Tag: Devontae Booker

Giants hosted Devontae Booker for workout

The New York Giants hosted RB Devontae Booker for a workout earlier this week, four months after he was released by the team.

The New York Giants have hosted a number of free agent workouts this week and at least one of those included a very familiar face.

Running back Devontae Booker returned East Rutherford on Thursday, this time on a tryout basis. He somehow flew under-the-radar until the NFL’s official transaction and tryout log was released on Friday.

Booker spent last season with the Giants after landing an over-the-market contract courtesy of former general manager Dave Gettleman. He finished the year as the team’s co-leading rusher (tied with Saquon Barkley) with 593 yards and two touchdowns. He also led Giants backs with an average of 4.1 yards per rush.

In addition to co-leading the team in rushing, Booker also hauled in 40 receptions for 268 yards and one touchdown. The 268 yards led the running back group.

After Joe Schoen took over as general manager this offseason, Booker was among the first to be released. The move saved the Giants $2.125 million in cap space, but also left them with $1 million in dead cap — the fifth-most on the team.

Despite the workout, Booker was not immediately signed to a contract. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t be somewhere down the line.

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Report: Giants release RB Devontae Booker

The New York Giants continued their roster gutting on Wednesday by releasing running back Devontae Booker.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has a tall task this offseason when it comes to creating available cap space.

Schoen said on Tuesday that he would be making roster moves “sooner rather than later” and he has kept his word.

On Wednesday, Schoen released running back Devontae Booker, which will save the team over $2.125 million in cap space. It will also leave them with $ million in dead cap space.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Giants released veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph in a cost-cutting move.

Booker was signed to a two-year, signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal last March by the Giants. He played in 16 games last season, rushing for 593 yards on 145 attempts with two touchdowns. Booker also caught 40 passes for 268 yards and another score.

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8 Giants who could be released or traded to save cap space

A look at eight New York Giants who could either be released or traded in an effort to save the team some salary cap space.

It’s that time of year again for the organizations who are going home for the postseason. It’s time for NFL teams to get their financial houses in order. Or at least begin to get that process in motion.

For the New York Giants, who have lost 10 or more games five straight years (seven of the last eight) and have so little cap room heading into 2022, deep cuts are in order.

Who could that be? Here’s a quick look.

Saquon Barkley avoiding media as Giants swirl around the drain

New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley appears to be avoiding the media and those optics aren’t what he needs right now.

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The return of New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was supposed to be one of the league’s biggest stories in 2021. He was viewed as a Comeback Player of the Year candidate and was pegged as the wheel that would get the Giants’ offense turning again.

That has not come to fruition.

A year removed from tearing his ACL, Barkley has suffered through another injury-plagued season, appearing in just 11 of the team’s 15 games. In two of those, he left the game hurt.

Even while on the field, Barkley’s production has been nearly nonexistent. He’s averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry and is among the league leaders in dropped passes.

Barkley’s counterpart, Devontae Booker, leads the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year in rushing yards, average per carry, receiving yards, catch percentage and most other statistical categories. The only thing Booker doesn’t have is that “C” on his chest.

Ironically, it was that “C” which got called into question this week.

Following a humiliating loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, Barkley avoided stepping up to the podium, instead allowing Booker and quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon to face the heat.

On Monday, Barkley again avoided reporters despite several requests for him to speak.

Head coach Joe Judge shrugged off the issue.

“I’m going to be completely transparent and honest with you right now, I don’t pay a lot of attention to who gets asked to speak after games or appear through weeks,” Judge said. “I know that I see him at the podium a lot of times when I’m walking off the field from practice. I know I see him a good deal dealing with the media. I don’t know his individual schedule.

“I can tell you — because (Senior Vice President of Communications) Pat Hanlon and I talked about this kind of walking in the hallway earlier — but I guess there are some reports about him not being available. I can tell you for a fact after the game was over that he was getting his normal treatment and was with the trainers for a good amount of time. Between that, shower, getting dressed, we were obviously driving back on buses, there was a kind of hurried emphasis of getting everybody out of the locker room (on Sunday).”

Before Judge could even finish his thought, he was interrupted by reporters reminding him that retired quarterback Eli Manning never shied away from the media. Rather, as a team captain, he would willingly face the heat so that his teammates didn’t have to.

“I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t really pay a whole lot of attention to who the players are talking to media-wise, but I’ll make sure Pat addresses that and we’ll see if there’s anything that needs to be adjusted based on league policy,” Judge added.

It’s not really about league policy, but Judge knew that before he answered. It was more about an under-performing captain assuming responsibility and taking one for the team. He chose not to. Twice.

Given Barkley’s poor performance and lack of answers this season, avoiding reporters late in the year isn’t good for the optics. Fair or unfair, relevant or irrelevant, every decision Barkley makes is being magnified. That’s the nature of playing in New York and being voted a team captain.

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Logan Ryan, James Bradberry were highest-graded Giants in Week 16

Logan Ryan and James Bradberry were the highest-graded New York Giants in Week 16, and Devontae Booker graded out well, too.

The New York Giants were completely dismantled by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16. The final score of 34-10 does not properly explain just how poorly the Giants played across the board.

But, as usual, there were at least a few needles in the haystack; a few players who performed at a higher level than their teammates.

Safety Logan Ryan was one of those players, earning a team-high grade of 80.5 courtesy of Pro Football Focus. He was followed closely by cornerbacks James Bradberry (75.1) and Jarren Williams (74.4).

Other notable defensive grades include linebacker Lorenzo Carter (66.5), defensive lineman Leonard Williams (60.8) and linebacker Jaylon Smith (52.8).

The lowest-graded Giants on defense were defensive lineman Raymond Johnson III (26.7) and linebacker Benardrick McKinney (25.2).

