Giants QB Daniel Jones went through ups and downs last season, as one might expect from a rookie leading an NFL team for the first time. However, Jones showed flashes of great quarterback play and the ability to play gritty, hard-nosed football that leads to wins. That's exactly what the Giants, and its fanbase, wanted to see. 

As Year 2 approaches, Jones taking a leap forward is a big priority. But can it be big enough to take over New York City and emerge as a true star in the league? 

That's what NFL Network's Peter Schrager thinks Jones is capable of in 2020, as he said on Good Morning Football that he has the skill and personality to become the New York's pride and joy. 

The NFL Draft is over and the Giants look to be done with setting up their roster for training camp this upcoming season. But solidifying the right players for the 2020 season is far from over. 

With there no longer being a 53-man roster, two more roster slots open thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was voted on this offseason. 

So, with rookies and free agents joining the veterans already on the roster card, here is a way-too-early 55-man roster prediction for Big Blue.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

While sorting through your Giants and Jets questions over the last few days, and answering them in my Jets and Giants mailbags, I noticed a few asking me to compare the two teams. So sure, I'll take my shot at evaluating how they measure up in my first Giants-Jets combo mailbag:

Tight end Evan Engram and safety Jabrill Peppers are both coming back from injuries, but the Giants consider them to be big parts of their future. So it was no surprise on Wednesday night when they picked up both of their fifth-year contract options for 2021.

The moves were long expected, and something of a no-brainer, considering the two young players still come relatively cheap. The option on the 24-year-old Peppers is only $6,770,000. For the 25-year-old Engram, the amount is only $6,013,000.

Those amounts are also only guaranteed for injury. They become fully guaranteed next March, on the first day of the next league year.

Giants head coach Joe Judge joined the Moose and Maggie show on WFAN on Tuesday to talk about the Markus Golden situation (click here for more), the potential logjam with Andrew Thomas and Nate Solder, the Nick Saban connection, and more.

Here are the takeaways...

On how left tackles Andrew Thomas and Nate Solder will fit

"We're gonna play the best five guys, period. And at this point there's no depth charts that are established. We have a lot of talented guys (and) we're gonna let training camp sort that out for us. Whether it's guys playing guard or center, whether it's left or right tackle, we're gonna find the best pieces for our team to have success. The only way to do that is to put 'em on the grass, let them compete, Let 'em figure it out and it'll sort out itself. ... everyone is gonna have an equal chance to compete. We're telling the players that, and it's 100 percent true."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Giants didn't find the big-time pass rusher they crave in free agency, and they're not likely to be in position to grab one in the draft. So it remains the most glaring hole on their roster.

And it's not going to be filled by Jadeveon Clowney, Yannick Ngakoue or even Markus Golden any time soon.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman seemed to quash the idea of a big-money or even medium-money addition to his pass rush in a conference call with reporters on Monday afternoon. As much as a player like that would help, given how bad the Giants' pass rush was last season, adding one is clearly not in Gettleman's current plans.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman and assistant GM Kevin Abrams spoke on a conference call on Monday afternoon.

Here are the takeaways...

Why did Leonard Williams get the franchise tag instead of transition tag?

"What it came down to was we felt very good about our cap space," Gettleman said, adding that it was "more prudent" to use the franchise tag over the cheaper transition tag.

If the Giants keep the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- and GM Dave Gettleman has done nothing to suggest they won't -- they will almost certainly take either an offensive lineman or Isaiah Simmons at No. 4.

So prepare for Simmons, Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, or Andrew Thomas to become Big Blue's 2020 first-rounder.

After that selection, the Giants have 10 picks from the second-through-seventh rounds where they can try to fill some of their other big needs (pass-rushing help, another wide receiver, additional help for the offensive line even if they take someone at No. 4).

Let's take a look at some potential later-round steals...

The Giants are re-signing tight end Eric Tomlinson, he announced Saturday via Instagram.

Tomlinson, who had been cut by the Giants in September, also spent time with the Raiders and Patriots in 2019.

The 27-year-old Tomlinson spent the first three seasons of his career -- from 2016 to 2018 -- with the Jets.

The first day of NFL free agency has passed, and many eye-opening deals went down in those 24 hours as the league shook up its rosters. 

The Giants were among those that added some new pieces, especially on the defensive side of the ball. And GM Dave Gettleman still has about $55 million to work with, so Big Blue might not be done. 

