Tag: Danny Shelton

4 defensive linemen the Rams could sign to provide depth in 2022

With Bobby Brown suspended, the Rams need some additional depth on the defensive line. They should consider signing one of these four free agents.

The Los Angeles Rams boast a formidable starting defensive line unit that features Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, and A’Shawn Robinson. But behind Donald, Gaines, and Robinson, the Rams are lacking depth along the defensive front.

The lack of depth stems from Sebastian Joseph-Day departing in free agency, signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. The recent news of Bobby Brown being suspended for the first six games of the upcoming campaign due to a PED violation hurts the depth even more, leaving the defensive line thin.

With the Rams needing some help on the defensive line, here are four players they should consider signing ahead of the 2022 season.

2022 NFL draft: Every player taken with 12th overall pick in last 10 years

Will the Vikings land the next NFL star at No. 12?

Everyone has a different opinion on what the Minnesota Vikings will end up doing with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft.

That in itself is a good thing as far as first-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is concerned. It means he did his job to not leave any glaring holes in free agency.

Granted, the team does have obvious needs at defensive back, interior offensive line and edge rusher. But they aren’t so desperate for help in a particular area of need for them to reach at a position.

They’re in the often sought after spot of being able to take the best available player on the board, while also weighing opportunities for draft day trades. With that said, the No. 12 position on the draft board has been a bit of a sweet spot for some teams in recent history.

Here is every player taken with the pick in the last 10 years.

Giants place Elerson Smith on injured reserve

The New York Giants have placed rookie edge rusher Elerson Smith on injured reserve and made several other transactions.

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The New York Giants already lead the league in games missed due to injury and in Week 18, they will pad that total.

On Wednesday, the Giants announced that rookie edge rusher Elerson Smith had been placed on injured reserve with a neck injury. That officially ends his season after just eight games.

Smith, a fourth-round pick last April, recorded eight tackles, one forced fumble and two QB hits in a very limited role.

Meanwhile, the Giants activated offensive tackle Korey Cunningham, defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Danny Shelton, and wide receiver Darius Slayton from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. They also restored linebacker Omari Cobb and defensive back Ka’dar Hollman to the practice squad from the COVID-19 list.

Finally, defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton has been placed on the practice squad/COVID-19 list.

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Giants place Dexter Lawrence on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The New York Giants have placed defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, plus other transactions.

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, head coach Joe Judge announced on Wednesday morning.

On the positive end of things, the Giants will welcome back cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Keion Crossen, as well as wide receiver John Ross.

All three had been added to the Reserve/COVID-19 list last week and missed a Week 16 game.

Still on the Reserve/COVID-19 list awaiting clearance to return are left tackle Nate Solder, safety Julian Love and defensive tackle Danny Shelton. Practice squad players Jonotthan Harrison and Ka’dar Hollman are also on the list.

Other roster moves happening on Wednesday are the Giants designating linebacker Trent Harris for return and the signing of Omari Cobb to the practice squad. Harris was placed on IR with an ankle injury on December 3.

Cobb was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Marshall in 2020. He spent time on the Giants’ practice squad earlier this year.

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Giants place Nate Solder, Danny Shelton on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The New York Giants have placed RT Nate Solder and NT Danny Shelton on Reserve/COVID-19 and activated six others, including Isaiah Wilson.

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The New York Giants have placed veteran offensive tackle Nate Solder and nose tackle Danny Shelton on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Neither will play on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In place of Solder, Matt Peart is expected to start at right tackle.

“Matt did some good things in the game (last week). He’s done some things he’s got to clean up as well, same with all of our other players. There are some positives that we’ve got to keep building on,” head coach Joe Judge told reporters on Wednesday. “He is making some strides. I’m pleased with the way he’s working and the attitude he comes out here with.”

Austin Johnson, who is currently listed as questionable with a foot injury, will likely see increased snaps in place of Shelton.

With two new players landing on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Giants activated four COVID-19 replacements: defensive backs Darqueze Dennard, defensive tackle David Moa, wide receiver David Sills and offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson.

Wilson was not expected to be an activation this year but with numbers dwindling, the team had no choice.

Finally, in some positive illness-related news, the Giants have activated linebacker Cam Brown and rookie cornerback Aaron Robinson. Brown will resume his starting role on special teams and with Adoree’ Jackson still ailing, Robinson will likely start in Week 16.

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Kyle Rudolph, Billy Price were highest-graded Giants in Week 14

Tight end Kyle Rudolph and center Billy Price earned the New York Giants’ highest PFF grades in Week 14.

The New York Giants had the brakes beat off them on Sunday, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 37-21. And the game wasn’t even that close.

There were precious few positives to take away from the game as the Giants struggled in every form and facet. From the coaches to the players, it was a disaster from the opening whistle until the final second.

