EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Bryce Ford-Wheaton was never as happy to be ignored as he was when he arrived at the Giants' headquarters Tuesday morning.
The first-year wide receiver saw personnel staffers waiting to intercept the players who were about to learn from coach Brian Daboll they were being released. But no one approached him.
"I was definitely a little nervous coming in here," Ford-Wheaton said today after practice. "There were like four people standing there, just kind of grabbing people, and nobody grabbed me. They let me walk through. So, I was like, 'Oh, I guess I made it.'"
Ford-Wheaton had indeed earned a spot on the 53-man roster, the latest installment in an ongoing inspiring story. The 6-3, 225-pound wideout arrived here last season hoping to surmount the long odds faced by all undrafted rookies. A strong training camp and impressive preseason left him on the cusp of the roster before he tore his ACL in the preseason finale against the Jets.
After spending the entire offseason here, Ford-Wheaton began camp as a former rookie free agent who was coming off a serious injury and was competing with veterans like Isaiah Hodgins and Allen Robinson to become the Giants' fifth receiver. When those vets were intercepted at the front door on Tuesday, Ford-Wheaton had a chance to stay. Hodgins is on the Giants' practice squad.
"A lot of time in the offseason was spent here and I'm glad to finally be here for good," Ford-Wheaton said. "I think versatility might have played a role, especially just on special teams. I think I bring a different kind of aspect to special teams. I think ultimately that's what got me here."
Ford-Wheaton, 24, is close with the Giants' four frontline receivers: Darius Slayton (27), Wan'Dale Robinson (23), Jalin Hyatt (22), and rookie Malik Nabers (21).
It is a close-knit group, but it's Robinson who Ford-Wheaton adopted as a role model. When Robinson was a rookie in November 2022, he suffered a torn ACL, and had to endure the usual arduous rehabilitation for those who have that injury. After passing the one-year anniversary of his surgery, Robinson caught 18 passes in the 2023 season's final four games.
Virtually from the moment Ford-Wheaton was hurt last year, Robinson has encouraged and counseled him. He is thrilled his friend is still in the receivers room.
"I can't even put that in the words," Robinson said. "I told him the other day; we get here pretty early in the morning. There's not a lot of people here and I walked up to him, and I was like, 'Hey bro, I'm proud of you.' I just had to really give him his props and let him know. I see everything that he's been through, and I'd always been talking to him. I'm like, 'Bro, I know exactly how it feels.'
"Sometimes we'd be at practice, and he'd say, 'Man, my knee is hurting a little.' I'm like, 'I know brother, it's just part of it. But you're gonna get through it.' He just battled each and every day with rehab and doing the extra stuff that you gotta do with that injury to make sure you're ready for the next day."
Ford-Wheaton's injury was particularly exasperating, because it didn't involve contact with another player. He was running down to cover a punt when his knee hyperextended. The team's medical staff knew quickly that his ACL was torn.
"You have to get that fixed and you know it's going to be a long process," he said. "That was the most frustrating thing. But put one foot in front of the other, had a good group of guys around me last year, and it got me through it.
"Dabs (coach Brian Daboll) and Joe (Schoen, the general manager), literally, right when I did it, they said they were going to put me on I.R. and rehab here. And I felt that it would be beneficial to go to the meetings and still be around the guys. After the season, I told my family (in North Carolina) I wasn't coming home, and I stayed here."
Ford-Wheaton attended the entire offseason program and was on the field for all the OTAs. He said a turning point in his comeback was the two joint practices with the Detroit Lions early this month, when he not only caught several passes, but distinguished himself in special teams drills.
"I was happy to get the opportunity to go out there and have live reps on special teams against somebody else." Ford-Wheaton said.
At West Virginia University, Ford-Wheaton was a sporadic special teams contributor. But here, those roles helped secure him a roster spot.
"I think that helped me a lot," he said. "I think I can make an immediate impact on special teams. I feel like coach Ghoby (special teams coach Michael Ghobrial) really believes in me in that aspect. He always spoke life into me, even before I really knew what I could do on special teams. He was preaching to me, 'You could be a leader at this.' I took his word for it, because some of the stuff I've never done before, like the new kickoff return and being a gunner."
Regarding his potential contributions at wide receiver, Ford-Wheaton said, "I can go in and do the things that need to be done."