Here's what happened on Day 1, starting with the team's latest signee:

As the Giants were making the more attention-grabbing signings of CB James Bradberry and LB Blake Martinez on Monday as NFL free agency kicked off, they also inked imposing former San Francisco 49ers TE Levine Toilolo.

The 28-year-old Toilolo, who is 6-8", 268 pounds, played in 13 games in 2019 for the 49ers, reeling in just two catches for 10 yards.

Before joining the 49ers, Toilolo played for the Detroit Lions in 2018 and Atlanta Falcons from 2013-2017. In both Detroit and Atlanta, Toilolo was a much bigger pass-catching threat than he was with the 49ers.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Rhett Ellison announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, saying his "emotional rollercoaster" led to this very tough decision. And it was also a decision that takes another tight end off the Giants' roster this offseason.

The Giants, who also cut Scott Simonson earlier, are left with former first-round pick Evan Engram and an intriguing prospect in Kaden Smith on the depth chart. These are two young players that could complement each other well, but there is too much risk here with Engram's injury history and Smith's small sample size in the league. 

Giants tight end Rhett Ellison has announced his retirement from football after eight seasons in the NFL, the team announced Monday morning. 

"The past few weeks, it's kind of been an emotional rollercoaster," Ellison said in a statement on the team website. "But the overwhelming feeling I have is gratitude. Just thinking back to all the people in my life, even before I put pads on, that were able to nurture and grow the gifts God put into me and make this career possible. I think that was the biggest thing that was the fun part about the retirement process, which is reflecting on those people, thanking those people, reaching out and just the lessons they taught me, the tools they gave me for my life after football."

Ellison suffered a concussion back in Week 10's matchup with the Jets, and never quite recovered from it, missing the remainder of the season due to the injury.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The NFL Scouting Combine has been in full swing this week, but the real scouting begins on Thursday when the quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends kick off drills to see which prospects can stand out among the rest. 

Here's who the Giants should be keeping a close eye on when it all begins at 4 p.m...

The Giants have released tight end Scott Simonson, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed on Monday.

Simonson played for both the Raiders and Panthers before signing with the Giants prior to the 2018 season. He played in all 16 games in 2018, and caught his first (and only) career touchdown in Week 16 against the Colts.

Simonson was injured in training camp last season and released in September, but was re-signed for the remainder of the year in November. He appeared in two games, catching two passes for 11 yards.

Michael Strahan, who revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that his No. 92 was to be retired by the Giants, knows what his former team needs if they want to get back to the playoffs. 

"Can't have a bunch of nice guys and win. It doesn't work. We need to find some dogs," Strahan told The New York Times' David Marchese in a Q&A. 

Being a dog on the field was a great way to describe Strahan's nature, being someone who was feared by the entire league on the defensive line. The gold jacket he received in 2014 as a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee is a pretty good indication of that. 

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

Darius Slayton had exactly the same reaction as almost everyone else when he heard the Giants new head coach was going to be Joe Judge.

Who?

"Yeah, I had not heard of him prior to the Giants hiring him," Slayton told SNY in an interview on Thursday. "But you know he's coming from a really good organization. Everybody I've heard speak about him has glowing things to say about him, so I'm sure he'll be a good guy for the job."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

Less than two years ago, the Giants gave Pat Shurmur the keys to a dysfunctional mess of a locker room because they believed he was the "adult" who could clean it up. And in many ways he did. The room is far more professional than it was back then.

But that didn't matter as much as maybe it should have in this bottom line business. Shurmur went 9-23 in his two seasons with the Giants, including 4-11 with a franchise-record-tying nine-game losing streak this year.

In the end, the 54-year-old Shurmur never had a chance.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

It took until the end of a dismal and disappointing season, but Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley reminded everyone why the Giants' future is bright.

Both players looked as good as they ever have as they put on dazzling displays in the Giants' wild, 41-35 overtime win over the Washington Redskins. Jones, the rookie quarterback who missed the last two games with a sprained ankle, completed 28-of-42 passes for a career-high 352 yards and a career-best five touchdowns. And Barkley, in by far the finest game of his young career, rushed 22 times for 189 yards and caught four passes for 90 yards and scored twice, too.

For Jones, it was his third game of the season with at least four touchdown passes and fourth game with at least four touchdowns overall. And Barkley set his career best with 279 total yards.

Giants TE Evan Engram has been working hard to get back on the field these past few weeks, but his body just wasn't cooperating. The Giants had no choice but to put him on the IR, and now we know why. 

Engram revealed on Wednesday that he is dealing with a Lisfanc injury in his foot, and that he will undergo surgery with Dr. Robert Anderson on Friday to repair it. 

