NFL Notes: Buccaneers, Giants & Jets

Buccaneers

• Roy Cummings of Today’s Pigskin takes a look at five veteran players who could be on the roster bubble this summer for the Buccaneers.
• The most notable of which is RT Gosder Cherilus, who filled in for Demar Dotson after he suffered a knee injury last year. Cummings mentions that the plan is for Dotson to return to the starter’s role, which leaves Cherilus’ future with the team in question.
• The other players who could end up being cut at the start of the season, according to Cummings, include: DE George Johnson, WR Louis Murphy, TE Brandon Myers and S Major Wright.

Giants

• According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, the Giants are still interested in possibly signing veteran LT Eugene Monroe at some point. However, Monroe would prefer to play left tackle while the Giants are looking for an upgrade at right tackle.
• Raanan mentions that a Plan B option for the Giants could be signing Jake Long to a contract. Although, there have reportedly been some questions about his desire to play again and whether he would really be an upgrade at this point in his career.
• In regards to cornerbacks, Raanan writes that veteran Leon Hall is more likely to sign with the Cardinals or return to the Bengals than join the Giants.
• If New York wants to bolster their depth at the position, Raanan lists Chris Culliver, Tarell Brown, Charles Tillman, Trumaine McBride, Cary Williams, Antonio Cromartie and Jayron Hosley as the best available options.
• Wide receiver is another position worth watching for the Giants, but Rannan can’t see them considering a veteran option unless they sustain an injury to one of their younger players.
• Raanan considers it unlikely that the Giants would sign DE Dwight Freeney, but admits it’s possible they could still look for some veteran insurance at the position in the coming months.

Jets

• According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets still prefer to bring back QB Ryan Fitzpatrick rather than enter the 2016 season with Geno Smith as their starting quarterback.
• Cimini mentions that this is likely the reason why the team has yet to anoint Smith the team’s starter.
• Cimini adds that the Jets have taken a cautious approach with Fitzpatrick and have been careful to not throw gas on the fire by doing something like naming Smith the starting quarterback.
• Even so, their three-year, $24 million offer is still not what Fitzpatrick is looking for. However, Cimini expects the two sides to reach an agreement at some point between July 26 and the end of the month.