The New York Giants made a roster move today, signing free agent wide receiver Keelan Doss and waiving linebacker T.J. Brunson. The Giants are adding another veteran wide receiver to a receiver room that has previously dealt with a slew of injuries. In fact, they are still dealing with injuries, as Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, and Sterling Shepard practiced in red jerseys during mandatory minicamp. Acquiring more depth at wide receiver was crucial and the Giants have accomplished that by signing Keelan Doss.
What does Keelan Doss bring to the Giants?
The Giants had Doss working out during training sessions this week before ultimately signing him. Keelan Doss signs with the Giants after spending the 2021 season on the practice squads of the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets. Doss was an undrafted free agent that signed with the Raiders in 2019 and suited up in 9 games for them from 2019 to 2020.
Keelan Doss was a pre-season standout in 2019. He made the most of the few opportunities he was given. However, this impressive preseason performance was not enough to secure a long-term spot on the Raiders’ roster.
Hard Knocks' fan-favorite Keelan Doss is one of @PFF's highest-graded rookies in the preseason. ?He's been targeted 8 times on 6 different routes and earned a 130.7 passer rating when targeted.
— Connor Price (@ConnorPrice00) August 21, 2019
In his career, Keelan Doss has received little regular-season playing time. He has only been given 14 targets, all in 2019, catching 11 of those passes for 133 yards. The likelihood of Doss making a real impact for the Giants is slim. However, Giants fans will remember that in recent years the team was sending practice-squad receivers on the field due to an abundance of injuries. Having Doss in for the summer, learning the playbook and geling with the coaching staff provides value as the team could sign him if they are in a pinch later this year.
Keelan Doss is a 6-foot-3, 215 pound wide receiver that has the frame to play on the outside. The Giants are wise to sign big-body receivers as depth pieces considering the injury history of WR1 Kenny Golladay. If Golladay is unable to participate in practice, at least the cornerbacks can be challenged by a big-bodied guy in Doss throughout this summer. Keelan Doss will add value to the Giants behind the scenes as a defacto-Golladay.