Getty New York Giants add to their secondary.
The New York Giants closed out their whirlwind weekend of roster moves by placing two projected defensive starters on injured reserve, in linebacker David Mayo and safety Xavier McKinney. Both players are currently rehabbing after undergoing surgery two weeks ago.
Despite their varying timetables, both Mayo and McKinney are eligible to return to the Giants’ active roster once they’ve missed at least three games.
Mayo, an Underrated Loss for the Giants
Mayo, the team’s returning leading tackler from a season ago, had a breakout campaign in 2019, the first as a member of the Giants. A former fifth-round selection of Dave Gettleman’s back in Carolina, Mayo appeared in all 16 games in 2019, posting career-highs in starts (13), tackles (82), tackles for loss (5) and sacks (2). His 72.9 overall Pro Football Focus grade also ranked as his best mark since 2016.
Mayo’s placement on IR makes the Ryan Connelly release all the more surprising. Expect a duo of Devante Downs and Mr. Irrelevant, Tae Crowder, to fill the void left behind by Mayo, both of whom enjoyed standout training camps.
The Giants also have linebacker Blake Martinez, the big-ticket free agent who came over from the Packers this offseason after a three-year streak of ranking no less than No. 3 in tackles across the NFL.
What are the Giants’ Plans at Safety?
While Mayo is only expected to miss approximately a month of gameplay, McKinney’s timetable for a return is far less certain. The hope in New York is that the 2019 first-team All-SEC selection can make his NFL debut come Week 12 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
With McKinney’s future playing status up for grabs, the Giants added some reinforcement on the backend of their defense on Sunday, reuniting former Dolphins safety Adrian Colbert with defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Colbert started five of his six games under the watchful eye of Graham in Miami a season ago. The safety has accumulated 80 tackles and eight passes defended over his three-year career since entering the league as a seventh-round draft pick out of the University of Miami.
Colbert will likely be given the opportunity to see the field fairly early in New York, especially with the release of last year’s backup, Sean Chandler.
The Giants are slated to roll out Julian Love and Jabrill Peppers as their starting duo at safety on Monday night vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. You can also expect the versatile Logan Ryan to be sprinkled in at the position as well.
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Giants Fill Mayo & McKinney’s Roster Spots
With two added vacancies on the roster, Big Blue opted to fill the voids with a couple of familiar faces. The Giants announced the re-signing of tight end Eric Tomlinson and defensive back Brandon Williams on Sunday evening, one day after both players failed to make the team’s initial 53-man roster.
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