The New York Giants relayed a roster cut on the evening of May 8, according to NYG team reporter Dan Salomone.
“Roster move: The Giants waived DL Casey Rogers,” Salomone noted on X.
Rogers impressed enough last summer to be offered a spot on the Giants’ practice squad. Eventually, he was even called up to the active roster later in the season.
Unfortunately, Rogers failed to leave his mark during his two regular season appearances. Over 33 defensive snaps and another 9 on special teams, the rookie did not record any statistics.
Before joining the Giants as an undrafted prospect, Rogers spent three years at Nebraska and two at Oregon. He accumulated 3.0 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss throughout his collegiate career, with 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 4 pass defenses and 1 interception for a touchdown.
Giants Beefed Up on Defensive Line in 2025, Leading to Casey Rogers Cut
Rogers feels like a victim of circumstance here, although one could argue that he was unable to seize his opportunity in 2024.
This offseason, the Giants made a calculated effort to beef up their defensive line. Alongside superstar Dexter Lawrence, NYG first added a versatile free agent in Chauncey Golston and multiple interior defensive linemen — including veterans Roy Robertson-Harris and Jeremiah Ledbetter, as well as UDFA Trace Ford.
Then, in the NFL draft, Big Blue was very happy to land third-round pick Darius Alexander. Not to mention, versatile first-round edge rusher Abdul Carter.
All of these newcomers made Rogers expendable, as the Giants now have a logjam of players on the defensive line.
The question is: Who will survive this competitive roster battle after training camp?
Giants Not Giving Up on Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jordon Riley or D.J. Davidson Just Yet
In cutting Rogers, Big Blue also gave a few holdovers a momentary vote of confidence. Those three players are Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jordon Riley and D.J. Davidson.
Nunez-Roches was a clear cut candidate this offseason, but the Giants elected to keep him around for spring and summer activities — at least so far. Even now, NYG can shed $3.6 million in cap space if they decide to release the soon-to-be 32-year-old.
With that in mind, all signs appear to be pointing toward Nunez-Roches getting the opportunity to compete for a spot this summer.
The same can be said about Riley and Davidson, two underwhelming recent draft picks. Riley was a seventh-rounder in 2023, while Davidson was a fifth-rounder in 2022.
Last season, Nunez-Roches played the most of the three, with 608 defensive snaps according to Pro Football Focus. Davidson was next with 261, followed by Riley with 248.
It’s notable that UDFA Elijah Chatman jumped both Davidson and Riley in terms of playing time as a rookie. Needless to say, each of the former late-round prospects’ backs will be right up against the wall from June through August.
If you count Golston, the Giants currently have 10 potential D-linemen on the 90-man roster. Let’s say NYG keeps just three outside linebackers, plus Golston as a hybrid, that would likely leave room for five or six interior defensive linemen.
With four of those spots reserved for Lawrence, Alexander, Robertson-Harris and Chatman, barring injury, that doesn’t leave much room for the others.
In theory, the trio of Nunez-Roches, Davidson and Riley might even be competing with one another — as well as someone like Ledbetter — for the final roster spot on the defensive line.
Giants Cut Undrafted Success Story From 2024: Report