The New York Giants Monday training camp practice was the final normal practice before the team begins preparations for Thursday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets.
Head coach Pat Shurmur changed the practice from an afternoon schedule to a morning schedule. This was because the team needs to be ready to play at 1:00 PM, 4:00PM, and 8:00 PM throughout the regular season. It was also because Shurmur wants to see where his team is in terms of their installations. When the team did most of their installation in the first two weeks of training camp, Shurmur had the team walk through those plays in the morning before running them at full speed in the afternoon.
Shurmur says most of the installation is complete. This makes it easier to practice in the morning and review the morning’s practice in the afternoon. The morning schedule is similar to what the team is going to do in the regular season when the practices are in the afternoon.
The quarterbacks had varying degrees of success Monday.
Eli Manning has been at his best on the shorter and intermediate passes throughout training camp but Monday he was hitting on some of the deeper routes. One of his better throws was to Cody Latimer. The pass was good for a gain of 25 yards. Latimer drew “Oohs” from the crowd when he caught the pass over his shoulder.
Kyle Lauletta was not as fortunate. During 7-on-7 drills, he started to attempt a pass but he tried unsuccessfully to stop himself. The ball slipped out of his hands and hit the ground. Janoris Jenkins crept up from behind, scooped the ball up, and ran for daylight in typical Jackrabbit fashion.
Daniel Jones was solid, going 11-of-17. He continued to show the incredible arm strength displayed throughout training camp. Jones didn’t have any of the SportsCenter highlight reel plays he had early on but the passes still had plenty of zip…in spite of slipping on the grass while throwing the rock on one attempt.
Wide receiver Sterling Shepard decided to test his fractured thumb. He attempted to catch passes with two hands to no avail. Manning threw a fastball to Shepard that went through his hands. He came away flexing his left hand…the one with the fractured thumb. A few moments later, a member of the staff handed him the yellow non-contact jersey.
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The offensive and defensive lines worked on pass rushing. At the end of practice, the units did one-on-one work. Will Hernandez and Kevin Zeitler had got it in, with Zeitler handling Dexter Lawrence. Lorenzo Carter beat Nate Solder with a quick rip move around the edge while Oshane Ximenes won an inside battle.
Rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton (hamstring) saw his first action of training camp doing individual work. Cornerback Grant Haley (shoulder) worked out wearing a non-contact jersey while Sam Beal (hamstring/groin) worked on the side with trainers.
Defensive lineman B.J. Hill did not practice Monday for a very good reason. He and his fiancée welcomed a baby boy into their family Sunday. Long snapper Zak DeOssie and safety Michael Thomas were excused because of NFL Players Association business. Offensive tackle George Asafo-Adjei (concussion), wide receiver Brittan Golden (groin), edge rusher Avery Moss (unknown), and offensive tackle Chad Wheeler (unknown) also did not practice.
– Curtis Rawls is a Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage and covers the NFL and the New York Giants. Please like and follow on Facebook and Twitter. Curtis can be followed on Twitter @CuRawls203.