Giants trade for DT C.J. Okoye
The Giants added D-line depth in a trade for C.J. Okoye, closed the preseason 2-1 behind Najee Harris' return, and are still making Odell Beckham Jr. wait to hear if he made the team.
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The Giants used almost nothing to fix a depth problem Saturday, sending a 2028 seventh-round pick to Baltimore for defensive tackle C.J. Okoye, as Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network first reported. Jordan Raanan noted it's essentially the same seventh-rounder the Giants got back for guard Josh Ezeudu earlier this offseason, just re-routed straight to the Ravens for what he called "badly needed depth" at defensive tackle. More in Ravens Trade C.J. Okoye To Giants, Reunites With Harbaugh.
Another John Harbaugh reunion: The #Giants are trading for DT C.J. Okoye, per me and @RapSheet, sending a 2028 7th-rounder to the #Ravens for the former International Player Pathway participant. Okoye, who recovered a fumble for Baltimore last night, heads to East Rutherford.
It's the second Harbaugh reunion of the week. Okoye came up through Baltimore's International Player Pathway program, which John Harbaugh ran for years, and Mike Garafolo notes the rookie was first flagged as NFL-caliber by former Giants pass rusher Osi Umenyiora at Umenyiora's own Uprise camp. He recovered a fumble for the Ravens Friday night, then found out less than 24 hours later he was heading to East Rutherford instead.
Giants close the preseason 2-1 with a win over the Jets
The headline from Friday's 23-6 win over the Jets wasn't the final score — it was Najee Harris getting his first game snaps since tearing his Achilles 11 months ago. He carried 11 times for 39 yards and added a 20-yard catch on his lone target, right in line with what Najee Harris Set to Play Tonight in Giants-Jets Preseason Finale previewed. Odell Beckham Jr. caught three of six targets for 53 yards, and Braxton Berrios chipped in a catch for 15 yards and a 10-yard punt return, though he also lost a fumble.
Jets23-6
Dolphins26-3
Vikings10-13
Tyrone Tracy Jr. punched in a touchdown before leaving with what Dan Duggan of The Athletic called a stinger — not believed to be serious, though he's now listed questionable. The bigger update came after the final whistle: Harbaugh told reporters that undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada has beaten out Ben Sauls and will be the Giants' kicker to open the season, per Adam Schefter. The preseason finishes 2-1, the opening loss to the Vikings on August 15 sandwiched between the blowout at Miami on August 22 and Friday's win over the Jets.
Odell Beckham Jr. is still waiting to hear if he made it
Harbaugh has been about as clear as a coach can be without actually saying it. Asked earlier in the week if Beckham was in line to make the team, he said "he has done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure," per Mike Garafolo — see Odell Beckham Jr Nears Giants Roster Spot Before Sunday Cuts. Beckham told reporters after Friday's game that making the roster "would mean everything," per ProFootballTalk, with cuts due by Sunday.
Giants and John Harbaugh not willing to announce anyone making the team or getting cut yet as of 3 pm on Saturday. On Odell Beckham Jr.: "We'll just have to see throughout the weekend if he makes the roster."
By Saturday afternoon, though, the Giants still weren't ready to make it official. "We'll just have to see throughout the weekend if he makes the roster," Harbaugh said, according to Jordan Raanan — not exactly the language of a done deal, even after the vote of confidence two days earlier. It isn't happening in a vacuum, either: ProFootballTalk also reported Saturday that longtime receiver Darius Slayton could be on the outs, a sign of just how crowded that receiver room is about to get before Sunday's deadline.
The real season opens Sunday night against the Cowboys
New York opens its season Sunday night vs. the Cowboys, the first game that will actually count since the trade for Okoye and everything else that happened this week. Dallas enters off its own preseason finale, a 24-27 loss to the Saints that leaves the Cowboys 2-1 in exhibition play — the same mark the Giants just finished with.
The number reflects a coin-flip: Dallas opened as a 2.5-point favorite, with the Giants an underdog on their own field at MetLife Stadium, and the total was set at 48.5 — high-scoring for a September opener. It's the first meeting of the year in an NFC East both sides spent the summer retooling, and it'll be the first real answer to which of these 2-1 preseason teams actually did more of it.