The New York Giants have been headlined by Odell Beckham Jr. in recent seasons, but with his trade to the Cleveland Browns earlier this year, it’s left the team with a couple big names at the top and hodgepodge of players behind them.
But Russell Shepard, a member of that hodgepodge unit, insists they should not be overlooked, discounted or brushed aside.
“[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.”
At any given point last season, Shepard, Latimer, Fowler and, of course, Corey Coleman stepped up and made their presence felt, proving to the Giants that they could all make a big play when called upon.
This year, they’ve added fifth-round rookie Darius Slayton, who was wildly impressive during the offseason working program, and undrafted rookie Reggie White Jr. to the fray, creating a deep competition ahead of training camp.
Needless to say, it’s going to be a deep competition come training camp, which should help bring out the best in each player.
All in all, it’s a good problem for the Giants to have despite the naysayers. Each player in the room is capable of playing every receiver position, which provides valuable versatility for the Giants, but also means a few really good players are going to be sent on their way when all is said and done.
