Injury turns secondary black & Blue

A late-week defensive back injury for the third time in five weeks has thrust the Giants secondary into an awkward spot facing Carson Wentz and the Eagles.

Isaac Yiadom, the Giants’ starting outside corner opposite James Bradberry, suddenly was listed as questionable on Friday with a calf injury for Sunday’s NFC East showdown.

In Weeks 2 and 6, safety Adrian Colbert showed up with quad and shoulder injuries late in the week and missed games against the Bears and Washington. He is now on injured reserve.

In Week 3, DB Brandon Williams showed up on Friday with a groin injury, missed the game, and went on I.R.

In Week 8, outside corner Ryan Lewis showed up with a hamstring injury on Sunday and missed that Monday night’s game against the Bucs. He hasn’t played since and is on I.R.

Yiadom isn’t an irreplaceable player. Lewis was starting over him before he got hurt. But Yiadom did start on the outside the last two weeks. Plus, Joe Judge used a lot of six-and-seven defensive back looks against the Eagles in their Week 7 meeting.

Now without Yiadom, Madre Harper could get a shot starting on the outside. Logan Ryan might have to rotate over into his old position. Safety Julian Love has corner experience.

It’s possible the Giants simply will mix them all in.

The Giants did sign safety Montre Hartage to the active roster on Friday to add another defensive back, according to a source, so that’s one more capable body in the secondary.

Hartage knows coordinator Pat Graham’s system at all the defensive back positions, having played for him with the Dolphins last season. Still, he spent most of Giants camp at safety, not corner.

Maybe that will bump Love to corner with Hartage filling in for Love in the safety rotation.

Corey Ballentine wouldn’t have been an adequate solution to replace Yiadom, as he’d proven earlier in the season. But the Giants did play him 17 snaps against the Eagles a few weeks ago, and this week they cut him and he was claimed off waivers by the Jets.

On the offensive side of the ball, meanwhile, running back Devonta Freeman was placed on injured reserve with both ankle and hamstring injuries, according to a source. That means Wayne Gallman, Dion Lewis and Eli Penny are expected to be the Giants’ only active running backs Sunday.

And it means Freeman must sit out the next three games.

Freeman already had missed two games with an ankle, but he aggravated the injury and tweaked his hamstring early in Thursday’s practice at the stadium.

The Giants could have placed him on injured reserve weeks ago and brought him back eligible after the bye week, since Sunday would have been his third of three games to sit. But now his clock starts with the Eagles game, which means he can’t come back until Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Alfred Morris played last week as a practice squad call-up, but if the Giants want to dress him this week, they would have to sign him to the active roster. And as of mid-afternoon Friday they hadn’t done that.

Wide receiver Golden Tate also is questionable for Sunday’s game with a knee injury.

All of this injury news is not a good sign for the Giants entering Sunday’s game against the Eagles, who are much healthier than their last meeting coming out of Philly’s bye.

On the outside, the Eagles now have speedy rookie Jalen Reagor and veteran Alshon Jeffrey back in, to go along with tight end Dallas Goedert and running back Miles Sanders.

Only corner Craig James (shoulder) was ruled out for the Eagles Sunday. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox missed Friday’s practice with a non-COVID-related illness, per the Philadelphia Inquirer, but is expected to play.

The Giants are getting back guard Will Hernandez after missing two games on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list. Judge said he intends to rotate Hernandez, Shane Lemieux and Kevin Zeitler at the two guard spots — just as he’s rotating Andrew Thomas, Cam Fleming and Matt Peart at the two tackle positions.

The Giants also cut tight end Eric Tomlinson and guard Kenny Wiggins on Friday, signing guard/ center Kyle Murphy off the practice squad to the active roster.