Tag: New York Giants

Giants legend Lawrence Taylor extends his support to Colin Kaepernick

New York Giants legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Lawrence Taylor, wants Colin Kaepernick to know he’s on his side.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick will hold a Pro Day-style workout in front of at least 24 NFL teams on Saturday in Atlanta as he looks to get his career back on track after three years away from the game.

Kaepernick, who opted out of his contract following the 2016 season and has turned down opportunities with multiple teams since, recently settled a lawsuit with the NFL after alleging that he had been blackballed from the league over his decision to kneel during the national anthem due to what he perceived to be injustices across the country.

The decision to kneel sparked a national outcry and forced NFL owners to address the situation, very nearly leading the league to make a broad policy — something that did not happen in the end.

Saturday’s workout will be the first time Kaepernick has the attention of NFL scouts in years, and he’s seeing a wave of support from across the league, including a shout-out from one of the greatest players to ever put on a uniform — New York Giants legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Lawrence Taylor.

Taylor, who is no stranger to controversy himself, has not addressed the Kaepernick situation publicly, but clearly stands with the polarizing figure ahead of the biggest day of his career.

The Giants will be among the team’s in attendance to watch Kaepernick’s workout, although it’s unlikely they seriously consider signing him this season or next.

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Giants’ Darius Slayton already a breakout star, but can he shine brighter?

New York Giants rookie WR Darius Slayton should already be considered a breakout star, but his ascension is only just beginning.

After a poor start to his career, which was highlighted by one of the worst rookie minicamps in ages, New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton has slowly established himself as a trust-worthy target and legitimate deep threat thanks to a solid rapport between himself and fellow rookie, quarterback Daniel Jones.

In his eight games this season, Slayton has hauled in 27 receptions for 394 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns. And he’s now coming off of a career-best performance against the New York Jets in which he hauled in 10 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

But could Slayton’s star shine even brighter over the final seven weeks of the season? Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report certainly thinks so.

New York Giants: WR Darius Slayton

Take one guess as to who leads the New York Giants in receiving touchdowns.

Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram would be logical choices, but they’re all incorrect. Instead, rookie fifth-round wideout Darius Slayton leads Big Blue with five touchdown catches.

Against the Jets in Week 10, Slayton had his best showing, hauling in 10 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns. With Shepard still sidelined because of a concussion and Engram “day-to-day, week-to-week” with a mid-foot sprain, Slayton could build on that strong outing after the Giants’ Week 11 bye.

In the final quarter of the season, the Giants will play the Dolphins, Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles (twice). Each of those teams have allowed 15 or more receiving touchdowns, which ranks 17th or worse.

Until Shepard and/or Engram return, Slayton should see more targets from rookie quarterback Daniel Jones as they continue to develop a rapport. With porous pass defenses on the schedule at the end of the year, he has a chance to rank near the top of receiving categories among rookie wide receivers.

Even when Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram return, Slayton should continue to see a significant number of targets and downfield opportunities. It’s clear he’s not flash in the pan and could very well become the next in a long line of quality receivers churned out by the Giants.

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Should Giants be concerned about Saquon Barkley’s lacking production?

New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley is both hurting and struggling, but just how concerned should Big Blue be?

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley opened the season with two monstrous performances that reminded us of his 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, but since then, it’s been an entirely different story.

Barkley went down with a high ankle sprain in a Week 3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, returning a month later against the Arizona Cardinals. Since then, it’s been all downhill.

In Week 10 against the New York Jets, Barkley’s season (and young career) hit a low point with a one-yard performance in a crushingly embarrassing loss, which came on the heels of a 28-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

Barkley has not only struggled on the ground, he’s been a near non-factor in the passing game and a serious liability in pass protection.

So, just how worried should the Giants be at this point? According to The Ringer, they should be pretty concerned.

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Saquon had 13 carries for 1 yard against the Jets last week. As Peter King noted, Saquon earned 2.8 inches per rush. It’s the least yardage by a non-quarterback with 10 or more carries since Reggie Bush in 2006 (another running back drafted second).

Barkley has been struggling since he returned from the sprained ankle he suffered against Tampa Bay in Week 3. Worsening Barkley’s situation is the Giants’ blocking. They are in the bottom quarter of teams in run blocking, according to Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards, and their ranking could drop with left tackle Nate Solder in concussion protocol. A reporter asked Barkley this week about sitting out the rest of the season to preserve himself, and Barkley was dumbfounded.

”The mind-set of sitting me out and resting me for the rest of the season is beyond me,” Barkley said. “I do not agree with it. It won’t happen. I’m going to keep going until I can’t go no more. That’s the player I am and I’m going to do it for my teammates.”

Any time sitting out for the season is broached, things are not going well.

Concern Index: 6/10

It’s admirable that Barkley wants to continue battling with his teammates on gameday, but it’s clear to anyone watching he’s not even close to 100% and it’s genuinely impacting his play.

