Tag: Cory Durden

Giants injury report: Brian Burns expected to play vs. Falcons

New York Giants LB Brian Burns missed practice again on Thursday, joining a 21-player injury report, but is expected to play vs. Falcons.

The New York Giants took the field on Thursday for their second of three practices ahead of a Week 16 game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Beforehand, head coach Brian Daboll updated the status of several injured players, including linebacker Brian Burns, who he said would not practice for the second straight day but could suit up come Sunday.

“Should be ready to go for the game,” he said of Burns.

Daboll was also optimistic that quarterback Tommy DeVito, who remains in concussion protocol, would serve as QB2 against the Falcons.

“I think he’ll be available,” he said.

Meanwhile, quarterback Drew Lock, who is dealing with heel and elbow issues, made it through Wednesday’s practice okay and remains the projected starter on Sunday.

The Giants’ full Thursday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: OL Aaron Stinnie (concussion), LB Bobby Okereke (backs), LB Brian Burns (ankle), LB Patrick Johnson (knee), CB Greg Stroman Jr. (shoulder/shin)

Limited participant: QB Tommy DeVito (concussion), CB Deonte Banks (ribs), CB Cor’Dale Flott (quad/finger), CB Art Green (shoulder), DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck/shoulder), CB Andru Phillips (shoulder), OL John Michael Schmitz (ankle), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle)

Full participant: LB Dyontae Johnson (ankle), OL Austin Schlottmann (fibula), S Dane Belton (knee), DL Cory Durden (shoulder), QB Drew Lock (heel/elbow), TE Chris Manhertz (ankle), WR Malik Nabers (knee/foot), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (shoulder)

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Giants list an astonishing 21 players on injury report

The New York Giants listed an astonishing 21 players on their Wednesday injury report, including linebackers Brian Burns and Bobby Okereke.

The New York Giants returned to practice on Wednesday afternoon in preparation for a Week 16 game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Before taking the field, head coach Brian Daboll stepped up to the podium and spoke with reporters.

Two days after lacking clarity on the quarterback situation, Daboll revealed that Drew Lock is expected to start on Sunday barring a setback. He also expects Tommy DeVito to clear concussion protocol and serve as QB3.

“Drew should be okay,” Daboll told reporters. “(DeVito) moving through the protocol. He’ll do something today. I envision him being — I mean, who knows with concussions, but he’ll have a chance. If he is, he’ll be number two.”

Tim Boyle, who took over in Week 15, will fill the role of emergency third quarterback.

Meanwhile, Daboll revealed that linebacker Patrick Johnson will likely miss Sunday’s game with a knee issue.

The Giants’ full Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: OL Aaron Stinnie (concussion), LB Bobby Okereke (backs), LB Brian Burns (ankle), LB Patrick Johnson (knee), CB Greg Stroman Jr. (shoulder/shin)

Limited participant: QB Tommy DeVito (concussion), QB Drew Lock (heel/elbow), CB Deonte Banks (ribs), S Dane Belton (knee), DL Cory Durden (shoulder), CB Cor’Dale Flott (quad), CB Art Green (shoulder), TE Chris Manhertz (ankle), WR Malik Nabers (knee/foot), DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck/shoulder), CB Andru Phillips (shoulder), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (shoulder), OL John Michael Schmitz (ankle), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle)

Full participant: LB Dyontae Johnson (ankle), OL Austin Schlottmann (fibula)

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Giants face unenviable task of trying to replace Dexter Lawrence

The New York Giants are riddled with injury along their defensive line and are now scrambling to replace NT Dexter Lawrence.

New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence dislocated his elbow in the team’s 27-20 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys and was placed on injured reserve (IR) this week.

No Lawrence in the middle of the Giants’ defensive line is a scary proposition considering how teams have been shredding them in the running game even with Lawrence on the field.

Now comes the unenviable task of trying to backfill the big man’s role. Lawrence has played on 73 percent of the defensive snaps this season, the most of any of the Giants’ defensive linemen.

In addition to Lawrence being out, Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck), who is second to Lawrence in playing time this year, is not practicing and backups D.J. Davidson, and DL Jordon Riley were limited on Wednesday.

Head coach Brian Daboll was asked what the plan is for the team’s final five games.

