Getty New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has coached both Maurice Canady and Khalil Dorsey.
The New York Giants have signed a pair of cornerbacks — Maurice Canady and Khalil Dorsey — according to SNY and several other reports. Both players are already familiar with Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, and their signings come one week after the team parted ways with former Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry.
Canady and Dorsey both played under Martindale during his tenure with the Baltimore Ravens, although not at the same time.
ALL the latest Giants news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Giants newsletter here!
Canady, 27, was drafted in the sixth round out of Virginia by the Ravens back in 2016. He played his first three seasons in Baltimore, but was waived by the team halfway through his fourth season. He was claimed by the New York Jets and spent the rest of the 2019 season with them.
Canady became a free agent in 2020 and signed by the Dallas Cowboys, but he opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and spent all but six games on injured reserve last season.
Although he has appeared in 40 games since entering the NFL, Canady only has four career starts under his belt. He has one career interception and has only broken up six passes.
Here’s a nice interception Canady made against quarterback Matthew Stafford during joint-practices with the Los Angeles Rams last year.
Cowboys CB Maurice Canady continues to impress as he gets the interception of Rams QB Matthew Stafford #CowboysNation
Dorsey, 24, is even less experienced than Canady. He was picked up by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Arizona in 2020 and spent most of his rookie season bouncing back and forth between the practice squad and the active roster. He only appeared in six games as a rookie (recording zero interceptions or pass break ups) and spent all of last season on injured reserve.
Neither one of these players is likely to perform up to the level of Bradberry, who started 31 games for the Giants before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday. They will, however, bolster a unit that was looking a little thin after Bradberry’s departure.
The Giants’ New-Look Cornerback Depth Chart
Canady and Dorsey will be in the mix for reps during training camp, but neither one is likely to secure a starting job at cornerback. Right now, the front-runners to start on the outside are veteran Adoree’ Jackson (the team’s third highest-paid player with a 2022 cap hit of $9.3 million, per Spotrac) and 2021 third-round pick Aaron Robinson.
Head coach Brian Daboll was recently asked whether Robinson has what it takes to be a starter on the outside.
Daboll on whether Aaron Robinson can be an outside corner: “yeah. We’ll see.”
“Yeah,” Daboll said, per Patricia Traina of GiantsCountry.com. “We’ll see.”
Canady could push for reps in the nickelback role, where the Giants should have an open competition. Other players in the mix for that job are third-year cornerback Darnay Holmes and 2022 third-round pick Cordale Flott out of LSU.
Dorsey will likely be competing for a roster spot among the rest of New York’s cornerbacks. The four other cornerbacks on the roster are Jarren Williams, Rodarius Williams, Darren Evans (UDFA) and Zyon Gilbert (UDFA).
When Will The Giants See James Bradberry Again?
Bradberry’s decision to sign with the Eagles could mean that he wants revenge on the Giants for releasing him. The Giants and Eagles don’t play each other until Week 14 (Sunday, Dec. 11), when they’ll meet at MetLife Stadium. The rematch on the road will take place in Week 18 with an exact date and time still to be determined.
Bradberry is a talented cornerback who should be very familiar with the Giants’ wide receivers after going against them in practice the past two seasons. The decision to release him was strictly a cost-cutting measure.