The New York Giants are shaking things up big time, and the roster deadline for the final 53 players is looming on Sunday at 6 p.m. The preseason is officially over, and what we’re seeing in these final projections tells a wild story about who’s in and who’s out, especially with a few eyebrow-raising calls. Odell Beckham Jr. is on this initial roster, a move that feels both wild and, honestly, a bit necessary after some unfortunate breaks.
The Wide Receiver Room Just Got A Massive Shake-Up
Seriously, the wide receiver situation is absolutely bonkers. Odell Beckham Jr. is back on the roster, and that’s not something many saw coming just a short while ago. The only reason this even opened up was a tough break for Calvin Austin, who suffered a knee injury that landed him on IR. Talk about making a spot! But it also means some tough goodbyes. Dalen Cambre, who was in the last projection, got dropped in favor of a six-wide receiver count, and honestly, the writer even thinks he might regret that call. What’s more, Jalin Hyatt hasn’t even hit the field for weeks, and that silence usually means one thing: this is probably the end of the line for him. The current projection has Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, Braxton Berrios, and OBJ rounding out the wideouts, with Isaiah Hodgins heading to the practice squad.
The Offensive Line Has Some Surprises, Too
This is where it gets really interesting for anyone who’s watched football for more than five minutes. The Giants, a team that has famously struggled to field a competent offensive line for what feels like 15 years, just traded *two* surplus offensive linemen for draft capital! Let that sink in. They actually had *too many* good linemen to trade some away. Who would’ve thought? And speaking of big guys up front, Evan Neal was absolutely outstanding against the Jets, especially as a wrecking ball in the run game. That kind of performance makes you wonder what might be clicking for him now. The battle for backup center and emergency guard saw Lucas Patrick get the nod over Bryan Hudson, with Patrick getting the crucial call ahead of Hudson on Friday night. Kubas is an interesting prospect, but with teams usually only dressing eight offensive linemen on game days, he’s projected for the practice squad. The projected nine-man line includes Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan, John Michael Schmitz, Francis Mauigoa, Jermaine Eluemunor, Marcus Mbow, Aaron Stinnie, J.C. Davis, and Lucas Patrick.
Key Positions Make Their Mark
Beyond the big shifts, some other calls stand out. At quarterback, it’s Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston. The decision for the practice squad came down to Brandon Allen, who gets the spot over Jake Haener due to more reps, even though Haener showed out Friday. Running back is locked down with Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and Najee Harris. Tracy absolutely earned his spot, showing off that explosiveness with 37 yards on just four carries last Friday. Eric Gray is set for the practice squad. Fullback is Patrick Ricard, with the team hoping to develop undrafted Grant Finley into “Ricard 2.0” on the practice squad. At tight end, Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, and Chris Manhertz are in, with Thomas Fidone heading to the practice squad, despite Josiah Deguara being added this week. That Deguara move won’t impact the final roster, it seems.
The final roster isn’t official until Sunday, but these projections give us a crystal-clear look at the direction the Giants are headed. With these big moves, everyone will be watching to see how this lineup performs when the regular season officially kicks off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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