The New York Giants claimed two players off the waiver wire on Wednesday afternoon. While neither claim was a flashy, bona fide starter, both players should play a significant role for the Giants on special teams.
Giants’ new safety Beau Brade adds depth in two facets of the game
The Giants claimed former Ravens safety Beau Brade, a 6-foot, 209-pound defensive back entering his second season in the NFL. In 2024, he joined Baltimore as an undrafted free agent.
Brade appeared in 11 games for the Ravens last season but logged only 11 total snaps on defense. He did, however, play a crucial role on special teams, logging 207 snaps there (70% of the Ravens’ special teams snaps).
The Giants are thin at safety after rostering only Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, and Dane Belton on their initial 53-man squad. Brade will give them some depth in that regard, but he will be more of an impactful player on special teams.
Rico Payton follows a similar story
New York’s second waiver claim follows a similar story. Also a former undrafted player entering his second season, Rico Payton was claimed after being waived by the New Orleans Saints.
He appeared in all 16 games for the Saints last season, playing just 21 defensive snaps (2%), but also being on the field for 245 special teams snaps (57%).
Whereas Brade adds depth at safety, Payton is more of a cornerback with special teams upside. However, he might not see the field for Big Blue anytime soon, as he was waived/injured by the Saints. He is likely to go on injured reserve with a designation to return after four weeks, per Art Stapleton of North Jersey (h/t @clt_ny on X).
The Giants’ secondary depth improved marginally with these two claims, but they also added experience to their special teams unit, bolstering the third facet of the game with Brade and Payton.