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Notes and observations from the sidelines (7/28)

Day three of Giants training camp was the first fully padded practice for the team this summer. We had our first session of offensive line/defensive line one-on-ones as well. Let's get to it.

  • This is the time of training camp, as it is most years, when the defense seems a little further along than the offense. That was once again the case today, generally speaking, as it has been through the first few days.

-       Practice had a good level of physicality. There weren't any plays that put anyone at risk of injury, but there was good physical contact between offense and defense. The defense, especially, was not shy about letting the offensive players know they were there after catches. Landon Collins shouldered Evan Engram after a catch, for example, but the tight held onto the ball, much to Collins' chagrin.

-       Cornerback Donte Deayon had an interception thanks to the defensive line. They got pressure up the middle on Davis Webb, leaving him unable to step into his throw. The ball fluttered a little bit and Deayon stepped in front of the receiver and grabbed the interception. Deayon almost had a second interception on a Webb pass intended for Russell Shepard. The ball was behind the receiver and Deayon got two hands on it but couldn't bring it in.

-       Wide receiver and cornerback one-on-one drills favor the offense by design, and the receivers definitely got the best of the corners today. Wide receiver Cody Latimer ran a nice deep post and blew by cornerback Eli Apple for a long catch. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard has been the best route runner through the first three days of practice and it showed up again today. Cornerback William Gay and others have had issues staying with him in space. I also want to tip my cap to wide receiver Hunter Sharp, who got separation twice on Janoris Jenkins, which isn't easy. He only had one completion (the other pass was overthrown by quarterback Eli Manning), but it shows his natural quickness to get away from the team's top corner.

-       During team running drills, it was easy to see that safety Michael Thomas is not shy about getting downhill in the running game.

-       Andrew Adams got his shot at first team safety with Darian Thompson and Michael Thomas taking snaps with the second team.

-        Wide receiver coach Tyke Tolbert has a lot of enthusiasm. Whenever his group has their last play during a session with either the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams, he leads the group coming off the field on sprint towards the goal line.

-       Wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo had a chance to make a nice play on a post-corner route, but for some reason he didn't fully extend for the pass from quarterback Alex Tanney and it sailed out of bounds.

-       Punter Riley Dixon continues to impress with his leg strength. If he can hit the ball consistently, he can be a real weapon in changing field position. Safeties Michael Thomas and Darian Thompson were the two personal protectors.

-       You can tell from watching edge rusher Connor Barwin what a veteran he is. He has a number of pass rush moves in his repertoire and has given offensive linemen fits the first few days of camp. Rushers Romeo Okwara and Avery Moss also showed their speed off the line in the final team session.

-       Edge rusher Olivier Vernon looks great early in camp. He beat Nate Solder in one-on-ones (he beat Ereck Flowers inside to a lesser extent, too) and was in the backfield several times in team sessions as well.

-       For the most part, the offensive line did a good job during one-on-ones (which is good to see since they are at a disadvantage in the drill), but a couple of other defensive players flashed during the drill. Lorenzo Carter had a really nice inside move, showing off his quickness. Defensive tackle Josh Banks flashed his power, marching guard Zac Kerin into the backfield.

-       I didn't watch the final 7-on-7 session since it was taking place at the same time as the line one-on-ones. Thanks to Dan Salomone, who did stay and watch at that end of the field, he told me about a few contested catches (including one by Kalif Raymond and another by Saquon Barkley) with the ball coming out late after an initial catch. With referees at practice, it is interesting to see how they apply the new catch rules. There is no video replay on the field, however, to sort it out in real time. The rulings on the field were incomplete.

-       We had our first "situation" at the end of practice, the offense having to convert a 3rd and 6 with all three groups getting a chance at it. Eli Manning found Hunter Sharp in front of Eli Apple to convert the first play. Davis Webb was forced to step up in the pocket and scramble thanks to pressure from Lorenzo Carter but came up just short of the first down. Finally, quarterback Kyle Lauletta threw a deep ball to wide receiver Marquis Bundy, who went up and beat cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris to the ball for a first down, giving the offense the win for the day.

View the best photos from Saturday's Training Camp Practice

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