Giants Player Profile | Cody Core, WR/Special Teams
2019 Season Rewind
Cody Core was acquired off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals last season before the beginning of the 2019 regular season and immediately became an impact player on special teams for the Giants.
In his three seasons with the Bengals, he gained notoriety for his play on special teams while also improving as a receiver. A new coaching staff and fresh ideology in Cincinnati are likely the reasons why he didn’t make the final roster, but with the Giants having seen him up close during a preseason game, they had a pretty good idea what he brought to the table to where when Core, who was not eligible to be placed on the practice squad was waived, the Giants swooped in.
In 2019, Core saw a dramatic decrease in offensive snaps (64, the lowest total of his career) most likely due to how late he joined the team. However, he amassed the largest amount of special teams snaps in his career (283).
Core was the leading tackler on the Giants special teams with eight tackles. The kickoff and punt teams, which featured Core, were among the best in the NFL last season. His play on special teams throughout the season garnered notice from people around the league and on his team. This offseason, he signed a two-year, $4 million deal to remain with the Giants.
Looking Ahead
The Giants are still looking for depth in the receiving corps. Core was a decent rotational player at receiver for the Bengals and could prove to be a valuable rotational player in the Giants receivers’ room with a full offseason under his belt.
With the Bengals, he started seven games in two of his three seasons. In that time, he also accounted for 30 receptions for 360 yards and a touchdown.
While his added receiving depth would be a plus for the team, there’s no denying that Core’s impact needs to be felt on special teams. Thomas McGaughey returns as special teams coordinator to continue his masterful work with the most consistent phase of the football team last season.
It’s a move which signals the intelligence of new head coach Joe Judge who is himself a special teams guy and could have easily decided he would head up that unit himself. Instead, he wisely retained a quality coach from the previous regime.
This familiarity and consistency should allow Core to take that next step as an ace with the unit because the continuity of the scheme and many of his teammates won’t change. Because the roster has an influx of talent in positions tailor-made for special teams, you can expect Core to become a mentor for younger players as they are given special teams duties.
Although he has been in the league for five years, he’s still a young player. He will be relied upon to translate the culture of special teams to the new signees while they learn the ropes and understand the nature of what special teams represent in the grand scheme of the game.
Core has the opportunity to be the Giants' version of Matthew Slater, the Patriots' special teams ace. Slater is a receiver, although you rarely ever see him line up as one. Receivers seem to be great additions to special teams because they are conditioned to run full speed through traffic while avoiding potential collisions. Both men know that in addition to the skills of a receiver, it is a mindset that can make someone an effective special teamer, and both possess it.
This season, look for Core to possibly approach numbers that made Slater a fan favorite in New England. Core has the talent to amass double-digit solo tackles. That is a feat Slater has accomplished six times in his 12-year career. It is why he’s been a perennial Pro Bowler, and it could be Core's ticket to the NFL's annual all-star game as well.
