Tag: giants training camp

Mike Kafka talks Northwestern, Daniel Jones, rookies

New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was a hot name on the NFL head-coaching carousel this past winter, as he was interviewed — and seriously considered — by as many as five teams.

Kafka did not land any of the open jobs and returned to the Giants with a little more juice as he heads into his second season running the offense for head coach Brian Daboll.

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One job opening that could intrigue Kafka going forward is the one at his college alma mater, Northwestern, where head coach Pat Fitzgerald was recently fired after 17 seasons following a hazing scandal.

Kafka, a quarterback, both played and coached under Fitzgerald at Northwestern.

He opened his presser at Giants’ training camp on Thursday morning with some remarks about NU and Fitzgerald, while noting he’s “just focused on today” when asked about the head-coach vacancy there.

Of course, Kafka had to field questions regarding the development of quarterback Daniel Jones, who is entering Year 2 in the offense. He said Jones is now able to “problem-solve faster.”

Kafka also said he and Giants defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, work together to try to make each unit better during drills.

In addition, Kakfa had positive things to say about several young players, including wide receivers Isaiah Hodgins and rookie Jalin Hyatt, and his rookie center, John Michael Schmitz, who Martindale is sending the kitchen sink at in practices.



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New York Giants players excited for OLB ahead of 2023

When the New York Giants selected Georgia outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari No. 50 overall in the 2021 NFL draft, many experts felt they got a steal with someone who they believed was a first-round talent — and, maybe they are right.

Unfortunately, after a promising rookie season where Ojulari set a new Giants franchise rookie record for sacks with eight, he immediately fell victim to the Big Blue injury curse.

Year 2 for Ojulari would prove to be frustrating. Held to just seven games and five starts by a calf issue, he never got on track health-wise but still managed to log 5.5 sacks on the season.

Kayvon Thibodeaux was drafted last April to augment the pass-rush opposite Ojulari but the two were rarely on the field together. He hopes that changes this year.

“It’s going to be exciting,” said Thibodeaux this week at camp. “For him (Ojulari) on paper, you know how many sacks he had to how many plays he had, so just knowing that, I mean, if you can get him 17 games, who knows how many sacks you’ll get. Yeah, he’s definitely one of the most talented pass rushers I’ve ever played with. So yeah, I’m excited to really get it going.”

Veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams also holds Ojulari in high regard.

“Azeez is a great player to have on the team,” Williams said. “He’s a great player to have on the field. It’s unfortunate when guys ever go through injuries and stuff like that. When he was on the field, he was very productive. I think having him out there is always a great thing. I think he’s focusing a lot on taking care of himself and taking care of his body to make sure that he is out there as much as he can be.

“I think he has a natural feel for the game and natural feel for pass rushing,” he added. “I think it’s smooth the way he pass rushes. It doesn’t seem like he has to try too hard. I think it’s great to have all four of us, and even the more additions that we added to the team, just healthy on the field when we’re called upon. We’re trying to create more bond between us all this year and work together.”

The Giants’ defense is beginning to come together, especially in the front seven.

With Williams and Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence upfront, and with Bobby Okereke at inside linebacker and flanked by Thibodeaux and Ojulari, this group has to have Giant fans amped this summer.

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Giants’ Brian Daboll updates injuries, competitions for Week 2 of camp

The New York Giants enter Week 2 of their 2023 training camp on Monday, with opening remarks from head coach Brian Daboll followed by another workout in shorts.

The weather is expected to be much more seasonable temperature-wise for the next four days, with little to no precipitation, so the Giants can expect to get some serious work in.

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Daboll began by addressing some injuries.

Linebacker Jihad Ward (undisclosed but not considered serious) and tight end Ryan Jones (knee) will sit out again and center J.C. Hassenauer (torn triceps) will require surgery and be out long term. The injury was sustained during practice on Sunday.

Daboll said the rotation at center going forward would be John Michael Schmitz, Ben Bredeson, Shane Lemieux and Jack Anderson.

After making his impressive return on Sunday, wide receiver Sterling Shepard (knee) will not practice on Monday, which is part of his rehab schedule.

