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Joe Judge Explains the Ryan Connelly and Corey Coleman Decisions
Why?
That was the question on many people’s minds for Giants head coach Joe Judge about some curious roster decisions involving linebacker Ryan Connelly and receiver Corey Coleman, two fan favorites who are no longer on the team.
Judge, as he’s done since Day 1, carefully chose his words. When asked about the receiver's decision, the Giants dropped Coleman after being awarded receiver Damion Ratley via waivers from Cleveland.
“We’re pleased with the wide receiver depth we have,” Judge said. “I think we’re going into it right now with some speed at the position. That’s something we’re definitely looking to add right there. I think we have good position flexibility with all of our skill players on offense. We feel good with where we’re at right now.”
And what about Connelly, who was waived Saturday as part of the Giants' moves to get down to 53 men?
“We have a lot of respect for Ryan. He’s a good football player,” Judge said of Connelly, who was claimed by the Vikings. “We had to make the decision ultimately, that was best for us. We wish him good luck. If things worked out perfectly for us, we would have loved to have him back on the practice squad.
“We didn’t expect that to happen to be honest with you because he’s a good, accomplished player and there are a lot of teams in the league that were going to be looking to claim him. We wish him good luck in Minnesota and look forward to seeing him play.”
Ryan Connelly
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Connelly, like Coleman, was coming back from a torn ACL suffered last year. Both players looked to have gotten over that hump in training camp, though at one point, Connelly missed almost a week of practice with an undisclosed ailment, his absence likely opening the door for Devante Downs to pass him on the team’s “alignment” chart.
So besides “why?” another valid question regarding these two roster decisions had to do with the players’ health, and in particular, Connelly’s given his missing the week of practice earlier in the summer.
“First, I’ll say Ryan was obviously healthy and he’s healthy going into Minnesota, so we wish him the best of luck,” Judge said.
“We feel good right now about our linebacker depth. We have to get everybody on the roster developed at all the positions and building our versatility at each spot. Right now, we feel comfortable with where we’re at, but we have to push to improve going forward.”
But that would appear to be a curious statement, to say the least, considering that the Giants placed David Mayo on injured reserve as he continues his recovering from recent knee surgery.
With Mayo out for at least three weeks, that leaves the Giants with Blake Martinez, Downs, and rookies TJ Brunson and Tae Crowder, with another rookie, Cam Brown, a player thought to be someone who can line up inside and outside.
The receiver situation is also a bit of a head-scratcher. Golden Tate appeared to suffer a hamstring strain last week and missed several days of practice, including the final scrimmage.
Judge has not confirmed Tate’s injury—he has refused to offer any clarity int player injuries all summer—so it’s not known for sure if that’s what Tate is dealing with.
But it was hard not to miss the veteran receiver grabbing the back of his leg after coming up lame on a pattern, grimacing in pain when he first injured himself. And if it’s indeed a hamstring, those injuries can be tricky to forecast.
Receiver Damion Ratley, who was in camp with Cleveland, was another player awarded to the Giants off waivers. But the Giants also signed Alex Bachman to the practice squad, a receiver whose skillsets are thought to be a close match to those of Tate’s.
“All the players that we kept on our 53 and our practice squad are guys that we think give us versatility and have the ability to develop and keep shaping this roster in a positive way,” Judge said.
“Everyone in here is in it together, the coaches, players, and personnel. We’re pleased with the players we have.
“Again, it’s the National Football League, we’re always looking to sharpen and develop. There’s natural attrition throughout the year so we have to be aware of everyone else who is involved in the league on transaction moves.”
