Tag: Tyrone Tracy

Tyrone Tracy on his role with Giants: ‘I’m here to play football’

Tyrone Tracy isn’t worried about the business side of the NFL, noting that his role with the New York Giants is to simply play football.

The New York Giants entered the 2024 NFL draft seeking out players who could help them both build their roster and enhance their culture.

So when they selected Purdue’s soon-to-be 25-year-old everyman, running back/receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the fifth round, fans began to piece together the mindset.

“Some of these guys are older, too, relative to what people have been through the past few years, I would say, COVID and all those other things,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said after the draft.

“Some guys are a little bit older. He’s a former receiver. In terms of yards per carry, he’s been pretty good. He’s an athlete who has played receiver and then played running back and has some good production. We’ll throw him in the mix. Whether that’s in the kickoff return game or whether that’s at running back or the receiving part of it, we’ve got to do a good job of getting him in here and seeing where he’s at and then trying to fit him into the things that he can do well.”

Tracy was the first of the Giants’ six draft picks to sign his rookie deal, which was completed this week. He sloughed that off and revealed the real reason why he is here.

“I’m here to play football,” Tracy said. “I’m not really worried about the business side of it. If I do what I do on the football field, everything else will come.”

Tracy believes he could not have landed in a better place. The Giants are entering the post-Saquon Barkley era with a committee approach at running back. He feels he’s a good fit with his skill set.

“I think it’s a huge advantage,” he said regarding his versatility. “The league now is turning toward more of a passing league within the running back game. If you’re a running back in this NFL today, you have to be able to run the ball well and also catch the ball out of the backfield. So, it’s really good that I can do both and I have the receiver background.”

Tracy figures to help out on special teams, where he has extensive experience as a returner.

“It kind of added a little bit more value to me and really the rest of running backs because that’s something we can place in our bag and do on the field and add to our skillset,” Tracy said. “I was pretty happy, to say the least.”

All in all, the young man from Indianapolis is glad to be Giant.

“For me to actually be on an NFL team, be on a roster,” Tracy said, “it means more to me than people know.”

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Giants officially sign 8 undrafted rookies, waive Deon Jackson

The New York Giants have signed eight undrafted rookie free agents and waived/injured running back Deon Jackson.

The New York Giants open rookie minicamp with the first of two practices on Friday, which also means some roster tinkering is a must.

The team officially announced the signing of eight undrafted rookie free agents along with several other transactions.

Seven of the eight undrafted free agents signed to the 90-man roster are as follows:

  • WR Ayir Asante (Wyoming)
  • WR John Jiles (West Florida)
  • DB Alex Johnson (UCLA)
  • OT Marcellus Johnson (Missouri)
  • G Jake Kubas (North Dakota State)
  • DE Ovie Oghoufo (LSU)
  • DL Casey Rogers (Oregon)

The Giants also announced the signing of international kicker Jude McAtamney (Rutgers), who was given a roster exemption.

Other roster moves include the signing of fifth-round running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who had agreed to terms on his rookie deal on Thursday.

Finally, running back Deon Jackson was waived/injured. He will revert to injured reserve (IR) in 24 hours.

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Giants sign fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy Jr.

The New York Giants have signed fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. to his rookie contract.

The New York Giants signed the first member of their 2024 draft class on Thursday, coming to terms with running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. on the eve of the team’s rookie minicamp.

Tracy, a running back who began his college career as a wide receiver, was selected out of Purdue in the fifth round (No. 166 overall) in this year’s NFL draft.

Several experts have identified Tracy as a Day 3 draft steal for the Giants.

The terms of Tracy’s standard four-year rookie deal were not disclosed and he is now under contract through the 2027 season.

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2024 NFL draft: Giants’ class ranked fourth-most impactful

CBS Sports ranks the New York Giants’ class from the 2024 NFL draft as a the fourth-most impactful in the league.

The New York Giants’ 2024 draft class has already received praise on an individual level. Each player added was considered a solid decision, with Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy specifically receiving the most praise because of their expected impact.

But what about the whole of the Giants’ draft class? How impactful will they all be? CBS Sports ranked the impact of each team’s draft class, and the Giants landed with the fourth most impactful.

Impactful rookies: WR Malik Nabers, S Tyler Nubin, CB Andru Phillips, RB Tyrone Tracy, LB Darius Muasau

All five of these first-year pros will likely be leaned upon in 2024 and have the athleticism to thrive in their specific roles. Nabers was my WR1 in this class. After he learns the full route tree, look out. He’ll be able to do it all at receiver. Nubin’s average-at-best workout scares me a bit, but his film as a ball-hawking free safety can’t simply be ignored. Phillips has elite explosiveness traits at cornerback — and can play inside if needed. Tracy has free-wheeling cutting skills and, as a former receiver, will be part of what the Giants want to do out of the backfield in the pass game.

