Giants designate Xavier McKinney, Oshane Ximines to return from IR

The New York Giants have designated rookie S Xavier McKinney and EDGE Oshane Ximines to return from IR plus other roster moves.

When the New York Giants return to practice in East Rutherford, New Jersey later this week, they will be joined by two familiar faces.

The team announced on Monday that rookie safety Xavier McKinney (foot) and edge rusher Oshane Ximines (shoulder) have been designated to return from injured reserve.

McKinney suffered a fractured foot in training camp and the injury required surgery. He’s been on IR since August. Ximines, meanwhile, suffered a shoulder injury in early October and has been on the mend for nearly two months.

Although McKinney and Ximines has been designated to return, it does not necessarily mean they will play in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, this does start their 21-day activation window.

In addition to McKinney and Ximines being designated to return, the Giants also announced that punter Riley Dixon and long snapper Casey Kreiter have been activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Both Dixon and Kreiter were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after kicker Graham Gano tested positive for the virus last week.

Gano and three others — tight end Kaden Smith, rookie tackle Matt Peart and wide receiver/return specialist Dante Pettis — remain on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

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Giants have no new positive COVID-19 cases

The New York Giants checked out clean on Monday morning with no new positive COVID-19 cases after four last week.

The New York Giants open Week 12 with no new reports of any player testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Last week, the Giants placed six players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Kicker Graham Gano, offensive tackle Matt Peart, tight end Kaden Smith and wide receiver Dante Pettis all tested positive, while punter Riley Dixon and long snapper Casey Kreiter were added for contact tracing purposes.

As per the NFL, “Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 follow the joint NFL-NFLPA Treatment Protocol. They are immediately isolated, not permitted access club facilities, or have direct contact with players or personnel. Club medical staff are in regular communication with individuals who test positive to monitor symptoms.”

As “high-risk close contacts,” Dixon and Kreiter will be cleared this week should they test negative after five days and will travel with the team to Cincinnati. The NFL requires that all players and most staff be tested daily.

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COVID-19 slamming Giants through the bye week

Giants are dealing with a COVID-19 issue through their bye week.

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The New York Giants are getting hit hard by the reality of COVID-19 this week.

They started their bye week by placing potential Pro Bowl placekicker Graham Gano on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, where he was joined by two other special teams players, punter Riley Dixon and long snapper Casey Kreiter on Wednesday. Dixon and Kreiter were placed on the list as close contacts.

They ended the week by adding three more players – tight end Kaden Smith, offensive tackle Matt Peart and wide receiver/returner Dante Pettis, all of which tested positive Thursday night.

The Giants’ next game isn’t until next Sunday, November 29, when they travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals. Head coach Joe Judge isn’t sure if Gano or any of the players on the list will be available by that time.

“There’s a timetable with that,” Judge said this week. “There’s an opportunity for that, but there are some other things that go into that as well. Are there any setbacks in that time window? When does the physician clear him? There’s a ramp up period. Him, like everybody else, we have to be fair to this guy. He’s sitting in a hotel room for a couple weeks. Is it fair to him to put him on the field and ask him to go ahead and do his job? These are all things we have to account for. In fantasy football, yeah, plug him in and we’re good to go. In reality, are we doing the fair thing by him individually and the team collectively to take someone who hasn’t had two weeks of an opportunity to prepare to put him out there to do a job?”

Left guard Will Hernandez was reactivated off the COVID-19 list last week but the team did not start him, citing that they wanted to take things slowly with him. He got into the game, but only after Kevin Zeitler was forced out with a concussion.

“It was definitely a different experience, one I had never really experienced before,” Hernandez said. “It was weird. But just like everything else, we got through it and I feel great now. I’m good. I’m ready to roll…I went through the standard sickness and all that. At the end of the day, I just kind of got over it and I feel good as new.”

Even though the Giants decided to bench Hernandez, he was ready when his number was called.

“What I saw when he went in the game is a guy who was ready,” Judge said. “I saw when Will went in there, he was mentally, physically and emotionally ready to go. Obviously, two weeks off from a game, it’s a lot to ask anyone to jump right back in the swing of things and go through an entire game. When we needed him, he came through. He played well, he played tough. That’s just kind of Will’s personality. Coming out at the end of the game right there. He kind of goes in as the enforcer when we needed him right there. I was pleased to see Will at the game. It’s good to have him back in the building. He’s always a dude that makes everyone smile when he’s around. It’s just good to have him back with us.”

Now, we will wait to see if the others can bounce back in the same fashion.

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Giants place P Riley Dixon, LS Casey Kreiter on COVID-19 list

Giants added two more to the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The New York Giants placed punter Riley Dixon and long snapper Casey Kreiter on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday.

The Giants had a busy day despite being on their bye week. They fired offensive line coach Marc Colombo while hiring his replacement in Dave DeGuglielmo. And now they placed two players on the COVID-19 list.

Dixon and Kreiter going on the list doesn’t necessarily mean they tested positive for the virus. It could mean they were a high-risk, close contact to someone who did. They could return soon if continue to test negative. Kicker Graham Gano did test positive for the virus and is currently on the list as well.

Fortunately for the Giants, they are on the bye week so there is a chance they will have both players back for the Week 12 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. But that remains to be seen.

We may not get an update until next week or when the players are taken off of the list, but this will be something to monitor through the weekend.

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2020 Giants training camp preview: Special teams

The New York Giants will have many new faces on special teams in 2020, so what can we expect from the unit?

The New York Giants saw an improvement to their special teams unit under Thomas McGaughey in 2019, which is why it should come as little surprise that first-year head coach Joe Judge, a long-time special teams coach, opted to have him return.