"Just didn't get better. It was a tough injury, tricky injury," Engram said.

Evan Engram has officially been placed on Injured Reserve, the team announced on Tuesday, ending a long "will he, won't he" stretch where it was unclear whether Engram would be able to suit up from week-to-week.

The third-year tight end finishes the 2019 season with just eight games played , a career-low for Engram, who played 15 games his rookie season and 11 last year.

Engram has been sidelined since Week 10 with a foot injury that did not heal fast enough for him to return to the field. With the Giants record at 2-12, rushing him back was seemingly not something of a concern for the team.

In his eight games on the field this season, Engram caught 44 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns.

The Dolphins will get some added help this Sunday when they try to defeat a New York team for the second time, as WRs DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson have been cleared from the concussion protocol and were removed from the game's injury status report.

Parker, who signed a four-year, $40 million contract extension earlier this week, suffered the injury during last week's loss to the Jets when he was tackled after catching a pass and hit his head on the field.

Wilson also suffered the injury last week against the Jets.

Eli Manning will start his second consecutive game this weekend for the Giants after Pat Shurmur announced that Daniel Jones remains out with a high ankle sprain.

SNY's Ralph Vacchiano reported earlier this week that it was "likely" Manning would start against the Dolphins as Jones continues to recover from the injury.

With the rest of the season still in limbo, Manning will at the very least get to play one final home game for the Giants on Sunday to potentially cap off his 16-year career in New York.

The Giants were hopeful that Evan Engram would be ready to go against the Eagles on Monday night, but after the tight end did not practice on Saturday, he'll remain inactive for Week 14.

Engram has been sidelined with a sprained foot since Week 9, but head coach Pat Shurmur said on Wednesday that his prospects of playing were "trending up." On Friday, Engram was listed as a participant in practice (albeit in a limited capacity) for the first time.

But he did not participate in Saturday's walkthrough, after which the Giants announced that Engram would not play on Monday.

The Giants will officially be without tight end Evan Engram on Monday night, and it now looks like the Philadelphia Eagles may be getting one of their playmakers back into the lineup.

Eagles running back Jordan Howard has missed each of the team's last three games due to a shoulder injury, but he was a limited participant in practice this week and is officially listed as questionable for Monday night.

The issue for Howard is that the former Chicago Bear has still not yet been cleared for contact, and while there's a chance that could happen before Monday night, there's still a scenario in which he misses his fourth straight game. 

Daniel Jones was seen at Giants practice on Friday without a boot on his foot, showing progress regarding his sprained ankle, but the rookie quarterback did not practice and is unlikely to play against the Eagles on Monday night.

Veteran QB Eli Manning is expected get the start against Philadelphia in his place, as the Giants look to halt an eight-game skid.

With Jones' ankle already improving and him no longer in need of a protective boot, the idea of Jones returning to the field again this season is certainly trending upward.

While the Giants do not release their latest injury report until Thursday, second-year head coach Pat Shurmur shared one optimistic update as they prepare for Monday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Shurmur said the Giants' chances of getting third-year tight end Evan Engram back were "trending up" with five days to go before Week 14 kicks off at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Engram added to Shurmur's update, telling Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, "Yes, sir," when asked if he expected to make his return for the 8:15 p.m. start on ESPN.

As the Packers come to town on Sunday, the Giants will be without a few playmakers once again in this Week 13 matchup. 

Highlighting the group is WR Golden Tate, who suffered a concussion in the loss to the Bears last week. Since he returned to the Giants after his suspension for the first four games of the season, Tate has been a consistent target for Daniel Jones. 

The veteran receiver has seen at least six targets in each game this season, with a 63.2 percent catch percentage. He has 36 receptions for 450 yards and four touchdowns over seven games. 

The Giants will continue their trend of missing keys pieces of their team against the Packers this week, as Golden Tate, Jabrill Peppers, Evan Engram, Rhett Ellison and Zak DeOssie have been ruled out for Sunday's matchup.

DeOssie did not practice this week with knee/wrist injuries and was believed to potentially be heading to the injured reserve, but head coach Pat Shurmer said nothing was official yet and that DeOssie was held out of practice Friday to be evaluated--DeOssie was ruled out for Sunday's game later in the day than the rest of the players.

Tate and Peppers were both injured in last week's loss to the Bears. 

Pat Shurmur is unsure of whether or not three top playmakers will be available for Week 13, but the second-year head coach and the Giants know what boost they would get if their banged-up trio could give it a go.

Ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. game against the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers (8-3), the reeling Giants (2-9) -- who have lost their past seven games -- could see tight end Evan Engram and wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate all back on the field together.

While he did not present too much of an update in his Wednesday media availability, Shurmur said that the return of Engram -- absent since Nov. 4's 37-18 loss to the Dallas Cowboys (6-5) with a mid-foot sprain -- remains a possibility.

Another Giants receiver is dealing with a concussion, with Golden Tate the player impacted this time.

Tate, who suffered the concussion during his touchdown reception late in Sunday's loss to the Bears, is in the protocol, the team announced on Monday.

Fellow receiver Sterling Shepard has dealt with two concussions this season. Meanwhile, pass-catching tight end Evan Engram is currently out due to a mid-foot sprain.

As expected, Sterling Shepard, Janoris Jenkins and Nate Solder have been cleared from the concussion protocol and will play this Sunday against the Bears, the Giants announced on Friday.

Shepard hasn't played since Week 5 and also missed the Giants' game during Week 2 after suffering his first concussion during Week 1. Shepard initially thought he would be OK to return against the Cowboys after his second concussion, but reported concussion like symptoms two days prior to the Week 9 matchup and remained out.

Jenkins and Solder both exited the Week 10 matchup with the Jets with concussions, but luckily the Giants had a bye week afterwards, so the duo will not miss a single game.

The Giants announced Friday morning that they'll be without the top two tight ends on their depth chart this Sunday against the Bears, as Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison have both officially been listed as out.

Additionally, Janoris Jenkins, Nate Solder and Sterling Shepard have yet to be cleared from the concussion protocol, and will be evaluated later today for a final decision. However, Pat Shurmur expects all three to be cleared and ready to go for Sunday.

Engram will continue to nurse the mid-foot sprain he suffered back in Week 9, as Ellison moves on in his recovery from a concussion.

After Evan Engram already answered questions about his status Monday when he told reporters his return for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears was "definitely possible," he reiterated his thoughts two days later.

Sidelined for the past two weeks, sitting out the Giants' 34-27 loss to the Jets last Sunday as he nursed his mid-foot sprain, the third-year tight end remains out of practice through Wednesday.

As the 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Soldier Field in Chicago looms for Week 12, Engram expressed some optimism that he could still make his way back with the Giants (2-8) vs. the Bears (4-6).

Coming off the bye week, the Giants will be traveling to Chicago to face the Bears, a team that has lost five of its last six contests. But most of the struggles with this squad is due to its offense sputtering. 

Their defense is a different story. 

The Bears own the eighth-best defense in the NFL at the moment, with many playmakers on that side of the ball. But there may be no better duo of pass rushers in the league than the ones the Giants will be facing on Sunday in Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd.

Many players normally head home to see their families or simply get a change of scenery during the bye week. For Giants TE Evan Engram, he remained in East Rutherford so he could be ready to help his team this week.

Engram suffered a mid-foot sprain against the Cowboys two weeks ago, and has been working hard to get back on the field as soon as possible. And that included work during the bye week. 

He's now out of his walking boot, and says he's feeling good.

Giants WR Sterling Shepard took a big step forward on Monday, returning to practice for the first time since his concussion symptoms (stemming from his second concussion of the season) returned.

While Shepard was back at practice, he is still technically in concussion protocol, head coach Pat Shurmur said.

Shepard was back on the field along with Janoris Jenkins, but Evan Engram (out of his walking boot, making progress toward a potential return) remained out.

After suffering his second concussion of the season, Shepard was initially cleared and expected to return against the Jets last week. However, he began experiencing symptoms again in the days leading up to the game, informed the team, and was placed back in concussion protocol.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Giants haven't led the NFL in much recently, but they had a big lead in one category through the end of October. No team played rookies more often than they did. And they led in that category by about 500 total snaps.

That only counted rookies, like quarterback Daniel Jones, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, linebacker Oshane Ximines and corners Corey Ballentine and DeAndre Baker. It didn't count all their second-year pros like guard Will Hernandez, running back Saquon Barkley, defensive end B.J. Hill, linebacker Lorenzo Carter, and cornerbacks Grant Haley and now Sam Beal.

The point is, the Giants are young. Very, very young. And that might be the biggest reason to be optimistic about their future, and to believe that GM Dave Gettleman could have them on the right path.

With the Giants down to zero healthy reliable tight ends, the team has re-signed Scott Simonson, reports SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

Simonson, 27, signed a one-year contract extension with the Giants before the season, but was placed on IR on Aug. 31 due to an ankle injury before being released in September.