Muasau gave me Matt Milano vibes on film regarding his instincts and hair-on-fire style. There’s some upside as a coverage type too because of how fluidly he flips his hips.

It’s no secret that Nabers and Tracy will be utilized early and often, even with Tracy’s need for further development at running back. Devin Singleterry is going to need help and Tracy has already proven to have the football IQ to have an impact in Year 1.

The Giants’ 2024 draft class was pretty spot on with what the team needed to add. Hopefully, all of this potential we’re seeing, the anticipated impact of these players, and what they bring to the table, will translate into actual results on the field.

The three teams ranked above the Giants are the Washington Commanders (1), Arizona Cardinals (2), and Green Bay Packers (3).

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The hype train continues for Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy has been named a rookie who could make an instant impact.

The New York Giants made six selections in the 2024 NFL draft. Some of the choices were obvious and filled immediate needs and others were based on value and guilty pleasures.

One pick — fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr., a wide receiver turned running back from Purdue by way of Iowa — is being called a sleeper pick by some experts.

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team has also identified Tracy as a rookie who can make an instant impact.

Tracy started his career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, appearing in 38 games as a wide receiver. But after modest production, he transferred to Purdue and started five games at receiver (2022). Ahead of the 2023 season, Tracy transitioned to running back, which likely saved his career. In his first year playing the position, Tracy led the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.3) and scored eight rushing touchdowns.

While Tracy isn’t ready to be a full-time running back (146 career carries in college), he is an incredible athlete who is a threat to score on any play. He posted a 9.78 RAS score, which ranks 42nd all-time (out of 1,903 running backs) after posting a 40-inch vertical jump at 209 pounds.

Tracy will be in a mix with veteran Devin Singletary and second-year back Eric Gray in a committee that will try to help Giant fans move on from Saquon Barkley.

“Now, he’s not going to fill Saquon’s shoes for that offense, but Tracy is an ultra-smooth runner with good vision,” writes Frank Cooney of NFL Draft Scout. “He’s going to surprise and impress the more touches he gets and can be a nice piece for this offense.”

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Tyrone Tracy named Giants’ best sleeper pick in 2024 NFL draft

The versatile Tyrone Tracy has been tabbed as the New York Giants’ best sleeper pick in the 2024 NFL draft by Touchdown Wire.

The New York Giants made six selections in the 2024 NFL draft, starting with LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers in Round 1.

Nabers figures to follow in the footsteps of the the other great wideouts to come out of Baton Rouge in recent years such as Odell Beckham Jr., Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson.

But the Giants may have stumbled on another productive player in their fifth-round selection, Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., whom TouchdownWire’s Doug Farrar calls the sleeper of this Giants’ draft class.

With Saquon Barkley out of the picture, the Giants had a pre-draft running back rotation of Devin Singletary, 2023 fifth-round pick Eric Gray, and a bunch of “meh” after that. Which means that anyone coming in from the draft would have an opportunity beyond the preseason.

Enter Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who at 5′ 11⅛” and 209 pounds, totaled 714 yards, eight touchdowns, 46 forced missed tackles, 14 carries of 15 or more yards, and 36 first downs on just 114 carries. That put Tracy with a yards per carry average of 6.3 — another arbiter of his big-play potential and ability to run with power. Tracy can also catch the ball. In fact, before he was a running back at Purdue, he was a receiver at Iowa, and he actually made big plays in that garbage fire of an offense. Not bad for a guy who was there with the 166th overall pick in the fifth round.

Tracy will have an opportunity to play several roles for the Giants on offense and special teams. The biggest plus, however, is his versatility as a receiver, which hasn’t gotten past head coach Brian Daboll.

“He’s a former receiver. In terms of yards per carry, he’s been pretty good,” Daboll said. “He’s an athlete who has played receiver and then played running back and has some good production. We’ll throw him in the mix. Whether that’s in the kickoff return game or whether that’s at running back or the receiving part of it, we’ve got to do a good job of getting him in here and seeing where he’s at and then trying to fit him into the things that he can do well.”

In the post-Saquon Barley age, the Giants could use some immediate answers in their backfield. It looks like they may have found one.

