New York Giants Release 21 Players; Place One on Injured Reserve: In order to get to the NFL mandatory 53-man roster, the Giants waived the following 21 players yesterday:
- WR Willie Ponder
- WR Anthony Mix
- HB James Sims
- HB Mike Jemison
- FB Tony Jackson
- TE Wade Fletcher
- TE Darcy Johnson
- OC Todd Londott
- OG Kevin McAlmont
- OT Troy Reddick
- DE Adrian Awasom
- DE Eric Moore
- DE Willie Evans
- DT Damane Duckett
- DT Marcus Green
- LB Nick McNeil
- LB Tyson Smith
- CB Curtis Deloatch
- CB Gerrick McPhearson
- S Charlie Peprah
- S Quentin Harris
The Giants also placed OG Matt Lentz on Injured Reserve, effectively ending his season, with an elbow injury.
Ponder, Deloatch, Duckett, and Awasom were veteran Giants. Peprah (5th round) and McPhearson (7th round) were draft picks selected by the Giants in the 2006 NFL Draft. Moore was a 6th round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Harris was an unrestricted free agent the Giants signed during the 2006 free agent signing period.
The Star-Ledger reports that the Giants tried to trade Deloatch last week but were unable to strike a deal.
“This is always a difficult day,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “As soon as I finish with wrapping up the last preseason game talking to the players, talking to the media then I come upstairs and the different staffs and I begin the making of 75 (players) into 53. You have the big picture to look at, the numbers. You have the practice squad to look at. So you have a lot of things that have to be determined. In the areas where it’s really close with a guy here or there, you take all the evidence you have, which is basically the grades and ranking of every time they’ve scrimmaged or played, and you go to that. Somehow, some way you make your decisions.”
“The safeties were all close, the corners were all close,” Coughlin said. “There were some close calls in the linebacker situation, obviously the receiver situation – the offensive line, just in terms of numbers. We had a lot of good kids and a lot of guys that were interested in becoming better players. That’s always a great thing for a coach, when he’s working with good, solid young men. You’re not talking only about ability, but about people that are serious and focused. We had a number of guys. There were a number of positions we felt good about going deep into our depth and still having a chance to be very representative in the fourth quarter. For some areas, they improved and played better than we thought.”
Coughlin said it was a difficult decision between WR Michael Jennings and WR Willie Ponder. “It was a tough call, without a doubt,” said Coughlin. “But when you look at what’s been done, you have to be fair about analyzing it. Both players can play in the league. Both have certain elements that they bring to the overall special teams and offense, and that made for a most difficult decision.”
Two undrafted rookie free agents are still currently on the roster: CB Kevin Dockery and OT/OG Na’Shan Goddard. “Dockery is a young player that’s been very impressive in the meetings and competitively and has a lot of upside,” Coughlin said. “He has competed well and his grades and his rankings have put him in a position where, if you believe in that kind of stuff, that’s where you go.”
With both Sims and Jemison waived, the Giants hope HB Derrick Ward, who missed all of the preseason with a broke foot, will return soon. “I’m always hopeful of that,” Coughlin said. “And we’re counting on that. But you don’t have a lot of flexibility with the number, unless you’re willing to take a chance on losing a guy that you might regret later on. So you try as best you can to stick with your numbers, knowing, for example, that Chad Morton can fill in for some of those roles, too, for a short amount of time, anyway.”
With only two tight ends on the roster, the Giants are scanning the waiver wire for a third tight end. “I think we’re always looking for that third tight end,” Coughlin said.
“Your evaluation is your evaluation,” said Coughlin “The guys that are on the team have worked hard and have the grades to be there.”
The Giants can sign eight players to the Practice Squad starting at noon today. The Giants will also be allowed to put S Claudius Osei, a German native, on the Practice Squad as part of the NFL’s International Practice Squad Program. The Giants will announce their Practice Squad signings on Monday according to Giants.com.
Article on QB Eli Manning: Third and Ready? by John Branch of The New York Times
Notes and Quotes: Not that it means much, but the Giants were the NFL’s best defense in the preseason. The Giants allowed a league-low 219.5 yards per game.
Linebacker Coach Bill Sheridan on LB LaVar Arrington: “This may sound a little high-school-like but there’s no doubt when he lines up as an outside linebacker for us, we just look a lot different. When you’re an offensive team coming out of the huddle and you see someone with his physical stature standing across the line of scrimmage from you, it’s a presence you love to have on our side of the ball. There’s no doubt, he’s a great-looking guy in a uniform and there’s nothing he can’t do physically.”