APR. 29. LB ISAIAH SIMMONS TO SIGN WITH PACKERS. Linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons, for whom the Giants acquired in a 2024 seventh-round draft pick from the Arizona Cardinals in 2023, will be signing with the Green Bay Packers.
Simmons is a former first-round draft pick with the Cardinals, who never quite figured out how to optimize his unique skill set. He was traded to the Giants, who deployed him on 378 snaps that first season, the defense then run by coordinator Wink Martindale.
However, the following season after Shane Bowen replaced Martindale, Simmons saw his defensive snaps drop to 181 on the season, as he was mainly deployed on special teams. That decrease in snaps resulted in some frustration on Simmons’ part, though he kept that mostly to himself.
The Packers are expected to officially sign Simmons on Tuesday, which means he will not count toward the NFL compensatory pick formula. Only eligible free agents signed before the first Tuesday after the draft are factored into the comp pick formula.
APR. 18. JASON SEHORN TO ANNOUNCE GIANTS DAY 2 DRAFT PICKS. Former New York Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn will be joined by 31 other NFL players representing each of the 32 teams at next week’s draft who have been invited to announce their former club’s Day 2 draft picks.
Sehorn, 54, was drafted by the Giants in the second round (59th overall) in 1994 out of USC. He registered 443 tackles and 29 interceptions, five of which were returned for touchdowns, and 5.5 sacks in 107 career games (including postseason).
Sehorn, who played for the Giants from 1995 to 2002, was so versatile and athletic that he convinced then-head coach Jim Fassel to let him return kickoffs in addition to his defensive backfield duties.
The decision proved costly as Sehorn suffered a season-ending torn ACL during a 1998 preseason game. Although he returned the following season, he was never the same player.
The Giants’ Day 2 picks include No. 34 (second round) and Nos. 65 and 99 (third round).
APR. 16. NO DECISION YET ON NEAL, THIBODEAUX OPTION YEARS. New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters that the team will decide after the draft whether to exercise the option years for their two 2022 first-round draft picks, outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive lineman Evan Neal.
If Thibodeaux's option year is picked up, which is expected to happen, it would cost the Giants $14.751 million.
Although he’s yet to establish himself as a premier pass-rusher fully, he’s been knocking on that door to where it pays for the Giants to keep him around an extra year.
The same can’t be said of Neal, who was drafted seventh overall. Neal was initially penciled in to be the team’s right tackle.
However, a combination of injuries and performance issues led the team to bring in veteran Jermaine Eluemunor last year, and he has firmly taken over the starting job.
Neal, meanwhile, will be moved to guard in an attempt to salvage his Giants–and possibly his NFL career.
As such, the team is unlikely to exercise his option, which would cost them $16.685 million, given the lack of certainty about how Neal might do in his new role and if he’ll be able to beat out incumbent Greg Van Roten for the starting right guard job.
Schoen told reporters he hasn’t spoken to Neal about the pending move, but he expressed optimism that the process will go smoothly.
“He's motivated. He's had a good off-season. He's been working hard. We're excited to get him back in here, and he will do whatever he can to help us,” Schoen said.
APR. 15. GIANTS TERMINATE CONTRACT OF DL ROSS BLACKLOCK. The New York Giants, who are believed to be planning to dip into the defensive line class in next week’s draft, terminated the contract of defensive lineman Ross Blacklock.
Blacklock was signed to the Giants practice squad last December but did not see any snaps for the team on defense.
He was originally a second-round pick by the Teans in 2020 out of TCU. He also made stops with the Vikings in 2022 and the practice squads for the Jaguars, Colts, and Titans in 2023
Blacklock is the son of Jimmy Blacklock, a member of the famed Harlem Globetrotters.
APR. 9. REPORT: QB JALEN MILROE SET TO VISIT GIANTS. The New York Giants continue to do their homework on the quarterbacks in this year’s draft class as they are set to host Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart on Thursday and will host an upcoming visit with Alabama signal-caller Jalen Milroe in the coming days.
The visits come as no surprise as the Giants continue to do their homework on quarterback prospects. It’s thought that they won’t look to draft one when they go on the clock at No. 3.
However, it remains a possibility that they will trade back into the bottom third of the first round to select a developmental prospect.
This would ensure that they’ll have the fifth-year option to use on the prospect, who is expected to get a redshirt year this coming season.
To recap, the quarterbacks whom the Giants are reportedly to have met with or will meet with include Miami’s Cam Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart (upcoming), and Alabama’s Jale Milroe (upcoming).
The team is also reportedly hosting Penn State edge Abdul Carter on Thursday.
APR. 4. FORMER GIANTS QB DREW LOCK'S FATHER PASSES AWAY. Andy Lock, the father of former Giants quarterback Drew Lock, passed away Thursday, according to FOX 4 News in Kansas City.
The elder Lock was a Kansas City restauranteur who co-founded the Summit Hospitality Group. In 2017, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association named Lock and his business partner, Domhall Molloy, Restauranteurs of the Year.
Drew Lock, a native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, who played his college ball at Mizzou, was with the Giants last year after signing a one-year deal to be the QB2 behind Daniel Jones.
Lock, originally a second-round pick by the Broncos in 2019 who was traded to the Seahawks in 2022 as part of a deal that brought Denver current Giants starter Russell Wilson, appeared in eight games with five starts for the Giants, winning one of those starts.
He went 107 of 181 for 1,071 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Lock,an unrestricted free agent, is currently unsigned.
APR. 3. GIANTS STAY BUSY WITH LOCAL PRO DAY AND TOP 30 VISITS. In just a few more days, college pro days will conclude, and the top 30 visits will follow shortly thereafter. Those coming cutoff dates haven’t stopped the New York Giants from doing extra work on prospects who might be Day 3 or undrafted free-agent draft options.
The Giants hosted several visits on Thursday as part of their local pro day. According to NorthJersey.com, the list consisted mainly of Rutgers prospects such as running back Kyle Monangai, receiver Christian Dremel, offensive tackle Hollin Pierce, defensive back Robert Longerbeam, and linebacker Tyreem Powell.
Outside linebacker Brian Ugwu of Miami (Ohio), defensive lineman Amin Vanover of Penn State, and defensive lineman Howard Cross III of Notre Dame joined them.
In addition to hosting their pro day, the Giants devoted a top-30 visit to Florida State defensive lineman Joshua Farmer, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network. Farmer, 6-foot-3 and 273 pounds has appeared in 42 games with 32 starts over four seasons for the Seminoles. He has 80 career tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and two pass breakups.
APR. 2. RUSSELL WILSON’S JERSEY NUMBER REVEALED. New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, who is projected to be the team’s starter this coming year, has a new jersey number with his new team.
Wilson will wear No. 3, which he has worn at each of his NFL stops with Seattle, Denver, and Pittsburgh. No. 3 was previously worn by Giants cornerback Deote Banks, who switched to the single digit from No. 25 last season. Banks will now sport No. 2, which last year was worn by quarterback Drew Lock.
Other notable Giants who have sported jersey No. 3 in the team’s 100-year history include kickers Pete Gogolak (1966-1974) and Brad Daluiso (1993-2000). Before Banks took it on last season, the single digit had been worn for three seasons by receiver Sterling Shepard, and before him, a pair of quarterbacks sported it, including Geno Smith (2017) and Alex Tanney (2019).
Bank’s new number, which, as noted, was worn last year by Lock, had previously been worn by quarterbacks Mike Glennon (2011) and Tyrod Taylor (2022-2023).
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