The New York Giants entered the offseason needing to upgrade upon their tight end position. That need grew exponentially over the month of March as the team released veteran Kyle Rudolph in a cap-saving move, cut Kaden Smith after a failed physical and lost the services of Evan Engram to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
Starting with an essentially blank slate at the position, general manager Joe Schoen and company took their first step in reconfiguring the group on Wednesday, March 16, when they agreed to terms with Ricky Seals-Jones. According to the team’s official website, the move is pending a physical.
Seals-Jones, 27, started six games for the Washington Commanders a season ago, registering 271 yards and two touchdowns on 30 receptions. In Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season, Seals-Jones hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass against the Giants — a game that is remembered for Dexter Lawrence’s offside penalty that led to a Dustin Hopkins game-winning field goal at the end of regulation.
Seals-Jones Has Bounced Around the NFL
Joining his fifth team in six seasons, the 6-foot-5-inch, 243-pound Seals-Jones has 90 catches for 1,044 yards and 10 touchdowns in 54 career games, spanning across stints with Washington, the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. His most productive campaign came in 2018 when the then-second-year pass-catcher hauled a career-best 34 receptions for 343 yards.
A former wide receiver at Texas A&M, Seals-Jones arrived at College Station as a five-star recruit (via 247 Sports) and the No. 2 athlete in the nation. Like the departed Engram, he does the most of his damage as a receiver out of the slot.
While the Giants will almost certainly add more bodies to the position group before the start of 2022 season, Seals-Jones is by far the early favorite to inherit the starting gig left behind by Engram as he joins a tight end room consisting of Jake Hausmann, Rysen John and Chris Myarick.
Giants Find Their Center
One the same day Seals-Jones agreed to terms with the Giants, New York officially signed veteran offensive lineman Jon Feliciano.
📍 @MongoFeliciano’s in the building
Feliciano has started 43 NFL games throughout his seven-year career. Of those 43 starts, all but two have come at either of the guard positions. However, now in East Rutherford, Feliciano is being given the opportunity to play the position he’s long felt he is best suited for.
“I’ve been in a lot of people’s ears for a lot of years trying to get into the center position,” Feliciano said during a Zoom call on March 16. “I honestly think it’s my best position, and I’m just really excited to finally get to show what I’ve got… It was definitely – I wanted to play center. There were other teams that were talking, and I believe in myself, and I believe that the center position is where I’ll be best. Thankfully, (offensive line coach) Bobby [Johnson] and (head coach) [Brian] Daboll agreed and we got it to work out.”
Feliciano, like the majority of the newer additions to New York’s roster, has ties to Johnson and Daboll. The trio spent the past three seasons working alongside one another with the Buffalo Bills. As for Feliciano’s relationship with Johnson specifically, the two were together in Oakland from 2015-2017 with the Raiders.
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Giants Sign 6-Foot-5 Starting Pass-Catcher from NFC East Rival