New York’s bye week could turn into a sorting-out session for the roster.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen made it clear during his annual press conference that the team is willing to explore just about everything with the trade deadline approaching. Sitting at 4-2-1 and in first place in the NFC East, the Giants are in position to buy.
Schoen said he and head coach John Harbaugh will meet about potential targets, including free agents, and that no stone will be left unturned. He also opened the door to the possibility that an addition from outside the building could come at the expense of somebody already on the roster.
New York has already shown a willingness to make midseason moves under Harbaugh, including the recent acquisition of quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the release of veteran running back Najee Harris. Schoen said the team may decide to “allocate draft resources and financial resources to somebody outside the building,” and that makes a few current players vulnerable.
One name that stands out is defensive tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis. The sixth-round rookie has already been on the fringe, spending time as a healthy scratch while the Giants reshaped their post-Dexter Lawrence defensive tackle room.
Jamison-Travis is in his age-25 season, entered the league as an older prospect, and wasn’t viewed as a likely draft pick by some analysts. Still, he has seen live action in each of the last two games and made his first career start in Houston, which could signal a larger role.
Even so, his spot is hardly secure.
Quarterback Jake Haener feels like the most straightforward case. The Giants are carrying three quarterbacks, but with McCarthy at the top of the depth chart and Jameis Winston established as the backup, Haener is the obvious odd man out.
He has already been inactive for three straight games as the emergency No. 3 option, including the road win over the Houston Texans. If New York decides to trim that luxury, Haener is the likeliest casualty.
His only pro start, with the New Orleans Saints in 2024, ended with him being benched at halftime after he completed 4 of 10 passes for 49 scoreless yards and an interception.
Then there’s wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, whose situation is hard to ignore. Through the Giants’ first seven games of 2026, he has run just two routes.
He has not been part of the receiving plan, and he isn’t contributing on special teams either. The 2023 third-round pick has managed 13 catches for 97 scoreless yards in 25 appearances since 2024, and his role has shrunk to the point that he has become an afterthought.
Given how little he has been used, it would not be surprising if the Giants used the bye to move on and open a spot for a new player.
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