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The New York Giants made some changes to their roster on Tuesday (August 20): They released wide receiver Dennis Houston due to injury and signed safety Clayton Isbell.

The New York Giants made some moves to their roster on Tuesday (August 20). They released wide receiver Dennis Houston due to injury and signed safety Clayton Isbell. Pat Leonard of NY Daily News Sports first reported the news on X (formerly Twitter).

It is no big surprise that the Giants are doing without WR Dennis Houston

Houston, 25, was on the Giants’ practice squad last season. He appeared during the Giants’ loss to the Houston Texans on Aug. 17, but fHe failed to achieve his only goal during the game.

The Giants releasing Houston isn’t really a surprising move. As ESPN noted after the Texans game, “Houston had missed some time with a hand problem, but he appears to be back in form now. Still, he’s probably out of the running for a spot on the Giants’ final 53-man roster for 2024.”

Back on June 30, Sports Illustrated’s Brandon Olsen expressed his concerns about Houston in an article about the New York Giants’ 2024 training camp.

“His play in college suggests he’s a versatile player who can play as a runner/receiver, but his testing suggests he’ll likely struggle to get consistent layups but should be able to make some money as a receiver on contested catches,” he wrote. “I think that’s one of the reasons Houston hasn’t been able to stick with one team to this point in his NFL career.”

Olsen added: “Personally, I don’t think Houston will make the roster in 2024, but I wouldn’t rule out bringing him to the practice squad and giving him another year to develop.”

According to NFL.com, Houston was signed as a rookie free agent by the Dallas Cowboys on May 13, 2022. Dallas released him on September 20, 2022, and he was quickly signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad on September 22, 2022. Houston was later signed to a reserve/future contract by Dallas on January 25, 2023, and was released by Dallas on August 29, 2023. He signed to the Giants’ practice squad on August 31, 2023, and became part of the active roster on December 30, 2023. He returned to the practice squad on January 1, 2024, and the Giants signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 9, 2024.

Meet the Giants’ new safety: Clayton Isbell

Isbell, 24, is a rookie with plenty of experience in college football, playing for Illinois State, Utah and most recently Coastal Carolina. He went undrafted and signed with the Carolina Panthers after the 2024 NFL Draft. But the Panthers released him on July 26.
The safety played in 13 games as a senior at Coastal Carolina. That season, he recorded 89 tackles, eight pass defenses and three interceptions.

NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein calls Isbell “a safety with exceptional wingspan and the potential to move up to linebacker.”

“A long-limbed down safety whose average speed and above-average size could force a position switch to linebacker,” Zierlein explained. “Isbell recognizes quickly, rushes downhill to the action and is a willing hitter, but his pursuit angles and tackle strength need to improve to avoid missed tackles. His coverage background and ball production could give him an advantage when facing pass-catching tight ends. Isbell may have to earn his way as an undrafted free agent, but he has some elements to work with as a potential practice squad talent.”

Anne Erickson Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter who covers the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and other sports and her work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson