Damion Ratley Claimed By Giants From Waivers
The New York Giants claimed former Cleveland Browns sixth round wide receiver Damion Ratley, who was released on Saturday as the team got down to 53 players. Ratley missed much of camp with a groin issue and the Browns kept a few players because of their impact on special teams.
Ratley has the size and speed to make for an intriguing weapon. The Browns liked him enough in 2019 that despite missing basically all of the preseason, he made the final 53-man roster. Ratley was a dominant player in junior college before having a relatively uneventful stay playing for Texas A&M.
The Giants also have former Browns first round pick Corey Coleman on their roster as they try to assemble weaponry to build Daniel Jones, who is entering his second season. Coleman and Ratley offer speed and could be cogs in an explosive offense. Ratley has flashed at times in his two seasons, so he's hoping he's primed for more sustained success in 2020.
The Browns retained Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge, Jojo Natson and rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones. Hodge and Natson offer values on special teams while Higgins is the most proven receiver behind Beckham and Landry. Jones had a productive camp.
Save for Beckham and Landry, the Browns have little in terms of proven options at receiver. Their offense is structured so they don't need to have many, but it made it so the difference between the third receiver and seventh receiver wasn't a significant difference. Ratley couldn't practice and that may be why he was unable to make the team in the end.