On the other side of the football, running back Devontae Booker led the way with a grade of 70.4. Behind Booker were wide receiver Kadarius Toney (69.0), right guard Will Hernandez (66.3) and left tackle Andrew Thomas (66.0).

Other notable offensive grades include running back Saquon Barkley (58.8), tight end Evan Engram (58.2) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (55.8).

The lowest-graded Giants on offense were quarterbacks Mike Glennon (40.0) and Jake Fromm (34.2).

Rookie linebacker Elerson Smith earned the team’s highest special teams grade (91.1).

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Giants fall to Eagles: Winners, losers and those in between

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles met for the second time in five weeks on Sunday. The Giants won the first game, 13-7, in New Jersey and haven’t won since. The Eagles, conversely, haven’t lost since.

Before the season, the Giants were being considered by some experts as a breakout team while the Eagles were almost unilaterally picked to finish last in the NFC East.

A lot has changed since then. The Giants entered the game at 4-10 while the Eagles came in at 7-7 with a chance at the postseason. Neither looked like a playoff team early in this game, which like most COVID-ravaged contests this weekend, was far from entertaining. But Philadelphia set things straight and pulled away with a 34-10 whipping of New York.

Here are some winners and losers from the game.

Giants officially eliminated from playoffs with 34-10 loss to Eagles

What limited playoff hope remained entering Week 16 was quickly forgotten as the Eagles completely dismantled the New York Giants on Sunday.

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The New York Giants entered Week 16 with personnel issues due to injury, illness and inconsistency. As a result, they decided to give quarterback Jake Fromm his first career start.

That lasted a little more than two quarters.

Fromm completed just six of his 17 passes for 25 yards and one interception before being benched in favor of Mike Glennon.

It was an unforgettable first start for Fromm, but that was par for the course on Sunday. The Giants and Eagles combined to play one of the most sloppy, ugly football games in recent memory.

Philly, however, got things together in the second half and were ultimately able to cruise to a 34-10 victory, officially ending the Giants’ remaining playoff hopes.

With the loss, the Giants fall to 4-11 on the season.

Giants’ Devontae Booker deserves to start over Saquon Barkley

It’s time for the New York Giants to make a difficult decision and start Devontae Booker over Saquon Barkley.

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The New York Giants have heavily invested in running back Saquon Barkley, but perhaps it’s time for him to step back a bit.

Barkley has struggled with injury and inconsistency this season — something that has become a staple of his career — while his counterpart, Devontae Booker, is producing at a much higher clip.

Our friends over at Talkin’ Giants recently broke down the bare-bones stats.

Beyond just rushing yards and yards per carry, Booker is out-producing Barkley in nearly every other area. He averages 7.4 yards per reception to Barkley’s 6.7, and Booker’s 88.9% catch rate also far exceeds Barkley’s (72.5).

Booker has one dropped pass this season. By comparison, Barkley has six, which is third-worst in the league. And when it comes to pass protection? Booker again outshines Barkley — although not by much.

While Barkley continues to ponder his struggles, Booker feels like he’s in a groove.

“I feel like that’s with any runner,” Booker told NJ Advance Media this week. “As long they get a groove or when they get touches, the more touches I get the more I’ll continue to excel.

“Me personally, I’ve been playing cool. My ‘cool’ is good, I guess. But I don’t even think about that since it’s a team game and I’ve been trying to go out and help my team win. And for us to not win, it just sucks.”

The Giants still want to win and at this point, Booker gives them a better chance to win than Barkley does. Why not just swap the roles and see what Booker can do as the lead dog?

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Lorenzo Carter, Andrew Thomas were highest-graded Giants in Week 15

Lorenzo Carter and Andrew Thomas earned the New York Giants’ highest grades in a Week 15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.

The New York Giants were embarrassed once again on Sunday, falling to the Dallas Cowboys, 21-6, and dropping their record to 4-10 on the season.

There’s a lot to dislike about the current direction of the franchise, but not everything is shrouded in negativity. Ironically, one of the most encouraging things about the 2021 Giants comes on the offensive side of the ball.

After a terrible rookie season, offensive tackle Andrew Thomas is playing lights out in his second year. And in Week 15, he led the Giants’ offense with an 83.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (min. 10 snaps).

Just behind Thomas were quarterback Jake Fromm (78.7), center Billy Price (74.1) and right tackle Nate Solder (68.4).

Other notable offensive grades include wide receiver Kenny Golladay (64.0), running back Devontae Booker (63.1) and running back Saquon Barkley (53.2).

The lowest-graded Giants on offense were right guard Will Hernandez (46.2) and quarterback Mike Glennon (41.0).

Defensively, the Giants were led by linebacker Lorenzo Carter, who arguably played the best game of his career. He recorded an overall grade of 90.8, which topped the team.

Checking in just behind Carter were cornerback Jarren Williams (82.0), defensive lineman Leonard Williams (76.6) and linebacker Jaylon Smith (73.7).

Other notable defensive grades include cornerback James Bradberry (65.8), linebacker Azeez Ojulari (60.2) and safety Logan Ryan (54.0).

The lowest-graded Giants on defense were linebackers Reggie Ragland (35.8) and Benardrick McKinney (29.9).

Ragland, however, recorded the team’s highest special teams grade (76.5).

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Giants continue to spiral with 21-6 loss to Cowboys

On free medium Pepsi Day, the New York Giants once again bombed out, falling to the Dallas Cowboys, 21-6.

Staying with the trend of the last few weeks, the New York Giants were unable to get much going on the offensive side of the ball in a Week 15 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Although the Giants’ defense played solidly enough against the high-powered Dallas offense, the Cowboys capitalized on the Giant’s turnovers with 15 points off the the four. That was essentially the difference in the game.

With the 21-6 loss, the Giants fall to 4-10 on the season.