On Wednesday, the New York Giants made a few minor signings to strengthen the safety unit. They brought in Raheem Layne, who tore his ACL last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, and also signed Jonathan Sutherland.
Giants Strengthen Safety Unit with New Signings
Sutherland spent last season with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted player out of Penn State. He put together some impressive pre-season games over 106 snaps, collecting four pressures and six tackles, and gave up 26 yards on five receptions.
Potential Impact of New Signings
For the most part, Sutherland showed some upside, and the Giants may want to explore that as they look for competent depth behind Dane Belton, Tyler Nubin, and Jason Pinnock.
Roster Changes: Release of Jalen Mills
However, the Giants released veteran safety and defensive back Jalen Mills to make room on the roster. The 30-year-old former seventh-round pick out of LSU had entered training camp with a calf injury that kept him off the field all summer. Mills played 459 snaps last year with New England, spending the last three seasons up north. He tallied 30 tackles with 157 yards in coverage and a 58.6% completion percentage.
Mills’ Extensive NFL Experience
Mills has just over 5,600 total snaps of action in his career, spending the first five years with the Philadelphia Eagles. He understands what it takes to compete in the NFC East and was always meant to help provide a bit of versatility to the secondary. He had the capacity to play both corner and safety, so the Giants wanted to see if the veteran could offer some value there.
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Decision Behind Mills’ Release
Obviously, the injury hurt his ability to make the team, and the Giants wanted a bit more health to develop with things unfolding in the secondary. It is evident that the Giants may need more veteran experience at cornerback, but they will likely wait until after roster cuts to make any moves that can support the defense.