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New York Giants Announce 53-Man Roster

The New York Giants announced their 53-man roster for the 2018 regular season on Saturday afternoon. The team carried 89 players throughout training camp, some spots already solidified, while others were wide open.

Head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Dave Gettleman had four games to watch this summer to determine which players will give them the best chance to win this season. While some Giants performed well, there was just not enough space to keep them.

Here is our initial look at the Giants regular season roster.

53-Man Roster

Quarterbacks: Eli Manning, Davis Webb, Kyle Lauletta, and Alex Tanney.

Running Backs: Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman Jr., Jonathan Stewart, Robert Martin, and Shane Smith.

Wide Receivers: Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, Cody Latimer, Russell Shepard, and Hunter Sharp.

Tight Ends: Evan Engram, Rhett Ellison, Jerell Adams, and Scott Simonson.

Offensive Line: Nate Solder, Will Hernandez, Jon Halapio, Patrick Omameh, Ereck Flowers, Chad Wheeler, John Jerry, Evan Brown, and John Greco.

Defensive Line: Damon Harrison Sr., Dalvin Tomlinson, Kerry Wynn, B.J. Hill, and Josh Banks.

Linebackers: Olivier Vernon, Alec Ogletree, B.J. Goodson, Lorenzo Carter, Kareem Martin, Romeo Okwara, Ray-Ray Armstrong, and Tae Davis.

Cornerbacks: Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, Donte Deayon, and B.W. Webb.

Safeties: Landon Collins, Michael Thomas, Curtis Riley, William Gay, and Sean Chandler.

Special Teams: Aldrick Rosas, Riley Dixon, and Zak DeOssie.

Perhaps the biggest news to come out of this roster announcement is the Giants are keeping all four quarterbacks from the preseason. The thought is that one of them could be on the move, specifically Davis Webb, who shined against the Detroit Lions and New York Jets.

Despite missing the final game of the preseason, Rutgers’ own Robert Martin cracked the 53-man roster. As an undrafted free agent, Martin made the most of his snaps, rushing for 97 yards on 19 attempts, as well as catching two passes for 11 yards. The hard work paid off for the former Scarlet Knight, and he was rewarded with a roster spot.

Donte Deayon, Ray-Ray Armstrong, and Kerry Wynn all played at a superior level throughout the preseason, and were essentially no-brainers to crack the Week 1 roster.

Now, let’s get to those who were cut before the start of the regular season.

Who Missed the Cut

Running Backs: Jalen Simmons and Jhurell Pressley.

Wide Receivers: Roger Lewis Jr., Kalif Raymond, Travis Rudolph, Amba Etta-Tawo, Alonzo Russell, Marquis Bundy, and Jawill Davis.

Tight Ends: Ryan O’Malley and Garrett Dickerson.

Offensive Line: Nick Becton, Chris Scott, Nick Gates, Zac Kerin, Victor Salako, and Malcom Bunche.

Defensive Line: Robert Thomas, A.J. Francis, Tyrell Chavis, and Izaah Lunsford.

Linebackers: Mark Herzlich, Avery Moss, Calvin Munson, Jordan Williams, and Warren Long.

Cornerbacks: Grant Haley, Chris Lewis-Harris, Leonard Johnson, and Mike Jones.

Safeties: Darian Thompson and Andrew Adams.

Special Teams: Marshall Koehn

Pressley and Simmons both impressed during the final games of the preseason, but lost out on the job to Martin. As expected, there would be victims to Jonathan Stewart’s contract, and it just so happens both rushers were shown the door.

Perhaps the release that hit hardest was Herzlich, who has been with the organization through the entirety of his seven-year career. The Boston College product beat Ewing’s sarcoma (bone cancer) and served as the Giants’ leader in the NFL Player’s Association. Herzlich exuded a warrior mentality, and while his tenure in New York is over, there is still a chance another team adds him at some point this season.

Darian Thompson being waived does not come as a shock, as he was bit by the injury bug this summer and never exactly lived up to the hype in the NFL. Not to mention, he was a draft selection of the old regime. The exact same can be said about Avery Moss.

The Giants defensive line was one of the more stacked positions in the NFL, which meant some quality options could find themselves on the outside looking in. Two prime examples are Robert Thomas and A.J. Francis. Thomas shined in the preseason, specifically against the New England Patriots, where he recorded three total tackles and one sack. Francis had an equally strong summer, but is a similar player as Thomas.

Why the decision was made to cut both preseason juggernauts is likely due to the depth in the secondary, which suffered following the injury to Sam Beal and departure of Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie. With a weakness such as that, the more options at your disposal, the better. At least in the minds of Shurmur and Gettleman.

Injured Reserve/NFI/Suspension

Josh Mauro’s four-game suspension officially kicks in for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

New York’s fifth-round selection, R.J. McIntosh, will be placed on the non-football injury list.

Nick Becton and Nick Gates were placed on the injured reserve, while Sam Beal (shoulder) and Paul Perkins (torn pectoral muscle) are ruled out for the 2018 season.

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General Editor and New York Giants Lead Writer.
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