Report: Day 2 of Camp
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NFC East blogger Matt Mosley has a very tidy day 2 training camp notes compilation, here are some of the highlights with my comments in red:
Injury list: Sitting out today both morning and afternoon practices with a swollen ankle was Shaun O’hara, but Osi Umenyiora (hip), Hakeem Nicks (toe), and Kevin Boss (knee) all were go for practice.
"It’s remarkable how much of a presence new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has in practice. You can hear him from anywhere on the University at Albany campus. When Mario Manningham caught a pass across the middle, Fewell shouted, “That’s [expletive!]” to no one in particular. And when cornerback Corey Webster snagged a one-handed interception, Fewell raced up the left sideline and threatened to throw a block on an unsuspecting tight end. From talking to Tuck and other players, you can tell the Giants truly missed Steve Spagnuolo’s dynamic presence in practice last season. Fewell brings that same type of energy. Of course, none of that will matter if the Giants give up a ton of huge plays. But at this point, Fewell has been the story of camp. Coughlin hired Fewell years ago and then admired him from afar as he blossomed into a highly regarded coordinator. I think the fact that Fewell held the Bills together during difficult circumstances was also a big factor in him being hired by the Giants.By all accounts thus far, I think Fewell will bring the swagger back to this defense. Game on.For those of you who have been asking, Ahmad Bradshaw looks completely healthy to me. He had to bounce a run outside Monday because linebacker Clint Sintim came knifing through the line of scrimmage and he showed that same quickness that I remember from a couple years ago. The Giants will be very cautious with Bradshaw in camp, but he doesn’t have any limitations at this point. Give him the starting position already, coach! Staying with running back, I can see why general manager Jerry Reese and Coughlin still have a lot of hope for Andre Brown. He ran a nice little wheel route in Monday’s practice and then just exploded down the sideline. The Giants beat writers tried to identify a running back who’s made it all the way back from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon. They came up empty. Perhaps Brown can make some history. I want to see something different in the Giants backfield this year. Coughlin does not appear to be high on Ware or G. Johnson, so Andre Brown has an opportunity here to claim that third rotation spot in the backfield. He might be able to bring something more to the table that no one is ready for. I’m pulling for him.One of the few encouraging things from last season was Manning’s ability to connect on some deep balls. On Monday, he put the ball in a perfect spot for Steve Smith, but the receiver had it glance off his hands. Safety Deon Grant was responsible for helping Webster on the play and he made the mistake of letting Smith get behind him. Rare miss for Smith, I hope he cleans that up tomorrow.The Ramses Barden Show continued Monday morning with the wide receiver making nice catches in traffic. Manning has a lot more confidence in Barden at this point, but the second-year player still has to take it to the field. Coughlin and Reese seem convinced that Barden’s on the verge of being something special. He was a big story in last year’s camp, but in the two practices I’ve watched, I like how he’s catching the ball on the run. There’s none of that hesitation that some young receivers have. If Barden can be more consistent this year in camp and throughout the preseason games, it’s going to be a year with Barden on the roster full time, finally. That means some red zone snaps are going to need to come his way too in preseason, lets see that fade Eli.Rough day at the office for Madison Hedgecock. He dropped both of the passes that Manning sent his way. And it’s not just a case of having hands of stone. For whatever reason, he doesn’t look the ball into his hands. IS ANYONE SURPRISED BY THIS!? AT ALL!?!?Catch of the day goes to second-year tight end Bear Pascoe out of Fresno State. He was racing down the seam and then he went into a full dive to haul in a Rhett Bomar pass. And speaking of Bomar, he was on the money in team drills. He’s gained a lot more confidence and he gets the ball out quickly. At this rate, he may push Jim Sorgi for the backup spot. We pretty much know what Sorgi’s going to be at this point. Bomar has a live arm and he’s not afraid to zing it into traffic. Safeties coach Dave Merritt was frustrated a couple of times because his players couldn’t get their hands on Bomar’s passes. But it’s not like he’s floating anything out there.Travis Beckum will receive a ton of playing time in the preseason. He’s a big, speedy target for Manning. But when Bomar fired a nice pass across the middle, Beckum couldn’t bring it in. With Kevin Boss only practicing once a day, Beckum’s going to get treated like a starter. He has to make that play. A tight end out of Ohio State named Jake Ballard also had a bad drop on a pass from Bomar. One of the early position battles surfaces itself here – Pascoe VS Beckum.I took a long look at rookie defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul today. He’s extremely gifted, but he’s having a tough time getting off blocks at this point. Second-year offensive tackle Jacob Bender didn’t have any problems with Pierre-Paul when I was watching today. The good news is that Pierre-Paul seems to have an excellent attitude. He and Joseph are hanging out with the veteran players asking questions all the time.He’s going to have to get with Tuck, Osi, and Kiwi at somepoint and learn some moves. Or maybe Strahan will tweet him over some magic tonight…"