Mini-Camp Day 1 Reports

[Mr. P]

June 16, 2009

Spring sensation: Another big day for Moss

 

Another day of practice, another day to marvel at Sinorice Moss.

 

It should be clear by now to everyone that Moss, the 5-foot-8 former second-round pick (2006), has been the breakout star of the spring for the Giants. He was outstanding during the three organized team activity (OTA) practices that were open to the media, and his teammates raved about his performances in the OTAs that were closed.

 

And today, on the first day of the Giants’ three-day mandatory mini-camp, the 25-year-old was the star again.

 

“It’s very exciting,” Moss said after practice. “I had some minor setbacks my first year. I got injured. Things happen. I still had a positive attitude, and still to this day have a positive attitude every time I step in this locker room, to go out there and show these coaches why I’m here on this team.”

 

The biggest reason Moss is still here is that he’s got blazing speed, but that was counteracted during his first three season by injuries and inconsistent performances in practice. Now he seems healthy, the consistency is there, and he’s comfortable enough that his speed is finally on display.

 

He had several such moments this morning. Early in team drills he blew right by cornerback Terrell Thomas to make an over-the-shoulder catch 40 yards down field. The ball, thrown by Eli Manning, wasn’t perfect either. Moss had to turn a little awkwardly to the wrong side, but he still made the catch in stride.

 

He made a better catch in the 7-on-7 drills when he blew by cornerback Rashad Barksdale, but had to slow down because Manning’s pass was a little underthrown. That allowed Barksdale to catch up and nearly intercept it. The ball went through Barksdale’s hands, and Moss still made the catch.

 

Add in the fact that he’s taking punt returns, running reverses, and generally doing way more than he used to do and he’s giving everybody in the Giants organization reason to hope he’s finally ready to fulfill his promise.

 

“I feel like I can do so many things with the ball in my hands,” Moss said. “It’s just about me getting the opportunity to show that.

 

Morning practice highlights

 

Moss wasn’t the only receiver who had a good first practice or who had a chance to flash his speed. Here’s a few other highlights from the first practice at camp, held this morning inside the Giants’ new field house:

 

• WR Mario Manningham made a tricky over-the-shoulder catch with Terrell Thomas in close coverage. What made it tricky was that safety C.C. Brown was closing fast and had a chance to break it up. Manningham surely heard the footsteps, but still made the catch.

 

• CB Kevin Dockery, in for the injured Corey Webster, made a leaping, one-handed break-up of a deep pass from Manning to Domenik Hixon in 7-on-7 drills. He was beaten on the play, so it was a nice recovery.

 

• Bad play all around in 7-on-7s when QB Andre’ Woodson fired a too-hard pass to Hixon, who had the ball bounce straight off his hands. Thomas had a chance for the interception on the rebound but couldn’t quite hang on.

 

• Woodson was up-and-down, but I’m starting to think Jerry Reese was telling the truth when he warned everyone not to write him off just because they drafted QB Rhett Bomar in the fifth round. Bomar has a very funky delivery that’s sort of a three-quarters, sidearm motion with very little windup. It’s quick. It almost looks like he’s flicking it to receivers. Somehow the ball gets there, though it’s not always on the mark. I don’t know if that’s going to work when the pass rush is live.

 

• How about Manning, the franchise, getting out in front of Moss on a reverse and stepping in the way of LB Michael Boley. I can’t imagine he’ll be asked to do that very often when the hitting starts.

 

• Safety C.C. Brown impressed me with his closing speed, not only on the Manningham play detailed above, but on another play when TE Kevin Boss made a catch on a 10-yard slant. If contact was allowed, Boss would’ve taken a big shot from Brown just as he made the catch.

 

• Rookie WR Hakeem Nicks continues to catch everything near him. He made an outstanding catch where he had to reach up and back to grab a David Carr pass that appeared to be deflected at the line of scrimmage. And later he made a finger-tip grab in traffic, over-the-middle on a too-high pass from Andre’ Woodson. When the ball hits his hands it always seems like it’s such a soft landing, and he’s very smooth, rarely missing a stride.

 

Day 1 Injury Report

 

The Giants had 10 players on the sidelines for Day 1. Tom Coughlin wasn’t exactly forthcoming with injury information, so some of these are based on injuries these players previously had. If we get updates, I’ll let you know. For what it’s worth, Coughlin said none of them are particularly serious:

 

CB Corey Webster (shoulder), DT Fred Robbins (knee), DT Barry Cofield (knee), OT William Beatty (hamstring), DT Rocky Bernard (shoulder), WR Taye Biddle (finger), TE Travis Beckum (hamstring), and TE Lee Vickers (unknown) did not practice. LB Clint Sintim (hamstring) was limited. WR David Tyree (hamstring) started to practice, but left after a few plays.

 

Dodgeball!

 

Quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer is famous for his inventive quarterbacks drill, and he had a new one going today that I loved. It was basically a game of dodgeball.

 

One quarterback stood over by the wall and began bouncing like he was in the pocket searching for a receiver. The other three stood about 10 yards away holding big green exercise balls. After a few seconds they’d all start faking like they were going to throw the ball, until one of them actually did.

 

The QB by the wall, of course, had to keep his eye on all of them, try to decipher who was faking, and who was actually going to throw at him, and them make the appropriate move to get out of the way.

 

Seems like a great and fun way to work on reaction time, quick decision making and focus. Either that or it’s just a great way to relieve tension and get the quarterbacks’ frustrations out.

 

 

Source: NY Daily News

[Mr. P]

 

Wide receiver Sinorice Moss opens New York Giants minicamp with strong performance

by Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

Tuesday June 16, 2009, 1:45 PM

Chris Faytok/The Star-LedgerGiants wide receiver Sinorice Moss stood out during the first day of minicamp, making numerous catches and demonstrating the energy and enthusiasm that pervaded the session.

 

You could tell from the jump there was an emphasis on being up-tempo and energetic Tuesday morning, as this practice was much more boisterous than any of the OTAs. The players were lively and vocal while the coaches were constantly encouraging. It's tough to maintain that level of energy for almost two hours, so naturally it kind of faded as the session went on, but they were into this practice.

 

INJURIES

CB Corey Webster (shoulder), DTs Fred Robbins (knee), Barry Cofield (knee) and Rocky Bernard (shoulder), WR Taye Biddle (finger), OT William Beatty (hamstring), TEs Travis Beckum (hamstring), and Lee Vickers (N/A) did not practice. WR David Tyree came out early with what Tom Coughlin said was a groin issue. LB Clint Sintim (hamstring) didn't do much.

