Looking Back at New York Giants' 53-Man Roster Decisions
There’s an old adage that hindsight is 20/20. However, when it comes to some of the personnel decisions the New York Giants made during the final round of summer training camp cuts, those choices that initially caused people to raise an eyebrow have, at least so far, worked out well for the most part.
So let’s revisit some of those decisions and their impact on the roster.
Sticking with OT Marshall Newhouse
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When left tackle Will Beatty went down with a pectoral injury, the plan to let rookie Ereck Flowers get his feet wet at right tackle went up in smoke.
Instead, veteran Marshall Newhouse, who barely hung on in Green Bay and Cincinnati, was the next man up, and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing for a Giants team, given Newhouse’s prior reputation as a try-hard type who just couldn’t get it done.
Newhouse’s struggles in training camp, combined with a second summer visit by Jake Long, continued to fuel rumors that the Giants were looking to upgrade. In the end, they stuck with Newhouse, who has been more than serviceable.
Last week against Washington, Newhouse shut down Washington OLB Ryan Kerrigan, who was looking for this third game in a row with a sack against the Giants.
That showing earned him praise from head coach Tom Coughlin, who said, “I thought Marshall Newhouse against a very, very good outside rusher in Kerrigan did a good job as well.”
No, Newhouse hasn’t been an All-Pro, and yes, he’s probably headed back to the bench once Beatty is ready to return.
Regardless, Newhouse has held up decently in the trenches and has not been the reason why this team has lost its first two games.
Nikita Whitlock over Henry Hynoski at Fullback
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According to Pro Football Focus, Henry Hynoski finished last season as the second-best overall fullback in the NFL. Awarded a new two-year contract, Hynoski probably had little to worry about regarding his spot on the team.
That was until Nikita Whitlock, who at 5’10” and 245 pounds is smaller and lighter than the 6’1”, 260-pound Hynocerous.
Yet, while everyone seemed focused on the other battles occurring during camp, there was Whitlock turning the heads of the coaching staff and earning snaps right down to the final minutes of preseason, snaps that he alternated with Hynoski, which, in retrospect, suggested just how close that battle really was.
In the end, the coaches went with Whitlock over Hynoski because the former offers more versatility—he can play all the special teams and line up as a defensive tackle.
Meanwhile, Hynoski, who could play some of the special teams in addition to fullback, is currently waiting for his next opportunity after a workout with the Patriots (h/t Doug Kyed of NESN) did not result in a contract offer.
Brad Wing over Steve Weatherford at Punter
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The decision to cut popular punter Steve Weatherford was a tough one for many people to swallow, as was the Giants' decision to trade for punter Brad Wing when there were bound to be other punters out there on the waiver wire that wouldn’t cost a draft pick.
Weatherford, who bravely gutted out a severely sprained ankle and back problem in 2014, struggled with his consistency in the 2015 preseason.
Per Pro Football Focus, his average hang time was 5.2 seconds, he placed five of his 16 punts inside of the 20 and had 11 of his punts returned for 33 yards in the four games.
Wing, who is younger, cheaper and healthier than Weatherford, has, in three regular-season games, managed an average hang time of 5.48 seconds, has had three punts downed inside the 20 (one per game), forced six fair catches and has had just three of his 12 punts so far returned for 17 yards.
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Uani' Unga over Jameel McClain at Middle Linebacker
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Another surprising decision the Giants made was at linebacker, when the team parted ways with veteran Jameel McClain and kept first-year player Uani’ Unga on to be the primary backup to starter Jon Beason.
McClain, remember, was coming off his best statistical season with 116 career tackles. However, not all tackles are created equal when talking about linebackers—not if they’re occurring several yards down the field.
Uani’ Unga, a less expensive option with just a $435,000 base salary, per Over the Cap, played surprisingly well in his first extensive football action following ACL surgery.
Besides Unga’s play and price tag likely pushing McClain out the door, the other factor that could have played a part in McClain’s departure might have been the stinger he suffered in the preseason that caused him to miss a week.
McClain, remember, had suffered a spinal cord contusion in 2012 while with the Baltimore Ravens. Although he bounced back from that injury, perhaps his training camp stinger was too close for the Giants’ comfort to justify putting the 30-year-old linebacker’s health at risk.
Preston Parker over James Jones at Receiver
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Not all of the Giants’ decisions worked out for the best.
The biggest miscalculation by far was the team’s decision to keep Preston Parker over veteran James Jones, now with the Packers.
Parker—whom the Giants cut after Week 2, in which he added to the team-leading four dropped passes Pro Football Focus credited him for, was likely kept because of his ability to play the slot—a position where they needed depth, given the uncertainty regarding Victor Cruz’s calf at the time.
Parker, remember, filled in for Cruz in 2014 and was their third-best receiver at that position behind Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham Jr.
So, it’s very possible that the coaching staff was hoping to see Parker continue to be a steady contributor in that role, an expectation that unfortunately didn’t pan out this year.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.
Follow me on Twitter, @Patricia_Traina
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