Giants re-sign tight end Will Tye and defensive tackle Robert Thomas
The New York Giants continued to handle their offseason business by re-signing tight end Will Tye and defensive tackle Robert Thomas.
Tye, 25, signed a one-year, $615,000 exclusive-rights free agent (ERFA) contract. He signed with the Giants after being undrafted out of Stony Brook in 2015. Tye started 10 games for the Giants in 2016, racking up 48 receptions for 395 yards and one touchdown. He was expected to return for his third season because of the movement restrictions on ERFA players. The team has the option of signing a player at the minimum salary for their years of experience.
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Matt LaCosse also signed his ERFA tender this week. This means Tye, LaCosse, and Jerell Adams are the only tight ends on the Giants roster under contract. The position was a source of discontent in 2016. Blocking was a major concern and only three touchdowns were caught by tight ends.
The Giants are expected to address the position in free agency or the draft.
Thomas signed a one-year, $540,000 ERFA tender. Thomas, who turns 25 on Saturday, completed his first season with the Giants after being claimed off waivers from the Carolina Panthers. He appeared in eight games in 2016 with five tackles and a sack.
Thomas may be asked to play a bigger role in the defense if the team is unable to re-sign free agent to be Johnathan Hankins. Hankins played in 69 percent of the defensive snaps in 2016, the most of any Giants defensive tackle.
The team announced that wide receiver Ben Edwards and fullback Nikita Whitlock will not return in 2017. Both players missed the 2016 season with injuries.
Edwards tore his ACL during a minicamp practice on May 7 and was ruled out for the season. He also suffered a mild knee sprain in voluntary workouts more than a week before the ACL tear. Whitlock injured his foot in the final preseason game. He was suspended 10 games for violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Whitlock was a versatile player, taking the field as a fullback, defensive tackle, and on special teams.
– Curtis Rawls is a Managing Editor for cover32 and covers the NFL and New York Giants, like and follow on Facebook and Twitter. Curtis can be followed on Twitter @TheArmchrAnlyst.
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