New York Giants: Final Predictions for 53-Man Roster Cuts

New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo, general manager Jerry Reese and the rest of the front-office brass have some difficult decisions to make as they trim the summer training-camp roster down to 53 men.

I've tried to project the scenarios I think will play out at each position, but a few words of advice are required as you begin to watch the various reports of roster moves fluttering across Twitter.

First, a player who is initially reported as having been "cut" could, in fact, be part of trade discussions if the right offer comes along.

This is why I think the Giants haven't participated in any preseason trades yet; rather than give up draft picks, they might prefer to let potential trade bait put together decent enough film to build a better case.

Second, the 53-man roster you see when cuts are "finalized" at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday is going to change. As players cut by other teams clear waivers, there will be a mad scramble to swap out guys, a process that could last several days.

So, in no way will the 53-man roster that's announced on Saturday be the "final" one for the season.

For those not aware, waivers are assigned based on last year's standings, the same order used to determine the draft. That will change after three weeks when teams start logging some wins and losses for the new season, but for now, that is how they will be determined.

Here is my position-by-position projections for the Giants' initial 53-man roster.

Quarterbacks

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

In: Eli Manning, Geno Smith, Davis Webb

Out: Josh Johnson

Geno Smith might have been guilty of making some boneheaded and costly decisions this preseason, but snap for snap, he's had the better showing between the veteran backup quarterbacks. 

Going into Thursday night's preseason finale, he leads the Giants quarterbacks in passing yards (244), and has completed 60.5 percent of his pass attempts, a sneeze under team leader Eli Manning's 60.7 percent. 

Johnson has been the king of the check-down passes, a guy who—except for the 57-yard catch-and-run by Travis Rudolph—has had no success with throwing passes beyond 15 yards. 

So long as Manning is still standing, the Giants won't have to worry about the backup quarterback spot.

If Manning should have to miss time early, the offense would probably be in better hands with Smith at the helm given that he can lead the team down the field as opposed to Johnson, who's more of a game manager.

P.S. Don't be surprised if, by the mid to late part of the season, Webb—projected to be the third quarterback on the depth chart—leapfrogs Smith for the No. 2 job. 

If you're wondering if the Giants will just go with two quarterbacks, I'd say there's a very small chance of that happening.

Running Backs

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

In: Paul Perkins, Shane Vereen, Wayne Gallman, Orleans Darkwa

Out: Khalid Abdullah, Shaun Draughn (IR)

Shaun Draughn was supposed to challenge Orleans Darkwa for what was projected to be the final roster spot at this position. However, the former spent most of the summer on the PUP list, and when he finally did get into a game, he suffered an injury that cut short his scheduled game reps. 

The only true competition that probably emerged at this position is for the starting role.

Even though McAdoo named Paul Perkins as the starter in March, he has only managed to rush for 2.7 yards per carry thus far, with most of his snaps coming behind the starting offensive line. While that stat is not all his fault, it is still credited to his name.

Darkwa, on the other hand, has taken snaps behind the first- and second-team lines and leads the running backs, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. He is followed closely by rookie Wayne Gallman, who is averaging 3.5 yards per carry. 

It will be interesting to see if the Giants adjust their depth chart at this position.

Fullback

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

In: Shane Smith

Out: Jacob Huesman

I've been on the fence about this for weeks, believing the Giants would go with four tight ends, one of whom was signed as a fullback/tight end (Rhett Ellison).

Why have I changed my mind? The answer is: the starting offensive line.

As I see it, the Giants don't really have an Ahmad Bradshaw-type back who can exploit the run lanes outside of the tackles; therefore, theirs is more of an inside rushing attack.

Here's the problem, though: The interior of the offensive line has not been able to run-block with any type of consistency this summer.

Enter the need for a fullback. They are more natural at blocking low to the ground, which is what you need to succeed if running the ball inside the tackles. A fullback should also, theoretically at least, be able to blast a defender out of a hole whereas a tight end is going to finesse a guy out of the way.

And for those concerned about predictability on offense, nine times out of 10 when the Giants have an H-back in motion, that's pretty much broadcasting to the defense which direction the play is going. A fullback from the set position who can also serve as a running threat and catch the ball out of the backfield leaves the defense guessing.

With all that said, a fullback probably makes more sense for the Giants than a fourth tight end, even though putting a tight end in the backfield gives you another potential receiver.

Shane Smith has been working ahead of quarterback-turned-fullback Jacob Huesman, who still doesn't look comfortable with the position yet. So, if they do keep a fullback, I think Smith will edge out Huesman in this competition.

But I also believe if a more experienced option becomes available, the Giants could go in that direction.

