Joe Schoen signed Duke Shelley, a veteran corner with starting experience, to the Giants’ practice squad on Thursday.
But just as the Giants made an addition, they lost another asset to injury.
Backup center Austin Schlottmann was placed on injured reserve with a right leg injury that he sustained in Wednesday’s practice. He had his leg elevated on a scooter in the locker room, and he will be out long term.
“He got rolled up on,” Daboll said. “He’s going to be out more than four weeks — probably more than that, too.”
Schlottmann’s injury makes starting right guard Greg Van Roten the primary backup center to John Michael Schmitz.
The concern about that position, however, pales in comparison to the outlook at cornerback on the defensive side of the ball.
Deonte Banks, last year’s first-round pick, is being asked to become a No. 1 outside corner in his second NFL season. And the depth chart is unsettled alongside and behind him.
Schoen draft pick Cor’Dale Flott seems like he could end up starting the season on the outside ahead of Nick McCloud, whom the GM called “a valuable role player” on Wednesday. Then 2023 sixth-round pick Tre Hawkins is developing behind them.
But there is no certainty that any of those players, Banks included, is prepared for the responsibility that is about to be thrown their way — literally.
The Giants knew they needed a corner in the spring, but Schoen traded the Giants’ No. 39 overall pick in the second round of April’s NFL Draft for edge rusher Brian Burns.
The GM knew what the risk-reward was before he swung the deal. He told defensive coordinator Shane Bowen at the NFL Combine that Burns, an “elite” pass rusher, would cost two second-round picks.
“And then I could play corner,” Schoen said with a laugh, as shown on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks.’
How right Schoen was.
The Giants, holding only the No. 47 overall pick in the second round, then watched their preferred corners Kool-Aid McKinstry and Kamari Lassiter come off the board at Nos. 41 and 42 overall to the Saints and Texans, respectively.
Executive advisor Ryan Cowden let out an “F-bomb” when Houston took Lassiter, as Hard Knocks showed. Schoen said he could have tried to trade up for one of them but it probably would have cost the Giants a fourth-round pick.
He used his fourth-round pick on tight end Theo Johnson to address a room thinned by the retirement of Darren Waller, a trade acquisition the prior year.
The Giants then drafted Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin who “should come in and start,” Schoen said in the show. Nubin may get the start in Week 1 against the Vikings but has had to play catch-up with Dane Belton after an early camp injury.
At corner, meanwhile, the Giants claimed numerous backups during camp to supplement their roster, but none of them pushed for meaningful playing time.
On Aug. 1, Bowen pointed out that the defensive staff would have to adjust on the fly to the ever-changing elements of the roster.
“There’s a lot of moving parts,” he said. “We signed a corner last week. We signed a corner yesterday. We’re going to sign a corner Tuesday in October that’s going to be expected to play on Sunday. It’s the nature of the beast.”
So here comes Shelley, a vet with 52 regular season game appearances and 11 starts for the Bears, Vikings and Rams.
He started and played Minnesota’s entire 2022 playoff loss against the Giants in which Daniel Jones set NFL records. And he was cut days ago by the Vikings after spending last season with the Rams.
It isn’t out of the question that Shelley, 27, won’t ramp up to significant playing time immediately, however, given the Giants’ uncertainty on the back end.
“Whatever we think is best for the team,” Daboll said when asked if Shelley could play in Week 1. “But let’s evaluate him, teach him our system, let him get under his feet underneath him a little bit, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Shelley was one of three practice squad signings on Thursday after a big free agent workout. The team also inked defensive tackle Elijah Garcia and corner Art Green, two young former Broncos.
They also signed fourth-year special teams linebacker Curtis Bolton to the 53-man roster, signed tight end/fullback Jakob Johnson onto the 53 and placed linebacker Dyontae Johnson (left ankle) on injured reserve. He will miss at least four games but is eligible to return this season.
Micah McFadden (groin) remained on the side of practice during the team’s final work before a three-day Labor Day weekend break.
