The Giants' currently have the maximum eight players on the practice squad. The most intriguing players at the moment include one wideout who impressed coaches in camp and a defensive end who could fill in at linebacker and has even played at tight end.
There are basically two reasons a practice squad player could be called up: He plays his way onto the squad or injuries force Giants brass to bring him up early.
Four of the current eight stand a better chance of making the active roster in the coming weeks and they are the players to watch on the practice squad.
David Douglas
David Douglas, the Arizona rookie, impressed head coach Tom Coughlin.
Coughlin praised Douglas, saying he “had a heck of a preseason†and was one hell of a hard worker.
Douglas did a good job separating himself from the second-tier receivers in the preseason, and likely would have made the roster but for the emergence of Ramses Barden as a big target over the middle.
Throughout camp and the preseason he showed the athleticism, good hands and toughness that made him a standout at Arizona.
In fact, the Cowboys showed some interest in Douglas before he eventually made it through waivers and was re-signed by the G-Men days before the season opener.
Matt Broha
Laron Scott, a solid tackler but somewhat weak cover man, could be next up in the Giants' secondary if one more player goes down.
Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Another Giant who saw interest from several teams after a solid camp was defensive end, Matt Broha, the versatile Louisiana Tech product.
Broha was an underrated college pass-rusher whom many scouts projected as a possible outside linebacker.
In camp he showed a knack for getting to the ball, with first-step quickness and good use of his hands.
Broha piqued the interest of several teams before the Giants re-signed him the same day as Douglas.
Giants brass praised him for his ability to get behind the line of scrimmage and his determination, always playing until the whistle blew.
Given the rash of injuries to the Giants defensive backfield the most likely players to be called up from the practice squad to the active roster include two defensive backs.
Laron Scott
Georgia Southern standout Laron Scott made a name for himself as an explosive kick returner in collegeâ€"he actually ran one back 95-yards against eventual BCS Champion Alabama last season.
But given the Giants had to dig deep into their third and fourth string after multiple injuries in the secondary, Scott could be one more injury away from seeing time in the Giants secondary.
Versatile defensive end Matt Broha could also help out at outside linebacker should the G-Men need some relief.
The Star-Ledger-US PRESSWIRE
Scott spent most of the preseason with the New Orleans Saints, where he ran one kick back 67 yards for a score, before being released and picked up by the Giants a few days ago.
The 5'9", 179-pound Scott should not be ignored at defensive back though. He had a dozen interceptions at Georgia Southern, showing good hands and great vision.
Terrence Frederick
The Giants picked up Texas A&M product Terrence Frederick on Monday after he was waived by the Steelers.
Despite his 5'10", 187-pound frame, scouts love that Frederick is not afraid to hit and is comfortable blitzing and mixing it up behind the line.
The defensive back has spunk, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get on the field. His big weakness, scouts say, is his cover skills.
Still, the seventh-round draft choice could play some nice nickel back if the Giants injury bug continues to surface and he would be a valuable asset on special teams.
No comments:
Post a Comment