Tight Ends

Elsa/Getty Images

In: Rhett Ellison, Evan Engram, Jerell Adams

Out: Matt LaCosse, Will Tye

The Giants signed Rhett Ellison to a sizeable contract to presumably be their blocking tight end and lead-blocking fullback.

The problem is that tight ends tend to block a bit too high, something we saw in preseason on a couple of negative runs.

There is still a role for Ellison on the roster—he can line up in multiple spots and is probably still the best blocking tight end this team has. And yes, he can line up from the fullback spot, particularly as a decoy out of the backfield. However, I am not so sure he'll be used as much as a fullback if the Giants keep a pure fullback on the roster.

Matt LaCosse is a player I've liked since he was a rookie, and a guy who lost his first two NFL seasons to injury. Had he been healthy, the Giants probably would have had themselves a nice solid player at tight end. If this team were keeping a fourth tight end, there would be little doubt in my mind he would be it.

If the Giants go with three tight ends, as I believe they might, Evan Engram and Ellison are locks. I also don't see them dumping Jerrell Adams, who has had a good camp.

While LaCosse has looked good in practices, he's averaging 4.6 yards per reception, the lowest of the Giants tight ends.

An argument can be made here that what LaCosse has shown on the practice field isn't fully coming through on the game field, and I believe that's going to come back to haunt him.

Wide Receivers

William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

In: Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard, Roger Lewis, Dwayne Harris, Travis Rudolph

Out: Tavarres King (IR), Canaan Severin, C.J. Germany, Ed Eagan, Marquis Bundy

At the start of camp, I projected five receivers just on the basis of tight end Evan Engram's ability to be used like a receiver. Injuries at the position have change my mind now, though. 

Brandon Marshall (shoulder) appears to be on track to play in the regular-season opener. Depending on which report you believe, Odell Beckham Jr. may be ready for Week 1, though any argument is premature until he tests out his ankle, which he probably won't do until the week leading up to the game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 10.

Regardless, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Giants keep an extra receiver just in case.

I have a feeling Tavarres King (ankle) lands on injured reserve, which opens a spot for rookie Travis Rudolph.

Another reason why I have Rudolph making the team is because he can serve as a punt and kickoff returner behind Dwayne Harris.

Harris plays the game hard and has been injury-prone as a result, so the Giants could use depth at that spot not named Beckham or even Sterling Shepard, whom they tried for one return last week against the New York Jets.

Offensive Line

Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

In: Ereck Flowers, Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg, John Jerry, Bobby Hart, Brett Jones, D.J. Fluker, Adam Bisnowaty

Out:  Matt Rotheram, Chad Wheeler, Richard Levy, Jon Halapio, Jarron Jones

The only place I had to do a coin flip was deciding which of the two rookie tackles—Chad Wheeler or Adam Bisnowaty—to keep.

In the end, I stuck with the latter because I get the sense that the Giants don't want to cut a draft pick and expose him to waivers this early in the process.

As for the starting lineup, I don't think—at least to start the season—there will be a shakeup where John Jerry goes to the bench and Brett Jones comes in. My gut feeling is that ultimately, D.J. Fluker might come in at some point later in the season for Jerry if he continues to struggle.

Fluker hasn't really worked much with the starting offensive line—he did get a handful of first-team reps last week against the Jets, I believe. To my eyes at least, he still doesn't look fully comfortable out there, but he's coming along. 

Getting back to the tackle situation, I do not believe Bisnowaty could step in for Ereck Flowers should something happen there. If the Giants don't manage to pick up a veteran off the waiver wire—which I believe they will try hard to do—I think the backup plan for now at left tackle is Justin Pugh.

Again, I think the Giants are going to zero in on offensive tackles who are sent packing by their other teams and look to add some veteran depth there.

Defensive Ends

William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

In: Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon, Avery Moss, Kerry Wynn, Romeo Okwara, Jordan Williams

Out: Devin Taylor

I'm going with six ends because the Giants have shown more hybrid 3-4 looks this summer than I can recall in the past; and in those looks, we've seen Olivier Vernon, Romeo Okwara and Jason Pierre-Paul line up as an outside linebacker in pass-rushing packages.

Speaking of Okwara, the fact he's been getting more work at both defensive end and linebacker could be the coaches' way of importing some depth to a linebacker unit that is suffering from injuries.

I have Jordan Williams making the roster ahead of Devin Taylor for one reason: special teams. While I believe both men can play both defensive end and defensive tackle, Williams has also been working as the second-team long snapper.

Defensively, Williams has also been more productive than Taylor, who missed about a week with an undisclosed injury earlier in camp.

