The New York Giants cannot put an end to the drama surrounding their defensive line—more specifically, its interior. After replacing Dexter Lawrence all offseason long, the G-Men may be forced into making more changes after Roy Robertson-Harris suffered a season-ending injury during the opening week of organized team activities (OTAs) in East Rutherford.
Like a pipe that keeps bursting and damaging everything around the house, the Giants know just how crucial having a strong interior on their defensive line is. If the defensive tackles cannot hold their ground, then the star-studded pass-rushing corps becomes futile.
New York cannot afford to let its crown jewel go to waste because of the D-line’s struggles. Thus, the G-Men are leaving no stone unturned, and that has brought them to Eddie Goldman, who has 10 years of experience in the NFL. “Veteran DT Eddie Goldman worked out for the Giants today,” Ian Rapoport reported on X.
Giants running low on DT
As if losing Lawrence was not a challenge of its own for New York, Big Blue has yet to see strong indications from the players it signed to replace him: D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris were both absent during the Giants’ open-to-the-public OTA session last week, and it remains unknown whether they practiced behind closed doors beforehand. Considering attendance was not mandatory, there is reason to believe they did not.
Roy Robertson Harris of the NY Giants.
Moreover, Sam Roberts is still recovering from offseason surgery, and Robertson-Harris’ torn Achilles injury means the defensive tackles group is even thinner for John Harbaugh and Dennard Wilson.
Considering the Giants lost millions to injuries last season, they aren’t off to a particularly exciting start in 2026. It is still early in the year, but for the new staff, the sooner they can get a good impression of what they will be working with, the better.
Giants will likely make room for Goldman
Provided Goldman leaves a good impression with the Giants during his private workout, it may not take long before the G-Men hand him an offer. Still, all signs suggest there is something New York must take care of before signing Goldman.
According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the Giants have yet to assign Robertson-Harris to IR. Doing so would free up a roster spot for Harbaugh and company to use ahead of the 2026 NFL season. However, as noted by Art Stapleton of USA Today, Goldman wasn’t alone. He practiced with a larger group of free agents whose names have not been made public yet. Perhaps New York signs another one of those candidates instead of Goldman.
Regardless, the reason for the delay in putting Robertson-Harris on IR is unclear. Barring a miracle, it is quite clear he won’t be healthy enough to return this upcoming season. Perhaps it has more to do with the fact New York wanted to enjoy the weekend and celebrate Memorial Day before getting back to paperwork and the drama of the coming campaign.
More about Goldman
Coming off three years at Florida State, Goldman was selected with a second-round pick (39th overall) by the Chicago Bears in the 2015 NFL Draft. He recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks during his rookie season and remained with the team in Windy City through the 2021 campaign—playing for (now Giants OC) Matt Nagy, who had become the team’s head coach prior to the 2018 season.
Goldman opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic before returning in 2021. In 2022, he was released by Chicago. After a series of stops and starts, including short-lived retirements, Goldman returned to the NFL in 2024, playing a full season for the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2025, he signed a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders and played 13 games for them, starting six. His season was cut short after he sustained a concussion in Week 15 against none other than the New York Giants. Months later, he may be close to signing with the organization in East Rutherford. Goldman may call MetLife Stadium—where he suffered a scary injury last year—home after all.
