After two preseason games, it is beginning to look like whoever will replace Kevin Boss as the New York Giants primary tight end might not be on the current roster. The current crop of tight ends has been less than impressive thus far. Let's go through them one-by-one.
Travis Beckum: The best hope the Giants have among their current group of tight ends, at least in terms of a player who could be a weapon for quarterback Eli Manning in the passing attack. At 235 pounds, though, it has been pretty well established that Beckum cannot be the prototypical tight end the Giants like because he just cannot hold up blocking at the point of attack. He has to make his mark as a weapon in the passing game, and the problem is he just has not done it. Nagging injuries keep costing him practice time, and he was invisible Monday against Chicago. Beckum might be running out of time to show the Giants they can rely on him.
Bear Pascoe: A great guy, a hard worker and a guy who willingly shuffles back and forth from fullback to tight end. Pascoe has to make his living at either spot moving guys off the line of scrimmage, either opening holes for running backs or protecting Manning on passing plays. Problem is, through two preseason games Pascoe isn't moving anybody. Defenders have been running over and through him on a regular basis. The one "good" block he did have Monday, on a long run by Brandon Jacobs, was actually a blatant hold that somehow went uncalled. If Pascoe doesn't block people, he doesn't make the 53-man roster.
Jake Ballard: Like Pascoe, he will only make the roster if he starts knocking defenders backwards. The Giants like his size and strength, but right now it just isn't happening for him.
Daniel Coats: Right now, Coats, in his fifth season in the NFL, might be moving up the depth chart. He caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from David Carr Monday night, and by all accounts his blocking has been fine. With 57 career NFL games and 31 receptions, the 6-foot-3, 264-pound Coats is the most established tight end currently on the roster. Coats entered the league in 2007 with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent.
Christian Hopkins: Not much to say here. Hopkins has not made much of an impression, and might well be among the first wave of cuts come August 30.