot. Crowder also returns punts, but it’s hard to fathom the Giants keeping him on the roster just to return punts considering they have many other players who can do that too.
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