Giants Reunite With Former Draft Pick After Expected Roster Cut: Report
The New York Giants kicked off Week 8 with news of multiple roster moves, ahead of their rematch with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.
The Giants upset the Eagles in Week 6, but now they’ll have to head into the belly of the beast to do it all over again, traveling to Philadelphia this weekend. Before this highly anticipated faceoff, Big Blue will make a few roster moves.
Each of these moves was reported on Tuesday, October 21, and one was expected after the way Week 7 ended in Denver.
“SOURCES: Giants cut K Jude McAtamney, I’m told,” New York Post beat reporter Ryan Dunleavy noted on Tuesday.
“He missed 3 PATs,” the reporter reminded. Adding: “[McAtamney] can return to [the] practice squad without taking up a roster spot because of international exemption, but not sure if that’s the plan yet. So, either Younghone Koo or Graham Gano [will kick] this week.”
Prior to Dunleavy’s announcement, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported on the 53-man roster signing that has ousted McAtamney.
“Here’s an example of why you can’t carry hard feelings in the NFL: The Giants are signing CB Korie Black to their active roster off the [New York] Jets’ practice squad, per source,” Duggan relayed.
Continuing: “A seventh-round pick by the Giants this year, Black made the initial 53-man roster. But he was waived the day after cut day as the Giants did roster gymnastics. They planned to sign him back to their practice squad, but he instead elected to sign with the Jets’ P-squad.
“Black was elevated for two games to play special teams with the Jets before being poached back by the Giants. Giants have a need at corner with Paulson Adebo dealing with a knee injury, and they obviously like Black’s long-term potential.”
Korie Black Returns as Giants Reclaim Their 2025 Draft Pick in Week 8 News
As Duggan stated, Black surprisingly snubbed the Giants for an opportunity with the Jets after the 53-man roster cutdown.
That initially meant that NYG general manager Joe Schoen wasted a 2025 seventh-round pick, although seventh-round picks tend to be fliers anyway.
However, now that Black is returning in Week 8, all is set right again for Schoen and his 2025 draft class.
It’ll be interesting to see if and when the rookie suits up for the Giants. The early assumption is that Black will be inactive as the Giants square off with the Eagles.
Giants Re-Sign DL Cut Elijah Garcia in Additional Roster Move Ahead of Eagles Clash
The third Giants roster move on October 21 was also reported by Duggan.
“The Giants are re-signing DL Elijah Garcia to the practice squad, per source,” he informed. “Garcia was cut Saturday to make room for OLB Victor Dimukeje’s activation from the PUP list. [He] has appeared in four games this season.”
Garcia has been a member of the Big Blue organization since the start of the 2024 campaign.
He’s worked his way up the NYG ladder as serviceable defensive line depth, and he’ll continue to play that role moving forward, should the Giants need him.
Unfortunately, the Giants have already spent all three of Garcia’s regular season practice squad elevations in 2025, but they could always re-sign him to the active roster. Now that Garcia passed through waivers once, it appears likely that he’d do so again, in the event Big Blue has to do more roster gymnastics.
The veteran defensive lineman is 27 years old, with 1.0 sack and 1 tackle for a loss over his four 2025 outings.
Commanders Trade Pitch Lands 1,000-Yard WR From AFC West
While we’re not quite there yet, there is a school of thought that could conclude the Washington Commanders might have to consider some make or break scenarios for the 2025 season in the coming weeks.
Sitting with a 3-4 record and looking at 3 consecutive games against Super Bowl contenders over the next 3 weeks — and no bye until Week 12 — things could get pretty desperate for the Commanders as they try and keep their heads above water.
There’s a good chance the Commanders could be 3-7 after facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, Seattle Seahawks in Week 9 and Detroit Lions in Week 10. There’s also a good chance they’ll face those 3 teams without one or both of their 2 best players in quarterback Jayden Daniels and NFL All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks there might be an infusion of talent to be had via a trade, pitching a deal that would bring the Commanders offensive help with disgruntled Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers in exchange for a 2026 fifth round pick and 2026 seventh round pick.
While that price might be a bit high and the Commanders are already low on draft picks to begin with, it’s a move that might be able to get the team into the playoffs.
Meyers requested a trade before the season. He has reiterated that desire in the last few weeks.
“While Meyers (knee/toe) was inactive for Week 7, he’s expected to be available after Las Vegas’ Week 8 bye,” Knox wrote on October 22. “Receiver-needy teams should see if he can be available for them in Week 9. Meyers will be a free agent in the spring, but he won’t turn 30 until late next season and has had stretches of terrific play. He topped 1,000 yards last season and already has 43 catches in 2025.”
From Undrafted to Consistently Productive NFL WR
On paper, Meyers seemed like a lock to be picked in the 2019 NFL draft with the size (6-foot-2 and 203 pounds) and production NFL teams covet. In his final season at North Carolina State in 2018, he had 92 receptions for 1,047 yards and 4 touchdowns in 12 games.
What happened to Meyers between the end of his final college season and the NFL draft isn’t a totally unheard of story when he bombed at the NFL scouting combine and Pro Day, running the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds.
It’s a cruel reality, but for NFL teams anything for a wide receiver that hits above the 4.60 second mark makes them pretty much impossible to draft.
Meyers made the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and proved to be a versatile weapon over the next 4 seasons. That included consecutive seasons with over 800 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022 and 10 total touchdowns — 8 receiving and 2 passing.
All of that hard work finally delivered a big payday for Meyers in 2023, when he signed a 3-year, $33 million free agent contract with the Raiders.
Meyers had 71 receptions for 807 yards and a career high 8 touchdowns in 2023 — along with another passing touchdown — then followed that with career highs of 87 receptions for 1,027 yards and 4 touchdowns in 15 games in 2024.
