Giants get an A- grade for 2019 draft class

The New York Giants were recently given a letter grade of A- for their 2019 NFL Draft class courtesy of NFL.com.

The 2020 NFL Draft is just around the corner, so what better time to look back on the 2019 NFL Draft to see how teams and players did one year in?

That’s exactly what Nick Shook of NFL.com did this week when he graded the draft class of all four NFC East teams with the New York Giants earning the top letter grade of A-.

The Giants made the most of their haul from the Odell Beckham trade, which landed them, in part, the 17th overall pick, by selecting Dexter Lawrence, who had a solid rookie season. New York also might have found its franchise QB in Daniel Jones, answering a huge question for the team’s foundation. DeAndre Baker had a tough start but finished strong and stands to make a significant improvement in Year 2. Oshane Ximines was effective in his first season despite making just two starts, recording 4.5 sacks. Julian Love is an exciting young player for the back end of New York’s defense. Darius Slayton was an excellent find in the fifth round. Corey Ballentine struggled with a position change to the slot, but he could improve with more time.

Free agency/combine focus: Is New York going to attempt to retain Leonard Williams, who was acquired via trade with the Jets in October and is headed for free agency? Darius Slayton, who led the team with 740 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches, was a nice find, but with second-leading receiver Golden Tate (676 yards, six TD catches) at 31 years old, more capital needs to be invested at the position in a deep draft class. The Giants also need to decide whether they’re willing to pay to keep linebacker Markus Golden (10.0 sacks) and right tackle Mike Remmers, with the former serving as a pleasant revival and the latter helping bolster what was once New York’s most glaring weakness. The Giants are still going to need to address linebacker one way or another and decide whether to seek additional edge help or invest in Williams.

Shook also gave the Giants a nod for eventually finding a way to get tight end Kaden Smith onto their roster — a very deserving tip of the cap.

Comparatively, the Washington Redskins also earned a letter grade of A-, while the Philadelphia Eagles were given a “B” and the Dallas Cowboys given a “C-.”

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Accused Corey Ballentine shooter seeks to move trial location

The man accused of killing Dwane Simmons and injuring New York Giants CB Corey Ballentine in a 2019 shooting is seeking to move his trial.

Francisco A. Mendez, the man accused of killing Washburn University football player Dwane Simmons and injuring New York Giants cornerback Corey Ballentine in a senseless and seemingly random shooting in Topeka, Kansas on April 28, 2019, is seeking to have his trial moved.

KiAnn Caprice, the attorney representing “Franky,” filed a motion last week to have the trial moved out of Shawnee County District Court, claiming Mendez is unable to get a fair trial due to the overwhelming amount of media coverage.

“Mendez cannot possibly receive a fair trial in Shawnee County,” Caprice wrote in a motion filed on January 6, which was published by The Topeka-Capital Journal. “Such prejudice exists in the community . . . that it is reasonably certain he cannot receive a fair trial.”

In her motion, Caprice also claimed that public officials have disseminated so much information that most defense details have become publicly known, creating a “prejudiced a potential jury beyond repair.” She also decried some of the charges facing Mendez, claiming they are “some of the most severe we have in Kansas.”

“The factors highlighted illustrate such a great prejudice against the Defendant that he cannot possibly receive a fair trial in Shawnee County,” Caprice added. “The court must transfer the trial to a different venue.”

Mendez’ charges include include first-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder and seven counts of aggravated robbery stemming from two separate but nearby incidents.

A ruling has not been made on the motion to move the trial.

Simmons died at the scene of the shooting, while Ballentine suffered a gunshot wound to his buttocks. He went on to play for the Giants this season with the bullet still lodged in his body.

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Giants’ Mike Remmers, two tight ends out vs. Eagles

The New York Giants will be without RT Mike Remmers (concussion) and two tight ends on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The New York Giants will be without starting right tackle Mike Remmers (concussion) on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, meaning reserve offensive lineman Nick Gates (shoulder), who is also a little banged up, will earn another start.

In addition to Remmers, tight ends Rhett Ellison and Scott Simonson were unable to clear concussion protocol in time to receive the green light and have also officially been ruled out.

With Simonson out, it would make sense for the Giants to promote Garrett Dickerson off of their practice squad. Kaden Smith will, of course, draw the start.

Meanwhile, the Giants could also be exceptionally thin in their already weak secondary as cornerbacks Sam Beal (shoulder) and Corey Ballentine (back) are listed as questionable.

Veteran linebacker Alec Ogletree (back), who was unable to play last week after injuring his back pre-game, is also listed as questionable.

Linebacker Lorenzo Carter (knee) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (knee) did not receive an official designation and are expected to play in Week 17.

