The New York Giants claimed defensive tackle C.J. Ravenell off waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday and waived cornerback Rico Payton injured to clear a spot on the 90-man roster. It was a clean roster tradeoff: one body in for the defensive front, one out from the secondary.
Ravenell arrives as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri Western State who played in 14 games with one start for the Tennessee Titans last season. At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, he logged six tackles and a forced fumble in 97 defensive snaps, enough production for a player who has had to earn every snap he gets.
That is part of why the move lands now. The Giants have spent the offseason rebuilding the line in waves, and this one fits the pattern: Dexter Lawrence is gone, Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidson moved on in free agency, Elijah Chatman was waived, and Roy Robertson-Harris was lost to injury. The team also added D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris, Leki Fotu, Sam Roberts, Zacch Pickens and Josh Fotou, with Bobby Jamison-Travis joining in Round 6 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Payton’s exit is the sharper edge of the transaction. He was claimed off waivers by the Giants from the New Orleans Saints last season and appeared in nine games, but his own injury now sends him off the roster while the team tries to fortify another part of the defense. The Giants are not simply adding depth; they are choosing where that depth matters most.
There is one detail the move does not answer. The Titans waived Ravenell from injured reserve earlier this week, and the Giants waived Payton injured on Tuesday, but neither transaction spells out the injury behind either decision. For now, the roster math is clear even if the medical side is not: the Giants wanted Ravenell enough to take him, and they were willing to lose Payton to make it happen.
