Tag: Kevin Zeitler

Kevin Zeitler: First season with Giants was ‘frustrating, disappointing’

Kevin Zeitler admits that his first season with the New York Giants was frustrating and disappointing, but he expects better in 2020.

Kevin Zeitler spent the first five years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and then two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, so the man knows a little something about frustration and disappointment.

Unfortunately for Zeitler, he was traded to the rebuilding New York Giants in 2019 as part of the Odell Beckham Jr. deal, and that frustration and disappointment continued.

The Giants were an absolute mess under Pat Shurmur, who has since been fired, finishing the season with a 4-12 record and picking up yet another top 5 pick in the NFL Draft.

“Obviously, my first year here was frustrating,” Zeitler told our friend Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated. “There is talent on the Giants, but it was a very disappointing season overall.

“We had a bunch of smart football guys with experience on the line, but we were inconsistent in the running game and with our pass protection. . . We have to figure out how to take the next step because last year was no fun, and we know we have to get it turned around fast.”

One thing that did not frustrate or disappoint Zeitler was his wife, Sara, who handled the sudden trade and subsequent move like a boss, allowing Zeitler to focus on integrating with his new teammates while also studying a new playbook.

“I had to separate myself right away,” Zeitler said. “God bless my wife, who focused on selling the house immediately. Everything you cared about in your situation no longer matters [once you get traded]. You have new teammates and a whole new area.

“I didn’t know much about New York and thought it was going to be loud, busy streets with nowhere to park. Once we got here, we were able to settle in the suburbs of New Jersey, and we really liked it.”

With his life in New Jersey settled, Zeitler is readying himself for a Giant turnaround. He knows everyone in East Rutherford is tired of losing and that the tri-state area fans have had enough of the sub par play.

“The guys on this team are sick of losing the last three years. All we want to do is win,” he said. “We need to attack and get after it right away because we don’t have any time to waste anymore. We need to win right away. You’re only given so much patience in this league. New York wants a good team.”

Zeitler will be one of the team’s centerpieces in 2020 with an added emphasis on repairing the offensive line.

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The moment several Giants knew Daniel Jones was the real deal

When was the moment Daniel Jones’ New York Giants teammates knew he was the real deal and their franchise QB?

Daniel Jones had an up-and-down rookie season for the New York Giants, excelling in some big moments and looking a tad overwhelmed in others.

That’s usually the case for rookie quarterbacks in the NFL, but Jones actually had more high-water marks than low-water marks throughout the season — his turnover issues be damned.

But when did Jones’ teammates have that light bulb moment? When did they realize he’s the real deal and the franchise quarterback of the future?

Dan Duggan of The Athletic recently set out to determine exactly that and the answers he received were telling.

“Obviously that first Tampa game was a big indicator,” right guard Kevin Zeitler said. “The fact that we got down so much but we just kept playing and playing no matter what happened. We just kept going and he kept going. That’s a great indicator. That was early, but you see things every game here and there.”

The Tampa Bay comeback was a big indicator for many of Jones’ current and former teammates, including tight end Evan Engram, who played a big role in that victory.

“Honestly, it was one of the first plays of the Tampa game,” Engram said of when he realized Jones was the real deal. “”t was like the first drive and I had the sole protection on the D-end, Shaq Barrett, and he hit me with a crazy move and I totally whiffed on him. Then Saquon had to come and help and (Barrett) pretty much made Saquon miss, too. I was watching the whole thing because I turned around after I whiffed on the dude.

“So I turned around and I’m watching Daniel take the pressure, run, throw a dart to Sterling (Shepard) on a corner route, on the move, kind of throwing off his back foot. Right then and there I was like, ‘OK. If he can make me look good in protection, then this kid’s got it.’ That whole game he played his butt off and he’s had a lot of good games. The way he went to New England – that was like that game, that rookie game, that tough day where you’re like, ‘OK, it’s not too easy.’ There’s been many instances, but the first game.”

But it wasn’t just the Tampa Bay game that sold Jones to his teammates. That actually began the very moment he stepped into the building with the heavy weight of expectations and criticism resting on his shoulders.

