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Scouting Logan Thomas: What to know about Giants’ new QB

Accuracy has been the issue for Thomas

NFL: Preseason-Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals
Logan Thomas with the Cardinals
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The most accurate thing you can about quarterback Logan Thomas, the new No. 3 quarterback for the New York Giants, is that he has not been very accurate.

Our friends at SB Nation’s Miami Dolphins blog, The Phinsider, had a closeup look at Thomas since he spent last season on their practice squad. Here is what Kevin Nogle said about him:

“He spent most of the year on the practice squad, then was promoted to the active roster for the final three weeks when other teams came trying to poach him. The old coaching regime clearly saw potential in him, looking for him to eventually unseat Matt Moore as the backup quarterback to Ryan Tannehill, but he was beaten out this year as the heir-apparent to that number two spot by rookie Brandon Doughty - who seems to have incredible accuracy if not the arm strength of Thomas. The accuracy Doughty shows is the weakness that may have done in Thomas, who seems to spray balls around at times. He is definitely a project who can use the development time and is a fringe NFL player at this point, likely looking at a third quarterback or practice squad position, but do not expect him to be ready to step in if something were to happen to Eli Manning.

When we wrote on Friday about the Giants claiming Thomas, it was mentioned that the Dolphins were frustrated with his inaccuracy this spring.

Thomas lasted only one season after being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He went 1-for-9 passing and was bypassed for Ryan Lindley after Carson Palmer toward the end of the season.

While Thomas was recognized as a developmental project when he came into the league, it speaks volumes that two teams in two years have given up on him.

Here is a snippet from an NFL.com story after the Cardinals gave up on Thomas:

Thomas' release speaks to the frustration the organization had for a player high on talent but unable to make tangible progress on the field. The Cardinals selected Thomas with the 119th overall pick in the 2014 draft and had hoped the talented 6-foot-6, 248-pound Virginia Tech product could develop into an NFL quarterback.

When Palmer and Drew Stanton both sustained knee injuries late last season, the Cardinals briefly planned to start Thomas in a Week 17 game against the 49ers before having a change of heart. Arizona stuck with Ryan Lindley and watched its season crumble, accordingly.

Arians later remarked that he didn't start Thomas because he was protecting the young quarterback from failure that could leave "scars (that) never go away." Saturday's move tells us that Arians believes Thomas remains a long way off from a finished product.

The Giants want to see for themselves apparently. Whether head coach Ben McAdoo and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti can make progress where two other organization could not, though, is anyone’s guess.