The Giants are signing safety JT Woods, Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports.
Woods, 26, worked out for the team Sunday.
The Chargers selected Woods in the third round of the 2022 draft, and he played 10 games with one start as a rookie. He totaled three tackles while playing 31 defensive snaps and 73 on special teams.
Woods played three games in 2023 and recorded five tackles.
He has not appeared in a game since.
Woods has also spent time with the Eagles, Bears, Seahawks, Raiders and Jets.
Giants Clips
Running back Cam Skattebo made an early exit from Friday’s practice, but Giants head coach John Harbaugh didn’t show much concern about his condition after the workout.
Skattebo left practice after a collision with rookie linebacker Arvell Reese and reporters at the session said he remained on the sideline stretching out his left leg. Skattebo’s rookie season ended when he dislocated his right ankle and Friday’s issue doesn’t appear to be in the same ballpark.
“It’s natural. I think he’s working through the football shape part of it,” Harbaugh said at a press conference. “You know, he’s coming off of rehab, so that’s what that was. It won’t be a serious injury at all.”
Center John Michael Schmitz and defensive end Brian Burns also left practice. Harbaugh said Schmitz got his bell rung and will be evaluated while Burns is managing a minor ankle injury.
The Giants are signing free agent center Brenden Jaimes, Dan Duggan of TheAthletic.com reports.
The team needed help at the position with John Michael Schmitz likely headed to concussion protocol and backup center Lucas Patrick hobbling during Friday’s practice.
Jaimes, 27, worked out for the Giants earlier this week.
He has appeared in 50 games over five seasons, mostly with the Chargers.
Jaimes was with the Patriots last season and played 22 offensive snaps and 28 on special teams in four games.
The Giants will be missing a member of their secondary for a little while.
Cornerback Dru Phillips did not practice on Thursday and head coach John Harbaugh said, via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, that Phillips will miss more time as a result of a knee sprain. The Giants play their first preseason game against the Vikings on August 15.
Phillips was a 2024 third-round pick and has played in 31 games over two seasons. He played in all 17 games last year and finished the season with 66 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery while primarily working as a nickel corner.
Ar’Darius Washington and Nic Jones are expected to see more time while Phillips is recovering.
Giants head coach John Harbaugh brought Patrick Ricard with him from Baltimore this offseason and the team is bringing another defensive lineman turned fullback into training camp.
They announced the signing of Grant Finley on Thursday. Finley was primarily a defensive lineman over four seasons at Missouri Western, but worked out for NFL scouts at both positions during a pro day and attended the Giants’ rookie minicamp.
Finley had 21 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick during his final college season.
Ricard saw action on both sides of the ball after playing defense at Maine, but has been solely a fullback for the last six seasons.
The Giants waived Tyler Moore to make room for Finley on their roster.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s return to the Giants didn’t come with any guarantees that he’ll land a spot on the 53-man roster, but he’s doing his best to make the case for one at training camp.
Reporters at the team’s practices this week made note of a strong pair of days for Beckham on Tuesday and Wednesday. That included snaps with the first team as Beckham tries to win a job in a group that also includes Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney, third-round pick Malachi Fields, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios.
After the practice, Beckham said he “it’s definitely challenging” being part of a deep group because it limits the chances he has to show why he believes “I can play at a high level.” He also said that it helps that he’s finding it easier to do that as he gets more time in the offense under his belt.
“I feel like I’m getting better. I feel like with repetition, with mistakes, unfortunately I’m one of those people who has to touch the stove to know that it’s hot and to not touch it again, so I learn from a mistake and it’s like, all right, that’s something that I corrected,” Beckham said, via a transcript from the team. “So, I definitely feel like I’m getting better. There’s definitely been more opportunities. It’s just a combination of both. But kind of just fizzle all that out and I’m just like — I’m just locked in the moment. I’m truly grateful for being where my feet are at and just trying to enjoy that each and every day and bring the best energy that I can.”
Beckham does not play special teams and that will make it hard for him to secure a roster spot unless he’s clearly shown that he can make an impact on offense. The last few days have shown signs of that and his quest to finish the job will continue to be a storyline for the rest of the month.
The Patriots are taking a look at a veteran offensive lineman on Thursday.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that guard Greg Van Roten is visiting the team.
Van Roten spent the last two seasons with the Giants and started every game over that period. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Packers in 2012 and has also played for the Panthers, Jets, Bills and Raiders.
Van Roten has appeared in 148 games and made 105 starts across all of those stops.
The Patriots signed Alijah Vera-Tucker as a free agent this offseason and he is expected to start at guard with Mike Onwenu.
Giants defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris tore his Achilles during the team’s offseason program, but they put him on the physically unable to perform list rather than injured reserve to open training camp.
That move kept some hope alive for a return late in the season, but that’s no longer the case. The Giants placed Robertson-Harris on injured reserve Wednesday and the timing precludes him being activated this year.
The Giants also waived wide receiver Beaux Collins with an injury designation on Wednesday. Collins will revert to injured reserve if he’s unclaimed.
Defensive backs David Long and D.J. James were signed to fill the two open roster spots. Long has played in 86 games for the Rams, Raiders, Panthers, Packers and Colts. James was a Seahawks sixth-round pick in 2024 and he played in one game for the Patriots last season.
Things are getting a little chippy for the Giants at The Greenbrier.
Via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, a rushing touchdown from quarterback Jaxson Dart during a red-zone drill resulted in Dart throwing the ball at cornerback Greg Newsome’s helmet. Newsome, per Leonard, didn’t appreciate the gesture.
After practice, coach John Harbaugh was asked what he thought of it.
“I think it’s a 15-yard penalty for taunting,” Harbaugh said.
As a result, Harbaugh pushed the extra-point attempt back by 15 yards.
Harbaugh added that he shouldn’t have to say anything to Dart about it, because the in-game ramifications of such a maneuver are obvious.
The Giants had their first padded practice of the summer on Monday and one of the newest members of the team stood out during the session.
Reporters at the practice singled out first-round pick Arvell Reese as the main attraction. The linebacker stuffed running backs at the line, made plays in pass coverage and was credited with a sack of Jaxson Dart over the course of the sessions.
That’s the kind of multifaceted impact on defense that made Reese a prized prospect and it left head coach John Harbaugh singing the rookie’s praises.
“Very encouraged,” Harbaugh said, via a transcript from the team. “I think he looked good today from what I could see. I can’t wait to see the tape, but he’s playing really well. He’s been playing well the whole camp since he got here. . . . You see the talent, obviously. I think he’s very sharp for a first-year guy. He gets things right pretty much all the time, makes very few mistakes. He’s a very serious-minded guy, and he’s very determined. I mean, he’s doing things well.”
After the Giants picked Reese, there were questions about how the Giants would deploy him in their defense. They settled on using him as an off-ball linebacker, but the early days of training camp show that Reese could have a wide-ranging impact come the fall.
