Giants’ 90-man roster: Guard Chad Slade hoping to earn backup spot

In the NFL, one man’s trash can sometimes turn into another’s treasure. The New York Giants are hoping that will be the case with guard Chad Slade, the latest subject as we continue profiling the 90 players the Giants will bring to training camp later this summer.

The basics

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 315
Age: 27
Experience: 3
Position: Guard

How he got here

Slade has only five games and 163 snaps of playing experience, but he has been in the NFL since 2015. He spent that season on injured reserve with the Houston Texans and was on the practice squad the last three seasons — except for the five games he played in 2017.

A glance at the Pro Football Focus numbers shows that, at least by PFF grades, Slade played reasonably well in two of the three games he started that season.

The Giants signed Slade to a reserve/futures contract in January.

2019 outlook

One thing the Giants don’t have a lot of is experienced backup guards. Spencer Pulley and Evan Brown are centers who can play guard. Nick Gates is a converted tackle. Austin Droogsma is playing football for the first time since high school.

Maybe, just maybe, that gives Slade a window of opportunity to impress the Giants and earn a roster spot.