July 31, 2005 New York Giants Training Camp Report (Afternoon Practice)

July 31, 2005 New York Giants Training Camp Report (Afternoon Practice)

by BigBlueInteractive.com Contributor Marty in Albany

The afternoon was very muggy and interspersed with light showers and a little thunder. It is now 7:00 PM and it is pouring. (I have to wonder about those late practices that Coach Coughlin has scheduled.) The practice this afternoon was on the lower practice fields, where it is very difficult to see even half of the plays.

S Jack Brewer was back. Apparently he was neither cut nor injured. (Editor’s Note: Jack Brewer missed the morning practice due to heat exhaustion).

Eli Manning played much better this afternoon. He hit on some deep passes and found the open man. QBs Jesse Palmer and Tim Hasselbeck also did better. Hasselbeck threw a few nice looking passes, but his arm is the weakest of the four quarterbacks. I would say it is even weaker than Kurt Warner’s.

The defense looks quite good. All the defensive linemen are well-proportioned and quick. DT Kendrick Clancy is impressively fast. He got over to the sidelines in a hurry on one running play. Even LB Kevin Lewis had a pass deflection. Nick Greisen started at the Will linebacker position filling in for starter Barrett Green, who practices only once a day because of his knee. Nick did well today. Brent Alexander and Gibril Wilson remain the starters at safety. I am told that in the morning one played inside and the other deep, and in the afternoon they swapped positions.

Last year Michael Strahan would beat then RT Dave Diehl on a consistent basis. This year, going up against RT Kareem McKenzie he still wins a few battles, but so does Kareem.

This afternoon the defensive backs worked on nickel and dime packages.

CB Curtis DeLoatch on one play covered WR Plaxico Burress perfectly. The more I watch DeLoatch, the more I am impressed. Plaxico had a decent afternoon. On several plays he ran smoothly down field and made some easy looking catches in full stride, from Eli Manning. WR Tim Carter had several catches too. On one, he raced fifteen yards down the sideline covered by Will Peterson who was giving him about a five yard cushion. Carter came to a sudden stop ran back three steps then stopped again and ran forward about three steps. He then jumped high in the air for the reception. It was a good play by both players. It really showed Carter’s speed and his ability to stop on a dime.

I am told that former defensive tackle great Dana Stubblefield is now an assistant with the Giants.