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New York Giants' Latest Move Could Signal Major Trouble
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- New York Giants' Latest Move Could Signal Major Trouble
(Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
The New York Giants are looking to get off to a 2-0 start when they face the Los Angeles Rams this Monday, and if battling a desperate Rams team on the road weren't dangerous enough, the Giants could also have added trouble afoot.
More specifically, New York is dealing with challenges in its cornerback room, and this time, I'm not talking about performance.
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Paulson Adebo did not practice on Thursday due to a knee injury. Deonte Banks was limited with a calf issue. Greg Newsome II was also limited as a result of a rib injury, although his problem does not appear to be as pressing.
And to add to the concern, the Giants signed cornerback Nikko Reed off the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad late Thursday, adding him directly to the active roster.
If that doesn't spell trouble, I don't know what does.
Reed himself played five games for the Chargers last season, logging 50 defensive snaps and 26 snaps on special teams. During that time, he registered two tackles and one pass defended. That is the extent of his NFL experience.
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Hopefully, New York won't have to use him on Monday night, but the fact that the Giants felt the need to immediately place Reed on the 53-man roster is not a good sign.
Big Blue's cornerback room was a major issue all offseason. Adebo lost his starting job a year after signing a three-year, $54 million contract with the team, and while Banks and Newsome looked good in training camp, they are both former first-round disappoinments.
Colton Hood is aboard, too, but he is just a rookie.
Surprisingly, the group held up well against the Dallas Cowboys ' vaunted passing attack last Sunday, an indication that perhaps the position is not in the dire straits that many anticipated. But that might change if the Giants are missing multiple cornerbacks heading into Los Angeles .
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New York should have done a better job addressing the room during the offseason. It signed Newsome to replace Cor'Dale Flott, the club's best cornerback from last year who departed via free agency. It also drafted Hood in the second round.
And yes, the Giants did sign Thaddeus Dixon as an undrafted free agent, but watched as the North Carolina product suffered a torn Achilles very early in the offseason program.
Otherwise, New York didn't do anything else at the position, which was clearly a mistake.
Now, the Giants are relying on the scrap heaps of other teams to fix the secondary, and that sounds terrifying going into a matchup against a Super Bowl-contending Rams squad featuring Puka Nacua and Davante Adams .