 

THE STARTERS

Big practice from the little guy: WR Sinorice Moss. After catching an early deep ball, Moss was fired up -- as he should have been. Moss ran a gorgeous post route past CB Terrell Thomas and caught a perfect pass from QB David Carr. "Let's go, baby!" Moss yelled as he jogged into the end zone. And go he did once again when he beat CB Rashad Barksdale on a deep go from QB Eli Manning. Wait, he's not done: he caught a very good back-shoulder pass from Carr and fought off CB Kevin Dockery while leaping. Not an easy thing to do given his smaller build.

 

TE Kevin Boss caught a flag from Manning, who probably didn't protect his receiver as much as he could have. That's because S C.C. Brown was right there and would have laid a big hit on Boss if the hitting was live. Considering Boss is so much taller, that hit might have been right on the chin. That would have been ugly.

 

Dockery (whom I'm labeling a starter because he's the nickel corner) had a few rough moments, including early on when WR Steve Smith broke him off on a comeback. Smith planted and broke toward the sideline, creating about 10 yards of space between himself and Dockery. Later, Smith did the same to CB Aaron Ross, who clapped his hands in disgust after giving up the pass.

 

Dockery also gave up a fade from QB Andre' Woodson to WR Ramses Barden, who held his ground and had good body position to fight off Dockery. Woodson chucked up another fade for Barden a few minutes later, but Barksdale got a hand on it to knock it away.

 

But Dockery had a few good moments, too, like when he came off WR Domenik Hixon, who was running a fade near the sideline, and then backtracked to get close enough to the ball to knock it away while jumping and leaning back. Yet another play a guy his size doesn't seem capable of making, but he makes it. Dockery also had a nice stop on a quick throw to Hixon.

 

THE BACKUPS

Carr was awesome this morning. One of his best balls was a deep flag for WR Mario Manningham over CB Terrell Thomas. Brown was coming over the top, but Manningham's route and Carr's pass made it impossible for Brown to get there.

 

One play later, Carr was blocking LB Gerris Wilkinson on an end around. Not to be outdone, Manning later laid a block on LB Michael Boley on an end around by Moss. Very impressive work by both of those guys. In a game, with pads and no red jerseys, would things have ended differently? Maybe, but give the QBs credit for minicamp pancakes.

 

WR Derek Hagan has had a few decent moments this spring. Tuesday he really broke off CB DeAndre Wright on a hook. Good plant and comeback.

 

THE YOUNG GUYS

Wait til camp and the preseason, when you see how fast the ball comes out of QB Rhett Bomar's hand. He flicks the ball and it's out. It's quite something. He did it again Tuesday on a great ball over the middle for an incompletion. Yes, I said incompletion because TE Darcy Johnson dropped it. But that's not the point. The point is Bomar got it out and up the seam so quickly that the LBs didn't have a chance to get their hand up. I'm really impressed with Bomar so far. (Johnson also had a hold later on a run to the outside. I would have thrown the flag on that one.)

 

One other bad drop Tuesday: Hixon on a quick hook. Thomas had a shot at an INT on the deflection but couldn't get there. Rare drop from Hixon, who has reliable hands.

 

I've been getting a lot of requests for LB Jonathan Goff tidbits. Well, I have a highlight for you Tuesday: a nice pass defensed underneath a crossing route by Hixon. Goff was shallow in zone coverage and did a good job to get deep and make a play.

 

Your WR Hakeem Nicks moments of the day: good job of staying with a tipped ball and making the catch on a screen pass, really good job of reaching high and behind him on a crossing pattern in front of Wright.

 

Woodson had Manningham open deep but just barely overshot him. Manningham had gotten behind Barksdale.

 

Very impressive cut by RB Allen Patrick on one play. He saw DT Leger Douzable fall, which opened a cutback lane, and he didn't hesitate to hit it.

 

And the 1-on-1 open-field juke drill at the end of practice is always entertaining. Here's what went down:

 

WR Shaun Bodiford (5-11, 186) easily shimmied around DE Alex Field (6-7, 270). But come on, that's not fair.

 

Moss capped his excellent morning by juking DE Robert Henderson. Another unfair matchup, but what can you do?

 

Manningham vs. LB Bryan Kehl was a little more evenly matched. At least it seemed that way until Manningham planted and made Kehl look absolutely silly. Manningham's teammates whooped and hollered on that one.

 

Those same teammates booed Wright (stopped by Patrick) and Hagan (stopped by Barden and S Travonti Johnson) for their lack of moves.

 

Finally, I should note that today's practice was inside the field house. Tomorrow, it'll be known as the (something) field house. The Giants will announce the corportate sponsor for the new practice facility at a noon press conference.

 

Be back this afternoon.

 

MG

 

Source: The Star-Ledger

[boohyah]

Prove us wrong Sinorice, prove us wrong, but do it in the regular season, not just now.

[Mr. P]

June 16: Mini Camp Practice Report (AM)

 

Here is your morning practice report – the workout was held indoors since the grass field was still too wet to work on.

 

* For starters, the team had perfect attendance – a sharp contrast to years past when guys held out for one reason or another. Really the only guys not working were those advised by the medical staff to sit by and watch. They included DTs Fred Robbins (knee), Barry Cofield (knee), and DT Rocky Bernard (shoulder); CB Corey Webster (shoulder); TE Lee Vickers (unknown); and WR Taye Biddle (unknown).

 

* David Tyree (groin) started out doing the individual drills, but then his troublesome groin, which apparently flared up, forced him to the sideline again where he was a spectator during the offense-defense drills. Also, DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) didn’t participate in the morning workout, while rookies TE Travis Beckum (unknown) and OT Will Beatty (leg) were limited.

 

* Eli Manning connected with Michael Matthews, who lined up at H-back, on a short pass over the middle.

 

* Good job by Kevin Dockery on a pass from manning to Steve Smith pass. Dockery, who will slug it out with Terrell Tomas for the nickel back role this summer, continues to show aggressiveness out there. .

 

* Ahmad Bradshaw ran a quick slant and burst through the hole before the defense had a chance to react.

 

* David Carr, who looked especially sharp in the morning drills, connected wit Sinorice Moss on a deep fly. Moss easily beat Terrell Thomas and did a nice job of adjusting his route to make the over-the-shoulder catch.

 

* There were no botched snap this morning from any of the centers. Looks like all the extra work Adam Koets put in during the OTAs is starting to pay dividends.

 

* Carr threw a deep ball to Mario Manningham, who made like Amani Toomer in walking the tightrope and staying in bounds along the sidelines.

