NY Giants' LB/ST Depth Thins Out Ahead of Clash with Dallas

The Giants are expected to make some roster tweaks ahead of their Week 2 game at Dallas.

New York Giants linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The last thing the New York Giants, who are already under pressure to rebound from a flat and losing Week 1 performance, needed was to take a blow to their special teams and linebacker depth.

And yet, here they are facing such a situation. New York announced that linebacker and special teams contributor Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who was given a doubtful designation on Friday ahead of the team’s Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys with a calf injury, would not be making the trip.

Flannigan-Fowles missed a significant portion of training camp and all three preseason games with a calf issue.

That's not good news as the Giants prepare to do battle against one of the better special teams units in the league, nor is it good news after they lost inside linebacker Micah McFadden to what is believed to be a season-ending foot injury.

Flannigan-Fowles was signed in the offseason as a free agent to provide a boost to the Giants' special teams unit after excelling there for the 49ers in 2024.

In addition to special teams, Flannigan-Fowles also appeared in 73 NFL games with seven starts at linebacker.

Flannigan-Fowles is likely heading for injured reserve, which would require him to miss a minimum of four weeks.  

As such, New York is expected to sign one of the linebackers, Swayze Bozeman and Zaire Barnes, from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to fill the potential hole that ensues, with the other likely to be a standard practice squad elevation.

The Giants are also likely to elevate defensive lineman Elijah Garcia from the practice to provide defensive line depth after having declared Rakeem Nunez-Roches (foot) doubtful for Sunday’s game.  

Final transactions ahead of Week 2’s games should be officially announced shortly after 4 p.m. ET by the league.

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