As the New York Giants gear up for their preseason finale on Friday, head coach John Harbaugh addressed the media on Monday with a mix of praise for a rising rookie and clarity on a surprising mid-camp trade. The storylines emerging from East Rutherford paint a picture of a team fine-tuning its roster with an eye toward the regular season, and the Vulius NFL Analysis Desk has the inside scoop.
Arvell Reese: A Rookie Who Hasn't Missed a Beat
Rookie linebacker Arvell Reese continues to turn heads in his first NFL training camp. Harbaugh was effusive in his praise after Monday's practice, noting that Reese has been remarkably consistent since Day 1. "He hasn't really missed a beat at all," Harbaugh said. "He learns really quickly and he executes the defense very well, then when he doesn't he listens to every word from the coaches and applies it on the next opportunity." The head coach acknowledged that the jump to real game action will still be a learning experience for the youngster, but he's impressed by how quickly Reese is picking things up. With the regular season approaching, Reese's rapid development could earn him significant snaps in the Giants' linebacker rotation.
Explaining the Daniel Faalele Trade
Harbaugh was also asked to shed light on the decision to trade offensive lineman Daniel Faalele to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a sixth-round pick. "It's not too often you get a trade like that," he explained. "It's not too often you can trade a player for a sixth-round pick in the middle of camp -- but sometimes teams have needs, and Daniel's started many games in the NFL, so they felt like that was valuable for them." The move was a calculated one, given the Giants' depth along the offensive line. "With us, Daniel was doing well for the role he was going to be playing, and yet we have other guys that were doing well too, so it was a luxury for us -- any time you can add picks, it's a valuable thing -- doesn't seem like much now, but it'll matter day three of the draft." Harbaugh didn't exactly close the door on more trades involving roster bubble players for future late-round picks over the next few days.
WR Room Shakeup: Ryan Miller Waived, Calvin Austin's Case
On Monday, the Giants waived wide receiver Ryan Miller, trimming their roster ahead of Friday's preseason finale. Miller, who was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last December and re-signed on a reserve/futures deal, failed to secure a spot after catching just one pass in two preseason games. With a handful of steady contributors ahead of him, the 26-year-old's departure was not unexpected.
One of those contributors is Calvin Austin III, who signed with the Giants on a one-year deal this offseason. Harbaugh has been impressed with Austin's versatility and reliability. "It's pretty clear the things he does well," he said. "And the nice thing about Calvin is that he can play in all three spots -- you can move him around in any one of those positions -- he's a 'smaller receiver,' and yet he can go outside. He gives us a lot of versatility there, and everything you ask him to do, he does it well -- he's a very reliable receiver, runs all of the right routes, goes up and makes catches -- he's been that way kind of his whole entire pro career." Austin has been productive over the past three years, racking up 84 receptions for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns. As the Giants finalize their roster, Austin's ability to play multiple receiver positions gives him a strong case to make the final 53.
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