After a disappointing 6-11 season, the New York Giants must make changes to their 53-man roster. Here are three decisions they’ll need to make before the regular season.
Should they add another tight end?
With the retirement of Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger and fourth-round pick Theo Johnson each have a great chance to become the team’s starting tight end. Unfortunately, Bellinger missed spring practices with an undisclosed injury, and Johnson missed time with a hip injury that landed him on the PUP list.
Both are healthy now, but neither inspire confidence for the upcoming season. While he may have two years in head coach Brian Daboll’s system, Bellinger has just 523 yards since joining the team in 2022. Johnson is big (6-foot-6, 264 pounds), but his numbers with Penn State (938 yards and 12 scores in four years) were anything but.
Free-agent options are limited at tight end, so barring a trade, the Giants will have to wait until teams start making cuts in late August. Players that could become available include Colts’ tight end Mo Alie-Cox and the Cowboys’ Peyton Hendershot.
Who will start at right tackle?
Evan Neal was the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but not only did he miss 14 games over the past two seasons, he’s currently on the PUP list while recovering from ankle surgery. He played in just seven contests last season, allowing seven sacks with seven penalties, according to Pro Football Focus.
In light of Neal’s performance, the team signed Jermaine Eluemunor, a seven-year veteran who hasn’t missed a game since 2021. Eluemunor spent the last two seasons at right tackle for the Raiders, but he can also play guard, giving the Giants flexibility if Neal can’t play.
The Giants also signed offensive lineman Greg Van Roten, Eluemunor’s teammate with the Raiders last year. New offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo was also with the Raiders last season which could also influence the team’s decision.
Ideally, New York hopes Neal will win the right tackle job, but Eluemunor could be the team’s best option, especially if Van Roten plays right guard.
Who will be the No. 2 running back?
Former Giant Saquon Barkley had 1,242 total yards and 10 scores in 14 games with the Giants last year, while new Giants running back Devin Singletary had 1,091 total yards and four touchdowns with the Texans.
While Barkley always operated as a “workhorse” back, Singletary has typically been used as part of a committee, which could create opportunities for running backs Eric Gray, Dante “Turbo” Miller and Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Tracy played 38 games at wide receiver in college before switching positions in 2022. He led the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.3) for Purdue last season, and with 1,201 yards as a receiver, this year’s fifth-round pick should at least see the field as the team’s third-down back.
Eric Gray was the team’s fifth-round pick in 2023 but averaged 2.8 yards per carry for 48 yards as a rookie. Numbers like that won’t earn much playing time, especially if Miller continues to have a strong camp.
Miller walked on at South Carolina as a graduate transfer in 2022 after three years at Columbia, but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lost 2020 season, he was ruled a free agent and ineligible for this year’s draft.
According to The Sporting News’ Kevin Hickey, Miller has flashed as a receiver in camp, and with 4.27 speed and skills as a returner, he could be pushing Gray for a roster spot.
