JIM CORDLE
Cordle?s path to the 53-man roster is another study in patience and hard work. Originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Ohio State on April 25, 2010, Cordle was not expected by many to make the Giants? 53-man roster that year, not with veterans like Shaun O?Hara, Rich Seubert, and Adam Koets ahead of him on the depth chart.
Despite quietly playing solid ball against some very good competition during the preseason, Cordle was waived on Sept. 4 and then signed to the Giants? practice squad the following day, where he remained throughout the 2010 season.
Along the way, Cordle had an opportunity to sign with Tampa Bay?s 53-man roster, a chance that he declined.
?I wanted to come back here,? he said, ?because it was a great year to go against the defense and develop.?
This year, Cordle again began the season on the Giant?s practice squad after being among the final training camp cuts made on Sept. 3. After being signed to the practice squad two days later, he was finally called up to the 53-man roster on Oct. 4, replacing long snapper Zak DeOssie, who injured his back, on special teams, and then right guard Chris Snee late in the game against Seattle when Snee suffered a concussion.
Since being called up, Cordle has been active every week. Three weeks ago when the Giants learned they would be without Stacy Andrews for their game against Green Bay on Dec. 4, Cordle stepped right in as the team?s blocking tight end, contributing to the Giants? first 100-yard rushing performance since Nov. 6.
He again filled that role in the Giants? first meeting against Dallas this season as the running game achieved its second straight 100-yard performance.
Last week against Washington, he not only split reps at the blocking tight end with newcomer Tony Ugoh, Cordle also contributed on special teams.
In Cordle?s case, he came into training camp last year with a realistic view about his chances to make the 53-man roster.
?You come in as an undrafted free agent, you work your butt off all summer, and then you get to camp and go through it and around the second week, you realize that unless a couple of guys get hurt, it?s going to be tough to make the 53-man roster because of the numbers,? he said.
?So at that point, you know that there is going to be a practice squad spot open and you start fighting for that. But that?s where it gets really competitive because usually there?s only one spot for an offensive lineman, so I focused on getting that one spot.?
Cordle remembered that when he got the call after camp ended, he was on edge.
?I?m waiting in line to see Coach Coughlin,? Cordle recalled. ?When my turn came, the first thing he said to me was, ?You did a great job for us on the wedge on kickoff return and we want to develop you and put you on the practice squad.? So it was a positive experience for me.?
Cordle noted that with the NFL not really having a minor league system similar to the setup in baseball and hockey, the practice squad has become a blessing for young players who aren?t quite ready for the big time but who are willing to work at their craft.
?That?s really what the practice squad is ? it?s a break and a chance to develop and it?s an opportunity,? Cordle said, who last season was the only player to remain on the Giants? practice squad all 17 weeks.
Exhibiting patience in that first year, Cordle believed that if he worked on his technique and on his strength, and increased his knowledge of the playbook, that would give him the best chance of expediting his path to the 53-man roster.
?I knew that the second year they?d be more confident in bringing me up,? he said of his decision to stay with the Giants. ?Luckily the time went fast, and when I came up, I have been able to contribute.?
Cordle said that for him, one of the biggest benefits of being on the practice squad was having the opportunity to simulate what the opponent would do on both defense and special teams.
?You definitely have to focus more when you?re on the practice squad,? he said, adding that he played all of the offensive line positions on the show team, which has helped him develop the versatility that the Giants love their offensive linemen to have.
?That was a challenge, but you definitely get better with your feel and your technique in working against the guys we have on the defensive line.?
Another challenge Cordle said he was able to get a grasp on was the ability to play the blocking tight end spot. Normally, that position goes to an offensive tackle rather than an interior lineman, such as Cordle because it can involve being on an island.
However, because of the experience he gained while on the practice squad which included an opportunity to play all of the positions along the offensive line, offensive line coach Pat Flaherty knew that Cordle would be more than up for the challenge when Stacy Andrews had to miss time due to a bad back earlier in the season.
Cordle, who noted that being on the practice squad also gave him a chance to spend an extra day in the weight room, said that in looking back, he wasn?t ready for the rigors of life in the NFL, and that he can appreciate the time he spent on the practice squad. ?I probably wasn?t even ready at the beginning of this year either,? he said candidly. ?But I?m up here on the squad, and I?ve been able to help.?
