General manager Dave Gettleman and coach Pat Shurmur taught Giants players, fans and media an important lesson last summer.
The practice depth chart isn’t necessarily indicative of roster standing.
When the Giants cut from 90 to 53 players, the Giants cut a handful second-teamers and kept a handful of third-teamers. They put in more preseason waiver claims than any other NFL team.
Here is how NJ Advance Media sizes up all 90 players right now, with the roster broken down into four categories:
LONG SHOTS (19): OLB Keion Adams, S Tenny Adewusi, DB Jake Carlock, DE Jake Ceresna, G Austin Droogsma, QB/TE Eric Dungey, OL Nick Gates, WR Brittan Golden, LB Mark McLaurin, OLB Avery Moss, C James O’Hagan, QB Kyle Lauletta, LS Taybor Pepper, WR Alonzo Russell, OT Victor Salako, CB Henre Tolliver, WR Alex Wesley, S Kenny Ladler, CB Ronald Zamort.
Mostly undrafted rookies, futures contract signees and journeymen destined to be employed only when roster sizes inflate from 53 to 90 for the offseason.
The exception is second-year quarterback Kyle Lauletta, a 2018 fourth-round pick. There is no room for four quarterbacks on a 53-man roster, as Davis Webb learned last season. He is ticketed for a practice squad, whether the Giants’ or eslewhere.
Moss, a 2017 draft pick, was cut last season and re-signed to the practice squad, where he joined Russell, Salako and Zamort. The softball-slugging Gates was on injured reserve as a rookie. Ladler appeared in three games but is a victim of the Draft investment in the secondary.
ON THE BUBBLE (24): LT Paul Adams, DE Freedom Akinmoladun, LB Jonathan Anderson, P Ryan Anderson, RT George Asafo-Adjei, CB Corey Ballentine, C/G Evan Brown, S Sean Chandler, TE C.J. Conrad, TE Garrett Dickerson, CB Antonio Hamilton, RB Jon Hilliman, DT John Jenkins, DE Alex Jenkins, CB Tony Lippett, OT Brian Mihalik, S Kam Moore, RB Paul Perkins, OG Chad Slade, DT Chris Slayton, RB Rod Smith, LB Nate Stupar, LB Josiah Tauaefa, WR Reggie White Jr.
Gettleman wants to avoid cutting rookie draft picks but the final three of his 10 in 2019 are on this list: Ballentine, Asafo-Adjei and Slayton. Meanwhile, Brown, Chandler, Moore and Dickerson spent time on the 53-man roster as undrafted rookies last season but could have their spots stolen by the likes of Conrad and friends this season.
Stupar and Hamilton were standouts on the Giants’ much-improved special teams last season, but those roster spots tend to be fluid. Veterans John Jenkins and Lippett re-signed one-year deals despite playing limited defensive snaps.
There is room for Smith or Perkins as a No. 3 running back, but probably not both, especially if Hilliman earns a practice squad spot. Mihalik took all first-team reps in the spring (and Moore took some) because of injuries to teammates.
LOOKING GOOD (16): WR Corey Coleman, LB Ryan Connelly, LB Tae Davis, P Riley Dixon, WR Bennie Fowler, CB Grant Haley, WR Cody Latimer, CB Julian Love, OLB Kareem Martin, DL R.J. McIntosh, FB Eli Penny, DT Olsen Pierre, WR Russell Shepard, TE Scott Simonson, WR Darius Slayton, QB Alex Tanney.
Five receivers here is too many, especially when adding starters Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate to bring the total to seven. But it’s impossible to derive a top-to-bottom order because there is so little separation at the position.
It appears disappointing former Browns first-round pick Coleman and the rookie deep-threat Slayton have a slight leg up, but Russell Shepard is valuable on special teams and Latimer and Fowler were the best of the bunch last season.
Connelly-Davis and Love-Haley could develop into first-year vs. second-year position battles in training camp. McIntosh and Pierre are the top backups for a short-handed defensive line.
Tanney seemed like a long shot to make the 53-man roster last year and then was active for 14 games, even though he never played. He is no worse than the No. 3 quarterback now, and Shurmur likes to have a veteran backup around in case called upon a pinch and to teach the youngsters.
LOCKS (31): RB Saquon Barkley, CB Sam Beal, FS Antoine Bethea, OLB Lorenzo Carter, LS Zak DeOssie, TE Rhett Ellison, TE Evan Engram, RB Wayne Gallman, OLB Markus Golden, LB B.J. Goodson, C Jon Halapio, OL Will Hernandez, DE B.J. Hill, CB Janoris Jenkins, QB Eli Manning, LB Alec Ogletree, SS Jabrill Peppers, OG/C Spencer Pulley, RT Mike Remmers, K Aldrick Rosas, WR Sterling Shepard, LT Nate Solder, WR Golden Tate, S Michael Thomas, DE Dalvin Tomlinson, OT Chad Wheeler, OG Kevin Zeitler, CB DeAndre Baker, DL Dexter Lawrence, QB Daniel Jones OLB Osahe Ximines.
Only 12 of these players pre-date Gettleman’s hiring in December 2017.
The Giants are a team without a true starting job up for grabs other than at center (Halapio vs. Pulley). Running back and tight end are the deepest spots on the team, beginning with high-end starters Barkley and Engram, respectively.
The right side of the offensive line is new (Zeitler and Remmers) and supposed to combine with the steady Solder and Hernandez to offer Manning’s best protection in years, with experienced backups to boot. Can Manning win enough games to keep Jones on the bench until late in the season or is a quarterback controversy coming in September?
The combination of veteran newcomers Golden, Peppers and Bethea with rookies Ximines, Baker and Lawrence is supposed to boost the level of defensive playmaking. But the biggest free-agent contract went to Tate, who steps in for Odell Beckham.
Of the Giants’ five Pro Bowlers last season, only Barkley, Rosas and Thomas remain after the departures of Landon Collins and Oliver Vernon. A former Pro Bowler, Jenkins, is the defense’s Most Valuable Player given the youth around him.
Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.