Like everyone else who witnessed it, Daboll was impressed by the one-handed interception by safety Jason Pinnock at the end of Sunday’s practice.

Daboll addressed the progress of first-round selection Deonte Banks, saying they are loading the corner up early on in camp.

In addition, the coach said he was going to continue to let jobs be won via competition on the field.

Asked what improvements he plans to make in Year 2 as the Giants’ head coach, Daboll joked, “my weight’, which he says he has not done a good job in managing.



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New York Giants’ Jason Pinnock grabs ridiculous one-handed INT at camp

There are great plays, and then there are plays like the one New York Giants defensive back Jason Pinnock pulled off at training camp practice on Sunday.

A 2021 fifth-round pick of the Jets, Pinnock is competing for a starting safety spot in his second year with the Giants and has been gaining momentum during the offseason.

So, he didn’t necessarily need a standout play like the one he made on Sunday, but it sure as hell will help.

The rep saw quarterback Daniel Jones, who was pretty much sacked on the play by defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, loft one up to tight end Darren Waller in the end zone.

But Pinnock was having none of that and went up and snatched the pass out of mid-air with one hand, which promptly drew a proper reaction from fans and teammates.

Here’s another angle of the play.

So, that’s how you stop Waller, eh?



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Giants’ Deonte Banks, Tre Hawkins off to very different starts at camp

The New York Giants selected Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks in the first round of this year’s NFL draft. Big Blue is hopeful that he can win the starting job across from Adoree’ Jackson this summer and give the team a formidable pair of corners.

That is the hope, but through the first few days of training camp, Banks has yet to distinguish himself. He appears to have a lot of seasoning to do and the Giants will need him to shorten his learning curve.

“First, I take notes,’’ Banks told reporters on Friday. “I take notes on my stuff and learn what I can learn from my position, and then I try to see the bigger picture, and see what everybody else is doing. Also, ask vets what they’d do or how they’d look at this or things like that.’’

That’s fine, but on the field, Banks has been inconsistent, like on this one-on-one against tight end Darren Waller.

Granted, these are not full-go, full-contact drills, but Banks has allowed a number of plays to elude him.

That could change as the summer unfolds, though, and especially when the pads come on, as the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Banks is a physical player.

But for every big-ticket draft pick that gets off to a slow start, there’s always another that gets off to a fast one.

Such is the case for sixth-round draft pick, Tre Hawkins III, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound corner out of Old Dominion, who has been impressive thus far at camp.

Hawkins was an under-the-radar pick by general manager Joe Schoen, as he did not participate at the NFL Combine. But if he had, he would not have lasted until the sixth round.

At his pro day, Hawkins ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, which would have placed him in the top 10 at the combine. His 6.74 time in the 3-cone drill would have been good enough for second at the Combine.

He also logged in 17 reps on the bench press, a 37.5-inch vertical and a 4.22 time in the 20-yard shuttle.

Hawkins prides himself on his physical play and loves to tackle, which is why he has increased value as a special teamer.

Should Banks not be ready by opening day, perhaps Hawkins will be. Unlike in recent years, it appears the Giants might be back to finding gems in the late rounds of the draft.



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New York Giants’ Evan Neal may be ahead of the curve after diet change

This week, the New York Giants signed left tackle Andrew Thomas, who has gone from perplexed rookie in 2020 to one of the top players at his position, to a long-term deal that will lock him up in blue until the end of the decade.

The Giants’ right tackle, 2022 first-round pick, Evan Neal, is seeking to do the same. Neal went through some struggles as a rookie last year and wants to take the same type of jump as Thomas and fulfill his promise.

“I feel very comfortable. I felt great out there the past two days,” Neal told reporters via Zoom on Friday. “Just going to use the rest of camp to continue to hone in on those skills, just make small improvements every single day. I feel like I am never going to be a finished product, I am just going to take each day to get better and better.”

He knows he has a ways to go to get to Thomas’ level and is not shy in saying it.

“Andrew Thomas is himself and I am Evan Neal,” he said. “I’m just going to focus on being the best Evan Neal that I can be. Andrew is a great player and he’s a great role model for me as well. I’m just going to continue to get better every single day and control what I can control.”

