Latest news with #GrahamGano
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Could Giants Host Kicking Competition in 2025?
Could Giants Host Kicking Competition in 2025? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For a team that finished with the NFC's worst record in 2024, there aren't a ton of training camp battles for fans to monitor this summer. Rookie defensive tackle Darius Alexander will look to start from the jump, and there might be some noise at interior offensive line, but the New York Giants' lineup can comfortably be penciled in months before Week 1. Advertisement Perhaps New York will see a competition emerge on special teams. Veteran Graham Gano dealt with injuries in an unsteady 2024 campaign, and as he enters his age-38 season, his job security appears to be less stable than in years past. In the other corner is second-year kicker Jude McAtamney, an Irish-born, Rutgers-bred Giant who spent much of the season on the practice squad. New York is hoping to develop him into Gano's eventual replacement, and it's possible he accelerates that timeline with a strong summer. According to Pro Football Rumors, a kicking competition could shake up the Giants' plans on special teams. 'At the moment, it looks like the job is Gano's for the taking in New York, but McAtamney continues to lurk in the background and seems to be doing enough to remain in contention,' Ely Allen wrote. 'If McAtamney can impress this summer, the combination of Gano's cap impact and his recent struggles with injury may open the door a little wider for McAtamney to kick his way through.' Advertisement In his one-game cameo, McAtamney hit his field goal and extra point attempt. The Giants stand to benefit from cutting Gano, too, saving $4.4 million in cap space with a $1.25 million dead cap charge (per Over the Cap). On June 5, special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial spoke about the potential for a competition to break out on special teams. 'Absolutely. I think if you're on this roster, no matter what position you play, you're competing,' Michael Ghobrial said, via team transcript. 'You're competing to win the job. I think everybody will have a fair chance winning whatever job it is, whether it be the kicker position or any other position. Advertisement 'But I would say that Jude has shown a lot of promise even from last year kicking in a game. You obviously see the leg talent, you see the leg strength, all those things that amount to being a good kicker in this league.' New York has kept McAtamney around for a reason, even if it's just risk-free insurance. Whether it's Week 1, a late-season contest, or sometime in 2026, the Giants are preparing for McAtamney to contribute. It's on Gano to stave him off for as long as possible. Related: Giants Schedule Release: Game-By-Game Predictions Related: Giants Schedule Reveals Potential Dart Debuts This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Giants might have a difficult decision to make at kicker
The New York Giants' special teams has been an inconsistent unit over the last several seasons. At one point, their ability to convert field goals was a major strength, however, after veteran Graham Gano signed on in the 2020 offseason. Gano's tenure with the Giants got off to a strong start. But over the last couple of seasons, his play has declined, as has his health. As a result, could his future with the team be in question? Graham Gano has been injured and struggling Upon joining the Giants in 2020, Gano became one of the team's most valuable players. He appeared in all 50 games for New York from 2020 through 2022, converting 91.8% (89-97) of his field goals in that span. Advertisement But in the subsequent two seasons, things have taken a turn for the worse. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Since 2023, Gano has converted just 71.4% of his field goal attempts (20-28) in 18 games played. He has missed 16 games due to injuries over those two seasons. Now, at 38 years old, could Gano's future in the Big Apple be coming into question? Could the Giants cut Gano and find a new kicker? The Giants currently have just $1.1 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap. They have -$9 million in effective cap space, which is the cap space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class to its roster. Advertisement Essentially, the Giants need to make roster moves to free up more cap space. Gano, who has been struggling and injured, could become a cap casualty. He has a $5.6 million cap hit this season. New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano (9) kicks the game winning field goal against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at State Farm Stadium Releasing Gano post June 1st could save the Giants $4.1 million in cap space, giving them great relief and helping them get back under the cap. However, the Giants would be unlikely to move on from Gano without first finding a worthy replacement (hence the citing of the post-June 1st release). The Giants could bring in competition for Gano during training camp. Whoever kicks best this summer could win the job. And if Gano's struggles continue, the Giants may have no choice but to move in a new direction. Advertisement Related Headlines
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Giants offseason winners and losers: Do Kayvon Thibodeaux, Evan Neal have futures in NY?