“You can’t replace Dexter,” he said. “I’d say we have a number of injuries on the defensive line right now, so we have a lot of young players that are going to have to, they’ve been working hard to continue to improve.

“(Andre Patterson) has done a nice job with them, but you’re never going to replace Dexter, and we’ll see where Nacho is, DJ, too. We’ve got some guys injured in that spot. These young guys are going to have to do a nice job of doing the best they can.”

The Giants’ depth chart is spotty at the moment. Daboll said Nacho could be “week-to-week,” leaving Davidson and Riley as the starters with rookie Elijah Chatman and recently signed Cory Durden as the others in the rotation.

Chatman was a training camp surprise as an undersized undrafted free agent out of  SMU this summer and has been on the club all season. He’s been on the field, spelling the starters to the tune of 28 percent of the snaps. He’ll be seeing the field a lot more over the next month.

“Yeah, we’ve used him more, I’d say, in passing situations,” Daboll said. “Obviously, the last game we had to use him a bunch. He’s got quickness.

“A shorter guy, but quickness, powerful. He’s going to have to do a good job, both in the run and pass, as all those guys. Riley, we’ll see where he’s at, he’ll be limited. D.J. Davidson, then you’ve got guys on the practice squad, Casey (Rogers), (Elijah) Garcia, and Durden that we just signed. So, a lot of young guys that are going to have to step up.”

This will be another true test of the Giants’ roster flexibility this year. Hopefully, for them, they bend but don’t break here.

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Giants place Dexter Lawrence, Theo Johnson on injured reserve

The New York Giants have placed NT Dexter Lawrence and TE Theo Johnson on IR, while signing a defensive tackle off the Rams’ practice squad.

The New York Giants have officially placed nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and rookie tight end Theo Johnson on injured reserve (IR).

Lawrence suffered a dislocated elbow on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys when linebacker Bobby Okereke landed on him awkwardly.

Johnson, meanwhile, suffered a foot injury during the same game.

Both players are eligible to return after four games, which would be for a Week 18 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Still, it’s unlikely that either is activated for a meaningless season-ending contest.

“I think, the reality of it is we’re going to miss him,” linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux said of Lawrence. “But this is going to be a great test and a great evaluation on everybody around him, the back end, the front end. We kind of joked about it as, ‘Dex can’t be the crutch. Dex can’t be our excuse on why we’re playing well or why we’re not playing well.’

“We all kind of got to each step up to the plate, knowing that one of our top guys isn’t there anymore. As far as leadership goes, it’s up to us in the front end and the back end to continue to step up, where he’s now missing.”

With Lawrence joining left tackle Andrew Thomas on IR and quarterback Daniel Jones having been released, the Giants are down to just two team captains — Okereke and long-snapper Casey Kreiter.

With two spots open on their 53-man roster, the Giants filled one by signing defensive tackle Cory Durden off of the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad.

The 6-foot-4, 316-pound Durden signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2023. He was released as a part of final cuts before signing with the Rams.

In four career games, the 25-year-old Durden has recorded three tackles (one solo).

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Rams sign Cory Durden back to practice squad after cutting him

The Rams only briefly said goodbye to Cory Durden as the defensive lineman was added back to the practice squad.

After getting waived by the Rams on Wednesday, defensive tackle Cory Durden is back with the team as he’s the newest addition to the practice squad.

In order to make room for Durden, the team released UDFA Tuli Letuligasenoa. Letuligasenoa is a defensive tackle from the University of Washington.

This is Durden’s second year with the Rams. He’s also one of several players who have played for both the Rams and Lions during the Sean McVay era.

The Rams waived him on Wednesday after signing veteran Neville Gallimore to the 53-man roster, so they needed to make room for that addition.

Rams sign DT Cory Durden back to practice squad

After cutting Cory Durden on Tuesday, the Rams have brought him back on the practice squad

The Los Angeles Rams made a bunch of roster moves this week during the bye, shuffling things up as they get ready for the second half of the season. Among their transactions was the release of Cory Durden, a defensive tackle they signed earlier this season.

After Durden cleared waivers, the Rams signed him back to the practice squad, keeping the big nose tackle in Los Angeles.

Durden has played four games for the Rams this season and he’s made three tackles. He’s played 44 snaps on defense and also contributed on special teams with 19 snaps played in that department.