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Giants injury report: Mike Remmers, Corey Ballentine not practicing

New York Giants RT Mike Remmers and rookie CB Corey Ballentine were not practicing on Thursday.

The New York Giants returned to East Rutherford on Thursday after a short holiday break, and got right back to practice as they prepare for a season-ending showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The team released a projected injury report on Wednesday that did not reflect well, listing four players as “did not participate” and another four as “limited participant.”

Things were a bit more encouraging on Thursday as only two players — right tackle Mike Remmers (concussion) and cornerback Corey Ballentine (back) — were not participating during the portion of practice open to the media.

Linebackers Alec Ogletree (back) and Lorenzo Carter (knee) were warming up, but may turn out to be limited. Additionally, rookie cornerback DeAndre Backer (knee) and tight end Scott Simonson (concussion) were added to the injury report.

The official injury report with designations released by the Giants can be found below:

Did not participate: RT Mike Remmers (concussion), CB Corey Ballentine (back)

Limited participant: CB DeAndre Baker (knee), CB Sam Beal (shoulder), LB Lorenzo Carter (knee), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion), OL Nick Gates (shoulder), LB Alec Ogletree (back), TE Scott Simonson (concussion), WR Darius Slayton (knee)

Full participant: N/A

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Giants injury report: Mike Remmers, seven others banged up

The New York Giants released a projected injury report on Wednesday and eight players were listed, including RT Mike Remmers.

The New York Giants held a walkthrough that was not open to the media on Tuesday, giving players and coaches the day off on Christmas Day instead.

Not so for us reporters.

Despite the building in East Rutherford being empty, the Giants released a projected Wednesday injury report, summoning those of us who cover the team back to our tablets and laptops.

Unfortunately for the Giants, said injury report was not very merry with eight players listed in total, four of whom were projected non-participants.

Among them was right tackle Mike Remmers, who left a Week 16 win over the Washington Redskins with a concussion, and linebacker Alec Ogletree, who suffered back injury before even taking the field last Sunday.

Additionally, rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine is now listed with a back injury, while linebacker Lorenzo Carter, who had a career day against the Skins, was also added to the injury report with a knee injury.

Four others were projected as limited, including reserve offensive lineman Nick Gates, who is listed with a shoulder injury.

The entire projected injury report released by the Giants can be found below:

Did not participate: CB Corey Ballentine (back), OT Mike Remmers (concussion), LB Alec Ogletree (back) and LB Lorenzo Carter (knee).

Limited participant: OL Nick Gates (shoulder), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion/non-contact), CB Sam Beal (shoulder) and WR Darius Slayton (knee).

Full participant: N/A

The Giants will return to practice on Thursday ahead of a Week 17 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium.

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Stock up, down after Giants’ 41-35 victory over Redskins

Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ victory over the Washington Redskins in Week 16?

For the second week in a row, the New York Giants came away with a victory.

It took them going into overtime, but the Giants went into FedEx Field and won against the Washington Redskins, 41-35, which got them their fourth victory this season.

However, the victory did drop the Giants a bit in the order for the 2020 NFL Draft, as they are no longer in the second spot. But at the end of the day, the Giants got a victory over a divisional rival and also got themselves out of last place in the NFC East.

The Giants have one game left, as they have the chance to potentially play spoilers against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in Week 17.

Whose stock up and down for the Giants in their overtime victory against the Redskins?

Stock up: Daniel Jones

In his return to the field after missing the last two weeks with an ankle sprain, Jones had himself a game, throwing for 352 yards and five touchdowns.

With the game tied at 35, Jones and the Giants’ offense won the toss in overtime, marched the offense down the field and won the game by throwing his fifth touchdown pass of the game — the winner to Kaden Smith.

Jones did fumble the ball once, but he didn’t lose it and he was only sacked once in the game. Other than that, Jones played extremely well against a Washington defense that had trouble stopping him.

Stock down: Darius Slayton

For the majority of the season, Slayton has been extremely reliable in the Giants offense. But on Sunday, Slayton threw up a total goose egg. No catches. No yards.

Given how well the Giants offense played on Sunday and how they were able to put up 41 points, it was a bit of a surprise to see Slayton not come up with a single catch or yard even with his snap count limited (20) due to injury.

It’s a rarity to see Slayton not get anything and he’ll likely rebound next week with a strong game. But for this week, Slayton came up empty in a game where the Giants offense exploded.

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5 reasons Giants could upset Redskins in Week 16

The New York Giants and Washington Redskins square off in Week 16, and here are five reasons Big Blue could come away with the win.

The New York Giants are coming off their first victory since September 29th in a 36-20 win over the Miami Dolphins.

