The Giants began their week’s preparation for the winless Dolphins with a rare sight — almost a full roster of able bodies.
Three main contributors were finally able to get back on the practice field. Defensive end Justin Tuck, running back Brandon Jacobs and right guard Chris Snee all returned to action, chomping at the bit to get back to work — even if they’re preparing for the lowly Dolphins.
Snee, who suffered a concussion three weeks ago, said he has no worries about playing Sunday.
“The bye week kind of helped with that,” Snee said of any lingering effects. “If I had to go back out last week and play, I probably would have been a little worried about it. But I had an extra week to heal. I’ll have no contact really until Sunday, so I feel confident.”
Snee also addressed any concerns about getting another concussion.
“I hope this is the only time I have to deal with it, because they say every time [you get a concussion] it gets worse,” Snee said. “If I had to go back last week, I would have been a little worried about it, but now I’m not.”
Head coach Tom Coughlin was asked if Tuck seemed significantly better during his time and the coach said it’s all a process. He added the real test is to see how Tuck’s neck and groin react to the down time, once his body shuts down for the day and he cools down.
“It seemed like it,” Coughlin said when asked if Tuck looked loose. “We will see how they are tomorrow with the guys who are coming back. We tried to stay away from getting anybody in a position where they would be sore, so we will have to see.”
When asked if it’s a relief to finally see his roster becoming intact, Coughlin said it doesn’t hurt.
“It is something that we have been looking for,” Coughlin said. “I don’t know if uplifting would be the word. It is a good sign to have guys out there. Hopefully we will have the consistency of all these guys practicing and it will give us extra gas in our tank.”
Big Blue notes
» Wednesday’s injury list included the usual suspects — linebacker Michael Boley (knee), fullback Henry Hynoski (neck), cornerback Prince Amukamara (foot) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) — but all participated. Coughlin even got testy when asked prior to practice if any players on the injury list would be held back (“just look at the sheet,” he bemoaned), but all worked without much limitations.
»Ramses Barden is almost all the way back from his litany of maladies and was excited to finally get back on the field with his team. The young wideout took about a third of the snaps in practice and was just giddy afterwards: “People always say [they feel like] a kid in a candy store. But I felt like I was in a bank vault without security cameras. This morning in meetings I was jittery and jumping around. Everybody said, ‘Relax.’ They were calling me out – ‘fresh legs’ – and all the little jokes you hear when you come back. But I’m just happy to be back with the guys and feel like I’m part of the team again.”
»Offensive lineman Adam Koets, who, like Barden, has been on the reserve/PUP list (physically unable to perform) all season, is not ready to return to practice. Coughlin said he doesn’t know when to expect Koets’s return: “His back is an issue, so he is not ready to start [practicing]. It has been a process that has gone on for quite some time now. It just hasn’t cleared up in about five weeks. You can’t put a number on it because I am not sure when it showed up. It has been a lengthy thing for him.”
The Giants have up to 21 days before deciding whether to activate any player on the PUP list, terminate his contract or keep him on the reserve/PUP list, effectively ending his season.
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