Robinson is confident his teammate can be a significant contributor.
"I mean, he's a freak of nature, for real," Robinson said. "He's strong as hell, he's fast. He can do it all. I'm pretty sure special teams is what they love the most about him, at least right now, but he still brings an added piece to our receiver room. He's a big body, he can block, strong hands, can go up and get the ball. He's still developing in the receiver aspect and obviously all of us are. But I think he's going to have a really big impact for us."
View photos of the New York Giants' 2024 active roster as it currently stands.
CB Deonte Banks
OLB Boogie Basham
TE Daniel Bellinger
S Dane Belton
OLB Brian Burns
DL Elijah Chatman
DL D.J. Davidson
QB Tommy DeVito
OL Jermaine Eluemunor
OL Joshua Ezeudu
CB Cor'Dale Flott
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton
K Graham Gano
P Jamie Gillan (6)
RB Eric Gray
CB Tre Hawkins III
WR Jalin Hyatt
CB Adoree' Jackson
S Anthony Johnson Jr.
FB/TE Jakob Johnson
TE Theo Johnson
QB Daniel Jones
LS Casey Kreiter
G Jake Kubas
DL Dexter Lawrence II
QB Drew Lock
TE Chris Manhertz
CB Nick McCloud
LB Micah McFadden
ILB Darius Muasau
WR Malik Nabers
T Evan Neal
S Tyler Nubin
DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches
OLB Azeez Ojulari
ILB Bobby Okereke
WR Gunner Olszewski
CB Dru Phillips
S Jason Pinnock
DL Jordon Riley
WR Wan'Dale Robinson
G Jon Runyan
C John Michael Schmitz Jr.
S/LB Isaiah Simmons
RB Devin Singletary
WR Darius Slayton
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
G Aaron Stinnie
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
OT Andrew Thomas
RB Tyrone Tracy
G Greg Van Roten
OLB Benton Whitley
*The Giants continued their player maneuvering today on both the active roster and practice squad.
Backup offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann was placed on injured reserve after suffering a lower leg injury in practice yesterday.
"He got rolled up on, so he's going to be out more than, I'd say, four weeks - probably more than that, too," coach Brian Daboll said. "So, we made the move."
Schlottmann's roster spot was taken by tight end/fullback Jakob Johnson, who was signed off the practice squad.
The Giants also added three players to their practice squad to reach the maximum of 17, including kicker Jude McAtamney, who receives an international player exemption.
The newcomers are defensive tackle Elijah Garcia and cornerbacks Duke Shelley and Art Green.
Garcia, 6-5 and 302 pounds, played five games the previous two seasons for the Denver Broncos, who released him on Tuesday. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. Garcia had 162 tackles (64 solo) and 6.5 sacks in 46 games at Rice University.
Shelley is the most experienced of today's additions. He has played in 52 regular-season games with 11 starts for Chicago, Minnesota, and the Rams, as well as one postseason game for each team. He started for the Vikings in their loss to the Giants in the 2022 NFC Wild Card Game. He has 86 career tackles (63 solo), one interception, and 14 passes defensed.
Green, 6-1 and 201 pounds, spent the entire 2023 season on the Denver Broncos' practice squad. He signed with them after going undrafted after playing three seasons at the University of Houston. Green was released on Monday.
View photos of every move made by the Giants during the 2024 cycle.