Through three preseason games, the rookie has four tackles on defense (all solo), one tackle for a loss, one quarterback hit, one interception and two special teams tackles (both solo).

Taylor has one assisted tackle on defense, one interception and one pass defensed. If going strictly off production, Williams has the edge.

Defensive Tackles

William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

In: Damon Harrison, Dalvin Tomlinson, Jay Bromley, Robert Thomas

Out: Josh Banks

I was on the fence with how many to keep at this position. Perhaps given the versatility of some of the defensive ends who can play inside at tackle in sub-packages, maybe the Giants will go with three defensive tackles.

In the end, I went with four defensive tackles after Corbin Bryant was lost for the season due to an elbow injury earlier in camp.

As for who will line up alongside Damon Harrison in the starting lineup, my guess is it will be rookie Dalvin Tomlinson. He can help to seal the deal Thursday night against the Patriots, with Jay Bromley—who had been lining up as the starter—nursing a knee injury.

Linebackers

Corey Perrine/Getty Images

In: Devon Kennard, Jonathan Casillas, B.J. Goodson, J.T. Thomas, Calvin Munson

Out: Mark Herzlich (IR), Deontae Skinner, Curtis Grant, Stephen Daniels, Keenan Robinson (IR), Chris Casher, Stansly Maponga 

Linebacker was another tough position to forecast mainly because of injuries, so let's start there.

The league changed the short-term IR rules again this year. Teams may now bring back two guys (who do not have to be pre-designated) from the injured reserve list. However, the player must be on the initial 53-man roster in order to be eligible to be returned.

I think Mark Herzlich (stinger) is a definite candidate for injured reserve. I would be surprised, however, if he is brought back off IR, because stingers can be unpredictable and have ended the seasons (and in some cases, the careers) of former Giants such as linebacker Jameel McClain, tight end/fullback Will Johnson and running back David Wilson. 

Keenan Robinson's concussion continues to be concerning. He was injured on Aug. 3 and was cleared from the protocol. However, he began experiencing symptoms again during practice and was placed back into the protocol  where he remains. 

If Robinson and Herzlich are both placed on IR, the Giants really don't have a backup in the middle to B.J. Goodson—that is unless they keep J.T. Thomas on the roster.

Thomas can play in the middle and on the weak side. He also just took a pay cut to the league minimum salary, which now reflects his pending status as a backup.

Safeties

Elsa/Getty Images

In: Landon Collins, Darian Thompson, Andrew Adams, Nat Berhe

Out: Duke Ihenacho, Ryan Murphy, Trey Robinson, Eric Pinkins

Landon Collins and Darian Thompson should be locked in as starters. Andrew Adams and Nat Berhe offer the versatility to back up at either strong or free safety.

Meanwhile, Duke Ihenacho and Ryan Murphy have dealt with injuries this summer while Trey Robinson hasn't really jumped off the screen.

The Giants could try to slip Eric Pinkins on to the roster given he's versatile enough to play safety, linebacker and special teams. To do so, however, they would have to steal a roster spot from one of the positions where I have an extra man due to injury concerns.

Cornerbacks

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

In: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, Michael Hunter, Donte Deayon, Nigel Tribune

Out: DaShaun Amos, Tim Scott, Tay Glover-Wright, Daniel Gray

The ankle injury to Eli Apple has me concerned enough that I could see the Giants keeping a sixth cornerback on the roster in case he isn't ready to go opening day.

In choosing who the extra cornerback will be, the problem I had is that I don't know enough about the remaining options—Tim Scott, Tay Glover-Wright and Daniel Gray—to get a definite feel.

I suspect that if the Giants go with six, they might pick someone who gets cut by another team. For the time being, though, I'm going with Nigel Tribune. He hasn't had the strongest preseason showing, but he probably has the best grasp of the defense at this point ahead of Scott, Glover-Wright and Gray. 

Specialists

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

In: LS Zak DeOssie, P Brad Wing, K Aldrick Rosas

Out: K Mike Nugent

Historically, the Giants have favored seasoned kickers. In fact, the last time they had an inexperienced kicker was in 2002, when Matt Bryant spent two seasons in what was then his first NFL action.

Before Bryant, you would have to go back to 1985, when Eric Schubert kicked for the Giants for one season at age 23.

I think this will be the year the Giants break with tradition of having an experienced kicker, and that they will go with Aldrick Rosas, whose only prior NFL experience was last year in the preseason with the Titans.

While it's probably true that Rosas and Mike Nugent are pretty much even in their competition, if the former stays the course, the Giants—who also have had a nice tradition going in which their kickers and punters usually stick around for multiple seasons—won't have to worry about the kicker spot for years.

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.