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Giants Must Make One Obvious Roster Cut at Critical Position
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- Giants Must Make One Obvious Roster Cut at Critical Position
The New York Giants have some very intriguing ongoing position battles this summer, and while most of the focus has been at wide receiver, another area that must be monitored between now and cutdown day is defensive tackle.
The Giants have completely overhauled their defensive tackle room this offseason, trading away Dexter Lawrence and then signing DJ Reader, Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu — among other less notable pieces — in free agency. They also selected Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round of the NFL Draft and picked up Anquin Barnes Jr. as a UDFA.
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New York also threw the position for a loop by moving Chauncey Golston from edge rusher to the interior, which gives the Giants more versatility in the trenches ... but also will likely result in someone losing their job unexpectedly.
We know that Reader, Harris, Golston and sophomore Darius Alexander are all locks to make the team. But assuming New York only keeps five defensive tackles, that only leaves one slot remaining.
New York Giants defensive tackles. Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images.
You would think Jamison-Travis would lock down that final spot, and I certainly think it should be him. He was a terrific run-stopper at Auburn, and at 6-foot-3, 328 pounds, he has the size the Giants want for the position. He also picked up his first sack during New York's preseason win over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday.
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But the rookie has also gotten the short end of the stick in terms of his reps during training camp practices, and Fotu seems to have been prioritized.
Going with Fotu over Jamison-Travis would be a pretty big mistake given how little the former has shown over his first six NFL seasons.
The 28-year-old is now on his fifth different team for a reason: he simply isn't very good. He isn't great at defending the run, and he has managed just 4.5 sacks throughout his career. His size (6-foot-5, 330 pounds) is certainly intriguing, but it hasn't actually translated into on-field success.
Like it or not, the Giants are still a rebuilding team who should be looking to accumulate young talent moving forward. And while Jamison-Travis (25) is a bit old for a rookie, he is still several years younger than Fotu, who has already shown everyone who he is.
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New York's DT5 probably won't play a whole lot this fall anyway, but I would still prefer to have Jamison-Travis, a first-year player with potential, occupying that role than a journeyman veteran.
Fotu should be the obvious roster cut here as Aug. 30 (cutdown day) approaches, but we'll see what the Giants decide to do.