Like every second-year player in this business, Neal is no longer a bright-eyed rookie. He knows the drill now and is ready to take the next step as a professional. A lot of that comes in the form of conditioning and, yes, nutrition.

Neal revealed he lost some weight over the offseason and even hired a personal chef to help him do that and replace fat with muscle.

“Probably (down) about 10 or 15 pounds. I definitely put on more muscle and got more lean,” Neal revealed. “I weighed in whenever we got here for training camp, I was 345. My final weight was 353, so I shed a few pounds, but I put on a lot more muscle for sure.

“I’ve always trained extremely hard but one thing I can say is I was a lot more conscious about my diet,” he added. “I hired a chef, and it was really helpful in terms of just what I was putting in my body. Just having meals there for me so that way I didn’t have to think about eating, it was already there ready to go for me so that was a big help.

Neal appears to be ahead of the curve when it comes to learning the ropes about NFL success.

The Alabama product is not looking backwards this summer. It’s all about the present and the future.

“Last year was last year, man. I’m really focused on the 2023 season,” he said. “I did feel like it made it more challenging for me because I had never got hurt during the season and had to play through it. So, I definitely feel like that was a factor but I’m not going to make any excuses. That’s the past, we are in the present now.”



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New York Giants training camp: 7 early takeaways

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Darren Waller, the former Pro Bowl tight end the Giants obtained from the Las Vegas Raiders in a trade this offseason, is literally and physically standing out in camp.

The 6-foot-6 Waller is a “freak” who has been practically uncoverable in drills, both in the red zone and in the open field. He possesses a rare combination of size and speed that has his teammates and onlookers steeped in awe.

Wide receiver Darius Slayton described Waller as “a locomotive rolling real fast… ain’t nobody tackling that.’”

Safety Xavier McKinney said Waller has “great hands, can run routes like a regular wideout, can run all the routes. Pretty much can do everything.”

“Being as big as he is, you don’t see guys that big that can move like that,” McKinney said. “So, it makes him real special. It makes him a tough cover every time. When I am on him, it puts me on high alert. I have to be because I know that every play, he can get the ball.’’

“I guess it’s for my size and my weight and I guess the way that I run and the multitude of routes I try to be able to be able to be comfortable running,’’ Waller said. “And a lot of guys don’t necessarily do that.’’



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New York Giants Daboll talks staying cool, Hyatt’s ‘adjustment period’

The New York Giants are cruising along in training camp thus far, but the oppressive heat and humidity in the past week has them re-thinking their process. They held Friday’s workout in the early evening, which was a welcome respite from the weather.

Head coach Brian Daboll is always thinking about how he can work smarter rather than harder.

“We met on it last week, just getting ready for this week,” Daboll said. “So, I think the training staff, nutritionist, sports science, we have tried to get them to a spot these last few days where they are doing what we need them to do to try to stay as healthy as they can with all this heat. That’s training camp.

“We will keep an eye on everybody and make sure we have the cooling tents and all these different drinks to help them stay hydrated. I’m sure they will be sweating a lot out there today.”

Daboll likes to switch things up to keep the players and staff from getting complacent. Some night practices were always in the plans.

“We’re going to do that a few times,” he revealed. “Plus, it gives them a little bit more recovery time, kind of on the third day. And it’s a different feel for the day. So, you know, there will be times during the season we have different schedules. I thought that that was a good thing to do.”

On Friday, reporters were curious about the progress of rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt. Daboll was quick not to judge the third-round pick after just two days, one of which saw Hyatt leave practice early due to a heat-related issue.

“Regardless of the position, when you’re a rookie, there’s always an adjustment period,” Daboll explained. “I coached receivers early in my career for six years or somewhat. Drafted quite a bit of receivers. They’re all different, just like every player. Every position is different. So, the job of the coaching staff is, again, to get these guys as prepared as we can. To get them to buy into the program and do the right thing. Certainly, a lot of stuff to learn. That’s why we are here to try and help them the best we can. He’s got to put the work in, too.”

Hyatt is expected to help the Giants stretch the field in the passing game with his speed and explosiveness. But the rookie has a long way to go before the team thrusts him into a position of trust.

