Giants head coach Pat Shurmur is excited to work with the Giants' offseason acquisitions, from safety Jabrill Peppers to wide receiver Golden Tate, but the one that stands out to him is offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler.

"When you add a solid, veteran player that's established himself and he's consistent and tough and has all the attributes you're looking for in an offensive lineman to add to that crew, we got better," Shurmur said, according to the New York Post's Paul Schwartz.

While they were announced as separate deals, Zeitler's trade -- when the Giants dealt pass rusher Olivier Vernon to the Cleveland Browns -- went into the NFL transaction log combined with the blockbuster Odell Beckham Jr. deal given both trades were agreed to before the new league year began.

Before the world found out about the blockbuster trade between the Giants and the Browns, Saquon Barkley received a call from Odell Beckham Jr. -- the highlight of the deal.

"We talked over FaceTime, he had just gotten traded, so I don't think he was really happy about it," Barkley told NJ.com's Matt Lombardo after Penn State's Pro Day on Tuesday, where the former Nittany Lion went to support his former teammates. "He just gave me some advice about how to handle stuff in the league. He was the same old big brother to me that he's always been."

Barkley was out in Los Angeles with WR Sterling Shepard and TE Evan Engram working out together in preparation for the upcoming season. Beckham has also been out in LA doing the exact same, but he had been in out in Paris when he got the call from GM Dave Gettleman that he was moving him to Cleveland. 

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Dave Gettleman was absolutely right when he lamented the fact we're living in an "instant gratification world" during his conference call on Monday. There's a rush to judge everything, a demand for an immediate payoff. Everyone wants to be first with a knee-jerk reaction or a juvenile social media take.

And so it was with the Giants' trade of Odell Beckham Jr. and, really, their entire offseason. Gettleman didn't get nearly enough for his star, some screamed. He has no plan, yelled others. Tweet by tweet, it was clear the world of keyboard warriors believed he didn't have a clue.

With Odell Beckham Jr. gone, the Giants are in need of help at wide receiver, and they have reached out to one potential replacement, reports Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. 

According to Leonard, the Giants have reached out to the representatives for free agent WR Chris Hogan, who has spent the last three seasosn with the Patriots after spending the first four years of his career with the Bills.

The 30-year-old Hogan -- who has gotten a lot of work in the slot but is more versatile than that -- had 35 receptions for 532 yards and three touchdowns last season while playing 15 games.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: The fallout from the Odell Beckham Jr. trade won't be clear until the Giants make their next move. It wasn't long ago they looked to be building around Beckham. Clearly they have now blown up that plan.

So what's next? How can the Giants replace him? And what does this mean for their present and future?

Here's a look at some of the ripple effects from one of the Giants' biggest deals in years:

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins said "it'd be a dream come true" if the Giants drafted him next month.

The odds of that happening are favorable, according to one sportsbook.

The Giants are considered favorites to draft Haskins in the NFL Draft in April, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. New York's odds are at +220, while the teams with the next-best odds are the Jaguars (+550), Redskins (+600) and Dolphins (+600).

Kyler Murray saw a swarm of reporters and cameras flood to his podium at the NFL Combine on Friday, and though baseball-related questions saw a dejecting look from the Heisman Trophy, he did enjoy answering a question about the Giants.

With head coach Pat Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman on hand this week in Indianapolis, it is obvious they are looking at the top quarterback prospects in this year's draft to see if one could be Eli Manning's heir apparent. Murray believes he could be that guy, especially with the weapons the team currently possesses in Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, Saquon Barkley, and Evan Engram.

"Like you said, OB, Shep, Evan [Engram], Saquon -- I think me in that system or with those guys can be very dangerous," Murray said. "At the same time, I don't get to choose where I go so, if that was the case, I would love to be in that situation. Love to be in New York."

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The idea that the Giants should or might trade Odell Beckham Jr. starts with a simple premise - that they're somehow better without him. He's a distraction. He wasn't the same player after his injury. He's always hurt. The Giants' offense got better last season with him on the sideline.

All of those things would be good reasons for the Giants to consider a deal. Except they're not true. And neither is the overall premise.

The Giants just aren't better without Beckham. In fact, they'll be much worse if they trade him away.

As was the case last offseason, speculation about what the Giants will do with their top draft pick has come down to whether or not the team chooses a quarterback or not. 

