New York Giants: 5 players on offense who could surprise in camp
By Ed Stein
New York Giants training camp is almost here. Every season, a few players rise above of obscurity and force their way onto the roster. Here are some candidates from the offense who could make a name for themselves this summer.
Rookies report to New York Giants training camp on Monday, followed by the veterans on Wednesday. Practices begin at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center the following day, Wednesday, July 25. This year there are plenty of roster spots up for grabs.
After all, not many players should be guaranteed to make the team coming off a 5-11 season. As a matter of fact, maybe a dozen offensive players are locks going into camp. Everyone else must fight for their spot on the final 53-man roster.
Of course, injuries will happen so even more opportunities may arise. These are some players from the offense who could break out this summer and force head coach Pat Shurmer to keep them.
Honorable Mention
Elijhaa Penny RB – Penny has been in or around the NFL since he originally signed with Arizona as an undrafted free agent out of Idaho in 2016. He’s a big back at 6-1, 235 pounds and could be utilized in either short-yardage situations or as a lead blocker in for Saquon Barkley.
Number 5: Garrett Dickerson – TE/H-Back
Garrett Dickerson was a two-time All-Big 10 Honorable mention tight end at Northwestern. The thing about him is that he won’t awe anyone in any particular aspect of the game. Then again he isn’t going to look bad either. A better description of him would be, Garrett Dickerson is a genuine football player.
The New York Giants signed him as an undrafted free agent last year. Between being signed, waived and added to the practice squad, Dickerson appeared in four games for Big Blue last season. He didn’t stand out of course, but he wasn’t used very much.
As a tight end, Dickerson won’t catch many passes, although he gets off the line well and does a good job of positioning himself to shield passes from defenders. He won’t be a dominating blocker either. What he will do is the little things that need to be done to win. It might be a short dump-off for four tough yards or leading the rusher as an H-back across the line of scrimmage. His versatility and all-around solid play could earn him a spot for opening day.