New York Giants Veterans in Danger of Losing Roster Spot This Offseason

As the temperature begins to rise, so, too, do the various positional battles on the New York Giants.

Head coach Ben McAdoo always seem to be in his element when given a 90-man offseason roster that’s deep at all the positions.

Of course, the downside there is that dreams of playing in the NFL are going to be crushed for some rookie hopefuls, while on the flipside, veterans are going to have to battle to retain their jobs.

This slideshow looks at some of the Giants veteran players who might be early "bubble" candidates. While it's still some months before the 53-man roster has to be set, there are a number of veterans who could be playing elsewhere come September if they don't show up in OTAs and training camp.

RB Orleans Darkwa

Jim Mone/Associated Press

The Giants, intent on revamping last year's 29th-ranked rushing offense, already showed veteran Rashad Jennings the door in a salary-cap related move in February.  

The Giants also slashed $1 million from his 2017 base salary, according to ESPN, while also picking up his $500,000 roster bonus, paid out in March, per Kimberly Jones of NFL.com. 

That the Giants paid out the roster bonus would suggest that Vereen remains in the team's plans.

Since then, McAdoo has named second-year man Paul Perkins the team's starting running back, and he has welcomed rookie fourth-round draft pick Wayne Gallman to what's fast becoming a crowded running backs room.

The Giants' early depth chart at running back appears to be Perkins, Vereen and Gallman. That likely leaves one of Orleans Darkwa and Shaun Draughn to battle it out for the fourth spot if the Giants do end up keeping four backs.  

Darkwa revealed to Dan Duggan of NJ Advance Media that he's been dealing with a fractured tibia for the last two years. That issue apparently reached a head last year when his season was cut short due to the lingering injury.

Per an ESPN report, Darkwa underwent surgery to have a metal plate inserted in his leg to stabilize the bone in January.  

Darkwa's NFL career has been rather strange. Signed off the Dolphins practice squad in 2014, he's recorded just 75 carries for 287 yards as a Giant, his role mainly being as a support guy on special teams. 

Still, Darkwa's durability issues—he's not afraid to take a hit—make him a sitting duck for injury.

Add to that his inability to make people miss—per Pro Football Focus, he's created just 14 missed tackles in his 75 carries—and it wouldn't be surprising if journeyman Shaun Draughn, who also plays special teams, or perhaps even one of the undrafted rookie free agents such as Khalid Abdullah out of James Madison end up pushing him off the roster.

WR Tavarres King

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

When you come to the bottom of the depth chart at positions like receiver, your fourth and fifth guys better be contributing on special teams to justify keeping them around.

Unfortunately for Giants receiver Tavarres King, he landed on the inactive list in nine of the 16 regular-season games, mainly because he doesn’t play special teams.

King has seven career receptions for 136 yards, including career highs of five catches for 123 yards from last season. In his limited snaps, he didn't quite break the door open as far as yards after the catch, recording just 34 YAC on his five receptions.

With the Giants having added some young and hungry undrafted free agents who will be asked to contribute on special teams, such as Travis Rudolph, plus the return of guys from the practice squad such as Darius Powe, King might have an uphill battle to climb to stick around.

TE Matt LaCosse

Mel Evans/Associated Press

It was just a couple of years ago that the Giants thought enough of tight end Matt LaCosse to make him one of their 2015 priority undrafted free agents—with good reason.

The Giants were looking for a big-bodied tight end who could bring a physical in-line presence to the running game and catch the occasional ball or two, creating a matchup nightmare for an opposing defense.

Unfortunately, LaCosse has yet to make it out of training camp thanks to season-ending injuries. While on injured reserve last year, he hung around the team as much as possible for his treatments and to have a presence.

Based on offseason moves made to date, the Giants seem to have moved on. They added free-agent blocking tight end Rhett Ellison in the offseason and drafted Evan Engram to be a receiving threat.

LaCosse will likely end up competing with Jerell Adams, last year's sixth-round draft pick, and Will Tye, who finished as the starter the last two years, for a roster spot.

Given the time on the field he's missed, he is facing a steep hill to climb for a spot at the bottom of the tight end depth chart.

DE Owa Odighizuwa

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Last year, the Giants kept five defensive ends on their roster: starters Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul, and backups Romeo Okwara, Kerry Wynn and Owa Odighizuwa.

This year, the Giants have all five back, plus the addition of Avery Moss, their fifth-round draft pick. 

It would be surprising if they keep six defensive ends, which means someone from last year's group is probably on the bubble, especially if Moss continues to show the promise that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo saw during the rookie minicamp.

Vernon and Pierre-Paul are safe. Wynn is probably secure as well given his run-stopping prowess. Okwara, who was first off the bench when Pierre-Paul was injured last year, probably doesn't have much to worry about.

Can the same be said of Odighizuwa, the team's third-round draft pick from 2015?

Odighizuwa spent his entire rookie campaign on the injured reserve list, so in many ways, last year was like his rookie-year do-over.

The problem with Odighizuwa is that while he showed he could rush the passer, he didn't always show he could set the edge against the run. As such, he was limited to playing just 24 of his 170 snaps against the run.

As mentioned, when Pierre-Paul was sidelined with his core muscle injury, it was the undrafted Okwara and not the third-round draft pick Odighizuwa who was named the starter.

If Odighizuwa is to stick around on the roster, he's going to need to show the coaches he's taken a big step forward in his development as an all-around defensive end and stay on the field. If he can't do either or both, it wouldn't be a stunning development if the Giants move on. 

S Mykkele Thompson

Uncredited/Associated Press

Two years ago, defensive back Mykkele Thompson was a surprise draft pick by the Giants, chosen in the fifth round.

Upon closer inspection, Thompson's versatility—he could play outside cornerback, the slot and some safety—likely attracted the Giants. The problem though is he has missed his first two seasons due to leg injuries.

When a player misses that kind of time before establishing himself, ultimately the team does move on. However, Thompson is still on the roster and will get a chance to compete with fellow veteran Nat Berhe along with rookies Jadar Johnson and Trey Robinson.

Can Thompson prevail despite not having played much football the last two seasons? The odds don't appear to be in his favor.

However, given how vicious the injury bug has been to the safety position the last two years, if Thompson can stay on the field, he'll have a fighting chance.

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics are from Pro Football Focus.

Patricia Traina covers the New York Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.