 

* Derek Hagan took the on an end-around, benefiting from a great “block” thrown by Carr, who sealed off the edge and sprung Hagan to daylight.

 

* OL Cliff Louis, lining up at right tackle, jumped early on a play in which the offensive lien slanted to their left. Louis took such a bad angle as far as his pad level went that when he went to “block” his man, he ended up falling flat on his face.

 

* In seven-on-seven drills, Kevin Dockery batted away a Manning pass intended for Domenik Hixon.

 

* Kevin Boss caught a pass despite having Antonio Pierce in pursuit.

 

* Sinorice Moss continued to shine, beating Rashad Barksdale by a good three steps on a post pattern.

 

* Barksdale tried to make up for the previous play by trying to break up a pass from Carr to Hakeem Nicks. No dice though.

 

* Carr then connected with Ramses Barden, who beat Bryan Kehl in coverage.

 

 

* Oops! Micah Rucker didn’t do a good job of securing the ball and had it stripped by Michael Johnson, with the defense – we couldn’t see how, recovering it.

 

* Terrell Thomas nearly picked off a pass intended for Domenik Hixon. The ball, which was thrown high, just skimmed Hixon’s fingertips.

 

* TE Darcy Johnson ended up dropping a pass that was in his hands. Not a good way to impress the coaches when you’re fighting for a roster spot.

 

* Derek Hagan dashed past DeAndre Wright, who got turned around every which way and looked totally confused in coverage.

 

The Giants ran some punt return drills. Their four returners were Hixon, Manningham, Moss, and Bradshaw.

 

* Back to 11-on-11s: Sinorice Moss did a masterful job selling an end-around, faking out the majority of the defense.

 

* CC Brown looked to be a step too late in covering Kevin Boss on a play action pass over the middle from Manning.

 

* Manning was lucky that he wasn’t picked off as on a pass attempt to Hixon, who as double covered by Jonathan Goff and Terrell Thomas, the ball was simply batted away.

 

* Guy Whimper seemed to take most of his snaps at right tackle with the two’s with Kevin Boothe lining up at left tackle.

 

* Andre Woodson overshot Manningham by a mile. He followed that up with another bad pass, this one to Hakeem Nicks, who made a fingertip catch of the off-target pass.

 

The Giants closed practice with red zone/goal line work. It was initially hard to see all the plays since there was along line of bodies blocking the view, but here’s what I did catch….

 

* Manning rolled out and hit Kevin Boss in the corner of the end zone, a play they ran a lot last year. Dockery was the defender and just missed getting a hand on it.

 

* Boss also had another nice play in the red zone in which he took a pass from Manning over the middle and somehow came up with the reception despite having Gerris Wilkinson diving across in an attempt to swat the ball away.

 

* DE Robert Henderson showed good quickness off the snap in getting to David Carr for the “sack.”

 

The team concluded practice by playing “catch the chicken” – where a return man must elude two charging defenders to get to a specified yard line. Practice then wrapped up about 30 minutes early.

 

Some quick housekeeping notes. I’ll have the afternoon practice report for you early this evening. Also, our subscribers should look for a longer, more detailed report (with some analysis) this evening.

 

Tonight I’m also going to have an in-depth feature article on Giants DE Mathias Kiwanuka. It’s actually an interview I did earlier in the year hat I never wrote up until now, but I will say that Kiwi was very forthcoming with sharing his thoughts and to hear about how this master of adversity overcame so much early in his career is truly inspiring.

 

One other quick note. The Giants will be making a major partnership announcement on Wednesday. It’s believed that the announcement is to reveal the name of the company that secured the naming rights to the team’s practice facility.

 

http://trainathought.insidefootball.com/20...-report-am.html

[Bigblue25]

Wasn't this the same song and dance during last years camp.

[Mr. P]

i remember praise but not this much praise

[Sephiroth]

[Gspotter]

happy to be wrong about Moss. If this were to continue into pads and training camp, I'd be very excited...this is a speed league after all!

[Treehugger]

Glad you know what one looks like. Keep it handy, sucka.

 

[Mr. P]

Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin

 

 

 

JUNE 16, 2009

 

Q: Are you going outside this afternoon?

 

A: We would like to try but we are going to go over and see. Historically the field over there doesn’t drain real well. So this morning it was very wet. We will try it this afternoon and see. I will take a ride over there.

 

Q: By my count you had perfect attendance. That has to please you.

 

A: What did you expect for a mandatory mini camp? I expected everybody. They have all been here pretty much the entire time. The OTAs were very, very well attended. So we are just looking to get better. That is all we are trying to do.

 

Q: How would you assess the mood of this club right now? You have this mini camp and then you have a long layoff before training camp opens. What is the sense of the mentality of this club when they get together?

 

A: I think they are enthusiastic. We have had our series of OTAs – guys have done a good job with that. They have competed like they always do but I think there is a sense of we want to be better, we are not happy with the way it ended last year. And I think guys have accepted their goals and the priorities both individually as a group and as a team. We have some new people here that have to be integrated into it. It is obvious we are doing a lot with the ball in the air. We have some young receivers and we have some guys that we are counting on that need to get a lot of reps. So we are doing a lot of that. But right now we are trying to put the finishing touches on a good offseason program and then we will do a good job of letting everybody know what is expected over the next few weeks. The enthusiasm will be very high for us coming back.

 

Q: What have you seen in terms of the progress of those young receivers as you now wind this thing down?

 

A: If you are talking about the two rookies – they will have a good day, they will have a not so good day. I think the one thing that has happened is they have consistently caught the ball, which is obviously a very good sign. Some of the other young guys who have had their opportunity – Manningham has continuously caught our eye. Sinorice Moss has done a nice job. So people have taken full advantage of the opportunity.

 

Q: Sinorice has gotten behind the defense a couple of times. He was more of a possession guy in previous years.

 

A: That was never – one of the reasons he was here was because he could run. And that was a very, very important part of his makeup – his quickness and his speed and that type of thing. He has gotten behind the secondary a few times this spring. And he has obviously created some excitement on our part in watching him do that.

 

Q: Does his speed make up for some of the things that maybe he can’t do because of his height?

 

A: I don’t know what he can’t do. We would like to see the full gamut of what he can do and then for Sinorice to just keep getting better. He has accepted that challenge and he has a great attitude about it. His confidence has to be buoyed by what he has done this spring.

 

Q: Is it a little nicer talking about the guys that are participating as opposed to last year when there were distractions and guys were holding out or other issues?

 

A: It is a lot better subject, yeah; more interesting.

 

Q: Is this as good a dynamic as you have felt on your team at this point.

