09/14 Training Camp Reports

[Mr. P]

August 14, 2009: AM Camp Report

 

ELI SIGNS

More than a week after agreeing to terms on a new contract extension, QB Eli Manning finally made it official early this morning by signing his new six-year $97.5M contract, making him the highest paid player in the NFL as of next year (he’ll play out the final year of his rookie contract this season and earn $9.4M so as to not break the Giants’ salary cap.

 

Manning’s new deal will average out to about $15.2M per year and will include $35M in guarantees. The contract was initially held up over conflicting language pertaining to conflicting marketing endorsements, such as Manning’s endorsement of Citizen and DirectTV and the team’s new corporate sponsorship with Timex and Verizon. (Certainly Citizen couldn’t have been too pleased that their corporate spokesman was mandated by his team to wear a practice jersey with the Timex logo on it, but that issue apparently has been resolved between Manning’s marketing team and Citizen).

 

"All of us -- Eli and this organization -- are pleased to have this officially done," general manager Jerry Reese said. "Our total focus is on our performance on the field and being the best team we can be in 2009."

 

Manning has started 71 consecutive regular season games, the second-longest streak among active NFL quarterbacks (his brother has started 176 games in a row). In his career, he has completed 1,276 of 2,284 pass attempts (55.9 percent) for 14,623 yards with 98 touchdowns, 74 interceptions, a long pass of 78 yards and a career passer rating of 76.1. He is fourth in franchise history in attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. Thirty of his 98 touchdown passes (31 percent) have come in the fourth quarter or overtime.

 

So with the last of the distractions (yes this was a minor one in our book) finally put to bed, we now resume our regularly scheduled programming.

 

INJURIES

Today’s rehab area hosted CB Aaron Ross (leg), CB Corey Webster (hip), WR Steve Smith (knee), WR Sinorice Moss (hamstring), LB Michael Boley (hip/PUP), DE Osi Umenyiora (knee), DT Chris Canty (hamstring), and DT Barry Cofield (knee). DT Rocky Bernard (hamstring) did some individuals but sat out the team part of practice.

 

Kareem McKenzie (back) returned to work this morning, meaning that for the first time in more than a week the Giants starting offensive line was together.

 

PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS

* The Giants whipped out the Wildcat today, spending some snaps working against the newest fad in offensive alignments. While some initially believed it was a knee-jerk reaction to the Eagles’ signing of former Atlanta QB Michael Vick, a team spokesman actually advised everyone that practice schedules are laid out ion May and that the timing was purely coincidental. More on that later.

 

* We mentioned Clint Sintim quietly moving into the first team defense at SAM. Well he was back there again this morning. Also in a somewhat interesting development, Chase Blackburn took some snaps at WIL with the ones, ahead of Bryan Kehl, who’s looked solid in that role since camp opened. We wouldn’t advise reading too much into the latter piece of news though because the coaches like to have all of their players prepared for as many possible scenarios as they can, so our guess sis that Blackburn, who also took snaps at WIL with the one’s yesterday, was just getting some work there this morning with the ones just to keep him ready for anything.

 

* Nice catch by Travis Beckum on a perfectly thrown ball by André Woodson. We’ve been watching Beckum block, by the way and we took note of the change in his technique he spoke about the other day. At times he seems to get bent back a little but we think he’s winning more battles than he’s losing, which is a positive sign.

 

* Wow, wow, wow. Domenik Hixon, who last year was dogged by injuries, is looking healthy and fit as a fiddle. He continues to make some spectacular catches, the latest one being a leaping grab on a fade thrown by Eli Manning in seven-on-sevens. Plaxico who?

 

* Former Miami (Fla.) University CB Bruce Johnson, who’s hoping to at the minimum, catch on with the practice squad, picked off Manning for the defense’s 25th interception of camp. The ball, intended for Mario Manningham, was slightly underthrown and Johnson did a nice job to move into position to make the grab. However a few plays later, Manningham got one back by leaping over Johnson to make the grab.

 

* We’re probably going out on a limb here, but we’ve been impressed with Terrell Thomas, who has really made the most of his opportunity with Aaron Ross and Corey Webster on the sideline. Webster is probably in no danger of losing his job, but Ross, coming off a shaky season and a relatively quiet camp up until his injury, could be, in our opinion. Thomas just does a great job of sitting on the receiver’s hip and he’s not afraid to fight his way through the muck into the backfield. It’s really going to be hard for the coaches to ignore what he’s done this summer (plus he hasn’t missed any practice time, which is another bonus.)