The Giants don't want to enter "Quarterback Hell," as GM Dave Gettleman put it last year, but this year's draft class isn't as quarterback-heavy as 2018. Instead, the top prospects seem to be defensive linemen and linebackers, two positions the Giants can certainly use an upgrade at. 

So what should the Giants do? Well, former wide receiver and Super Bowl winner Plaxico Burress gave his answer.

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur has said in recent weeks how strongly he feels that Eli Manning will quarterback the team in 2019.

And even after Manning turned the ball over twice in Sunday's 36-35 loss to the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium, he said he felt the same way.

"Everybody thinks I'm nuts," Shurmur said, according to the New York Post's Mark Cannizzaro, "but I've seen the good in Eli. I certainly hear things [bad about Manning], but I believe in him. I feel strongly about Eli.''

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The Indianapolis Colts are a legitimately good team that might finish this season with 10 wins and a berth in the playoffs. And the Giants, as awful as they've been all year, took them to the wire. They were one drive -- maybe one pass -- away from winning this game.

Instead they lost 28-27, leaving them with nothing but a moral victory. And while it was another sign that they've improved since their miserable first half of the season, they're still 4-3 since their 1-7 start.

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Eli Manning had a chance for some late-game magic, when he had 55 seconds to play, and all he had to do was get the Giants into field-goal range. Instead, he threw a game-sealing interception on an ill-advised pass over the middle.

But don't blame this 28-27 loss in Indianapolis on him.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- For weeks, Pat Shurmur has made it clear his offense has to run through Saquon Barkley. And the Giants were thriving since he seemingly made that discovery during their bye week.

Barkley, he decided, was the Giants' best player. He was becoming one of the most unstoppable forces in the NFL. It seemed painfully obvious that everything they do should run through the super-rookie.

So why was he made to disappear on Sunday, just when the Giants needed him most?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants' longshot playoff hopes died on Sunday in a way that seemed perfectly fitting for this season.

They were shut out.

One week after they scored 40 points in Washington, the Giants' offense reverted to its pre-bye week form in a 17-0 loss to the Tennessee Titans. They couldn't get anything going at all - not even behind super-rookie Saquon Barkley. And in a steady rain with some gusty winds, Eli Manning was terrible, completing 21 of 44 passes for 229 yards and an interception, plus a lost fumble.//

Oh, if only this Giants run had started just a little bit sooner.

That's going to be the lingering sadness about this season, now that the Giants have won for the fourth time in their last five games. They're now 5-8 after their 40-16 pounding of the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md. on Sunday. They're starting to look like the team they thought they'd be.

If only they hadn't started 1-7. If only they had held on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago...

A key cog for the Giants is expected to return when New York faces off against the Redskins on Sunday. 

All signs point to tight end Evan Engram playing his first game in weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury in late November. The injury forced Engram to miss two straight games for the Giants. Engram battled his way throughout the 2018 campaign, missing five games in his sophomore year. He suffered an MCL sprain during the Giants' Week 3 matchup against the Texans that kept him out three straight games.

Now, the 24-year-old says it's important to end his tough year on a high note -- not just for himself, but for the team.

The Giants will be without two key cogs when they face off against the Bears on Sunday. 

Tight end Evan Engram will miss his second straight game, as he continues to battle a hamstring injury. He originally suffered the injury during warmups last Sunday when the Giants took on the Eagles. He stayed on the sideline dressed in full uniform, but never took a snap. 

Now, Engram will be in street clothes as the Giants continue their caution. It has been a tough sophomore campaign for No. 88, with this being his fifth game missed. He suffered an MCL sprain during the Giants' Week 3 matchup against the Texans that kept him out three straight games. 

Giants TE Evan Engram injured his hamstring during warmups prior to Sunday's game against the Eagles and is questionable to return, the team announced.

Engram's targets have been dropping over the last three weeks. He was targeted nine times against the Redskins in Week 9, five times against the 49ers in Week 10, and just twice against the Buccaneers in Week 11 -- though one of those targets resulted in a 54-yard reception.

Overall in 2018, Engram has 23 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns. 

When Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. made the proclamation that Big Blue would go 8-0 to finish off the second half of the season and potentially creep their way into the playoffs, no one took it seriously. 

