7 Giants players on the bubble as 53-man roster crunch begins

Dave Gettleman has been rebuilding the Giants’ roster for three years, but this summer is the first time Joe Judge and his staff has gotten a look at what they inherited. And surely there are a few holdover players that don’t quite fit what the new coaches are trying to do.

So don’t be shocked if there are a few surprises when the Giants cut their roster down to 53 players over the next few days.

Like whom? Well, it’s hard to imagine huge surprises on a young roster loaded with the GM’s hand-picked players. Then again, there were no preseason games to truly get a handle on which ones might not be in Judge’s plans. 

So here’s a guess at a few “names” that could be on the bubble, and a look at why:

CB Grant Haley

Considering how the cornerback corps was depleted by the arrest of DeAndre Baker and Sam Beal’s decision to opt out, the 24-year-old Haley entered camp as the presumed starter opposite James Bradberry. But even though he started three games last year, he appears to have been passed on the depth chart by second-year pro Corey Ballentine (at least for now). 

Also, the Giants are clearly not content at corner, as their trade for Isaac Yiadom shows. Once they get through waiver claims, this unit could have a whole new look, and Haley could end up as some roster insurance on the practice squad.

C Spencer Pulley

It has looked all summer like Nick Gates beat this 27-year-old out for the starting center job. Then, the Giants re-signed an apparently healthy Jon Halapio, putting Pulley’s status as a backup in doubt, too. 

It doesn’t help his cause that cutting him clears $2.75 million in cap space in an era where every cap dollar over the next two seasons might count for a lot. His status might depend on how ready Halapio is to step right in, after tearing his Achilles last December. It’s also possible Halapio was brought in so he’d clear the COVID protocols in time for an immediate spot on the practice squad. 

In that case, Pulley’s roster spot would be safe.

QB Alex Tanney

The writing was on the wall for this Pat Shurmur favorite the moment the Giants signed veteran Colt McCoy in the spring. The Giants will probably keep just Daniel Jones and McCoy on the 53-man roster, and slide Cooper Rush onto the practice squad. 

Technically, under the new COVID rules, Tanney is practice squad-eligible, too. But it seems more likely the Giants would just keep his number handy in case of an emergency.

TE Eric Tomlinson

The veteran tight end, who is on his sixth team in six seasons, would seem to be good insurance to have around given Evan Engram’s durability issues. But the Giants seem to be locked in with three tight ends on the roster – Engram, Kaden Smith and Levine Toilolo. They could carry a fourth, given that Jason Garrett’s offense is expected to rely heavily on the tight end position. 

In that case, it would come down to Tomlinson or Garrett Dickerson. It seems more likely they’d carry one of them on the practice squad instead.

DL R.J. McIntosh

The Giants have only cut two of the 16 picks made by Gettleman in his first two drafts with the Giants (QB Kyle Lauletta and OT George Asafo-Adjei). This 2018 fifth-rounder could be the third. 

His career has never really kicked into gear since he missed much of his rookie season while getting treatment for a thyroid condition. Now he’s stuck at a crowded position. Injuries may force the Giants to keep more LBs than they’d like, which will reduce their DL spots, and that figures to send McIntosh to the practice squad for more work.

CB Corey Ballentine

This cut seems unlikely, but it can’t be ruled out because the Giants – as noted above – are clearly unhappy with their cornerback mess and are on the prowl for help. It looked for a while like he had beaten out Haley for the No. 2 cornerback job. Then came the trade for Yiadom, which put Ballentine’s status in question. 

It’s also worth noting that the Giants seem committed to a big role for rookie Darnay Holmes, so if Ballentine doesn’t start, he’s likely the fourth corner at best. And if the Giants add another corner, he might not have a spot at all on the 53.

S Sean Chandler

While the injury to rookie Xavier McKinney could open up a spot for Chandler, the addition of Logan Ryan likely closes the door. The assumption is Ryan will be a safety, probably starting next to Jabrill Peppers. Julian Love is the third safety. Montre Hartage figured to be the fourth, though it’s worth noting he missed the scrimmage on Thursday with a lower body injury. 

Regardless, they may not need a fourth safety on the 53. They are more desperate for help and bodies at cornerback, where they may be holding tryouts through the first few weeks. Chandler is definitely another practice squad candidate, though.