Credit: William Perlman/The Star-Ledger via USA TODAY Sports
The New York Giants have officially wrapped up the 2014 NFL draft, but as 30 other teams prepare for rookie minicamps this offseason, the Giants have gone a different route. Given the chaotic timeline of events, the organization has elected against holding one altogether.
Rather than force a minicamp into the offseason program window, head coach Tom Coughlin explained that he prefers to maintain an order and flow — this means working the rookies and vets simultaneously:
“ never been done before. In the past you’ve had to work it so that when they came for the minicamp, they stayed. Well, we’re into the program, we’re on the field four days a week, so to shut this thing down so we can have a rookie minicamp or do something, a one-day camp on the weekend, we could have them on the field Tuesday .”
The draft being pushed back this year has placed a restrictive wall on every team’s scheduling, and the Bengals have followed suit in deciding against a minicamp for their draftees.
Whether this approach works will be determined down the road, but from a logistical standpoint it feels like the prudent call. With that said…the rooks will be thrown directly into the flame from the word go.