 

A: As I say, the guys are enthusiastic, they have been that way. We have a new building, a new facility. We are excited about that. That has certainly not worn off -- the magnificent nature of our facility. So there is a good feeling, yeah. We obviously have a long way to go.

 

Q: A year ago at this time you had just gotten your rings and you were telling the team to forget about last year. How different is the message this year?

 

A: Very different; very different. We are coming off a huge disappointment, quite frankly, on the part of everybody. There is no presumption here. It is hard work and it is the ability to get things done on the field when the opportunity is there. And I think that where the attitude is right now is that we know have a lot of work to do and we know we can be a good football team and we know that there are consistency factors and ability factors and having the opportunity to get into a situation where we can do something about that bad taste we have in our mouth from last year. I think that is exactly where it is.

 

Q: You have a few guys on the sidelines – Bernard, Webster, Beatty are there.

 

A: There are all little things that are just nagging enough to keep them out. So hopefully we will have that cleared up when we come back.

 

Q: It seems like over the last six months we talked Plax every day. Does it ever go through your mind, “If we had this guy, we could have two rings.”

 

A: That train pulled out of the station. I’m not thinking about that stuff. I’m thinking about this group of guys that is here right now.

 

Q: Tyree tried to go and then –

 

A: Yeah, he has had a little groin strain that has been bothering him. And he looked like he made it well into the individual and then all of a sudden he obviously had some discomfort. So rather than do something foolish right now he went to the trainer and the trainer decided to hold him.

 

Q: Could you talk about your young safeties and what you have seen from them so far?

 

A: They have worked hard. Phillips has made a lot of plays. If you have been around and seen some of the OTAs, he has had a nice spring, covered a lot of ground in so doing and showed the range that we really felt he had in coverage. And Michael Johnson is very consistent.

 

Q: We talked about that range last year. Do you see better awareness, better positioning?

 

A: I see better recognition. I see him getting a jump on the ball; believing in what he sees and letting his ability take him to literally where the ball is.

 

Q: Does that excite you because you know what he can do physically?

 

A: he is bigger and stronger, too. We are excited; looking forward to it.

 

http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=37709

[Mr. P]

Transcript: QB Eli Manning

 

 

 

JUNE 16, 2009

 

Q. Nice to get more work in with these guys? Are you starting to feel more comfortable each day?

 

A. Every day is better, getting some of these young guys in the mix, getting them to learn the offense. It is good seeing their speed, seeing how well they come out of breaks, and getting everybody on the same page. The more you get out there and practice, run the plays, the better and more comfortable everybody gets.

 

Q. How difficult is the transition with the rookies you have and some of the second, third year guys?

 

A. No, it’s not a hard transition. A lot of these guys know it. The guys who I am working with, for the most part, are guys who have been here for three or four years and know what is going on. The receivers are doing a great job and getting open. We have a lot of speed at receiver right now. When you have speed and guys can win one on one battles, it takes a lot of the reads out of stuff. You say ‘Hey, run faster than the cornerback and I’ll throw it out there.’ Things are going well, guys are doing a good job, and for the most part, we are not having many mental mistakes. We are going out there and trying to execute and hit the guys who are open.

 

Q. Last year there were a lot of questions about guys who weren’t participating, contract disputes, distractions, what not. Is it nice to talk about the guys who are actually here.

 

A. We always try to talk about the guys who are practicing, getting out there, and working hard. It has been good. It has been a good offseason. Guys have, for the most part, stayed healthy and are getting work in. It shows now, coming into the mini-camp and all our OTAs, the guys have a good idea of what is going on. We aren’t having as many mental mistakes.

 

Q. Is it nice to turn the page and not have those distractions?

 

A. There is always going to be distractions that come up during the season. We have to worry about playing good football. The guys who are here and going out there and practicing hard are taking care of business on the field.

 

Q. Coach spoke about the difference in approach from last year to this year. How much different is it this year?

 

A. I think you have to approach it the same way. It is about getting better. Last year we knew we had to get better at some points, we did a good job for most of the season, but we didn’t end the way we wanted. This year, we still have areas we want to improve on. That’s why we are working and doing what we are doing. We have to go out there and continue to fight hard.

 

Q. You guys were out there this morning airing it out, what is that all about?

 

A. That is something that we have had an emphasis on, trying to hit some big plays. We have done a good job. Now, we have a lot of speed guys at receiver, guys who can get down the field. We like those matchups. If we get single high coverage, the way we run the ball, we get a lot of man coverage; we have to try to get the ball down the field. In the past we have tried it, but we haven’t had great success doing it. Hopefully this year we have a better shot of hitting some deep ones.

 

Q. How does this team make everybody forget about Plaxico Burress?

 

A. I think we just go about our business. We aren’t talking about him around the locker room. We are going out there, we’re practicing, we’re doing our deal. We can’t worry about last year or what is going on. We have to be concerned with the guys who are here. I think we have done that. We are concerned with how we are going to get better. What can these guys do, what their strengths are. Every year your offense is going to change a little bit based on who is out there.

 

http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=37710

[Mr. P]

Transcript: DE Osi Umenyiora

 

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JUNE 16, 2009

 

Q. What is your mindset now?

 

A. Aggressive. It feels good to be out there with the rest of the guys. I have been out there for a couple of weeks, so everything feels good. It feels like I am ready to go.

 

Q. What is your assessment of where the defense is right now with the new guys you brought in and what you are capable of doing?

 

A. We look good. All of those guys look good. I know we are only in shorts and shirts right now. For the most part everybody looks athletic, physical, everybody looks good. I think we are going to be a pretty good defense.

 

Q. Coach Coughlin was just talking to us, and he felt like there is some unfinished business from last year, a bitter taste. How is your feeling regarding that?

 

A. Obviously, I think we were one of the better teams in the NFL last year throughout the season. I think we didn’t finish. I think we should have won the Super Bowl, but we didn’t quite get that done. This year that is exactly what we are trying to accomplish. Every team is trying to accomplish that, and if you don’t accomplish that, then it’s not a good season.

 

http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=37712

 

Transcript: RB Brandon Jacobs

 

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JUNE 16, 2009

 

Q. How are you feeling?

 

A. I am feeling pretty good. I feel loose. I feel very healthy right now, which is good. I am ready to get this thing rolling.

 

Q. How do you feel about this team?

 

A. Our football team is taking one step at a time. I think we are doing it the right way. Guys are getting better, day by day, which is how it’s supposed to be. I’m very excited about our football team and I want to see what we can do.

