Giants Country

Tight End Greg Dulcich Declines to Join NY Giants Practice Squad

Tight end Greg Dulcich chose to sign with the Dolphins' practice squad for a chance at a fresh start rather than remain in New York.
Tight end Greg Dulcich chose to sign with the Dolphins' practice squad for a chance at a fresh start rather than remain in New York.
Tight end Greg Dulcich chose to sign with the Dolphins' practice squad for a chance at a fresh start rather than remain in New York. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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It will be a fresh start for tight end Greg Dulcich, who, after finishing the preseason with three touchdowns (tied for the league lead with Detroit receiver Isaac TeSlaa), has decided to decline the New York Giants’ offer to join the practice squad and instead take his talents to Miami with the Dolphins.

The Giants reportedly received inquiries from other teams about tight end Daniel Bellinger, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Those teams that inquired were informed of the Giants' intention to keep Bellinger, who after a promising looking rookie season, seems to be a player who the Giants have either traded over (Darren Waller) or drafted over (Theo Johnson), which has resulted in a reduction of pass targets for Bellinger.

This is significant because had they moved their former fourth-round draft pick, that would have probably opened up a roster spot for Dulcich to join starters Johnson, Chris Manhertz, and rookie Thomas Fidone II on the 53-man roster. 

Instead, the Giants had no room for Dulcich on the roster, and despite reportedly negotiating with his agent to convince him to stay, the one-time Broncos draft pick apparently sees a quicker path to the playing field with Miami, which, of course, made the trade with the Giants to obtain oft-injured veteran tight end Darren Waller. 

The Giants have set 13 of their allotted 16 practice squad spots, and none of them includes a tight end.

Further adding to the intrigue is that Johnson was not spotted on the field during Wednesday’s padded practice, and has barely been seen since the second week of the preseason, raising concern that he's been dealing with an injury.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll has been tight-lipped about injuries dating back to the spring, but starting next week, the Giants will be required to file injury reports as part of the NFL's mandatory injury reporting policy. 

Those reports will clarify what, if anything, Johnson is dealing with as well as his availability for Week 1, but suffice it to say, the handling of Dulcich, who was clearly the best tight end on the Giants' roster this summer, has been something of a headscratcher.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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