Tag: detroit lions

Should New York Giants trade for Detroit Lions QB Hendon Hooker?

The New York Giants failed to land their quarterback of choice this spring — North Carolina’s Drake Maye — and will continue on with Daniel Jones as their primary signal caller.

Does that mean the Giants are done looking for their quarterback of the future? For now, maybe. Jones is under contract for three more seasons and the team has brought in Drew Lock on a one-year deal. The long-term view is still very cloudy.

There is another avenue other than the draft and free agency to acquire players. That would be through a trade. The Giants could very well scour the league rosters for a player that they feel can become a franchise quarterback.

One possibility is Hendon Hooker, a 26-year-old who is only in his second season with the Detroit Lions. Hooker was once thought to be a possible take-out for starter Jared Goff but that became very unlikely when the Lions inked Goff to a four-year, $212 million deal last week.

Justin Melo of The Draft Network identified the Giants as one of the three teams (the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers being the others) who could/should make a play for Hooker.

The Giants passed on opportunities to draft J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, or Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft despite facing questions over Daniel Jones’ future. Jones’ 2023 season failed to meet expectations after he signed a four-year, $160 million extension last offseason.

Jones has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract following the conclusion of this season, but an injury guarantee would be triggered for 2025 if Jones gets hurt and can’t pass a physical. We’ve seen similar situations lead to benchings around the league (Russell Wilson in Denver, Derek Carr in Vegas). It’s precisely why the Giants added Drew Lock earlier this offseason. Hooker could give the Giants an alternative option with a higher ceiling.

Now comes the question of how much the Lions would ask in return for the former Tennessee star. We know the Giants had “genuine interest” in Hooker in last year’s draft but were aced out by the Lions in the third round.

They can rekindle that interest this summer as teams struggle to get under the salary cap.

Read all the best Giants coverage at NorthJersey.com and Giants Wire.

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New York Giants may conduct joint practices with Detroit Lions in 2024

The New York Giants and Detroit Lions held joint practice during training camp in 2023 and are looking to run that back in 2024.

While speaking to reporters at the Annual League Meeting this past Tuesday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell revealed that he’s spoken to Giants head coach Brian Daboll about linking up once again.

“That’s not in stone,” Campbell said, via the Detroit Free Press. “Because I said this last year and I know Mr. (John) Mara got on me like, ‘Hey, this thing’s already out.’ So there’s a chance. I don’t know if it’s going to get done or not, but we’ve been talking about it just because we wanted to reciprocate the fact they came to us, we wanted to give it to them.”

The Giants visited Allen Park for two joint practices last year ahead of a preseason game at Ford Field. This time around, as Campbell alludes, the practices would be held in East Rutherford.

Since teams are only permitted to request a single preseason opponent, these discussions would indicate that both the Giants and Lions have asked the league to pair them up once again.

Still, Campbell, who is a former Giant himself, would like to have joint practice in back-to-back weeks just as they had done last year.

“I would love to do two weeks again like we did last year,” Campbell said. “It’ll be predicted on who that is and whether we go to them or they come to us. But yeah, I’m all for it.”

Meanwhile, the Giants held joint practices with the New York Jets in 2022 but had their plans for 2023 canceled. At the time of that cancellation, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said the two sides would revisit those discussions in 2024.

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Ex-New York Giant Romeo Okwara announces his retirement from football

Former New York Giants defensive end Romeo Okwara officially announced his retirement from football on Tuesday.

In an emotional post shared on Instagram, Okwara reflected on his eight seasons in the NFL and what the game has meant to him.

“After some introspection and meditation I have decided to step away from the NFL,” Okwara wrote. “The game of football has been the largest part of my life for the greater of 18 years, 8 of which I have been fortunate enough to play at the professional level. 4 of those with my brother.

“The experiences, friendships, and camaraderie I have been lucky enough to share with my teammates, coaches, and peers is something I will forever be grateful for. You all mean the world to me and I will continue to cheer you on for the rest of our lives!”

The Giants originally signed Okwara as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Notre Dame in 2016. He spent two seasons in East Rutherford before being waived in September of 2018.

Okwara was immediately claimed by the Detroit Lions, where he spent the past six seasons.

