Shortly after the Atlanta Falcons released Ray-Ray McCloud, he found a new home. It was reported yesterday that the 29-year-old signed with the New York Giants' practice squad, becoming the second Falcons' castoff this season to end up in the Big Apple.
The Giants are signing WR Ray-Ray McCloud to the practice squad, physical pending, sources say.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) October 22, 2025
McCloud was released by the Falcons yesterday.
It should be no surprise he quickly found a new destination, as he enjoyed a career year in 2024. Moreover, the Giants were desperate for receiver help and Brian Daboll was McCloud's offensive coordinator with the Bills back in 2018—and he could push Gunner Olzewski to be the return man.
However, it is surprising is that he and Younghoe Koo are the sole ex-Falcons on the Giants' 2025 roster when both were let go by Raheem Morris after starting the year off slow. It's become a trend in recent years to see ex-Falcons end up in blue and white, and this is only the latest example of that.
It's becoming clear the Giants enjoy their Falcons' scraps
McCloud was unable to generate the same spark for the Dirty Birds that he did last season, which resulted in him being buried on the depth chart. By the time of his release, he was a healthy scratch in back-to-back games because Casey Washington, David Sills V, and even Jamal Agnew had surpassed him on the depth chart.
It's rare you see a player go from instant contributor to free agent so quickly, but it should serve as no surprise. Before Atlanta, the Clemson product was a journeyman, and his skills weren't being utilized once WR's coach Ike Hilliard was fired.
But it's that stark fall off that has made this situation so bizarre. Terry Fontenot could have looked to trade him to recoup some value, but didn't—and it's making the Falcons-to-Giants pipeline abundantly clear.
Players like Devonta Freeman, Morten Andersen, and even recent Falcons draft bust Jalen Mayfield landed with the G-Men after their time with the Dirty Birds ended. And what makes this even crazier, is that no shortage of former Giants have played for the Falcons.
Lorenzo Carter, Osi Umenyiora, Matt Bryant, and Sills all spent time in New York before signing with the Dirty Birds—so it's making for a stunning coincidence, if it even is one.
This interesting connection begs the question of how deep these ties will run. If the Falcons cut ties with someone like Mike Hughes, would the Giants come calling? Either way, McCloud has a new destination, and this is adding a new chapter to the history between the two franchise.