While some players might be safe, Larry Donnell, Matt LaCosse, and Ryan Malleck Will Contend For The New York Giants Final Tight End Slot.
Former undrafted free agent Will Tye’s breakout season was enough to solidify his place as the New York Giants starting tight end heading into 2016, but it is who will follow him on the team’s depth chart that remains a question mark.As it stands on July 1, we still don’t know exactly what to expect from the position.
There are many veterans and wildcards, all bidding for a spot on the depth chart.
Here’s where each tight end stands as of now, and how each player’s situation on Big Blue’s roster is likely to shake out in the coming months.
Starter: Will Tye
Will Tye’s coming out party onto the NFL landscape was not devoid of a couple growing pains along the way.
The Stony Brook product’s first professional pass target resulted in a cringe worthy third and short drop on a wide open arrow route against the Buffalo Bills.
Tye rebounded with a solid outing against the San Francisco 49ers, catching all four of his pass targets for 48 yards but followed that up with a rough stretch of games in the middle of the season.
He put up two catches for 22 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles, no catches against the Dallas Cowboys, two catches for seven yards against the New Orleans Saints, and 2 catches out of six targets for 19 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tye slowly gained traction though as the season went on, he broke the 70 yard receiving mark twice and fell below 30 yards in a game just once during the Giants’ final seven games of the season.
During that seven game stretch he also produced two huge highlight real worthy catches, one coming late in the second quarter against the New England Patriots as he caught a pass over the middle and dragged several Pats with him just short of the goal line on a 31 yard catch and run that set up a Giants score just before the half.
The second came against the New York Jets, with the Giants facing a third and long Tye extended to make a leaping acrobatic grab over the linebacker on a quick seam route for 25 yards. Tye also turned in a huge 45 yard catch and run previously in that same game with time winding down in the second quarter.
He ended up finishing his 2015 campaign with 42 catches for 464 yards and three touchdowns over 13 games played; becoming a reliable target for Eli Manning, and played great once he got his footing in the league. He should be the starter in 2016 if he can build off where he left off a year ago.
Prediction: (Remains The Starter) 60 Catches, 650 Yards, Six Touchdowns
Second String, On The Bubble: Larry Donnell
Larry Donnell has the most NFL experience out of the pack, jockeying for the likely two remaining tight end slots, having been about as hot and cold a receiver as you’ll ever see during his career.
The Grambling State product burst onto the scene in 2014 against the Washington Redskins with a huge seven catches for 54 yards and three touchdowns.
He would eventually putter out down the stretch, breaking the 30 yards receiving mark just three times during the team’s final nine games of the regular season.
In 2015, he provided much of the same big play potential with the frustrating miscues thrown in every now and then.
He scored a game winning touchdown, hanging onto the football over two defenders against the 49ers, and also overcame fumbling issues that had plagued him the season before.
Aside from that though, he put forth a relatively quiet 2015 season having never accumulating more than 38 yards receiving in any single game.
A neck injury forced him out of action halfway through the season, leaving him with season totals of 29 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns through eight games played.
Donnell’s season-ending neck injury was enough to make him contemplate early retirement this off season, but he was eventually cleared by doctors and presumably healthy and ready to play.
The almost career ending neck injury will be something the team takes into account when making their decision on who makes the roster, although Donnell’s prior experience both in the NFL and catching passes from Manning will give him an early edge in training camp.
Donnell has never been a great blocker and the only value he offers the team is his huge 6’6″ frame in the passing game. If one of the tight ends behind him outplays him as a receiver, Donnell could be sent packing.
Prediction: Surprise Cut
Third String: Jerell Adams
A projected third-fourth round Draft selection by NFL.com, Jerell Adams’ stock likely took a tumble due to his lack of collegiate production in a struggling University of South Carolina passing attack.
In an offense that ranked in the bottom quarter of the FBS in passing yards, Adams hauled in 28 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns during the 2015 season.
Though his season totals don’t jump off the page, there is still a lot to like regarding his upside. At 6’5″ and 247 lbs, he is a tall, strong, and athletic target, putting up 18 reps on the 225 lbs bench, a 4.64 forty yard dash, and 4.31 second 20 twenty yard shuttle.
Adams’ speed and strength was evident both in the box score and in how his coaching staff used him last season. He excelled in catching passes on seam and vertical routes (averaging 6.9 yards after the catch), while also being a reliable enough blocker that he was often asked to stay and assist in pass protection.