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Giants rookie Tyrone Tracy named one of 2024 NFL draft’s best picks

The New York Giants’ selection of RB Tyrone Tracy in the 2024 NFL draft has been ranked as one of the draft’s best picks.

In the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft, the New York Giants selected Tyrone Tracy with the 166th overall pick. He first played four years as a wide receiver with the Iowa Hawkeyes before transitioning to running back when he transferred to Purdue University.

Athletic and versatile, Tracy could be the weapon the Giants need in 2024.

ESPN’s Field Yates seems to agree. He recently ranked his top five picks in each round of the draft, and Tracy made the cut for the fifth round. Yates said he considered not just where the players were drafted, but what they bring to the team, their overall value, and how they will fit with their new team, among other things.

Tracy is a fun player to study, as he was a wide receiver for four seasons at Iowa before transferring to Purdue and playing two years as a running back. That versatility could easily lead to early opportunities for the Giants, especially given the team’s thin backfield behind new starter Devin Singletary. Tracy ran for eight TDs last season.

Prior to running for eight touchdowns with Purdue, he recorded just two rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns over five seasons. The transition from receiver to running back wasn’t just a good decision for Purdue, it was a good decision for Tracy’s career.

After playing for two Division I schools, dealing with the transfer portal, and changing positions, Tracy is more than ready to transition to the NFL.

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Giants’ Brian Daboll thrilled to add ‘generators’ on offense

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll feels some relief after the team added several “generators” to their offense during the 2024 NFL draft.

The New York Giants were one of the NFL’s worst offenses in 2023, averaging just 15.6 points per game (30th) and finishing 29th in yards per game (280.0).

Injuries to the quarterbacks and offensive line were major factors in the team’s poor offensive output but it was also clear they just did not have enough playmakers. Head coach Brian Daboll calls them “generators.”

The Giants used their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft on one of this year’s top playmakers, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.

“Generators,” Daboll told reporters on Saturday. “People that can do stuff with the ball in their hands.

“Whether that’s take a jet sweep and go 30 yards or whether that’s running a double move and catch it 50 yards down the field to help you score points. You know, just to go back to Malik, I feel that he is that.”

Daboll was quick to pump the brakes on the high expectations for Nabers by saying he’s got “a lot of work to do” before he can become a factor.

“There’s a big playbook to learn. You’ve got to try to slow it down for these young players when they get in,” he said. “But anyone that can touch the ball — and linemen can be generators, too, in a different way, by keeping the pocket clean, by getting movement at the line of scrimmage.

“So I wouldn’t say that it’s necessarily — you’ve got to wait to see what you have and then try to move pieces around and see where — Theo, where he fits it in, where Malik fits in, there are different positions to play. There’s five eligible players on every play and you try to use those guys the best you can. But they have to come in here and prove it and earn the right to play.”

The Giants also selected interesting players in the fourth and fifth rounds who they hope will become generators as well — tight end Theo Johnson and running back Tyrone Tracy.

Tracy is a player the Giants hope will help them generate some big plays on kickoff returns now that the rules have changed.

“He’s an athlete who has played receiver and then played running back and has some good production,” said Daboll. “We’ll throw him in the mix. Whether that’s in the kickoff return game or whether that’s at running back or the receiving part of it, we’ve got to do a good job of getting him in here and seeing where he’s at and then trying to fit him into the things that he can do well.”

One thing is for certain — the Giants added plenty of speed and athleticism to the offensive side of the ball over the previous three days.

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2024 NFL draft: Giants select RB Tyrone Tracy in Round 5

With the No. 166 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy.

With the 166th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft, the New York Giants have selected Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Tracy has significant experience having played six seasons in college, appearing in 61 games. He amassed 947 yards on 146 carries (6.5 ypc) and scored 10 rushing touchdowns.

Tracy added 113 receptions for 1,201 yards and five touchdowns through the air while also returning kicks and punts.

Although the 24-year-old’s numbers seem pedestrian given his experience, he didn’t really burst onto the scene until 2023 with the Boilermakers when he was converted from wide receiver to running back.

As a sixth-year senior, Tracy gained 848 yards from scrimmage and scored eight touchdowns, adding 411 return yards (408 as a kick returner) with one additional touchdown.

Tracy is another top-tier athlete, having earned a relative athletic score (RAS) of 9.78, which is 42nd-best among all running backs since 1987.

Although Tracy is still learning to play running back, his versatility makes him a valuable, interchangeable piece for Mike Kafka’s offense. He’ll be used in a multitude of ways and not pigeonholed to a single role.