Still, those at Pro Football Focus managed to find some silver linings. Not everyone earned a poor grade. In fact, some players shined through a bit.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph topped that list following his best game in a Giants uniform. He logged a team-high grade of 89.9. He was followed by center Billy Price (85.3), fullback Eli Penny (84.9) and running back Devontae Booker (77.4).

Other notable offensive grades include guard Will Hernandez (75.5), running back Saquon Barkley (75.5) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (55.4).

The lowest-graded Giants on offense were wide receiver Darius Slayton (39.8) and tight end Chris Myarick (30.8).

Defensively, lineman Dexter Lawrence led the way (80.3). Just behind him were linebacker Tae Crowder (74.2), defensive end Leonard Williams (73.9) and nose tackle Danny Shelton (70.5).

Other notable defensive grades include cornerback James Bradberry (64.3), edge rusher Azeez Ojulari (59.4) and linebacker Lorenzo Carter (48.6).

The lowest-graded Giants defenders were linebacker Benardrick McKinney (43.6) and defensive lineman Austin Johnson III (42.5).

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Giants defeat Eagles: Winners, losers and those in between

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 12 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

With thoughts of revenge on their mind, the New York Giants came out in Week 12 and took it to the Philadelphia Eagles — at least defensively.

With Freddie Kitchens unsurprisingly calling the offensive plays, things did not improve. It’s as if the ghost of Jason Garrett remained. The offensive line also once again contributed to the struggles.

But when push came to shove, the Giants did what they had to do. Their defense forced four turnovers and came up big in the fourth quarter three separate times.

The Giants led the game wire-to-wire and now have four wins on the season.

Xavier McKinney, Dexter Lawrence were highest-graded Giants in Week 9

New York Giants FS Xavier McKinney and DL Dexter Lawrence earned the team’s highest PFF grades in Week 9. The lowest grade will shock you.

The New York Giants defense came up big in Week 9, holding the Las Vegas Raiders to just 16 points while scoring seven of their own. And in the end, it was the defense that sealed the team’s third victory of the season.

The star of the show was safety Xavier McKinney, who recorded seven tackles, two interceptions and one touchdown. Unsurprisingly, he was the Giants’ highest-graded player on Sunday.

In fact, McKinney’s PFF grade of 94.5 was the highest grade of any defender in the NFL on Sunday.

Just behind McKinney on defense were lineman Dexter Lawrence (88.8), linebacker Quincy Roche (75.0) and lineman Leonard Williams (73.3).

Other notable defensive grades include safety Julian Love (70.8), cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (63.0) and nose tackle Danny Shelton (39.7).

The lowest-graded Giants on defense were cornerback James Bradberry (37.2) and linebacker Tae Crowder (31.9).

Offensively, tight end Kyle Rudolph led the way for the Giants, earning an overall PFF grade of 81.0. Just behind him were running back Devontae Booker (68.4), wide receiver Kenny Golladay (68.0) and left tackle Matt Peart (66.6).

Other notable offensive grades include quarterback Daniel Jones (65.2), tight end Evan Engram (65.0) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (52.9).

The lowest-graded Giants on offensive were guards Matt Skura (51.0) and Will Hernandez (46.8).

Hernandez grading out so low is puzzling.

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Giants defeat Raiders: Winners, losers and those in between

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

The New York Giants managed to win a slugfest on Sunday, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders, 23-16, in a defensive battle that went down to the wire.

In the end, Patrick Graham’s defense did what Jason Garrett’s offense could not do, putting the final nail in the Raiders’ coffin with a sack-fumble by rookie Quincy Roche.

With the win, the Giants improve to 3-6 on the season and will be able to enjoy their bye week significantly more now.

Here’s a quick look at the winners and losers (and those in between) from Week 9.

Giants injury report: Kadarius Toney returns to practice

New York Giants WR Kadarius Toney returned to practice on a limited basis Friday, while LB Carter Coughlin was added to the injury report.

The New York Giants were back on the practice field on Friday and with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” blaring over the speakers, wide receiver Kadarius Toney (ankle) re-joined his teammates.

Head coach Joe Judge indicated that was possible prior to practice and suggested running back Saquon Barkley (knee) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (knee) might return as well. However, they remained with trainers during the portion of practice open to the media.

The same can be said for linebacker Carter Coughlin, who did not appear on Thursday’s injury report. His status for Monday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs is now uncertain.

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

Did not participate: RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), LB Lorenzo Carter (ankle), DB Nate Ebner (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), LB Carter Coughlin (ankle)

Limited participant: TE Evan Engram (calf), DL Danny Shelton (pec), WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), TE Kaden Smith (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (ankle)

Full participant: N/A