This was also a sentimental victory as it was likely Eli Manning’s final home start of his career or at least in a Giants jersey. Manning was solid, going 20-of-28 for 283 yards and two touchdowns, but also three interceptions. Regardless, the Giants racked up their most points in a game since Week 15 of last year and had their most balanced attack of the season with Saquon Barkley rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

With the likely return of rookie Daniel Jones under center, Manning will go back to the bench. While one might think a Week 16 matchup between two three-win teams would be meaningless, this game will likely decide who receives the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, where Ohio State defensive end Chase Young is expected to be taken.

To be frank, the loser of this game could truly be winners in the long run if they are in line to draft an impact player such as Young.

Regardless, let’s look at five reasons the Giants could come out on top versus the Redskins (hopefully not so they get Young).

Dwayne Haskins

The Giants defense had their best performance of the season in their last matchup with the Redskins, holding them to only three points back in Week 4. Haskins was unfairly thrown into the fire in the second half of the game and struggled throwing three interceptions including a pick-six to Jabrill Peppers.

Despite having his best game of his career last week against the Eagles (19-of-28 for 261 yards and two touchdowns), Haskins has struggled mightily in his rookie season throwing for only 1,232 yards with a 56.9 completion percentage, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. The rookie also has a 2.7 touchdown% with a 3.7% interception rate.

Haskins had a chip on his shoulder after the Giants passed him up with the sixth pick when they selected Daniel Jones over him. If you look at the numbers and watch the two signal callers performances this season, it is like night and day how much more prepared Jones (18 TD 11 INT 2,784 yards 62 completion percentage) was than Haskins.

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Giants’ Daniel Jones, Evan Engram among four out vs. Dolphins

The New York Giants have ruled out QB Daniel Jones, TE Evan Engram and two others against the Miami Dolphins.

The New York Giants had hoped for a return to health in Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins, but instead, they got the exact opposite of that.

Despite shedding his walking boot and participating in practice on a limited basis, rookie quarterback Daniel Jones (ankle) was unable to receive the green light ahead of Sunday’s game and has been ruled out.

In Jones’ absence, veteran quarterback Eli Manning will make his second consecutive start and, quite possibly, his last as a member of the Giants.

In addition to Jones, tight ends Evan Engram (foot) and Rhett Ellison (concussion), and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (ankle) have been ruled out.

Zeitler did not practice this week, while both Engram and Ellison were limited at times.

Reserve offensive lineman Nick Gates will start at right guard in place of Zeitler, while tight ends Scott Simonson and Kaden Smith will play in place of Engram and Ellison.

Rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine (concussion) and wide receiver Golden Tate (foot) did not receive a designation and are expected to play.

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Giants injury report: Daniel Jones remains limited

New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones (ankle) was limited in practice again on Thursday and is unlikely to play in Week 15.

The New York Giants were back at practice on Thursday morning and a few minor things had changed from the day prior, but predominantly remained the same.

Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones once again appeared limited, doing some side work and taking snaps from back-up center Spencer Pulley, while veteran Eli Manning continued to work with the first team.

Meanwhile, cornerback Janoris Jenkins (ankle) was limited to the stationary bike during the portion of practice open to the media and did not have his phone in hand. Thankfully.

The news was extra discouraging for guard Kevin Zeitler (ankle), who was not at practice and is not expected to play on Sunday. He will be replaced by Nick Gates.

Rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine (concussion) and tight end Evan Engram (foot) were doing some work, as was wide receiver Golden Tate (foot).

The official injury report with designations can be found below:

Full participant: CB Corey Ballentine (concussion), WR Golden Tate (foot)

Limited participant: QB Daniel Jones (ankle), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion), TE Evan Engram (foot)

Non-participant: CB Janoris Jenkins (ankle), OL Kevin Zeitler (ankle)

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Giants injury report: Daniel Jones returns to practice

New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones (ankle) and TE Evan Engram (foot) returned to practice on Wednesday.

The New York Giants returned to practice in East Rutherford on Wednesday as they prepare for a Week 15 battle against the Miami Dolphins, and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones was out there with his teammates.

Jones, who is recovering from a high ankle sprain, stretched and did light work during the portion if practice open to the media. However, Jones was working with the team’s backups and veteran Eli Manning, who under center in Week 14, remained with the starters.

In addition to Jones, tight end Evan Engram (foot) was also participating in practice after missing last Saturday’s practice and ultimately finding himself declared out against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Meanwhile, tight end Rhett Ellison and rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine were each getting work as they try to return from concussions.

On the downside of things, cornerback Janoris Jenkins (ankle) and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (ankle) were not participating.

Once the Giants release their official injury report, we will share the designations below.

Full participant:

Limited participant:

Non-participant:

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