As usual, the NFL's Saturday 4 p.m. deadline for teams to cut down their rosters to 53 was just the beginning of a flurry of transactions leading up to Opening Day, and for the New York Giants, five players have been added to the roster and 14 to the practice squad as of Labor Day.
On Sunday, following the roster shakedowns around the league, the team announced that they have claimed offensive tackle Jackson Barton and defensive back Adrian Colbert off waivers from Kansas City, added wide receiver Damion Ratley off waivers from Cleveland, and signed recently-waived tight end Eric Tomlinson and defensive back Brandon Williams as free agents.
To make room on the roster, the team waived safety Sean Chandler, terminated two veterans in wide receiver Corey Coleman and offensive guard Chase Slade, and placed safety Xavier McKinney (foot) and linebacker David Mayo (knee) on injured reserve.
Chandler was later signed to the practice squad, and the team also filled out 14 of their other 15 slots on that second roster by signing kicker Ryan Santoso and these 13 players who were in camp: quarterback Cooper Rush; wide receivers Johnny Holton, Alex Bachman, Derrick Dillon, Austin Mack, and Binjimen Victor; offensive linemen Tyler Haycraft, Chad Slade, and Kyle Murphy; defensive lineman Niko Lalos; defensive backs Chris Williamson and Jarren Williams; and long snapper Carson Tinker.
The Giants have also added running back Sandro Platzgummer to the practice squad, but as one of four teams chosen to carry an additional overseas player on their practice squad in 2020 as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program, the Giants get an exemption for Platzgummer, who is ineligible to join the active roster this season.
The NFL has upped the number of practice-squad eligible players from 10 to 16 this year, giving teams room for six veteran signings – a rule the Eagles took literally and figuratively when they signed 41-year-old QB Josh McCown to theirs – and teams will be able to activate two of those players for game days, bumping the roster from 53 to 55.
