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Two Rookies Left Unsigned

by Spiro Kasabian @nyspawtsguy_spi

There are two more New York Giants from the 2018 Draft that remain unsigned.  The first and most significant player is Saquon Barkley.  It is typical for high First Rounders to take a while to sign, usually waiting until right before camp to sign their deals.  There is not much room for negotiation of salary with the new CBA, but there is offset language and signing bonuses that are being negotiated by the player’s agent.  I expect Barkley to get his contract done soon.

The more peculiar case is that of RJ McIntosh, the Giants 5th Round draft pick out of Miami.  McIntosh is the only player outside of the top two rounds that has yet to be signed in the entire NFL.  This stems off the news that McIntosh sat out all of OTA and Mini Camp due to medical reasons.

Rumor has it that he has a thyroid issue, and there may have been or will be a procedure to clear this up.  Many believe this is the cause of the holdup over his contract getting done.  This seems mostly due to injury language, at this point.  Everyone on both sides have been very quiet about the whole thing, so it will be interesting to see what details come out in the next week or so when training camp begins.  Several beat writers have suggested that the sides are talking, and a deal could be struck soon.

Behind on Preparation:

For my money, this deal can’t happen soon enough.  McIntosh has already missed 16 practices and will be well behind all his fellow rookies in terms of picking the system up as well as the game speed.  With the Giants severely lacking in any pass rushing defensive lineman this year, McIntosh’s presence is very much-needed and would be welcomed.

Giants fans are so excited about this young man.  He handled himself VERY well against, what many consider, the best Guard to come out of the draft in a long time in Quenton Nelson.