Ailing linebackers open door to youth
THE GIANTS had an off day on Wednesday and if any unit needed one, it was the linebacker corps.
Starting middle linebacker B.J. Goodson sustained a back injury Tuesday and was unable to return to practice; Keenan Robinson is working his way back from a concussion; Devon Kennard continues to deal with soreness; Mark Herzlich continues to sit out during full contact practices with a stinger; and J.T. Thomas is not yet at full speed after his first practice since coming off the PUP list.
The banged-up crew is certainly a concern for what is probably the Giants’ weak link in their highly touted defense, but it has opened the door for other guys to make the team, most notably Calvin Munson and Curtis Grant.
Munson, an undrafted rookie out of San Diego State, took over at the middle linebacker position when Goodson went down on Tuesday while Grant, a first-year player out of Ohio State, has been rotating in with the first team the last couple of days.
“They got the best ability out there at this point in the linebacker group,” head coach Ben McAdoo said. “And that’s availability.”
It’s true that being one of the few healthy linebackers is likely why they are suddenly getting looks with the first team, but it’s worth keeping an eye on them the remainder of the preseason as they try to make an impression and give the Giants some depth.
“The guys, the (first team), they expect more of you,” Munson said. “If you’re going to be in that role they want you to perform well.” Munson seems to be taking full advantage. The 6-foot, 241-pound linebacker had a solo tackle and three assisted tackles and recovered a fumble from teammate Travis Rudolph on a kick return while playing in 29 defensive snaps and 14 special teams snaps in the Giants’ preseason game against the Steelers Friday night.
In Tuesday’s practice, the 22-year-old made an immediate impact on a blitz up the middle, bursting into the backfield to tackle Orleans Darkwa for a loss.
“I’m getting more confident,” Munson said. “I’ve been here every day and each day I’ve been here I’ve just been trying to learn and grow and not make the same mistakes as I did before.”
Grant, standing at 6-foot-3, 249 pounds, says the biggest challenge is trying to become a more versatile player.
“Coach has given me a big role. If somebody gets hurt I get a chance to go in and just trying to learn on the fly,” he told the Daily News. “There’s a lot of information, but at the same time there’s a task you got to conquer.”
The 24-year-old understands that the chance to play with the first team doesn’t present itself very often for an undrafted free agent like himself, so he needs to make the most of it.
“Your opportunities are very slim,” Grant said. “So the ones that you do get you got to take advantage of and you never know when it might be your last play.”