Things will be very different for the New York Giants at the wide receiver position in 2019. Gone is superstar Odell Beckham Jr., who now resides with the Cleveland Browns, and in is veteran Golden Tate.
But that won’t be the only difference for Big Blue at the position this season. Because of Tate’s presence, Sterling Shepard may see increased opportunities elsewhere, while the remaining depth has yet to be determined.
There will be a lot of moving parts at wide receiver come training camp, so here’s a quick overview of what fans can expect to see.
Golden Tate
The Giants signed Tate to a four-year, $37.5 million contract shortly after Beckham was traded to the Browns and the addition was met with quite a bit of skepticism.
The argument against Tate stemmed from his success from the slot position, which is the same position Sterling Shepard predominantly plays. However, the Giants, Tate and Shepard quickly shot down the arguments of armchair general managers, insisting that both players are capable of playing multiple positions.
“I think what makes both of us unique is that we can both play anywhere around the field,” Tate said during his introductory conference call. “My first two to three years in Detroit, and most of my career in Seattle, I was an outside guy. I feel like I can run the comebacks, the hooks and any route on the route tree just fine. I feel the same way about him and a couple of other guys in the room.
“I’m looking to find a way to complement him and I hope he finds a way to complement me in this offense. We just kind of come together and make plays all over the place. I’m expecting Eli to spread the ball around to a bunch of guys and a bunch of guys make plays.”
Moreover, Tate has brushed off any notion that he has to come in and replace Beckham’s production, instead choosing to focus on his own game and what he can do on a daily basis to help the team win.
“I’m just coming in and doing my job. I’m just coming in and putting my head down and working and do the best I can. That’s one thing that I try not to do is compare myself to really anyone. I’m kind of my own player, my own unique player. I’m just going to do my job and not put too much pressure on anyone around me, or myself,” Tate said.
The positional “conflict” aside, Tate offers the Giants something Beckham never could — health.
Tate has appeared in 15 or more games every season of his career with the exception of his very first, in which he appeared in 11 games for the Seattle Seahawks.
Additionally, Tate provides the Giants with one of the league’s best set of hands and an ability to forced missed tackles at a clip that makes him truly unique.
What Tate’s exact role is remains to be seen, but the Giants seem convinced that both he and Shepard can not only co-exist, but thrive in the presence of one another.
Sterling Shepard
After watching his good friend Odell get traded to the Browns only to have the Giants sign a receiver who plays his position, the future for Shepard seemed somewhat murky early in the offseason.
The Giants quickly corrected any notion that Shepard could be the next player sent packing, instead signing him to a four-year, $41 million extension and essentially building their young base around him.
Despite the presence of Tate, Shepard has expressed an excitement about playing alongside the veteran and what the duo can do together on the field.
“To have a guy that’s been in the league that long, and to have been around, it’s great to have people like that that you can talk to about the game. I was pretty excited, and I have no doubt in my mind that we will be successful,” Shepard told reporters in April. “We’re both the type of guys that can play inside and outside, and I think coach will use us in a similar way that he used [Vikings WR Adam] Thielen and [Vikings WR Stefon] Diggs, and them. So, I don’t see that being an issue at all.”
Shepard has excelled in the slot, but has not been entirely limited to that role, having taken just 58% of all slot snaps in 2018 compared to the 70% and 78% of slot snaps Tate saw in Detroit and Philadelphia, respectively.
However, it’s hard to ignore Shepard’s success on intermediate routes. It’s also hard to ignore the success he experienced when Beckham wasn’t on the field.
It is entirely possible — even plausible — that Shepard will excel in 2019 in the absence of Beckham and the presence of Tate, while seeing a number of snaps across the field.
It’s an interesting mix-and-match scenario the Giants have at their fingertips, and one that could help create or expose matchup advantages. Either way, Shepard will be an x-factor this coming season.
Corey Coleman
Originally the 15th overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, Corey Coleman was expected to become one of the NFL’s next great wide receivers. However, his time with the Cleveland Browns was short and he failed to live up to the hype.
Coleman was traded to the Buffalo Bills and later released prior to the start of the 2018 season, eventually joining the New England Patriots, but that, too, was short-lived.
Midway through the 2018 season Coleman found his way to the Giants and had a few brief flashes, but ultimately ended the year without any noteworthy contributions.
Here in 2019, Coleman expects that to change and believes his best is still to come thanks, in part, to familiarization with the offense and the solid people around him.
“I’ve got a lot of great people around me,” Coleman said, via Giants.com. “Starting from the ground up, you get to build a base. I get to know the Day 1 install instead of coming in halfway during the season [when it is] just game plan stuff. So it’s helped a lot.”
Coleman presents a speedy, multi-tool option for the Giants, capable of stretching the field and serving as a return man. However, with a need at WR3, they need something more than the average Coleman — they need the first-round Coleman.
“It is a big opportunity, especially him being in the offseason program with us,” said wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert. “He’s getting the whole gambit, if you will. From the very first install to the whole, you know, all the way through. Last year when he came in we were his fourth offense he’s been in, in maybe the span of three months. Now it’s just our offense the whole time, so he can grasp what we’re doing and have a solid contribution. He’s doing well this year. He’s doing much better than he did last year.”
Whether he earns the No. 3 spot or not, there’s a substantial amount of meat on the bone if Coleman wants to bite down. A career revitalization is at his fingertips.
