The New York Giants reduced their roster to 53 players on Saturday, down from 90. 23 players were waived, seven players were waived/injured, five players were placed in injured reserve, safety Kamrin Moore was waived off the commissioner’s exempt list and wide receiver Golden Tate was placed on suspension for the first four games of the season.
There were some surprises and unexpected moves/non-moves during the process. Here’s five.
Quarterback Kyle Lauletta cut
A fourth-round selection out of Richmond and the MVP of the 2018 Senior Bowl, Lauletta had a strong preseason and even led the Giants to a comeback victory over the New England Patriots last week. The Giants apparently were seeking to trade him since he’ll likely never see the field with Eli Manning and Daniel Jones in front of him. Instead, they ended up waiving him.
Quarterback Alex Tanney kept
The flip side of the Lauletta situation. Tanney was clearly outplayed by Lauletta all summer but that didn’t matter. He is a good influence in the quarterback room and on the rookie Jones. The Giants want him around for those reasons. Why they couldn’t just make him a coach instead of burning a valuable roster spot on him, well, that is the question now isn’t it?
Linebacker B.J. Goodson kept
Goodson was a goner all summer. The Giants probably tested the market on him, too, and found no takers. He has a strong final game in the preseason but again, he was nicked up and unreliable most of the summer, running with the third string. Keion Adams’ knee injury probably forced the Giants to keep Goodson, but I would have kept Josiah Tauaefa, the UDFA out of Texas-San Antonio, who led the Giants in tackles in the preseason.
Cornerback Sam Beal kept
Beal missed his entire rookie season due to a shoulder injury and was in danger of missing his sophomore year as well. Groin and hamstring issues sidelined Beal most of the preseason and it looks like the Giants are counting on him to come around in the next few weeks. He dressed for the final preseason game but did not play. He is currently a backup behind rookie Deandre Baker until further notice.
Linebacker/long snapper Jake Carlock cut
All summer we heard how the Giants loved the energy Carlock brought to the team. The LIU product was tried at several positions, including edge rusher where he got a sack, but in the end he fell just short of a roster spot. Instead, the Giants would rather have Nate Stupar as their key extra linebacker on special teams. God forbid Stupar has to play linebacker, as we’ve seen how that can go. Carlock should have made the team. Perhaps he’ll end up on the practice squad.
