I saw this quote attached to an older but larger story about Hakeem Nicks attending the Manning Family Passing Academy earlier this month, and thought it deserved to be echoed here today:
"In the past, several of Eli’s veteran targets notably Jeremy Shockey, Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress would opt to practice elsewhere, but Nicks’ eagerness to build an offseason rapport bodes well for the duo. The lack of cohesiveness in the past has resulted in noticeable missed opportunities on the field, whether it was overthrown or underthrown passes or whether it was the wrong pass routes being run, it was clear something was missing.Nicks’ presence at the prestigious Manning camp is an indicator that Eli has redefined himself as a leader, cultivating a bond with Nicks, a relationship that will lead to improved accuracy while creating bigger plays….Last off season New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith spent as much time as possible working out with Eli which resulted in his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Hakeem Nicks seems to be following in Smith’s footsteps putting in extra time with Eli. With a remarkable rookie season under his belt, skys the limit for Hakeem Nicks."
Here, here.
I remember writing an article last year about Eli Manning getting in touch with his young receivers, Manningham and Smith especially, to go over the playbook and work on the cohesiveness of the offense. Team leaders make a habit of doing this kind of thing, they always go over and above. And with the 2009 season behind us and the surprisingly positive production from the Giants receivers last year, Eli has proven the extra time paid off. Now Hakeem Nicks is doing his part to expand his horizons.
It’s going to require more than preseason glimpses and the first few weeks of the regular season to be sure, but assuming Smith, Nicks, and Manningham have all been working on the finer points of their game this offseason – the Giants are going to have a very polished WR core in 2010 that continues to be strength in their offense.
[Quote: Sam B. of Player Press]