 

* Nice play by LB Jonathan Goff in knocking away a pass from David Carr in seven-on-seven drills. Goff hasn’t been mentioned much, but he’s done well with his opportunities. He still might be a year away from seeing increased snaps as remember he’s coming back from an injury, but there’s a lot to like about his game, such as his recognition, which looks significantly improved from a year ago, and his aggressiveness.

 

* In the Wildcat offense, WR Hakeem Nicks and RB André Brown were handling the direct snaps on the scout team. Might the Giants incorporate the Wildcat into their offense? We doubt it. They have too many weapons to have to resort to such trickery.

 

* And there we go again with another bad snap from center. The culprit this time? Adam Koets, who seems to have at least one bad snap per practice (we agree with Coughlin who says that one bad snap is one too many). Koets followed that one up with another high ball.

 

* Might the Giants be looking at Brandon Jacobs to replace Derrick Ward as their receiving threat out of the backfield? These past few practices, Jacobs has been the recipient of swing passes and balls thrown in the flat, and he’s done well with them so far.

 

* Ugh, André Brown tossed an interception to Kenny Phillips.

 

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

WR Sinorice Moss, the snake bit receiver who just can’t stay on the field, looks like he’ll miss time with a hamstring injury. Head coach Tom Coughlin said he wasn’t sure how long the receiver would be out.

 

Moss meanwhile told reporters that it’s the same injury that slowed him down in the spring and that his legs are simply tired (so are everyone else’s).

 

Suffice to say though in what’s a make or break year for the fourth year receiver, if this injury does keep him sidelined for any length of time, it could open up the door for Derek Hagan, who’s had a very strong camp. That’s probably why Moss is determined to get back out on the practice field.

 

DE Osi Umenyiora, on the Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to sign embattled QB Michael Vick, who is trying to launch a comeback in the league after serving prison time for his alleged ole in a dog-fighting ring: “It’s hard for me to say this, but I’m proud of that franchise. A lot of people didn’t have the [courage] to make that move.”

 

Coughlin on Sintim playing with the ones: “Don’t read anything into that. I mean, it’s training camp. You’ll see different combinations.”

 

On a non-football note Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Michael Leonardo of Albany, NY and his daughter met with some of the coaches and players last year just two days prior to being deployed to Iraq. Leonardo indicated that he would like to fly our American flag over Iraq in honor of the Giants, a promise he kept while stationed at Al Sald, Iraq. Leonardo, who made a brief trip home before being required to return to his command post, presented the flag to the Giants before leaving.

 

“It’s very meaningful to us,” Coughlin said about the presentation of the flag. “We had met (Leonardo) a year ago and he had taken a flag with him to Iraq. He had flown the flag and now he brought it over and presented it to the New York Giants. He told me that he wore the Giants hat all over the place over there. General Odierno had told me that, the [soldiers] are really into the National Football League and our season. When we got over there it was obvious; people separated themselves according to what team was their team. This was really neat that he wore the Giants hat for a year over there.”

 

COMING UP

Correction on Pat’s preview – it will be ready on Saturday, as by then head coach Tom Coughlin should have a better idea as to who won’t play in Monday’s preseason opener. Meanwhile I’ll be back tonight with an evening update.

 

Source: Inside Football

[Mr. P]

nicks on first take

 

 

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4399081&categoryid=2378529

[Mr. P]

 

NY Giants morning practice report: C.C. Brown excels as defense prepares for 'Wildcat'

 

by Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

Friday August 14, 2009, 11:11 AM

Chris Faytok/The Star-Ledger

 

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Your morning practice report:

 

INJURIES

WR Sinorice Moss was out Friday. This time, coach Tom Coughlin was aware of his absence. "He's got a little hamstring (injury)," Coughlin said. "I don't know how long, I don't know how serious. I was kind of surprised myself."

 

RT Kareem Mckenzie (back) was back in action.

 

DT Barry Cofield (knee) sat out.

 

Still out: WR Steve Smith (knee), CBs Aaron Ross (leg) and Corey Webster (hip), DTs Chris Canty (hamstring) and Rocky Bernard (hamstring/NFI) and LB Michael Boley (hip/PUP).

 

THE STARTERS

QB Eli Manning opened the team portion of practice by hitting WR Mario Manningham on a fade to the left sideline. The two failed to connect on the next play on a comeback. Manningham appeared to be a bit stuck in the mud coming out of his break.

 

On another fade from Manning, WR Domenik Hixon made one of his best catches of camp. He adjusted to come from behind CB Kevin Dockery to get in front of him. Hixon did have a shot at another leaping, reaching fade, but he couldn't quite get back far enough to grab the pass from QB David Carr. But then, those two hooked up for a TD on a fade in red-zone drills. Good ball from Carr over CB DeAndre Wright.

