Giants' Receiving Corps Enters the 2nd Half of 2014 in a State of Flux

In many spots, it's clear what the New York Giants have to do.

Here's how I see it: They're grooming Damontre Moore to complement Jason Pierre-Paul in the pass rush. They must continue to upgrade the offensive line with mid-round picks to complement recent high picks Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg.

The secondary merely needs to get healthy, the linebacking corps needs a jolt and they're probably set for now at quarterback and running back.

Sure, it won't be long before they need to think about replacing Eli Manning, but he's still the man and they have something in that Rashad Jennings-Andre Williams duo.

But it's the receiving corps that remains the real mystery as we enter Week 10 of what appears to be a lost season. It's the post-Plaxico Burress era, the post-Hakeem Nicks era and the Giants are at least temporarily on a break from the Victor Cruz era.

As a result, this is a group of receivers without a proven commodity.

Cruz Can't Be Counted On

Cruz, of course, suffered a torn right patellar tendon in Week 6 and is out for the year. He's only 27 years old, but that's the type of injury some players never come back from.

The Giants don't have to start preparing for that worst-case scenario right now, but they do have to consider the possibility that their Pro Bowl No. 1 receiver might never be the same.

"Even after a successful patellar tendon repair and when full knee flexion is obtained, the strength and explosiveness of the quadriceps may not be fully restored," wrote Ortho/sports physical therapist Abby Sims in an article for CBS New York. "This is but one facet of Cruz’s game, though one that has set him apart. He has a lot of work ahead of him."

Nicks and Cruz were locked in as Manning's go-to weapons for so long, but now Nicks is playing for the Indianapolis Colts and Cruz is facing a long road back from surgery.

However, the silver lining is that this is giving the Giants a chance to hold informal auditions over the next eight weeks.

Randle Remains a Question Mark

Rueben Randle has become the No. 1 receiver by default, but the 2012 second-round pick is not progressing at a quick enough rate to make anyone comfortable.

Despite the fact Manning is having his most accurate season as a pro, Randle has caught just 57.6 percent (subscription required) of the passes thrown his way this season.

He has just one catch (subscription required) on 20 targets beyond 20 yards. That's the third-lowest drop rate among 61 qualifying receivers.

He flashes talent on the odd occasion, but he's been anti-clutch, catching just five of the 19 passes thrown his way on third down and just six of the 15 passes Manning has thrown to him in the red zone.

If you want to be a No. 1 receiver, you've got to be able to shake a fourth-string cornerback like Sterling Moore one-on-one in the end zone, but that's what Randle failed to do on an important third-down, red-zone play in the fourth quarter of a Week 7 matchup with the division rival Dallas Cowboys:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

In almost an identical play, he again failed to gain end-zone leverage in the fourth quarter versus the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, albeit against a much stronger corner in Vontae Davis:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

While that game was still competitive in the first half, Randle had a back-breaking drop on third down in the red zone, forcing the Giants to settle for a field goal:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

He doesn't drop a ton of passes, but Randle simply fails to separate from coverage and often appears to botch his routes. That can't happen in your third season, at least if you're supposed to be counted on as a starter.

Can Beckham Save Them?

In May, Odell Beckham Jr. became the highest Giants draft pick since they took Philip Rivers fourth overall and flipped him to the San Diego Chargers for Eli Manning in 2004.

So the expectation is that the No. 12 overall pick can become the "X" or "Z" deep threat this team has been searching for ever since Nicks' play fell off in 2012.

So far, so good. The LSU product has caught 69.2 percent of the passes thrown his way and has yet to record a drop. He already has three touchdowns in four games and is coming off a 156-yard performance against the Colts.

With Jennings out and Randle struggling, he's basically New York's only offensive weapon right now.

	Third down	Red zone	Second half
Randle	5 of 19 (26%)	6 of 15 (40%)	12 of 28 (43%)
Beckham	6 of 8 (75%)	5 of 6 (83%)	14 of 19 (74%

But Beckham has started just three games because he missed the first four weeks of the season due to a hamstring injury that lingered for the better part of two months. The Giants know he has the talent, but it's too early to draw any major conclusions. Durability concerns definitely exist, too.

"It's still kind of getting there right now," Beckham recently told reporters. "I'm doing the best I can to maintain what I've gone through already, but I wouldn't say it's already there yet. It's a work in progress."

Right now, though, it appears Beckham is the only hope they've got. Fortunately, injury concerns are fading as he makes more plays like this:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

Washington is the Dark Horse 

When 22-year-old rookie undrafted free agent Corey Washington scored winning touchdowns in three consecutive preseason games back in August, the Giants likely knew they had found a potential diamond in the rough.

The problem was that, at the time, Washington was buried behind Cruz, Randle, Beckham and Jerrel Jernigan.

Now, with Cruz out, Randle struggling and Jernigan on injured reserve—along with fellow summer sensation Marcus Harris—Washington has his big chance.

The Newberry product—it's a school somewhere in the United States, apparently—played sparingly during the first seven games but caught four passes on five targets against the Colts, with one of those grabs resulting in his first career touchdown.

He's got a good combination of size and speed and superb hands. Including the preseason, he's caught 74 percent of the 19 passes thrown his way, dropping zero. And five of those were for touchdowns.

"He's a small-school guy who wasn't getting reps at first, but he just exploded," cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie told reporters about Washington back in August. "Even in practice, he's making big catches against the ones, twos and threes. It doesn't matter who's out there. He tends to find himself jumping over people. He's definitely a gifted young man."

Head coach Tom Coughlin is known for being conservative with his rookies, but with Beckham and Washington, he has no choice.

When looking at Washington's situation specifically, it's probably smart to keep in mind that only a few years ago, an undrafted free agent named Victor Cruz was in a very similar spot.

The Audition Is Underway

A lot of questions linger. Can Beckham stay healthy? If so, can he become a star? How quickly? Can Cruz get healthy? Can Randle and/or Jernigan ever fully arrive? Can Washington become the next Cruz?

Over the next eight weeks, the Giants will hope to gain some answers, at least as it pertains to Beckham, Randle and Washington. In a perfect world, all three will emerge and Cruz will be able to take his sweet time next summer.

However, Giants fans know the football world is far from perfect.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon