The New York Giants have had a rocky training camp at the wide receiver position. They have seen multiple receivers go down with season-ending injuries. On top of that, New York’s primary receiver Sterling Shepard has been dealing with a broken thumb suffered on the first day of practice.
To make matters way worse, the Giants’ other primary receiver, Golden Tate, has been suspended for the first four weeks of the season. This leaves the Giants with a few question marks in their receiving corps. The Giants will need someone to step in for Golden Tate. Should the Giants promote someone in house or look to bring in someone new?
Free Agent Options
The Giants recently held a free-agent workout for receivers and did sign one. New York signed T.J. Jones, a former Detroit Lion. Jones has flashed during camp and looked like a solid option in the first preseason game. But, now that Golden Tate’s suspension is official, it could be beneficial for the Giants to hold another workout.
One receiver that the Giants should look into is Michael Crabtree. The veteran receiver has had a long NFL career and proved that he still has something left in the tank last year with the Baltimore Ravens. Crabtree caught 54 passes from rookie Lamar Jackson en route to 3 touchdowns and 607 yards.
Here's another look at that Michael Crabtree TD. pic.twitter.com/QEPTgpCcbS
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 6, 2019
Michael Crabtree’s age of 31 years-old would go a long way in filling in for Golden Tate. Tate is a veteran leader that will be sorely missed on the football field, so Crabtree would be a solid player to fulfill Golden’s role.
Another veteran free agent receiver the Giants could look into is Pierre Garcon. Garcon has not played much the last two years (eight games each season), but the Giants would only need him to perform in the first four weeks. Garcon has had a long and productive career and is a reliable receiver.
But Pierre Garcon is coming off of a pretty significant injury. Pierre’s 2018 season ended after undergoing knee surgery. The Giants would not be counting on him to survive sixteen games, just four. If the Giants are looking for a veteran receiver to fill in for a veteran receiver, Pierre Garcon would bring valuable reliability as a pass-catcher for Eli Manning.
Options On The Roster
The previously mentioned T.J. Jones has looked like a promising receiving option. He lead the team in receiving in the Giants’ first preseason game. He totaled 6 receptions on 6 targets for 72 yards and 1 touchdown. If push comes to shove and the Giants are unable to make any transactions at wide receiver, T.J. Jones could step in as a solid receiving option.
TJ Jones lookin' like Victor Cruz out there ?
(via @Giants) https://t.co/e2EXlEJhmy
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 9, 2019
The Giants have another darkhorse receiving option on the roster. This player did not make as big of an impact against the Jets as Jones did, but he has been a playmaker throughout training camp. This player is Alonzo Russell.
Alonzo Russell has been Daniel Jones’s favorite target in training camp. He has shown serious potential in multiple instances. One of his best traits is his body. Russell is a tall receiver standing in at 6-feet-4-inches and weighing in at 206 pounds.
The Giants have copious options if they choose to add to their receiving corps. Golden Tate will miss the first four games of the season and it is crucial for the Giants to get off to a hot start this season with this year’s schedule.