McAdoo cuts Giants’ invisible fullback

[Tempest]

http://nypost.com/2017/09/29/mcadoo-cuts-giants-invisible-fullback/

Remember way back when — a few weeks ago — when much was made of the Giants actually carrying a fullback on their roster? The inclusion of rookie Shane Smith indicated Ben McAdoo was taking a do over after not including that position on his 2016 offense.

Well, so much for that. The Giants are last in the NFL in rushing, and Smith never was given much of a role. He did not play one offensive snap in last Sunday’s 27-24 loss to the Eagles — not even when the Giants were on the Eagles half-yard line and could have used a battering ram blocker. On Thursday, Smith was released, and once again, there is no fullback on the roster.

“It’s our job now moving forward with the guys we have on the roster to try to find ways to maximize their strengths and try to camouflage and disguise some of our weaknesses,” offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan said.

This means tight end Rhett Ellison — off to a slow start to his Giants career after coming over from the Vikings — will get more work as a blocker out of the backfield.

The Giants signed linebacker Deontae Skinner and defensive end Cap Capi off their practice squad, addressing health concerns that Jonathan Casillas (ankle/wrist) and Olivier Vernon (ankle) might not be able to play Sunday in Tampa — neither practiced Thursday. Linebacker J.T. Thomas (groin) was placed on injured reserve.

Vernon told The Post he got kicked on the side of his ankle vs. the Eagles.

“I’ve had worse,’’ he said.

Vernon will take it all the way to pregame warm-ups to determine if he is able to play against the Buccaneers.

Casillas had his right wrist wrapped.

“I’m going to try to play, depending on how my body feels,” he said.

Brett Jones, the starting left guard the past two games, was added to the injury report with a hip issue and did not practice.

“Brett’s feeling some tightness in his lower body, and we are just evaluating and seeing where he is right now,” McAdoo said.

If Jones is unavailable, veteran D.J. Fluker, a former first-round pick of the Chargers, is next in line. The Giants coaching staff certainly does not gush about Fluker.

“He’s a strong man, and if we have certain concepts where he’s at the point of attack, that’s been a strength of his in the past,” Sullivan said. “It certainly could be an asset, you could say.”

Andrew Adams started 13 games last season at free safety after Darian Thompson went down with a foot injury. Adams has barely received any snaps on defense this season, and Thompson has struggled to regain his form.

 

“Andrew is probably going to play more,’’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “I would expect that would happen a little bit this week.”

[Tempest]

Anyone have positive expectations for the offense at this point? Clearly the defense is going to get run into the ground this year.

[Sephiroth]

Can somebody get a memo to this asshole that this isn't a fantasy football team?

[Sephiroth]

I have to admit though, I'm mildly intrigued by Cap Capi.

[Herc]

Anyone have positive expectations for the offense at this point? Clearly the defense is going to get run into the ground this year.

I know it's all doom and gloom around here and I don't really blame anyone for feeling that way, but since you did ask I'll say that I am feeling a little more optimistic about the offense after the philly game. The fact that we put up our highest point total in almost a year while getting all four big weapons involved and Eli looking much less shaky was kind of lost in the mcadoo debacle and falling to 0-3

[Tempest]

I know it's all doom and gloom around here and I don't really blame anyone for feeling that way, but since you did ask I'll say that I am feeling a little more optimistic about the offense after the philly game. The fact that we put up our highest point total in almost a year while getting all four big weapons involved and Eli looking much less shaky was kind of lost in the mcadoo debacle and falling to 0-3

 

I give more credit to the Eagles defense taking a victory lap in the fourth quarter. It was in the bag when that quarter started and it wasn't because the light bulb went on for the Giants offense.

[Herc]

But even before they started scoring they were moving the ball better than they had in Dallas and the first half of the Detroit game. Also the eagles never had it in the bag.

[Storm]

The Giants were two passed-up field goals away from a victory. If your team is struggling to score points, you don't pass up those opportunities. Inevitably will bite you in the ass. One could argue we were one John Jerry brain fart away from winning, too.

[Sephiroth]

Really shoots a hole in the "well our fullback got injured and there just wasn't anybody out there" argument from last year. McAdoo just isn't into physical football teams.

[Lughead]

Darkwa (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Darkwa sat out the Giants' first two practice sessions of the week, but he will still have a chance to take the field in Week 4. Fellow running back Shane Vereen (calf) is also banged up, but he's still on track to play this week, so if Darkwa is able to get on the field, he will likely remain third on the depth chart.

 

 

So now we rely on Paul Dayne ,Gallman the invisible rb and Rhett Ellison a mediocre TE to run the ball?