Cody Latimer
When the Giants initially signed Latimer, they were hoping the veteran would step in and take over the WR3 role and run with it. However, injuries limited his first season in blue to just six games, 11 receptions, 190 yards and one touchdown.
There was a flash or two, which led to Latimer’s return here in 2019 where he’ll compete with the aforementioned Corey Coleman and others.
Rather than being dismayed by a large group all fighting for similar spots, Latimer looks at the unit and envisions a scenario in which they all get to eat.
“Anybody can get the ball,” Latimer told the New York Post. “You’re open, you don’t get it, that means somebody else is getting it and you’re hoping they make a play. We got an unselfish room in there. We don’t really care or actually don’t talk about it at all, who’s getting the ball.
“It’s a group effort. The group can be dominant, period.”
At 6-foot-2, Latimer is one of the Giants’ tallest receiver (Alonzo Russell holds that distinction at 6-foot-3) and could blossom into the endzone target they so desperately crave alongside tight end Evan Engram. That, of course, would be the ideal scenario for Big Blue.
Moreover, Latimer provides the Giants additional value on special teams, both as a return specialist and an All-Pro level gunner. That sort of versatility is something teams love and why Latimer is likely to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
Russell Shepard
When talking about the Giants’ wide receivers, Russell Shepard often goes over-looked, but perhaps he shouldn’t be.
A season ago, Shepard appeared in 12 games as a reserve, hauling in 10 receptions for 188 yards and two touchdowns. And while that’s nothing to write home about, Shepard embraced his spot role and was ready to produce each time his number was called.
With Beckham now a thing of the past, Shepard has the chance to step up in training camp and prove he deserves a more consistent offensive spot, thrusting him into a deep wide receiver competition.
“[The competition is] amazing, especially in the receiver room,” Shepard said, via Giants.com. “You’ve got a bunch of guys, obviously people know the Sterling Shepards, the Golden Tates of the world, but you have people like Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, and the list goes on of guys who want to prove what they can do and show why they deserve to be on this team.”
Shepard has never been a No. 1 or No. 2, but that’s not what the Giants are looking for. Instead, they’re aiming to establish a WR3 and then situate the depth behind that.
At 6-foot-1, Shepard isn’t going to be an endzone threat that dominates defensive backs with his size, but he is another piece to the puzzle, capable of playing multiple different positions — moving inside and outside — essentially allowing Pat Shurmur and Mike Shula to mix and match.
Maybe Shepard’s role in 2019 won’t be anymore pronounced than it was in 2018, but the Giants seem to like what they have in him.
Darius Slayton
After the Giants invested a fifth-round pick in him, Slayton hit an immediate wall in rookie minicamp, dropping everything that came his way and looking completely overwhelmed.
There was a brief moment of concern regarding Slayton, but rather than letting his poor rookie minicamp performance define him, the rookie hit the books, studied hard and returned to organized team activities with an attitude of determination.
Like night and day, Slayton went on to own the remainder of spring workouts, drawing the attention of his coaches and teammates alike, and cementing the fact that he could have a substantial impact in 2019.
In fact, Shurmur called Slayton “the most improved” player of the spring.
“He’s done a really good job. I think we were all here during rookie minicamp when he kind of had the yips, drops and what not. He’s really smoothed it out and he’s been making plays,” Shurmur told reporters in June. “He’s the first guy that comes to mind. This time of year, it’s more about throwing and catching and less about blocking and tackling. I think the young guys in the secondary have been competing, all of the new players. That’s a good thing.”
Like some others, Slayton isn’t going to beat defensive backs with his size (6-foot-1), but his blazing speed could cause opponents all sorts of fits.
Slayton put that 4.39 speed on display at times this spring, wowing those looking on and making his coaching staff drool with the possibilities.
Originally looking like a practice squad player, Slayton has a very real chance to carry over his success from this spring and potentially earn himself a spot on the 53-man roster and a significant offensive role.
Training camp is a big deal for all rookies, but it will be huge for Slayton.
The others
Beyond the “big” names, the Giants also have Alonzo Russell, Reggie White Jr., Brittan Golden, Alex Wesley and Bennie Fowler filling out their wide receiver depth.
Russell originally signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after going undrafted out of Toledo in 2016, spending time on their practice squad before doing the same with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017. He joined the Giants a year ago, spending much of the season on their practice squad before being promoted for a single game. He is a candidate for more of the same in 2019.
White Jr., who was notoriously given Odell Beckham’s former No. 13, joined the Giants as an undrafted rookie out of Monmouth and had a few brief flashes this spring, but ultimately quieted down. The rookie faces an uphill battle.
Golden is an eight-year NFL veteran and career role-player, primarily playing special teams. He provides the Giants a knowledgeable option in the receivers room and another option to return kicks and punts, but could be the odd man out in a deep battle for roster spots.
Wesley is another undrafted rookie free agent — he’s out of Northern Colorado — and could be an interesting prospect to watch throughout training camp. In his final two college seasons, he caught 112 passes for 2,060 yards and 10 touchdowns, but it’s his track star past that could come into play. He’s undersized, but exceptionally fast and the Giants do seem determined to improve their overall team speed.
Finally, there’s the veteran Bennie Fowler — a favorite inside the Giants’ locker-room. However, like Alonzo Russell, Fowler has primarily served in a reserve role throughout his career, which he did again in 2018, coming on strong at the end of the season. If anyone from this group is likely to escape the fray and earn a spot on the 53-man roster, it’s Fowler.
