Tag: Willie Henry

4 ex-Giants selected in the 2024 UFL super draft

The newly-created UFL held their 2024 super draft on Monday and four former members of the New York Giants were among those selected.

Following the merger of five XFL teams and three USFL teams to form the United Football League (UFL), a dispersal draft was held in early January.

During Phase 1 and Phase 2, players from the remaining teams who were not a part of the official merger were pooled together and an allocation process began.

All remaining USFL and XFL players, as well as free agents who recently signed with the league, were made available again on Monday as part of the first-ever UFL super draft.

Phase 3 saw four former members of the New York Giants selected.

Multiple former Ravens win USFL championship with Birmingham Stallions

Multiple former Ravens players won the USFL championship with the Birmingham Stallions

The players that the Baltimore Ravens have brought in over the course of their organizational history. Some have turned into franchise cornerstones, other have had solid careers and some have moved onto other things shortly after their NFL journeys began.

For three former Baltimore players, they were able to secure a championship in the inaugural season of The United States Football League. Playing for the Birmingham Stallions, defensive tackle Willie Henry, defensive end Aaron Adeoye and wide receiver Michael Dereus were on the winning side, securing the first championship in the league’s history.

Henry was a fourth-round pick of Baltimore during the 2016 NFL draft, and played for the Ravens for two seasons. He totaled 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks during his time with the organization.

Adeoye spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons on Baltimore’s practice squad, while Dereus spent parts of the 2020 and 2021 off-seasons with the Ravens.

Adeoye was the third pick in the second round of the 2022 USFL draft for Birmingham, while Henry and Dereus signed with the Stallions in April.

Report: Giants will sign LB Omari Cobb to practice squad

The New York Giants have terminated the contracts of three practice squad players and are expected to sign LB Omari Cobb to the unit.

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The New York Giants are once again making several changes to their practice squad and it will begin with the signing of linebacker Omari Cobb.

Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News was the first to report that pending transaction.

The 24-year-old Cobb signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out or Marshall in 2020. He spent most of the past two seasons on their practice squad but did appear in one game last season, recording one tackle on 10 defensive snaps (also took one special teams snap).

The Chiefs released Cobb earlier this month.

With the upcoming addition of the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Cobb, the Giants had to make some additional moves.

Per the NFL’s transaction wire, New York also terminated the contracts of wide receiver Matt Cole, defensive tackle Willie Henry and offensive lineman Foster Sarell.

The Giants now have two open spots remaining on the practice squad.

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NY Giants waive one former Wolverine, trade for another

Former Michigan/Baltimore Ravens players are on the move today, apparently.

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The one thing we know is that Jabrill Peppers isn’t going anywhere. But the same can’t be said for others with the New York Giants.

While it had appeared former Michigan defensive tackle Willie Henry had found a new home, having been a casualty more than a year ago of the Baltimore Ravens, it turns out it wasn’t for long. Henry gained an audition this summer with the Giants, but when the organization whittled its roster to 53 on Tuesday, the former three-star-turned-NFL lineman found himself on the chopping block. Henry was waived, but he could end up on the practice squad.

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One former Raven may be (temporarily) gone, but the another is apparently en route to East Rutherford, New Jersey.

According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, second-year offensive guard Ben Bredeson is leaving John Harbaugh’s squad and will join his former teammate, Peppers, with the signature NFC East franchise.

Unlike Henry, Bredeson hasn’t had much playing time. A reserve, he figures to still be in development. He was a fourth-round NFL draft pick by the Ravens in 2020.

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Giants dropped by Patriots, 22-20: Instant analysis

Instant analysis of the New York Giants’ 22-20 Week 3 preseason loss to the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium.

The New York Giants hosted the New England Patriots in their third and final  preseason game Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.

In what was supposed to be the ‘dress rehearsal’ for the regular season, meaning many of the starters would be taking the field for the at least the first  half, the Giants could not fulfill that want.

