The Giants announced on Sunday morning that offensive tackle Evan Neal has been activated off of the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
The Giants also signed linebacker K.J. Cloyd and waived defensive back Kaleb Hayes.
Neal was placed on the PUP list to begin training camp while he continued to recover from January ankle surgery.
Even though he’s now active, Neal will still need to ramp back up before he can take part in team drills, meaning that veteran Jermaine Eluemunor will likely remain the first-team right tackle, at least for the time being.
Eluemunor has played both tackle and guard in the NFL, and while he could slide back to one of the guard spots, he may very well prove to be a better option than Neal, who has struggled as a pro, at the right tackle spot. In that scenario, either Aaron Stinnie or Greg Van Roten could start at right guard, leaving Neal the odd-man out.
Neal, 23, has started 20 games for the Giants since being selected seventh overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Selected with the hopes of giving the Giants a stalwart right tackle to pair with Andrew Thomas for years to come, Neal has underperformed, leading to questions about his spot both in the starting lineup and on the roster.
Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters that quarterback Daniel Jones will receive some playing time when the Giants take on the Houston Texans in their second preseason game on Saturday.
Jones, of course, has not played a game since tearing his ACL against the Las Vegas Raiders last November. Jones, who also dealt with a neck injury, played just six games last season, going 1-5 with 909 passing yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions.
John Michael Schmitz returns to practice
Some more good news on the offensive line for the Giants, as center John Michael Schmitz is returning to the practice field after dealing with a shoulder injury.
Without Schmitz in the lineup, Van Roten had been taking most of the reps at center, but the veteran will now likely move to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-notes-evan-neal-activated-143139296.html
Author : SNY
Publish date : 2024-08-11 14:31:39
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