“I knew he had something when he got drafted here and people were talking bad about him and the way he handled that,” linebacker Markus Golden said. “He came to practice every day competing. When you see that, it’s like, ‘OK, this dude’s got something.’ Because you know the talent is there. If you’ve been drafted with a top-10 pick, the talent is there. Now, you’ve got to put the pieces together. You’ve got to have great people around you that are going to follow you because you have to be a good leader.

“I feel like he has all the tools. I feel like he’s a great leader, great dude, gets along with everybody, can be himself with everybody. So I feel like he can be a great leader for this organization. I like him. I like Danny a lot, on and off the field.”

Running back Saquon Barkley said Jones has the talent to become one of the best quarterbacks in all of football, while former Giants wide receiver Bennie Fowler said it’s “not a matter of if, but when.”

The praise for Jones was high across the board. His teammates not only believe in him, but they trust him.

For more comments from Jones’ teammates (and there are plenty), be sure to check out Duggan’s full article in The Athletic.

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Giants have several options to clear additional cap space

The New York Giants will have an abundance of salary cap space in 2020, but they also have several options to create even more.

The 2019-202 NFL season is winding down with Super Bowl LIV taking place in Miami this coming Sunday, but for front offices around the league, it’s just the beginning of the tedious offseason process.

On February 3, the day after the Super Bowl, the waiver system kicks in for the 2020 season. The Giants will have the fourth pick in any waiver situation.

That will be followed by the NFL Scouting Combine from February 25 – March 3. The league year ends at 4:00 p.m. on March 18.

Between now and then, teams will be seeking to cut loose some of their overpaid, underachieving veterans. Teams will abide by the waiver system should they want to claim any of them but more importantly, it is the last opportunity for teams to get as lean as they can before free agency begins on March 18.

What does that mean for the Giants?

Well, their salary cap situation is fairly fluid and flush. They have approximately $61 million in cap space to play with this offseason and could have more should they decide to cut a few veterans.

But who those players could be are questionable. The Giants only have four players with cap hits over $10 million: left tackle Nate Solder ($19.5 million), right guard Kevin Zeitler ($12.5 million), linebacker Alec Ogletree ($11.75 million) and wide receiver Golden Tate ($10.5 million).

Solder is locked in for 2020 due to the dead cap hit of $13 million, so he’s out. The Giants just restructured Zeitler last year. He is entering the second year of a three-year deal, plus the Giants have no intention of letting him go under any circumstances.

Ogletree is a possibility. He has a dead cap charge of just $3.5 million and the team could clear approximately $8 million by releasing him.

It doesn’t make any sense to touch Tate. He’s only in Year 2 of a four-year deal and is a valuable piece of the Giants’ offense for two reasons. First, he’s integral to the further development of quarterback Daniel Jones and second, in light of the concussions suffered by Sterling Shepard last year, Tate could be leaned on more heavily going forward.

Other candidates for release are tight end Rhett Ellison and linebacker Kareem Martin.

Ellison’s 2020 cap hit is $7.188 million with a dead cap charge of $2.188 million, which would equate to a cap savings of $5 million should they cut him. Ellison missed the final six games of the 2019 season with a concussion and was spelled by rookie Kaden Smith, who showed promise.

Martin spent most of the season on IR with a sprained knee and has had very little impact since being signed to a three-year, $15 million deal before the 2018 season as the player who would help new defensive coordinator James Bettcher install his scheme. It never really worked out. The Giants can save $4.8 million by cutting Martin.

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Kevin Zeitler was Giants’ highest-graded offensive player in 2019

Right guard Kevin Zeitler was the New York Giants’ highest-graded offensive player in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.

When the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns agreed to a trade involving wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the media storm was so much that many other aspects of the trade were overlooked.

Although technically a separate transaction that was lumped in to lessen the bookkeeping, the Giants acquired right guard Kevin Zeitler as part of that deal. He came in exchange for edge rusher Olivier Vernon.

In his first season in blue, Zeitler established himself as the team’s top offensive lineman and a potential anchor for years to come. That was reflected in the grades.

Pro Football Focus announced on Wednesday evening that Zeitler finished the year as the Giants’ highest-graded offensive player.

Despite Zeitler’s success, there remain critics of the trade.

Although Jamon Brown played particularly well for the Giants in 2018, he fell off in Atlanta this past season, finishing the year with a 53.2 PFF grade — a solid 23.6 points below Zeitler, for whatever that may be worth.

