The New York Giants made five roster moves on October 1, releasing three players after finalizing two signings.
Team reporter Dan Salomone revealed the transactions on X, first reiterating that the Giants have signed wide receiver/returner Kearis Jackson — an addition that was reported on September 30. The other new practice squad deal went to veteran nickelback Greg Stroman, who has spent five NFL seasons split between the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears, among others.
More surprising were the cuts. After some initial speculation that he might make the Week 1 roster, Big Blue elected to release promising undrafted rookie Alex Johnson — who made an impact this summer after transitioning from cornerback to safety.
The ball-hawking defensive back out of UCLA appeared to be pushing 2023 draft pick Gervarrius Owens for a roster spot after an injury sidelined the latter for the second half of preseason. Johnson was also performing well simultaneously, but in the end, the Giants chose to send both youngsters to the practice squad after claiming Anthony Johnson Jr. off waivers from the Green Bay Packers.
Along with Alex Johnson, the Giants cut tight end Lawrence Cager loose with an injury settlement on Tuesday afternoon. Finally, they released Cager’s recent practice squad replacement Joel Wilson.
Cager is the bigger name of the two, but he was already lost to the injured reserve on September 24. Whatever the pass-catching tight end’s undisclosed injury was, it appears he and the Big Blue front office disagreed on the IR designation considering his release has now been granted.
Cager has been with the Giants since 2022, accumulating 174 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns over 19 total appearances (including playoffs). Different injury issues set Cager back this summer after a hot start at OTAs, causing him to fall short at the 53-man cutdown.
Greg Stroman Provides Giants With Experienced CB Depth Amid Injuries
The Giants were without rookie Dru Phillips and veteran Adoree’ Jackson against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. And although neither has been ruled out for Week 5 at this time, the Stroman signing could be a sign that the team is unsure about their depth at the position.
As mentioned above, Stroman flaunts five years of experience in this league, entering it as a seventh-round selection in 2018. He’s appeared in 29 regular season games over that span, racking up 3 interceptions, 3 tackles for a loss, 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble and 65 total tackles.
The 5-foot-11 CB is definitely best known for his ability in the slot. Per Pro Football Focus, 310 of his 610 career defensive snaps came lined up as the nickel.
Having said that, Stroman also provides solid versatility with 253 snaps at cornerback throughout his career and another 44 as a safety.
He’s generally earned above average PFF grades in both run defense and pass coverage — despite rarely locking down a full-time job. During his most recent two seasons with the Bears, Stroman has held opposing quarterbacks to passer ratings of 70.4 and 76.6.
Giants WR Signing Kearis Jackson Was Jack of All Trades With Georgia
In case you missed the signing on September 30, Jackson is an intriguing 24-year-old prospect for head coach Brian Daboll to get his hands on. At Georgia, he did a little bit of everything as a player that contributed as a receiver, runner, kick returner and punt returner.
In 55 collegiate appearances, Jackson accumulated over 2,200 total yards according to Football Database. 1,107 of those yards came as a pass-catcher with another 805 on kick returns and another 338 on punts. The former Bulldog also rushed for 48 yards.
That makes Jackson a potential jack of all trades for Big Blue if he’s able to stay healthy and produce.
With the Tennessee Titans at the NFL level, Jackson returned six punts for an average of 8.0 yards per return in 2023. This summer, he returned three kickoffs for 111 yards, including a 63-yard long.
