Thoughts About the Giants vs. Aaron Rodgers, Roster Cut Strategies, and More
In case you missed the news, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will reportedly make his New York Jets preseason debut Saturday night against the New York Giants in the preseason finale for both teams.
If that does happen, the assumption is that the Jets will play their starters to support Rodgers for however many snaps head coach Robert Saleh might be thinking of playing him. But if anyone out there is wondering how this potential news might affect Giants head coach Brian Daboll's decision regarding who he puts on the field, the answer is probably not.
Some might argue that going against a Jets team with a pretty good defense and some good skill position players (but apparently a shaky offensive line) would be a great litmus test for the Giants to prove that last week's solid showing against a rebuilding Panthers team wasn't a fluke.
I think Daboll doesn't care about that, nor should he. Instead, the Giants head coach has some roster decisions that need to be resolved as we enter this final week of training camp.
Among this Giants team's still unresolved starting jobs are the starting left guard on the offensive line and the second inside linebacker. Beyond those, there are still questions about the depth at receiver, defensive line, linebacker, tight end, running back, and cornerback, all of which will likely take center stage in the coming week leading up to the Jets game.
Now is it possible Daboll might play his starters? Sure, though again, I'm not sure what else to gain from doing so. But the real battle of wits between the Giants and Jets will take place at the end of October, which is when the real King of the Tristate Area Football will be crowned.
Some other thoughts...
The Numbers
We'll have much more to say about an initial 53-man roster projection after the preseason finale. Still, I've already started thinking about some of the roster numbers this team might want to keep and how they will fit in their needs.
Before going any further, I must stress that the 53-man roster unveiled on August 29 at 4 p.m. is not final; it's the initial version of the roster. You'll see injured guys that the team thinks can return at some point make the initial 53-man roster only to be moved to injured reserve once that window opens.
One spot where we might see that happen is on the defensive line. Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams are locked. A'Shawn Robinson and Rakeen Nunez-Roches should also be locked.
But what about Ryder Anderson (triceps), Jordon Riley, and DJ Davidson? The Giants are thought to like Anderson, who is supposedly not far away from returning. But if they put him on injured reserve when the roster cuts are made, he cannot return to action this season. But if he will be a little longer, it makes sense to carry him and then move him to IR, where he'd have to stay for four weeks.
If that's the case, then what about Davidson and Riley? I think Davidson will be the odd man out as they'll look to slide him to the practice squad. But I think the Giants might have a tough time parting with Riley, who has looked so impressive this summer.
The answer would be to keep the young man, though keeping six initially would mean the Giants would have to cut back at another position. And the question is where.
The answer would be to cut one or both of Sterling Shepard and Cole Beasley from the initial 53-man roster and then bring one or both back once roster spots open up after guys are moved to IR.
This procedural move doesn't happen often, but it can be useful to fudge the roster numbers. Both Beasley and Shepard are vested veterans, so they're not subject to waivers. If the Giants approach them with such intention of making a procedural move and ask them to sit tight while the roster gets sorted out, one might think that both would cooperate.
It's just something to watch once the initial 53-man roster takes shape.
Speaking of the Initial 53-man Roster
Keep a close eye on the snap counts of those players who aren't roster locks--the Dexter Lawrences, the Daniel Joneses, the Saquon Barkleys, etc.--in the preseason finale.
Typically Daboll will play whoever is dressed, but sometimes there are guys who are healthy scratches that are at the bottom of the depth chart who don't get into the game (see last week's benching of Rodarius Wiliams, a healthy scratch who was waived the following day).
Also, pay close attention to when certain guys get into the game--usually, those who get into the lineup around the fourth quarter are all but certain to be names that don't make the initial 53-man roster.
About the PUPies
The Giants have two players remaining on the PUP list, receiver Wan'Dale Robinson and cornerback Aaron Robinson. Wan'Dale is thought to be the closer of the two to returning, but with time starting to run out to get him up and running, at this point, one has to wonder if the team might move him to inactive/PUP to start the season where he'd have to sit for the first four games.
It would make sense because, again, if the Giants are going to make a procedural move, the likely position group to be affected is the receiver unit. Unless Robinson is ready to go by Tuesday at the latest, it would be hard to imagine him being ready for the September 10 season opener, given how the coaching staff has been ramping up guys who have come off PUP.
On the other hand, Aaron Robinson looks like he's definitely going to start the year on PUP. The Giant's cornerbacks include Deonte Banks, Tre Hawkins III, Adoree Jackson, and CorDale Flott. Amani Oruwariye could also slide onto the roster if Nick McCloud, who can play safety, isn't ready to roll (McCloud could be another guy they initially put on the roster only to move him to injured reserve if he's not ready to go).
That would leave Darnay Holmes on the outside looking in and no room for Robinson on the initial depth chart. But again, if Robinson is ready to roll by Tuesday, it will be interesting to see how that depth chart takes shape.
The Left Guard Competition
The coaching staff likely doesn't WANT to have a rotation at left guard or any position on the offensive line, for that matter.
But it's become a necessary evil if they believe, as former NFL Scout David Turner notes in the clip below from the latest Locked On Giants podcast, that Joshua Ezeudu is their starting left guard of the future.
The key takeaway here is that for Ezeudu to advance, his snaps can't end once preseason ends. And again, while continuity is preferred, this coaching staff has done a pretty good job balancing the needs of the present with an eye on the future, which is likely to continue when it comes to the offensive line.
Cap Matters
As of this writing, the Giants have $5,109,189 of cap space, the third-lowest amount in the league. But once roster cuts are made, they figure to get at least $3 million back in credits.
Some potential cuts from those listed in the Giants' Top 51 salaries (the Top 51 rule ends in the first week of the regular season) and their corresponding savings that can yield savings include cornerback Darnay Holmes ($2.743 million), offensive lineman Shane Lemieux ($1.01 million), tight end Chris Myarick ($1.01 million), outside linebacker Oshane Ximines ($840,000), and receiver Jamison Crowder ($988,529).
If those transactions come to fruition and the cap savings are accurate, the Giants would probably not have to extend any contracts over the short term. That doesn't mean they won't, at some point, look to extend guys or maybe even tweak a contract or two, but again, early projections indicate they should be okay to start the year.
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