Three Recent Waiver Wire Transactions That Could Interest New York Giants

NFL Teams had to trim their training camp rosters from 90 to 85 on Tuesday. With the Giants always looking to add talent, here are a few names they might consider looking at.

Author:
Brandon Olsen
Publish date:
Aug 17, 2022 8:00 AM EDT

The first round of NFL preseason cuts have come and gone, and NFL rosters have reduced their totals from 90 to 85, meaning 160 players are now looking for work.

With the New York Giants constantly searching to upgrade the talent on the roster, here is a look at three players who were among the first wave of roster cuts that might be worth kicking the tires on.

Jul 28, 2022; Spartanburg, SC, USA; Carolina Panthers receiver Andrew Parchment (15) makes a catch during the third day of training camp at Wofford College.
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

WR Andrew Parchment

While far from a household name during NFL Draft, receiver Andrew Parchment consistently showed the ability to be productive on the outside in college. At Kansas in 2019 and Florida State in 2021, Parchment was a bright spot on two offenses that struggled mightily to have passing attacks.

Parchment dominated the Big XII in 2019, making the most of a bad situation with Carter Stanley at quarterback by posting 831 yards and seven touchdowns on 65 receptions. The production for Parchment came mostly on intermediate and deep routes, which accounted for 38% of his catches but 67.5% of his total yards and five of his seven touchdowns.

In 2021 against elevated competition in the ACC, Parchment again saw most of his production come from the intermediate and deep routes despite significantly less volume in the Florida State offense.

At 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds, Parchment has great size for a receiver. Playing across the Big XII and ACC, Parchment has faced and beaten his fair share of press coverage and proven his ability to stack defensive backs and win contested catch opportunities.

Jamal Pettigrew

The Giants gave it a shot with undrafted free agent Jeremiah Hall in their offense but ultimately decided to make him a part of their first wave of cuts. There is still plenty of time, however, for the Giants to find their H-back/fullback/depth tight end, and perhaps Jamal Pettigrew is that player.

Pettigrew started his college career at LSU before transferring to McNeese State for his final two years, where most of his time would be spent blocking. Lining up in the backfield, in-line, or slot receiver, Pettigrew’s ability to consistently make an impact as a blocker shouldn’t be overlooked.

Pettigrew is a phenomenal athlete, registering a 4.67 40-yard dash time and 36 ½” vertical at just under 6-foot-7 and 244 pounds, he’s a unicorn. He might be too light to line up in-line consistently, though an H-back role could be the perfect role for Pettigrew.

Pettigrew (like all McNeese State Cowboys) was used sparingly as a receiver. Still, he was able to make contested catches and pick up yards after the catch, making him an intriguing option in the red zone or in the flats.

July 29, 2021; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Kamal Martin (54) participates in training camp Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Green Bay, Wis.
Dan Powers-USA TODAY NETWORK

LB Kamal Martin

Kamal Martin has had an up and down NFL career so far. He was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in 2020 by the Packers and then was released before the start of the 2021 season, before seeing very little time with the Panthers.

The better tape to evaluate Martin is his 2020 tape with the Packers, where he would flip between starting and being a rotational player.

With his great straight-line speed and burst, Martin is best used as a strong-side linebacker and special teamer. The read-and-react ability needs some work, but the special teams potential alone should be able to put Martin in contention for a roster spot.

Martin, who runs downfield like a banshee, has no issue driving his shoulder through ballcarriers. While his ceiling is an average NFL SAM linebacker, at this point in the roster-building cycle, NFL teams are looking on the waiver wire for depth adds that could contribute in any way.