Alex Johnson – Syndication Server

Broncos worked out 2 defensive backs on Thursday

The Broncos worked out defensive backs Marquise Blair and Alex Johnson on Thursday.

The Denver Broncos brought in a pair of defensive backs for workouts on Thursday, according to the NFL’s transaction wire (via KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson).

The Broncos hosted Marquise Blair and Alex Johnson on a tryout basis. As of the time of this writing, neither defensive back has been signed.

Blair (6-1, 196 pounds) entered the league as a second-round pick out of Utah with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019. He spent the first three years of his career in Seattle, totaling 49 tackles and three pass breakups in 22 games (three starts) from 2019-2021.

After being waived by the Seahawks in 2022, Blair played in three games with the Carolina Panthers before later joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. He returned to Seattle this summer and spent part of the season the Seahawks’ practice squad before being released on Sept. 24. Blair is a safety who can also play as a slot cornerback.

Johnson (6-0, 185 pounds) is a rookie out of UCLA who spent time with the New York Giants this summer. He is a nickel cornerback who spent six seasons at the college level. Johnson grabbed five interceptions and broke up three passes in his final season with the Bruins last fall.

Broncos worked out two players

DB Marquise Blair (Utah)
DB Alex Johnson (UCLA)

The 53-man roster and 17-player practice squad are both full, so if the Broncos add a defensive back, they will need to make room on the team with a corresponding roster move.

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Giants sign CB Greg Stroman to practice squad, release three

The New York Giants signed two players to their practice squad on Tuesday and released three, one with an injury settlement.

The New York Giants made several changes to their practice squad on Tuesday, including the signing of return specialist Kearis Jackson — a move that had been reported a day earlier.

In addition to Jackson, the Giants also signed cornerback Greg Stroman to their reserve unit.

The 28-year-old Stroman was originally a seventh-round pick of the Washington Commanders in the 2018 NFL draft. After three years in D.C., Stroman split time between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams in 2021 before joining the Chicago Bears, where he’s spent the past two seasons.

In 29 career games (five starts), the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Stroman has recorded 65 tackles (47 solo, three for a loss), two QB hits, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, six passes defensed, and three interceptions.

Stroman also has limited special teams experience, returning 10 punts for 25 yards and six kickoffs for 110 yards.

In order to clear room for Jackson and Stroman, the Giants terminated the practice squad contracts of safety Alex Johnson and tight end Joel Wilson.

The team also announced that tight end Lawrence Cager was terminated from the practice squad with an injury settlement.

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Giants-Jets preseason Week 3: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants lost their Week 3 preseason game against the Jets. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants closed out the 2024 preseason with a 10-6 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Saturday night in East Rutherford.

It was a game that highlighted two major areas of concern for the Giants, both of which are continuing trends: A staggering lack of depth and a seemingly endless flow of injuries.

The Giants’ offensive line, which saw center John Michael Schmitz and right tackle Evan Neal start, surrendered eight sacks and gave quarterback Tommy DeVito little time.

Meanwhile, upwards of 10 different players suffered an injury on Saturday night, including both Schmitz and Neals, as well as cornerback Darnay Holmes.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 3 preseason loss.

Offensive snaps: 67
Defensive snaps: 68
Special teams snaps: 24

The Giants used far fewer players on Saturday night than they had over the first two preseason games, giving five players 100 percent of the total snaps. Of those players, rookie safety Alex Johnson likely did the most to help himself.

Defensive tackle Timmy Horne was in line to see more action on Saturday as well but, unfortunately, he left the game on a cart after just a single play.

Cornerback Darnay Holmes also appears to be fighting for his life, receiving 78 percent of the snaps in a meaningless game.

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Giants-Lions preseason Week 1: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants won their Week 1 preseason game against the Lions. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants capped off a week of intense joint practices with a preseason-opening 14-3 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

It was a well-rounded performance by the Giants with a few exceptions. Special teams struggled to adjust to the new kickoff rule, while overall team discipline was lacking.

The few issues aside, it was an encouraging first step for head coach Brian Daboll and his Giants. Perhaps most notably, the team appears to have much more solid depth than they did just a year ago.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 1 preseason victory.

Offensive snaps: 58
Defensive snaps: 70
Special teams snaps: 22

Although pregame reports were suggesting wide receivers Malik Nabers and Jalin Hyatt would be inactive, each player talked their way onto the field. They took a combined 23 snaps but saw just one total target (Hyatt).

What running back Eric Gray was able to accomplish on just 15 snaps is extremely impressive.

Defensively, safety Alex Johnson, who has impressed at times in training camp, received the bulk of the load and got the longest look with 52 snaps. Linebacker Azeez Ojulari also saw extended field time, taking 50 percent of the defensive snaps.

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Giants officially sign 8 undrafted rookies, waive Deon Jackson

The New York Giants have signed eight undrafted rookie free agents and waived/injured running back Deon Jackson.

The New York Giants open rookie minicamp with the first of two practices on Friday, which also means some roster tinkering is a must.

The team officially announced the signing of eight undrafted rookie free agents along with several other transactions.

Seven of the eight undrafted free agents signed to the 90-man roster are as follows:

WR Ayir Asante (Wyoming)
WR John Jiles (West Florida)
DB Alex Johnson (UCLA)
OT Marcellus Johnson (Missouri)
G Jake Kubas (North Dakota State)
DE Ovie Oghoufo (LSU)
DL Casey Rogers (Oregon)

The Giants also announced the signing of international kicker Jude McAtamney (Rutgers), who was given a roster exemption.

Other roster moves include the signing of fifth-round running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who had agreed to terms on his rookie deal on Thursday.

Finally, running back Deon Jackson was waived/injured. He will revert to injured reserve (IR) in 24 hours.

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