Of all the sentences and comments and conjecture about how the Giants made it through the summer to Saturday’s cut-down day to the 53-man roster, none resonate any more loudly or clearly than this:
“You wouldn’t think that a team who won six games would stay where they are,’’ coach Tom Coughlin said. “Well, they’re not. You have to try another direction.”
Yes indeed, the Giants are going in another direction, coming off a 6-10 season, certainly not living in the past as they made several mildly surprising moves that leaves 16 players — 30 percent of the roster — who were not with the Giants or did not play a snap for them, on the team … for now.
Gone are familiar names such as Henry Hynoski and Steve Weatherford, as those who cherish the memory of the Giants’ most recent Super Bowl after the 2011 season are going to have to come to grips with just how far removed the current Giants are from that team. Just five players remain from the Super Bowl XLVI roster: Eli Manning, Prince Amukamara, Victor Cruz, Zak DeOssie and Mark Herzlich. Two others, Will Beatty (physically unable to perform list) and Jason Pierre-Paul (franchise tender unsigned), do not count on the 53-man roster.
“To have some of these guys that have been here, and been through some of the really good times, to have them go, it’s not easy,’’ Coughlin said.
“I mean they’re in here almost in tears, and you’re sitting there thinking that this is just going to be one of those hard days. All of a sudden, they start touching the emotional part of it, and it’s not easy.”
Clearly, the Giants are thinking younger and cheaper with their moves. On final cut-down day, they also released receiver James Jones, the 31-year-old former Packers and Raiders wideout (he had a career-high 73 catches in 2014 for the Raiders) who led the Giants in the preseason with 11 receptions for 148 yards. It hurt Jones that he did not play on special teams, a requirement for the fourth, fifth and sixth receivers.
Younger and cheaper was also a theme on defense, where the Giants cut linebacker Jameel McClain ($2.5 million) and kept rookie Uani’ Unga ($435,000). This also indicates the Giants are confident middle linebacker Jon Beason’s knee will be ready for the season opener in seven days.
Five of the six 2015 draft picks — Ereck Flowers, Landon Collins, Owa Odighizuwa, Geremy Davis and Bobby Hart — made it through cut-down day. The sixth, safety Mykkele Thompson, tore his Achilles tendon in the preseason opener and is on injured reserve.
As far as longshots, how about Nikita Whitlock, a first-year fullback who was an all-ACC nose tackle at Wake Forest and made the transition to offense — which did not stop him from getting 12 snaps on the defensive line in the preseason finale? How about Unga, a 27-year-old rookie linebacker with a wife and three kids? Or Jerome Cunningham, a pass-catching tight end from, of all places, Southern Connecticut?
“Without a doubt, they flashed,” Coughlin said. “It’s not all the finished product by any means, but they are young and they do play hard.’’
Receiver Corey Washington (shoulder) was waived/injured, as the presence of Davis and the grit of Preston Parker made Washington, despite his pass-catching potential, expendable.
Hynoski is just 26, but he was set to make $775,000 this season. He made the team in 2011 as an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh and ended up playing in 46 games, with 21 starts.
Hynoski posted a farewell message on Instagram, thanking the Mara family, the entire Giants organization and “of course the amazing Giants fans.’’ He called getting released “just a bump in the road’’ and signed off with: “I will forever be the Hynocerous, your fullback!’’
The Giants finally parted ways with Adrien Robinson, their 2012 fourth-round draft pick infamously dubbed “the JPP of tight ends’’ by general manager Jerry Reese.
Safety Nat Berhe (calf) was placed on season-ending injured reserve, as was Canadian offensive lineman Brent Jones (knee).
The other cuts: K Chris Boswell, OL Emmett Cleary, RB Kenneth Harper, LB Ashlee Palmer, DB C.J. Conway, WR Julian Talley, QB Ricky Stanzi, OL Adam Gettis, DT Dominique Hamilton, DE Brad Bars, LB Cole Farrand, CB Chykie Brown, S Jeromy Miles, OL Sean Donnelly, CB Chandler Fenner.
