Corey Coleman Tears ACL in First Day of Giants Camp

The New York Giants wide receivers corps took a massive hit on Thursday, after Sterling Shepard suffered a broken left thumb. Less than 24 hours later, devastating news struck the G-Men.

On Friday, the Giants announced that Corey Coleman suffered a torn ACL during the first day of training camp. As a result, Coleman is out for the entire 2019 season.

It’s believed that Coleman’s injury happened at the beginning of Thursday’s practice, but stayed on the field for the remainder of the day.

Coleman, the former 2016 first round pick of the Cleveland Browns, was signed onto the Giants’ practice squad, following short stints on the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots. In eight games with New York, Coleman caught five passes for 71 yards. However, Coleman made his bread and butter on special teams. Coleman returned 23 kicks for 598 yards with a long of 51 yards.

After the Giants traded top wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, Coleman slotted in as the team’s No. 3 receiver, behind Shepard and Golden Tate. Now, his season is over before it started.

Update on Sterling Shepard

Thursday appeared to be doom and gloom for the Giants following Shepard’s initial injury diagnosis. One day later, head coach Pat Shurmur revealed that Shepard broke the tip of his thumb, allowing him to avoid surgery. In fact, Shepard worked on the side catching tennis balls in order to begin his rehab process.

Shepard appears to be good to go for the regular season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, barring any setbacks.

For now, the Giants will have seven healthy wide receivers in camp for Saturday. Those receivers are Golden Tate, Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, Russell Shepard, Alonzo Russell, Reggie White Jr., and Da’Mari Scott. Fifth-round pick Darius Slayton will be out on Saturday due to a hamstring injury.

Free Agent Options

During Day 2 of training camp, general manager Dave Gettleman noted the Giants are bringing in free agents on Saturday to potentially add as depth. Kelvin Benjamin is an option, considering Gettleman selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Veteran Michael Crabtree is also on the market.

There is no set list of candidates who will trek to East Rutherford, N.J. on Saturday, but let’s take a look at the receivers out on the open market, along with their 2018 stats:

• Kelvin Benjamin: 25 receptions/67 targets, 380 yards, 1 touchdown in 15 games with Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs
• Michael Crabtree: 54 receptions/100 targets, 607 yards, 3 touchdowns in 16 games with Baltimore Ravens
• Pierre Garcon: 24 receptions/46 targets, 286 yards, 1 touchdown in 8 games with San Francisco 49ers
• Terrance Williams: 2 receptions/3 targets, 18 yards in 3 games with Dallas Cowboys (foot injury)
• Dez Bryant: DNP with New Orleans Saints (torn Achilles)
• Mike Wallace: 0 receptions/3 targets, 0 yards in 2 games with Philadelphia Eagles (fractured leg)
• Brandon LaFell: 12 receptions/16 targets, 135 yards, 2 touchdowns in 6 games with Oakland Raiders (torn Achilles)
• Andre Holmes: 13 receptions/14 targets, 162 yards in 15 games with Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos
• Darrius Heyward-Bey: 1 reception/2 targets, 9 yards in 14 games with Pittsburgh Steelers
• Rod Streater: 0 receptions/0 targets, 0 yards in 3 games with Cleveland Browns
• Justin Hunter: 3 receptions/13 targets, 21 yards in 5 games with Pittsburgh Steelers
• T.J. Jones: 19 receptions/26 targets, 190 yards, 2 touchdowns in 15 games with Detroit Lions
• Rashad Greene: 6 receptions/8 targets, 60 yards in 8 games with Jacksonville Jaguars

Again, it’s unknown how many receivers the Giants will invite on Saturday, but it’s not a guarantee that any will sign, considering the positive update on Sterling Shepard.