Tuesday proved to be a memorable day for the NY Giants both on and off the field. It's going to be a busy couple of days for head man Brian Daboll, as this minicamp will be the last time we see the guys in blue out on the field until training camp arrives.
There are some interesting position battles for fans to keep an eye on, while we're also getting a lot of positive updates from coaches and players about how they're feeling with the regular season inching closer.
With that said, not everything is perfect in East Rutherford. In this piece, we have our biggest storylines from Tuesday, with No. 26 of course being a major topic of conversation:
3. Brian Daboll was not happy talking about Saquon Barkley
You already knew that Coach Dabes was going to be asked about Saquon Barkley not being out on the field with the team on Tuesday. Barkley, who can't participate in minicamp because he hasn't signed his non-exclusive franchise tag tender, said on Sunday that he's unsure how things will play out before the July 17 deadline to sign a new contract.
On top of that, Barkley voiced his displeasure with how a lot of different stories have been leaked to the media - but it didn't come from his camp. Daboll was asked all about that on Tuesday. He declined to comment on the Barkley situation as a whole, as Daboll will be keeping things private. Still, in the video below, you can tell he isn't pleased about the whole thing at all:
Brian Daboll is visibly frustrated with the Saquon talks pic.twitter.com/Vm57xMp1kv
— awthentik (@awthentik) June 13, 2023
With Barkley leaving the door open that he could possibly sit out the 2023 campaign if he doesn't sign a long-term deal with the team, it has fans worried. Daboll was asked about trying to plan for the future with or without Barkley on the field, but Daboll said he was more focused on practice on Tuesday.
This is going to be brought up until something happens with Saquon. He has turned down multiple offers from general manager Joe Schoen, as the two can't seem to meet in the middle. There's still plenty of time to get a deal finalized, but Big Blue supporters aren't feeling optimistic about things.
2. Parris Campbell continues to gel with Daniel Jones
One of the most underrated moves made by Schoen this offseason was signing former Colts wideout Parris Campbell to a one-year deal. Campbell is coming off the best season of his young career and Giants fans are ready to see what he can do now that he's in the NFC East. The good news is that he and Danny Dimes are looking sharp together.
• Parris Campbell had four straight catches from Daniel Jones on a drive. He also got reps in the backfield. He's looked like a big piece of the offense this spring. We'll see if that changes when Wan'Dale Robinson returns.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) June 13, 2023
According to Giants insider Dan Duggan, Jones found Campbell four straight times on a drive on Tuesday. Hey, that's music to our ears. Campbell may not be a big name in the league just yet, but he has most definitely made a splash for this team this offseason. In 2022, Campbell caught 63 balls for 623 yards and three touchdowns.
At 6-0, 208 pounds, Campbell has some solid speed and hands. He will be a reliable option for Jones to look at this fall and winter. The more these two work together, the better their chemistry will be for when the Dallas Cowboys head to MetLife Stadium in September. A lot of people are high on Campbell's ability to be electric for this offense. We're excited to see what he can do moving forward.
1. Sterling Shepard is on track to be ready for Week 1
We've said it multiple times and we'll say it again: Sterling Shepard is an easy guy to root for. Shepard made a lot of fans' day on Tuesday, as he revealed that he is ahead of schedule in his rehab and that his goal is to be ready for Week 1 vs. Dallas. Fans at MetLife Stadium would love to see Shep back in uniform to take on Jerry Jones' guys.
The last time the Cowboys and Giants faced off in East Rutherford, Shepard went down with a serious-looking injury late in the fourth quarter of the Dallas win. Soon after, it was confirmed that Shepard had torn his ACL. This came after he tore his Achilles in 2022. It was devastating to see Shepard's season come to an end like that.
However, Shepard never stopped supporting the team even though he wasn't able to put the pads on. With him grinding around the clock to heal up, things are looking promising for him to be out there from the start with his teammates for the regular season. Shepard is back on a one-year deal and we're hoping it turns out to be a memorable one for him.
READ MORE: 4 position battles to watch at NY Giants minicamp