Rounding Up New York Giants' Offseason Buzz, Post-Minicamps
The New York Giants’ football equipment has been put away in storage for the next six weeks while the team enjoys a short break prior to the start of training camp.
Despite the lights going dark on the first floor of the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, the floor that the football team mostly occupies, there are still a few lingering items that are in need of resolution before the start of the regular season.
Let’s go ahead and get caught up on the latest buzz and what it means for the Giants when they do report back to the QDTC on July 30 for the start of training camp.
Receiver Marcus Harris Had Knee Surgery
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The Buzz
Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media reported that receiver Marcus “Soup” Harris was set to have his knee scoped during the downtime before training camp.
What It Means
After an impressive training camp, Harris ended up on injured reserve thanks to hip and shoulder ailments.
This year, he was facing an uphill battle to land on the 53-man roster, though with question marks surrounding Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr., it’s possible that the Giants might end up keeping an extra receiver, depending on where Cruz and Beckham are in their respective recoveries and if Harris is cleared to participate in camp activities.
The worst-case scenario for Harris, who could start this year’s training camp on the PUP list, is that he will once again be stashed until an opportunity becomes available.
That “stashing” could be on the PUP list, depending on how quickly his knee heals.
If Harris is ready to go, he would be eligible for the Giants’ practice squad if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster.
However, with Ben Edwards (hamstring), Cruz (knee) and Beckham (hamstring) all currently question marks, it’s possible the Giants might look to carry an extra receiver just in case Cruz and/or Beckham don’t make enough progress to satisfy the team’s medical staff’s comfort level.
Victor Cruz's Status for Training Camp Is Still Up in the Air
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The Buzz
Receiver Victor Cruz is determined to avoid having to start training camp on the PUP list.
He told reporters during the three-day minicamp that he was about “80 percent there” with his rehab from a torn patellar tendon in his knee and that he was encouraged by how his knee has responded to his advanced stages of rehab.
"I think it's just a matter of continuing to build the strength for the last leg of it," Cruz said, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. "I’ve been running some routes for about two weeks now, and there’s been no pain, no swelling or anything like that, which are all good signs."
What It Means
It’s hard to knock a player for having an optimistic view of his comeback from an injury; however, past experience has taught us that it’s probably not a good idea to take a recovering player’s word for it given their tendency to don the rose-colored glasses.
Even head coach Tom Coughlin left the door open for the possibility that Cruz might not be 100 percent by the start of training camp.
“It is my understanding that he will be ready to participate [in training camp],” Coughlin said. “How limited, I can’t tell you.
“We aren’t going to throw him right out there, I can tell you that.”
Coughlin was also asked if he thought Cruz would start camp on the PUP list.
“I’m not going to say,” he said. “That is not the intent.”
Coughlin is by nature a positive person, but he’s also a realist.
The simple fact that he has said that Cruz won’t be thrown into the deep end to start training camp speaks volumes about the Giants’ thought process regarding one of the most important members of their offense.
The Giants Have Signed All of Their Draft Picks to Contracts
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The Buzz
The Giants inked their first- and second-round draft picks (offensive tackle Ereck Flowers and safety Landon Collins, respectively) to contracts. With Flowers and Collins now in the fold, the Giants have signed all of their rookie draft picks.
What It Means
Both Collins and Flowers, the last of the unsigned Giants draft picks, were able work during the spring OTAs and minicamp despite not having a signed contract because they signed an injury waiver.
Had they remained unsigned when training camp began, they would not have been allowed to take the field, even if they signed a waiver.
That Collins and Flowers both were willing to take that risk shows how serious they were about hitting the ground running with their new team and that they recognized the importance of those springtime snaps and classroom sessions.
Giants fans should feel pretty good about having such promising young leaders who put the team ahead of their individual needs and who want to be the best they can at their respective positions.
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Eli Manning Is Ready to Let His Play Do the Talking for Him
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The Buzz
Quarterback Eli Manning is as calm, cool and collected off the field as he is on the field. That’s probably why he’s not overly concerned with any lack of contract extension talks as he heads into the final year of his existing pact.
