Tag: Devontae Booker

Giants vs. Browns Player of the Game: Devontae Booker

The New York Giants fell to the Cleveland Browns in preseason Week 2 and RB Devontae Booker earns our Player of the Game.

The New York Giants took another step toward getting ready for the 2021 regular-season with their second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

After a week of joint practices with the Browns, the Giants dropped to 0-2 on the preseason with a 17-13 loss at FirstEnergy Stadium.

One player who looked much better and more improved in the second preseason game was running back Devontae Booker.

Late in the first quarter, Booker scored for the Giants from one-yard out.

Booker ended the game with six carries for 27 yards and one touchdown. He also had two catches for 13 yards, giving him 40 total yards on the day.

With Saquon Barkley’s status for Week 1 unsure heading into the regular season, Booker looked more like a player who can handle an expanded role for the Giants.

Even if Barkley is ready to go for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, Booker will probably still see action as the second running back for the Giants. And after his performance in Cleveland, the team should feel good about him being able to give the Giants a solid effort on the field.

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Giants dropped by Browns, 17-13: Instant analysis

Instant analysis of the New York Giants’ 17-13 Week 2 preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The New York Giants faced off against the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon in their second game of the 2021 NFL Preseason.

Kickoff temperature was a sunny 81 degrees and perfect for football. It was another game in which the reserves did most — if not all — of the heavy lifting for Big Blue.

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The Giants game-day captains were safety Julian Love, long snapper Casey Kreiter and tight end Kaden Smith.

The offensive line got a respite in this game after a tough couple of days of scrimmages with the Browns. With five more roster cuts due this week, the Giants wanted to get a long look at the reserves. Jackson Barton started at left tackle with Kenny Wiggins at left guard, Jonotthan Harrison at center, Ted Larsen at right guard and Chad Slade at right tackle. Mike Glennon opened the game at quarterback.

The starting defense was as such: Raymond Johnson, David Moa and B.J. Hill up front with Ryan Anderson, Oshane Ximines, Reggie Ragland and Devante Downs at linebacker with rookie Rodarius Williams and Madre Harper at the corners and Xavier McKinney and Love at safety.

Harper was picked on twice in the red zone on the Brown’s first drive. The first play he broke up a touchdown grab against Rashard Higgins but gave up a touchdowns two player later to KhaDarel Hodge. The Browns’ drive, led by veteran quarterback Case Keenum, went for 81 yards on 10 plays. The Giants’ defense was very lax, especially when it came to containing the edge on running plays.

The Giants charged right back with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive of their own, highlighted by a 24-yard completion from Glennon to Rysen John and the rushing and receiving of free agent running back Devontae Booker, who scored on one yard dive to complete the scoring drive.

On the Browns’ next possession, Quincy Wilson picked off Keenum in the end zone to stop a scoring drive. The first half ended with the score tied 7-7.

The Giants allowed 94 yards on the ground in the first half, 7.8 yards per attempt. To be fair, 32 of those yards came an a last-second scramble by former Giant backup quarterback Kyle Lauletta against a prevent defense.

The second half featured the bottom rungs of each team’s depth charts. Brian Lewerke, signed this week by the Giants, played the second half at quarterback leading a scoring drive that ended in a touchdown pass but was followed by a failed two-point try. For a player who has been with the team for a week, he appeared to be quite poised.

The final was Browns 17, Giants 13 with onlookers champing at the bit for the regular season to begin.

Notes

  • When backups are playing backups, it’s difficult to get excited about standout players but several Giants flashed. Booker looked like a No. 1 back, rushing for 27 yards on six attempts and caught both targets for 13 yards.
  • Glennon completed 10 of 13 paces for 86 yards. Wide receiver David Sills had another strong game catching thereof four targets for 31 yards, including a contested catch in the end zone for a score.
  • TE/WR Rysen John had three receptions with one going for 24 yards and another for 29. Unfortunately, he injured his lower leg late in the game, coming lame in what appeared to be a non-contact injury. He walked off underlies own power.
  • Coughlin is still a tad spotty in pass coverage but is without a doubt a solid pass rusher, especially coming up the middle. He had four tackles including a sack in the first half.
  • Harper, who was a ‘bubble’ player entering the game, left the game in the third quarter with a groin injury.
  • Wilson left with an ankle injury, leaving the Giants a bit short at corner.
  • Special team ace Matt Cole was trotted out on defense to fill in and looked fairly comfortable in the role.
  • The Giants went 2-for-2 in the red zone. Cleveland went 2-3.

