New York Giants news, 3/18: Cody Latimer announces return to Giants

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

Let’s start a new week with some free agency updates.

Wide receiver Cody Latimer announced via Twitter late Sunday night that he is returning to the Giants in 2019.

Latimer played in six games for the Giants last season after signing as a free agent, missing 10 with a serious hamstring injury. He caught 11 passes, averaging 17.3 yards per catch. He also averaged 24.6 yards on five kickoff returns.

— ‘Kudos’ to the Daily News for the find on this one.

Montez Sweat has heart condition

Edge defender Montez Sweat, considered a possibility for the Giants with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was diagnosed at the Combine with a heart condition.

Via NFL.com:

Multiple sources say that combine doctors took a thorough look at Sweat because of a pre-existing heart condition. This was not publicly known before Indy.

In the past, combine doctors have prevented players from participating because of health concerns, including sending one player home this year. Ultimately, the combine deemed his condition low-risk and cleared Sweat to participate.

When asked about his medical condition, his agents issued the following statement to NFL.com:

”Because of privacy issues we are not allowed to comment specifically. But I will tell you that this is not news. Montez is the same person that was medically cleared to play and dominate the SEC, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL combine. No change in health and no change in domination!”

More headlines

Why Rashan Gary is not a first-round talent | NFL Draft news and analysis | Pro Football Focus

Chris profiled the Michigan defensive lineman, another possible target for the Giants at No. 6, over the weekend. Pro Football Focus is not a believer in Gary, writing:

The former five-star recruit has incredible size and athleticism, dripping with “potential” and “upside,” though the on-field results have been good, not great, by PFF standards.

While the general narrative around Gary is that he has the “traits” to develop at the next level, the proper question is why a 280-pound, outstanding athlete did not produce at the college level. When diving into the data, the picture looks bleak and Gary is one of the riskiest prospects in the draft, especially if drafted in the first round, particularly in the top 10.

Jay Glazer’s offseason mailbag: The story behind that OBJ trade prediction, the question that started it all and more – The Athletic

Glazer, of course, was the first to see the Beckham trade coming, having made a bold prediction weeks ago. that it would happen. Two thoughts from Glazer is his subscription only mailbag are worth passing along

First:

When I made my bold prediction, that was based on information I already had. Last year, the team almost moved him and I think they wanted less of Odell the brand, Odell off the field, and more of Odell on the field. That’s just not what you’re going to get with him. Last year, they almost moved on from him but Pat Shurmur, their head coach, came in and it was almost like the two sides had puppy love. Odell got excited with a change and the team got excited with a change. I think that they thought things would be different.

Second:

I think in their [Giants] minds it was addition by subtraction. The relationship had fragmented so much, they just wanted to rip off the Band-Aid and move on. I know that’s hard to fathom from a Giants fan’s perspective because he’s a great kid. So you’re thinking he’s not a bad person, he works his butt off, why would they need to rip off the Band-Aid? That’s something you’re going to have to ask the Giants.

Time will tell whether or not Dave Gettleman's offseason moves work | Newsday

Tom Rock expresses the view that I have been taking on the Giants’ recent flurry of moves. That is that they are “taking the long view” and that the moves by GM Dave Gettleman can’t be judged in the short term, only a few seasons from now when we see what type of team the Giants become.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson doesn't see the Giants in his future

Odell Beckham: Giants fans are getting what they asked for | SI.com

No guarantees Giants will select a QB in first round of NFL Draft | SNY