Very often after a long, hot day of pads in training camp, the veteran players are the first ones off the field. This is not the case for quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the two biggest names on the New York Giants offense are staying after practice to get more reps in.
Two players who could probably coast into preseason and Week 1 are instead putting in extra time together to make up for lost time.
It is invaluable time for Manning and Beckham, who didn’t get too many reps in this spring as the star wide receiver continued to heal and rehab from a season-ending ankle injury last fall. Now with Beckham back and looking healthy, the two biggest pieces of the Giants offense – and perhaps their season – are sticking around through the dog days of summer to get extra time on the field.
“We missed a lot of time in the spring, just trying to get work on some routes where you might get to run it one time in routes versus air or run it one time during the course of practice,” Manning said. “We are imagining different coverages, different techniques, maybe I didn’t work it to him on that side because of the coverage and you say, “hey lets work now, I didn’t get to throw it to you.” Just trying to get a few extra reps on things that we haven’t gotten the opportunity to throw those routes in the course of that practice.”
These are important days for Manning and Beckham but also for the offensive line.
In the unofficial depth chart released by the Giants on Monday, Jon Halapio was named the team’s starting center. This means more adjustments for Manning.
The 27-year old Halapio made 10 appearances and six starts for the Giants last year. Prior to that time with the Giants, his first game experience in the NFL no less, Halapio bounced around several NFL teams and even played in the now-defunct FXFL.
Like he is with Beckham, there is also a time this training camp for Manning to get on the same page with the man who snaps him the ball.
“I think it’s going well. I think it’s always important to get on the same page as the offensive line, especially the center. There is a lot of communication, just making sure we are picking up blitzes,” Manning said. “I think it’s been great going against our style of defense, a lot of different looks, a lot of different blitzes. There are some things you have to learn, just making sure we are seeing things the same way so I tell him and he can relay it to the rest of the offensive line. I think it’s going really smooth, and I think after every game we will watch film together and get on the same page.”