Starting tight end Evan Engram is dealing with a mid-foot sprain and missed this past Sunday's game against the Jets, and backup Rhett Ellison is in concussion protocol.

The Giants have placed Rhett Ellison in the concussion protocol after Sunday's loss to the Jets and now have just one healthy tight end on the roster heading into their bye week.

Ellison joins Janoris Jenkins and Nate Solder in the protocol after the trio all left the game at different points. He caught all three of his targets against the Jets for 42 yards of offense before exiting the game.

Sterling Shepard has been in and out of the protocol all season and missed the big all-New York matchup on Sunday.

The Giants will again be short handed on the offensive side of the ball this Sunday when they face the Jets, as Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard have been ruled out for the game.

Engram suffered a mid-foot sprain last Monday against the Cowboys and had pretty much expected not being able to suit up Sunday when he spoke to the media earlier in the week. 

"Not right n-, I mean, that's all [up to] trainers and coaches," Engram told reporters on Wednesday, cutting himself off when asked if he expects to be active. 

"Take it this week and got the bye week next week and we'll see where we are."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Giants and Jets are a combined 3-14, one year after going a combined 9-23, one year after going a combined 8-24. That's a 20-61 record over the last 2 ½ seasons, for a "winning" percentage of .246.

So no, the Giants and Jets don't match up particularly well with the rest of the professional football world right now. But how do they match up with each other?

In advance of their big showdown on Sunday at the Meadowlands, let's take a look:

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Giants and Jets are a combined 3-14, one year after going a combined 9-23, one year after going a combined 8-24. That's a 20-61 record over the last 2 ½ seasons, for a "winning" percentage of .246.

So no, the Giants and Jets don't match up particularly well with the rest of the professional football world right now. But how do they match up with each other?

In advance of their big showdown on Sunday at the Meadowlands, let's take a look:

Giants WR Sterling Shepard was on the field Thursday before practice officially got underway, stretching and casually tossing the football with his teammates before heading to the sidelines.

Shepard, who was wearing his helmet and pads, was in Pittsburgh on Wednesday to see a concussion specialist after his concussion symptoms returned over the weekend.

The receiver, who was a full practice participant at the end of last week, had been cleared and was expected to play Monday night against the Patriots before his symptoms returned and he alerted the team.

Giants TE Evan Engram just can't catch a break, as he suffered a mid-foot sprain on Monday night against the Cowboys. As you might expect, he doesn't sound too optimistic he'll be available on Sunday. 

"Not right n-, I mean, that's all [up to] trainers and coaches," Engram told reporters on Wednesday, cutting himself off when asked if he expects to be active. 

"Take it this week and got the bye week next week and we'll see where we are."

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur revealed on Wednedsay that TE Evan Engram suffered a mid-foot sprain against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Engram, who is in a walking boot, is "day-to-day, week-to-week," Shurmur said.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier that Engram is headed for a second opinion with Dr. Robert Anderson. As SNY's Ralph Vacchiano pointed out, he is the same doctor that saw Saquon Barkley for an opinion on his high ankle sprain. 

The Giants got off to a fantastic start Monday night against the Cowboys, as Antoine Bethea intercepted Dak Prescott on the first play from scrimmage. He was tackled at the Cowboys' eight-yard line, giving the Giants about as short of a field as you can ask for on their opening drive of the game.

They came away with a field goal.

That was more or less the story of the night as Big Blue converted just one touchdown on five red zone attemps, was outscored 21-3 in the fourth quarter, and lost to the Cowboys, 37-18, dropping their record to 2-7.

Before the NFL trade deadline came to pass, the Giants were active in obtaining DL Leonard Williams from the Jets. However, many believed GM Dave Gettleman would move players like Janoris Jenkins or even Nate Solder, who were getting several inquiries from other teams. 

And while the Giants may have listened to those calls, they didn't even entertain those that involved TE Evan Engram. 

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, one team thought to call about the 2017 first-rounder out of Ole Miss. But no matter the offer, the Giants remained steadfast in keeping Engram in Giants blue. 

When NFL teams prepare for the Draft each year, they all hope to find that Day 2 or even Day 3 talent that is a diamond in the rough. Having later-round talent make an impact is how good teams become great. 

Fifth-round pick in WR Darius Slayton could turn into one of those players for the Giants. 

Slayton came out of Auburn as a player scouts knew had the wheels (he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash), but needed some polishing when it came to route running and hauling the ball in without drops.