New York Giants: 3 likely cut candidates on defense

New York Giants, Sam Beal
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 24: Allen Robinson #12 of the Chicago Bears catches a pass in front of Sam Beal #23 of the New York Giants during a game at Soldier Field on November 24, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Giants 19-14. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

With the signing of Kelvin Benjamin and Corey Clement, the New York Giants will need to cut two current players on the roster to create room in the 90. As rookie camp concluded over the weekend, the Giants will now look forward to OTAs as their next opportunity  to bring the team together.

However, specific units have been working with personal trainers to help build chemistry and refine their fundamentals as team-oriented practices begin in the near future.

However, as every NFL team will undergo, the Giants will need to make cuts this off-season to lower the roster count to 53.

Here are three players that could miss the mark for the New York Giants and end up being cut:

1.) CB Sam Beal

When general manager Dave Gettleman spent a third-round pick in the supplemental draft to land Sam Beal, most were unsure of what he would provide at the NFL level. Over three years, Beal has played in just three games, spending the majority of his time injured and opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. He has 26 career tackles to his name, including one pass defended and one tackle for a loss. Simply said, Beal has such a little sample size to work with, the Giants could easily move on from him and nobody would remember his name.

Beal is on the hook for $1.1 million this season, with a 524K dead cap hit. The Giants could save a bit of cash and roll it over to another player worthy of competing at a position they need more support at. The Giants added Adoree Jackson and Aaron Robinson to the corner back unit, so Beal is undoubtedly expendable.

2.) RJ McIntosh

Another player that has underwhelmed the past few seasons is RJ McIntosh. McIntosh didn’t play in 2020 and has 18 tackles to his name, including two sacks in 2019. At 25 years old, RJ will likely be a camp casualty, considering the Giants have a few depth pieces on the interior defensive line, and his impact simply hasn’t lived up to expectations after being selected in the 5th round three years ago.

3.) Devante Downs

The Giants were forced to rely on Devante Downs last year due to a lack of talent at the LB to position. Downs is a big linebacker at 6’2″ and 252 pounds, but he is incapable of being a starter, especially since the Giants need an option with better pass coverage abilities. Downs was released following the 2020 season, but was brought back as a likely camp body. I believe he will be another casualty as the Giants trim the roster in a few weeks.