Judge places a heavy emphasis on the importance of special teams, so don’t think for a second the Giants will slack in that area.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that there will be several major changes and a little uncertainty as the team enters training camp.

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Kicker

Chandler Catanzaro is the kicker right now, but how long that lasts is anyone’s guess. The bottom line is that the Giants had to add someone to kick the ball following the release of Aldrick Rosas, and with no tryouts to be had, Catanzaro was the best immediate option.

Catanzaro initially signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson following the 2014 NFL Draft. He stayed with the team through the 2016 season.

In 2017, Catanzaro spent a season with the Jets before spending time with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers in 2018.

Catanzaro returned to Gang Green briefly in 2019, but unexpectedly announced his retirement five months after signing. He remained on the team’s reserve/left squad until being released last week.

In 77 career games, Catanzaro has connected on 83.8% of his field-goal attempts and 92.9% of his point-after attempts.

Don’t expect Catanzaro to be the only kicker to stroll through East Rutherford this summer.

2020 NFL Free Agency: A look at the Giants’ newest contracts

With NFL free agency all but over, here’s a quick breakdown of each new contract the New York Giants handed out.

The New York Giants have done substantial work to their roster this offseason, including the big additions of cornerback James Bradberry and linebacker Blake Martinez.

Initially, there was some confusion over the new contracts and how bonuses were structured, but the vast majority of that has been cleaned up thanks to The Athletic.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each new contract:

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Linebacker, David Mayo

Deal: Three years, $8.4 million with $3.5 million guaranteed. $2 million roster bonus in 2020. $50,000 workout bonuses all three years.

Base salary (cap hits):

  • 2020 – $1.5 million ($3.55 million)
  • 2021 – $2.25 million ($2.3 million)
  • 2022 – $2.5 million ($2.55 million)

Ex-Broncos long snapper Casey Kreiter signing with Giants

Former Broncos long snapper Casey Kreiter is signing with the New York Giants.

Former Denver Broncos long snapper Casey Kreiter has agreed to sign with the New York Giants (via Dan Benton of Giants Wire).

Kreiter (6-1, 250 pounds) entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. After spending two training camps with the Cowboys, Kreiter joined the Broncos in 2016.

Kreiter handled long-snapping duties in Denver from 2016-2019 and he was named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster following the 2018 season. The 29-year-old special teams player earned $2,684,462 during his four years with the Broncos, according to Spotrac.com.

Denver is moving forward with long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer, who signed with the team last month. Bobenmoyer was a long snapper and rotational edge rusher at Northern Colorado from 2015-2018.

Bobenmoyer went to two minicamps with the Broncos last offseason and worked out for the team in December. Denver seemingly considered Bobenmoyer a future option with Kreiter’s contract set to expire.

Kreiter is now moving on and Bobenmoyer is the favorite to win the long-snapping job with the Broncos. Denver might add some competition.

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Giants sign long snapper Casey Kreiter

The New York Giants have officially signed long snapper Casey Kreiter (Denver Broncos).

The New York Giants announced on Wednesday that they have added to their roster and special teams depth, signing long snapper Casey Kreiter, who had spent the previous four seasons with the Denver Broncos.

The contractual agreement with Kreiter will remain “pending” until the team can conduct a physical.

Kreiter, who originally signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Iowa following the 2014 NFL Draft, earned Pro Bowl honors as a member of the Broncos in 2018.

The addition of Kreiter all but guarantees the end of the tenure or Zak DeOssie, who is currently an unrestricted free agent after finishing last season on injured reserve.

In addition to Kreiter, the Giants also have long snappers Colin Holba and Drew Scott on their roster.

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Report: Broncos signing long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer

The Broncos have signed long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer.

Casey Kreiter’s roster spot might be in jeopardy.

The Broncos plan to sign long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Kreiter is about to become a free agent and Klis reports that, as of last week, he had not heard anything from Denver.

If the Broncos are planning to move on from Kreiter, Bobenmoyer appears to be the frontrunner to replace him. Bobenmoyer (6-2, 238 pounds) was a long snapper and rotational edge rusher at Northern Colorado from 2015-2018.

Bobenmoyer forced three quarterback hurries and totaled eight tackles as a senior and was invited to the East-West Shrine Game. Denver invited him to rookie minicamp last spring but he did not receive a contract offer.

Last December, the Broncos had Bobenmoyer back at their facility for another tryout. He didn’t receive a future contract offer then but Denver kept him in mind and the team now plans to sign him.

Bobenmoyer would be cheaper than Kreiter, a one-time Pro Bowler, but he’s also inexperienced. There’s a chance that the Broncos are making this move to generate more leverage in negotiations with Kreiter. The new league year — and the start of NFL free agency — will begin on March 18.

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Casey Kreiter happy to see ex-Broncos punter Marquette King ‘booming balls’ in the XFL

Broncos long snapper Casey Kreiter is happy to see former teammate Marquette King having success in the NFL.

Marquette King is one of the most notable former Broncos playing in the XFL this spring, even if he didn’t last long in Denver.

On the first weekend of XFL games, King was among several ex-Broncos who made headlines. Center Dillon Day went viral after dropping an F-bomb during a live sideline interview and safety Rahim Moore recorded the 10th interception of his professional career.

King now punts for the St. Louis BattleHawks and he was trending on Twitter after booming several powerful kicks in his first XFL game. Casey Kreiter, who snapped for King in Denver during the 2018 season, reacted to the big punts on Twitter.

King’s punts were so good that the league’s official account hyped them up on Twitter. It’s not often that a punter makes highlight reels.

In the third quarter, King had an absolutely perfect punt that would have stopped at the one-yard line if not for a teammate jumping on it.

King punted for the Broncos in four games two years ago before suffering a thigh injury that ended his season and his time in Denver.

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