The Giants are doing everything they can to scramble for interior offensive line depth with the regular season just 11 days away.
On Tuesday, they acquired guard/center Ben Bredeson from the Baltimore Ravens via trade in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round draft pick. The Giants also received a 2022 fifth-round choice and a 2023 seventh-round selection from the Ravens, along with Bredeson.
This trade came less than 24 hours after the Giants sent defensive lineman and former 2018 third-round pick B.J. Hill to the Cincinnati Bengals for guard/center B.J. Price. The Giants dealt their conditional seventh-round 2022 draft pick to the Bengals in exchange for Price.
And after it was discovered by Dan Duggan of The Athletic that projected starting left guard Shane Lemieux has a partially torn patellar tendon in his knee, Bredeson and Price could find themselves playing more significant snaps for the Giants this season.
Bredeson was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth-round of the 2020 draft at pick No. 143 overall. The Michigan Wolverine product played in 10 games for the Ravens during his rookie season, with most of his snaps coming on special teams.
The Ravens also used Bredeson as an extra offensive lineman in special heavy packages. Bredeson made his NFL debut against Washington on October 4 and was inactive for a total of six games, including the first three of the year.
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Giants Round out Practice Squad
The Giants had to make a slew of tough decisions this week, cutting some of their talented young players in order to trim down their roster to 53 spots ahead of the regular season.
A few names who they were able to keep around on the practice squad include: wide receiver Matt Cole, wide receiver David Sills, wide receiver Damion Wills, tight end Nakia Griffin-Stewart, tight end Jake Hausmann, offensive linemen: Kenny Wiggins, Jackson Barton, Jake Burton and Brett Heggie, as well as defensive linemen Willie Henry and David Moa.
They also retained linebacker Niko Lalos and defensive back Jordyn Peters, along with running back Sandro Platzgummer, who will be on the practice team for the second straight year, as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.
Practice squad:
WR Matt Cole
WR David Sills
WR Damion Willis
TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
TE Jake Hausmann
OL Kenny Wiggins
OL Jackson Barton
OL Jake Burton
OL Brett Heggie
DL David Moa
DL Willie Henry
OLB Niko Lalos
DB Jordyn Peters
*RB Sandro Platzgummer will spend second season…
Tight End Depth
In addition to their thin offensive line, the Giants’ tight end room is also banged up after Evan Engram suffered a calf injury in their preseason finale with the Patriots on Sunday.
With Engram’s status for Week 1 uncertain, the Giants have veteran free agent signing Kyle Rudolph on the mend from offseason foot surgery. While Rudolph was able to avoid starting the season on the PUP list, which would have kept him out for the first six games, his availability for Week 1 is also unknown.
Beyond this tandem, Levine Toilolo is on injured reserve after tearing his Achilles this offseason. This leaves Kaden Smith, as the last man standing. Smith, who caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Jones on Sunday, is currently the only healthy tight end on the Giants with legitimate experience.
Smith burst onto the scene down the stretch of the 2019 season with 31 receptions for 268 yards and three touchdowns. However, he was mostly used as a blocker last year, resulting in a mere 18 catches for 112 yards and 0 scores.
In 2021, the Giants could lean on Smith more in the passing game, and he has shown in the past that he is a more than capable option as a receiver.
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Giants Trade for More OL Help, Receive Former 4th-Round Pick