OH MY
For the first time since their disappointing playoff loss to Green Bay on Jan. 8, the Giants will suit up for a game Friday night as they open the 2017 preseason at home against the Steelers. And while the result of the game is inconsequential and many of the team’s stars will barely play, if they play at all, there will be plenty to watch out for.
Ben McAdoo has only said he’ll handle the team’s first preseason game similar to last year’s, when Eli Manning and Odell Beckham didn’t dress. Other starters played between one-to-three series. It’s possible veteran wideout Brandon Marshall could be among those who sit out the first game as well.
New faces will get a chance to make their first impression under the Friday night lights, and battles for certain spots will play out with actual competition on the other side of the ball. With that, here are five Giants to keep an eye on.
This will be the first NFL game action for Engram, whom the Giants selected No. 23 overall in this year’s draft. Engram is an exciting prospect many believe will add a perfect dynamic to the Giants’ passing attack and help an offense that struggled in 2016, finishing 25th in total offense.
Engram has been split out wide a considerable amount during training camp and has caught a lot of passes but hasn’t been immune to some rookie mistakes. If Engram can transition smoothly to NFL game action, the Giants should be potent offensively with the receiving trio of Beckham, Marshall and Sterling Shepard, who’s been on the field and progressing.
Combining the quarterbacks here as they all will be intriguing. Webb, of course, is the third-round pick who could be the long-term answer whenever Manning’s days are done. He won’t figure into the regular-season backup plans in 2017, but he will see some playing time on Friday. Smith and Johnson are dueling it out to see who will become QB2. For Smith, the ex-Jet, MetLife Stadium will be familiar territory. It’ll also be the 26-yearold’s first game action since tearing his ACL last October. Johnson has the advantage of being with the team since last September and perhaps having a better feel of the offense. He’s a 31-year-old journeyman who hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2013.
GIANTS vs. STEELERS 7:00 on Ch. 4 & NFL Network
Ereck Flowers has a lot to prove entering his third season as Manning’s blindside tackle. Wheeler is Flowers’ primary backup, a USC product who went undrafted this year. It was quite noteworthy that McAdoo on Wednesday wanted to take a look at Wheeler with the first-team offensive line to see how he’d do.
Goodson, a fourth-round pick in 2016, is the team’s new starting middle linebacker and has received high marks for how he’s taken command of the huddle. It’s something his veteran teammates have seemed to appreciate.
He’s also been very physical during camp, not afraid to hit hard when the situations allow for it.
The Giants’ second-round pick in this year’s draft is in the mix for the second defensive-tackle spot next to Damon ‘Snacks’ Harrison. The Alabama product was quiet early in camp but is coming off a couple of encouraging practices. Jay Bromley is listed as a starter on the depth chart, but if Tomlinson can show well during the preseason he may have a shot to start. Robert Thomas is also in that DT mix.
Yet another injury might spell the end of defensive back Mykkele Thompson’s Giants tenure.
The Giants on Thursday waived the injured safety-turned-cornerback who is dealing with a quad injury, one day before they begin their preseason against the Steelers in East Rutherford.
“Grateful and thankful,” Thompson tweeted Thursday morning.
If no team claims the 24-year-old Thompson, whom the Giants selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, he will either revert to the Giants’ injured-reserve list or become a free agent upon an injury settlement.
Thompson has played in just one game for the Giants. He missed his entire rookie season with a torn Achilles. He made his NFL debut in Week 2 last season but a foot injury put him back on injured reserve for the rest of the season. He wasn’t faring well in camp in a battle to earn a backup role at corner.