But the Giants are 2-0 coming off their bye week, and eyebrows are being raised as to whether the prediction will come true. 

And it isn't just Beckham that believe in it -- the rest of his teammates have the same mentality.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - A second straight win against another bad team may not be good news for anyone rooting for the Giants to land a Top 5 pick in the next NFL draft.

But it sure did feel good to everyone at the Meadowlands on Sunday afternoon.

Even though the Giants seemed to barely hang on to their 38-35 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was still a reminder of the value of a victory. They topped 30 points for just the second time in 42 games, dating back three seasons. They got a defensive touchdown and forced the Bucs to bench their starting quarterback (although that turned out to be a not-so good thing).

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This is a terrible time for New York football, with the Giants and Jets sitting on what feels like rock bottom. They are a combined 5-14 this season, and the playoffs are already out of reach. And they are a combined 13-38 (.254) since the beginning of 2018.

But while there may not be hope at the moment for either team, there is still some talent on their two rosters. If they could only somehow combine the two, they might even have the makings of a playoff team.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

This is a terrible time for New York football, with the Giants and Jets sitting on what feels like rock bottom. They are a combined 5-14 this season, and the playoffs are already out of reach. And they are a combined 13-38 (.254) since the beginning of 2018.

But while there may not be hope at the moment for either team, there is still some talent on their two rosters. If they could only somehow combine the two, they might even have the makings of a playoff team.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

This is a terrible time for New York football, with the Giants and Jets sitting on what feels like rock bottom. They are a combined 5-14 this season, and the playoffs are already out of reach. And they are a combined 13-38 (.254) since the beginning of 2018.

But while there may not be hope at the moment for either team, there is still some talent on their two rosters. If they could only somehow combine the two, they might even have the makings of a playoff team.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning orchestrated his 36th career game-winning drive in Monday's 27-23 comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.

"It meams a lot," Manning said. "That's what I told the guys this week. We've worked too hard not to be rewarded with wins. ... We just weren't able to get some of the outcomes or make the plays we needed to win. Today we were able to do that."

Manning, who threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns, capped a nine-play, 75-yard, penalty-ridden drive with a go-ahead touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard in the left side of the end zone as the Giants came off the bye week and won for the first time since Week 3.

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The Giants are going to take a look at rookie quarterback Kyle Lauletta at some point this season. They may even take a look at journeyman Alex Tanney. There's nothing Eli Manning can do to stop that from happening.

But maybe he did just enough on Monday night to hold off the transition for a few more weeks.

The 37-year-old quarterback only completed 19 of 31 passes for 188 yards, but that included three touchdown passes and an impressive, game-winning touchdown drive in the final 2:46 of the game. It included a beautiful 31-yard pass to tight end Evan Engram and a perfectly placed 3-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard with 53 seconds remaining to seal the Giants' 27-23 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Things certainly are not going as intended for this Giants team that currently sits at a lowly 1-7 in their bye week. And as they sit on Sunday to reflect, there are some that need to step it up if they don't want to continue this trend in the second half. 

Of course, that could be said for the entire team. The Giants rank 27th in scoring (18.8 points per game), and they convert only 40 percent of their red zone trips into touchdowns, which is second-to-last in that category. For the defense, they sit 18th in yards allowed per game (366.4), while allowing 25.6 points per game as well. 

But there are certain Giants that should be performing better that simply haven't hit the mark. And to change the tides in East Rutherford, the Giants need them to have a better second half...

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The Giants deserve an "F" for the first half of the season, and if there was a grade lower than "F," they'd deserve that too.

Everything they did in the offseason screamed "Win now!" And they weren't shy about saying they expected to win now either.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This would be a different story if the Giants had drafted Sam Darnold. Or even if they had drafted Josh Rosen or Josh Allen. Because if they had drafted a quarterback second overall back in April this would absolutely be the time to look to the future and bench Eli Manning.

But not when the next in line is Kyle Lauletta.

And not now.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Giants offense is just completely non-functional. Nothing is working. It's a total disaster.

They need big changes. They need a big spark. They need something to kick this mess into gear.

Giants left tackle Nate Solder (neck) will play Monday night after being limited in practice, but right guard Patrick Omameh (knee) will not despite being listed as questionable.

