Giants Signing ex-Falcons Receiver to Practice Squad, Pending Physical

Ray-Ray McCloud III has a brief history with the Giants brass from their time in Buffalo.

Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III is reportedly joining the Giants' practice squad. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The New York Giants made a move for a receiver, but it’s not quite the blockbuster move fans might have been hoping for.

The Giants are signing former Atlanta Falcons receiver/return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud III to their practice squad, pending a physical. NorthJersey.com was first with word of the pending transaction.

McCloud was originally a sixth-round draft pick by–you guessed it–the Bills in 2018 out of Clemson, giving him familiarity with Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, both of whom were with Buffalo that year. 

The 5-9, 185-pound receiver spent one season in Buffalo, one in Carolina, two in Pittsburgh, and two in San Francisco before landing in Atlanta in 2024 as a free agent.

McCloud started 14 games for the Falcons last season, appearing in 21 out of 23 games total for them. 

In 2024, he started 13 out of 17 games played and logged career highs in pass targets (87), receptions (62), and receiving yardage (686), and recorded his second career touchdown.

McCloud, who was in his second season in Atlanta, reportedly ran afoul of something with Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who used the word “distraction” when asked about the receiver’s status. 

McCloud was a healthy scratch during the team’s Week 6 and 7 games against the Bills and 49ers.

Morris sent McCloud home, only saying that it was a “private matter” between the player and the team. The team cut ties with the receiver four days later.  

In his career, McCloud has appeared in 98 regular-season games with 25 starts. He has caught 158 out of 235 pass targets for 1,518 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also run the ball 25 times for 271 yards and one score.

This season, he had six receptions for 64 yards on 14 targets, four kick returns for 91 yards, and two punt returns for no gain.

The Giants currently have a full practice squad, so someone will need to be let go to make room for McCloud.

The team is also thought to be planning to sign kicker Jude McAtamney back to the practice squad, but because of his International Pathway Program status, McAtamney wouldn’t count against the 16-man limit.

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