The New York Giants announced a slew of roster moves on Sunday afternoon. Included in the news was the designation of franchise player Leonard Williams to the non-football injury list, as well as the release of eight players, four veterans and four rookies. In return, allowing Big Blue to get under the newly-installed 80-man roster limit by the NFL.
However, New York’s roster turnover didn’t end there. Wide receiver and return specialist, Da’Mari Scott, informed the team that he has decided to opt-out of the 2020 season. Scott now joins offensive tackle Nate Solder, who announced his intentions to forgo the coming season on Wednesday, as the lone two Giants players thus far to opt-out of playing.
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Giants WR, Return Specialist Da’Mari Scott Opts-Out
Scott entered the NFL with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted rookie free agent back in 2018. He spent the majority of his rookie season bouncing around Cleveland’s practice squad and active roster before ultimately being waived in early-December.
Scott was quickly scooped up by the Buffalo Bills, appearing in five games with the team to close out the season. However, Buffalo would ultimately opt to waive Scott at the start of the training camp the following year, leading to his arrival in New York.
The Giants claimed Scott off of waivers following his release from Buffalo last July. Scott spent time on Big Blue’s practice squad in 2019 before being elevated to the team’s active roster in late-November. Scott would go on to appear in five games with the Giants last season, hauling in two receptions for 22-yards, while adding five yards rushing on one carry.
Scott Was in the Running to Be Giants’ Return Specialist
Scott showed his most promise in the return game. He returned four kickoffs for 110 yards, culminating in a 27.5 average. While certainly a limited sample size, the fact that only two primary kick returners in football averaged more yards per return than Scott did last season was certainly intriguing. He also chipped in 32 yards on six punt returns.
Prior to his opt-out, Scott was expected to battle the likes of Corey Coleman and UDFA Javon Leake in hopes of filling the return-man void left behind by Cody Latimer in free agency. Latimer, now with the Washington Redskins, ranked sixth-best in yards per kickoff return in 2019 with a 23.8-yard average.
Scott now joins an ever-growing number of players across the NFL landscape to put the opt-out option in motion over these last few days. The option was installed this offseason following an agreement between the NFL and the NFL Player’s Association in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Per CBS Sports, high-risk individuals who opt-out receive a $350,000 stipend whereas those less at risk receive a $150,000 stipend. It is unknown at the moment which category Scott would fall under.
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New York Giants Wide Receiver Opts-Out of 2020 Season