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

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ preseason Week 2 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The New York Giants and Cleveland Browns concluded Week 2 of the preseason in rather dull fashion.

After an eventful week of joint practices, Sunday’s game was relatively quiet and slow-paced with both team’s starters out. In the end, the Browns walked away with a 17-13 victory.

Here are the winners and losers (and those in between) from Sunday’s game.

Giants lose to Browns after late-game comeback comes falls short

The New York Giants will leave Cleveland with another loss after their late-game comeback attempt against the Browns falls short.

After conducting joint practices earlier in the week, the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns squared off at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Both teams rested the vast majority of their starters and instead opted to evaluate their depth players. The product on the field represented that, although there were moments of more crisp play than a week ago.

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In the end, it was a slow-paced contest with a few impressive plays but nothing to write home about. There will be a lot to evaluate for both teams with the league’s second cutdown day looming.

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

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ preseason Week 1 loss to the New York Jets.

The New York Giants opened the 2021 preseason on Saturday night with an embarrassing 12-7 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It was an ugly game for both teams from the jump, but the Giants appeared lightyears behind where they should be. The saving grace is that the vast majority of their starters didn’t play or played very little.

Here’s a quick look at our immediate winners and losers (and those in between) from Week 1 of the preseason.

Where Giants’ Devontae Booker lands in an ESPN ranking of backup RBs

ESPN is not impressed or confident with the New York Giants’ backup running back situation, ranking Devontae Booker mid-pack across the NFL.

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The New York Giants are expected to see the return of running back Saquon Barkley (ACL) this season, but when exactly that will come is anyone’s guess.

Barkley will start training camp on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list and his availability for a Week 1 game against the Denver Broncos is very much in question.

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With the potential for Barkley to be limited early on this season always present, the Giants went out and signed Devontae Booker in free agency. He will be the team’s primary backup and first in line to start if Barkley were forced to sit.

But even with the presence of Booker, ESPN is not exactly high on the Giants’ backup running back situation, ranking them (and Booker) 16th overall in the NFL.

16. Devontae Booker, New York Giants – Flex if Saquon Barkley is out

Booker signed with the Giants after flashing behind Josh Jacobs in Las Vegas last season. Booker would step into a sizable role in place of an injured Barkley, with sixth-round rookie Gary Brightwell and Corey Clement making for underwhelming competition.

The Giants do also have Sandro Platzgummer and Mike Weber on their roster, but those two are not likely to inspire much more confidence in the unit as a whole.

There’s little doubt the Giants have a lot riding on the return of Barkley, but if things hit a snag, Booker will be thrust into the lead role and needed to take the vast majority of offensive snaps.

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Is Devontae Booker the Giants’ ‘best-kept secret?’

Is running back Devontae Booker, who was signed early in free agency, the New York Giants’ best-kept secret?

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One of the very first additions made by the New York Giants this offseason was running back Devontae Booker, who spent last season as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Some argued (present company included) that the Giants overpaid unnecessarily for Booker when they inked him to a two-year, $5.5 million deal. However, the Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman see it very differently.

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“One of the reasons we prioritized Devontae is: You can never have too many good players, at any position. I don’t care what anybody says,” Gettleman told reporters in April. “One of the things that made Devontae so attractive was the fact that we felt he was a legitimate three-down running back. So it’s always a group decision here. Everything is in the best interest of the Giants. So we feel he can be a good part of our solution at running back.”

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report shares in Gettleman’s optimism, recently naming Booker the Giants’ “best-kept secret.”

The New York Giants’ signing of running back Devontae Booker might be one of the most underrated moves of the offseason. While star back Saquon Barkley is expected to be healthy following 2020’s torn ACL, Booker can be a fantastic complement.

A bruising 219-pound inside runner, Booker possesses the physicality needed to wear down defenses late in games and provide a change of pace. He served as a complement to Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs with the Raiders last season and should do the same with Barkley.

The benefit of adding Booker will be twofold. First, he’ll help keep Barkley fresh as the star works his way back toward 100 percent. Second, he’ll force opposing defenses to adjust between running styles. While Barkley is plenty powerful, he moves well in space and will utilize lateral movement to his advantage. Booker takes more of a head-on approach. If defenses spread out to contain Barkley on the edge, Booker can pound them up the middle.

If you ignore the financial factors that went into the criticism of Booker’s signing and focus solely on the X’s and O’s, then Knox hits the nail directly on the head. Booker is a solid compliment to Barkley, especially when it comes to his running style.

