New York Giants headlines for Thursday

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

1-on-1 with Dexter Lawrence: Sexy Dexy on being great, Leonard Williams, losing, and more | Big Blue View

BBV's Ed Valentine sat down with New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence for an exclusive interview in which Lawrence talks about how much he hates losing, yearns to be great, wants to finish his career as a Giant, and is trying to learn to play the saxophone.

Unofficial depth chart for New York Giants vs. Cincinnati Bengals | Giants.com

The New York Giants released their second unofficial depth chart ahead of Sunday’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. As always, it is subject to change and simply serves as a guide more so for the media than the coaches.

Three Recent Waiver Wire Transactions That Could Interest New York Giants | Sports Illustrated

NFL teams had to trim their training camp rosters from 90 to 85 on Tuesday. With the Giants always looking to add talent, here are a few names they might consider looking at including WR Andrew Parchment, H-back Jamal Pettigrew and LB Kamal Martin.

Ranking Each NFL Defense for 2022 | The Ringer

29. New York Giants. We know what new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale wants to do: blitz and play man coverage. He continued with that formula last year, but the Ravens were decimated by injuries, and they fell apart. Now for the second year in a row, Martindale might not have the personnel to play the way he wants to play. The Giants’ pass rush has upside—corner, on the other hand, could be a huge concern.

It’s early, but Giants are heading into regular season with plenty of red flags on offense | SNY

This is the point of the summer where the offense is supposed to catch up to the defense — start winning days. Instead, Daniel Jones and the Giants are in a full-on regression. SNY’s Connor Hughes opined that if Sunday’s disastrous 6-of-20 passing clinic didn’t illustrate that, Monday’s ineptitude did.

Calling the two days rough is a disservice to anything else with that label. Take this into consideration: Brian Daboll held a get-right day on Tuesday, running his team through a padless string of 7-on-7 drills. Sports science suggested a dial-back? Maybe. But it felt more like when Warden Hazen met with Paul Crewe.

You don’t want to freak out yet, but this much is evident as the Giants approach their second preseason game against the Bengals on Sunday: The offense needs to get better, and get better quick.

Fantasy football daily notes - Saquon Barkley's huge workload | ESPN

Giants reporter Jordan Raanan believes Saquon Barkley's 2022 workload "will be huge" if he's healthy, as laid out in our NFL Nation fantasy insights roundup.

What it means in fantasy: After a suboptimal 2021 season, Barkley, the RB15 in our draft trends, is positioned for a huge opportunity share and a bounce-back season. If you need a running back in the second round of your fantasy football draft, don't overlook Barkley. In what should be a much improved Giants offense under Brian Daboll, he is firmly on the RB1 radar as the Penn State graduate is expected to be used at running back, slot receiver, wide receiver and motion receiver.

Vegas still has QB Daniel Jones as the overwhelming favorite to be the starter against Tennessee in Week 1 this year

Daniel Jones not fazed by Giants passing on 5th-year option | NJ.com

Here is what he said on Sirius XM NFL Radio:

“You can’t think about it too much, you can’t worry about it. Coming in, understanding that there’s going to be a lot of change this year, there’s new people that I haven’t had the chance to be around, work with, and go through a season with. That was a piece of it. In a lot of ways you’re starting over ... doing everything I can to put the team in position to win games, and letting the rest take care of itself.”

Evan Neal: NY Giants rookie on training camp growing pains | The Record

Neal promises he is undaunted in his quest to be the best.

“I haven’t lost any confidence. I just need to continue to play my game, let everything come to me,” Neal shared in an interview with NorthJersey.com and USA TODAY Network after Monday’s practice. “I’m not going to force anything. I’m going to continue to, I like to call it, just keep swinging the axe. I’m going to chop that tree, the game’s gonna come to me and I’m going to get better and better. I see it coming.”

Giants need more — much more — from ‘enigma’ WR Kenny Golladay | Big Blue View

Golladay knows he needs to be better than he was last year, but early 2022 results are not encouraging. BBV’s Ed Valentine write that Giants’ fans are frustrated by years of losing and by the mistakes of the previous regime that have prolonged a dark period for the franchise that has now lasted a decade.

When Golladay failed to make a play early in training camp, a fan jeered him because of his contract. When Golladay dropped a pass during the preseason opener, and appeared to be lackadaisical while doing it, Giants Twitter (and Big Blue View commenters) lit him up. When fans watch training camp videos, they can’t help but point out the difference in athleticism between the 6’4, 213-pound Golladay and some of his smaller, shiftier teammates.

10 potential trade candidates before Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season | PFF

DARIUS SLAYTON, NEW YORK GIANTS

Projected trade value: 2023 sixth-round pick Team fits: Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans

Slayton burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2019 with eight touchdown receptions and a 15.4 yards per reception average, a top-25 mark at wide receiver. Since then, he has moved in the wrong direction on the depth chart and now finds himself behind a collection of guys including Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, rookie Wan’Dale Robinson and eventually Sterling Shepard when he returns from injury. Slayton has one year remaining on an elevated salary of $2.54 million.

Graham Gano’s perfect day reminds Giants just how good he is | New York Post

How about Graham Gano? There is plenty of evidence just how good he is, and he made it look easy on a 75-degree morning Monday. He was perfect on his field goal attempts, finishing off by nailing a 58-yarder that had no trouble sailing through the uprights with plenty of room to spare.