Beyond that, Barkley is risking further injury and a shortened career by continuing to play hurt, all while putting other players (namely, rookie quarterback Daniel Jones) in jeopardy.

For all of those reasons, yes, the Giants should be very much concerned about their sophomore running back.

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Giants’ Pat Shurmur predictably named a coach who could be gone in 2020

New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur has been named a coach who would be fired by 2020.

Is New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur on the hot seat? As justifiable as that position would be, by all accounts, the team has no plans to terminate him in 2019 or at any point during the upcoming offseason.

Still, Shurmur’s Giants have vastly under-performed, even when taking into account the team’s roster turnover and league-leading rookie usage, which is highlighted by quarterback Daniel Jones.

As such, Shurmur is a popular name when it comes to discussing which head coaches could get the boot by 2020. In fact, Bleacher Report has him right near the top of their list of coaches who could be sent packing.

The wheels fell off for New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur, rolled into a ditch and exploded.

In fact, that might not be a strong enough description of how things have gone for the 2-8 Giants.

Shurmur’s team has now lost six games in a row. To make matters even worse, those two wins came against downtrodden Washington and Tampa Bay teams.

The Giants don’t do much of anything well. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has thrown 15 touchdowns but has been sacked 32 times. Star running back Saquon Barkley just rushed for a single yard on 13 attempts against the Jets on Sunday. The defense gives up 28.9 points per game, the third-worst mark in the league.

While the Giants front office can’t escape blame for its questionable roster construction, this isn’t what anyone envisioned when Shurmur arrived in January 2018 to help turn around a three-win team. At this rate, the Giants will be lucky to match their 5-11 record from last season.

Giants ownership is very clearly frustrated with yet another losing season, which could be seen on John Mara’s face as he stormed out of MetLife Stadium following a humiliating loss to the New York Jets last season.

Still, the Giants’ locker room is less chaotic than it has been in the recent past and it’s clear players are not quitting on their coach. As a result, Mara and Steve Tisch may be (and appear to be) willing to give Shurmur a longer, but limited leash than they had given Ben McAdoo previously.

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Bye week blues: What can Giants fans look forward to following the break?

What can New York Giants fans expect to see over the final seven weeks of the regular season and into the offseason?

The New York Giants have racked up a 2-8 record after 10 games, which is one game worse than they were at this time last season. With six games remaining, is there anything left for Giant fans to look forward to?

The answer is… not really. There will be some talk about draft position (they are currently third overall) and their schedule is not really a friendly one, so as November morphs into December, Giant fans will likely be tuning out as another losing season comes and goes.

Here is a quick snapshot of where the Giants are at right now and some other thoughts that I know many of you are thinking.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The last six games

The Giants open up the final leg of the season in Chicago against the disappointing Bears, but that means nothing. The strength or weakness of their opponents matters not to a team that is poorly prepared, poorly coached and lacks discipline and direction. The Giants must learn not to beat themselves first before concentrating on beating another NFL team.

They have little to no shot to win either game against the surging Eagles — a team they’ve only beaten once since 2014 — and if they manage to win the game against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers there should be an investigation.

The only two games they could win are the ones against Washington (who they beat already) and Miami, a team who is said to be tanking but has been competitive in doing so.

That equals 4-12, folks. That’s a record that gets people fired in this league.

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Giants’ Daniel Jones files trademark for ‘Danny Dimes’

New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones has filed a trademark for the nickname “Danny Dimes.”

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is taking a page out of Tom Brady’s book and getting ahead of what might be a cash cow for him.

Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer and founder of the Gerben Law Firm, said Jones has filed a trademark for “Danny Dimes” via a Delaware LLC for which he’s the listed owner. The company has the home address of his parents.

Jones’ agents at CAA have confirmed the trademark filing.

The nickname “Danny Dimes” was given to Jones just prior to his first career game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he went 23-of-36 for 336 yards and two touchdowns (rushing for two more scores) in a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

“Yeah, I’ve heard it a little bit more recently,” Jones told ESPN a day after his NFL debut. “I don’t know. It’s all right, I guess. There could be worse nicknames.”

Two other trademark applications have reportedly been filed by individuals unassociated with Jones or the Giants. They were filed on Sept. 17, before Jones had even started a game, reports ESPN.

One of them, John Messina of Pennsylvania, is believed to be the originator of the “Danny Dimes” nickname, but expects his trademark request to be denied, adding that he’d give it to Jones even had it been approved.

“I stuck with it. It seemed to roll off the tongue. It’s a good one,” Messina said in late September. “It’s funny that it stuck. It’s pretty cool [to be the originator]. It’s definitely giving me some pride. It’s pretty inconsequential, but I’m glad Daniel likes it. It’s good fun for everybody.”

The Giants have also adopted the nickname many didn’t believe would stick, so “Danny Dimes” it is.

