The New York Giants began Phase 1 conditioning and meetings in their offseason training Monday. Oh yes, and some mandatory media availability too. Here are some insights from head coach Brian Daboll and several players who spoke to the media via Zoom.
So, Dabes, Ikem Ekwonu or Charles Cross?
Head coach Brian Daboll was asked Monday whether he values run blocking or pass blocking more on an offensive tackle. That, friends, is a sneaky way of asking if you’d pick Ikem Ekwonu (Mauling Run Blocker) or Charles Cross (Smooth Pass Protector) in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Daboll may be a newcomer to this head coaching gig, but he’s been training for 25 years and his answer certainly proved he knew how to deflect a question.
“That’s a good question,” said Daboll. “You see, an offensive lineman’s job, especially for our tackles, is going to be to maintain the width of the pocket, protect it from the inside out, and get movement on the line of scrimmage. Those are the top two things we look for in our offensive linemen, and we will continue to look for them. I don’t think there are…some guys better at one than the other, but at the end of the day they have to be able to do both to be an effective player for us.”
So that means Evan Neal. right dabs?
attendance check
Daboll declined to say if James Bradberry, the subject of trade rumours, was in the building on Monday. He would only say it was “a full house”.
“I won’t go into who was who wasn’t, I would just say we were well attended and I’ve told the lads how much I appreciate that knowing it’s all voluntary,” said Daboll.
dress code? For meetings? What is it?
Daboll mentioned that one of the things he told players Monday in his first remarks to a team as NFL head coach was that there would be a dress code in the building. huh? Daboll is about as chilled as it gets, and that didn’t make any sense. Until he explained it.
Daboll called it “casual”.
“They’re wearing Giants gear when we come in here,” Daboll said. “It’s not like you go to a private high school and you have to wear a tie and things like that… wear Giants clothes, come ready to go.”
fight injuries
Injuries have been a big story for the Giants over the past decade. That’s through multiple head coaches and strength and conditioning staffs. Daboll said the Giants have spent a lot of time in the last few months trying to get a handle on the injury problem.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions about this,” Daboll said. “Look, we’re going to do everything we can as a coaching staff and as an organization to help that – whether it’s soft tissue injuries, whatever that is, it’s our job to help players in that regard. But we have had many meetings in this regard. Went back the last few years and checked it out. You look at how you plan the training, how you get the guys ready from phase one to phase two, the hydration part, the teaching part of that, we really looked at all the areas that involve injuries.
“There’s never a guarantee, but we’ll definitely do our best to make sure our players are as healthy as we can for us on Sundays.”
Already a leader
Logan Ryan is a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bradberry is likely to trade in the next few weeks. That means safety Xavier McKinney could be the Giants’ top player, elder statesman and secondary school leader in his third season.
However, McKinney on Monday pushed back on the idea that he needed to become a leader.
“From day one I was leading, so nothing changes. It doesn’t matter who’s here. It doesn’t matter who left. I was the same. I’ll just keep improving and getting better. I’m proud of my consistency and being able to improve myself, my game and my leadership every day,” said McKinney. “I’ve been a manager for a very long time, so this is nothing new to me. I don’t see it as something bigger than what it was before because that’s who I am. There is no extra pressure or anything like that. It’s who I am and it’s what I do.”
Returned Veterans
Linebacker Blake Martinez and wide receiver Sterling Shepard are both veteran players who have recovered from serious injuries and have taken steep pay cuts to remain with the Giants.
Blake Martinez said the pay cut was “definitely a difficult decision.”
“But I think for me it came down to my family, I think I have the structure and the ability to have my daughters in the schools they are in and handle this situation,” Martinez said. “I just love playing football and I knew what the coaches brought here from my rehab days and that kind of things and that interaction and I just felt confident because I knew I could go out there and can prove what kind of player I am coming back from my injury.
“They wanted me to stay here. I think it was bilateral. And I think for them, they just told me, hey, everyone’s going to earn their place. You’re obviously coming back from a knee injury. Coming out of here and showing us that you could be the Blake you were before is obviously what we’re looking for.
Sterling Shepard is the only remaining player from the 2016 Giants playoff team, rehabilitating from a torn Achilles tendon, the final blow in an injury-packed 2021 season for the veteran wide receiver.
“I mean, they wanted me here, I wanted to be here. We were able to come up with something that made sense for both parties. And you know, it’s moved on,” Shepard said. “You know, I’m just looking forward to getting to know these guys and this playbook and trying to do my part and win games.”
Shepard admitted it was “tough” to take the steep pay cut.
“I’ve considered the pros and cons, and the pros and cons outweigh a landslide,” Shepard said. “You know, I’ve talked to my family a lot. And in the end it was the best situation for me and my family. And I was super happy that we were able to come to an agreement and you know, if everything goes the way I hope it goes, you know, we’re going to be here a little bit longer.”
Shepard admitted he wondered if the new regime of head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen wanted to keep him around.
“I mean, you never know what’s going to happen in this business, man. That thought actually crossed my mind, but everything works for a reason,” Shepard said. “And I felt like this was the best place for my family and I’m glad we worked it out.”
Blame the studs
Martinez was asked if the much-criticized MetLife Stadium field turf contributed to his non-contact cruciate ligament rupture last season. Martinez blamed himself.
I think for me it was more my cleats,” he said. “I wore them a little too long I think and my foot slipped in them. So I just clumsily planted with worn out studs and made it happen.
Whether you buy this or not is up to you, but that’s the story of Martinez.
Martinez did not offer a timetable for his return. He said he was just trying to get to each checkpoint.