The moment co-owner John Mara made the Ring of Honor announcement to those being inducted and the team

This week’s opponent

Joe Burrow reveals appendix ruptured: “It wasn’t normal appendicitis” | ProFootballTalk

At the time, Joe Burrow‘s appendectomy July 26 sounded like a routine procedure. But instead of his appendix being merely inflamed, the quarterback’s appendix had ruptured.

“It wasn’t normal appendicitis that you hear about,” Burrow said. “I didn’t really feel much. Just getting checked out and had some discomfort, so we thought we’d get it checked out. Turns out I had it. So we had to get it fixed.”

Burrow’s hospital stay resulted in a weight loss, though he declined to reveal how much weight he lost. He watched practices from a medical cart when he returned to camp and finally was cleared to begin throwing again two weeks after the procedure.

“You’re in a hospital for however many days and you start to feel like a sick person,” Burrow said. “So you want to get back out with the guys and feel healthy again....We have a good plan as far as nutrition and weight room and all that stuff. I feel good right now and just going to keep feeling better.”

Kendric Pryor impresses Zac Taylor while pushing for Bengals 53-man roster | Cincy Jungle

The Cincinnati Bengals still have several spots on the final 53-man roster up for grabs, and wide receiver Kendric Pryor, an undrafted free agent, has been making his claim for one of them.

Pryor has impressed head coach Zac Taylor and had arguably the most impressive game of any Bengals last week. He ended the outing, getting thrown balls by Brandon Allen, Drew Pitt, and Jake Browning, with four receptions, 89 yards, and a touchdown. Pitt went 6-for-6 and had the only Bengals passing touchdown of the evening to Pryor.

“He’s been the most improved player since the springtime. What he did over the summer, I don’t know. Just making the most of his opportunities this training camp,” Taylor said Monday.

Bengals sign Javaris Davis, who once decleated Joe Burrow; waive Bookie Radley-Hiles | Cincy Jungle

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed free agent cornerback Javaris Davis and waived cornerback Bookie Radley-Hiles, the team announced Wednesday. Davis, weighing in at 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds, is a first-year player by way of the Auburn Tigers. He was originally a college free agent signee of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020. He spent time on the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and played in one game for the Dolphins last year.

Around the league

Chucky Howley, Joe Klecko, Ken Riley senior finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 | NFL.com

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that linebacker Chuck Howley, defensive lineman Joe Klecko and defensive back Ken Riley are the three senior finalists for the Class of 2023. Klecko was a dominant interior presence for the New York Jets from 1977 to 1988. His since-adjusted 20.5 sacks total in the 1981 season led the league and led to his first of two first-team All-Pro selections. Klecko also made four Pro Bowls during his time with the Jets and finished his career with an unofficial sack total of 78. (sacks did not become an official NFL statistic until 1982.)

Panthers, Patriots frustrated by fights derailing joint practices for second straight day | NFL.com

Joint practices between the Panthers and Patriots have not gone smoothly this week. Fights have peppered both sessions, with multiple players being ejected the past two days.

On Wednesday, the conflict sprang up once more when Panthers safety Kenny Robinson flattened Patriots returner Kristian Wilkerson in what was supposed to be a “thud” (not full contact) drill. Robinson stood over Wilkerson, who was in visible distress, NFL Network’s Mike Giardi reported, sparking a fracas.

That wasn’t the last of it. Another scuffle broke out when Christian McCaffrey — the Panthers’ star running back who has missed most of the last two seasons due to injury — was knocked down and visibly angered, enough to engage what was essentially the entire Patriots defense. During that fracas, a fan was clipped by a helmet. She was later deemed to be OK and received free tickets to an upcoming game, per Giardi.

Safety Derwin James agrees to 4-year, $76.5 million extension with Chargers | PFF

The Los Angeles Chargers and star safety Derwin James have agreed on a four-year, $76.5 million extension with $42 million guaranteed. The $19.1 million per year average makes James the highest-paid safety in NFL history, surpassing Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who recently topped the market with his four-year, $73 million extension. James was taken six picks after Fitzpatrick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

James’ $42 million in total guarantees represent a $4 million raise over Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams’ $38 million on his deal signed last offseason. He also receives $29 million in new cash through 2023, a nearly $4 million increase over Fitzpatrick’s extension.

Deshaun Watson suspension: NFL, NFLPA negotiating potential settlement as appeal ruling looms | CBSSports.com

Deshaun Watson’s immediate NFL future currently lies in the hands of former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey, designated by the league to hear the appeal of initial disciplinary recommendations for the Browns quarterback. With Harvey’s deliberation looming, however, the NFL and NFL Players Association are in “active settlement negotiations,” according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones and the result likely to allow him to take the field in 2022.

Seahawks QB Drew Lock tests positive for COVID, out for Thursday start vs. Bears | NFL.com

Drew Lock was running with the Seattle Seahawks No. 1s at Tuesday’s practice and was slated to start his team’s second preseason game Thursday against the visiting Chicago Bears, but has tested positive for COVID and is now out for the game.

Kirk Cousins returns from COVID, in time for joint practice with 49ers | ProFootballTalk

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is back from a five-day COVID hiatus for two days of practices with the 49ers. Cousins said he was feeling “a little lousy” last Thursday, resulting in the COVID test. By rule (as of 2022) he was required to stay away for five days. He says he’s now “feeling good” and “ready to go.” He explained that the five days fell at a good time, if he was going to miss any time during camp, given the travel to and from Nevada and the day off on Monday.

In case you missed it

• Sharp Football Analysis position group previews: Where do the Giants rank?
• Film analysis: The Giants’ battle for RB3

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