But is Booker really the Giants’ best-kept secret? He’s certainly in the conversation, but other players like safety Xavier McKinney, defensive tackle B.J. Hill, tight end Kaden Smith and fullback Eli Penny are some well-kept secrets, too. At least for now.

Giants’ Dave Gettleman defends contract given to Adoree’ Jackson

New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman defended the contract given to CB Adoree’ Jackson despite harsh criticism for the deal around the league.

The New York Giants held the first of their two pre-draft press conferences on Tuesday when general manager Dave Gettleman and his assistant, Kevin Abrams, faced the team’s media beat pool in a virtual Q&A session.

Both men felt confident they made the right moves in free agency this spring, a wild spending spree that came out of nowhere since the team was actually over the salary cap just days before the free agency period began on March 17.

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Gettleman believes the team got good value in players such as defensive end Leonard Williams, wide receiver Kenny Golladay, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Around the league, that opinion is much different. There are scores of NFL executives and media types who feel the Giants vastly overpaid for many in their aggressive free agent haul.

“What makes America great is that everyone is entitled to their opinion,” said Gettleman.

The GM went on to defend some of the team’s more curious picks, especially Jackson, who he gave $39 million ($26 million guaranteed) to in a move many felt was egregious as Jackson had few suitors in free agency.

Jackson was a former first round pick of the Tennessee Titans who cut him earlier this year rather than pay him his $8 million fifth-year option. Jackson will now make an average of $13 million over the next three years.

Jackson is a player with an injury history, as is Golladay. Gettleman cited that the Giants’ medical team cleared everyone and the team has no issue with any of them going forward.

Gettleman alluded to Jackson’s positives when asked what he saw in him.

The beat pool also brought up the signing of running back Devontae Booker, who the Giants pounced on in the early days of free agency. Booker has been a part-time player for two teams (Las Vegas and Denver) and likely would be still unsigned had the Giants not brought him aboard.

Gettleman is looking passed all of that, stating Booker is a ‘three-down’ back although there is little evidence to support that.

Gettleman also brought up the signing of former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross, another former first-round pick whose career has fizzled. Gettleman said he is excited to see what Ross can do. The other 31 GMs in the league, however, have a different opinion.

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Giants agree to terms with Devontae Booker: Contract details

The New York Giants have agreed to a deal with RB Devontae Booker and here’s a look at the term of his contract.

The New York Giants got off to a slow start in free agency but things have heated up in a hurry in East Rutherford. The Giants came to an agreement with former Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders backup running back Devontae Booker on Monday but did not release the details of the deal initially.

On Tuesday, the Giants released those figures.

Booker’s cap hit for 2021 will be $2.5 million and escalates to $3 million for 2022. That seems like an overpay for a player who has not been a starter in this league in four years and played in Las Vegas on a one-year deal at the league veteran minimum of $1.047 million.

The Giants can cut Booker after this season which would leave them with a dead cap charge of $1 million in 2022.

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Giants adding Devontae Booker gets ‘below average’ grade from PFF

Pro Football Focus gives the New York Giants’ addition of RB Devontae Booker a “below average” grade.

The New York Giants did very little as the NFL’s legal tampering window opened on Monday, re-signing defensive tackle Austin Johnson and later agreeing to terms with veteran running back Devontae Booker.

Although the full breakdown of Booker’s two-year, $6 million contract has not yet been released, the signing raised eyebrows. With little salary cap room to speak of and important in-house free agents left to deal with, spending that much on a running back was curious.

In their examination of the trade, Pro Football Focus graded Booker’s deal with the Giants as “below average.”

RB DEVONTAE BOOKER: TWO YEARS, UP TO $6 MILLION (TBD GUARANTEED)

Grade: Below Average

Booker should serve as an insurance policy for the Giants in case Saquon Barkley misses time again with injury. Booker’s largest role came as a rookie with Denver in 2016, when he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry on his 174 rushing attempts. His PFF grade has risen each year since, peaking at 68.7 with Las Vegas in 2020, but Booker stands out as merely decent on the ground and as an outlet in the passing game.

Those types of running backs tend to become available for cheaper, making this an interesting decision for a team that let Dalvin Tomlinson and Kevin Zeitler walk this offseason.

What more really needs to be said? The value for a backup running back isn’t really there at $6 million over two years, but perhaps the deal will look better if there turns out to be minimal guarantees. If it’s incentive-laden and specific to playing time, that’s not a bad insurance policy to have in the event Saquon Barkley is unable to stay on the field.

Still, the Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman continue an alarming trend of overpaying for depth while failing to spend on the top-end playmakers the team so desperately needs.

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