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New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: T Yodny Cajuste

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7 months ago

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New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: T Yodny Cajuste

The New York Giants invested resources this past offseason in trying to fix their offensive line which ranked amongst the worst in the entire NFL last season, finishing with the worst-graded pass-blocking grade, and the third-worst graded run-blocking grade. 

Injuries contributed to the Giants’ line’s poor performance, but coaching had done little to genuinely develop the position. For the better part of the past decade, the front office struggled to find success adding talent.

The best ability is availability, and the main reason Yodny Cajuste has been a near-impossible evaluation is that he’s spent much of his NFL career injured. 

Dating back to his days at West Virginia, Cajuste dealt with injuries during his redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore years.

When Cajuste has been healthy, he’s played well for a depth lineman and has shown promise. 

In 2022, the last time Cajuste was healthy and on an active roster, he started three games for the Patriots and finished those games with PFF grades of 64.8, 67.4, and 60.9—none of which are great, but 60 is considered average, and 70 is considered good. So for a spot starter early in his career, that’s a welcome performance.

Cajuste was a dominant offensive lineman in college, being drafted in the third round despite the injury concerns but hasn’t been able to piece together a healthy career so far. 

Now 28 years old, injuries may have contributed to not only diminishing what Cajuste had but also limiting his ability to develop consistently.

Height: 6-5
Weight: 310
EXP: 4 Years
School: West Virginia
How Acquired: FA-23

Cajuste had a quiet 2023 season after he was released by the Patriots during the offseason. During the summer, Cajuste went to visit with the Jets and Giants before being signed by the Jets until an injury led to him being placed on the waived/injured list before he was ultimately released.

Once he was deemed healthy, the Giants signed Cajuste to the practice squad. He spent the season there before being signed to a futures contract in early 2024.

Cajuste is signed to a one-year contract worth $985,000 with no guaranteed money attached.

On the bright side of things for Cajuste as far as his contract goes, he won’t be released as a result of simply trying to clear cap space. 

With his salary taking up just .38% of the 2024 salary cap for the Giants, the only legitimate reason for releasing Cajuste would be that they simply don’t feel he’s worthy of a roster spot.

The 2024 season could be considered Cajuste’s last opportunity to make it with an NFL team. Since getting drafted in 2019, Cajuste has ended three of his five seasons on the injured reserve or on the practice squad after being waived/injured.

At 28 years old and with just 17 games played so far, Cajuste likely understands that his goal right now isn’t to be a starting offensive tackle. 

Considering the current state of the Giants’ tackle room and their investment in the position with first-round picks Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal, it’s unlikely the team is looking for any new starters there.

Cajuste is at the point in his career where he’s been unable to develop so far because of injuries but he’s still capable of being a swing tackle that can compete to be second-string. It’s likely that the Giants roll into the season with four pure tackles while also having a few players like Joshua Ezeudu and Jermaine Eluemunor who are capable of playing both tackle and guard if need be.

If he can stay healthy through the preseason and put together decent performances, which he’s been able to do when he’s been healthy, then I would expect Cajuste to make the final roster as a depth swing piece who, at least for this upcoming season, will be playing on an inexpensive contract.

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