Cam Skattebo, the 255-pound undrafted fullback out of Arizona State, is making Giants assistant coaches uncomfortable at joint practices this week. He's hitting harder than spring protocol allows, finishing runs past the whistle, and generally behaving like a man who understands zero roster spots are guaranteed. New York's veteran linebackers have asked him to dial it back. He has not dialed it back.
The Giants invited Arizona to their East Rutherford facility for three days of controlled scrimmaging ahead of their August 8 preseason opener. Joint practices are meant to simulate game speed without the injury risk of live tackling. Skattebo is treating them like fourth-quarter goal-line situations. He's carried 12 times across two sessions, lowering his shoulder on nine of them. Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen pulled him aside after Wednesday's session. The conversation lasted 90 seconds. Skattebo nodded, then broke a tackle on the next rep.
This matters because Arizona's front office is watching this exact behavior from 2,400 miles away. General manager Monti Ossenfort signed four undrafted free agents this spring. Skattebo is the only one getting reps with the second-team offense. He led the Pac-12 in broken tackles last season (87 in 274 carries) and ran a 4.62 forty at 255 pounds, which puts him in the 92nd percentile for his size. The Cardinals need short-yardage help behind James Conner, who turns 29 in May and missed six games last season. Skattebo is auditioning for 3-5 carries per game in obvious situations. That role pays roughly $900,000 this year if he makes the 53-man roster.
The Giants are annoyed because Skattebo's tempo is forcing their coaches to re-teach tackling angles in real time. Rookie linebacker Darius Muasau—second-round pick, UCLA—hesitated on a sweep Wednesday after Skattebo stiff-armed a safety on the previous play. Bowen spent the water break walking Muasau through leverage points. This is not what joint practices are meant to solve. But it is useful data for Arizona's coaching staff, who now know Skattebo can disrupt opposing scout-team preparation simply by existing at his natural speed.
The Cardinals have 12 days before their August 10 preseason game against Denver. Skattebo will get 8-12 touches in that game, likely all in the second half with third-string personnel. If he breaks two tackles and picks up a blitz cleanly, he's on the roster. If he fumbles or misses a pass-protection pickup, he's on the practice squad or released outright. The margin is that narrow for undrafted fullbacks, which is why he's ignoring New York's coaching staff and playing like someone who understands the actuarial tables.
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona's head coach, played safety for five NFL seasons and coached defensive backs for another eleven. He knows what practice-intensity looks like when it's performative versus when it's structural. Skattebo's style is structural—he doesn't know how to finish a run without contact. That's useful in a league where 73% of third-and-short conversions involve contact within two yards of the line of scrimmage.
Giants players will spend the next 24 hours complaining about Skattebo in group texts. Arizona's personnel staff will spend it reviewing cut-up film from this week's sessions, tagging every rep where he forced a missed tackle or picked up a stunt in pass protection. One of those activities matters more than the other.
The takeaway
Undrafted fullback Skattebo's aggressive camp tempo is irritating Giants coaches but building his Cardinals roster case before August 29 cuts.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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