Rams sign CB Shaun Jolly to practice squad, add DT Cory Durden to active roster

The Rams made a pair of roster moves on Thursday, signing Shaun Jolly to the practice squad and Cory Durden to the 53-man roster

The Los Angeles Rams’ roster shuffling continued on Thursday with two more moves. The Rams announced they have signed Shaun Jolly to the practice squad, adding some depth at cornerback with Derion Kendrick’s status up in the air following his arrest.

Los Angeles also signed Cory Durden to the active roster, promoting him from the practice squad. He got his first opportunity on Sunday against the Cardinals and played well in place of the injured Bobby Brown III.

The Rams have Duke Shelley and Tre Tomlinson as backup corners if Kendrick is unable to play, but Jolly is another player with experience in the Rams’ system. He joins fellow cornerbacks Michael Ojemudia and Cameron McCutcheon on the practice squad.

Jolly was with the Rams last season and re-signed with them this offseason, but he was released in September during the final wave of roster cuts.

Rams sign DT Cory Durden to practice squad

The Rams added defensive tackle Cory Durden to the practice squad on Tuesday

The Los Angeles Rams have had to shuffle their roster in the last couple of week, including the promotions of Brett Maher and Brett Rypien from the practice squad. With an opening available, the Rams filled a spot on their practice squad Tuesday by signing defensive tackle Cory Durden, an undrafted rookie out of North Carolina State.

Durden, who’s 6-foot-4 and 292 pounds, was signed by the Lions after going undrafted but he was cut in late August when they trimmed their roster down. He’ll now get a shot with the Rams on their practice squad, hoping to carve out a role for himself in Los Angeles.

Last season at NC State, he was a third-team All-ACC selection, starting every game at nose tackle for them.

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Lions vs Giants: Best and worst PFF grades from Detroit’s preseason win

Here are the standout performances from this week’s best and worst PFF performers for the Detroit Lions against the New York Giants.

The Detroit Lions kicked off their season with a 21-16 victory over the New York Giants in their first preseason game. Despite many of the team’s key players sitting out, the Lions’ management was able to evaluate potential roster candidates.

The game started off slowly, with the offense struggling, but the defense saved the day by repeatedly stepping up to the challenge and shutting down their opponents. Although some areas showed promise, others may require further evaluation by the Lions’ management.

Here are the standout performances from this week’s best and worst Pro Footbal Focus (PFF) performers, highlighting those who impressed and those who fell short in their bid for a coveted roster spot.

Lions UDFA profile: NC State DT Cory Durden

Breaking down Lions UDFA defensive tackle Cory Durden from North Carolina State and what he offers Detroit

Another undrafted free agent hoping to make a name for himself in the Detroit Lions upcoming rookie minicamp is a big one. Defensive tackle Cory Durden from North Carolina State

The Lions see enough promise in Durden that the team released Demetrius Taylor, who made the team a year ago as an undrafted defensive tackle. Durden’s significantly bigger frame likely has something to do with it.

Durden measures in at 6-foot-4 and 292 pounds, a weight that is down from his playing weight of over 315 when he was at Florida State. Durden transferred for his final two seasons and reshaped his body into more of a leaner athlete. His long arms (34.25″) and wingspan (82.5″) are more in line with what the Lions desire on the defensive interior.

Durden had a weird college career. He bagged seven sacks and 28 QB hurries for the Seminoles back in 2019 and was seen as a rising star. A coaching and scheme change didn’t suit him well, eventually leading him to bounce to Raliegh and the Wolfpack. He missed playing with Lions DT Alim McNeill by a year at NC State and somewhat took over McNeill’s role, but he wasn’t overly productive. Durden registered just 3.5 sacks (all in 2021) and 7.5 TFLs in his two years with the Wolfpack.

He uses his length well initially and still has solid power despite the drop in bulk. For Durden to make the Lions, he’s going to need to keep his pad level and center of gravity lower; he tends to slide upright after contact. When he dictates the action, Durden does keep the weight balance low and can anchor, but it’s inconsistent across his game film.

Finishing is also not something Durden excelled at beyond his sophomore year. He’s not quick enough to slip through cracks in the line, and his pursuit speed and lateral range did not stand out. His lost weight didn’t make Durden much quicker or faster, unfortunately. Durden wins with initial pop from his hands, strength in his shoulders and base (when he stays low) and a visibly strong motor that doesn’t stop until the last echo of the whistle.