The Giants have decided to bench the interior lineman and start Spencer Pulley instead, according to NJ.com.

Pulley, claimed off waivers by the Giants on Sept. 2, will likely start at center and John Greco will move to Omameh's spot at right guard. 

Picture this: Odell Beckham Jr. hits a double move, loses his defender, and runs down the sideline wide open as the ball comes soaring toward him for an easy touchdown. As the team celebrates in the end zone, a No. 4 Big Blue jersey comes running toward his new favorite receiver. Wearing the jersey is the Giants new quarterback -- Derek Carr. 

Now, this scenario wouldn't be until next season, but CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora offered a pretty intriguing prediction on the "Pick Six Podcast" on Wednesday.

With Jon Gruden and the Raiders blowing it up out in Oakland, no one on the roster is safe, not even their franchise quarterback that just signed a five-year deal before the start of the 2017 season. On the other hand, the Giants don't want to rebuild, but rather make moves to win now...

It's always a good day at practice when all 53 players are out and about, and that was the case for the Giants on Thursday. 

There were a few limited participants, though, with LT Nate Solder (neck) and DE Olivier Vernon (ribs) among them. Solder said after practice that he feels fine and should be ready to go on Monday. 

And the way head coach Pat Shurmur spoke about Vernon appears to indicate he will be full-go against the Falcons as well...

The Giants could be getting some help for their offense this week in the form of tight end Evan Engram. 

The second-year tight end sounded optimistic on Tuesday about returning to the field for Monday's game against the Falcons after missing the last three games with a knee injury he sustained Sept. 23 at Houston. 

"I feel really good," he said. "Today was a really good day. Went out there and made sure I got warm and stuff and was running around and going as fast as I can go and making all the cuts and doing everything I can do to block, so it felt good. Still got a lot of time, good amount of days until game time, so very probable and I feel really good about going into and the rest of this week."

LB Olivier Vernon was not listed on Wednesday's Giants injury report and is expected to make his season debut Thursday night against the Eagles.

Vernon, a key piece in the Big Blue defense, has been recovering from an ankle injury since the preseason. He was limited at practice on Wednesday along with K Aldrick Rosas. 

TE Evan Engram (knee) and WR Russell Shepard (neck) won't play for the Giants against the reigning Super Bowl champs.

With another Giants injury report coming out Tuesday following practice, TE Evan Engram remained under the limited participant section. But he was set to go full speed for the first time to see if he could be available Thursday night against the Eagles. 

Engram, who has been out for two games with a right MCL sprain, was looking forward to taking the field as he knew it could determine whether or not he can help his team win -- something they desperately need to stay in the NFC East hunt. 

"Today's just a big day for me practice wise," Engram said before practice. "Just going to go out there and see how I feel going full speed and getting full speed reps. Been taking it day-by-day and it's a possibility, but we'll see going forward."

Giants tight end Evan Engram "has a shot" to play in Thursday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Pat Shurmur told reporters on Monday.

Engram, the second-year tight end, has missed back-to-back games with a sprained right MCL. He and linebacker Olivier Vernon, who has yet to play in a game this season due to an ankle injury, were both limited in Monday's practice.

"We're still hopeful about Vernon," Shurmur said.

The New York Giants, still searching for some consistency, came up short yet again after losing 33-31 to the Carolina Panthers. If the future of their season seemed bleak following last week's brutal 33-18 loss to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, this week's defeat may have cemented another lost season.

To their credit, the Giants did put up a fight and had a comeback victory within grasp. But sitting at 1-4 after Graham Gano's 63-yarder at the end of regulation, you have to wonder how much fight the team has left.

Let's take a look on where it all went wrong this Sunday afternoon…

The Giants will be without LB Olivier Vernon and TE Evan Engram yet again on Sunday, but CB Eli Apple will return after he missed a pair of games.

Engram will miss a second straight game after spraining his right MCL in the Giants' Week 3 win over the Texans. Vernon, who has been hobbled by an ankle injury, has yet to play in a regular season game this season.

Apple returned as a full participant at practice this week.

WR Sterling Shepard (back), LB Connor Barwin (knee), and CB Eli Apple (groin) were all full participants for the Giants at practice on Thursday, and all look like they'll be ready when Big Blue faces the Panthers on Sunday.

