Head Coach Pat Shurmur
*Q: Have they told you of any trades coming up? *
A: No. We haven't discussed any of that.
Q: Did the whole team practice today?
A: Yeah, everybody was out here. Some guys didn't do much or anything. Some guys just had some wear and tear from the game.
Q: How much input do you have in the trades? Does Dave (Gettleman) come to you and ask your opinion?
A: Anything that involves the team, certainly we'll discuss.
Q: There's a lot of guys wondering if they'll be dealt. Do you talk to them at all or ease their minds at all?
A: No. Everyone understands there is business involved with our sport. But no, I don't talk about that with the group.
Q: Then you guys go away for a couple days. Do you think (the trade deadline) will mentally help some of these guys process where they are or where they're not?
A: No, I don't know that. It just happens to fall on our bye week. I don't know that. Most of the guys, if not all of them, should be out here practicing trying to get better to help contribute in a positive way the last eight games.
*Q: You have four rookies playing a pretty big role. How would you assess the way they've jumped in? *A: They've done a good job. When you watch rookies, they improve a lot week to week, and I think the guys that we've had playing in there certainly are doing a good job of getting better each week and having positive contributions.
Q: (D.J.) Swearinger was talking about his red zone interception and he said he knew what was coming based on the concept. Any concern about predictability or anything?
A: No, maybe on that play he did, I don't know that. He lined up differently than he did a play earlier. That's something that's on him.
Q: What did you specifically like about Grant Haley?
A: I thought he was competitive, there were times in the game where he was real tight in coverage and you could tell that he understands how to play the game. He's got some instincts as a football player and I think that showed.
Q: It seems like on some of the big runs you've given up that Curtis (Riley) hasn't taken the greatest angle. Is that something you see, is that a concern?
A: Two of the biggest runs – really, there have been three – the four-minute at the end of the game where the ball splits out, and that being said, if you've got a middle or half safety, you want the ball on the ground. I wouldn't say that's specific to Curtis, but it's important that when the ball splits the line of scrimmage, we can't let it become an explosive play.
*Q: What will your message be to these guys after tomorrow? *
A: We're just moving forward. My message will be private, but generally in this situation, it's really time away not time off, the importance of working here is working on fundamentals, I think it's important they stay in shape. These are just general thoughts, certainly, and I think it's important that everybody does some self-evaluation of ways they can get better for the last half of the season. And then stay out of trouble.
Q: Is that the first one or the last one?
A: Those are all important, in no particular order.
Q: What do you plan to do?
A: Stay out of trouble.
Q: Is that hard for you?
A: It used to be, not so much anymore. I'll be around.
Q: Do you come in all week, do you take a couple days off? How do you decompress?
A: I'm going to be here. I don't have any plans to travel. Most bye weeks, I'd go watch my son play, but this is a bye week for them, so he'll be home. The girls are close, so we'll find a way to share a couple meals. But I'll be around.
*Q: Do you have to remind them to come back, because last year that was a bit of a problem for some guys? *
A: I was made aware of that. No, they are well aware of our schedule moving forward. This is typical of the NFL, they have time off or time away, and they understand when they've got to get back to work. I'm not worried about that.
RB Saquon Barkley
*Q: How do you approach this week moving forward with some time off? *
A: Go back, watch film on yourself, see what you can do better from the first half of the season, see the things you did well, try and improve overall in your game. Take a little bit of time off to just decompress from football, but also keep aware that you can't take too much time off because you've still got to keep your body in shape for another eight games, and come back ready to work.
Q: What do you think the biggest difference of your game is from when they drafted you to eight weeks into your rookie year?
A: I really don't know what's the biggest difference. I'm still learning, still trying to figure out what I can do as a player, what type of player I can be. Every day, every time I step out on the field, I'm learning. I'm learning, trying to get better every single day, the good things I do and the things I need to improve on. Definitely just trying to become just an overall better player.