Meanwhile, Vernon appeared in just 10 games for the Browns, recording 20 tackles, two stuffs, one forced fumble and 3.5 sacks. By comparison, Markus Golden appeared in 16 games for the Giants, recording 72 tackles, 11 stuffs, recovering one fumble and adding 10 sacks.

Without Zeitler at guard, the Browns also saw significant regression from their offensive line.

And if you’d like to factor in the money, here’s a quick look at the 2019 cost:

  • Vernon: $15.25M (base), $15.5M (cap hit)
  • Brown: $2.5M (base), $4.333M (cap hit)
  • Golden: $975,000 (base), $4.75M (cap hit)
  • Zeitler: $2.5M (base), $5M (cap hit)

Golden’s contract expires this offseason and he is slated to become a free agent, while Zeitler also has an out (should the Giants desire to move on) before the big money hits the books.

Meanwhile, Vernon has no out in his contract and will cost Cleveland $15.5 million in 2020, while Brown will cost Atlanta nearly $7 million next season before they have a potential out in 2021 (where he would cost nearly $8 million).

Statistically, contractually… There’s no way around it. Dave Gettleman won that trade thanks to Zeitler and improved the Giants in two areas as a result, and that’s not even factoring in the draft picks and safety Jabrill Peppers.

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7 reasons Giants should keep Pat Shurmur

It would be a Christmas miracle if the New York Giants were to retain head coach Pat Shurmur, but here’s seven reasons why they should.

There’s little doubt you’ve come here already on fire based on the headline alone, geared up and prepared to bury yours truly for daring to suggest something that feels so blasphemous, but hold your horses just a little bit.

There will be plenty of time to criticize me (is that really different from any other day?), but before we get to all of that, why don’t we collectively take a step back and play Devil’s Advocate for a moment.

In the coming days, you will hear and read an endless slew of material suggesting the New York Giants should part ways with head coach Pat Shurmur and not even think twice about it. Some of that material will also likely include general manager Dave Gettleman, but we’ll save that part of the debate for another day.

So, allow me to preface with this: I do not entirely believe Shurmur should be brought back in 2020, but I do believe that taking a look at some of the positives is only fair when everyone and their Mother seems to be coming down hard on him.

If you’ve made it this far without losing your mind, congratulations. See if you can keep your head as we now go over seven reasons the Giants should bring Shurmur back in 2020.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

One win away from improvement

This is going to feel like a flimsy argument out of the gate, but why start with your strongest stance? We’ll build up to that just as Shurmur has led a slow build this season.

After netting just two wins through 14 weeks, the Giants appeared destined to take a full step or two back this year, managing to decline from their 5-11 last place finish a season ago.

However, after back-to-back wins, the Giants are actually positioned to take a step forward. Seriously.

With a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17, the Giants would finish the season with a 5-11 record, just as they had last season, but there will be one glaring difference: they will not finish in last place in the NFC East.

With their win over the Washington Redskins, the Giants guaranteed themselves a third-place finish in the division, which is the first time they won’t finish dead last since 2016.

Small victories.

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Giants injury report: Daniel Jones moves a step closer to return

New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and moved one step closer to his return.

The New York Giants were back at practice on Thursday and once again, the central focus was on rookie quarterback Daniel Jones and how his ankle would respond to the first-team reps he had taken on Wednesday.

The result? A very positive step in the right direction for both the Giants and Jones, who was again participating with the first-team and did not appear to be hampered at all.

Barring an unforeseen setback, Jones will return as the team’s starter on Sunday against the Washington Redskins, meaning that Eli Manning has very likely taken his final snap in blue.

In addition to Jones, tight end Rhett Ellison (concussion) and rookie edge rusher Oshane Ximines (ankle) were also participating in the portion of practice open to the media for the second day in a row.

Offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (ankle) once again appeared to be limited, but it’s clear he’s half man, half machine and should be good to go come Sunday.

Meanwhile, safety Antoine Bethea was once again among the missing, spending time with his family after he and his wife welcomed a new baby on Wednesday. He is expected to return on Friday.

Below if the official report with designations released by the Giants:

Full participant: QB Daniel Jones (ankle), LB Oshane Ximines (ankle)

Limited participation: G Kevin Zeitler (ankle), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion)

Did not participate: S Antoine Bethea (not injury related)

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Giants injury report: Daniel Jones back taking first-team reps

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones (ankle) was back at practice on Wednesday and taking first-team reps for the first time since Week 13.

