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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. –** Daniel Fells was a free agent who very much wanted to return to the Giants. So when the tight end and the team reached an agreement on a new contract, he wanted to sign it as quickly as possible. Last night, Fells took a redeye from San Francisco to Newark. This morning, he was at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center to affix his signature to the pact. Soon afterward, he was on a plane headed back to California.
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"I'm excited," Fells said. "There's no place I'd rather be. It's a world-class organization with a great coaching staff. And I believe in the guys in that locker room. Coming back here was always in the forefront of my mind."
Fells, an eight-year veteran, joined the Giants last year after sitting out the 2013 season. He played in all 16 games with nine starts and caught 16 passes for 188 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. Fells scored in three consecutive games – on a one-yard reception vs. Arizona on Sept. 14, a nine-yarder against Houston a week later and a two-yarder at Washington on Sept. 25. His fourth touchdown was scored on a four-yard catch at Dallas on Oct. 19.
"It was a big blessing," Fells said of his return to the NFL. "I wanted to be able to come back and prove I can still play this game. Having that opportunity with the Giants to come back and participate and play -- obviously, the season didn't go the way we wanted it to last year -- it was a big goal of mine to make it back into the league and show I still have years left and I can still play."
Fells entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 2006. He later played for St. Louis, Denver and New England. After he was released by the Patriots on Aug. 30, 2013, he was out of the league until the Giants signed him on Jan. 7, 2014.
Check out photos of TE Daniel Fells from the 2014 season
He joined the Giants at a time when they had a group of largely unknown tight ends. But Larry Donnell finished third on the team with 63 catches and second with six touchdown receptions. Fells was right behind him with four. And Adrien Robinson caught his first five career passes, including a touchdown.
"We're all professionals in that room and we had a job to do," Fells said. "There's always going to be outside noise, whether it's good or bad. It's one of those situations where you have to quiet that noise and go out there and execute your job to the best of your ability. We know we're a talented group in that room. We want to go out there and showcase it so everyone else starts to believe that."
Photos of the Giants 2015 official roster
CB Prince Amukamara
DE Robert Ayers Jr.
DE BRAD BARS
LT Will Beatty
LB Jon Beason
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Safety Nat Berhe
DT Jay Bromley
CB Chykie Brown
K Josh Brown
SAFETY STEVIE BROWN
KICKER CHRIS BOSWELL
LB Jonathan Casillas
OL Emmett Cleary
Safety Landon Collins
DB C.J. CONWAY
WR Victor Cruz
TE Jerome Cunnigham
RB Orleans Darkwa
WR Geremy Davis
LS Zak DeOssie
TE Larry Donnell
OL Sean Donnelly
DT Kenrick Ellis
LB Cole Farrand
TE Daniel Fells
CB Chandler Fenner
OL Ereck Flowers
OL Adam Gettis
DT Dominique Hamilton
DT Johnathan Hankins
RB Kenneth Harper
WR/KR Dwayne Harris
CB Mike Harris
OL Bobby Hart
LB Mark Herzlich
CB Jayron Hosley
FB Henry Hynoski
DE/DT Cullen Jenkins
RB Rashad Jennings
John Jerry, Offensive Lineman RE-SIGNED WITH GIANTS
OL Brett Jones
WR JAMES JONES
LB Devon Kennard
DT Markus Kuhn
QB Eli Manning
CB Trumaine McBride
LB Jameel McClain
SAFETY BRANDON MERIWEATHER
SAFETY JEROMY MILES
DE Damontre Moore
QB Ryan Nassib
OT Marshall Newhouse
DE Owa Odighizuwa
LB ASHLEE PALMER
WR PRESTON PARKER
DE Jason Pierre-Paul (Reserve/Franchise Player)
RT Justin Pugh
WR Rueben Randle
OL Dallas Reynolds
OL Weston Richburg
TE Adrien Robinson
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
OL Geoff Schwartz
DE George Selvie
QB Ricky Stanzi
WR Julian Talley
Safety Cooper Taylor
LB J.T. Thomas III
LB Devin Unga
RB Shane Vereen
DB Trevin Wade
WR Corey Washington
Punter Brad Wing
FB Nikita Whitlock
RB Andre Williams
DE Kerry Wynn