“(To the) Detroit Lions organization – THANK YOU for giving this young kid a chance 6 years ago after coming into the league as a Free Agent. My heart is forever with you and the city of Detroit,” he wrote. “I am excited for what’s next as I navigate this crazy transition away from the game.”

More to come…



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Wild Giants-Lions trade shakes up Round 1

The 2023 NFL season is officially over and the 2024 NFL Combine is next up on the yearly schedule. That event will provide teams with a first-hand look at many of the 2024 NFL draft prospects and help them compile their big boards.

While the results of free agency will most certainly impact the plan of each general manager, mock drafts are still being conducted and released at a fever pitch.

Those of us at Giants Wire decided to conduct a mock draft of our own using the Pro Football Focus simulator. All settings were left on default and the only added rule we implemented was that we could not initiate a trade. We could, however, accept trades offered to us (based on the NFL draft value chart).

We selected only for the Giants. All other picks were made by AI based on positional needs, positional value, and “randomness.”

Here are the wild Round 1 results.

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The Chicago Bears officially pull the plug on Justin Fields and make the obvious choice of Caleb Williams first overall.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders are widely expected to take a quarterback here but in this simulation, they instead opt for superstar wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

The new Patriots regime starts over fresh with quarterback Drake Maye, who is likely to start on Day 1 over Mac Jones.

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After missing out on Harrison Jr., the Arizona Cardinals take the second-best wide receiver in the draft — Malik Nabers.

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The Los Angeles Chargers upgrade their offensive line with one of the best — if not the best — tackles in the draft.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions initiated a trade that sent four total picks to the New York Giants. With that pick, they overdraft cornerback Cooper DeJean.

Lions receive: No. 6 overall pick

Giants receive: No. 29, No. 61, and No. 73 picks in 2024 and a Round 2 pick in 2025.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans are locked in at quarterback and must now beef up their offensive line. Taliese Fuaga is a nice addition.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons snag the best tight end in the draft in Brock Bowers, pairing him with Kyle Pitts for a very unique combination.

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

New quarterback? Check. A top wide receiver in Rome Odunze to pair with Caleb? Check.

Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets have several needs but opt to pair Sauce Gardner with Nate Wiggins.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings need to beef up their trenches and in Round 1, they focus on the offensive side of things with the selection of Olu Fashanu.

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Terrion Arnold’s stock is on the rise but this still seems a little early for him. The Denver Broncos, at least according to this simulation, disagree.

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Jayden Daniels’ surprise slide ends with the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 13.

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The New Orleans Saints take the biggest gamble of the first round with defensive lineman Byron Murphy II, who is trending in a positive direction but perhaps not top 15.

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The Indianapolis Colts help load up on defense by adding Dallas Turner, one of the best edge rushers in the draft.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks make it back-to-back edge rushers off the board with the selection of Laiatu Latu.

Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Quinyon Mitchell brings some versatility to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary. He play in the slot or on the outside.

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The mid-round run on edge rushers continues with Jared Verse going to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News

The Los Angeles Rams go with offensive tackle JC Latham after missing out on a trio of edge rushers.

Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

With Diontae Johnson’s future in question, the Pittsburgh Steelers land wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins are another team who could be on the lookout for edge rushers but instead, take offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson a bit higher than he’s projected to go.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles don’t have a glaring need at offensive tackle but in this sim, they went with Amarius Mims anyway. Perhaps the value was too good to pass up.

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Jer’Zhan Newton is one of the draft’s top interior defensive linemen and he ends up with the Houston Texans.

Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys match need with value and land Kool-Aid McKinstry to add to their secondary.

Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Troy Franklin is capable of taking the top off an opposing defense and gives the Green Bay Packers a true deep threat.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers add a quality anchor to their offensive line, pairing Troy Fautanu with Tristan Wirfs.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Guyton is a plug-and-play option for the Arizona Cardinals, who add much-needed pass protection with this pick.

Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Payton Wilson has some potential medical concerns but if those check out, the Buffalo Bills get one of the draft’s top players at his position.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Giants get a haul for the No. 6 overall pick and end up landing quarterback J.J. McCarthy anyway. This would be an ideal scenario for general manager Joe Schoen, who can address multiple other positions with the added picks.