 

Q. We were talking to Tom Coughlin and he said ‘the team has a bad taste in its mouth.’ What is your assessment of where that stands?

 

A. Oh, definitely, we have a very bitter, bad, disgusting taste. It hurts more than anything. We know how good we were last year and the opportunity we had in front of us. We did not take advantage of it the way we were supposed to. We have another crack at it and I think we are going to have the same kind of season. I think we are going to go a little bit further.

 

Q. A lot of the talk will be: can this team succeed without Plaxico Burress on the field? How does this team make people forget about Burress and move on?

 

A. You go out and win games. It is hard to forget about a player like that. With him, we had an identity from week one to week eleven when he went out. It is hard to bounce back, to find a new identity in the National Football League. Other teams get paid, too. It is not as easy as it was starting something new, that late in the season. Now we are starting on a fresh foot, and hopefully towards that time in the season we will still have all of our eggs in a basket.

 

Q. Are you happy to see them throwing the ball down the field and getting that safety off the line of scrimmage?

 

A. No question. If we get that safety out of the box, we can make a lot of noise in the running game. We can isolate some of our wide outs one on one.

 

Q. How different is the approach this season compared to last season?

A. After the way last year ended, because we know we were supposed to be the defending champs again, we are very eager to get back out there and get another crack at it. We have Osi (Umenyiora) back; that is like another first round draft pick. He is going to come out there, screaming off the edge. That is what we needed last year. The sack production was down. Our defense did a great job last year, don’t get me wrong. You always

 

http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=37711

[Mr. P]

Transcript: WR Sinorice Moss

 

 

 

JUNE 16, 2009

 

Q: Do you feel like you have had a good spring?

 

A: I feel like I’m doing pretty well right now. Every day that I step out on the field I feel I’m progressing. I work on different things and try to become better for myself – not only for the coaches but for myself so I go home and have a good chance at laying my head down and go to sleep.

 

Q: What was your mindset coming into this spring – what did you want to achieve?

 

A: I just wanted to come out and show the coaches like I have been doing each and every year that I’m here to help this team. And that is what I was brought in for three years ago and I’m still here fighting each and every day to help this team and to go out there and to make plays.

 

Q: Tom just told us this spring should be a big boost to your confidence. Has it been?

 

A: It has been a big boost to my confidence but I feel like I have approached this spring like I have approached every spring – just trying to come out here and progress every week and every day and do what I have to do to show these coaches that I’m here on this team for a reason.

 

Q: For a couple of years there it seemed like you were the forgotten man, whether it was being inactive or you were not getting the reps in practice. Is it good to know now that you are getting their attention and whatever you are doing is catching their eye?

 

A: Yeah, it is great to know that I’m getting their attention. There were times when I really didn’t know what to say but I went out every day and I practiced hard and I went out every day and did what I had to do so that I could continue to show these coaches that I’m on this team to make plays and help this team.

 

Q: Is this spring a little bit different for you in what they are asking you to do?

 

A: No, I don’t see any difference. It is the same thing since I have been here. It is just about me going out there and executing and doing what I have to do.

 

Q: Does hauling in some long passes at practice get you excited?

 

A: It gets you very excited. We are in the new field house- it is 100 yards. So we have room to maneuver and room to do a lot of different things. So having the deep plays called and you have an opportunity to go out there and catch it ……big ……over the DB’s….. That speaks volumes.

 

Q: When they drafted you speed was a major component of that. How exciting is it that it is finally maybe going to be utilized?

 

A: This is very exciting. I had some minor setbacks my first year and I got injured. Things happen. I still had a positive attitude and still to this day I have a positive attitude every time I step into this locker room to go out and make plays for this team and show these coaches why I am here on this team. I never look down on myself; I just go out there and continue to work.

 

Q: Knowing that Amani and Plaxico aren’t back, do you see this as an opportunity year?

 

A: I see every year as an opportunity to go out there and make some plays. But this year, by those guys not being here, it is wide open for anybody to step up and really make some plays and contribute to this team. I feel like that is why we are here on this team – to contribute. (This) is our time to step up and win some games.

 

Q: When they drafted you ………

 

A: It makes me smile, actually. When they drafted Steve I smiled. They drafted Mario, I smiled. Just having guys in that I watched when I was in college, now they are on the same team as I am. I wish them luck. That is why we are here together today, working hard and trying to compete. We had an opportunity to step on the field together; it is going to be real good; it is going to be exciting. It really doesn’t do much for me. It just makes me go out there and just continue to work hard. I know that those guys are coming in also to work hard. So, hey, we just have to step up.

 

Q: So when Nicks and Barten – two more smiles when they were drafted?

 

A: I was happy for them. Because a lot of people don’t realize that it takes a lot to get drafted. So by seeing those guys being drafted in the first and third round, I was happy for them. I was more happy for them than to think about, ‘oh, these guys are coming on the team and they might do that and they may do that.’ I was just happy for those young men. Because I remember being drafted myself.

 

Q: Did you at all start to wonder, ‘I’ve done everything I can, I still can’t get on the field. Is it ever happen here?’

 

A: I always wondered that. Things really sometimes didn’t go my way. But I stayed at it. I came to practice with that same attitude. I always ran fast, I always listened to the coaches. I always did what they asked me to do, never complained. And whenever I had my opportunities in a game I stepped up and made plays. So there is no reason for me to be mad at the coaches or look down on myself. But when I am given the opportunity to go out and make the plays, I go out and do that.

 

Q: You never saw this as a ‘make or break year?’

 

A: I don’t look at it like that. I look at it as another year for me to go out here and to show myself, show my teammates and show the world what I can do. I have a lot of naysayers – people say I can’t do this, I can’t do that. I have been hearing that all of life. I have been hearing …….not going to make it to the NFL. That is just something for me to look at and to listen to and to out here and just perform every week and perform every day. I can’t worry about what those guys say but it does bother you when people tell me what you can’t do. You are not me so you can’t tell me what I can’t do. So that is why I step out on this field every day and I have the attitude of going out there and just making playing and helping this team. So my coaches can know, hey, when it is time to play in the game, “Hey, give this guy the ball.”

 

Q: Do you feel like there might be a chip on your shoulder……….collectively as a group?

 

A: Yeah, I feel like there is a big chip on our …shoulders. Because you hear a lot things, “They don’t have Plax, they don’t have Amani. So these guys may not do this, they don’t have any deep threats.” We have Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, myself, Mario Manningham. I can go down the list of guys that we have here that can contribute and make some plays for this team. So as a group, everyday, we look at each other, “Let’s go; it’s time to go. Let’s do what we have to do to help this team.”

