The New York Giants revamped their secondary this offseason, signing established veteran talents such as CB Paulson Adebo and S Jevon Holland in free agency. The moves serve as major upgrades in talent while also taking pressure off some of the team’s existing talent on the roster.
CB Deonte Banks struggled last season while competing as the team’s primary cover man. Now, with Adebo on the roster, the expectation was for Banks to move into the CB2 role, where he would face more favorable matchups than he had last season.
However, that role is hardly set in stone for Banks. Entering training camp, Banks finds himself in a battle for his spot in the starting lineup with fourth-year cornerback Cor’Dale Flott.
Cor’Dale Flott earned first-team reps during spring practices
During OTAs and minicamp this spring, Flott took reps with the first team as the CB2. Banks rotated in with the second team during those reps. This move signals a clear competition within the starting lineup.
According to John Schmeelk of Giants.com, Flott was among the Giants’ defensive standouts of the spring.
“Cor’Dale Flott has probably made more plays on the ball than any other cornerback,” he wrote.
Flott began to turn a corner down the final stretch of last season, playing the best football of his career thus far. Meanwhile, Banks was maligned by fans and even some of his own teammates as his effort was called into question amidst a poor second season.
Giants’ CB2 position could become a training camp battle
The pads will come on during training camp next week as the intensity and physicality increase throughout the summer. This is when practices start to matter a bit more in the grand scheme of things, as the Giants’ coaching staff will evaluate its roster and begin to make decisions on the depth chart and starting lineups.
Flott will earn more opportunities to compete with the starters during training camp, as will Banks. Whoever performs the best throughout training camp and the preseason could become the starter by Week 1.
While Banks, a former first-round pick, is widely expected to earn that starting job, he has plenty of prove this summer before being penned down in the starting lineup.
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