The New York Giants returned to practice on Wednesday ahead of a Week 16 matchup with the Washington Redskins, and as expected, all eyes were on rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.

Will he play on Sunday or will Eli Manning get one more start?

While head coach Pat Shurmur has been relatively coy about that, the belief is that Jones will be ready to play after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 13. And if Wednesday morning was any indication, that would be a solid bet.

During the portion of practice that was open to the media, Jones was on the field stretching with his teammates and then proceeded to take snaps from center Jon Halapio — a sure indication that DJ is nearing a return.

Meanwhile, offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (ankle) also did some work during the open portion of practice, which is obviously good news for the Giants despite Nick Gates playing well in his absence.

Finally, neither safety Antoine Bethea nor right tackle Nate Solder were at practice. Both players were excused for personal reasons — Bethea’s wife had their baby and Solder was with his son.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who welcomed his second child on Tuesday, was at practice and participating.

When the Giants release their official injury report with designations, we will update it below.

Full participant:

Limited participant:

Did not participate:

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Giants’ Daniel Jones, Evan Engram among four out vs. Dolphins

The New York Giants have ruled out QB Daniel Jones, TE Evan Engram and two others against the Miami Dolphins.

The New York Giants had hoped for a return to health in Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins, but instead, they got the exact opposite of that.

Despite shedding his walking boot and participating in practice on a limited basis, rookie quarterback Daniel Jones (ankle) was unable to receive the green light ahead of Sunday’s game and has been ruled out.

In Jones’ absence, veteran quarterback Eli Manning will make his second consecutive start and, quite possibly, his last as a member of the Giants.

In addition to Jones, tight ends Evan Engram (foot) and Rhett Ellison (concussion), and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (ankle) have been ruled out.

Zeitler did not practice this week, while both Engram and Ellison were limited at times.

Reserve offensive lineman Nick Gates will start at right guard in place of Zeitler, while tight ends Scott Simonson and Kaden Smith will play in place of Engram and Ellison.

Rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine (concussion) and wide receiver Golden Tate (foot) did not receive a designation and are expected to play.

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Giants injury report: Daniel Jones remains limited

New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones (ankle) was limited in practice again on Thursday and is unlikely to play in Week 15.

The New York Giants were back at practice on Thursday morning and a few minor things had changed from the day prior, but predominantly remained the same.

Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones once again appeared limited, doing some side work and taking snaps from back-up center Spencer Pulley, while veteran Eli Manning continued to work with the first team.

Meanwhile, cornerback Janoris Jenkins (ankle) was limited to the stationary bike during the portion of practice open to the media and did not have his phone in hand. Thankfully.

The news was extra discouraging for guard Kevin Zeitler (ankle), who was not at practice and is not expected to play on Sunday. He will be replaced by Nick Gates.

Rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine (concussion) and tight end Evan Engram (foot) were doing some work, as was wide receiver Golden Tate (foot).

The official injury report with designations can be found below:

Full participant: CB Corey Ballentine (concussion), WR Golden Tate (foot)

Limited participant: QB Daniel Jones (ankle), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion), TE Evan Engram (foot)

Non-participant: CB Janoris Jenkins (ankle), OL Kevin Zeitler (ankle)

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Giants injury report: Daniel Jones returns to practice

New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones (ankle) and TE Evan Engram (foot) returned to practice on Wednesday.

The New York Giants returned to practice in East Rutherford on Wednesday as they prepare for a Week 15 battle against the Miami Dolphins, and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones was out there with his teammates.

Jones, who is recovering from a high ankle sprain, stretched and did light work during the portion if practice open to the media. However, Jones was working with the team’s backups and veteran Eli Manning, who under center in Week 14, remained with the starters.

In addition to Jones, tight end Evan Engram (foot) was also participating in practice after missing last Saturday’s practice and ultimately finding himself declared out against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Meanwhile, tight end Rhett Ellison and rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine were each getting work as they try to return from concussions.

On the downside of things, cornerback Janoris Jenkins (ankle) and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (ankle) were not participating.

Once the Giants release their official injury report, we will share the designations below.

Full participant:

Limited participant:

Non-participant:

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