The New York Giants open their training camp to veterans in 10 days, and it is expected to be a very competitive one. Veterans will face competition for jobs from incoming free agents and draft picks on both sides of the ball, making for an interesting summer for fans and interested parties.
Here are five veteran players who could be in for a rough time this summer at Giants’ camp.
K Graham Gano
Gano missed seven games last year with a hamstring injury and nine games the year before with a left knee issue. The Giants will want some insurance this year to prevent having to search for a veteran option in-season. Jude McAtamney is back in camp and will get a chance to show his wares again. The 38-year-old Gano is in the second year of a three-year, $16.5 million deal and has a cap hit of $5.6 million. They will be watching this one closely.
DT Roy Robertson-Harris
Harris was signed before the Giants lucked into Darius Alexander in the third round of this year’s NFL draft. Alexander is expected to be a contributor right away, and even though the Giants are hoping to have an equitable rotation up front, Alexander could see more snaps, meaning someone else won’t be.
LB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Don’t let the Giants’ decision to exercise Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option sway you away from thinking he’s still free and clear. The addition of Abdul Carter is a wake-up call for Thibodeaux. Yes, he’ll get significant snaps, but when you draft a “generational talent” such as Carter, you play him every down. Brian Burns isn’t likely to come off the field that often, either. With the Giants using a lot of packages that require five defensive backs, there will be fewer three and four linebacker alignments. Someone’s gotta sit, and that could be Thibodeaux.
OL Greg Van Roten
General manager Joe Schoen whiffed in the interior lineman free agent market and ended up circling back to the 35-year-old Van Roten. It’s not the worst situation, as GVR was the only player to play every offensive snap last season, but the Giants wouldn’t be upset if he gets beaten out for the job. The hope is that rookie Marcus Mbow can win a job this summer at either guard or tackle. If the latter happens, Jermaine Eluemunor would shift to guard. Either way, depth is needed all along the line.
TE Daniel Bellinger
The Giants think they have a star in Theo Johnson, and Chris Manhertz is a mountain of a man who is a top blocker. Bellinger is a well-rounded tight end who can do everything well, but could find himself on the outside looking in. A strong camp by rookie Thomas Fidone could also complicate his path this summer.
QB Tommy DeVito
No one is a more obvious choice for this list than DeVito. Russell Wilson is entrenched as the starter in Week 1, Jameis Winston will serve as his backup, and rookie Jaxson Dart will wait in the wings as he develops. There’s no chance the Giants risk Dart on the practice squad, and equally, no chance they carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 6 Giants veterans who could lose their jobs in training camp