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The offensive line was missing two potential starters in right tackle Matt Peart (did not start) and left guard Shane Lemieux (injured), replaced by veterans Nate Solder and Ted Larsen respectively.

Also missing from the starting lineup were running back Saquon Barkley, wide receiver Kenny Golladay and tight end Kyle Rudolph. In their place, the Giants started Devontae Booker at running back, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton at wide receiver and Evan Engram at tight end.

The Giants went three-and-out in their first possession with quarterback Daniel Jones getting sacked by linebacker Josh Uche, who beat left tackle Andrew Thomas.

On defense, rookie Rodarius Williams started in place of the injured Adoree’ Jackson (ankle) and Darnay Holmes started at slot corner. The defense held on third down in their own territory on the Pats’ first drive, holding them to a 41-yard field goal.

Inside linebacker Blake Martinez stripped Pats’ wideout Jacoby Meyers for an interception on the ensuing series. Jones then drove the Giants 45 yards on eight plays down to the New England one. He then threw the ball behind Engram in the end zone which was picked off by D’Angelo Ross.

After another field goal from the Patriots and a trade of punts, Jones led the Giants on a nine-play, 58-yard drive culminating in a pretty 23-yard touchdown strike to tight end Kaden Smith right before the half to give Big Blue a 7-6 lead at the half.

The second half gave way to mostly backups and New England rookie quarterback Mac Jones led the Patriots on two touchdown drives to give the Pats a 19-7 lead. The Giants struck back early in the fourth quarter to narrow the score to 19-14 when quarterback Mike Glennon hit wideout Alex Bachman on a slant for 12-yard touchdown.

After Pats backup kicker Quinn Norden missed a 54-yard field goal, Glennon hit wide receiver Damion Willis on a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown cutover threw Dante Pettis on the two-point conversion.

The final was Patriots 22, Giants 20.

Notes

  • Engram left the game with a calf injury and didn’t return. Slayton went out with a foot/ankle issue. C.J. Board had his elbow checked out by trainers but returned. Backup offensive lineman Ted Larsen walked off the field late in the game with a knee injury.
  • Jones played the entire first half, completing 17 of 22 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a QB rating of 88.3. He looked unsettled at times but to his credit, he was under pressure more often than not.
  • Thomas had a rough night, giving up multiple pressures and a sack and was also flagged for a hold. Peart was equally inept, getting beat by the Pats’ edge rushers seemly at will.
  • Shepard continued to look sharp, caching five of six targets for 42 yards.
  • Graham Gano uncharacteristically missed a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter.
  • Dexter Lawrence. Lorenzo Carter, Trent Harris and Willy Henry were all credited with at least a half a sack.
  • The Giants finished the preseason with an 0-3 record.
  • The Giants will be making 27 roster decisions by 4:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, which is the NFL deadline for teams to get their rosters down to 53 players.

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Brett Heggie, Quincy Wilson were highest-graded Giants vs. Browns

New York Giants OL Brett Heggie and DB Quincy Wilson earned the team’s highest Pro Football Focus grades in Week 2 of the preseason.

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The New York Giants rested the majority of their starters on Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Browns, giving way to reserves and back-end of the depth guys.

The result was a mixed bag — as it usually is — but there were more positives than negatives this week. Several players showed up in big ways and displayed impressively unique versatility.

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Pro Football Focus didn’t necessarily see it that way, however.

PFF gave wide receiver Matt Cole, who got thrust into action at cornerback, a grade of just 54.9 on offense and 47.5 on defense despite not allowing a reception (two targets) and making one stop to force a field goal.

Cole did fare better on special teams, earning the team’s second-highest unit grade at 76.2. Unsurprisingly, linebacker Cam Brown topped that list (82.3).

Offensively, backup center Brett Heggie led the way with a grade of 82.8. He was followed by running back Devontae Booker (77.1) and fullback Eli Penny (75.6).

Other noteworthy offensive grades include offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison (70.7), wide receiver David Sills (68.6) and tight end Kaden Smith (67.2).