Q: There's no trading deadline in college obviously. You've seen some players leave, there's speculation of today, (the deadline) is at four o'clock. What is your sense of this whole thing? It's all new to you.
A: The sense for me is you just don't know what can happen, but you've just got to come in with the mindset that you've got to come in and work, push yourself every single day, push your teammates every single day, and just leave it up to the guys that make the decisions.
*Q: You've had a lot of big plays this year, but the other thing you look at is with the running game, it's the bottom of the league. Is that a disappointment or what? *
A: As a running back, you hold responsibility for that. You want to be definitely up there in the league and in the ranks, and that's something we can improve on as a team, that's something that we're going to have to challenge ourselves to do in the second half of the season.
Q: How do you avoid hitting that rookie wall, is there something you can do to help your body go for the long haul?
A: I think the rookie wall is all in your mind, to be completely honest. There's going to be wear and tear on your body, that's just the nature of the sport, no matter if you're a rookie or if you're 10 years deep in the league. My mindset is just staying in it every single day, staying positive every single day, continue to work every single day and get better.
*Q: I know you're friends with Kyle (Lauletta). How surprised were you when you heard about that, that he was arrested this morning? *A: Definitely really surprised, don't know too much about it. That's more a question for Coach Shurmur.
Q: Doesn't seem to jive with his character, is that a fair assessment from what you know of him at least?
A: Yeah. I know Kyle really well, and it definitely was shocking. I don't know too much about it to speak on it to be honest, but yeah I know it's really nothing. I know it sounds crazy, but it's probably nothing crazy because of the kind of person he is.
Q: In a season full of distractions, how disappointed are you that there's another distraction heading into the bye week now?
A: Yeah, like I said, that question right there is more for guys who get paid upstairs, for Coach Shurmur and those guys. I'm just going to stay away from that question and continue to focus on the season, continue to focus on this team and try to be better.
Q: You mentioned the idea of focusing on what you can do better, can you truly take time away from this or are you so driven that it's going to be hard for you to step away?
A: It's going to be hard to step away, but like I said, I'm learning every single day and from what I've learned from vets all across the league and on this team, sometimes it's good to step away from it a little bit. You can't step away from it for so long obviously. When I say step away, it's not take the whole week off and don't think about football at all. Maybe one or two or three days, just spend time, do something to get your mind off of it and come back ready to work. Even still, your mind's still on football, but you're just stepping away from being on the field. You have time to just (be) with yourself and focus on yourself and what you can do better.
CB Janoris Jenkins
Q: A lot of trade rumors leading up to the deadline today. How much do you want to stay in New York?
A: It don't matter to me, man. Business is business. Like I said, I've been saying it all week. Business is business.
Q: Are you curious at all though?
A: No. If they let me go, they let me go. If they keep me, they keep me. It is what it is.
Q: It does change though. You either stay here or you pack up and go to a new team and meet new teammates and get a new defensive scheme. Certainly effects you.
A: No. Everybody knows everybody anyway in the league. Everybody know everybody, the schemes all the same, just different terms. Like I said, football is football.
Q: But is it a distraction though thinking that you suddenly have to learn a new playbook, learn a new city. That's got to be a distraction in some way?
A: Basically the playbook is the same, like I said. Everybody just has different terms. It's all going to be cover one, cover two, quarters, you know what I'm saying. Other than that, it's the same to me.
Q: When you were practicing today, I know it was a light one, but were you practicing thinking this could be my last Giants practice?
A: I play football to play football. If they trade me, they trade me. Like I don't care. It is what it is. If they're going to keep me, they're going to keep me. Business is business. On to the next team.
Q: You're playing for a team now that has one win. Tomorrow or at 4:15 today you could be on a team that has six or seven wins. Does that interest you at all that you could move up like that?
A: Hey, I just got put in a nice position, that's it. Whether it be wherever or staying here, but if I got somewhere 6-1, then I'm just in a nice position.
