The Evan Neal chapter in New York appears to be over.
After the Giants released the former No. 7 overall pick on Sunday, there was at least a path for him to stick around in East Rutherford on the practice squad. But New York has now filled all 17 spots, and Neal never got one of them.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh started building the practice squad on Monday, bringing back Braxton Berrios, Dalen Cambre and, surprisingly, Jalin Hyatt. Only 13 spots were filled at first, which left the door open for Neal to return. Then Tuesday’s practice passed, four more players were added, and Neal still wasn’t among them.
So unless something changes later on, the Giants’ relationship with the 25-year-old, 6-foot-7, 340-pound former blue-chip prospect is done. That leaves Neal looking for a team that thinks it can solve a problem New York never did.
Seattle is one possible landing spot, even if the fit is a little awkward. The Seahawks kept 10 offensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster, so they don’t exactly need help in a hurry.
Still, right guard could be worth watching. Anthony Bradford is currently projected as the starter, but he has had issues in pass protection and may not be there beyond this season.
Seattle has also spent the last few years cycling through young options at the spot without finding much stability. Neal brings plenty of his own questions, but the Seahawks could stash him on the practice squad, keep developing him at guard and see whether a fresh start changes anything - even if the fan base wants no part of the experiment.
Detroit may be the cleanest place for Neal to reset. The Lions have reshaped their offensive line, with Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge now manning the guard spots.
Just as important, Neal would be working under Hank Fraley, who has quietly built a reputation as one of the league’s most respected offensive line coaches. That kind of setup could be exactly what Neal needs.
He shifted inside last season, but he never played a regular-season snap at guard. And as much as people like to treat a position switch as a small adjustment, it’s anything but.
Injuries didn’t help, either, with his season ending in November after he landed on IR and lost more practice time to get comfortable.
If a team is looking at this from the most literal roster standpoint, New Orleans makes plenty of sense. The Saints kept just eight offensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster, which alone makes Neal worth considering.
They also know the pain of trying to salvage a first-round tackle from the 2022 class by moving him inside. Trevor Penning, the No. 19 pick in that draft, made the switch to guard last season before the Saints eventually sent him to the Chargers.
Neal followed a strikingly similar route, except his path has now taken him further north and out of New York entirely. For a team needing depth up front, taking a shot on the massive 25-year-old is an easy idea to entertain.
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Underwoods development matters because Michigan is not just waiting on talent anymore, it is waiting on proof that the hype can survive game planning, pressure and the regular rhythm of a season. He spent part of the offseason training with quarterback Jordan Palmer and Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow, and now the real test is whether those lessons show up when the Wolverines start asking him to run the offense instead of simply flash what he can do. [Read more 🡒]