Giants establish their 2021 practice squad

The next phase of roster construction begins today for the New York Giants and the other 31 NFL teams. Waiver claims began at noon Wednesday and the claiming deadline for players waived on Tuesday was 4 p.m. ET.

Once the claiming period ended teams could begin signing players to their 16-man practice squads. Below, a look at the practice squad rules, a projection of players the Giants might add, and a tracker that will be updated as reports of signings come in.

The Giants’ official practice squad

The Giants announced their first official practice squad Wednesday evening.

• OL Kenny Wiggins
• OL Jackson Barton
• OL Jake Burton
• OL Brett Heggie
• RB Sandro Platzgummer
• RB Dexter Williams
• WR Matt Cole
• WR David Sills V
• WR Damion Willis
• TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
• TE Jake Hausmann
• TE Ryan Izzo
• TE Chris Myarick
• DL David Moa
• DL Willie Henry
• LB Niko Lalos
• S Jordyn Peters

Practice squad rules

• Practice squads can include 16 players. The new CBA allowed for 12, up from the previous number of 10. Adjustments to roster caused by COVID-19 bumped that number to 16.
• Six players on those practice squads can have unlimited NFL experience.
• Practice squad salaries are $9,200 per week for players who have two or fewer accrued NFL seasons, and $14,000 per week for veterans with more than two accrued seasons.
• Teams can protect four players on their practice squad each week. While protected, those players cannot be signed to active rosters by the league’s other 31 teams. The list of protected players can change each week.
• Should players on the active roster test positive for COVID-19 the night before or morning of games, teams can promote an unlimited number of players from the practice squad to the active roster up to 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
• Two practice squad players can be added to the active roster each week, bringing that roster to 55. Those players can be elevated without terminating a practice squad contract and signing an NFL player contract. Those players revert to the practice squad the day after the game without being subject to waivers.

Giants practice squad projection

Let’s see how Ed did:

QB Brian Lewerke
RB Corey Clement
TE Jake Hausmann
TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
WR David Sills V
WR Matt Cole
WR Damion Willis
OL Brett Heggie
OL Jake Burton
OL Jackson Barton
DL David Moa
CB Madre Harper
DB Jordyn Peters
Edge Niko Lalos
RB Sando Platzgummer [Roster exemption, not eligible to be added to 53-man roster]

NOTE: I have left a couple of spots for players released by other teams to be added.