 

S Kenny Phillips saw RB Ahmad Bradshaw's cutback before he even made it. Phillips was in the lane when Bradshaw came back left.

 

RT Kareem McKenzie's back looked fine when he blocked DE Justin Tuck one way and then rotated the other way when Tuck cut inside. On the next play, he was out in front of Bradshaw on a pitch, blocking S Michael Johnson in the open field. (Props to DE Dave Tollefson on that play for chasing Bradshaw 25 yards downfield from the opposite side of the field.)

 

THE BACKUPS

CB Terrell Thomas was right on Hixon's hip on a deep middle post from Manning. Phillips was also nearby. Good coverage by both guys. Thomas showed good run support later when he came through a scrum to get RB Brandon Jacobs in the backfield.

 

LB Jonathan Goff got up to bat away a pass from Carr in 7-on-7s. Good athletic play there. Goff later came clean on a blitz for a sack of Carr. And finally, great coverage by Goff on TE Kevin Boss in the end zone. Not only did he force an incompletion, but he might have also drawn offensive pass interference.

 

WR Derek Hagan must have felt S C.C. Brown closing in behind him on a deep in. Hagan did a good job of shielding Brown while making the catch. Brown did do a nice job of closing and getting himself in position to make a hit (if the play was live). Hagan was open later on a deep ball past Dockery, but QB Rhett Bomar overshot him just a bit.

 

Brown was all over the field Friday. He was up from his safety spot to make a stop in the two-minute drill. One more highlight from him in the next section.

 

WR David Tyree had a good practice. He caught a bunch of quick ins and hooks. His best one was when he ran a comeback and got great separation from Wright. Tyree seemed to have made a great catch for a TD in the red zone over S Sha'reff Rashad, but apparently he came down out of bounds because Webster yelled, "It's like a looooong fly ball."

 

DT Jay Alford did a good job of getting deep in the backfield on one play. Too bad that play was a screen. Alford realized too late that he was too deep and out of the play.

 

THE YOUNG GUYS

WR Hakeem Nicks had a ball in his hands on a crossing pattern until Brown ripped it out. Surprising anybody could take anything from those mitts. Nicks was open on a quick-hit slant in front of Johnson in red-zone drills, but QB Andre' Woodson fired just high.

 

Manningham had a few catches late in practice. He did a good job of getting his feet down in bounds on a catch for a first down.

 

Wright got inside Hagan to close down and make a stop on a run. Hagan wasn't happy with himself on that one.

 

Awesome touch by Woodson on a 15-yard floater to TE Travis Beckum over LB Danny Clark and under CB Bruce Johnson. That's what Woodson needs to show: that he's more than just a big arm. So far this camp, he has.

 

WR Ramses Barden says when the ball is in the air he thinks it's his. He's got me believing it, too, so I was surprised when he didn't come down with a fade over Thomas, who played good coverage.

 

Johnson's made some plays in camp. None better than Friday morning, when he played gorgeous coverage underneath Manningham on an in cut. He just kind of lurked there until Manning threw for Manningham. Johnson reached out, picked it off and took off.

 

Good kick-out block by OT William Beatty on Tollefson on one running play.

 

And finally, the defense did a little work against a scout-team "Wildcat" offense. Before we could jump to any Michael Vick-related conclusions, Giants Czar of communications Pat Hanlon reminded everyone practice schedules are set in May. In other words, the Giants had planned to defend the Wildcat well before their division rivals signed Vick Thursday night.

 

Wait, one more thing: during those Wildcat drills, RB Andre Brown threw a pretty good ball across his body. It got picked off, but it's not like it was a play they had been practicing. I'm just saying Brown showed he can chuck it a little bit right there.

 

"I saw him out here throwing the ball one day," Coughlin said. "He said, 'Oooh, I get to throw the ball.' I told him, 'Throw it to the guy in the flat.' Did you see where he threw it? He could be color blind."

 

Source: The Star-Ledger

[fishgutmartyr]

Moss injured. Surprise, surprise.

[ppodlesny]

thanks for the article

[Treehugger]

Moss injured. Surprise, surprise.

[NightFire]

Moss injured. Surprise, surprise.

 

I think Tyree just made the team. Moss has shown he can't play ST either so at least Tyree can do something else beside WR, which when you are the 6th one helps a lot.

[Nas]

Moss injured. Surprise, surprise.

 

wtf is up with this guy's hamstring? 2 Yoga classes a week would eliminate those type of injuries.. no question.

[Sephiroth]

I think Tyree just made the team. Moss has shown he can't play ST either so at least Tyree can do something else beside WR, which when you are the 6th one helps a lot.

 

 

It's... it's a minor injury.