Apple puts clamps on Cruz
For the first time since training camp began, cornerback Eli Apple showcased the coverage that led the Giants to select him with the 10th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
Apple, getting first-team reps, enjoyed his best practice, starring in one-on-one drills against wide receivers and twice blanketing Victor Cruz and forcing incompletions. A former Ohio State star from Voorhees, N.J., Apple got called for two holding penalties but those were his lone hiccups on a stellar afternoon.
“He had some tight man-to-man coverage, he was physical out there, and he forced some guys to the sideline, to the boundary, leaving the quarterback no room to throw,” Giants coach Ben McAdoo said. “That was exciting to see.”
Odell Beckham Jr. followed his return in Friday’s walk-through by being a full participant in Saturday’s practice. The dynamic wide receiver caught a long pass over cornerback Janoris Jenkins in 11-on-11 team drills and didn’t appear to be limited at all by the left lower-leg injury he suffered last Sunday, which cost him three practices. Beckham suffered lacerations to his left leg after Jenkins cleated him while going up for a pass, but he seems well past that now.
“He looked good to me,” McAdoo said. “He was right in the mix, right in the protocol, exactly what we’re looking for.”
Saturday’s practice was the longest of training camp at two hours and 20 minutes. It included pads for the fourth time in eight practices and a lot of hitting. McAdoo was pleased with the high-intensity workout. Both the offense and defense had their moments, from Beckham’s long touchdown catch to Jason Pierre-Paul recovering an Eli Manning fumble and returning it 60 yards for a touchdown.
“Today was a big day for us,” McAdoo said. “This was a big moment for us in the training camp, a heavy-hitting, physical practice. We had a lot of explosive movements in tight quarters.
“A lot of contact, a lot of physicality, and we got through it. We checked the box. It wasn’t as good as it could be, but we checked the box. It will be the starting point for a good foundation.” McAdoo’s eclectic mixture of music continued Saturday, including Tupac Shakur, Frank Sinatra and the theme song to “Law & Order.”