One NFL analyst believes it’s time for the New York Giants to “embrace the tank” by trading away multiple starters.
The New York Giants were humiliated in Week 7, falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-3, at MetLife Stadium. It dropped their record to 2-5 and has them firmly entrenched in last place in the NFC East.
Another year, another pathetic showing for Big Blue.
Matt Holder of the Bleacher Report scouting department believes it’s time for the Giants to fully embrace the tank and do everything in their power to secure a prime pick in the 2025 NFL draft. And he proposes they start that tank by trading away wide receiver Darius Slayton.
It’s time for the Giants to embrace the tank and start thinking about the future. Slayton is an impending free agent and the team has a couple of young wide receivers to build around moving forward with Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson. So, flipping a player who likely won’t return next year for draft picks would be a smart move.
The 27-year-old could fetch a decent return from a contending team, as he’s had over 700 receiving yards in four out of his first five seasons and is on pace to make it five out of six with 301 yards through six games in 2024.
Both Holder and his counterpart, Alex Ballentine, also believe the Giants should trade edge rusher Azeez Ojulari. However, they aren’t in agreement on a final location with Holder suggesting the Detroit Lions and Ballentine suggesting the Cincinnati Bengals.
Meanwhile, Holder looks ahead to 2025 and lists Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton as a free agent target. He also lists Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker as a potential draft target, but that’s not the name (or position) Giants fans want to hear right now.
One NFL trade deadline idea has the Bengals getting some serious help.
The Cincinnati Bengals need to get Trey Hendrickson some pass-rushing help near the NFL trade deadline.
While the front office likely won’t do it, the idea is certainly a popular one. Hendrickson has played through injuries over the past few years and is the main source of a pass-rush for a defense that simply isn’t all that good at it.
One NFL trade deadline idea asks the Bengals to go get a guy who already terrorized them this year — New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari.
Part of the problem is a lackluster pass-rush that can’t help a secondary that has struggled with injuries. Bringing in Azeez Ojulari could be the shot in the arm they need. Ojulari has played well for the Giants and had three sacks going into Week 7. However, he’s an impending free agent and they already have plenty of money tied into Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Ojulari blasted the Bengals during Cincinnati’s Week 6 win to the tune of three pressures and two sacks, so they know all too well what he’s capable of in a rotation.
While it’s hard to say what the cost to trade for Ojulari might look like, the fact he’s 24 years old, a former second-round pick, and on an expiring contract is only counteracted by his struggles to stay healthy since 2022.
If nothing else, it’s one idea for the Bengals to consider and probably the type of deal they should be looking at if they want to be buyers at the deadline.
The New York Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon in Week 7, and here are three reasons for optimism.
The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in their first of two meetings this season when the Giants will welcome Saquon Barkley back to MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Giants were four-point home underdogs when the line opened up earlier this week.
The Eagles are not the powerhouse many expected entering the season. Last week, although Philly did end up winning, they struggled mightily against the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, the Giants lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football, putting up just seven points on the night.
The Giants will be short-handed in the trenches this week. This will be their first game without left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) and their second without edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (IR).
Here are three reasons for optimism ahead of Sunday’s game.
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The return of Malik Nabers
After missing two games with a concussion, rookie sensation Malik Nabers is set to return Sunday after clearing protocol late on Thursday.
Nabers had proven in his first four games that he could be a game-changer. He has quickly become the team’s top weapon to run the offense around and Daniel Jones seems to have trust in throwing the ball in Nabers’ direction.
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The Giants defensive front
The Giants’ defensive front took a hit last week when they lost Kayvon Thibodeaux. Azeez Ojulari stepped up big time in the absence of Thibodeaux and the defensive line was on fire again.
With the offensive weapons the Eagles have on the field, the more pressure the Giants are able to get on Jalen Hurts, the better.
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The Giants’ rushing attack
The Giants have found a spark plug in rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. He has been quite the talent, getting the bulk of the work over the last two weeks with Devin Singletary out.
The Eagles defense is ranked 25th in the league in yards per rush. This could be something the Giants may focus on going into Sunday.