WR Chase Cota - Waived, Injury Settlement (September 13)
FB/TE Jakob Johnson - Free Agent Signing (September 10)
G Cade Mays - Practice Squad Exception (September 10)
OT Marcellus Johnson - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 10)
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette - Free Agent Signing (September 9)
LB Curtis Bolton - Practice Squad Veteran (September 9)
LB Carter Coughlin - Practice Squad; Injured (September 9)
LB Ty Summers - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 7)
LB Carter Coughlin - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 7)
LB Curtis Bolton - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (September 7)
ILB Carter Coughlin - Practice Squad Veteran (September 6)
TE/FB Jakob Johnson - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 6)
ILB Carter Coughlin - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (September 5)
OT Yodny Cajuste - Terminated, Vested Veteran, Injury Settlement (September 4)
WR Isaiah McKenzie - Terminated, Vested Veteran, Injury Settlement (September 3)
FB/TE Jakob Johnson - Practice Squad Veteran (September 2)
WR Miles Boykin - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 2)
CB Adoree' Jackson - Free Agent Signing (August 31)
FB/TE Jakob Johnson - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (August 31)
S Gervarrius Owens - Practice Squad (August 30)
LB K.J. Cloyd - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (August 30)
FB/TE Jakob Johnson - Free Agent Signing from NYG Practice Squad (August 29)
C Austin Schlottmann - Reserve/Injured (August 29)
DB Duke Shelley - Practice Squad Veteran (August 29)
DE Elijah Garcia - Practice Squad (August 29)
DB Art Green - Practice Squad (August 29)
LB Curtis Bolton - Free Agent Signing (August 28)
ILB Dyontae Johnson - Reserve/Injured (August 28)
OLB Tomon Fox - Practice Squad Exception (August 28)
C Jimmy Morrissey - Practice Squad Exception (August 28)
K Jude McAtamney - International Practice Player Signing (August 28)
WR Miles Boykin, TE Lawrence Cager, WR Isaiah Hodgins, FB/TE Jakob Johnson, OT Joshua Miles, LB Ty Summers - Practice Squad Veteran (August 28)
LB K.J. Cloyd, DB Alex Johnson, OT Marcellus Johnson, DB Raheem Layne, RB Dante Miller, DL Casey Rogers - Practice Squad (August 28)
S Anthony Johnson - Claimed off Waivers from GB (August 28)
S Gervarrius Owens - Waived, No Recall (August 28)
LB Matthew Adams - Reserve/Injured - Designated for Return (August 27)
WR Isaiah McKenzie - Reserve/Injured; Prior to Cut to 53 (August 27)
LB Darrian Beavers, LB K.J. Cloyd, LB Tomon Fox, DB Alex Johnson, OT Marcellus Johnson, DB Raheem Layne, K Jude McAtamney, RB Dante Miller, C Jimmy Morrissey, DT Casey Rogers, TE Jack Stoll - Waived (August 27)
WR Miles Boykin, TE Lawrence Cager, DB Tre Herndon, WR Isaiah Hodgins, DB Darnay Holmes, FB/TE Jakob Johnson, DB David Long, OT Joshua Miles, OT Matt Nelson, WR Allen Robinson - Terminated, Vested Veteran (August 27)
DB Mario Goodrich, G Jalen Mayfield, DE Ovie Oghoufo - Waived, Injured, Prior to Cut to 53 (August 27)
RB Joshua Kelley - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (August 25)
DB Breon Borders - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (August 25)
DB Jonathan Sutherland - Waived, Injured, Prior to Cut to 53 (August 25)
DT Timmy Horne - Waived, Injured, Prior to Cut to 53 (August 25)
WR Ayir Asante, DT Kyler Baugh, DB Christian Holmes, DB Clayton Isbell, WR John Jiles, LB Trey Kiser, RB Lorenzo Lingard, T Marcus McKethan - Waived, No Recall (August 25)
DB Clayton Isbell - Free Agent Signing (August 20)
WR Dennis Houston - Waived/Injured (August 20)
DT Kyler Baugh - Free Agent Signing (August 19)
LB Trey Kiser - Free Agent Signing (August 19)
DL Ryder Anderson - Waived/Injured (August 19)
OT Yodny Cajuste - Reserve/Injured (August 19)
TE/FB Jakob Johnson - Free Agent Signing (August 16)
TE Tyree Jackson - Waived/Injured, Prior to Cut to 53 (August 16)
RB Joshua Kelley - Free Agent Signing (August 15)
S Raheem Layne - Free Agent Signing (August 15)
S Jonathan Sutherland - Free Agent Signing (August 15)
DL Jordan Phillips - Traded to Dallas Cowboys (August 15)
S Jalen Mills - Terminated, Vested Veteran, Failed Physical (August 15)
DB Elijah Riley - Reserve/Injured (August 15)
RB Lorenzo Lingard - Free Agent Signing (August 12)
RB Jacob Saylors - Waived, No Recall (August 11)
OT Evan Neal - Passed Physical (August 11)
DB Kaleb Hayes - Waived, No Recall (August 11)
LB K.J. Cloyd - Free Agent Signing (August 11)
CB Christian Holmes - Claimed off Waivers from WAS (August 5)
RB Jashaun Corbin - Waived/Injured (August 5)
CB Mario Goodrich - Claimed off Waivers from PHI (July 31)
CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver - Terminated, Vested Veteran, Non-Football Injury (July 31)
