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The second week of New York Giants training camp finally brought the pads and the kind of physical sessions that start to separate the roster.
After a measured opening stretch built around installs and tempo, the Giants settled into a series of demanding practices that tested technique, toughness and consistency under live conditions. John Harbaugh’s staff has stressed accountability and daily improvement from the start, and the results on the field are beginning to show who is meeting that standard and who is still catching up.
As the team exits West Virginia and shifts toward the preseason, these mid-camp evaluations offer a clear early snapshot of the roster’s hierarchy and the storylines that will define the coming weeks.
Here is a look at whose stock is up and whose is down after Week 2.
Perhaps no player improved their status more than wide receiver Dalen Cambre throughout Week 2. He was the most consistently dominant player, making remarkable catches on offense, while also contributing on special teams.
Cambre caught the eye of his teammates and the coaching staff.
"I see him make a circus catch every single day. And not just that, he's doing all the other things. He's doing special teams. He knows what he's doing. He's running great routes," Harbaugh told reporters. "I think he's making a move. I think he's done a great job and he's got our attention."
Embattled offensive lineman Evan Neal did make several nice blocks on touchdown runs during the final moments of Saturday's practice, but those were his lone highlights of the week.
Outside of that string of plays, Neal has been "glued" to the third-team and barely receiving any reps.
Don't look now, but Deonte Banks has been stealing first-team reps from Paulson Adebo and making his presence felt. He remains somewhat inconsistent when making plays on the ball, but that hasn't overshadowed his otherwise stellar play.
"Oh, absolutely," Harbaugh said when asked if Banks earned a promotion. "It's competitive; guys are competing. I've told you before, I really feel good about our corner depth. I think we've got some guys there. So, we're just going to let those guys keep competing and it brings out the best in everybody. I thought all the corners played well today.
"We've known Tae for a long time. He's from the area there, played at Maryland. We knew him coming out. I was really thrilled that he was on the team coming here. And I was excited to see how he did and he's done really well."
Theo Johnson did not have a terrible Week 2. In fact, it could be argued that he does not belong under "stock down" because he did make some big grabs and tough catches. However, he continues to have issues with drops, and it's that inconsistency that's leading to frustration.
Johnson has the opportunity to become a legitimate offensive threat for the Giants, but if he can't get his hands right, what value is he late in the fourth quarter when Jaxson Dart needs to find a reliable outlet?
Beyond that, the Giants also toiled around with the idea of using Johnson under center in a sneak/tush push scenario. It didn't work out.
Maybe we're being too harsh here?
Rookie linebacker Arvell Reese was the star of the show on defense in Week 2. He lined up all over the field and made plays on a regular basis. His back-to-back hits on running back Cam Skattebo really turned some heads, while he drew consistent praise from his teammates and coaches.
"You see the talent, obviously. I think he's very sharp for a first-year guy. He gets things right pretty much all the time, makes very few mistakes. He's a very serious-minded guy, and he's very determined," Harbaugh said of Reese.
"I think the most impressive thing is that he wants to learn," fellow linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. "I like to talk about off the field because he's somebody that wants to learn, somebody that wants to get better. Anybody come up, say something to him, 'I got you.' And he knows ball. So, at the end of the day the ceiling is high for him. And he's out here working every day and he's putting it on display. So, he's going to be a good player for a while."
It remains baffling that Reese fell to the Giants.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart and the offense were slow to start training camp, and that leaked over into Week 2. It wasn't until mid-week that things began to turn around. Unfortunately for Dart, he reacted poorly when finally finding some success, earning a 15-yard personal foul penalty after flipping the football at a defender.
"I think he understands that for the game-winning extra point, we don't want it to be a 50-yard extra point. Do you think I need to say anything in that case? Pretty clear-cut, right?" Harbaugh said of the penalty.
After that, Dart settled in and stacked some of his better days of camp. They were far from perfect, but his comfort level in the pocket improved and he began to settle in against Dennard Wilson's exotic defense.
"Obviously, there's things that you go out there and maybe it's our first time running something or whatever, and you kind of have things you talk through. But a lot of times we have the opportunity the next day to have a chance to fix it and go at it again," Dart said. "So, I think the really good thing that I'm seeing right now with the offense is our communication after practices being able to fix adjustments for the next day, and that's really encouraging to see. And I think that if we just continue to do this process we'll be in a good spot."
Baby steps.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants training camp: Whose stock is up, down after Week 2?
Continue reading...
After a measured opening stretch built around installs and tempo, the Giants settled into a series of demanding practices that tested technique, toughness and consistency under live conditions. John Harbaugh’s staff has stressed accountability and daily improvement from the start, and the results on the field are beginning to show who is meeting that standard and who is still catching up.