 

Q: You said before that you always come in with a positive attitude; you didn’t complain or anything. There are a lot of guys that probably would have complained in your situation and thrown a fit or even asked to be traded. What kept you from doing any of that?

 

A: Just my faith and my belief. What I live for, what I live by. So I know how hard I work each and every day and I know what I put in. So it never crossed my mind for me to come in and pout or to come in and complain or to be mad at my coaches. Things happen for a reason. That is how I look at it; things happen for a reason. But I continue each and every day to go out and perform and I show these coaches why they drafted me, why they have me on the field and why I’m out here. So that is why I have always kept a positive attitude because I know what I bring to this team; I know what I’m capable of doing when given the opportunity.

 

http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=37715

[Mr. P]

Transcript: WR Hakeem Nicks

 

Take this story to go! - RSS | Podcast | Mobile

 

JUNE 16, 2009

 

Q. Hakeem, how do you feel out there? Are you getting more comfortable, the more reps you get?

 

A. Yeah, I am getting a lot more comfortable with the more reps. It is just a matter of how I handle it.

 

Q. How is it out there with Eli, and some of the new guys, in terms of memorizing all these plays and formations?

 

A. It is definitely a big step up, but it is definitely what I was looking forward to coming in. I am taking it one day at a time, and competing everyday.

 

Q. Are you having fun? It seems like you are catching some balls that are usually not too catchable?

 

A. My job is to catch the ball when it comes my way. That is what I look forward to doing.

 

Q. What is it like being a rookie out there amongst all these guys? They are one year removed from being world champs, and all of a sudden you get to work with these guys everyday.

 

A. It is something great, something that I will always cherish and remember. I came into a great organization and I am looking forward to the season, ready to play and prepare.

 

Q. How great is this opportunity that you have a position where there are some holes? Two veterans are not here anymore, and there is a position that maybe you could start from the get-go?

 

A. It is a great opportunity for me. I am looking forward to that challenge and to keep working hard and to get better everyday.

 

http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=37718

 

Transcript: DE Justin Tuck

 

Take this story to go! - RSS | Podcast | Mobile

 

JUNE 16, 2009

 

Q. That bulletin board material will have to come from somewhere else, not in here?

 

A. For me, personally, bulletin board material doesn’t really do much. I don’t see something that someone says, or something that someone does, and it hypes me up that much more because I feel like I am going one hundred percent anyway. That is all you can give. Regardless of what somebody says or does, it shouldn’t affect your play that much.

 

Q. Coach talked a lot about how different the approach is this year compared to last year. Is there a bigger chip on your shoulder after the way last year ended?

 

A. I think we had a lot to prove last year. A lot of people were saying that the Super Bowl was a fluke. We were a hot team, and kind of played out of our minds in the Super Bowl game. It might be different, yes, but as far as the motivation factor, I think that is still equal. It comes from different sources, but our goal every year is to come out and win as many games as possible and win the Super Bowl. Every year we don’t do that, I consider that as not reaching our goal, especially with the talent we have on this team. We have the opportunity to be great, but we have to still go out there and play. We still have to go out there and do our job.

 

Q. How important is it to have a hundred percent attendance and not have the same distractions as you had last year?

 

A. There are still distractions, but I think it is very relevant. It shows that the guys are committed to coming in here and working. We understand that the more we compete against each other, the better we are going to get. We have new guys. The more we have the opportunity to play with them and really learn their style of how they play football, and they can learn our style, it benefits us come September, October, November, and so forth. I think that is an encouraging factor. I think it is something that we haven’t had, especially since I have been here.

 

http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=37717

[Mr. P]

Minicamp Day 1

 

The Giants convened for their mandatory minicamp Tuesday morning with all 89 players present, but not all practicing.

 

Joining DTs Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield, both coming off knee surgery, were joined on the sidelines by CB Corey Webster, TEs Travis Beckum and Lee Vickers, OT William Beatty, LB Clint Sintim and DT Rocky Bernard, all with minor ailments. In addition WR David Tyree aggravated a groin injury early in the morning workout and DE Osi Umenyiora skipped the team portion of practice.

 

Coach Tom Coughlin said all these physical problems should be worked out by time the team starts training camp Aug. 3 in Albany.

 

The padless minicamps are designed for wide receivers and defensive backs to show what they can do. And the star of the morning practice was WR Sinorice Moss, who caught a pair of deep balls working on the 100-yard indoor field (the outdoor practice field was deemed too wet). On the first he made a great adjustment on a ball thrown by David Carr. On the second one he grabbed a long pass from Eli Manning down the left side which was just out of the reach of CB Rashad Barksdale.

 

Mario Manningham also grabbed a deep pass from Carr, splitting CB Terrell Thomas and S C.C. Brown. Rookie Hakeem Nicks also made a nice leaping catch over the middle on a pass from Andre Woodson.

 

CB Kevin Dockery, filling in for Webster, made an outstanding defensive play, recovering to knock away a Manning pass intended for Domenik Hixon.

 

Moss and Manningham also were the stars of the return drill held at the end of practice, where two gunners head down field to try to contain the return man. Both drew oohs and ahhs from teammates with their moves.

 

One other drill of note: Three quarterbacks hold huge yoga balls, and one of them gets to throw his against the fourth quarterback, who is standing a few yards away holding a football. It apparently is designed to help a QB's footwork in avoiding a falling defender.

 

http://njmg.typepad.com/trueblue/2009/06/minicamp-day-1.html

[Mr. P]

Spoke to a couple of guys today about Sinorice Moss, the darling of the minicamp thusfar. It was two people who work closely with him: second-string QB David Carr, who throws passes to him, and second-string CB Terrell Thomas, who tries to cover him. The two words thatjumped out were "hungry" and "focused."

 

Here's what they said:

 

TERRELL THOMAS

 

"I think his back is against the wall. We drafted two wide receivers and he really hasn’t played to the potential that he has. He’s one of my good friends and we talk about it all the time. He’s just waiting for his opportunity. He’s a hard-worker and I think it’s really starting to show. Plus he’s in a contract year this year and for some reason when people are in contract years they play better."

 

On his attitude: "He’s a God-loving guy and he sees the better in life. He’s just waiting for his turn and I think it’s coming right now."

 

On a difference this spring: "He’s always fast. Sinorice has a different speed than all of us. Honestly, I think he’s a little bit hungrier if you want to say that. The plays are just coming his way. Sometimes it doesn’t happen for you but its going good for him right now."

 

On covering him: "I’m a bigger corner so I hate guarding him. That one he caught on me today, I was in good position and I’m trying to find him but he’s just so small I couldn’t get my hands on him. He separated at the last minute and made a great play."