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens, long known for their tough defense, add a legitimate run-stopping safety in Tyler Nubin.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Most analysts believe cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is a Day 2 player but in this sim, the San Francisco 49ers don’t wait and snag him near the end of Round 1.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs may be Super Bowl champions but they have issues along the offensive line and at wide receiver. They address one of those concerns with offensive tackle Graham Barton.

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18 ex-New York Giants will compete in AFC, NFC Championship Games

Following a wild weekend of football, the 2023 AFC Championship Game and 2023 NFC Championship Game are officially set.

The Baltimore Ravens will play host to the Kanas City Chiefs on the AFC side of things. That game will have a distinct New York Giants flavor at the wide receiver position with a familiar face also running the Chiefs’ defense.

Over in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers will host the Detroit Lions, who are busy erasing the past and creating a new story for themselves. They, of course, are led by a former Giant.

In total, 18 former coaches and players who have passed through the Giants organization will partake in the championship festivities next Sunday. Here’s a look at each of them.

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Years with Giants: 1999-2002

Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2016

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2017-2018

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2016-2017

AP Photo/David Dermer

Years with Giants: 2021

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 1992

AP Photo/John Munson

Years with Giants: 2022

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2019

AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Years with Giants: 2020-2021

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2007-2008, 2015-2017

Noah K. Murray/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2004-2017

AP Photo/Brett Duke

Years with Giants: 2021-2022

Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

Years with Giants: 2022

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2012

James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2014-2018

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2016

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2019-2020

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Years with Giants: 2016-2017, 2022

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Stock up, down after New York Giants’ 21-16 preseason loss to Lions

The New York Giants opened the 2023 preseason on Friday night at Ford Field and fell to the Detroit Lions by a score of 21-16.

The game was a tale of two halves as the defense played above board over the first two quarters before deep reserves faltered late. There was more consistency on offense but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing as the O-Line struggled from the kickoff to the final whistle. The lacking depth there is a genuine concern.

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But not all was bad. In fact, there was quite a bit of good, especially as it relates to the team’s 2023 NFL draft class.

Whose stock is up and whose is down after the preseason-opening loss? Let’s take a look.

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It’s Jason Pinnock kind of day on Giants Wire and across most Giants platforms, and deservedly so. The safety played just five snaps on Friday night before being pulled due to a stellar performance. How often do you hear that? Two passes defensed (one on fourth down), a tackle for a loss and an interception.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

It was a brutal showing for the Giants’ offensive line outside of rookie center John Michael Schmitz. Korey Cunningham and Wyatt Davis were at the center of the struggles, routinely giving up pressures, QB hits and sacks. They also struggled to run block effectively. The one saving grace for Davis is that he saw time at tackle, which was out of position for him.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

John Michael Schmitz pieced together a solid performance in his NFL debut and particularly excelled in pass protection. He was a little more spotty as a run blocker but played about as well as the Giants could have hoped. Of the team’s 2023 draft class, he had the best night and took another step toward securing a starting job.

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

Now on the bubble, it was an underwhelming night for Rodarius Williams. After finding his way back from various injuries over the past two seasons, Williams was inconsistent with his tackling and didn’t inspire much confidence as a whole. It was a step back after two solid joint practices with the Lions and it puts his future in an even more precarious position.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Jordon Riley was an under-the-radar star on Friday night. You’ll see just one tackle in the box score — a run stuff inside the 10-yard line — but his presence was felt elsewhere. The big-bodied seventh-round pick was eating up numbers along the offensive line and although no flags were thrown, he was drawing should-be holding penalties. It was a quiet performance that was actually quite loud.

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Tomon Fox raised his stock while Oshane Ximines hurt his. He was unable to set the edge multiple times against the Lions and just generally seems like a liability against the run. His stock was further damaged by Fox producing more as a pass rusher (two QB hits to one) despite playing fewer snaps.

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New York Giants drop preseason opener to Detroit Lions: 7 takeaways

Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Giants suffered a few injuries in the game. Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott left the game early in the threw quarter with an abdominal issue and wide receiver Collin Johnson left with a knee injury.

“I don’t (know),” head coach Brian Daboll said when asked about the status of both injuries.

“I haven’t even talked to the trainers yet. Other than just on the field they told me they were out. Collin, I think was his knee, and I got to see what it was for Flott. (Giants CB) Nick (McCloud)’s stomach I think, something he got hit in the stomach, but I don’t know any — to the extent of it.”

