Is Isaiah Wilson, the troubled offensive lineman who has already been cut by the Titans and Dolphins in his brief NFL career, going to sign with the Giants?
Possibly.
Wilson worked out with the Giants on Tuesday, and he was still around the facility on Wednesday. The Giants have open spots on their practice squad, and Wilson would most likely start there.
For the Giants, this would be a significant risk. Wilson, 22, is a native of Brooklyn who attended Georgia and was selected 29th overall in the Titans’ 2020 first-round draft. It didn’t turn out to be a good idea.
Wilson was supposed to compete for the starting right tackle position, but nothing came of it. He was not activated until Oct. 10 after testing positive for COVID-19. He was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list after being suspended in December for violating team rules. In his rookie season, he only appeared in one game, a Week 12 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
That was the problem with football. Off the field, he was arrested in September 2020 for driving under the influence. He was apprehended in January after leading police on a high-speed chase. When Wilson was finally apprehended and stopped, police discovered marijuana in his vehicle.
Wilson announced on social media after his rookie season that he would not return to the Titans. In mid-March, he got his wish when the Titans traded him to the Dolphins, along with seventh-round picks, demonstrating how undervalued he was. He was waived by the Dolphins three days later after he allegedly showed up late for his physical and missed two workouts.
The Giants need all the help they can get on the offensive line, but Wilson’s struggles since entering the NFL make this a long shot. Wilson, a 6-foot-6, 350-pound tackle, was Andrew Thomas’ Georgia teammate. Wilson played right tackle, while Thomas played left tackle.
The Giants start Thomas at left tackle, with veteran Nate Solder at right tackle after second-year Matt Peart failed to make an impression during the summer.
Head coach Joe Judge would not comment on a potential Wilson signing, but he did mention taking a chance on players who are having problems elsewhere.
“I have a lot of trust in the staff we have here, I have a lot of trust in the support we have here and a lot of trust in the program we have here to put people in a position to be successful,’’ Judge said. “I don’t think it’s a blanket of what someone else has done with someone that has to tie in how they do and if they are successful with you.
“I think there’s a point in time everybody needs a fresh start. If you treat everyone on an individual basis and understand the person and you address them as a person in terms of what’s best for that guy to help them get on the straight and narrow, then they have a chance for success. I can pretty much deal with anybody as long as they’re themselves and they’re honest and in this setting right here that they love football. If you meet those three things, yeah, I’ll be able to deal with you, no problem.”