 

DAVID CARR

 

"A lot of people ask me about him. I’ve always had short, fast guys to throw to when I was in high school and college, and he's the epitome of that guy. He's not 6-6, but he gets into places that other people can't get into and he runs by people. Down the middle is where he's made his biggest improvements. He's always been able to run by people, but the things he's doing in the middle now, it’s like having a point guard who can get into the lane. It’s like he can just find ways to move his body and get around people and give you good angles to throw the football. He's a good player."

 

On changes in Moss this spring: "His focus is a little bit different I've noticed. He's always a guy that’s going to have fun and we’ve gotten along since Day One, but I've sensed a little bit in him that he wants to take another step. That’s good. You love to see that in a guy. At least he's not just going through the motions, kind of living off his talent alone. He's going to be able to run by guys for another 10 years. He's working at his craft and working at being a complete player. He's going to be good."

 

And just for the record, here's what Tom Coughlin said about him:

 

"One of the reasons he was here was because he could run. And that was a very, very important part of his makeup, his quickness and his speed and that type of thing. He has gotten behind the secondary a few times this spring. And he has obviously created some excitement on our part in watching him do that."

 

"We would like to see the full gamut of what he can do and then for Sinorice to just keep getting better. He has accepted that challenge and he has a great attitude about it. His confidence has to be bouyed by what he has done this spring."

 

http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/football...norice_mos.html

[RandolphScott]

It took Santana a little bit of time for him to become a very good player.

 

Maybe Sinorice is in the same boat, no one has ever argued his talent...we all know

he has it. It's just that he needs to put it all together at the same time.

 

 

[Mr. P]

afternoon session:

 

Afternoon practice

 

June

16

 

The sun dried off the outdoor practice field enough so the Giants could use it for the afternoon practice. If the morning belonged to Sinorice Moss, this session was Derek Hagan’s.

 

Who’s he? Hagan’s a fourth-year pro, a free agent pickup this year. He did a nice job, first getting open to let a scrambling David Carr find him in the medium zone, and later reaching behind him to grab an errant pass from rookie Rhett Bomar. He also appeared in the two-minute drill, getting the team inside the 5 before Carr clocked it to set up a field goal.

 

Second-year quarterback Andre Woodson found mixed results, fumbling a snap from Adam Koets, but also making a great throw to Hakeem Nicks over Kevin Dockery. Just before that, though. Dockery had made a leaping breakup of Woodson’s toss to Sinorice Moss.

 

Moss gave the coaches a scare at the end of practice when he went down awkwardly on a knee and got up slowly. But he walked off the field with no problem. We’ll have to see if he works tomorrow.

 

Lawrence Tynes was 3-for-4 on field goals, missing wide right from 28 yards.

 

Bomar showed good mobility and field sense when he pulled the ball down and ran when he found everyone covered.

 

Ahmad Bradshaw, Dockery, and Moss worked the kickoff drill.

 

Bradshaw had a nice run on a first-team counter up the middle.

 

EP

 

http://giants.lohudblogs.com/2009/06/16/af...oon-practice-2/

[Mr. P]

 

 

New York Giants minicamp practice report from afternoon session

 

by Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

Tuesday June 16, 2009, 5:30 PM

William Perlman/The Star-LedgerGiants rookie wide receiver Hakeem Nicks continues to show good quickness after catching the ball.

 

Your afternoon practice for the first day of Giants minicamp:

 

INJURIES

CB Aaron Ross (ankle) and LB Chase Blackburn joined the injured corps Tuesday afternoon. Still out were: CB Corey Webster (shoulder), DTs Barry Cofield (knee), Fred Robbins (knee) and Rocky Bernard (shoulder) WR David Tyree (groin), LB Clint Sintim (hamstring), TEs Travis Beckum (hamstring) and Lee Vickers (N/A) and WR Taye Biddle (finger).

 

Late in practice, WR Sinorice Moss threw down a ball in disgust and limped off to the trainers, who looked like they were working on his hip. Moss got up and jogged to the team huddle at the end of the session. We'll have to keep an eye on that the next two days, but he looked like he was okay walking off.

 

5:50 p.m. UPDATE The Giants say Moss has a hamstring injury. Again, we'll see tomorrow how severe.

 

THE STARTERS

DE Justin Tuck opened team drills by fighting through a block by TE Michael Matthews for a stop on a sweep. Tuck later had a stop in the backfield of RB Ahmad Bradshaw on an inside counter. If Tuck didn't get him, S Michael Johnson did.

 

Fun little battle between CB Keving Dockery and WR Steve Smith on one play. Dockery had Smith stuck at the line on a rough jam, but Smith broke free as QB Eli Manning rolled out. Manning was able to sneak the ball just outside of Dockery's reach for a 10-yard completion on a comeback.

 

Manning's best ball of the afternoon was a flag to WR Mario Manningham on the left side. Out of his hands, I thought CB Stoney Woodson was going to have an easy pick. And maybe Woodson did, too, because he didn't appear to take the best angle. Looked like maybe he was surprised by how much the ball carried because all he could do was make a flailing attempt as the ball sailed over his head.

 

Dockery, who lost a jump ball to Moss this morning, won a rematch this afternoon. Dockery read the flag route out of QB Andre' Woodson's hands and got to the spot before Moss to leap and knock the ball away. Only problem was the next play was a bomb from Woodson to WR Hakeem Nicks past Dockery. "He got you, Dock!" Tyree yelled.

 

K Lawrence Tynes missed wide left from 27 yards away. It was a low snap from DT/LS Jay Alford, but P Jeff Feagles did a good job to get it down in time.

 

THE BACKUPS

Alford gets credit for a sack on the first passing play of team drills. He beat RT Kareem McKenzie.

 

After a very good morning practice, QB David Carr had a so-so afternoon. He had TE Darcy Johnson open over the middle on one play but fired wide. Later, though, he laid a nice ball outside the numbers on a flag to Johnson. And toward the end of practice, while being chased by a rusher, Carr flung one in the middle of the field that somehow fluttered through a crowd of defenders and reached Johnson, who appeared to drop the ball. Not the best advised pass there. Late in practice, the two hooked up for a quick hook with S Kenny Phillips trying to climb Johnson's back. And finally, the Carr-to-Johnson connection (which isn't quite Simms-to-Bavaro just yet) couldn't quite hook up on a ball up the seam in the two-minute drill. Johnson reached out with one hand but couldn't bring it in.

