WR C.J. Board
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 181 lbs.
Age: 28
NFL Exp.: 3 seasons
College: Chattanooga
The New York Giants initially were awarded receiver/return specialist C.J. Board off waivers (via Jacksonville) on August 13, 2020. That season, he appeared in 14 games with four starts for the Giants, finishing with 11 receptions out of 16 pass targets for 101 yards, career highs.
Board was re-signed by the Giants on March 17, 2021, but did not make the 53-man roster despite having shown some previous moxie as a punt gunner. He landed on the team's practice squad and was eventually promoted to the active roster on September 25, where he remained until suffering a fractured forearm in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams.
2021 Recap
During his six-game stretch, Board was periodically used as a receiver. In 80 offensive snaps, he reeled in four receptions for 51 yards, 12.8 yards per catch, and zero drops.
Board's value was on special teams, particularly as a kickoff returner. Over his two-year stint as a Giant, Board returned 13 kickoffs for 327 yards. And in 2021, he had 11 kickoff return attempts where he accumulated a total of 273 yards, averaged 24.8 yards per return, and took one of his returns for a season-high 38 yards. Board ended up finishing first on the team in kickoff attempts, yardage, and average yards.
Board also was a promising punt gunner. He contributed two assisted tackles on special teams. One of his most significant contributions in 2021 came in Week 4 against the Saints, where his 26-yard punt return set up the ensuing drive on which the Giants recorded a momentum-shifting, 54-yard screen pass touchdown to running back Saquon Barkley. That score cut the Saints' 21-10 lead down to four with less than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Why Giants Should Keep Him
If the Giants are looking for affordable depth at receiver that is reliable when his number is called and who can contribute as a return specialist and gunner on special teams, having Board back to compete wouldn't necessarily be a bank breaker.
Why Giants Should Not Keep Him
Board missed 11 games last season due to injury, which, while not his fault, is something general managers tend to consider when deciding whether to keep or move on from a player. That said, Board is also 28 years old and might very well have reached his ceiling as an NFL receiver to where it would make more sense for the Giants to dip into the draft class for someone with fresher legs who can compete for a spot at the bottom of the receiver depth chart.
Keep or Dump?
Until his season-ending injury, Board continued to get a game-day uniform for his special teams play last year, especially his punt gunner work. And as noted, he was consistent with his opportunities as a receiver to where giving him another opportunity to compete for a roster spot wouldn't be the worst decision in the world so long as the contract was a minimum offer.
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