As we wind down towards training camp and begin the process of cutting the roster down to 53-men for the New York Giants, it’s time to begin speculating and exercising our right to talk about things that haven’t even happened yet.
The reality is, some difficult decisions will need to be made and could be confusing, but it all comes down to value at a specific position and ensuring necessary depth is spread out across the roster. From the quarterbacks to safeties, it’s necessary to expect injuries and have backup options available just in case, especially at positions of weakness.
New York Giants: 3 veterans that could be cut
1.) WR – Cody Latimer
Latimer is coming off an injury that saw him miss a significant portion of the 2018 season. However, he flashed potential when he was on the field. With three players competing for the No. 3 spot, it’s fair to say that not all are necessarily locked into a roster spot.
If Corey Coleman proves to elevate his game and play at a high level this offseason, Latimer could be a cut candidate. His $1.4MM cap-hit this season could be saved and allocated towards another position of need. Again, this is only if he loses out to Coleman in the position battle.
2.) QB – Kyle Lauletta
After one season of development, Lauletta is still nowhere near ready to take on a starting role in the NFL. Drafting Daniel Jones certainly doesn’t help in his case for a roster spot either.
The Giants might be better off cutting him and signing him to the practice squad for the time being. They will likely elect to keep Alex Tanney given his experience practicing at the professional level – he’s better suited to fill in if need be, and he’s looked quite good this summer.
While giving Kyle a fair chance at the job is necessary, Jones ultimately puts him in the backburners.
3.) TE – Rhett Ellison
Ellison will implement a $5.75 million cap hit this season with $2.5 million in dead cap. His skill-set is best utilized in the run game, where he can help at the line of scrimmage. The Giants upgraded their offensive line further to make his job redundant to a degree.
Additionally, they resigned Scott Simonson for a year, a capable blocker, and signed undrafted free agent CJ Conrad who has proven his worth so far this summer. He has the potential to be a solid performer and put Ellison’s job in jeopardy. Having four quality tight ends doesn’t fit the 53-man roster build whatsoever. Clearing up a roster spot here and saving some money could go a long way towards solidifying another spot on the team.