Giants sign DT Armon Watts to practice squad; CB Duke Shelley released

The New York Giants today switched a spot on their practice squad when they signed veteran defensive tackle Armon Watts and released cornerback Duke Shelley.

Watts, 6-5 and 307 pounds, has played in 72 regular-season games with 22 starts across five NFL seasons with the Vikings (2019-2021), Bears (2022), and Steelers (2023). He signed with the Patriots this offseason but was placed on injured reserve on Aug. 27. New England terminated his contract on Oct. 1.

Watts’ career numbers include 140 tackles (seven for loss), 8.5 sacks, 18 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, and one pass defensed.

Watts was originally selected by Minnesota in the sixth round (190^th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. The St. Louis native played at the University of Arkansas, where he appeared in 29 games with 11 starts.

Shelley, a sixth-year veteran, joined the Giants practice squad at the end of August and was elevated for one game (Week 4 vs. Dallas).