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.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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...

Giants TE Evan Engram suffered a sprained MCL during Sunday's game against the Texans, head coach Pat Shurmur said Monday.

While running down the sideline after a catch, Engram took a low hit to his knee and somersaulted out of bounds. Though he tried walking it off, Engram eventually went to the sideline to get checked out instead. 

Being listed week to week as of now, Shurmur noted "we're waiting to see how extensive it might be." SNY's Ralph Vacchiano said that the Giants do expect him to miss at least a couple games. It will all depend on the severity of Engram's sprain, and how he responds to treatment moving forward...

Giants TE Evan Engram left Sunday's game against the Texans with a knee injury and will miss the rest of the game.

Engram appeared to have injured his knee when he was hit after hauling in a first down pass from Eli Manning in the second quarter. His 19-yard reception was his only catch of the game.

Engram has caught nine passes for 85 yards and one touchdown this season for the Giants.

Giants LB Olivier Vernon (ankle), who has missed the first two games of the season, has still not returned to practice. And it appears highly unlikely he'll be able to play on Sunday against the Texans. 

Head coach Pat Shurmur said late last week that the Giants were hopeful Vernon would be able to return for Week 3, but he has not made any meaningful progress. 

CB Eli Apple (groin) also missed practice Thursday, while LB Connor Barwin (knee) and TE Evan Engram (ankle) were limited.

Many have given their case as to where the blame should be placed for the Giants' 0-2 start to the season. The offensive line's shaky play seems to be at the top, with head coach Pat Shurmur taking a brunt of the backlash as well. 

And then there's the play of 37-year-old QB Eli Manning that is in the spotlight as well. Former Jet and current ESPN Damien Woody is on that bandwagon. 

Appearing on ESPN's "Get Up" morning show on Wednesday, Woody ripped Manning's level of play, and basically said he's finished after just two weeks into the new season...

Many have given their case as to where the blame should be placed for the Giants' 0-2 start to the season. The offensive line's shaky play seems to be at the top, with head coach Pat Shurmur taking a brunt of the backlash as well. 

And then there's the play of 37-year-old QB Eli Manning that is in the spotlight as well. Former Jet and current ESPN Damien Woody is on that bandwagon. 

Appearing on ESPN's "Get Up" morning show on Wednesday, Woody ripped Manning's level of play, and basically said he's finished after just two weeks into the new season...

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Giants are a team in crisis at 0-2 after a miserable, 20-13 loss in Dallas on Sunday night. And they're back to their same old offensive problems.

Here's a look at how their specific position groups played on Sunday night...

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Giants were so sure that a healthy Odell Beckham Jr., a rebuilt offensive line and the addition of Saquon Barkley would be enough to wake them out of their years-long offensive nightmare.

Two games into the season, it looks like they may have been wrong. Really wrong.

Their offense was absolutely pathetic on Sunday night in a 20-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. They barely got anything going either on the ground or in the air. They hardly even threatened to score any points until the game was basically over. And if it weren't for Barkley (14 catches for 80 yards, 11 rushes for 28 yards), they would've spent the game looking like they were standing still.

The Giants started the season 0-2 for the second straight season with a 20-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.

New York was outgained 299-254 as Odell Beckham Jr. was held to four catches for 50 yards and the team was limited to just 35 yards on the ground.

Eli Manning was sacked six times for 59 yards and lost a fumble, while Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 160 yards and a touchdown and ran for 46 yards.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Saquon Barkley's debut didn't get off to a flying start. On his first two NFL carries, he couldn't even break the line of scrimmage. He did nothing of note in the first half at all.

Yet somehow there was a feeling that something was different. Somehow, watching Barkley, everyone knew.

"I mean, I knew right away," said Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell, who helped tackle Barkley for no gain on the rookie's first run. "The first run and the first couple of times I tackled him, I said, 'This kid has something.'"

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Giants have a $95 million wide receiver, a running back they took second overall in the NFL draft and a franchise quarterback they believe can still play for "years." They also have a tight end they took in the first round a year ago and another receiver they took in the second round in 2016.

Those are a lot of talented weapons they've invested in heavily.

And once again, it looks like any potential they have is going to be crushed behind a crumbling offensive line.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants spent the summer dreaming about what a healthy Odell Beckham could do for their offense when paired with Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard and a revived Eli Manning.

But it looks like the fix to their offensive problems isn't going to be as quick as they hoped.

The Giants' offense was surprisingly ugly in its debut under new coach Pat Shurmur on Sunday.

