The New York Giants used a third-round pick to select Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal in the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft last July only to see him injure his shoulder almost upon arrival and spend the rest of his rookie season on injured reserve.
This season, with his shoulder healed, Beal was slotted for a starting corner role across from veteran Janoris Jenkins but the Giants threw him another curve by trading up in the first round of this year’s draft to grab Georgia’s Deandre Baker.
That competition was short-lived. Beal tweaked his hamstring and Baker his knee sending both of them to the sidelines for several weeks. Both players were back practicing on Sunday but its uncertain whether either will play in the team’s preseason finale against New England this coming Thursday.
Beal was possibly facing the second-longest football season of his life until this week and still may be if he can’t answer the bell before the Giants make their final roster cuts next Saturday at 4:00pm.
It would be a major disappointment if Beal is placed on IR again this year, even if it’s short-term IR, which is eight weeks. If he doesn’t show progress this week, the team will have a hard choice to make – do they keep him on the 53 and wait for him to heal properly or do they use on of their two short term IR slots on him?
The best case scenario is that he is close to 100% for the opener on Sept 8 in Dallas. He doesn’t have to be a starter right away. As long as he can contribute in some form or fashion as to not waste away mentally and physically for the first six weeks of the season.
Beal is confident. That is a good sign. Giant fans won’t be convinced until they see him out on the field and doing what the team drafted him to do – shut down wide receivers.
