All five of the Giants’ moves involved injuries. Three players – Ricky Seals-Jones and rookie Andre Miller and rookie inside linebacker Darian Beavers – were placed on the injured/reserve list, ending their seasons. Two players – forwards Nick Gates and Matt Peart – were placed on the reserve/PUP list, meaning they must miss the first four weeks of the regular season. Sheppard, 29, is the Giants’ longest-tenured player, arriving in 2016 as a second-round pick. He had more than his share of physical issues, and his 2021 season ended in Week 15 when he tore his left Achilles tendon on Dec. 19 against the Cowboys. Shepard played in just seven games last season due to injury in four. Sterling Shepard takes part in a workout at the Giants training facility in June.AP He was seen running around the sidelines in camp, and the Giants believe he could return sometime in the first month of the regular season. Beavers, a sixth-round pick, had an impressive summer but tore his right ACL Sunday night against the Bengals. Miller injured his forearm during a practice. Seals-Jones signed to compete for a starting spot, but went down with a toe injury early in camp. Gates’ career path was marked by a nose on September 16, 2021, when he suffered a fractured tibia and fibula in Week 2 against Washington. His left leg was pinned under defensive lineman Darron Payne. Gates, 26, suffered a gruesome injury — a broken tibia and fibula — and needed several surgeries to repair all the damage. Before the injury, Gates was establishing himself as a solid NFL center with the flexibility to move back to guard if needed. Peart, 25, went down in Week 16 last season with a torn ACL. A 2020 third-round pick, Peart has ideal size — 6-foot-7, 318 pounds — but hasn’t developed as expected, starting just two games in his first two years. The Giants must reach the 53-man cap by August 30. Rookie outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, expected to be out three to four weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee, is seeking a second opinion, which is not unusual. He sends his report and the MRI to Dr. James Andrews, a noted orthopedic surgeon, to confirm the original diagnosis. Thibodeau was injured in Sunday night’s preseason win over the Bengals, and the Giants feel he has a lot to play for in the 9/11 season opener.
