Miscellaneous Giants notes through OTAs.
1) Kevin Boss will have arthroscopic surgery on his ankle. He’ll be ready for training camp at the beginning of August. Other injury updates and off season items are noted in the link.
2) Falconer noted a web chat from earlier this week featuring Steve Smith. Of particular interest was Smith’s remark about his breakout player for 2010: “Bradshaw is ready to take his game to another level. He had his ankles and feet worked on, and he has enough talent and enough ability to make some big plays for us.” The thesis in this circle before the draft was that RB was a need, but not at the expense of defense. Between the 4 returning walking wounded (Jacobs, Bradshaw, Ware and Brown), this committee of oft-injured will find two who can get it done. If Smith has indications that Bradshaw is a ‘new’ man because of the work done on his wheels, then that would be something to get upbeat about. There is no one out there who is more of a booster of #44 than UltimateNYG. Our toned down enthusiasm was merely the reality of a progression of three consecutive seasons of progressively worse injuries that limited his contribution. In 2007 he missed the last game of the regular season vs the Patriots. In 2008 he played with a neck injury, and we never quite understood why he was not getting more touches if he was able to return kickoffs. In 2009 we found out about a chronic foot injury that turned into both feet and an ankle. Was there any part of this guy’s body that was NOT hurt? We love his fierceness and courage… his willingness to run between the tackles and take a beating. But it is getting increasingly harder and harder to get too excited about what he can deliver for this team, when he is seemingly one play away from another injury and another diminished role. If Bradshaw is 100%, he is electric. It has been so long since we have seen that. Can he stay healthy for ONE season? If the answer is yes, then the Giants will be in great shape. Smith seems to think so and we hope he knows better.
2a) Smith also commented on the evolving leadership of Eli Manning. This team desperately cries out for leadership. Manning will never be the kind of player who has WRs maniacally attentive to their patterns/holding onto the ball, or OL maniacally attentive to making every single block. But he is going in the right direction and every little bit helps.
3) Remember on Monday how Glenn called Brian Cushing a liar?!! Well, yesterday, so did another ex-NFL steroid user. Good job, Glenn.
4) All this talk by Jacobs? About the last ring? That was THREE YEARS AGO. Ancient history. Kiwanuka’s got it figured out- just go out and win another championship. That is all that matters.
5) Garafolo on the OTAs… Ross et al, good update. You cannot draw conclusions about a player from one nugget of information on one player, but why does it always seem that Wilkinson is pushing the ball up the hill? We’ll have the summer to talk about this, but for my money I think Thomas will win the starting CB job and Ross will be in the slot. Like it or not, at this point Thomas is a 3 and Ross is a 4… getting replaced. Care to bet on that one, Bakes?
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