Evan Engram had injuries plague his 2018 season, but he's back to reverse course this season. Can he make a leap in Year 3? Here's a closer look at what to expect in training camp for the tight ends...

Projected Starters: Evan Engram

Projected Backups: Rhett Ellison

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There are some who decided the Giants' 2019 season would be a disaster the moment they decided to bring Eli Manning back for one more year. Others became convinced they were tanking the moment they made quarterback Daniel Jones the sixth overall pick in the draft.

The truth, though, is nobody knows what the Giants really are and what will happen in 2019 until the games start for real -- and that's still about three months away.

But it's never too early to make some crazy guesses. So here are five bold predictions for what to expect from the Giants this year.

Football fans look forward to the release of each year's installment of the Madden NFL franchise, but Giants fans may want to play with a different team in this year's game.

The Madden NFL 20 player and team ratings were released on Monday, and the Giants have the lowest team rating in the NFC at 77. That's the second-lowest rating only in front of the Dolphins (74). Their NFC East rivals in the Eagles and Cowboys are rated much higher at 89 and 88 respectively.

The Giants' gem on their roster is RB Saquon Barkley, who led the Giants with a 91 overall (and was ranked the fifth-best running back in the game). Other than that, the ratings weren't too kind to the Giants.

The Giants made some big changes heading into the 2019 season -- the obvious being the departure of stars like Odell Beckham Jr., Landon Collins, and Olivier Vernon. But despite those losses, the Giants are confident that their change will be for the better starting this year. 

Will it be enough to fight for an NFC East division title?

Many know how tough the NFC East can be, with no team winning the division in back-to-back seasons since the Eagles won four straight from 2001-2004. The Cowboys were the winners last season at 10-6, but can they repeat? 

Let's see where the Giants sit on the list heading into training camp in a couple weeks...

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Giants GM Dave Gettleman believes his culture overhaul of the Giants' locker room will result in more wins. Coach Pat Shurmur believes Eli Manning has just enough left in his right arm to make his team a contender. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher believes he can piece together enough of a pass rush to help the Giants make a run, too.

They are, if nothing else, dreamers. They believe in the potential of their team. But are they realistic or are they delusional about the roster they've created?

Here's a way-too-early look at how the Giants' 2019 season just might go…

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The Giants let a lot of big-name, big-talent players go this offseason. In fact, Odell Beckham Jr., Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon were easily three of the most important players the Giants had.

How will they survive without them? The answer to that will be provided by the performances of several key players this season.

So here's a look at the Giants' 10 most important players for 2019:

Say what you want about your opinion on the Giants trading away star WR Odell Beckham Jr. His former teammates miss him. 

"Just his presence," Sterling Shepard told The Post's Paul Schwartz, adding that there has been an adjustment period to get used to him not in the locker room. "He's a great guy, he's loved around this facility. Just his presence, I guess."

Beckham has always been one of a kind since entering the league, and it showed in his awe-inspiring play that was matched with an exuberant personality as well. Whether it was making his signature one-handed grabs like it was just another day on the gridiron, or dancing in around practice with players like Shepard and Saquon Barkley, Beckham was always keeping things light and fun. 

Monday night at Yankee Stadium, Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones was enjoying the Yankees and Rays game when he was showed on the jumbrotron in between innings. But instead of cheers for the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft from the Giants fans in attendance, he heard a chorus of boos instead. 

Well, his teammates aren't too happy about that. 

Tight end Evan Engram quote tweeted our news story about the incident, and he wants an explanation from the fans...

Giants TE Evan Engram just can't catch a break. 

The Ole Miss product didn't have the sophomore season he was hoping for after a solid debut back in 2017. Injuries that included a concussion as well as hamstring and knee ailments kept him out five games. And when he was in the game, Engram didn't seem like his normal self as he battled back to full strength. 

Unfortunately, his third year isn't getting off to the best start either. Engram has been dealing with another hamstring injury that has kept him out most of the OTAs as well as the three-day minicamp last week...

The NFL-wide shock of Giants GM Dave Gettleman selecting Duke QB Daniel Jones with the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft has (for the most part) settled. Odell Beckham Jr. is a member of the Cleveland Browns, and yes, the organization will probably never hear the end of it. If there's something that Giants fans can take solace in, it's that Saquon Barkley is still just 22 years old and going into his second season as a pro.

Giants Twittersphere will never tell you this, but there are in fact a few reasons to feel optimistic eye for the upcoming season...

Saquon Barkley's continued development

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Taking one of the five best receivers in the game out of an offense isn't the ideal recipe for success. In an NFL era where explosive passing games rule, players like Odell Beckham seem necessary. The more talent and weapons a team has, the more points they're likely to score.

So why do the Giants seem to think there's a chance their offense will be better now that Beckham is gone?

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."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive:

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.