On the defensive side of the ball, safety Quincy Wilson led the way with a grade of 81.7. Just behind him were linebacker Oshane Ximines (80.2) and safety Julian Love (73.1).

Rookie cornerback Rodarius Williams also took a step in the right direction with a 64.4.

The lowest-graded players on the Giants were defensive lineman Willie Henry (27.1), linebacker Trent Harris (35.3) and linebacker Cam Brown (37.3). Wide receiver Alex Bachman earned the team’s lowest offensive grade at 43.8.

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Giants sign DT Willie Henry, waive LB Cale Garrett

The New York Giants have signed DT Willie Henry, a former fourth-round pick, and waived LB Cale Garrett.

The New York Giants continued their roster shuffling on Wednesday night with a series of transactions.

They kicked things off with the addition of defensive tackle Elijah Qualls and the release of both defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh and wide receiver Derrick Dillon (injury settlement), but that was just the start.

Shortly after making those announcements, the Giants also announced that they had signed defensive tackle Willie Henry and waived linebacker Cale Garrett.

Henry, 27, was a fourth-round pick of the Ravens in the 2016 NFL draft. After three seasons in Baltimore, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 after missing the 2019 season. He was released in December of that year and promptly signed to the Houston Texans’ practice squad.

The 6-foot-3, 288-pound Henry signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in May of this year but was released in late July.

In 18 career games (three starts), Henry has recorded 36 tackles (seven for a loss), 12 QB hits, 4.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and five passes defensed.

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Philadelphia Eagles sign DT Willie Henry to a deal

Philadelphia Eagles sign DT Willie Henry to a deal

The Eagles added defensive line help to the roster on Tuesday, agreeing to a deal with former Ravens draft pick Willie Henry.

Henry has appeared in only 17 games since being drafted by Baltimore in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, and he hasn’t seen game action since 2018.

He was on the 49ers’ practice squad during the 2020 NFL season.

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Report: Texans sign DL Willie Henry to the practice squad

The Houston Texans have signed former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Willie Henry to the practice squad.

The Houston Texans have made an adjustment to their practice squad.

On Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans signed former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Willie Henry to the practice squad.

Henry is a former 2016 fourth-round pick from Michigan, who spent the first three seasons of his career with the Ravens. In 2018, Henry missed the first four games of the season as he recovered from hernia surgery, and he ultimately played in three games for Baltimore that season before being placed on injured reserve. The Ravens released Henry at the end of 2019 preseason, and he was out of football until January 2020 when he signed a reserve/future contract with the San Francisco 49ers, who later cut him on Dec. 16.

Texans bring in DE Reggie Gilbert, DT Willie Henry for visits

The Houston Texans have brought in DT Willie Henry and DE Reggie Gilbert in for visits.

The Houston Texans aren’t finished looking at how to improve their roster with three games to go in the 2020 regular season.

On Thursday, the club brought in defensive tackle Willie Henry and defensive end Reggie Gilbert for visits.

Henry is a former Baltimore Ravens 2016 fourth-round pick who collected 36 combined tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits in 17 career games for the AFC North club, three of which he started. In 2018, Henry’s season was derailed by a hernia surgery, and ultimately the Ravens released him at the end of the 2019 preseason. Henry recently played for the San Francisco 49ers, where he played four snaps in one game.

Gilbert is a 2016 undrafted free agent the Green Bay Packers kept on their roster for three seasons. The former Arizona Wildcat provided 40 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and 3.5 sacks in 18 games for Green Bay. In the 2019 preseason, Green Bay traded Gilbert to the Tennessee Titans for a 2020 seventh-round pick. Gilbert played in 11 games for Tennessee, starting in five of them, as he collected 22 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, three quarterback hits, a pass breakup, and 1.0 sack for the Titans.

The Texans are looking to beef up their defensive interior as Brandon Dunn was placed on injured reserve with a pelvic fracture after the club’s 36-7 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 14.