Football is back.
Well, not really.
But the Giants held their first day of rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Center on Friday and … it didn’t exactly bring the excitement of a training camp practice.
The Giants only had 22 players in attendance, including six draft picks, three undrafted rookie free agents, five tryout players and some holdover players on the roster eligible to participate in the camp.
There isn’t a whole lot to take away from a practice with more coaches than players, but there still are some things worth noting that transpired.
Here are some observations from practice, that lasted a little bit more than an hour:
– ‘Shoeless’ Kadarius Toney: The Giants rookie (wearing his new No. 89) made his debut and it was … a strange afternoon for him. He spent the start of practice in a battle with one of his cleats. As noted by The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, he started out the practice with blue cleats and no socks, went to red cleats and no socks, then red cleats and white socks.
He did some warmups early in practice while wearing only one cleat, and throughout the time he spent running and catching in drills he awkwardly walked off the field a few times staring at his shoe.
Eventually, he was shut down, though it’s unclear if he was injured.
Cornerback Rodarius Williams also went to the sideline and didn’t participate in the post-practice conditioning drills with what looked like a calf issue.
About Toney’s cleat dilemma, Giants coach Joe Judge said after practice “we’ll handle that and make sure it’s not an issue going forward,” but wasn’t able to offer any update on Toney’s health. The rookie wide receiver will speak to the media later on Friday afternoon so it’s unlikely anything to be concerned about for now.
There wasn’t much to surmise about how Toney (or any player, really) looked at day one camp, at least from the media’s perspective. The viewing area was too far to make any real observations, and the Giants didn’t have enough players to run any real team drills (like 11 on 11 or 7 on 7). The defensive prospects in particular (namely rookies Azeez Ojulari and Aaron Robinson) were too far away to seriously observe anything of note.
– Kelvin Benjamin and a Popeye’s biscuit: Back in 2018, ESPN broadcaster Booger McFarland joked during a Bills game that Benjmain was one Popeye’s biscuit away from being a tight end. Well, he must’ve eaten the biscuit.
Benjamin was playing tight end for the Giants at practice on Friday as a tryout player. The 30-year-old hasn’t played since 2018 but was once a promising young reciever, getting more than 1,000 yards as a rookie with the Panthers in 2014 before eventually getting traded to the Bills and quickly falling out of the league. Benjamin was a first-round pick of the Panthers in 2014 when Giants general manager Dave Gettleman was in that job with Carolina.
Judge said that Benjamin — listed at 6-foot-5 and (a generous) 245 pounds — isn’t necessarily only going to be practicing at tight end in the Giants’ three-day minicamp. Judge referred to him as a receiver and “flex tight end”.
“He’s a big guy, he’s always been a big receiver,” Judge said. “I wouldn’t pin him down to any one position at this point.”
– Other tryout intrigue: The Giants had a couple of intriguing veteran running backs in for the rookie minicamp too: Corey Clement and Ito Smith.
Clement, an N.J. native, was a Super Bowl hero for the Eagles in 2017, getting 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in the title game as an undrafted rookie against the Patriots. Judge was New England’s special teams coach at the time. Clement since had fallen victim to injuries and a deeper roster of running backs in Philadelphia and so they didn’t bring him back as he hit free agency. He’s accumulated 551 total yards combined since the Super Bowl run.
Smith is a former Falcons fourth-round pick that showed some promise as a rookie in 2018, scoring four touchdowns, but since hadn’t played much for Atlanta and was cut this offseason.
Another tryout player was Frank Feaster, a fullback originally from Westwood. He played collegiately at Muhlenberg College. There also was Nathan Rourke, an undrafted rookie listed at quarterback though he was practicing at tight end.
“We just want to get a look at them, work them in our system a little bit,” Judge said of the tryout players. “There’s the potential to add them to our team.”
– QB1… for camp: There was only one quarterback at practice on Friday: Clayton Thorson, who spent much of last season on the Giants practice squad. Rourke played quarterback at Ohio but wasn’t practicing at the position on Friday.
Thorson is the early favorite to be the Giants’ third QB/practice squad stash this season.
– Undrafted free agents: The Giants finally officially announced their small undrafted free agency class earlier this week and it includes Florida center Brett Heggie, Baylor offensive lineman Jake Burton and defensive end Raymond Johnson III.
Of note, Heggie and Burton were the only two offensive linemen at camp
“I think these guys had good tape in college,” Judge said. “They’re both talented players that have been working very hard. In terms of where they are right now … they’re both working very hard right now and giving themselves a chance to catch up. I liked the way they worked today on the field. It’s tough being in a camp where you’re the only two linemen, but those guys handled it well.”
Get Giants text messages: Cut through the clutter of social media and text directly with beat writers. Plus, exclusive news and analysis. Sign up now for a free trial.
Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.
Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
