Tag: Gary Brightwell

Giants’ Saquon Barkley, Xavier McKinney return after COVID-19 false-positives

After missing practices due to false-positive COVID-19 tests, New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley and S Xavier McKinney will return on Friday.

The New York Giants will welcome back running back Saquon Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney on Friday, two days after the pair (and many others) tested positive for COVID-19.

Barkley and McKinney were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this week after testing positive for the virus. However, the Giants had a slew of false-positives over the course of several days, forcing them to temporarily halt the use of the Rapid Mesa Test.

“As a precautionary measure, we canceled in-facility meetings for players this morning and closed our office to non-football staff. Football meetings are being conducted virtually. Players, unless their test results are still being assessed under COVID protocols, will return this afternoon for practice,” the team said in a statement.

“Bio-Reference Laboratories (BRL) is experiencing an unusually high number of false positives using the Rapid Mesa Test at our facility. With the exception of one individual, all of the positive Mesa test results over the last two days have come back negative through PCR testing. The laboratory is working with experts to determine the source of the problem.

“The NFL and BRL are monitoring this situation closely. We are temporarily halting the use of the Rapid Mesa Test and administering PCR tests only.”

Although Barkley will return to the field on Friday, the false-positive shortened his rehab cycle this week and may ultimately cost him a chance to play in Week 9.

“I know a lot of times we have to see how they really move and not having [Barkley] available to be here with the trainers on a regular basis and kind of seeing if we can get him into practice, I would say [him playing on Sunday is] something we wouldn’t eliminate at this point based on where he’s at physically, but I couldn’t say that it’s moving in a direction to give us a definite answer in a positive way,” Judge told reporters.

“Again, we’ll see where he’s at. I would say with all these tests, all but one has come back as negative. We’ re actually getting a lot of players back who tested positive [Thursday] morning and then re-tested negative that we’re getting back in before practice.”

The Giants also placed rookie running back Gary Brightwell on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday, but like Barkley and McKinney, it’s anticipated that his test was a false-positive.

Running backs coach Burton Burns remains the only true positive in East Rutherford as of Friday morning, and he has been isolated from the team. Freddie Kitchens and Jody Wright will coach the running backs in his place this week.

Giants injury report: Kenny Golladay returns to practice, eight sit out

The New York Giants welcomed WR Kenny Golladay back to practice on Thursday, but eight did not participate – some due to COVID-19 protocols.

The New York Giants were back on the practice field on Thursday under some unusual circumstances.

On Tuesday through Wednesday, the Giants had in excess of 13 positive COVID-19 tests. However, they quickly determined many (see: most) were false positives and that an error had occurred.

The team paused rapid testing, re-tested the entire organization, canceled in-person press conferences and pushed the team’s entire schedule back. When they did finally take the field in East Rutherford, many were absent.

Due to the continued testing, several Giants did not participate in practice due to COVID-19 protocols. Others, including wide receiver John Ross, were added to the injury report for other reasons.

On the positive side of things, wide receiver Kenny Golladay (knee) returned to practice on a limited basis. He has an outside shot to play in Week 9.

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

Did not participate: RB Saquon Barkley (ankle/COVID protocol), RB Gary Brightwell (COVID protocol), LB Lorenzo Carter (ankle), DB Nate Ebner (ankle), DB Xavier McKinney (COVID protocol), WR Dante Pettis (shoulder), TE Kyle Rudolph (personal), WR Sterling Shepard (quad)

Limited participant: WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR John Ross (quad), TE Kaden Smith (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (thumb)

Full participant: OL Matt Skura (cleared COVID protocol)

Jake Hausmann was Giants’ highest-graded preseason rookie

New York Giants TE Jake Hausmann was the team’s highest-graded rookie during the preseason, while RB Gary Brightwell was the lowest.

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The preseason was not kind to many New York Giants rookies.

First-round wide receiver Kadarius Toney was unable to play a single snap due to various “situations,” while second-round edge rusher Azeez Ojulari took just 35 snaps and third-round cornerback Aaron Robinson spent the summer on PUP.

Fourth-round edge rusher Elerson Smith also missed time due to injury.

