Dalen Cambre is turning a quiet camp push into a real roster conversation for the Giants.
A year ago, the undrafted receiver was part of an odd summer duel with Beaux Collins, and both players eventually found ways onto the field because New York’s receiver room was so thin. Collins made the 53-man roster out of camp, while Cambre needed more time before breaking through. This time around, the roles have flipped in a big way: Collins is now off the roster, and Cambre is the one forcing his way into the picture.
Head coach John Harbaugh made it pretty clear Wednesday that Cambre has been one of the standout performers in camp.
"I see him make a circus catch every single day. And not just that, he's doing all the other things.
He's doing special teams. He knows what he's doing.
He's running great routes. I think he's making a move.
I think he's done a great job, and he's got our attention."
That kind of public backing matters, especially for a former undrafted player trying to carve out a place on the bottom of the roster. Harbaugh didn’t just praise the hands. He pointed to the special teams work, the route running, the overall polish - the stuff that keeps a receiver around when the depth chart gets tight.
Cambre’s rise comes as the Giants continue sorting out the back end of the receiver group. On Wednesday, the team waived Collins with an injury designation after a medical setback, ending the path he had taken over Cambre just a year ago.
There’s still plenty unsettled at the top, too. Malik Nabers remains the focal point, though New York is bringing him along carefully as he returns from last year’s ACL and meniscus injury. The team also plans to lean on the Isaiah Likely experience to help absorb some of the targets that were left behind by Wan'Dale Robinson.
Darius Slayton and Darnell Mooney appear set as the other boundary wideouts, but after that, the picture gets murky. Odell Beckham Jr. has been one of the surprises of camp, and he’s been getting extensive first-team reps while Nabers stays in individual drills and Slayton and JuJu Smith-Schuster deal with minor injuries.
Third-round rookie Malachi Fields and Calvin Austin III are also all but assured of roster spots, which leaves at least one or two openings for someone like Cambre to grab. Right now, he’s making that case the right way: dependable hands in team drills, steady work on special teams, and enough consistency to get the coaches’ attention.
A year can change a lot in the NFL. Last summer, the Giants were looking for reasons to keep Cambre around. This summer, with Collins gone and the receiver room still unsettled, they may have a much harder time finding a reason to let him go.
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