New York Giants 2022 Training Camp Roster Preview: P Jamie Gillan

The Giants punting situation took a rather interesting twist in the off-season.

The team decided to move on from Riley Dixon, whom it had initially acquired in a late-summer trade with Denver in 2018. Dixon had, in fact, been a solid punter and holder for the Giants since coming over except for the last two seasons, which saw his average per punt take a downward turn thanks to the coaching staff asking him to execute some different types of punts that weren't necessarily a strength.

With his numbers crashing down to earth, Dixon, who was in the final year of a three-year, $8.7 million contract he signed back in 2020, was released, the move saving the Giants $2.8 million.

Meanwhile, the team signed Jamie Gillan to a one-year deal to prove that he could handle the team's punting duties. Nicknamed the Scottish Hammer for his Scottish origins and big leg, Gillan, who played his college ball at Arkansas-Pines Bluff, is a left-footed punter who began his career with the Browns in 2019, earning PFWA All-Rookie team honors that season.

Gillan, who dealt with COVID in early December 2021, finally saw his stay with the Browns end on December 22, 2021, perhaps due to his declining production.

After finishing his rookie season with a 46.2 gross and a 42.2 net, Gillan's averages fell to 44 and 38.3 in 2020, rising slightly to 46.0 and 41.5 in 2021 before a stay on the COVID-19 list coupled with a more consistent showing by veteran Dustin Colquitt put an end to Gillan's stay.

He was then signed by the Bills to their practice squad two days later, his strong left leg and his experience kicking in crazy weather no doubt factors. But Gillan rode out the rest of the season on the practice squad, following Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll from Buffalo to New York this past off-season.

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What He Brings

In addition to being a left-footed kicker--southpaws give the kicking game an advantage because the ball comes off their foot differently than a right-footed punter--Gillan offers versatility.

At Arkansas-Pine bluff, he handled place-kicking (field goals and kickoffs) and punting. He recorded 22 out of 33 career field goals (66 percent) with three blocked attempts. He averaged 58.3 yards on kickoffs, nailing 43 touchbacks and putting five out of bounds.

And in punting, he averaged 42.9 yards per punt, hitting 13 touchbacks and forcing 36 fair catches while placing 44 balls inside the 20.

His Contract

Gillan signed a one-year, $1.065 million contract with $100,000 guaranteed.

Roster Prediction/Expectations

Gillan, who also serves as the holder, can potentially be a backup to Graham Gano. If the coaching staff noted Gano's drop-in kickoffs last year, perhaps they might plan to deploy Gillan in that regard even though he hasn't done it much at this level.

Although Gillan has guaranteed $100,000 of his contract, he is not necessarily a lock to make the roster. During the spring, there were some inconsistencies in his kicking, in particular, his sending a lot of balls to the right. But if head coach Brian Daboll was worried about it, he wasn't letting on.

Still, it's interesting to note that one of his listed weaknesses coming out of school by NFL.com was that he "needs to learn to adjust trajectory vs. wind." Gillan, remember, wasn't able to regain the punting job in Cleveland, known for having some funky winds. That he also couldn't crack the Bills' roster (Buffalo being another city where the winds can be tricky) is also a red flag.

Gillan will need a summer filled with consistent kicking if he's on the opening day roster.

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