New York Giants second-year wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton was surprised he made the team’s 53-man roster out of training camp this year.
The former West Virginia standout was coming off an ACL injury that cost him his entire rookie season and, with the team importing several new wide receivers this offseason, felt his roster spot wasn’t secure.
The Giants’ fifth receiver spot came down to him, Miles Boykin, Isaiah Hodgins, and veteran Allen Robinson — all big bodies to contrast the other smaller, faster members of the unit. There was only room for one, it seems.
The Giants chose BFW. It was his work as a gunner on special teams, plus his marketability as a 6-foot-3, 230-pound outside receiver that convinced the Giants to keep him on.
On roster cutdown day this past Tuesday, Ford-Wheaton thought for sure he would be taken aside after practice and told the bad news, but it didn’t happen.
“There were like four people standing there, just kind of grabbing people, and nobody grabbed me,” he said, via Giants.com. “They let me walk through. So, I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I made it.'”
He did. Had the Giants released him, Ford-Wheaton may not have made it through waivers. General managers and scouts in this league have long memories. They know he can play. He ran a 4.38 40 at the NFL Combine last year.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen has a long memory, too, it seems. He apparently had no intention of letting BFW walk. The Giants wanted him to rehab his knee in New Jersey, which he did.
This summer, if his knee checked out, he was staying.
Well, Ford-Wheaton’s knee is checking out. He’s played a significant role on teams in the preseason and has also re-established himself as a receiver on offense.
“A lot of time in the offseason was spent here and I’m glad to finally be here for good,” Ford-Wheaton said. “I think versatility might have played a role, especially just on special teams. I think I bring a different kind of aspect to special teams. I think ultimately that’s what got me here.”
Ford-Wheaton hopes to be considered a member of the Giants’ young core of wideouts, which consists of Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt.
Special teams will be BFW’s primary function for the moment but said that he can “go in and do the things that need to be done” on offense.
“I mean, he’s a freak of nature, for real,” Wan’Dale Robinson said. “He’s strong as hell, he’s fast. He can do it all. I’m pretty sure special teams is what they love the most about him, at least right now, but he still brings an added piece to our receiver room. He’s a big body, he can block, strong hands, can go up and get the ball. He’s still developing in the receiver aspect and obviously, all of us are. But I think he’s going to have a really big impact for us.”
The Giants are hoping their core three, plus veteran Darius Slayton, all stay healthy so that BFW is more of a luxury than a necessity on offense.
But it’s good to have depth and talent at such a key position in the NFL these days.
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