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The New York Giants set the table for a Monday morning roster move when they cut UFL standout running back Jacob Saylors on August 11.
Considering Drew Lock’s recent injuries and Daniel Jones’ preseason pitch count, most expected the new addition to come at quarterback. Some even pegged Nathan Rourke as the guy they’d bring back, being that he spent the early portion of the spring and summer with the Giants.
Big Blue did not go that direction, however, as head coach Brian Daboll announced a new running back signing on August 12. “[The] Giants are signing former [Jacksonville] Jaguars, Akron and Florida RB Lorenzo Lingard, Brian Daboll says,” relayed New York Daily News beat reporter Pat Leonard.
A ho-hum transaction considering the NYG depth at RB. But what’s likely more important is what this signing tells us about the QB room.
“Daboll said they still don’t plan to add a QB,” The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported after the news. “He said Drew Lock is progressing. Sounds like he could suit up as an emergency QB on Saturday.”
As we know, Jones is also expected to take the field in a live game situation for the first time since his torn ACL during the second preseason outing.
So, with the health of the quarterback room improving, the Giants elect to stick with their current core trio of Jones, Lock and Tommy DeVito. Positive news for all three, even if the injury depth at QB is somewhat worrisome.
Lorenzo Lingard Joins Crowded RB Room With Giants
During a new 53-man roster projection on August 12, NorthJersey.com beat writer Art Stapleton had all four of the Giants running backs making the Week 1 team.
“[Devin] Singletary has been solid this summer and the rest of the position made a splash in the preseason opener with the veteran sitting out with the rest of the starters,” Stapleton explained.
Continuing: “[Tyrone] Tracy, the fifth-round rookie, has looked as explosive as advertised, especially when he hits the corner. He runs through traffic with patience and precision. [Eric] Gray was the big winner in the game against the [Detroit] Lions, showing his versatility as a receiver and a runner, a big boost to his profile right now. [Dante] Miller has shown why he’s nicknamed ‘Turbo’ and his speed is evident. He could play his way onto the roster as a returner, and could also land on the [practice squad] and be in the mix as a game day elevation.”
Stapleton concluded that he’s currently “keeping four backs knowing that all are good enough to have a role on this team.”
That obviously doesn’t leave much of an opportunity for Lingard. The undrafted rookie transferred twice in college, going from the Miami Hurricanes to the Florida Gators and then finally ending up with the Akron Zips.
His best season by far came with Akron in 2023, rushing for 641 yards and adding another 368 yards through the air. All told, it was a 1,000-yard campaign for Lingard from scrimmage.
Although Lingard put together better yards per carry averages at Miami and Florida, he didn’t truly get an RB1 workload until moving to Akron. That’s where he flashed his NFL potential.
Giants QB Tommy DeVito Set up With Major Preseason Opportunity in 2024
After achieving phenom status — at least from a popularity standpoint — as a rookie, DeVito was relegated to a QB3 battle to start the offseason program. As expected, DeVito beat out Rourke with ease, but he was also clearly behind Jones and Lock on the depth chart.
Then Lock’s disaster in the preseason opener changed things a bit.
Lock is still expected to be the Giants’ backup quarterback when all is said and done. After all, the front office guaranteed him just under $5 million.
Having said that, DeVito has a massive preseason opportunity to make his case with Jones and Lock recovering from injury and no other QB4 on the roster. If he can resurrect some of that rookie magic, there could be a roster spot with DeVito’s name on it come Week 1.
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