That left the door open for many late-round and undrafted rookies to receive more playing time and tight end Jake Hausmann, who has since been signed to the practice squad, led the way, per Pro Football Focus.

On the opposite end of that spectrum, sixth-round running back Gary Brightwell, who played well to the naked eye, earned the team’s lowest rookie grade.

Highest: TE Jake Hausmann, 70.0
Lowest: RB Gary Brightwell, 51.1

There’s not much to write home about here. First-rounder Kadarius Toney didn’t play a down, and second-rounder Azeez Ojulari played a non-descript 35 snaps. Hausmann earned the highest grade on the back of his run-blocking and ended up on the practice squad.

Despite injuries and depleted depth at the tight end position, Hausmann was unable to crack the 53-man roster. Brightwell, on the other hand, beat out veteran Corey Clement and did make the active roster.

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’ Saquon Barkley taking on a veteran leadership role

As New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley works his way back from a torn ACL, he finds himself taking on a more veteran leadership role.

One of the major stories at the New York Giants’ mandatory minicamp this week is the status of star running back Saquon Barkley, who is rehabbing from the surgery to repair a torn ACL he suffered in Week 2 of last season.

By all accounts, Barkley’s rehab is going well and the Giants have him in their plans for the upcoming season. When we’ll see him out on the field again, however, is still unknown.

The team is being very cautious with the 2018 Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowler. Head coach Joe Judge hinted this week that the club won’t turn him loose until he “can play 100 percent aggressive and confident and he’s going to play safe and he can play effective.”

In the interim, Barkley has been working out at the team’s facility waiting for the green light, which may not come for another two months at training camp.

“You know me, I’m going to take it one day at a time, come in with my head down and ready to work,” Barkley told reporters on Wednesday. “I’m fortunate enough that I don’t think that I have anyone around me — not going to think I know from top to bottom, there’s nothing that’s going to be forced for me to come back. It’s going to be whenever my body tells me I’m ready and it will show when I’m ready to go, that’s when I’ll be able to go out there and be hopefully as good as I was before or even better.”

The Giants have hedged their bet on Barkley’s return by beefing up their running back ranks with free agents Devontae Booker, Corey Clement, Ryquell Armstead and rookie Gary Brightwell.

Barkley is heading into this fourth year in the NFL. The Giants have really only gotten one full productive season out of him, his rookie year, when he led the league in total yards from scrimmage with 2,028. His sophomore campaign was interrupted by a high ankle sprain and then last year was wiped out by the ACL tear.

The club picked up Barkley’s fifth-year option earlier this spring meaning this isn’t a do-or-die year for him, but he’s not looking at it like that. He knows he can’t be on the field with the team right now, so he’s playing the role of mentor to the other backs. He is now the veteran in the running back room.

“Going into year four, understanding the offense a little bit more and understanding football a little bit more, even though I wasn’t playing last year, just the way I’m able to answer some questions in the meeting rooms, joke around, smile — something like that, joking around,” Barkley said.

“(Gary Brightwell), excited for him, I think he’s really talented. Any time in the meeting rooms or anything that I’ve seen so far in my short — as a veteran, give him advice and help him out as much as I can.”

It’s only a matter of time now for Barkley as he gears up to resume what many hoped would be a ‘gold jacket’ career.

“Only thing for me is just work and just try to be ready for my team, whenever that is, and like I said, I’m very blessed and in a great place where I feel like, you never know, other places and different circumstances, you feel like you’re being rushed,” Barkley said.

“But I don’t think; I know, from Coach Judge from the training room from top to bottom from my teammates that I know that they want to see me healthy, but they want me out there when they know I can be out there. For me it’s coming to work every single day so I can be a help to my team, and we have a successful season.”

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Giants sign Azeez Ojulari, two other draft picks

The New York Giants have signed three of their six draft picks, including Azeez Ojulari, as well as three undrafted rookie free agents.

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The New York Giants officially announced the signing of three 2021 NFL draft picks on Thursday evening, including that of second-round pick Azeez Ojulari.

In addition to Ojulari, the Giants also signed running back Gary Brightwell and cornerback Rodarius Williams, both of whom were sixth-round picks.

