Tag: lawrence cager

Giants sign CB Greg Stroman to practice squad, release three

The New York Giants signed two players to their practice squad on Tuesday and released three, one with an injury settlement.

The New York Giants made several changes to their practice squad on Tuesday, including the signing of return specialist Kearis Jackson — a move that had been reported a day earlier.

In addition to Jackson, the Giants also signed cornerback Greg Stroman to their reserve unit.

The 28-year-old Stroman was originally a seventh-round pick of the Washington Commanders in the 2018 NFL draft. After three years in D.C., Stroman split time between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams in 2021 before joining the Chicago Bears, where he’s spent the past two seasons.

In 29 career games (five starts), the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Stroman has recorded 65 tackles (47 solo, three for a loss), two QB hits, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, six passes defensed, and three interceptions.

Stroman also has limited special teams experience, returning 10 punts for 25 yards and six kickoffs for 110 yards.

In order to clear room for Jackson and Stroman, the Giants terminated the practice squad contracts of safety Alex Johnson and tight end Joel Wilson.

The team also announced that tight end Lawrence Cager was terminated from the practice squad with an injury settlement.

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Giants cut Jakob Johnson, sign Ty Summers to active roster

The New York Giants have terminated the contract of FB Jakob Johnson, signed LB Ty Summers and made some changes to their practice squad.

The New York Giants have terminated the contract of veteran fullback Jakob Johnson. Again.

Johnson has spent months on and off the Giants’ active roster and practice squad, and will likely be added back in the near future.

In addition to releasing Johnson, the Giants also placed tight end Lawrence Cager on practice squad injured reserve (IR).

“Cager will probably be down here on IR,” head coach Brian Daboll revealed before the team’s walkthrough practice on Tuesday.

Replacing Cager is tight end Joel Wilson, who was among Monday’s group of workout players.

“The tight ends play quite a bit of football, physical. We’ve used a lot of multiple tight end groupings. So, for look teams and show teams down the road, I think we need some legs,” Daboll said of working out tight ends.

Wilson, 24, signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Central Michigan in 2023. He’s also spent time with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers but has not appeared in a regular season game.

Meanwhile, replacing Johnson on the active roster is linebacker Ty Summers, who was out of standard elevations.

https://twitter.com/JordanRaanan/status/1838912871784173686

With an open spot remaining on the practice squad, Johnson is likely to be re-signed and then elevated ahead of Thursday’s game.

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Giants release former Georgia Bulldog WR

The New York Giants have released a former Georgia Bulldogs ahead of the NFL’s upcoming roster deadline

The New York Giants released former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Lawrence Cager ahead of the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline. Cager, who plays tight end in the NFL, recorded four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown last season with New York.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end/wide receiver could look for a new NFL home or land a spot on a practice squad. He finished the 2022 NFL season with a career-high 13 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown, which was the most productive year of his career.

Cager had previous NFL stops with the New York Jets (2020, 2022) and Cleveland Browns (2021). He is a receiving target in the red zone due to his size and outstanding ability to win contested-catch situations.

Cager appeared in two games with the New York Jets in 2020 and caught two catches for 35 yards.

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He spent three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes before transferring to UGA for the 2019 season. Cager finished his 33-game college career with 14 touchdowns and 1,157 receiving yards.

Giants’ Brian Daboll: Malik Nabers is fine, not out long term

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll said rookie WR Malik Nabers (ankle) is “fine” and won’t be out long term, plus other injury updates.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll updated the media on the health of first-round pick Malik Nabers on Tuesday morning, saying that the emerging star wide receiver was “good” and that his ankle injury was not a “long term” issue and “not serious.”

Nabers will not practice on Tuesday and the Giants will have an off day Wednesday. They will hit the practice field on Thursday before heading down to Houston on Friday for Saturday’s preseason game against the Texans.

In other injury news, Daboll said that tight end Lawrence Cager has a groin injury and is going to miss some time. Center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) and right tackle Evan Neal (foot) will be practicing in team periods on Tuesday.

Daboll also gave updates on other injuries such as guards Jon Runyan Jr. (shoulder) and Jake Kubas (shoulder), tight end Tyree Jackson (back), cornerback Dru Phillips (ankle), and running back Dante Miller (hamstring).

Runyan will see scaled-back reps, while Miller may sit out of practice entirely. Phillips may also be held out of practice but Jackson will “give it a go.”

Finally, quarterback Drew Lock (hip) continues to improve and Daboll would not rule out the veteran playing on Saturday.

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Injury to Giants LB Brian Burns is ‘nothing serious’

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll says the ankle injury suffered by LB Brian Burns is “nothing serious.”

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll met with the media on Tuesday morning ahead of his team’s sixth practice of their 2024 summer training camp.

Daboll confirmed that defensive end Brian Burns suffered an ankle injury on Tuesday but that it was “nothing bad” and Burns should be “ok.” He will be on the field on Tuesday.

Center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) will not practice again on Tuesday and defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence (illness) will do individual drills.

Schmitz’s shoulder injury is said to be unrelated to the one he suffered last year on the attempted “tush push” that cost him four games.

Daboll added that tight end Lawrence Cager, who is having a fine camp thus far, has a hamstring issue and will be out indefinitely. Rookie safety Tyler Nubin (calf) will not practice again on Tuesday.

The Giants released defensive back Aaron Robinson, a former third-round pick, after he reportedly failed his physical

They filled the roster spot by signing 34-year-old interior offensive lineman Greg Van Roten, who is familiar with Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo having been with Las Vegas last season

Daboll said Van Roten could play left guard, moving Jon Runyan Jr. to the right side next to Jermaine Eluemunor, another former Raider who is filling in for the injured Evan Neal at right tackle.