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Current, former Giants react to Myles Garrett meltdown

Current and former members of the New York Giants reacted to Myles Garrett hitting Mason Rudolph in the head with a helmet.

Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett went off the rails during a Thursday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, ripping the helmet off of quarterback Mason Rudolph before proceeding to strike him in the head with it.

The incident sparked field-wide chaos including several isolated fights, leading to multiple ejections and what will amount to some serious suspensions and fines.

After the games, Garrett faced the media and took responsibility for his action. Former New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. joined him in shouldering the blame on behalf of the Browns, saying that incidents like that have no place in football.

“It’s not what direction we’re headed in as an organization,” Beckham said, via Browns Wire. “It just was not where we’ve been going. And it does feel like we lost the game.”

Several other current and former members of the Giants reacted during and after the event as well.

Just a crazy scene — one unlike the NFL has ever seen before.

Report: Giants’ Eli Manning not interested in ‘ceremonial nonsense’

New York Giants QB Eli Manning will reportedly refuse to appear in a ceremonial on-field goodbye.

The New York Giants have three home games remaining on their 2019 regular season schedule, which means there are just three more opportunities to put veteran Eli Manning in front of the home town crowd for a well-deserved goodbye.

However, that is not going to happen and it has nothing to do with any decisions the Giants have or have not made.

Par for the course with Eli, he has no interest in taking part in a ceremonial game and will refuse to play unless a scenario for his return is created naturally, reports the New York Post.

“Eli’s not into playing that game,” one insider says. “He’s into playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”

Manning, the insider said, would view a last-start spectacle as “ceremonial nonsense” and that he has given “zero thought to that” and “he would not want any part of that.” Remember in 2017, Manning stiff-armed the plan to have him start to keep his streak alive, sensing disingenuity.

Ultimately, Manning’s swan song will remain a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills on September 15, 2019. After that, the Giants panicked and sold Eli up the river, yanking the rug out from under him and resigning him to the bench, where he’s remained since silently.

The Giants will likely have a nice video tribute set up for Manning in the MetLife finale, but other than that, we’ve already seen the most unceremonious and unfortunate end for a future Hall of Famer of all-time.

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49ers sign former Giants DE Damontre Moore

The San Francisco 49ers have signed former New York Giants third-round pick Damontre Moore.

The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed former New York Giants defensive end Damontre Moore. The Giants originally selected Moore in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Moore was last seen playing for San Diego Fleet in the Alliance of American Football in an effort to revive his career. The league of course ceased operations without making it through a full season.

Moore obviously caught the eye of the 49ers, who just signed him for the third time since April. After being signed on April 5, Moore was waived on May 16. He was signed again on July 24 before being waived again on August 24. The injury to Ronald Blair opened up the spot for the 49ers to sign Moore again on Tuesday.

Moore, of course, started his career with the Giants in 2013 and played for them for nearly three seasons before being cut on December 15 due to violating team rules after an apparent altercation with fellow defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins.

Since then, Moore had brief stints with the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys prior to playing in the AAF.

On top of the conduct issues with the Giants, Moore has also faced suspension due to violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy during his time with Dallas. The 49ers have had Moore on and off their roster twice in the calendar year, so they are likely familiar with the 27-year-old defensive end.

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Giants’ Nick Gates hoping to build on strong debut

New York Giants OL Nick Gates is hoping to build on his strong debut and believes he could help the team going forward.

One start into his career, New York Giants offensive lineman Nick Gates is being talked about as a future piece on the line as one of general manager Dave Gettleman’s “hog mollies.”

Gates started last Sunday’s game against the New York Jets at right tackle in place of the injured Mike Remmers (back) and played well for the most part. He is what is known as a swing lineman, which means he works out at more than one position which adds to his value.

In training camp, Gates played both tackle and guard and last week, with Jon Halapio out, he was taking some reps at center just in case the Giants needed him in a pinch.

Unlike Eric Smith, who entered the game in the first half to spell left tackle Nate Solder, who was knocked from the game with a concussion, Gates had the benefit of a full training camp. In fact, Gates has been in the building for two years and does not consider himself a rookie.

“Listen, he’s a tough, competitive guy,” head coach Pat Shurmur said of Gates. “We were looking forward to seeing him play because we feel like he has a chance to be a good player. He battled. One thing about Nick Gates, he’s tough, he’s competitive and he tries to do things the right way. He had a lot of really good plays out there.”

The Giants signed Gates as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska after the 2018 NFL Draft. He did not make the 53-man roster out of camp. He was placed on injured reserve and missed the season. This year, he impressed to the point where the Giants could not ignore him and made the 53-man roster.

“I think just communicating and being on the same page is big,” said quarterback Daniel Jones on how things will work with Gates and Smith at tackle. “I thought those guys stepped up and played well on Sunday for us. We have a lot of confidence in them. Just to communicate and be on the same page going into the game, I think we’ll feel confident with whoever is out there.”

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