As the team exits West Virginia and shifts toward the preseason, these mid-camp evaluations offer a clear early snapshot of the roster’s hierarchy and the storylines that will define the coming weeks.
Here is a look at whose stock is up and whose is down after Week 2.
Stock up: WR Dalen Cambre
Perhaps no player improved their status more than wide receiver Dalen Cambre throughout Week 2. He was the most consistently dominant player, making remarkable catches on offense, while also contributing on special teams.
Cambre caught the eye of his teammates and the coaching staff.
"I see him make a circus catch every single day. And not just that, he's doing all the other things. He's doing special teams. He knows what he's doing. He's running great routes," Harbaugh told reporters. "I think he's making a move. I think he's done a great job and he's got our attention."
Stock down: OL Evan Neal
Embattled offensive lineman Evan Neal did make several nice blocks on touchdown runs during the final moments of Saturday's practice, but those were his lone highlights of the week.
Outside of that string of plays, Neal has been "glued" to the third-team and barely receiving any reps.
Stock up: CB Deonte Banks
Don't look now, but Deonte Banks has been stealing first-team reps from Paulson Adebo and making his presence felt. He remains somewhat inconsistent when making plays on the ball, but that hasn't overshadowed his otherwise stellar play.
"Oh, absolutely," Harbaugh said when asked if Banks earned a promotion. "It's competitive; guys are competing. I've told you before, I really feel good about our corner depth. I think we've got some guys there. So, we're just going to let those guys keep competing and it brings out the best in everybody. I thought all the corners played well today.
"We've known Tae for a long time. He's from the area there, played at Maryland. We knew him coming out. I was really thrilled that he was on the team coming here. And I was excited to see how he did and he's done really well."
Stock down: TE Theo Johnson
Theo Johnson did not have a terrible Week 2. In fact, it could be argued that he does not belong under "stock down" because he did make some big grabs and tough catches. However, he continues to have issues with drops, and it's that inconsistency that's leading to frustration.
Johnson has the opportunity to become a legitimate offensive threat for the Giants, but if he can't get his hands right, what value is he late in the fourth quarter when Jaxson Dart needs to find a reliable outlet?
Beyond that, the Giants also toiled around with the idea of using Johnson under center in a sneak/tush push scenario. It didn't work out.
Maybe we're being too harsh here?
Stock up: LB Arvell Reese
Rookie linebacker Arvell Reese was the star of the show on defense in Week 2. He lined up all over the field and made plays on a regular basis. His back-to-back hits on running back Cam Skattebo really turned some heads, while he drew consistent praise from his teammates and coaches.
"You see the talent, obviously. I think he's very sharp for a first-year guy. He gets things right pretty much all the time, makes very few mistakes. He's a very serious-minded guy, and he's very determined," Harbaugh said of Reese.
"I think the most impressive thing is that he wants to learn," fellow linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. "I like to talk about off the field because he's somebody that wants to learn, somebody that wants to get better. Anybody come up, say something to him, 'I got you.' And he knows ball. So, at the end of the day the ceiling is high for him. And he's out here working every day and he's putting it on display. So, he's going to be a good player for a while."
It remains baffling that Reese fell to the Giants.
Mixed stock: QB Jaxson Dart
Quarterback Jaxson Dart and the offense were slow to start training camp, and that leaked over into Week 2. It wasn't until mid-week that things began to turn around. Unfortunately for Dart, he reacted poorly when finally finding some success, earning a 15-yard personal foul penalty after flipping the football at a defender.
"I think he understands that for the game-winning extra point, we don't want it to be a 50-yard extra point. Do you think I need to say anything in that case? Pretty clear-cut, right?" Harbaugh said of the penalty.
After that, Dart settled in and stacked some of his better days of camp. They were far from perfect, but his comfort level in the pocket improved and he began to settle in against Dennard Wilson's exotic defense.
"Obviously, there's things that you go out there and maybe it's our first time running something or whatever, and you kind of have things you talk through. But a lot of times we have the opportunity the next day to have a chance to fix it and go at it again," Dart said. "So, I think the really good thing that I'm seeing right now with the offense is our communication after practices being able to fix adjustments for the next day, and that's really encouraging to see. And I think that if we just continue to do this process we'll be in a good spot."
Baby steps.
More stock up:
- OL Francis Mauigoa
- WR Odell Beckham Jr.
- WR Calvin Austin III
- WR Malachi Fields
- WR Darius Slayton
- TE Isaiah Likely
- S Raheem Layne
- K Dominic Zvada
More stock down:
- OL Andrew Thomas
- OL Jon Runyan Jr.
- CB Paulson Adebo
- K Ben Sauls
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants training camp: Whose stock is up, down after Week 2?
Continue reading...