Q: What about the people? You and Landon (Collins) have played together now for a couple of years. Do you think about that? I would imagine you'll miss these guys if you're not here tomorrow.
A: We'll always vibe, whether it's here together or we're not here together. Got to understand everybody in the football world all hang together, so we're still going to communicate, we're still going to hangout in the offseason, whatever. It's just football.
Q: You seem un-phased by all this?
A: That's it. Business is business. That's how I approach everything. Business is business.
Q: Will you wait for a call? How do you approach the rest of the day? Do they tell you?
A: No, I go home, play with my kid, eat me some popcorn, talk to my mom and my daddy, the regular play video games, and if (inaudible). If it don't, oh well. It is what it is.
Q: Do you pay attention on social media or try to tune it out?
A: I just like Instagram. I don't really do too much Twitter. I like Instagram and Snapchat, that's it. Instagram don't post nothing about it.
Q: So you kind of know if something happens, your phone is going to blow up anyway? It's not like you have to go searching.
A: Oh, it's going to blow up anyways, good or bad, so it don't matter.
Q: Is it something that you hope for at all like if you're going to go to a contender or a team that's maybe going to play in the playoffs is that something you're hoping for?
A: Like I said, yeah of course, but until they make the move, I'm here. I'm here to stay. Until then, I got until four o'clock. I ain't worried because my next move going to be my best move, whether I'm here or gone. It is what it is.
S Landon Collins
Q: Would you prefer to stay here and help turn this around?
A: I always go back to my first time, wherever I started, that's kind of where I want to finish at. Once you're like eight to ten years in, it's time for me to let it go and let them bring some guys here. I'm expecting to stay here.
Q: Has all the trade rumors surrounding you been a distraction for you?
A: It goes on my mind, but when I come in here with these guys, it's in the back of my mind, because I want to get better. I want to get my teammates better, and I want to be a part of something that's very special.
Q: How good of a feeling would it be to turn this team around and make them winners?
A: It'll be awesome. I'm looking forward to it. We're right there. Every game, it's very close for us. We're excited – every time we go in there, we expect to win. If we get to make that turnaround, it'll be very special.
Q: If they make changes after the bye week, would you want them to make changes to put yourselves in a better positon to win? Or, do you feel as if they just want to see what people on this roster can do?
A: All changes, if they're good, that's what we expect. We expect the coaches to know what they're doing up there, and they know how to use their best players. When we come back, I expect them to know what's going on and how to fix things.
Q: What are your plans during this bye week?
A: My plan is to just get away and get space, and get my head out of the game, and really just try to relax, especially with all this craziness that's been going on so far.
Q: Are you surprised to only have one win?
A: Yeah, we always said from the beginning, we got all the weapons that we showcase, and we expected to win. So yeah, I'm very surprised by it.
Q: Do you feel like more trades are necessary to turn this ship around? Or, do you feel as if you all can win with the group of guys here?
A: I can't control what they do upstairs, honestly. We miss those guys that were traded, and guys that have to step up in their position did their job this past week, and it was amazing to see those guys take that opportunity and take it to another level. From seeing that point on, things happen. You got to just push on from it.
Q: Can this defense take another hit if one of its key guys gets traded?
A: I don't know, it depends on what guy gets traded. Myself, (CB Janoris Jenkins) Jack, (LB Olivier Vernon) OV, it just depends on the guy and how we're using him within our defense. If the defense is going to take a major hit, every guy is very, very important to our defense. At the end of the day, we need every guy. Every guy that's accounted for when we play on Sundays or Mondays. When that comes down to it, yeah, it can take a punch. So, it depends.
Q: One of the guys who plays almost every snap, trading away that guy would be difficult to replace.
A: Yeah, you're replacing a guy with a lot of knowledge on the field, experience, game playing, playmaker. It can take a major punch depending on how it goes for the defense.
Q: Did you practice today considering it could be your last as a Giant?
A: I practice with it on my mind, yeah, but I didn't show it when I went on the field.
