Giants-Jets snap counts: What we learned about roster decisions

NFL teams have to trim their rosters from 90 players to 75 by Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at the snap counts for the New York Giants on Saturday vs. the New York Jets and see if we can learn anything about players who might be getting a visit from the Turk soon.

Let’s go position by position with some thoughts.

Wide receiver

Tavarres King made his roster bid with two touchdown receptions and a 20-yard run on a reverse. He played 29 snaps, more than any receiver except Victor Cruz (32). K.J. Maye played only four snaps, Kadron Boone only three and Anthony Dable did not play at all. Those three could be in trouble Tuesday.

Offensive line

Let’s talk about the guys bidding for backup spots. We have certainly talked enough about the struggles of the starters.

Adam Gettis played 32 snaps, splitting time between center and guard. He committed a pair of false-start penalties, though. Undrafted tackle Jake Rodgers got a long look, playing 22 snaps. Byron Stingily, who as of now seems to be the swing tackle, played just 12 snaps as the Giants gave Rodgers a look. Ryan Seymour played 32 snaps, splitting time between guard and right tackle. One guy who might be in trouble is former CFL star Brett Jones. He played just nine snaps, none at his natural center position.

Running back

The most interesting note of the night here is that Andre Williams played only two snaps. The Giants likely feel like they know enough about Williams. Orleans Darkwa played 11 snaps, but got just one carry for -3 yards.

Tight end

The Giants pretty much split snaps evenly here. Sixth-round pick Jerell Adams had the most with 24, Will Tye had 20, Ryan Malleck 18 and Larry Donnell 14. The only real takeaway here seems to be that Adams’ spot on the roster is looking more and more secure.

Defensive line

I will combine the two spots here. Judging purely from snap counts, guys who could be on the bubble Tuesday include defensive end Mike Rose (six snaps) and defensive tackle Greg Milhouse (four snaps).

Linebacker

The Giants continued to split middle linebacker snaps almost evenly as Jasper Brinkley got 29 and Kelvin Sheppard 27. J.T. Thomas III played far more than anticipated on Saturday, getting 34 snaps. Mark Herzlich played 23 snaps on defense and 20 on special teams. Brad Bars was only on the field for three defensive plays.

Cornerback

Eli Apple started and played well in 31 snaps. Donte Deayon got a long look with Leon Hall suffering a concussion and playing only three snaps. Deayon, the undrafted free agent from Boise State, played 36 snaps. Bennett Jackson played only 12, and Joe Powell did not play.

Safety

Nat Berhe started in place of Darian Thompson and played 36 snaps. Andrew Adams, an undrafted rookie from UConn, got a long look with 37 snaps. Justin Currie played 24 snaps and Cooper Taylor 18.