 

WR Derek Hagan is quietly having a pretty decent spring. He reached out today to make a sweet little diving catch on a short hook from QB Rhett Bomar.

 

DE Dave Tollefson committed the minicamp mortal sin of jumping offside on a hard count by Andre' Woodson.

 

THE YOUNG GUYS

WR Ramses Barden got behind Stoney Woodson on a 20-yard flag. Andre' Woodson tried to lead him near the sideline but might have thrown it a bit wide. It was tough to see if Barden had a shot to get both feet in bounds. I will tell you his attempt to do so didn't go too smoothly and he dropped the ball while trying to drag his second foot.

 

Andre' Woodson threw a quick in for Barden, who took it right out of LB Bryan Kehl's hands. A few plays later, Barden got great separation on a quick in with Stoney Woodson in coverage. He planted, got inside and reached out to grab a ball from Bomar that was a bit inside.

 

WR Hakeem Nicks got inside Stoney Woodson on a cross from Carr. Again, no wasted movement for Nicks. As soon as the ball hit his hands, he was on his way upfield.

 

LB Kelvin Smith made a couple of downhill stops inside during team drills.

 

RB Allen Patrick, who made a nice cut this morning, showed very good speed on a rush off the edge. Hmm, might have to start keeping a closer eye on him.

 

MG

 

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2009/06...camp_pract.html

[BlueInCanada]

Prove us wrong Sinorice, prove us wrong, but do it in the regular season, not just now.

 

I've always been in support of Moss.

[Mr. P]

June 16, 2009

Moss' strained hammy gives Giants a scare

 

Updated: 6:23 p.m.

 

This was almost the start of The Blue Screen Jinx.

 

During the last drill of practice this afternoon, WR Sinorice Moss - - whose outstanding play has been detailed here all spring long - - made a difficult, sliding catch to bail out QB David Carr in a two-minute drill. And that was good.

 

But then he yelled, tossed the ball aside, walked towards the trainer and slammed his helmet to the turf.

 

That wasn’t good.

 

It turns out that Moss suffered a “hamstring strain,” according to the Giants. He did spend a few minutes laying on the ground with a trainer hovering over him, but he also was able to get up and walked off the practice field with the rest of his teammates. The fact that he wasn’t limping makes it seem like it wasn’t serious, but hamstring injuries do tend to linger, so it’ll be interesting to see if he’s on the field for Day 2 of mini-camp tomorrow.

 

While you’re awaiting that, here are few highlights from the afternoon practice:

 

• Good practice for the DTs (at least the healthy ones). Saw some good penetration from Jay Alford, including one when he got through and read an Eli Manning rollout perfectly. Meanwhile Chris Canty showed off his speed, getting to the sidelines quickly several times to be in position to stop a running play.

 

• With the second-teamers out, DE Mathias Kiwanuka got past TE Darcy Johnson and RB Danny Ware so quickly, QB David Carr had barely gotten to step three of his drop before Kiwanuka had to hold himself up. He’s still got that quick burst off the line that we saw early last season.

 

• WR Derek Hagan made a couple of nice catches, including one where he had to reach behind him to grab an off-target throw from QB Rhett Bomar.

 

• Great spinning catch on a deep route from under-the-radar TE Darcy Johnson, who looks bigger than he was last year. He’s listed at 6-5, 252. I’ll have to ask him about that.

 

• CB Kevin Dockery made a great read, stepping in front of Moss to break up a pass from QB Andre’ Woodson. Dockery had to leap for the high throw, but he got his hands on it. It’s possible that he should have intercepted it, but he didn’t hang on.

 

• One play after that, the Giants ran the same play to rookie WR Hakeem Nicks, who burned Dockery deep.

 

• LB Bryan Kehl reached in front of rookie WR Ramses Barden to get his hands on a short pass, but Barden was able to pull it away from him and take off down the field. A few plays later, Barden needed every inch of his 6-6 frame to make an impressive reaching grab on a dart thrown by Bomar.

 

• RB Allen Patrick looks like he’s got some nice speed and knows how to get around the corner. He’s got an oddly lean look for a RB, though. Listed at 6-1, 196 he’s awfully lean for that position. He might need to put on a little more bulk.

 

• DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) participated in team drills in the afternoon. Guess he’s not quite ready for two-a-days yet. … CB Aaron Ross (ankle) sat out the afternoon.

 

• K Lawrence Tynes went 3 for 4 on field goals. His miss was from around 27 yards.

 

Tyree’s hammy whammy

 

David Tyree was “not happy” when he couldn’t resume practicing this morning, after a very brief attempt (he sat out the entire afternoon session). He pulled his left hamstring in practice last week and thought a three-day weekend would be enough of a rest to get him back to 100 percent. But it wasn’t.

 

“I would love to sit up here and be super-duper positive,” Tyree said. “It’s nothing serious, just a hamstring that’s nagging me. We’ll see how it goes. Most everything else is working. Just trying to put this old tinker toy together again.”

 

Tyree, of course, is trying to comeback from knee surgery that kept him out all last season. His knee, he said, is not the problem. It’s just other things that are falling apart.

 

“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “It pinched me a little on Friday. It pinched me a little today. So I just don’t want to make a small thing go bad.”

 

Speed kills

 

Antonio Pierce has been Twitting about this all spring: He is extremely impressed with the Giants’ receivers and the look (so far) of the team’s passing attack.

 

“(The receivers) can run,” Pierce said. “You guys watching practice can obviously see they’re trying to open things up. We’ve got some receivers out there that are pretty fast.”

 

Your name here

 

The Giants will announce tomorrow that they’ve sold the naming rights to their practice facility, ending any hopes I had that they’d name it after me. However, I’m considering accepting bids for my seat in the press room. It’s in a nice corner and if you turn around and lean to the side you can even see out the window and get a nice view of the parking lot.

 

Actually, I’d really be in favor of selling the naming rights to this blog. The IBM Big Blue Screen has a nice ring to it. Plus, then maybe I’d get a better laptop and you could all get your updates a little quicker.

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/20...0IdbKLp4F&C

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/20...ts-a-scare.html

[K3VIN]

and in other giant news eli still underthrows the ball

[UK-Giantsfan]

it all sounds good ......but i wont believe that the midget can really play until he does it in a meaningful game when it actually matters

 

 

[NeMesiS]

It's very disapointing that Sintim still has a Hamstring injury.

[fishgutmartyr]

Does anybody here remember a more bonded team than this one? Nearly 100% attendance to all activities/camps, nobody training out of state. This might be the easiest team for us to "route" for in a very long time.

 

So much for Coughlin "losing" this team.

 

I can't wait for the season to start.