“I've been privileged to play 12 years–going into my 12th year–playing quarterback with the New York Giants,” Manning said, according to SI.com’s Christopher Chavez.
“I let my talking be done on the field and go out there and prepare for a big season. If I can do that and stay focused and play the way I know I can, everything else will work itself out.”
What It Means
It’s actually refreshing to know that a key player isn’t fussing about his next contract.
In Manning’s case, he doesn’t have to worry. Both John Mara (per Ebenezer Samuel, New York Daily News) and Steve Tisch (per Gary Myers, New York Daily News), the Giants’ co-owners, have already said numerous times this offseason that they still believe in Manning and would like for him to retire as a Giant.
Since neither side was in a rush to get the contract done—the Giants have never really needed the cap space that an extension for Manning would likely bring—the issue no doubt went to the back burner for the time being. However, that doesn’t mean that at some point they won’t re-kindle any talks they might have had.
Manning, remember, signed his last contract extension, a $97.5 million deal, just before the start of the 2009 training camp. The negotiations for that last deal heated up during the break between the minicamp and the start of training camp, a perfect time for the team to work on complex contracts since nothing else is going on at the time that warrants the front office’s attention.
Will history repeat itself to where Manning signs on the dotted line again just before camp? It wouldn’t be surprising if that happens.
If it doesn’t, then isn’t it nice knowing that Manning is not going to let it get in the way of him taking care of business?
The Linebackers Are Labeled the "Worst" in the NFL
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The Buzz
According to Around the NFL Writer Chris Wesseling of NFL.com, the Giant’s linebackers are the worst in the league.
In his rather weak analysis, Wesseling wrote:
"The linebackers have never been asked to do the heavy lifting on the defenses of the Tom Coughlin era. The disruption starts up-front with the defensive line instead.
This year's unit is heavily reliant upon middle linebacker Jon Beason, who simply can't stay healthy for 16 games. J.T. Thomas, a former special teamer in Jacksonville and Chicago, is penciled in on the weak side. Strong-side linebacker Devon Kennard, a fifth-round pick last year, showed intriguing pass-rushing potential once he hit the starting lineup in November.
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What It Means
If anything, the label, which is unfair and not fully supported by Wesseling who relies on injury history rather than statistical production, will serve as a motivation for the linebackers.
Jameel McClain, one of the more outgoing personalities of the group, told Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media that he’s taking the label of being part of the league’s worst linebacker unit as a challenge.
"I normally don't pay no attention to what people say, but to get an insult like that? It's perfect. If you're at the bottom you can only go up," he said.
Jon Beason, the leader of that unit, rolled his eyes when, during his press briefing with reporters, someone suggested that the Giants had upgraded the talent on the unit.
“Is that so? I could have sworn everyone said we were the worst in the league,” Beason said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I don’t read into what the media has to say,” he added. “No offense, but that is what someone told me. I said, ‘Really? I think we are pretty talented and we can be a very special group.’”
He’s not wrong. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has shown this spring that he is not afraid to have the linebackers blitz more and to work in tandem with the defensive linemen on various twists to fool the offense.
The linebackers also have more speed—Jonathan Casillas and Thomas have much better sideline-to-sideline range, and Thomas is far more instinctive out there than his predecessor on the weak side.
Where Wesseling is on track concerning the Giants linebackers is their health history. Beason has had trouble staying on the field every season since 2011, which is a concern for a defensive unit that needs him more this year than ever before.
Even Kennard, whom Wesseling praised, is starting to turn into a question mark. The talent is certainly there—Kennard was named the Giants’ “Secret Superstar” by Pro Football Focus.
However, in two years, Kennard has had some nagging injuries such as hamstrings, which cost him a few games last year as a rookie, and ankle ailments that cost him some practice time this spring.
So it’s not so much that the Giants don’t have talent at the position. They do. They just need to have better luck regarding the injuries at all of the positions, not just at linebacker.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes, observations and information were obtained firsthand. Follow me on Twitter.
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