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‘Now, it’s like our time’: Keagan Johnson embracing opportunity of added reps, production in 2022

Sophomore Iowa wide receiver Keagan Johnson is embracing the opportunity to see added reps and increase his production heading into 2022.

The training wheels are officially off for sophomore Iowa wide receiver Keagan Johnson. That’s if they were ever even on in the first place.

In 2021, Johnson finished as the Hawkeyes’ second-leading receiver with 352 receiving yards on 18 receptions. His 19.6 yards per catch average was tops among all Iowa players with more than one grab last season.

The Bellevue West product’s week four start against Colorado State represented the first time a true freshman wide receiver had started a game for the Hawkeyes since Ihmir Smith-Marsette did so in 2017. Johnson and Arland Bruce IV combined to become the first pair of true freshmen in the Kirk Ferentz era to start the same game in week 11 against Illinois.

Now, after one season of nine starts under his belt, Johnson enters the 2022 season with the expectations of being one of Iowa’s primary pass catchers and helping improve a passing offense that finished ranked just 109th nationally.

“Yeah, in the spring, I wasn’t out there, but, just observing and, you know, we have a few new guys, and then we have a few new guys helping coach. I feel like we’re trying to make those changes so we can be a more efficient, effective passing offense this year. I think we’re trying to change a few things up and I’m excited to see how we look this year. I’m confident that we can be better than we were last year,” Johnson told Hawk Central‘s Chad Leistikow.

After sitting out and rehabbing throughout the spring, the 6-foot-1 wide receiver feels like he’s back fully healthy and he’s actually put on some weight, too.

“I didn’t really want to push it and, you know, risk anything that far out. Really just rehabbing through the spring and I’ve been participating in everything this summer. I’m back 100 percent with the team and I should be ready to go.

“I feel like I’m more explosive right now. I put on six more pounds, so just got a bit stronger. Obviously, what you’re trying to do every offseason, you know, come back in better shape than you were the year prior. I’m confident where my body is at, and I’m just looking forward to another fun year,” Johnson said.

Charlie Jones and Tyrone Tracy Jr. both left this offseason to Purdue. Johnson wasn’t concerned about what that means for he and the Hawkeyes’ collective strength at wide receiver.

“Yeah, receiving room is definitely slimmer. We lost a few, but I feel like we have enough to produce more than what we did last year. Honestly, I’m not too worried, because I’m confident in the guys that we have in our room and I think we all have really good camaraderie. We’re just looking forward to having a good camp, so we can enter the season confident, ready to go,” Johnson said.

In fact, after the initial shock of one of his former roommates leaving wore off, it’s fair to say that Johnson is fully prepared for the challenge of replacing that lost production.

“Yeah, at first, we’re like—he lived with me and Arland—so, we’re like, ‘Ah, it sucks. I feel like we lost a brother and just a great guy.’ When you have to move on with it, it’s just, all of us have bigger roles, bigger duties. Charlie brought a lot to this team in a lot of different aspects of special teams and offense. I think right now we just have to fill those roles. Me and Arland being younger guys, we didn’t know how big our role was going to be coming in last year. Now, it’s like our time, and I think we’re both just looking forward to stepping up and fulfilling that challenge,” Johnson said with HawkeyeReport‘s Tom Kakert.

Of course, everyone wants to know how the quarterback situation is looking. While the real heart of the quarterback battle is just taking shape, Johnson likes the approach he’s seen from all of the Hawkeyes’ quarterbacks.

“Right now, we’re doing, we call it skills and drills. I haven’t been out there for them, so I’ve been able to just watch and I feel like all the quarterbacks are progressing pretty good. Obviously, it’s like a competition, so I think every guy out there is trying to give it their all, especially on each rep.

“Yeah, but we haven’t really entered camp yet, so like as far as a quarterback race and who’s going to play, who’s going to be out there week one, I really couldn’t tell you because there’s still a lot in the air and there’s a lot of days ahead before we play that first game. I think right now all the quarterbacks have the right mindset, though, and I think at the end of the day we all just want to see a better result on the field than we saw last year with just the whole offense in general. We just want to produce better and be more efficient,” Johnson said.

Kakert also asked if Johnson might help out in the kickoff return department. It’s something Johnson hasn’t campaigned for yet, but an opportunity he would happily embrace.

“We have a lot of guys on this team who I think could be good at punt return or kick return. If that’s a role that he asks me to fill, then I’m all for it,” Johnson said.

Whether or not kickoff returns are in his future, fans are anxiously awaiting the sophomore encores from both Johnson and Bruce IV.

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