Brian Baldinger breaks down the film of New York Giants LB Azeez Ojulari and NT Dexter Lawrence in Week 6: “Outstanding.”
The New York Giants couldn’t overcome their primetime curse on Sunday Night Football, falling to the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-7, at MetLife Stadium.
The offense, without rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, couldn’t generate any big plays down the field against a porous secondary, while a healthier Bengals defensive line limited Giants running backs to 3.15 yards per carry.
Special teams fared no better as replacement kicker Greg Joseph missed two fourth quarter field goals wide right.
But there was one bright spot — Shane Bowen’s increasingly dominant defense.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals entered Sunday’s game averaging 32.5 points per game over the past month but were limited to just 17 on the night. Superstar wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were kept under 80 yards each, and Burrow barely eclipsed 200 yards passing.
Retired offensive lineman and current NFL analyst, Brian Baldinger, took a look at that defensive performance and focused on two players: linebacker Azeez Ojulari and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.
“Dexter Lawrence with his seventh sack of the season, pushing both the center and the guard. Joe Burrow gets off and there’s Dexy, right there. Another sack,” Baldinger said. “I mean, is any defensive tackle — nose tackle — playing any better than Dexter Lawrence?”
To answer Baldinger’s question, no. No one on defense is playing better than Lawrence. Full stop.
The New York Giants fell to the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-7, on Sunday Night Football and LB Azeez Ojulari is our Player of the Game.
The New York Giants were defeated by the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-7, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday Night Football and Azeez Ojulari is our Player of the Game.
This game was very winnable for Big Blue, but they fell short on key moments. The Giants tied the game in the third quarter but could not finish the job as the offense could not convert on meaningful third and fourth downs.
However, the defense did what they could to keep the team in the game and it started with the pass rush. They attacked Joe Burrow all night and in Kayvon Thibodeaux’s absence, Ojulari stepped up and was a monster.
The former Georgia Bulldog recorded two sacks on the night to go along with a forced fumble. Both of the sacks contributed to ending drives and happened when the Bengals still only had seven points on the board.
Ojulari also pressured Burrow on several other attempts forcing him to throw the ball away on third down.
Ojulari becomes the first defensive player to be Player of the Game, and if he can continue to play at this level the Giants’ pass rush will be scary when Thibodeaux returns.
The New York Giants host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night in Week 6, and here are three reasons for optimism.
After picking up their second win of the season in Week 5, the New York Giants will head back to MetLife Stadium to host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6.
Despite the Bengals having just one win on the season and traveling as the away team, the Giants opened up as 3.5-point home underdogs earlier this week.
Both teams need a win in this game. However, you could argue the Bengals are a tad more desperate for a win given the fact that their expectations were much higher coming into the season.
With Sunday right around the corner, here are three reasons for optimism ahead of Sunday.
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Next Man Up
The Giants were heavy underdogs this past Sunday on the road on the other side of the country and were without Malik Nabers and Devin Singletary.
In the absence of two important pieces, the Giants got big performances from their next men up — Darius Slayton and Tyrone Tracy Jr.
If Nabers is sidelined again, the Giants’ chances of winning Sunday night will take a big hit. However, clearly, the Giants proved they have confidence in their depth to step up.
The Giants will also be without Kayvon Thibodeaux on Sunday. After being rumored as a player to be traded before the season, the Giants will benefit from holding on to Azeez Ojulari who will be asked to step up in Thibodeaux’s absence.
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Daniel Jones may have found the deep ball
Through the first four weeks of the season, quarterback Daniel Jones struggled with throws down the field. On Sunday in Seattle, Jones seemed more confident in the deep ball, hitting Darius Slayton on a few throws down the field, including an impressive touchdown in the second half.
Jones is coming into Sunday with confidence, playing well in his last four games. If they can unlock the deep ball, head coach Brian Daboll may take more shots down the field this week and open up even more holes in the run game. Opening up the downfield passing game will open up more possibilities for the offense.
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An opportunity to put points on the board
The Giants put up a season-high 29 points this past Sunday. This Sunday night, the Giants will welcome a Bengals team that is giving up an average of 29 points per game, second-most in the league.