Adams was a steal for the Giants towards the bottom of the Draft and has little to no risk of being cut after having just been drafted. Even a mediocre showing during the preseason should secure his place on the Giants 53-man roster.
Look for New York to slowly work Adams into the offense as the season progresses. He projects to be a red zone threat or extra tight end in heavy packages.
Prediction: (Remains Third String) 20 Catches, 150 yards, Three Touchdowns
On The Bubble: Matt LaCosse
2015 was quite the journey of a rookie season for the Illinois product. Touted as one of the top undrafted free agents on the market, the Giants quickly pounced on Matt LaCosse after the Draft.
However, just two days into training camp LaCosse went down with a hamstring injury. He took an injury settlement with the team to become a free agent and was eventually picked up by the neighbooring New York Jets a few weeks later.
The Jets waived him before the start of the regular season, but the Giants chose to bring him back as a practice squad member in November. By late December LaCosse had been promoted to the active roster and recorded three catches for 22 yards over two games played.
LaCosse’s value as a player comes mainly in his outstanding versatility on the football field. For the Fighting Illini, LaCosse lined up at tight end, H-back, and slot receiver, using his 6’6″ 250 lbs frame to be a threat as both a blocker and a pass catcher.
Like Adams, his collegiate statistics weren’t mind blowing by any means (had career numbers of 38 receptions for 397 yards and six touchdowns), but he has the physical upside to make it worth the Giants wild to see where his ceiling is.
His 4.64 forty yard dash time was identical to Adams, and he put up more reps on the 225 lbs bench press (20) then New York’s newly drafted prospect.
So far this offseason those combine numbers have translated into impressive on the field production, as LaCosse received a good chunk of first team reps ahead of both Donnell and Tye during OTAs.
He sat out during the team’s minicamp with a sore groin, but is expected to be a full go for training camp. That is where the Giants hope to see even more big play potential from the former UDFA.
Per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, “LaCosse has consistently been making plays this spring, and earned a large chunk of first-team snaps during Wednesday’s OTA workout which was open to the media. …The early reviews from OTAs show LaCosse making plays. He lined up wide right on Wednesday and made a leaping catch over safety Landon Collins deep down the right sideline. He reached back and plucked a ball off his back shoulder in the end zone on Thursday.”
While LaCosse had been tearing it up during OTAs, fans shouldn’t get ahead of themselves just yet. Remember during last year’s OTAs Jerome Cunningham was making plays all over the field, only to go quiet once the pads went on and training camp began and was eventually cut by the team. LaCosse will have to prove he can take a hit and hang on to the football consistently before he makes a legitimate run at a roster spot.
LaCosse is the kind of “swiss army knife” player that new head coach Ben McAdoo will love to move around in his offensive schemes. His height allows him to line up as an outside receiver, while his strength and speed make him effective in the slot, tight-end, and fullback roles.
Though his two regular season games last year was only a small sample size, LaCosse had the second highest overall grade by Pro Football Focus and the highest run blocking grade among Giants tight ends.
Tye has the edge as the Giants starter as of now due his proven in game production, but don’t sleep on LaCosse and his versatility to start seeing plenty of reps. He could be in for an even bigger role increase than Adams as the season progresses.
Prediction: (Second String, Sees A Few Starts Later During The Season) 40 Catches, 450 yards, Five Touchdowns
On The Bubble: Ryan Malleck
Another big body in New York’s tight end room, the 6’4″ 247 lbs Ryan Malleck turned in 62 catches for 658 yards and four touchdowns during his career at Virginia Tech.
Though not the vocal point of Virginia Tech’s offense, Malleck was solid all season when called upon, displaying traits as an above average receiver and average blocker.
Brought in as a priority undrafted free agent this offseason, the Giants have so far loved what they have seen in Malleck so far.
The former Hookies starter reportedly caught everything thrown his way this spring, and Big Blue is looking forward to seeing what he will be able to do once training camp gets under way.
Malleck’s big question mark will be how he contributes as a blocker. With the tight ends at the bottom of a team’s depth chart being called upon mostly in heavy sets on running downs, he will need to improve as a run blocker if he hops to wind up on the 53-man roster this season.
A die hard Giants fan growing up, Malleck is a capable blocker already but will need to show he can clear space rather than just engage his opponent.
The tight end battle is crowded already, and though the previously projected sixth round pick by NFL.com shows a lot of promise, the Giants simply don’t have space on the roster this season for Malleck.
Hopefully they can wind up stashing him on their practice squad this season.