“It’s going to be up to him to go out there and show what he can do,” said Daboll. “We have had two days. We had an OTA, but we’ve had two days. He has a lot of work ahead of him, just like everybody on the team does. Everybody will earn their role, whatever that may be.”

At Tennessee, Hyatt was in a pro-style offense under head coach Josh Heupel. Daboll was asked the difference between that offense and the one he’s building with the Giants.

“I wouldn’t say it’s really that different. I think Josh (Heupel) does a fantastic job there. He runs a lot of good football plays. He executed well, Jalin did. Everybody runs a different offense, it’s not exactly the same. Josh has had a pretty dynamic offense ever since he has coached.”

Daboll also gave updates on some injuries, such as defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, saying “hopefully he’s getting close.”

Daboll also mentioned that rookie Geverrius Owens (bruise) and veteran wideout Cole Beasley (quad) would not practice. As for the six players on PUP, Daboll offered nothing new except that everyone was “getting closer” to returning.

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New York Giants Darren Waller, Daniel Jones ‘gelling’ in training camp

Among the new pass-catchers the New York Giants added this offseason, there’s no question tight end Darren Waller is the most notable.

Waller, who is basically a wide receiver playing tight end thanks to his rare athleticism, developed into an elite player at his position during his five seasons with the Raiders, with only injury being able to slow him down.

While there is that concern with Waller, the Giants are hoping he can not only avoid said issues, but also elevate quarterback Daniel Jones and help him take that next step in his career.

But before that can happen, Waller and Jones must be on the same page, and that’s something they’ve been working on all offseason — and that work continues in training camp, where Waller has been Jones’ favorite target.

“It’s a relationship that’s gelling,” Waller said. “We’ve got a few months under our belt of staying in touch and just open dialogue, ego removed. We can tell each other what we’re thinking, what he may want, things I’ve been comfortable doing and things I like doing and find a midpoint or be able to just learn about each other. I feel like it’s paying off and just trying to keep going day by day and let the results take care of themselves.”

With Jones and Waller connecting early and often in camp, it has also given us a closer look at just how good the Georgia Tech product is, as he’s routinely dominated anyone who has tried to cover him.

Waller’s performance has caught the attention of his teammates, who have heaped praise on the 30-year-old tight end, which he considers an honor.

“I mean, it’s an honor for my teammates to speak of me in that way because these are guys that do it at a high level and have done it for a really long time,” he said. “I guess it’s just for my size and my weight and I guess the way that I run and the multitude of routes that I try to be comfortable running, and a lot of guys don’t necessarily do that.

“But it’s just coming in with a mindset of I don’t want to be limited in any part of my game. Whatever they want to line me up and run at, I want to be able to do that and be effective at it and not just be like, ‘Oh man, I’m not really that good at that,’ or, ‘I can’t do that.’ I want to be able to do everything and just present myself as a viable option to the quarterback every time I run a route. That’s really the goal. Keep it as simple as that. Every single rep I go out there, make myself presentable. If he wants to throw it there, he can throw it there and throw it to me. So that’s just how I approach it.”

Waller finds himself in the right situation with the Giants as he looks to have a bounce-back year.

His offensive coordinator, Mike Kafka, was previously the passing-game coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he worked with the best tight end in the business, Travis Kelce.

If there’s anyone who will know how to properly utilize Waller and get the most out of him, it’s Kafka.



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New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley does part to save fan’s relationship

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is all about bringing people together, something he proved after training camp practice on Thursday.

After signing a one-year deal on Tuesday that fully secured his arrival at training camp on Wednesday, Barkley spotted a Giants fan on Thursday holding a sign that read:

“Saquon my ex will take me back if you sign this.”

Thankfully for the fan, Barkley delivered exactly what he needed and went on to autograph the sign, which now fully puts the ball in the court of the fan’s girlfriend — that is, assuming this is real, which it probably isn’t.

Still, thinking like that makes this less fun, so we choose to believe in love. Check out the hilarious sign and Barkley helping the young man out below.

Not only was the Barkley deal great news for the fan who otherwise would’ve been out of luck had he held out, it was also great news for the Giants, as the star running back and former No. 2 overall pick will play a huge role in the team’s offense in 2023.



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