The New York Giants, unlike last year at this time, are well-stocked at the wide receiver position — especially inside. So, after the team plays the New York Jets in the preseason finale on Saturday evening, some veterans may not stick around after Tuesday’s initial 53-man roster deadline.
Do the New York Giants Have Too Many Slot Receivers?
With the addition of former Colts WR Parris Campbell, who signed a one-year, $4.7 million deal, and veteran WRs Cole Beasley and Jamison Crowder, the team is overstocked at the slot position.
Campbell, who can play inside or outside, is a lock to make the team, but Beasley and Crowder’s statuses on the roster are less certain.
Second-year WR Wan’Dale Robinson, meanwhile, who is on the active/PUP list, will play mostly inside once he returns. And veteran WR Sterling Shepard, who came off the PUP list early in training camp, also mostly plays inside.
Defensively, Isaiah Simmons, who moved to safety in recent weeks with the Arizona Cardinals before this week’s trade, could play a specialized role in defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale’s scheme.
Isaiah Simmons was the 8th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, he's now traded for a 7th round pick to the #Giants
Simmons is truly one of the freakish atheltes in NFL combine history.
He ran 4.39 at 6'4, 238 pounds with 20 bench reps.
Big upside for NYG.https://t.co/f3J4lohfT3 pic.twitter.com/qSbGNKAZO8
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 24, 2023
The Cardinals’ previous defensive staff lined him up mostly at ILB and OLB, but Simmons could be used as a chess piece with his new team.
A personnel source said if he’s used correctly, the former first-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft should be used to cover athletic tight ends due to his size (6’4″, 240 pounds) and speed (4.39 during the 2020 NFL Combine) as a pass rusher and inside linebacker.
Simmons clearly was not comfortable playing safety with his former team, which is one of the main reasons why they traded him.
