New toys should mean no excuses
GIANTS TRAINING CAMP PRIMER
BIGGEST COMEBACK
Could make a case for Jason Pierre-Paul here but it has got to be Victor Cruz (left). There are no certainties coming off the ruptured right patella tendon that ended Cruz’s 2014 season after six games and left calf injury and surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2015 season. That’s some serious wear-and-tear on his legs. Will Cruz mark his 30th birthday (Nov. 11) as a productive NFL receiver, a struggling NFL receiver or a former NFL receiver?
BIGGEST POSITION BATTLE
These days, the No. 3 cornerback is viewed as a starter and the identity of the nickel corner will be revealed this summer, with Trevin Wade and first-round pick Eli Apple the most logical candidates. This will be a classic rags and riches competition. Wade, a 2012 seventh-round pick, kicked around in Cleveland and New Orleans and played in all 16 games in 2015 for the Giants. He is a grinder and well-suited for the slot. Apple, long and rangy, was the 10th overall pick and arrives with sublime pedigree. Can he adjust to the rough-andtumble demands of the slot?
MOST FASCINATING NEWCOMER
Already, Janoris Jenkins is showing up on those ubiquitous “Most Overpaid’’ lists after the Giants opened the vault on a five-year, $62.5 million contract that was immediately stamped in NFL circles as exorbitant. Jenkins is 27 and had some big moments for the Rams, but he was a high-risk, high-reward cornerback in St. Louis and the Giants want to smooth out some of those rough edges.
COACH’S TOUGHEST CHALLENGE
A first-time head coach is always under the microscope. Ben McAdoo is 39 and is attempting the difficult juggling act of breaking from the
Tom Coughlin mold while also retaining some of the Coughlin operational approach. McAdoo must command the entire room after two years orchestrating the offense and that transition is often the most difficult for a former coordinator.
MOST INTRIGUING ROOKIE
Everyone loves to see what the newbies can do with the ball in their hands. Sterling Shepard (second round, Oklahoma) seems to be an NFL-ready receiver with smarts and savvy. Shepard looked great in the spring but much stiffer challenges await him. This is not a case of whatever the Giants get from Shepard being a bonus. They need him to be a reliable target and, quite possibly, a starting-caliber receiver sooner rather than later.
MOST NOTABLE ABSENCE
Hmm, let’s see, older gentleman, kinda made an impression in the building, arrived early, stayed late and helped add to the silver hardware display in the trophy case. Of course Coughlin is the most notable absence, as his presence infiltrated every aspect of the organization for a dozen years. The Giants without Coughlin will take some getting used to.