Giants: Training Camp Analysis

In one of my previous blog posts analyzing the competition for the reserve OL positions, I said that determining who made the team depended greatly on who emerged as the backup C and who was going to be the primary backup at the G position. First indications are that the Giants are trying to get Koets to be backup C and Tutan Reyes will be the first backup at G. When O'Hara took a break at C, Koets was taking reps. Of course, he fumbled 3 qb exchanges, so maybe that's not such a good sign for Koets. But, Koets is a natural T and playing more than one position is crucial for a reserve OL-man.

Seubert hurt his shoulder and had to come off the field for a while. Tutan Reyes went in and was taking the snaps with the starting offense. If that arrangement holds(Koets backup C, Reyes backup G, Beatty LT of the future) Boothe and Whimper could be on the outside looking in. If the Giants decide to carry 9 OL-men, one of those two could sneak onto the final roster, probably Whimper.

The surprise of training camp was not that Boley and Robbins were put on the PUP list, which we predicted here, but that Rocky Bernard was put on the NFI (non football injury) list. He apparently had a hamstring injury that got worse in the last 5 weeks. I am not sure what this means - if it is just positional by the Giants to prepare for any eventuality, depending on his progress recovering from this injury. Alternatively, it could somehow shows that the Giants are ticked off at Bernard for not taking care of himself after the conclusion of the off-season conditioning program at Giants Stadium. Maybe they are having second thoughts about signing him to that FA contract.Continuing with this logic, perhaps they will see who progresses best from the off season injury - Bernard or Robbins - keep one and release the other. There are some technical/contractual and legal difficulties with releasing a FA before the season starts, which may be why they put him on NFI. That probably gives the Giants some more leeway to take what will surely be seen as a peculiar action of cutting a FA before he has gotten a chance to suit up for the team. The good news at DT is that Cofield was practicing with no limitations. Giants are being cautious and not letting him practice twice a day, but he seems to be doing well after his surgery.

I know it's only the first day of training camp and it's way too early to draw conclusions and make final predictions, but if injuries and other factors do not get in the way, I am finding it less and less likely that Superbowl hero David Tyree will make the final roster. Clearly, he is the 7th best WR on the team. Veterans Smith, Hixon, Moss, Mannigham, and rookies Nicks and Barden are clearly ahead of Tyree and are pretty well guaranteed to make the team. That means that Tyree's best chance to make the team would be to get a "special exemption" as a ST player. But consider the following: last year the Giants carried 6 CBs, two of whom were older players that did not play on ST, Sam Madison and RW McQuarters. (RW occasionally returned punts, but I'm talking about ST, not one of the returners.) Because of the departure of those two, the Giants will add at least two (perhaps three) CBs. The depth chart at CB now looks like: Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Kevin Dockery and last year's rookie surprise, Terrell Thomas. Giants have several CBs in camp, including some late round draftees from the 2009 draft. It is possible that the Giants may pick up a CB for depth or experience that is cut from another team, but it is extremely likely that whomever is chosen for these open two spots will be young, athletic and fast AND will be a good ST player. That could greatly reduce the probability that Tyree will stand out as a special (sic) ST player and may limit greatly his chances of making the team.