EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Faced with the prospect of playing without their top two wide receivers, the Giants today re-signed the wideout who led them in catches in the preseason.
TJ Jones, who was released in the roster cut on August 31, could make his Giants regular-season debut in the home opener on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
The Giants created room on the roster for Jones by placing linebacker Kareem Martin on injured reserve. Martin, who played all 16 games last season, suffered a knee injury Sunday in Dallas.
Jones, 6-0 and 190 pounds, first joined the Giants on July 27. In four preseason games, he led the team with 12 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a team-high nine punt returns, for a 6.2-yard average, with a long runback of 28 yards.
Jones spent the previous four seasons with the Detroit Lions, for whom he played 42 games with nine starts and had 64 receptions for 814 yards (12.7-yard avg.) and four touchdowns.
The Giants wanted to reinforce their receiving corps because Sterling Shepard is in the NFL concussion protocol and is uncertain to face Buffalo. In addition, Golden Tate will miss three more games while serving his NFL suspension.
Without Shepard and Tate, the Giants' receivers are Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer, Russell Shepard, Cody Core, Jones and rookie Darius Slayton, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Martin played 10 snaps in the Giants' season-opening loss in Dallas. He was credited with two tackles (one solo).
