After practice today, head coach Pat Shurmur, wide receiver Sterling Shepard and middle linebacker Alec Ogletree spoke to the media. This is what you need to know from the pressers:
1. Running backs are receivers, too. The game of football has evolved from receivers just catch the ball and running backs just run the ball. Nowadays, running backs that can run and catch hold a higher value. Coach Pat Shurmur believes Saquon Barkley and the rest of his backs can do that.
"[Saquon]'s got excellent ball skills. In terms of reminding me of backs, we all remember Brian Westbrook and guys like that, they are big time threats when you throw it to them. If you noticed today we had that 'move the ball' period that was unscripted and in the first play we were trying to throw the ball to either Odell [Beckham Jr.] or Sterling [Shepard] down the field but if they vacated the flat just pop it to the back, catch the ball and run for a bunch of yards," Shurmur said. "We had another one later where we were trying to throw the ball inside to Evan [Engram] and things got jumbled up, they lost the back, and we threw it out to our right side for a big gain."
"Running backs need to catch the ball in today's offense and I think we've got guys in our running back group who can do it."
2. Coach Shurmur immersing himself in the team. Being a new head coach and having a new coaching staff, it's hard to sometimes really get to know your team quickly and get a full feel for your team when the season starts. Sterling Shepard thinks coach Shurmur is doing a good job getting to know his new team.
"To have a head coach that's gonna meet up with the players and is real in-touch with the players, it's good to have. Coach has been great so far. Just trying to pick everything up right now and figure out what this team has," Shepard said. "I think that was the big thing. He's talked about coming out in the first half and things don't go your way, that's kind of what practice was for us today, weren't really going our way and trying to test this team and see what we have to come back out in the second half and get things done."
3. The 1-2 punch at wide receiver. It's no secret that the top receivers for the Giants are Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard. Both have done an excellent job since being drafted in 2014 and 2016, respectively. The two being close helps the team on and off the field.
"Most of the time it's about technique or what I was thinking on some route or what he was thinking or whatever is coming up in the script and what we're excited for," Shepard said. "We're always just picking each others brains. I'm always picking his brain, for sure. Trying to see what he's thinking or what he thought about whatever just happened or whatever I just did."
