Before practice today, head coach Pat Shurmur, running back Jonathan Stewart and cornerback Eli Apple spoke to the media. This is what you need to know from the pressers:
1. Eli Apple continues to mature. After a good rookie year, Eli Apple looked to continue to improve in his sophomore year, which ended up being a rough season on and off the field. Head coach Pat Shurmur is giving all his players a clean slate going into this season, which is good for the young corner.
"Just a few months into this, I'm seeing a guy that's all about his business," Shurmur said. "He is very business-like and he is covering really well which is a good attribute for a corner. I like the way he is working he's out there challenging but he is also being smart. In my mind, based on what I've seen, he's acting like a pro."
After hearing the high praise from his coach, Apple knows the importance of making a good first impression.
"That was a first impression type of thing, I just wanted to show that I'm a hard worker and just continue to show that even now, because as we continue to go on with these practices, it's about just staying on top of that and trying to get better every day."
2. The Giants have a strong running back group. The last time the Giants had a 1,000-yard rusher was back in 2012 with Ahmad Bradshaw. Now with Saquon Barkley, the hope is he'll be the next one, as he learns the ropes from veteran Jonathan Stewart. But don't think of Stewart as your typical mentor/veteran type player.
"At the end of the day, we're a team and there's no hierarchy," Stewart said. "Yeah, you have to do your job and you have to help the team win, but the moment you start thinking of yourself as something bigger than the team, that's when things can go downhill."
Shurmur believes that the running backs have been working well together and have been feeding off each other.
"I think they work well together. I think Craig [Johnson] is an excellent teacher. Its not like in the meeting rooms the coaches are just telling players what to do, there is constant communication and constant feedback," Shurmur said. "I see because of the veteran presence of Jonathan Stewart, then you have younger players like Wayne Gallman and then even Rob Martin has done a nice job and obviously Saquon [Barkley]. We have a good group in there, a group of guys that are pretty smart about what they want to do and they communicate well. I think that makes for a good group."
3. The secondary is looking dangerous. Through the first two days of training camp, the secondary has produced…and celebrated. When a play is made, the secondary doesn't hold back on the sideline with the noise.
"It's always great to see guys make plays and getting picks, especially as a secondary, that's what we want to see on the field. But we've just got to keep it going every day," Apple said.
Apple is looking forward to the defense's development to game ready.
"It's an aggressive defense, lot of man, but we also change things up so we can keep the offense on their toes a little bit. It's going to be great. You guys are going to have to sit back and watch and see, but I'm definitely looking forward to it."