Giants TE Evan Engram left Friday night's game against the Jets with a concussion and TE Rhett Ellison was forced out due to an eye injury.

Engram appeared to have suffeed a concussion on a play when he caught a pass from QB Eli Manning, but fumbled after he was hit by two Jets defenders. He was able to walk off the field on his own power.

Ellison suffered an eye injury and is questionable to return.

The Giants released their unofficial depth chart on Monday, and though it isn't set in stone, there are a few things worth noting. 

Here are the five biggest takeaways from how this roster looks early on in training camp...

1) No surprise Saquon Barkley is lead running back

The Giants' offense is already generating tons of buzz with the overload of weapons available on the depth chart. And for other teams around the league, fear is starting to set in. 

Led by star WR Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants possess above-average player at every position. Along with Beckham, Sterling Shepard will be another option in the receiving corps. At tight end, Evan Engram burst onto the scene last year as a pass-catching threat as well as one of Eli Manning's top end zone targets. And to round it all up, we all know what rookie RB Saquon Barkley is expected to bring to the table.

Looking at all of these options to work with, one AFC scout wouldn't want any defense to have to defend this group. So what should teams do?

Giants TE Evan Engram noticed the progress he made during his rookie season and spent the off-season working to improve even more under a new head coach and an improved offense.

Engram said the game slowed down for him this off-season as he looked back at his 2017 campaign.

"Things like getting open, getting back on the blocks -- everything kind of just slowed down and allowed me to get better at certain things, and then apply them on the field with the talent we have together as a team this offseason," Engram said.

Giants TE Evan Engram agrees with his former coach Ben McAdoo-- he's glad McAdoo came out and said he thinks that the Giants are going to win the NFC East.

McAdoo broke his public silence since being fired by the team after going 13-15 with one postseason loss in one and a half seasons. Engram, speaking at his camp in New Jersey, was glad McAdoo said what he did. 

"I'm glad he said it. It's really realistic," Engram said...

This is the first installment of Giants position previews for the upcoming 2018 season. This will be an in-depth look at each position heading into training camp that begins on July 25.

The Rundown

Expectations for the Giants coming into training camp last season were exceptionally high, but there arguably wasn't any higher than the wide receiver position.

EA Sports released its highly-anticipated Madden NFL 19 ratings on Tuesday, and the Giants saw themselves at the bottom of the pack.

Despite some high-profile names on the roster, Big Blue came in rated 73 which is the third-worst ranking in the popular video game. The ratings do change based off team performance throughout the year. 

The highest-rated player on the Giants is WR Odell Beckham Jr., who came in at 95 overall. That makes him the third-best receiver in the game behind Steelers' Antonio Brown, who has a nearly perfect rating of 99, and Falcons' Julio Jones' 98 rating...

There wasn't much to critique when looking back at Giants TE Evan Engram's rookie season. He was one of Eli Manning's top targets as he hauled in 64 receptions for 722 yards and six touchdowns, which earned him a spot on the PFWA's All-Rookie Team. 

But no one is perfect, and Engram knows there is an area of his game he can improve on. Though he led all rookie tight ends in receptions, yards and touchdowns, he could have more in each category if he didn't drop 11 passes. 

Engram's catch rate was 55 percent last season, and that is what he is working on in preparing for this year. It already began during the team's offseason workouts.

Giants QB Eli Manning had a rough 2017 season to say the least. However, the Giants' front office did some work this offseason to bolster his offensive line as well as add more weapons to throw to. 

So, does that mean Manning is set for a career year?

Playing "Boom or Bust" on "Loud Mouths," SNY's Jon Hein believes that Manning could very well have a good season in 2018. But predicting that he will have a career year would be absurd at the age of 37...

When referring to Giants WR Sterling Shepard, don't call him a slot receiver.

It is hard not to label the Giants 2016 second-rounder as a slot receiver considering he has spent 75 percent of his snaps in th slot last season, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. But, with head coach Pat Shurmur in charge this year, Shepard has already been seen taking snaps on the outside during the team's first practices. 

The narrative of Shepard, standing at 5-foot-10, being only a slot receiver could change this season, and he is looking forward to making that happen. 

Former Giants offensive lineman and two-time Super Bowl champion David Diehl sees an entirely different Giants team this year.

And though they were one of the leagues' worst at 3-13, Diehl is confident the new pieces this season will generate more wins. 