Shepard had a cyst on his back removed and has missed practice on Wednesday, and Apple has missed the last two games.

DT Damon Harrison (knee) returned to practice Thursday after sitting out on Wednesday, while Olivier Vernon (ankle) was limited for the second straight day.

WR Sterling Shepard (back), DT Damon Harrison (knee), LB Connor Barwin (knee), and TE Evan Engram (knee) all missed practice for the Giants on Wednesday.

Shepard had a cyst on his back removed but is expected to be ready to play on Sunday against the Panthers.

"(Sterling Shepard) had a little thing taken off the base of his back that is just going to take him a day or so to get back from, otherwise he'll be fine," head coach Pat Shurmur said.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: A week ago they had made so much progress. Then on Sunday, the Giants stepped back into their abyss.

Now, after their disheartening 33-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints, they are 1-3 and looking at the likelihood of yet another lost season.

Here's a look at how their specific position groups played in their Week 4 loss...

Giants LB Olivier Vernon will miss another game with an ankle injury, while CB Eli Apple (groin) and TE Evan Engram (knee) will also miss Sunday's game.

Seven players in total are inactive, including WR Cody Latimer, C Evan Brown, QB Kyle Lauletta and CB Antonio Hamilton.

Engram will miss another game after suffering a knee injury during the Giants' Week 3 win over the Texans. Vernon and Apple returned to practice earlier this week.

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Odell Beckham Jr. feels he's close to that big play that's been missing so far from his comeback. Granted, he said "I always feel like I'm one play away … like at any moment in time it could go 80, it could go 60."

But this time he means it. He saw opportunities on film last week that he just missed. So did most of the rest of the Giants' offensive players. They were fired up by their performance in Houston. They feel like they're close to a real offensive explosion.

The Giants will be without LB Olivier Vernon (ankle), CB Eli Apple (groin), WR Cody Latimer (knee), RB Jonathan Stewart (foot), and TE Evan Engram (knee) on Sunday against the Saints. 

"I'm really close, but just going to keep prepping and get ready for next week," Apple said.

CB Antonio Hamilton (groin) and WR Stacy Coley (hamstring) are questionable...

Giants CB Eli Apple (groin) returned to practice on Thursday on a limited basis.

LB Olivier Vernon (ankle) practiced on a limited basis for a second straight day, while LB Connor Barwin (knee), WR Stacy Coley (hamstring), and CB Antonio Hamilton (groin) also practiced on a limited basis. 

Vernon has not played yet this season, but head coach Pat Shurmur said Wednesday that he and Apple were "coming along."

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants believe in Eli Manning and they've made that clear. But he's still 37 years old, has only two years left on his contract, and there's still no obvious replacement for him on the roster. They don't seem to have a long-term plan at quarterback.

Unless that plan includes the man who currently holds the job...

With Giants TE Evan Engram expected to be out 2-4 weeks, it will be up to Rhett Ellison to pick up the slack. And head coach Pat Shurmur already knows he's up for the challenge. 

Ellison is an all-around tight end, in that he can receive and make plays as well as block efficiently no matter the play call. It's that versatility combined with his gritty personality on the field that Shurmur likes to see.

"I'm fond of Rhett, who he is as a player and as a person," Shurmur said after practice Wednesday. "He epitomizes a player that you want on your team. He's very good at what he does, he can line up anywhere, he finds a way to make plays. Some guys just have a knack for that. He finds a way to make plays. Very trustworthy and very tough, and he's wired like a football player, and that is what you're looking for."

Giants LB Olivier Vernon (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis.

Vernon has not played yet this season, but head coach Pat Shurmur said Wednesday that he and CB Eli Apple (who remained out due to a groin injury) were "coming along."

"They're getting better," Shurmur said. "We're hopeful. They should be out there on the field. Again, we're hopeful that they'll be back. High ankle sprain and then the groin, there's not always a timeline on those.

Giants TE Evan Engram, who suffered a sprained MCL during Sunday's game against the Texans, is not dealing with a severe sprain, a team source told SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

Due to the non-severe nature of the sprain, the expectation is that Engram will be out about 2-4 weeks -- the normal recovery time for that injury. 

A lot will depend on how he responds to treatment and whether it gets any worse. But the Giants are hopeful, the source said, that he won't miss more than a couple of games...