Giants trade rookie kicker Brandon McManus to Denver

Josh Brown said he thought Brandon McManus would land with a new team within 48 hours. In reality it took considerably less time than that.

The Broncos traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Giants for the kicker the Giants had already announced they were waiving. The deal first was reported by ProFootballTalk.com.

Announcing it and actually filing the paperwork are two different things, though, and with the Broncos in need of a kicker and low on the waiver order, they made the deal before McManus was actually cut. The Broncos need a kicker because theirs, Matt Prater, is suspended for the first four games of the season.

The trade -- and the earlier unfulfilled decision to waive McManus -- means that Brown will be the Giants' kicker to start the 2014 season, settling a position battle that, while not sexy, was one of the closest in training camp.

"Obviously I'm very pleased with the decision and my family is pleased with the decision," Brown said. "It's our goal to make sure the Giants are pleased with their decision."

Brown is coming off a season in which he made 23 of 26 field- goal attempts for the Giants, including a long of 52 yards. More than half of his kickoffs in 2013 were touchbacks (35 of 68). The Giants brought McManus in to compete with Brown, and it was something that Brown said pushed him to improve.

"Absolutely there was a positive benefit for me," Brown said.

Tom Coughlin said the decision to go with Brown was a difficult one. Ultimately, he went with the experienced veteran.

"They were both very close, did a really good job," Coughlin said. "I think Brandon will kick in this league. Very powerful man. Needs to work on some finer points on his kicks but certainly demonstrated his ability to drive the ball through the end zone. That's a tremendous asset."

Brown, 35, spoke openly about the competition with McManus not only to reporters but to his temporary teammate as well. They discussed the reality that one of them was going to lose his job before the end of training camp.

"I kept telling myself this is my job, it's mine, and he's going to have to take it from me," Brown said. "The powers that be decided I win. I'm still the Giants kicker."

But Brown was complimentary of McManus as well.

"He's going to be a lifer," Brown said. "He's going to be a 10-year guy. Easily. He's got that kind of talent and that kind of head on his shoulders . . . He's going to latch on somewhere and he's going to sink his feet in and he'll be good."

To get to the league-mandated 75 by Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline, the Giants waived 11 players, put two on injured reserve and waived two more with injuries.

Other players waived were cornerbacks Charles James II and Ross Weaver, safeties C.J. Barnett and Kyle Sebetic, linebacker Spencer Adkins, wide receiver Travis Harvey, tight ends Xavier Grimble and Jerome Cunningham, guard John Sullen and defensive tackle Everett Dawkins.

James was the only player waived who was on the team last season.

Safety Cooper Taylor (toe) and wide receiver Marcus Harris (hip) were put on season-ending injured reserve. Taylor, who is having surgery on his toe this week, was injured in the preseason game against the Colts. Harris injured his shoulder in the Jets game but had been dealing with a hip injury as well.

Linebacker Justin Anderson (hamstring) and defensive end Emmanuel Dieke (knee) were waived/injured.