Giants Add Long Snapper Carson Tinker, Waive Rysen John
The Giants signed veteran long snapper Carson Tinker to their training camp roster. Tinker, who appeared in 69 games for the Jaguars from 2013-18, will likely serve as a reserve player on the Giants practice squad this season.
Giants head coach Joe Judge worked with Tinker during their shared time at Alabama. Judge served as the Crimson Tide's special teams coordinator for Tinker's first three college seasons in 2009-11 before Judge left to join the New England Patriots.
Under Judge's guidance, Tinker, a former walk-on, was elevated to the team's starting long snapper job as a sophomore in 2010 and converted 121 of 123 snapping opportunities.
Tinker went on to convert 119 snapping opportunities in 2011 en route to that year's national championship. Tinker would help the Crimson Tide win one more national championship in 2012 before joining the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2013 as the top-ranked long snapper in that year's draft class.
In 2015, he finished second on the Jaguars with six special teams tackles, and the following year was voted special teams captain by his teammates.
Tinker sat out of the 2019 season but recently had a tryout with the Texans on August 20.
This year NFL teams are permitted to carry 16 players on their practice squad, including four players with any number of NFL experience and four players whom the team will be able to protect each week from poaching by teams.
Head coach Joe Judge, in speaking about the decisions the team will need to make regarding the roster and the practice squad, said there would be a mix between adding the best players and leaving themselves with options in the event someone on the 53-man roster tests positive for COVID-19 and becomes unavailable.
"I think ultimately you want to keep the 16 best players that can help develop and grow within your program," Judge said Wednesday.
"At the same time, the season we're about to go through, there are considerations you have to have based on your own team's depth, as well as necessary positions you may want to provide some insurance with going through the season.
"I think we're all very aware of the sudden change you can have at any position group or a team based on some kind of testing or protocol that, you know may get flagged, so we've gotta have guys ready to play in the game."
The Giants waived/injured undrafted rookie tight end Rysen John, an undrafted free agent from Division II Simon Fraser University in Canada.
