7 Things We've Learned About the New York Giants This Spring

The New York Giants wrap up their offseason program this week, the first under new head coach Ben McAdoo, and oh, what a revealing offseason it has been.

Although access to the practices has been minimal—reporters were allowed in for one day each of the voluntary and rookie minicamps, three of the 10 OTAs and all three of the mandatory minicamp days—there was a lot to learn about how McAdoo plans to run his program.

There was also a lot to like. Whereas change can sometimes be scary for people to accept, the players seem to have embraced McAdoo’s way with an energy level that has been missing for a few years now.

“There’s a lot of energy it the building right now,” said linebacker Jasper Brinkley on the Big Blue Chat podcast last month.

“I can honestly say that waking up in the morning, I’m very excited to walk into the facility. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m excited.”

He’s correct in saying that it’s too soon to determine what might happen, but so far, there is a lot to like about the direction this recently beleaguered Giants franchise is heading this year.

Let’s touch upon a few of the most notable changes and observations that jumped out during the spring.

Bye-Bye, Bands

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Among the Giants media, tweeting out “Bands!” at the end of each practice was a simple code word to announce that practice had ended.

The bands, of course, referred to the thick, black, rubber resistance bands that the strength and conditioning staff used to pass out to players so they could get a post-practice stretch in.

Under McAdoo, or perhaps more accurately new strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman, the bands have officially been retired.

Now when practices end, the code phrase is “huddle up!” which, as the term suggests, means the players gather around McAdoo for a few final words before dashing inside to the showers.

I joke a bit about the bands, but the retiring of the device is one of several tweaks Wellman has instituted in his quest to curtail the rash of muscle strains, hamstring pulls and other issues that seemed to gnaw away at the personnel on any given day.

Thus far, the approach has worked.

Save for a small handful of guys who have had football-related injuries such as broken bones or torn ligaments, no player, to my knowledge at any rate, has had to miss any practice time because of a muscle pull.

The Rookies Have a Better Chance of Making an Immediate Impact

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

While most old-time NFL head coaches seem to prefer the experience that a veteran player brings to the table, McAdoo isn’t so quick to put inexperienced players automatically at the bottom of the team’s depth chart.

“You used to believe that way,” he said last month following the team’s first OTA. “The offseason got a lot shorter, and I think you need to be aggressive with young players and put them out there and see what they can do and see how they handle being in a pressure situation and see if they’ll respond.”

The philosophy makes sense if you think about it because of the time restrictions the current CBA places on practice rules. Also, unlike the golden years of Bill Parcells, the arrival of free agency has pretty much put the onus on coaching staffs to get young players coached up as quickly as possible so that teams can decide what they have.

“I think you may have to push some guys into some situations that are uncomfortable and find out who’s comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Good philosophy indeed.

Focus on the Fundamentals

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

Credit McAdoo and his staff for coming up with ways to teach fundamental football skills without risking the ire of the NFLPA.

That’s right, the current CBA prohibits contact drills during the spring, which makes it hard for teams to teach skills such as blocking and tackling, both of which are best taught in a live environment.

The new coaching staff has come up with ways to teach those skills while at the same time adhering to player safety. On defense for example, the players use a gigantic foam ring in which they are instructed to dive into the center of the ring, shoulder first, which is the preferred tackling form. 

To make things even more interesting, McAdoo has named some of the fundamental drill work after Giants legends. The LT, named for Lawrence Taylor, stresses tackling; the Snee, named for offensive lineman Chris Snee, focuses on blocking; and the Duke, named after the late Wellington Mara, stresses ball security.

It doesn’t get any bigger than those three, just like the focus McAdoo constantly puts on these simple, yet essential, fundamentals of football.

It Appears to Be a Two-Man Race for the Starting Free Safety Job

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Now that the Giants have all their young safety talent back from last year’s lost year, the competition to find a complement to Landon Collins seems to have boiled down to third-year veteran Nat Berhe and Darian Thompson, drafted in the third round this year.

Both players have received reps with the starting defense, and have drawn praise from McAdoo.

“Nat has looked good. He’s moving around fine. He’s playing high, he’s playing low and he seems to have a good grasp of things,” McAdoo said.

“I think, like the rest of the guys, it’s his second year in the system, and I think it’s coming a little bit easier for him.”

McAdoo was a bit more effusive in his praise of Thompson.

“DT is a guy who looks like he is comfortable in his skin,” McAdoo said. “He can communicate well, and we know he has good balls skills. That showed up in his stat line and on his film study, and he is making the most of his opportunities.”

RB Andre Williams Looks Like a New Man

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Every year, there seem to be one player who, if fans have their way, would be given a one-way ticket out of town.

Last year, it was defensive tackle Markus Kuhn, who ultimately did move on after four subpar seasons with the team.

In second place, running back Andre Williams is still around; what’s more, McAdoo is among the biggest supporters in the thus-far disappointing 2014 fourth-round pick’s corner.

“Andre just needs some reps,” McAdoo said. “He looks good right now. He’s moving around well. He’s fluid. He’s working a lot on catching the ball and doing a nice job for us there.”

After a so-so rookie season in which he averaged 3.3 yards per carry but also posted two 100-yard rushing performances, Williams seemed to get swallowed up whole by the ridiculous four-man rotation the coaching staff stubbornly stuck with for 10 weeks last season.

Further adding to fans’ frustration with the former Boston College star was the fact that Williams couldn’t catch passes out of the backfield, nor did he participate on all the special teams, prompting many to wonder if he had a place on the roster moving forward.

To his credit, Williams has worked hard on improving his game. He dropped about 10 pounds and looks a lot sleeker in hitting holes that in the past he was perhaps a step or two too late in reaching.

Despite the vast number of running backs in camp—Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey and Paul Perkins make up the main names in the group—McAdoo has said that Williams isn’t about to get lost in the shuffle this time.

“We’re spreading the reps around. It’s early. It is June, but we’ll see more from Andre when training camp rolls around and we get the pads on.”

WR Sterling Shepard Looks Like the Real Deal

William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

In what was a curious collection of draft picks for the Giants this year, receiver Sterling Shepard has clearly stood out head and shoulders above the rest.

A sure-handed receiver who has come as advertised in terms of his toughness and his pass-receiving abilities, Shepard’s presence is a big reason why the Giants have been able to afford Victor Cruz all the time in the world to return from back-to-back surgeries on his legs.

Shepard has primarily worked from the slot, where he’s at times made first-round pick Eli Apple look silly. While not really getting much work outside, when given that assignment, the fearless Shepard has looked like a season veteran out there.

As Shepard continues to develop at this level, it would not be a surprise at all if he siphons off snaps away from Cruz when the latter eventually gets the green light to return to the field full time.

The Starting Offensive Line Will Remain as Is...for Now

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The Giants were unable to find an offensive lineman in free agency or in the draft. What’s more, two of their back-end signings, Byron Stingily and Ryan Seymour, have both missed spring practices with assorted injuries, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media. 

That’s not good news for a team that is paper-thin at offensive tackle.

Although both Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh have verbally supported John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse, the incumbents on the right side of the line, the fact remains that this team has to do something about the depth at offensive tackle lest they end up caught in an unfavorable position if injuries should strike.

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.

Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.