The New York Giants hope every player added to the roster this offseason will help turn the team into a winner. But when it comes to individual outlooks, some transactions are beneficial, while others are detrimental. So with free agency and the draft completed, here's a review of the Giants' biggest winners and losers from the offseason: Winners DC Shane Bowen Bowen was placed in the crosshairs at the start of the offseason by criticisms levied at the defense by co-owner John Mara. 'Quite frankly, I didn't think our defense played very well this year at all,' Mara said. 'I'm tired of watching teams go up and down the field on us.' Mara also stated that he'd leave the decision to coach Brian Daboll on whether 'he wants to make replacements in the staff.' Daboll chose not to change to a third defensive coordinator in three seasons, so Bowen was spared, and defensive backs coaches Jerome Henderson and Mike Treier took the fall for poor performance from a woefully undermanned secondary. Bowen returns with a new lease on life after general manager Joe Schoen invested heavily in upgrading the defensive personnel. The Giants' biggest free-agent splashes were cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland, while they used the No. 3 pick in the draft on outside linebacker Abdul Carter and filled a hole with defensive tackle Darius Alexander in the third round. The unit looks strong on paper. There will be pressure on Bowen to maximize the talent. But that's preferable to the pressure of last season when he had to lead a defense devoid of talent at crucial spots. K Graham Gano Gano's $5.7 million salary cap hit could have put him on the chopping block, especially when factoring his age and injury history. But the 38-year-old survived the typical salary cap casualty portion of the offseason, and then his job security was strengthened by the Giants electing not to draft a kicker despite making two picks in the seventh round. The Giants didn't add any kickers in undrafted free agency either, so that leaves international exemption Jude McAtamney as the only other kicker on the roster. Gano's hold on the kicking job appears as secure as ever. WR Jalin Hyatt The Giants didn't sign any notable wide receivers in free agency. They also didn't draft any receivers. That leaves Hyatt's position on the roster as strong as it was last year despite an eight-catch, 62-yard season. The biggest win for Hyatt was the signing of quarterback Russell Wilson, who should accentuate the speedster's strength of catching deep balls. Even if the pre-draft criticisms of Hyatt as a one-trick pony prove accurate, Wilson gives him a chance to maximize that skill more than any other quarterback available this offseason. OL Greg Van Roten Van Roten had to wait until July to sign a one-year, $3 million contract with the Giants last year. That worked out well for both sides, as the 35-year-old played every offensive snap — 15 starts at right guard, two starts at center. Van Roten had a much shorter wait this offseason, signing a one-year contract worth up to $4 million in the first week of free agency in March. Things could have broken differently for Van Roten if the Giants' pursuit of top free agent guard Will Fries had been successful. But when Fries signed a five-year, $87.7 million contract with the Vikings, the Giants pivoted to re-signing Van Roten rather than spending on another guard. Van Roten is in good position to retain his starting job since the Giants didn't make any additions at guard. Fifth-round pick Marcus Mbow will start out at tackle, so Van Roten's main competition figures to come from Evan Neal, who is transitioning to guard after flopping at tackle. S Dane Belton The Giants signed Holland to replace Jason Pinnock in the starting lineup, but otherwise made no additions at safety aside from two undrafted free agent signings. That has Belton positioned to maintain the No. 3 safety job. He could have been in jeopardy if the Giants had spread money to two veteran free agents or drafted a safety in addition to Holland. This is a spot that could still see a veteran signing before the season, but Belton's special teams value puts him in good position to maintain his role. Losers OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux Something has to give with the team's trio of edge rushers. The Giants traded for Brian Burns and gave him a $141 million contract last offseason. They took Carter with the No. 3 pick this offseason. That figures to leave Thibodeaux, the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft, as the odd man out eventually. There will be no major changes immediately. The Giants exercised Thibodeaux's $14.8 million fifth-year option for the 2026 season, but they'll likely reassess next offseason after seeing how the three edge rushers blend. It's hard to envision the Giants giving Thibodeaux the type of payday he'll be seeking with so much invested in Burns and Carter. In the short term, someone's playing time is going to be reduced to create opportunities for Carter. The Giants will likely lighten the load of both veterans, but Thibodeaux's days of playing 80 percent of the snaps are surely over. OL Evan Neal The writing was on the wall for Neal when Schoen emphasized how important swing tackle was in the team's offseason plans. The Giants have Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor as their starting tackles, so Neal conceivably could have been slotted in as the swing tackle. That he wasn't even a consideration for that role — the Giants signed James Hudson and Stone Forsythe — showed that Neal has no future at tackle despite team brass' reluctance to confirm he'd be moving to guard. Neal is set to enter a crowded competition at a position he hasn't played since his freshman year at Alabama in 2019. It makes sense to see if the 6-foot-7, 340-pounder can be more effective inside, but there's no guarantee Neal will successfully make the transition. With Hudson and Mbow assured backup spots, Neal could land on the roster bubble if he struggles during training camp. QB Tommy DeVito DeVito would have been assured of another season as the Giants' third quarterback if they had passed on the position in the draft. Instead, the selection of Jaxson Dart in the first round sealed DeVito's fate, since Wilson and Jameis Winston are already locked into roster spots. DeVito should consider requesting his release since there's no path to a spot on the Giants' active roster. It will be much harder for him to find a viable opportunity to make another team at cut day than it would be now in the early stages of the offseason program. The Giants likely wouldn't grant that request, however, since he has value as the only quarterback on the roster with experience in the system as they go through the offseason program. DeVito also provides an experienced insurance policy if a QB gets injured. The Giants will likely want to carry DeVito on the practice squad. We'll find out if he has any value around the league when he hits waivers after cut day. If DeVito has to decide between practice squad offers, the Giants may be the most appealing option based on the off-field opportunities afforded in New York that wouldn't be available in any other market. RB Devin Singletary Singletary lost the starting job to rookie Tyrone Tracy while sidelined by injury for two games early last season. Singletary was a complete non-factor after returning in Week 7, averaging 3.8 yards per carry while getting just five carries per game. Singletary's role should be reduced even more by the Giants' selection of Cam Skattebo in the fourth round. The three-year, $16.5 million contract Singletary signed last offseason contains an out after the second year. It surely will be utilized after this season if the young backs develop as expected. RB Eric Gray The Skattebo pick should eventually cost Singletary his roster spot. The blow figures to be more immediate for Gray, who has failed to make an impact in two seasons since being a fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft. Gray has just 31 carries in two seasons, and he has failed to impress as a returner. The Giants carried three running backs last season, so Gray's fate is likely sealed with Tracy, Skattebo and Singletary ahead of him on the depth chart. (Photos of Evan Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux: Luke Hales and Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
