Giants Rookie Camp

In the next few hours the Giants will wrap up the 2019 edition of the annual Rookie Mini-Camp. Traditionally, the draft picks and signed UDFA's attend, as well as a plethora of tryout players looking for a chance to keep playing.  Every few years the NFL changes the rules about who can attend the camps, so, this year Sam Beal couldn't attend (because he was on injured reserve) but Victor Salako, who'd been on the team for awhile, was allowed. Figure that.

There are at least three important elements of these camps.

First it's nice, though not essential, so see the drafted players flash. To wit, Daniel Jones, showed he can walk and chew gum, and quiet a bit more. The defenders all looked active, and George Asfaro-Adjei was kept at Right Tackle - no Guard snaps. What's also nice is when UDFA or tryout players flash.  The Giants are still below the 90 player offseason limit, so they will be able to sign anyone that flashes. They can also cut UDFA and street players who didn't flash, so there could be significant roster movement as a result of these events.  And that is significant because that's how the Giants find Victor Cruz's and Richie Seuberts. Let's hope lightning strikes again.

Second, the mini-camps give us a window into what the coaches might have planned for the coming season. For example, the Giants intriguiningly moved 340 pound + Dexter Lawrence up and down the defensive line during the practices. This guy is huge, but athtletic and is worth trying at more than just the nose. Good stuff.

Before the draft, we thought the Giants might take one of those S/CB combo DB's during the draft.  Instead they took 3 more corners (4 if you count Beal).  But, during this weekened's mini-camp they had their 4th round pick, CB Julian Love, play both slot corner and safety. Jabrill Peppers has done stuff like that over his career, and now they're developing another guy who could have positional versatlity within a series. That's particularly valuable if the coaches have a blitz coming from somewhere  So we're seeing the D might be blitzier.

On offense, I don't know if Syracuse QB Eric Dungy is signed or a tryout, but they listed him as QB-TE, which screams trick plays. Two of the better plays last season occured when Eli flipped it to OBJ and then Odell threw a bomb.  OBJ is gone, but Dungy can throw bombs, and maybe learn H-back.  Intriguing.

Finally, I think it's important that the draft picks and signed players bond, and start becoming enculturated to the idea of being Giants. When they were wining Super Bowls, the Giants had the best "room" in the business. Not so much since, so it's got to begin on weekends like this.  Back around 2005 when Chris Snee was a second year player and Justin Tuck was a rookie out of Notre Dame, they started going to Yankee games together whenever they could. You can still see Tuck at Knicks and Rangers games from time to time. Anyway, during the Fassel years, it had sort of been D versus O. And Snee and Tuck, and their teammates changed that, and won. So these early relationships are key.

Other than that, it's key to avoid injuries - which they haven't been able to do (two UDFA/tryout guys got "knees").  And that's about that.

Let's see who they sign.

UPDATE: At camp conclusion the Giants signed P Ryan Anderson, DE Alex Jenkins, and DB Tenny Adewusi.  No new Victor's or Richie's yet, but it's fluid.

MORE ROSTER MOVES: The Giants signed Guard Austin Droogsma and waived LB Ukeme Eligwe, DE Myles Humphrey and DB Michael Hunter.  That opens up two more spots of the  90.