Punter Jamie Gillan turned his ankle but returned to the game.

Offensive lineman Tyre Phillips missed the game with a leg injury.

“Yeah, he got dinged up,” said Daboll. “That was the leg I was telling you about in practice. I think I told you guys that one practice, him and someone had an ankle.”

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How we graded Big Blue in Week 1 preseason loss

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Overall, the offense was abysmal. This was evident from the get-go. On the first two drives of the game, New York was given the ball in Detroit territory (awfully close to the red zone) and only converted six points.

Most of these problems stemmed from the offensive line which could not get any push in the run game, leading to Giants rushers averaging 3.7 yards per carry (2.3 yards per carry if you exclude Jashaun Corbin’s 33-yard scamper).

Things were even worse in the passing game as the pocket was always collapsing and Detroit was able to get home for 5.0 sacks. This was not great to see. While all of the skill position players will not likely be starters (other than possibly Jalin Hyatt), there were a couple of starting offensive linemen in from the beginning.

Nevertheless, the one positive is that rookie center John Michael Schmitz seemed very comfortable in his role and should be a solid Day 1 starter for Big Blue. Furthermore, when New York plays its skill position stars and the tackle duo of Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal, this offense will look wildly different.

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New York Giants waste two turnovers, fall to Lions in preseason opener

The New York Giants opened their 2023 preseason schedule with a late fourth-quarter loss against the Lions in Detroit on Friday night.

As expected, most of the key starters for both teams did not play.

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Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, safety Jason Pinnock, and kicker Graham Gano were the Giants’ captains for the game.

Here’s a quick recap of the defeat.

Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Giants 6 7 0 3 16
Lions 3 0 11 7 21

Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

  • Poor tackling by the Giants allowed the Lions to extend and sustain drives to put crucial points on the board.
  • A special teams lapse allowed a 95-yard punt return early in the third quarter that proved to be the difference.
  • The offensive line was horrendous outside of rookie center John Michael Schmitz. The Lions dominated in the trenches.

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Lions third-string quarterback Adrian Martinez plunged into the end zone from one yard out with 1:51 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Lions a 21-16 lead, which they would protect the rest of the way.

The drive was aided by a phantom roughing the passer call on rookie linebacker Habakkuk Baldonado which gave Detroit a first and ten on the Giants’ 14.

Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

  • Quarterback Tommy DeVito. The UDFA from Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey showed exceptional poise and moved well in the pocket. DeVito finished the game with 15 completions in 24 attempts for 155 yards and a touchdown.
  • Safety Jason Pinnock. The third-year pro out of Pitt continued his quest to gain a starting spot with a stellar first few series that included an interception, a tackle for a loss, and a pass breakup.
  • Kicker Graham Gano was money in the bank again by hitting all of his kicks — three field goals (from 42, 47, and 48 yards out) and a PAT.

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Wide receiver Collin Johnson left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury and was ruled out. He was playing in his first game since tearing his Achilles last summer.

Defensive back Cor’Dale Flott (abdominal) was ruled out early in the third quarter. He was injured while successfully defending a pass in the end zone late in the first half.

Punter Jamie Gillan twisted his left leg/ankle landing after completing a punt in the third quarter. He returned to the game shortly after and resumed punting. The Giants do not have another punter on the roster.

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Head coach Brian Daboll will hold a Zoom call with Giants beat writers on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. ET. The team will be off on Sunday before returning to practice on Monday morning ahead of a Week 2 preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.

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5 New York Giants with most to gain in preseason matchup vs. Lions

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Nick McCloud’s relationship with Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen goes back to their days in Buffalo. This week, Daboll called him a ‘flexible’ player, perhaps the best compliment one can get from the head coach.

“He has played safety, he has played the nickel, he has played corner. He has been a special teams player,” said Daboll. “So, again, it goes back to the more you can do. He’s kind of moved all around. I’d probably expect similar throughout camp. But he’s a smart player. It’s a benefit when you can have a guy who can move in a lot of different spots.”

With the Giants’ secondary in flux, McCloud already has the confidence of the coaches so all he has to do is keep on keeping on and he’ll be on the roster come the end of camp.



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