*Coughlin said he and free agent tight end Kevin Boss have left voice mails for each other but have yet to connect.
*Third-year pro Travis Beckum has been used primarily as a receiver, but Coughlin said he could line up as a traditional tight end and block.
"You'd have to change some things in the run game to be able to do that, but he had a couple of nice blocks down in the green zone last night that were pretty physical," Coughlin said. "He has a special skill set and certainly we'd like to take full advantage of that skill set. He's always been a guy that's been on special teams, a personnel combination kind of a player that you used accordingly. We've brought him inside to the fullback position this fall, we've put him on the edge and done that with him and then we've lined him up at the point. You certainly don't want to do that all the time and run the power or whatever right at him but he can do it."
*Because the NFLPA ratified the new collective bargaining agreement, the Giants players who had to watch the first four practices because they signed or restructured contracts in the last week participated in their first workout. The group included Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Mathias Kiwanuka, David Baas, Stacy Andrews, Gabe Watson, Ben Patrick, Bear Pascoe, Kevin Boothe, David Carr, Michael Clayton, Andre Brown, Steve Weatherford, Chris White and Jamon Meredith.
"I've been looking forward to this as I'm sure every coach in the league has," Coughlin said earlier in the day. "Whether you want to focus on the original August 4 date or whether you want to try to ignore it, it was an issue for all of us because even though we have a 90 (roster) number, we do have some issues trying to balance everything up. And then when you've got a couple of guys, as we do, that go on PUP the numbers are affected and yet you want to develop and move on with your players. You're just hoping that those 16 guys who are standing there watching are learning while they are."
After one practice in full pads, Coughlin will have the players wear shells for "a couple of days" to let the players that missed early work get acclimated. "We're going to do that and then come back together and put the pads back on in a couple of practices ready to go," Coughlin said. The team will practice again in full pads on Saturday evening.
*Baas stepped right in at center and Chris Snee moved back to guard…Kiwanuka frequently lined up at linebacker.
*The Giants suffered their first serious injury of camp when third-year cornerback Bruce Johnson ruptured his Achilles tendon early in practice. It was the second year in a row Johnson's season was cut short because of a serious injury. In 2010, he hurt his knee and played in only five games.
*Wide receivers Domenik Hixon and Devin Thomas did not practice. Hixon's absence was due to the ongoing maintenance of his knee after last year's ACL surgery. Thomas rolled his ankle in practice yesterday.
*Corey Webster reached down to intercept a pass that Kenny Phillips kept alive by diving to the ground. Webster seemed to take the ball right out of Phillips' hands…Travis Beckum had another good practice and made an outstanding catch on a tipped pass in the back of the end zone…Cornerback Brian Witherspoon picked off a late Eli Manning pass.
*Tackle Kareem McKenzie, the Giants' new player representative, was asked about the CBA ratification.
"It was a deal that was equitable for all parties included and our families and we felt it was a good deal for ourselves," McKenzie said.
*Osi Umenyiora did not practice because he said his knee was sore.
*Practice attendance this evening was 1,815.
