There’s nothing like signing a three-year, $54 million deal, not living up to it in Year 1, and then starting Year 2 by not showing up for the first day of voluntary workouts under a new head coach. I’m not here to speculate on his absence -- there could be a bunch of reasons for it -- but it’s not a great look when he’s the only one who didn’t let John Harbaugh know he wouldn’t be there.
When asked about Adebo's absence, Harbaugh, not upset, was just as in the dark as everyone else, saying:
"It's his right. It’s his reason. Whatever his reason is, I'll be interested to hear it. It is what it is, it's okay."
Paulson Adebo’s absence stands out on first day of Giants workouts
The 26-year-old cornerback is well within his rights to skip voluntary workouts. They're literally called "voluntary." It's actually in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that he -- or any player -- doesn't have to attend. It's all choice. Still, it's odd that a player wouldn’t at least give their coach a heads-up.
There were only two other Giants who didn't attend Tuesday's workout: Dexter Lawrence and Sam Roberts. Lawrence was not expected to be at practice. The 28-year-old requested a trade on Monday after contract negotiations stalled. As for Roberts, he's still recovering from surgery and isn't medically cleared to travel until his stitches heal.
That leaves Adebo as the only unexplained -- and unexpected -- absence. Still, it didn't seem to shake Harby at all. The 63-year-old has been around long enough to know the drill:
"Paulson wasn't here. There's no excused or unexcused. It's voluntary. Guys come or not come according to their choosing. Voluntary-type time of year."
What is interesting is that the former Stanford standout is entering the second year of his $54 million deal signed last offseason. His deal includes workout bonuses of $250,000 per year if he meets a specific percentage of the team's offseason activities. Catch me in a Giants 21 jersey at the facility tomorrow.
Adebo’s first year in North Jersey was rough. He played 12 games due to a knee injury and played terribly when he was on the field, allowing 48 catches on 74 targets for 579 yards and two touchdowns. His impact dropped across the board too, finishing with a 58.4 overall Pro Football Focus grade and posting the second-lowest coverage grade of his career (57.9).
Maybe he's Mr. Miyagi-ing us all right now, and there's a method to the madness. It feels odd that after such a bad first season with the Giants, this is how he'd like to start off his second, but again, we don't know why he didn't show. Which is kinda the problem. Unless there's a reason for doing so, skipping voluntary workouts, especially with a new head coach in the building, isn't a great look.