New York Giants Camp Report: The Passing Game’s Secret Weapon?
As this is the first training camp report of the year, please note that per league rules, those who attend practice are not allowed to report on offensive or defensive strategy, personnel deployment, and who’s working where.
With that said, I suggest paying close attention to some of the videos that have been posted as if you look closely, you’ll get some answers as to who’s lining up where such as this video from the Giants Twitter account that shows rookie Matt Peart at right tackle bullying edge rusher Lorenzo Carter.)
You're welcome.
And now back to our regularly scheduled program.
When the Giants didn’t draft a receiver this spring, people began wringing their hands in worry. But one guy overlooked was Corey Coleman, who is coming off a torn ACL. I wrote about this way back then, saying that if Coleman were fully recovered from that torn ACL and looked anything close to his pre-injury self, the Giants would probably have one less issue to worry about. Well, so far, so good.
I asked receivers coach Tyke Tolbert last week about Coleman, and here is what he said.
I think Corey did a really good job this offseason and this summer, being with the trainers, getting rehabbed, and getting ready to go. There’s only so much he can do with all of the COVID stuff, so he still had to do a lot of work on his own, which he did. I think Corey is pretty much back to where he was before he got injured. I’m just looking forward for Corey to go out there and compete like everybody else. He’s making strides right now.
That appears indeed to be the case and is not merely Tolbert tossing a bouquet of roses at a receiver who has gone from being a promising first-round talent to a bit of a journeyman in search of his perfect fit with an NFL team.
When the Giants came along, Coleman seemed to have found a home. The Giants signed Coleman to the practice squad on October 19, 2018, only to promote him to the 53-man roster less than a week later. And in each of the last two years, the Giants have retained Coleman on a one-year contract, including this year, despite his suffering a torn ACL early in training camp last year.
In addition to getting back to his pre-injury form, Coleman took the added initiative of trying to connect with his teammates in the off-season whenever they had workouts.
And Coleman's teammates see the results of that hard work as well.
"It was a tough road for him," said fellow receiver Sterling Shepard. "I’ve been with him the whole time. You can hardly even tell that he had that injury last year. He’s been working his butt off and he’s going to continue to do that. I’m really happy to see him back out there on the grass."
So too must be the coaches, and not just because they genuinely like Coleman as a person. With offensive coordinator Jason Garrett believed to be implementing more of a vertical passing game based on Air Coryell, the Giants will need some deep threats among their receivers.
And someone who can contribute in that regard is a healthy Coleman, who, before his injury could plant and cut and juke a defender out of his cleats, can deliver.
Practice Photos
(courtesy of Giants.com)
Other Notes
*Cornerback Grant Haley was working on the side for most of the practice. Haley’s absence is not believed to be due to anything serious, and he could be back as soon as Tuesday when the Giants are scheduled to practice later in the day. Judge said that Haley was working on some extra conditioning.
*Although revealing personnel alignments, there’s a lot of things one can figure out. And one of those things is that quarterback Colt McCoy is likely going to be the primary backup behind starter Daniel Jones.
“Colt’s done a really good job of sharing his experiences with the other quarterbacks, embracing the system he’s in and learning it to the best of his ability,” Judge said. “He did a good job today and made some really nice throws for us. He had a good period down there in the one on ones and did some good things in the team competitive periods.”
This is one of those things that makes too much sense not to happen. First, McCoy is the only one of the backup quarterbacks with experience as a starter. So if something happens to Daniel Jones to where he can’t go for a week or two or more, McCoy, despite a less than impressive 7-21 won-loss record as a starter from his time in Cleveland, makes too much sense not to be the backup.
*With there being an open competition for the other cornerback spot opposite of James Bradberry, rookie fourth-round draft pick Darnay Holmes is making his case.
According to practice reports by Giants.com posted before the media was allowed in and through Monday, Holmes has often found himself around the ball where if he’s not breaking up passes, he’s picking them off, as he did Monday against Daniel Jones.
“I think he’s doing a good job day by day,” Judge said. “We’ve seen a consistent improvement from him. Like every rookie, they have to get used to the pace and the adjustments within this level of football. But I don’t think Darnay is really backing off from any challenge. I’ve been pleased to see how he comes out every day and competes. I’ve been pleased to see his energy and enthusiasm on the field, and that competitive nature definitely shows up.”
*Cornerback DeAndre Baker will be arraigned on September 15, 2020, according to the Broward County (Florida) Clerk’s Office. Judge Mariya Weekes has been assigned to the case. Baker, who is facing charges of armed robbery with a firearm stemming from a private social gathering in Miramar Florida in May, remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, where while he doesn’t count against the Giants roster, he will continue to be paid.
*After holding a morning practice Monday, Judge is going to have the players back on the field for a late afternoon/evening practice. "The thought is we are going to work them hard Sunday, we are going to work them hard Monday morning and then we will go out there Tuesday afternoon and give them a little extra recovery time," Judge explained.
The thing to keep in mind as the start of the regular season quickly sneaks up on us is that Judge is looking to try to simulate how the team might practice during a regular week.
"The way our training camp is set up right now, we are going three harder days, the fourth day of the week for us is really Wednesday," he said. "We are going to back down a little bit, we will be on the field in more situational work, and we’ll continue with some install.
"We’ll get back out there Thursday and pop the pads a little bit. We’ll kind of fly them around a little bit if we can. Friday is the scrimmage. Whether it’s a scrimmage or eventually it becomes an intrasquad game, we kind of structured the week that way, and then Saturday will be the players' day off."