"You're going to be looking at a completely different offense," Diehl told NJ.com's Matt Lombardo. "Now you have Saquon Barkley, to Will Hernandez, to Nate Solder, and now coming back with a healthy Odell Beckham Jr., you're looking at a dangerous offense that can do a lot of things."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Dave Gettleman has been raving about Saquon Barkley privately and publicly since he first watched him on film back in March. In the end, he couldn't pass on a player he said "was touched by the hand of God." So with the second overall pick, it was an easy choice to select "the unanimous best player in our draft."

But Gettleman's choice wasn't just about the dynamic, 21-year-old Penn State running back.

It was about the Giants' 37-year-old quarterback, too.

NC State DE Bradley Chubb is hoping his former teammate Evan Engram is pushing for the Giants to select him in Thursday night's NFL Draft.

"I hope so," Chubb told SNY's Ralph Vacchiano on Wednesday in Dallas. "I hope he's up there fighting for me." 

Chubb also spoke with Vacchiano about his visit with the Giants, comparisons to Michael Strahan, and the idea of playing in New York.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |: With just one day left until the 2018 NFL Draft, all eyes will be on new Giants GM Dave Gettleman to see who he takes with his No. 2 overall pick.

Whether it is one of the top quarterbacks like USC's Sam Darnold, or a top position player in Penn State RB Saquon Barkley or N.C. State's Bradley Chubb, Giants fans will hope it is the right guy at the No. 2 overall pick. 

Let's take a look at who the Giants have selected as their first-rounder in the past, and how their careers have panned out so far. 

In his latest mock draft, Todd McShay has the Giants straying away from a quarterback, and selecting Penn State RB Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick. 

It was UCLA QB Josh Rosen that McShay stuck with in his first two mock drafts, but he points out how the Giants have many different avenues to work with as their No. 2 pick dictates. They could look to the future, immediate success, or even trade back for a team that has fallen in love with their next franchise quarterback. However, McShay settles with Barkley -- the immediate success option -- to give Eli Manning a run game to work wtih, and potentially vault the Giants into a win-now team.

SEE WHAT MCSHAY SAID ABOUT HIS LATEST PICK BELOW

Explosive. Powerful. Franchise-type. Generational.

These are all words used to describe Penn State RB Saquon Barkley.

Many more adjectives can be put on Barkley's game-changing abilities, but when pitching himself to NFL teams, the 5-foot-11, 223-pound back will describe himself as one word: competitor...

Giants rookies TE Evan Engram and DT Dalvin Tomlinson were both selected to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.

Engram, the Giants' 2017 first-rounder, dazzled in his rookie campaign. He hauled in 64 receptions for 722 yards and six touchdowns, while helping the Giants convert on 37 first down catches. He led all torched all rookie tight ends in that category as well as finishing third in receptions, and second in touchdowns behind Steelers WR Juju Smith-Schuster, who also made the All-Rookie Team.

Among tight ends throughout the league, Engram finished sixth in receptions, fifth in yards, and tied seventh in touchdowns with fellow rookie TE, Bucs O.J. Howard. 

Giants S Landon Collins has an odd idea regarding the type of player the team should select with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

"That's a big, that's a tough one," Collins said Wednesday on ESPN's First Take. "I don't say it's a quarterback, no. I don't say it's a quarterback. I'd say we see what we do this offseason. I would say, um, probably get some help at wide receiver. Get Odell, Brandon Marshall, and Sterling [Shepard] and Eli [Manning] some more options."

Aside from the above players as receiving options, the Giants also have TE Evan Engram, who excelled during his rookie season.

Giants WR Sterling Shepard and TE Evan Engram lead the list of seven inactive players for the Giants in the season finale on Sunday against Washington.

X-rays were negative on Giants TE Evan Engram's ribs, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who says the extent of Engram's injury is bruised ribs.

Engram suffered the injury while trying to make a tackle after an Eli Manning interception in the first quarter of Sunday's game. He was later ruled out.

He had one catch for 12 yards before exiting. The 23-year-old rookie, who is the Giants' leading receiver, has 64 catches for 722 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games this season.

Giants safety Landon Collins suffered a fractured forearm while tight end Evan Engram and wide receiver Sterling Shepard also left Sunday's 23-0 loss to the Arizona Cardinals with injuries, according to interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo.

Collins left the game late in the second quarter on a hit on Arizona's D.J. Foster. One play after he was taken out of the game, Drew Stanton threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald that gave the Cardinals a 10-0 lead.