OL Greg Van Roten - Free Agent Signing (July 30)
CB Aaron Robinson - Waived, Failed Physical (July 30)
DB Breon Borders - Free Agent Signing (July 28)
QB Nathan Rourke - Waived, No Recall (July 28)
TE Theo Johnson - Passed Physical (July 28)
OT Evan Neal - Declared Physically Unable to Perform (July 23)
CB Aaron Robinson - Declared Physically Unable to Perform (July 23)
DB Jalen Mills - Declared Non-Football Injury (July 23)
DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver - Declared Non-Football Injury (July 23)
TE Theo Johnson - Declared Physically Unable to Perform (July 16)
RB Jacob Saylors - Free Agent Signing (June 18)
WR Chase Cota - Reserve/Injured (June 18)
CB Tre Herndon - Free Agent Signing (June 12)
TE Darren Waller - Reserve/Retired (June 10)
S Tyler Nubin - Selection List Signing (May 31)
DB Elijah Riley - Free Agent Signing (May 30)
RB Gary Brightwell - Waived, Injured (May 30)
TE Theo Johnson - Selection List Signing (May 22)
LB Darius Muasau - Selection List Signing (May 15)
CB Dru Phillips - Selection List Signing (May 14)
DL Elijah Chatman - Free Agent Signing (May 13)
OLB Jeremiah Martin - Waived (May 13)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. - Selection List Signing (May 10)
WR Malik Nabers - Selection List Signing (May 10)
K Jude McAtamney - Free Agent Signing: Exempt/International Player (May 10)
WR Ayir Asante, WR John Jiles, DB Alex Johnson, OT Marcellus Johnson, G Jake Kubas, DE Ovie Oghoufo, DL Casey Rogers - Free Agent Signing (May 10)
RB Deon Jackson - Waived, Injured (May 10)
WR Allen Robinson - Free Agent Signing (May 9)
QB Nathan Rourke - Claimed off waivers from New England (May 7)
DB David Long - Free Agent Signing (May 1)
Giants select LB Darius Muasau with No. 183 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. with No. 166 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select TE Theo Johnson with No. 107 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select CB Dru Phillips with No. 70 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select S Tyler Nubin with No. 47 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select WR Malik Nabers with No. 6 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
DB Nick McCloud - Restricted Free Agent Signing (April 15)
LB Matthew Adams - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 12)
DL Jordan Phillips - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 11)
WR Miles Boykin - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 9)
S/LB Isaiah Simmons - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 5)
RB Dante Miller - Free Agent Signing (April 5)
WR Isaiah Hodgins - Free Agent Signing (March 24)
CB Darnay Holmes - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 22)
OT Matt Nelson - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 22)
OL Austin Schlottmann - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 18)
OL Aaron Stinnie - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 18)
TE Chris Manhertz - Free Agent Signing (March 16)
TE Jack Stoll - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 15)
OL Jon Runyan - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
OL Jermaine Eluemunor - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
RB Devin Singletary - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
QB Drew Lock - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
DB Jalen Mills - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
WR Isaiah McKenzie - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
WR/PR Gunner Olszewski - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
LB Carter Coughlin - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
OLB Brian Burns - Acquired via trade with Carolina Panthers (March 13)
LB Benton Whitley - Signed, Renegotiated Contract (March 12)
LS Casey Kreiter - Signed, Renegotiated Contract (March 12)
G Mark Glowinski - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (March 4)
C Jimmy Morrissey - Reserve/Future Signing (January 23)
WR Chase Cota - Reserve/Future Signing (January 23)
LB Tomon Fox - Reserve/Future Signing (January 10)
DL Ryder Anderson - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
OT Yodny Cajuste - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
DB Kaleb Hayes - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
WR Dennis Houston - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
RB Deon Jackson - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
ILB Dyontae Johnson - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
OLB Jeremiah Martin - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
G Jalen Mayfield - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
OT Joshua Miles - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
