NY Giants: 5 Surprises from the 1st Week of Training Camp

The New York Giants have had a jam-packed first week of training camp in which they have spent time getting a better look at players under more realistic (translation: padded practices) football conditions.

As is usually the case every year, there have been some surprises in camp—unexpected injuries, players who everyone thought might be key elements for the upcoming season and players who people had left for dead who actually have stepped up and opened a few eyes.

In this slideshow, we look at the third category: players who most people thought were either camp fodder or on their way out but who have otherwise stepped up in the first week of training camp.

While it’s too soon to say if these players will make the 53-man roster next month, these five players are definitely among those to keep an eye on as the Giants gear up to kick off their annual preseason schedule Friday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

CB Trevin Wade

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A couple of years ago, the Giants had a cornerback by the name of Trumaine McBride, a veteran journeyman who bounced around the NFL, come into their training camp as a long shot to make the 53-man roster.

McBride did just that, and not only did he show that he can play the game at a high level, he’s currently in line to be the team’s nickel cornerback.

This year, the Giants have another cornerback who flew in under the radar in camp but who, thanks to his alert play and ball-hawking skills, has started to garner some attention for himself.

That would be Trevin Wade, 5’10”, 190 pounds out of Arizona. Wade is a four-year veteran who began his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns in 2012 before jumping over to the New Orleans Saints in 2013.

Out of football last season (much like as was the case with McBride prior to his joining the Giants), Wade has been flashy on more than just a handful of occasions in training camp.

Working primarily with the second- and third-team defenses, Wade makes it a habit of being around the ball a lot, which puts him in a position to disrupt.

Wade already has at least one interception, that of a Ricky Stanzi pass, and he has broken up a few balls thanks to his ability to stay on the receiver’s hip.

Wade has deceptive speed yet is fluid when he turns to run, and he has shown a knack for tracking the ball while it’s in the air in order to time his jumps.

With the first three cornerback spots appearing to be set for the Giants—Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara will be the starters and McBride is the projected nickel back—Wade has definitely gotten his quest for a roster spot off on the right track.

CB Jayron Hosley

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In keeping with the “history is repeating itself” theme, flash back to 2007 when Steve Spagnuolo was in his first season as the Giants defensive coordinator.

That year, Spagnuolo encountered a dejected cornerback by the name of Corey Webster, the Giants’ second-round pick in the 2005 draft who was starting to look like a bust.

Spagnuolo’s scheme and his encouragement helped Webster, who had been beaten down under the previous system run by Tim Lewis, develop into a solid cornerback and a key cog in those 2007 and 2008 Giants defenses.

Fast forward to the present, where Spagnuolo is trying to work the same magic again with another high-round Giants draft pick.

This year it’s cornerback Jayron Hosley, the team’s third-round pick in 2012 who has done little on the field to date.

If Hosley wasn’t battling injuries, he was off serving a NFL-imposed suspension, as was the case last year after he completed an absolutely horrific preseason.

So far this summer, Hosley seems to be enjoying a rebirth of sorts in Spagnuolo’s system, thanks in part to new cornerbacks coach Tim Walton breaking Hosley down and then rebuilding his approach to the game.

“The thing about it is it starts with confidence and technique and the approach to the game, study habits, so we start from ground zero and go through the steps of getting to be a good player,” Walton said.

“We just go through each day to make sure we are having building blocks, and he is a very coachable kid, he is buying into it, he is working, improving each day, and I just try to give daily feedback on what I see. I try to be honest with him, and he is taking a good step so far.”

Walton admitted that Hosley lost his way last year, with his lack of confidence evident in his play. To rebuild that, Walton said, he has been showing Hosley some tough love.

“The first thing with that is starting to gain confidence back. It is about doing all the little things, alignment, communication, study habits, all the little things that prepare you so when you get on the field you are prepared for the things you are going to see, and he is doing all the little things to take that approach,” Walton said.

“I can see a change; I wasn’t here last year, but I can see a step forward on his approach.”

Apparently, Spagnuolo sees the change as well. Hosley—not McBride—was the next man up for the Giants when Amukamara was sidelined with a groin strain.

A year ago, Hosley, who was a healthy scratch for the last five games of last season, probably wouldn’t have been called upon to step in for a starter.

Thanks to the more cornerback-friendly system and the coaching he has received, Hosley, once thought to be a guaranteed roster cut, is actually making a strong case for himself.

OL Adam Gettis

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Offensive lineman Adam Gettis, who was with Washington for 13 games in 2013 before failing to latch onto a 53-man roster last year, has surprised a few people with his work on the offensive line.

The 6’2”, 305-pound Gettis moves well on pulls and has shown that he can latch onto his man and drive him off the line of scrimmage.

It’s that showing that no doubt made Gettis the coaches' first choice to step in on the first-team offensive line when injuries started piling on, necessitating the shifting of players.

That the coaches turned to Gettis and not Brandon Mosley, who has primarily worked at tackle, or Eric Herman—both of whom were with the team last year and presumably have a better grasp of the offensive playbook—could be foreshadowing what’s to come when the backup depth on the roster is filled out.

WR Geremy Davis

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Slowly but surely, the Giants are gaining a sense of clarity concerning their wide receiver group.

New York is projected to keep six receivers, with four players locked in for roster spots barring injury: Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle and Dwayne Harris.

Newcomer James Jones, who has looked right at home in this offense despite joining the party well after it started, appears to be closing in on the fifth spot, his veteran leadership an asset in the receivers room.

That would leave one more projected spot up for grabs, with the leading candidates being second-year player and fan favorite Corey Washington and rookie draft pick Geremy Davis.

Whether fans want to hear this or not, each player’s performance on special teams is what’s going to determine who stays and who goes. With that in mind, it would not be surprising if the coaches have Davis ahead of Washington.

While Washington’s attitude and work ethic have improved to where he is drawing praise from the coaching staff, Davis has quietly gone about his business and is exuding confidence right now.

The 6’2”, 217-pound Davis is not afraid to use his big body to get physical with opponents, whether it’s playing receiver or working on special teams.

As a receiver, he is primarily worked on the outside and has not been afraid to fight for the ball or use his big body to shield the ball from a defender.

He has also caught practically everything thrown his way, including a few jump balls that he grabbed at the highest point.

“I think he’s come a long way,” Giants wide receivers coach Sean Ryan said of Davis.

“The thing I really like about him is he’s really serious about his business, and he’s been that way since he got here. He’s a notetaker, he pays attention to everything, he’s detailed, and he is as good a worker as you can ask for in a rookie with a maturity level that is outstanding.”

On special teams, Davis has been hard not to notice. He has worked as a gunner and has gone against bigger players, holding his own in the process.

In one drill, he went against tight end Daniel Fells, who has close to 40 pounds on Davis, and yet the rookie out of UConn stayed with Fells and gave him a run for his money in blocking drills.

“It’s all about giving my best and having faith in what I do,” Davis said. “[Fells] is a big guy, but you never know; in a game, I might have to go against someone bigger. You have to be ready to go up against a variety of different players and see how you match up against those guys.”

If he keeps winning his matchups, he’s going to be hard to overlook for a roster spot.

S Bennett Jackson

Uncredited/Associated Press

One of the biggest surprises of training camp has been the rapid development of safety Bennett Jackson, who has earned himself some snaps with the fist-team defense.

Why has this been a surprise? First, Jackson missed most of his rookie season last year thanks to a knee injury. Second, he is in the midst of making a position switch from cornerback, which he played at Notre Dame.

Third, he also has special teams on his plate—he’s been getting looks as the punt team’s fullback and has often been one of the first people down the field in coverage, even beating long snapper Zak DeOssie to the punch.

The impressive thing is that Jackson, the Giants’ 2014 sixth-round pick, has been holding his own against the starting offense after earning the promotion not because of injury but because of his hard work.

It hasn’t always been pretty for Jackson, who is still learning how to take proper angles to the ball, but his progress has certainly been a bright spot this summer, according to safeties coach David Merritt.

“When that kid sees the ball, he goes and gets the ball,” Merritt told reporters last week. “This kid’s ability to put his toe in the ground and go and burst out of his break, you guys see it out here, he’s able to make plays.

“This kid is able to get his hands on a couple of balls and passes already here—by far, more than any other safety I’ve had in camp so far. … Bennett Jackson is one of those guys who’s a self-starter, and he’s able to go out there and perform and do the things that we’re asking him to do.”

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.

Follow @Patricia_Traina.