Giants roster moves: Giants sign TE Scott Simonson, waive DB Aaron Davis

The New York Giants continue to make moves at the bottom of their roster. It was announced before the start of the team’s mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday that they had signed tight end Scott Simonson. In a corresponding roster move, it was also announced that the team waived undrafted defensive back Aaron Davis with an injury.

Simonson, a Staten Island native, was originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Assumption College by the Oakland Raiders in 2014. He was released from the Raiders practice squad in 2015, and was signed by the Carolina Panthers four days later. Simonson spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons on the Panthers’ practice squad, and was on their injured reserve in 2017.

At 6’5”, 250 pounds, he has the frame of an NFL tight end, and joins a crowded depth chart that features seven other players listed as tight ends.

(Shane Smith and Garrett Dickerson are both among that number, and might be competing with each other for the role of Fullback/H-back if Pat Shurmur’s offense has it)

The sheer number of tight ends on the Giant’s roster suggests that the position will be heavily featured in the Giants new offense. Our own Dan Pizzuta found that the Vikings under Pat Shurmur, and Panthers under Mike Shula, ran offensive sets with (at least) two tight ends the sixth and seventh, respectively, most often in the NFL last year.

Dave Gettleman certainly seems to see something in Simonson to keep him around for three years on the Panthers before bringing him to the Giants. We will just have to see if he can make a push for the final roster.