ALBANY, N.Y. -- Jake Ballard is with the New England Patriots. Travis Beckum is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the Super Bowl. Free-agent pickup Martellus Bennett is adjusting to a new offense.

Bear Pascoe, with his knowledge of and familiarly with the offense, has earned the starting tight end spot and is well aware of the opportunity in front of him.

"There's a great opportunity for me to step in and kind of take it over," said Pascoe, who is entering his fourth season in the NFL, all with the Giants. "Being here for the past three years and really knowing the offense, it's giving me a lot of confidence."

The 6-5, 283-pound Pascoe started 11 games over the past two seasons as a hybrid tight end/fullback, but he has just 22 catches in his three seasons with the Giants.

The Giants are hoping Bennett, who signed after four years with the Dallas Cowboys, eventually steps up and fulfills the potential he brings to the position.

General manager Jerry Reese said earlier in the summer that Bennett was brought in to help boost the running game as an excellent blocker, but the 6-6, 265-pound tight end could be a big target for Eli Manning over the middle and in the red zone. Bennett has 85 career receptions for 846 yards and four touchdowns.

The Giants also drafted Adrien Robinson out of Cincinnati in the fourth round, and Reese dubbed him the "J.P.P. of tight ends." But Robinson is more of a project as he learns the offense and NFL game.