New York Giants: Andre Roberts Worth Taking a Look at

With wide receiver still a bit of a question mark for the New York Giants, recently released Andre Roberts is worth taking a look at.

Although the New York Giants selected Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard in the second round of the NFL Draft, wide receiver still remains a bit of a paradox for Big Blue.

Sure, Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the best receivers in the league, and sure, Shepard projects to see a lot of targets in year 1. Despite that, though, the team doesn’t have a ton of depth behind those two.

Ideally, Victor Cruz will return to the field this year at 100 percent, but that’s wishful thinking for a guy who hasn’t played in a game since 2014.

If the Giants want to improve their receiving group, while at the same time sticking it to a division rival, then taking a look at Andre Roberts, who was recently released by Washington, would make sense. Mike Jones of The Washington Post initially broke the news of the end of Roberts’ mediocre career in D.C.

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Roberts signed a four-year, $16 million deal with Washington back in 2014 to serve as a deep-threat complement to Pierre Garcon. However, that role was filled by DeSean Jackson, whom Washington signed weeks later after he was surprisingly released by Philadelphia.

In his two seasons with Washington, Roberts hauled in 47 passes for 588 yards and two touchdowns. Roberts saw most of his action on special teams, especially after being a forgotten man on the offense last year, thank’s largely in part to the emergence of both Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder.

Roberts’ best season came in 2012 with Arizona when he caught 64 passes for 759 and five touchdowns.

Dec 14, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Andre Roberts (12) runs the ball against New York Giants free safety Stevie Brown (27) during the second quarter of a game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

He’s not going to be a game-changing player whom defenses stay up at night worrying about, but he would be a solid addition for the Giants.

Roberts has a skill set best suited to play inside, but he has a little bit of versatility and can be moved around. He’s a shifty player who can get vertical down the field and add speed to any offense.

Furthermore, Roberts fits the Giants west-coast style of offense. The short-pass emphasis of the offense would suit Roberts very well. His best work comes when he’s able to get into space and show off his speed.

He’s good at making people miss and has the lateral quickness to be a threat on reverses and screens.

Roberts is also tougher than most receivers his size (5-foot-11). Roberts has no problem going across the middle and making catches in traffic. He’s tough after the catch and plays with some fire, too.

Another reason the Giants should at least give Roberts a look is because of the uncertainty surrounding Cruz. I’m no gambling man, but I wouldn’t bet on Cruz return to his pre-injury form. If he goes down again, or doesn’t even get healthy enough to get back on the field, then the Giants are in trouble.

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Yes, special-teams ace Dwayne Harris was serviceable last year, but he isn’t suited to be a third receiver. Roberts would give the receiving group much-needed depth.

If the Giants were to sign Roberts, they would also be getting a player with a chip on his shoulder. Roberts likely still feels disrespected by Washington for never getting a chance to shine, and it’s never a bad thing to get a player with some extra motivation.

Signing Roberts would be like when the Giants signed Cullen Jenkins away from the Philadelphia Eagles. Roberts isn’t going to be a complete game-changer, but he would add something to the team.

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