With the talent the Bengals have in their receiving corps, the Giants will need to put points on the board Sunday to keep the game close.
The Bengals’ defense also has the second-fewest sacks in the league (6.0). The Giants’ improved offensive line should be able to protect Daniel Jones Sunday to help the offense push the ball down the field.
New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari is prepared to step back into the starting role as Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist) recovers.
On Wednesday, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll informed the media that starting outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux had surgery to repair a broken wrist and would be “week-to-week.”
In his absence, Azeez Ojulari, a player the Giants have been waiting for to pop for four seasons, will be the next man up in Thibodeaux’s spot.
“Azeez has been good for us. He’ll be important if Kayvon’s not there,” said Daboll. “And, whether it’s Boogie (Basham), whether it’s Pat (Johnson), whoever it may be, we have confidence in the guys.”
But it will likely be Ojulari, a former second-round pick out of Georgia, who gets the snaps. He has produced when healthy, which is what he finally is this season.
Ojualri has played in all five games this season. He has 10 total tackles, one for a loss, with two QB hits, one sack, and a fumble recovery in 114 (37 percent) of the defensive snaps.
“No,” Ojulari replied when asked if it’s harder to prepare now that he is going from role player to starter. “I’m coming in every day and trying to execute one day at a time. Whatever it is I have to do, when I step out there on the field, I try to give it my all, try to make a play and make an impact.”
Ojulari is fitting into the Giants’ plans and appears to be content with the role he’s had and the way the defense has played this season.
“We all work together. We all work together as one, as a unit,” he said. “We push each other every day at practice. We all try to improve and get better. It’s the standard here, try to continue to improve and get better and push each other out here and continue to try to get wins.”
That’s what they’ll try to do this Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow, who has been sacked only 11 times this season.
The New York Giants won their Week 3 game against the Cleveland Browns. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.
The New York Giants overcame an ugly start to pick up their first win of the season on Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field.
The game itself was the tale of two halves. The Giants dominated offensively over the first two quarters, seemingly moving the ball at will. However, they became overly conservative in the second half and it nearly cost them the game.
The defense ultimately held things down and the offense could have put more points on the board, but running back Devin Singletary selflessly stopped short of the goal line with roughly 2:00 remaining in the game to secure the win.
Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 3 win.
Offensive snaps: 72 Defensive snaps: 67 Special teams snaps: 26
Despite wide receiver Darius Slayton coming out of the game due to a thumb injury, Jalin Hyatt saw little increase in his usage. He was targeted on one deep pass, but it was slightly overthrown and out of his reach.
Fullback Jakob Johnson saw just two offensive snaps but was among those blocking on Singletary’s early touchdown run.
The underrated star of Sunday’s win has to be linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who rotated in for both Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns (groin). He was all over the field, making plays against the run and the pass. He finished the game with two tackles, one sack, and two QB hits but it felt like a lot more.
And how about rookie safety Tyler Nubin taking 100 percent of the defensive snaps?
Here are four players the Panthers may be interested in scooping up over the next few days:
Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan clearly intends on taking advantage from atop the NFL’s waiver wire.
The team’s 2-15 record from 2023 has awarded them the first crack at each player placed on waivers up through the third week of the regular season. And Morgan, who’s looking to build a fearsome roster, has stated that he’ll be “aggressive” with that positioning.
But what if they’re a little more aggressive, particularly on the trade market over the next few days?
As the league-wide cutdown to initial 53-man rosters continues, players may also depart their teams via trades. If another front office wants to prevent a potential target of theirs from even reaching the waiver wire, they might try to swing a deal—essentially cutting ahead of Carolina.
So if the Panthers want to get ahead of themselves, here are four players Morgan and company could try a trade for:
WR John Metchie III (Houston Texans)
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Even after his solid preseason performance, Metchie has seemed like the odd man out in Houston’s receivers room for quite some time. Not only is he looking up the depth chart at the likes of Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but the 2022 second-round pick has also had to battle for a spot against some solid competition in Robert Woods and Noah Brown.