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Unsung Giants tight end named ‘most surprising’ performer of OTAs

New York Giants tight end Lawrence Cager was the team’s “most surprising” performer this spring and could be in line for a major role.

The New York Giants are currently enjoying their summer break following weeks of organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp.

While players are away, experts and analysts continue to break down what they’ve seen over the spring, and that includes Jordan Raanan of ESPN, who came away extremely impressed with tight end Lawrence Cager.

In fact, Raanan says, Cager was the “most surprising” performer of OTAs.

Tight end Darren Waller’s retirement opened opportunities for others. It looked this spring like Cager and fourth-round pick Theo Johnson will be asked to fill that pass-catching role. Both received some first-team reps and made plays in what primarily serves as a passing camp. Coach Brian Daboll even mentioned that Cager was “probably one of the most improved players throughout the offseason,” which could open the door for him to make a significant contribution this season.

Given Waller’s unsurprising retirement, the Giants will have to lean on their depth to fill the void. That includes Cager, who has long been viewed as a player with a high upside who simply hasn’t hit their stride yet.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Cager originally signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia in 2019. He also had a stint with the Cleveland Browns sandwiched in between his second stop with the Jets before joining the Giants in October of 2022.

The 26-year-old Cager has appeared in 21 career games (five starts), hauling in 19 receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns. However, those numbers are not at all indicative of his potential as a pass-catcher.

“He played receiver, he was a guy that I recruited when he was coming out of high school, too. So, I think he’s developing the skills he needs to play at the position,” head coach Brian Daboll said of Cager last year. “He’s an athletic young man but he’s going to need to do multiple things whether it’s in the kicking game, whether it’s be ready to go at tight end, but he’s had the right mindset.”

While many assume Daniel Bellinger will step in as TE1 in place of the departed Waller, don’t sleep on Cager, whose development is now catching up to his potential.

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Do Giants need to add more talent at the tight end position?

Assuming Darren Waller retires, do the New York Giants have enough impactful talent at the tight end position or do they need more?

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has been busy this offseason filling his team’s most glaring needs in preparation for the 2024 season.

But not all of the team’s needs have been addressed. There’s always work to be done.

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently listed each team’s biggest remaining roster holes now that the draft and the bulk of free agency are over. For the Giants, he sees their biggest hole at the tight end position.

This is another team with questions at running back even after adding free agent Devin Singletary, but we’ll go with tight end as the team’s largest hole. That assumes that Darren Waller will retire, which is up in the air. If Waller leaves, the Giants will go back to starting Daniel Bellinger, who caught just 30 passes as a rookie in 2022 and then 25 more last season. The G-Men spent a fourth-round pick on Theo Johnson out of Penn State to back up Bellinger and/or Waller. They also have veteran blocking tight end Chris Manhertz and former Eagles backup Jack Stoll. For a team coming off a 6-11 season, New York has a surprisingly hole-free starting lineup — as long as you don’t want to have a complicated debate about the quarterback position.

Schatz is not buying into the narrative that Johnson is going to contribute more than expected as a rookie. He also makes no mention of Lawrence Cager, a player who continues to find his way on the field for the Giants.

Darren Waller is almost certain to retire as he is still mulling his future as the team goes through their offseason training program. Daniel Bellinger has never been given a primary role as a receiver and it’s anyone’s guess how he’ll handle an expanded role in his third season.

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Giants re-sign Lawrence Cager

The New York Giants have re-signed tight end Lawrence Cager to a one-year deal.

The New York Giants continued to add veterans to their tight end room this week, retaining Lawrence Cager on a one-year deal worth $1.1 million.

Cager, 26, played in 11 games last season with four receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown.

Cager will have a lot of competition for the third tight end role behind Darren Waller (assuming he doesn’t retire) and Daniel Bellinger. The Giants are also bringing back Tyree Jackson and added two free agents — Jack Still and Chris Manhertz — to the roster this week.

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Giants place Lawrence Cager on IR, add Darrian Beavers to active roster

The New York Giants have placed Lawrence Cager on IR, added Darrian Beavers to the 53-man roster and elevated two from the practice squad.

The New York Giants have placed tight end Lawrence Cager on season-ending injured reserve (IR) with a groin issue. He had previously been listed as doubtful to play on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

Taking Cager’s place on the 53-man roster is second-year linebacker Darrian Beavers, who was signed from the team’s practice squad.

The Giants selected Beavers in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft but he suffered a torn ACL in the team’s second preseason game. He avoided starting this season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list but was waived as a part of final cuts and then added to the practice squad.

If Beavers sees any snaps over the next two games, they will be his first during the regular season in his career.

Additionally, the Giants have also elevated kicker Mason Crosby and wide receiver Dennis Houston from their practice squad.

For Crosby, this will be his second elevation. He made his Giants debut last week, connecting on a 52-yard field goal while also converting both of his point after attempts.

For Houston, it will be his first elevation.

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Giants’ Deonte Banks, Wan’Dale Robinson questionable vs. Rams

The New York Giants have listed one as doubtful and two as questionable against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17.

The New York Giants closed out their practice slate on Friday afternoon, wrapping up their third session (one being a walkthrough) in three days.

Once again, head coach Brian Daboll said that everyone would practice even though that has not been the case this week. This time, however, he was correct.

“Everybody will practice, then we’ll see where we’re at after practice,” he told reporters.

Considering how many injuries were listed this week, the Giants provided a relatively short final report.

Full injury reports for both the Giants and Rams can be found below: