Giants Begin Training Camp Close To Full Strength
The New York Giants began training camp Friday with something they haven’t had in recent years: something closely resembling a full roster.
Last year at this time, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul’s NFL future was in serious doubt as his hand was mangled in a Fourth of July fireworks accident, wide receiver Victor Cruz was recovering from a torn patellar tendon, and left tackle Will Beatty was sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle.
In 2014, rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. had a torn hamstring and starting middle linebacker Jon Beason was dealing with a broken foot.
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Today, training camp was moved inside due to the threat of inclement weather. The Giants were not in pads today. There were no 1-on-1, 7-on-7, or 11-on-11 drills but there were many positional drills.
One of the most noteworthy occurrences on Day 1 of training camp is Greg Millhouse, an undrafted defensive tackle from Campbell University, practicing with the first team. This move was made necessary because Damon Harrison and Jay Bromley were placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Another question the Giants will need to answer has to do with the linebacker positions. Other than Devon Kennard, Big Blue has no idea who will step in that important position. Rookie Darian Thompson, who has impressed throughout the spring, did work out with the first team.
On offense, Cruz (who missed most of 2014 and all of 2015) was not limited in his first practice. He worked in the slot with both the first and second teams. The Giants’ first practice in pads will not be until Tuesday, which means that Cruz still hasn’t taken a hit. But the Giants were optimistic enough to not place him on the PUP list.
So far, everything seems to be going the Giants’ way. It is only the first day of training camp but something is definitely different about this year. The fact that the Giants are opening training camp with an almost full roster speaks volumes. This is not lost on the players.
“It’s huge. We’ve had no distractions coming into this season,” said left guard Justin Pugh when players reported to training camp on Thursday. “If you look at our defense, we’ve signed some big name guys. Some guys that have played some high-quality football. So I’m excited to see our defense go out there and play and wreak some havoc on some offenses.”
No distractions. Sure, last week the media were losing their minds over the interview Beckham did in GQ. However, if we look at what is happening in the rest of the NFC East, Beckham’s jab at Josh Norman is quite innocuous.
The Dallas Cowboys are going to be fined $250,000 by the NFL because linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory are facing suspension.
The Philadelphia Eagles are dealing with their second arrest of the summer when linebacker Nigel Bradham was charged with aggravated assault.
The Washington Redskins are dealing with two prominent injuries: a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon to linebacker Junior Galette and an injured hand to general manager Scot McCloughan, who apparently got so frustrated when he received the Redskins’ injury report that he punched a wall.
The Giants, meanwhile, are sitting very pretty and anxious to end a four-year postseason drought.
“I liked the look in their eyes,” said head coach Ben McAdoo. “They were hungry to get going. They’re chomping at the bit to get going, just like I am, and it’s a good place to start because I’m ready to go.”
They are returning nine starters from an offense that averaged more than 26 points a game in 2015. They spent a king’s ransom on defensive players who will certainly help a defense that was ranked dead last a season ago.
There are 192 days until Super Bowl LI in Houston on Feb. 5. Championships are not won at the end of July. But, for the first time in what seems to be an eternity, the Giants are heading in the right direction while the rest of the division is regressing or stuck in neutral.
Even though this was just Day 1 of training camp, there is reason to be hopeful that Big Blue will back up its quarterback’s early summer guarantee of a playoff appearance.
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