Giants nab castoff Coleman
Two years ago, the notion a team could pick Corey Coleman up off the scrap heap was not logical thinking. He was a prolific wide receiver at Baylor, taken in the first round of the 2016 draft by the Browns, who made him the 15th player selected. Little has gone right for Coleman since, and Thursday the Giants signed him to their practice squad. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Coleman has a gaudy pedigree — he caught 173 passes for 3,009 yards and 23 touchdowns at Baylor — but he is an NFL vagabond. He played in 19 games in 2016-17 for the Browns and accumulated 56 receptions for 718 yards and five touchdowns.
The Browns traded him to the Bills in August, and all Cleveland got back was a seventh-round draft pick. Coleman lasted six days with the Bills before he was released. The Patriots signed him in early September and released him six days later. He was re-signed to the practice squad by the Pats on Sept. 20, then released again nine days later.
So, Coleman is joining his fourth team having already been cast off four different times in his short career.
The reserve receiver position for the Giants is in flux. Cody Latimer was put on injured reserve this week. Russell Shepard is hoping to come back off a neck injury. Former Broncos receiver Bennie Fowler was signed to the roster. Before that, Jawill Davis was signed off the practice squad.
To fit Coleman in, receiver/kick returner Khalif Raymond had his practice squad contract terminated.
LT Nate Solder (neck), LB Olivier Vernon (ribs) and WR Shepard (neck) were all limited in practice.
“I think they’ll be there [for the game Monday], but we’ll see,’’ coach Pat Shurmur said. … TEs Evan Engram (knee) and Rhett Ellison (foot) went full. … For the Falcons, kicker Matt Bryant (hamstring) is not expected to be ready for the game. WR Mohamed Sanu (hip) and WR Calvin Ridley (ankle) did not practice.
The Giants this week put Latimer (concussion) and LB Ray-Ray Armstrong (hamstring) on injured reserve, ending their seasons with physical ailments that might not be season-ending in nature.
CB Grant Haley, signed off the practice squad after CB Donte Deayon was waived, will be among those who get extra opportunities. Haley, undrafted out of Penn State, could make his NFL debut Monday night in his hometown of Atlanta. “I knew the Atlanta week was coming up so this added extra excitement,’’ Haley said.