Carolina’s outlook at the wideout position is brighter than it was a year ago. In fact, head coach Dave Canales said the group was a strength of the roster this summer.
But if the Panthers want to continue to make life easier for second-year quarterback Bryce Young, reuniting him with the No. 1 target from his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign at Alabama should certainly help.
EDGE Azeez Ojulari (New York Giants)
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The Panthers signed former Minnesota Viking D.J. Wonnum to a two-year, $12.5 million deal this spring in hopes of starting him off the edge. But the 26-year-old is still working back from a torn quad, and has remained on the active/physically unable to perform list throughout the summer.
That’s left Carolina’s defense with a hodgepodge of outside ‘backers behind starter Jadeveon Clowney. As of now, the team’s top complements are K’Lavon Chaisson, DJ Johnson and Eku Leota. Yeah.
Ojulari, who has racked up 16.0 sacks in his three NFL seasons, has become somewhat of an extra for the Giants—especially after their acquisition of some dude named Brian Burns. The 24-year-old not only offers promise to a Panthers roster looking to grow, but also a more experienced pass rusher—at least compared to their current options.
LB Jamin Davis (Washington Commanders)
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Davis is a pretty intriguing case. Despite being a productive inside linebacker for the first three years of his pro career, the Commanders and new head coach Dan Quinn have tried the athletic 6-foot-3, 234-pounder on the edge this offseason.
The transition seemed to yield some decent results this preseason—as Davis, per Pro Football Focus, recorded four pressures and a 68.1 pass-rushing grade over 42 attempts. Nonetheless, the 2019 first-round pick is still a cut candidate for the fresh regime.
Perhaps the Panthers may be interested in Davis, either on the outside or in the middle—where they’re currently developing another young and promising Kentucky Wildcat.
CB Caleb Farley (Tennessee Titans)
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Like Carolina’s outside linebacker position, the cornerback spot is without a defined No. 2. The favorite to start alongside Jaycee Horn was free-agent signee Dane Jackson, who is expected to miss a handful of weeks after sustaining a “significant” hamstring injury.
Farley, who has appeared in just 12 games since being selected with the 22nd overall pick in 2021, may benefit from a change of scenery. The Maiden, N.C. native and Virginia tech standout had his fifth-year option declined by the Titans, setting him up for free agency in 2025.
At 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, Farley fits the mold of what Morgan was used to working with during his days in Seattle.
The New York Giants could bring back the NASCAR formation on defense with LB Azeez Ojulari playing a prominent role.
The New York Giants have a lot of talent in their defensive front seven these days. It looks nice on paper with Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Bobby Okereke leading the way, but no one will know how good this group can be until the games start.
Deploying all of those resources this season will be new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. The Giants would like to have the four players mentioned above take the lion’s share of the snaps at their respective positions but they will need depth to make things work. They have it.
On Thursday, Bowen revealed a wrinkle for one of the more forgotten players on the Giants’ roster — linebacker Azeez Ojulari.
Welcome back, NASCAR.
An interesting nugget: DC Shane Bowen mentioned Azeez Ojulari as an option on the interior of the defensive line.
This would possibly be in pass-rush situations. Giants have had success in the past using young edge guys on the interior as well. pic.twitter.com/q9RILN9lyz
Ojulari was a second-round pick out of Georgia back in 2021 but his last two seasons have been ruined by injuries. The Giants had to draft over him with Thibodeaux and then added Burns via a trade.
Ojulari will assume a role that could be similar to that of Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka back in the last decade when the Giants were winning Super Bowls. The strategy is to get as many of your top pass rushers on the field a the same time.
Ojulari, when healthy, can rush the passer with the best of them. Again, when healthy. With Thibodeaux and Burns on the field, he is being wasted on the sidelines. He’s better than a backup. Bowen sees that and is looking to use him in
“There’s only two edges,” Bowen said. “When it comes to passing situations, finding your best four — whoever that is, however we gotta coordinate — to get to the quarterback. It gives you a lot of versatility.”
And Ojulari is one of those four. The Giants haven’t gotten a lot out of him thus far in his career. Maybe this move will change that.
