Opportunities are dwindling for New York Giants players to impress the coaching staff in the competitions for playing time and roster spots. With that in mind, here are some of the potential storylines for Saturday’s preseason game agains the Miami Dolphins.
Will any starters play?
The answer is probably few, if any. Head coach John Harbaugh would only go so far on Thursday as to hint that some players would sit after Thursday’s joint practice with the Dolphins.
“Certain guys, I’m sure, got enough work,” Harbaugh said. “Certain guys, we’ll
have to talk about what we want to do.”
Best guess — and it is just a guess — is that the only front-line players we will see are some of the rookies and a few of the players competing for starting jobs.
Will we see Najee Harris?
The veteran running back practiced for the first time on Tuesday. Perhaps surprisingly, he had a few carries on Thursday. Could we see Harris at least a little bit on Saturday?
I don’t know, but I would personally like to see him get a couple of carries.
Backup offensive line competition
There were some interesting developments in the competition for backup offensive line spots over the past week. Daniel Faalele was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Josh Ezeudu emerged as a second-team guard, and took reps with the first team when Francis Mauigoa left Thursday’s practice with a stinger.
Ezeudu apparently limped off the field himself on Thursday. Will we see him Saturday?
What is going on at backup center? Veteran Lucas Patrick has been considered the likely backup to John Michael Schmitz, and that is probably still the case. Patrick, however, has missed some time during camp with knee issues. That has opened the door for Bryan Hudson and Jake Kubas. Kubas, a former undrafted free agent now in his third season, was excellent at both center and guard in the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Could he push for a spot?
What about Evan Neal? He has still been working with the third team. If neither Mauigoa or Ezuedu play Saturday, though, that should provide Neal an opportunity to play a ton of snaps to make a case for a roster.
Let’s not forget rookie tackle J.C. Davis. The sixth-round pick has moved up the tackle depth chart with Ezeudu practicing at guard recently, but his path to a roster spot is not clear. Can he impress vs. the Dolphins.
Cornerback competition
Who the starters are at cornerback remains unclear. Paulson Adebo had an interception on Thursday, but he has still been taking a lot of second-team reps. If he plays Saturday, that could be a sign that he isn’t guaranteed a starting role.
Colton Hood, Deonte Banks, Greg Newsome, Art Green, and maybe even Korie Black are all battling for roles. Who will impress on Saturday?
QB3
After Brandon Allen’s disastrous two-interception performance in the second half against the Vikings, the Giants signed quarterback Jake Haener. The Giants probably are not keeping a third quarterback on the active roster, but will need one on the practice squad. Has Haener had enough time digest the playbook well enough that he could get into Saturday’s game and perhaps leapfrog Allen in an effort to earn that spot?
