The Giants spent this week doing roster triage, and the injuries told the story.
What started with one move for one need quickly turned into a stretch of signings that says plenty about where New York is feeling the squeeze in camp. First came the decision last Friday to waive cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse with a knee injury designation, opening a spot for offensive lineman Brenden Jaimes. That addition made sense with starting center John Michael Schmitz and guard Marcus Patrick both banged up, and John Harbaugh needing another body who could snap and keep practice moving.
Then the secondary got hit too. Nickel corner Dru Phillips came up ailing, and with Bernard-Converse already gone, the Giants were suddenly light at defensive back with the preseason opener just over a week away.
The answer came after an eight-player tryout Tuesday in West Virginia, which led to four signings over three days, including safety J.T. Woods, confirmed by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Woods is the most recognizable name in the group, but he also comes with the steepest climb. A third-round pick by the Chargers in 2022 out of Baylor, he appeared in 13 games with one start across two seasons in Los Angeles and finished with eight tackles before a non-football illness ended his second year early. The Chargers waived him in 2024, and since then he has cycled through practice squads in Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, Las Vegas and with the Jets without getting back into a regular-season game.
The Giants also added cornerback D.J. James, a 2024 sixth-round pick by Seattle who later spent time with New England and the UFL before this signing, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
He joins a cornerback group already led by Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome and rookie second-rounder Colton Hood. Veteran David Long also re-signed after a short stint with the team in 2024; the Michigan product has ties to Harbaugh through his brother Jim.
Here’s the broader picture: these aren’t moves aimed at reshaping the roster. None of the four is projected to start Week 1 against the Cowboys. Jevon Holland, who signed a three-year, $45.3 million deal last offseason, remains the only settled safety, while the corner room is still “headlined,” in Yahoo’s framing, by players already on the roster before this week began.
What the Giants have really done is identify the two spots that thinned out at the same time - the interior offensive line behind Schmitz and Patrick, and the defensive back depth behind a top four that hasn’t been fully healthy through camp - and patch them before they became a bigger problem. For now, Woods, James and the rest are insurance. Whether any of them turn that into a 53-man job will be decided over the next two weeks.
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