The Giants also announced the signings of three undrafted rookie free agents — Florida offensive lineman Brett Heggie, Baylor offensive lineman Jake Burton and Georgia Southern defensive end Raymond Johnson III.

Three of New York’s six draft picks remain unsigned. They are first-round wide receiver Kadrious Toney, third-round cornerback Aaron Robinson and fourth-round edge rusher Elerson Smith.

The team’s three-day rookie minicamp will begin on Friday and run through Sunday, and full attendance is expected (22 total players).

Giants draftee Gary Brightwell can do it all, college coach says

Jeremy Springer, Arizona’s special teams coordinator from 2018-20, says New York Giants draftee Gary Brightwell can do it all.

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When the New York Giants selected Arizona running back Gary Brightwell in the sixth round of the NFL draft last week, not many were impressed by the pick.

The Giants, however, didn’t really care. Brightwell’s offensive statistics were not eye-popping but, again, this pick was about more than meets the eye.

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“He’s a big kid and he’s got a heavy body, he’s a heavy body runner, he’s in the 215, 220 range and he really is a quality special teams player. So he’s got dual value,” said general manager Dave Gettleman.

Ah, special teams. Remember those? The part that Bill Parcells reminded us was “one-third” of the game? Giants head coach Joe Judge, who made his bones in this league as a special teams coordinator, seems to be especially stoked about bringing Brightwell to East Rutherford.

“He’s a guy that definitely jumped out,” Judge said last week. “A few weeks back, me, Tom Quinn and Thomas McGaughey were sitting in the staff room on a Saturday about 5:30am in the morning and Tom Quinn brought his name up and we watched his kick game and this dude was flying down the field and it was early enough that it woke you up and you really got excited about watching him. You start watching a lot more of his offense and start talking with our scouts who have done a lot of research on him and talking to Burton (Burns) as far as the running back value.

“Look, he’s a guy that jumps out from his skill set. You are always looking for good versatility and depth at those positions, running back and the kicking game. To be honest with you, the opportunity I had to really speak with him and spend some time with him even though it was over Zoom with Gary was very, very impressive. He has an tremendous story. This dude had the utmost compliments given to him from everyone who has been around him at every level. He was the guy that was available at the time and he was a guy we guy we could bring on on our roster and compete to be on the roster and make us a better team.”

In a recent interview on Big Blue Kickoff Live, Jeremy Springer, Arizona’s special teams coordinator from 2018-20, had this to say about Brightwell:

“I’ll tell you this, when I got to Arizona in 2018, he was one of the guys after my first Spring that just stood out as a kid with a lot of natural instinct when it comes to special teams,” Springer said. “He was a great running back for us, but often as me being special teams coordinator, that’s what I look at. He could do it all. He’s one of those guys that I was able to plug and play through his career at any position on any special teams…

“He’s all in, as well. A guy that came into practice, doesn’t say much. He’s a quiet kid, and you like that about him. A quiet kid but works his tail off. He worked his tail off for us, practiced hard, understands the game. And when it comes to game time, that’s where he stands out the most and why he was so special for us at Arizona.”

These are the types of players that teams need to win games and championships. Those unselfish, team-oriented players who do what it takes to win and see it as just part of their job.

2021 NFL Draft report card: How did the Giants fare?

Giants Wire breaks down the New York Giants’ 2021 NFL draft class, their trade haul and offers up individual and cumulative grades.

What a three-day span it was for the New York Giants, who broke some long-standing trends and were extremely creative in their approach.

They were dealt a bad hand in Round 1 when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles conspired against them (tongue-in-cheek), but they didn’t panic and made the entire situation work in their favor. They also did a great job maneuvering in Round 2.

They continued to move around for the remainder of the draft, compiling future assets and attacking draft positions in order to land the players they coveted.

Giants Wire breaks down Big Blue’s entire 2021 NFL draft and offers up some grades:

Introducing the New York Giants’ 2021 draft class

A quick look and short breakdown of the New York Giants’ entire 2021 NFL draft class.

The New York Giants made six picks during the 2021 NFL draft. The class started with Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney in the first round and finished with Oklahoma State cornerback Rodarius Williams in the sixth round.

Introducing the full Giants’ draft class for 2021: