Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: Have you talked to your players about any security concerns you guys have?

Daboll: No, I haven't had a conversation today about that.

Q: How did you guys come out of the day in pads?

Daboll: Good. We should be ready to go, doing different things, improving in some areas. Trainers did a nice job, players have done a nice job in this weather of staying hydrated. (We) hope to continue that.

Q: Is anyone not going from the team today?

Daboll: Yeah, there will be guys at different spots and doing different things. We're giving them more, backing off some guys, but people will be out there.

Q: How did (offensive lineman) Evan (Neal) do? It was his first day out there in a new position.

Daboll: I think Evan steadily improved playing inside. Things happen a little quicker in there. He's a big man so he's done a nice job on his double teams and getting movement and it was good to see him out there in one-on-ones at the guard spot. (We) look for him to continue to improve.

Q: What was that conversation like with him when you made that change? He was adamant early in his career about being a tackle.

Daboll: He was all for the team. Evan's done a nice job this spring and he's making daily improvements.

Q: What are you looking for when a guy makes that kind of transition? What's important and what's the hardest parts?

Daboll: Play well is the most important thing, obviously. Things change a little bit from the outside to the inside, the communication piece – things happen, like I said, a little bit quicker. Not always on an island. Most of the time you're on an island at tackle. Again, offensive-line play is offensive-line but different skill sets (are) required for each spot. He's had some experience with it in college but he's taking it head on and doing everything he can do to improve each day.

Q: Does it help that there has been some recent blueprints for success there in (Los Angeles Chargers offensive linemen Mekhi) Becton and (former Washington offensive linemen) Ereck Flowers?

Daboll: Yeah, I think each guy is their own individual case. They do what's best for the team and like I said, Evan's embraced it. He's been a true pro about it, spends extra time with the line coaches, does extra work, so he's really put a lot of time and effort and energy into it and it'll be good to see how it looks in the preseason when we can finish blocks and do those types of – the next step.

Q: You don't often see guards as tall as him. How is that a challenge for him, to play inside at that size?

Daboll: Again, he's done it at Alabama. He hasn't had many issues just because of his height in there. It's just most guards are a little bit shorter than Ev. Ev's tall, big guy, probably Russ – this is a good question for him. (It would be) good to ask Russ, sometimes when those quarterbacks are standing back there, the sizes of some of those guys.

Q: Did you reach out to anyone down there at Alabama in the last year or so to tap into what Evan might be thinking and what his skillset was?

Daboll: That was more in the draft process. I had a lot of relationships down there that are important to me, good people that I trust and talk to still. That was more kind of pre-draft process or early on in his rookie season. Good insight.

Q: How do you view the edge that (offensive lineman) James Hudson brings to the practice field?

Daboll: I love it, for an offensive lineman. You're always looking for offensive linemen that bring an edge. Again, we got to be smart so what's it going to be in the fourth quarter when things get tough and somebody shoves you and pushes you? Are you able to have the emotional maturity to go ahead and focus on the next play and not get involved in that? That's some of the stuff we evaluate out here as well. Can these guys – we've all done training camp for a long time, so emotions are going to happen. Competitive juices are – there's going to be stuff that happens. There is every year. There hasn't been a year since I've done it where there hasn't been, usually multiple times. That's stuff you coach off of, you teach off of, but you want offensive linemen that have edges, that like to finish, that like contact, that enjoy the physical nature of what that position requires, but you also have to be smart in how you practice. We've talked about this a number of times, and take care of one another, but those trenches, when the pads get on, there's a lot of contact in there. There's a lot of pushing, there's a lot of shoving and you want to take it right up to the line but not cross that line. Sometimes, that's going to happen. You show clips, you teach off of it, don't want to be cheap. When you get tired, you don't want to do dumb things that affect the team in a negative way, but his edge and his personality has been a welcomed addition to the room.

Q: Was that something that you guys knew while evaluating him as a free agent or are you more impressed by it just seeing it in person?

Daboll: I think you learn each player as they get here. We liked his tape, as a free agent. He's a very athletic guy, was able to play both sides of the ball and he had a good play style but now you get to know him at a different level. In the meetings, he's a pretty serious guy. I try to get him to smile once a day, doesn't always work. (Quarterback) Jameis (Winston) has a pretty good relationship with him, he'll be a good guy to talk to about Hud. He was with him there at Cleveland and yeah, he's been a good addition for us out there. He's had a good camp, playing there at left tackle every down, so we want that aggressive approach. We also don't want to be throwing hands and doing things that will cost you in games. I know it's practice, but we're trying to practice like it's a game. So I'm sure today something will happen (laughs).

Q: For a guy like (cornerback) Deonte Banks, having two new coaches in his ear, can that help a player to hear a different voice?

Daboll: I think that'd be a good question for Tae. I think as a coach, we're trying to teach him what to do, show him how to do it and really demand that they do it that way and it's ultimately the responsibility of the player to go out there and do that, but how you teach it, the different ways you talk with the player – I'm sure each player that gets coached by different coaches which happens a lot in this league… It'd be a better question for Tae.

Q: Did he need a little something in terms of a spark from you or upstairs after last year?

Daboll: I think we just try to do what's best for the team. We handle each player the way we need to handle them. Tae's out there competing, playing faster. He's going to have to go out there and perform at a high level. Everybody is. Make sure these guys have to earn it to go out there and get play time and help us produce – show it on the practice field and show it in the preseason games and when your number is called in a game, know what to do, do it at a high level. Do it with speed, toughness, aggressiveness on the defensive side of the football. That goes for every player, not just Tae.

Q: How do you view that competition? We see Banks and (cornerback Cor'Dale) Flott taking first team reps.

Daboll: It's good competition. Competition brings out the most in people most of the time.

Q: You guys have an impressive group of UDFA receivers. How have you been impressed with that specific group like (wide receiver) Jordan Bly, (wide receiver) Dalen Cambre and how they've handled this offseason so far?

Daboll: (They have) a lot to learn. They've made some good plays, had some mistakes like most rookies. I know it's a broken record but that is the truth. They've been putting in the time. (Wide receivers) Coach (Mike) Groh and (offensive assistant) Coach Troy Brown have done a nice job with them. They stay extra, they do stuff. Day by day, it's a day-by-day process for these young players to not make the same mistake twice, show that they can handle things. Giving them opportunities with different groups, seeing how they respond to different quarterbacks. It's different when you're running with the threes and fours at times and you get thrown in there with the ones. There's a different sense of emotion for these guys, so you try to do that as best as you can to develop them. They've done some nice things. They've also done some things that we have to get fixed.

Q: What have you seen from (defensive lineman) Darius Alexander?

Daboll: He is a lot like these other guys. There's some flashes out there. He's got length and athleticism and he's rushed from different areas in the pass-rush portion of things. He's rushed inside, we've put him on the edge outside. (He's a) big body guy who's got sneaky athleticism for a big man. I know everybody sees the interception return that he had, but he's got quick feet, he's got long arms, he's got good get off, he's got a natural ability to rush, particularly on the interior side of the pocket, but then there's double teams and down blocks and a bunch of things that you're coaching off of that we have to work on.

Q: As a coach, what are you looking for from an interior defensive lineman like Alexander to know when he's ready for more?

Daboll: Production in practices and how he handles his responsibilities. If you have the B-gap, be in the B-gap. If you have awareness on a down block, know how to take on a down block. If you're supposed to stunt on a stunt, on a pass rush, then make sure you stunt. If you're supposed to run a twist, run a twist. Do you know what to do? Are you doing what you're coached to do? And then, can you ultimately go out there and do it at a high level down in and down out? I'd say for all of us, me included, we're not where we need to be. There's mistakes out there, that's what training camp is for. I've never went through a training camp where there wasn't a mistake or a practice. You learn from it, but these young players that we've added, they're mature, but they're also very competitive. I like how they're competing with the other people in their position groups. I could go right down the list with all of them, even our second-year players. We're young, we're working at it, we'll evaluate them on a day-to-day basis. It's a little bit easier now with the trench guys, to see them in pads and things they need to do there and the next step will be the preseason games where everything is live, which will be a welcomed addition.

Offensive Lineman Evan Neal

Q: Can you explain what you did in the offseason to get into the shape that you're in now?

A: I was just (working) hard. I went back to IMG Academy. They have a great staff there. I did strength and conditioning, rehabilitation, focused a lot on cardio, just getting my heart rate up, putting myself in challenging situations and I think it's panning out pretty good for me.

Q: What changes for you in terms of playing guard compared to tackle? Do you have to get yourself ready differently or prepare differently in that regard?

A: It's a new position but at the end of the day, it's all football. From a schematic standpoint, the playbook is just a bit different, some of the technique is a bit different but at the end of the day, it's football.

Q: What about your skillset do you think helps you inside?

A: I think my skillset as an offensive lineman just helps me. I'm a big guy. I take up a lot of mass, I'm athletic, so when I get my hands on guys, a lot of times I can pretty much shut the rep down and in the run game, I'm explosive and I carry a lot of mass so when I make contact at the point of attack, I get guys moving backwards.

Q: All of the different techniques you need to learn is one thing, but was acceptance of this new position a big thing for you in your head?

A: I'm just focused on playing football. I still have an opportunity in this league and I'm grateful for that. The acceptance part of it, that really was never in my head because at the end of the day, I'm just grateful to still be able to play the game that I love.

Q: How has your confidence been?

A: My confidence is great. I'm just out there playing football. It's hot out there, it's camp, we're grinding, getting after it, trying to get better every day.

Q: There have been a lot of great players that switched from tackle to guard and have had a lot of success, (Eagles offensive lineman) Mekhi Becton being one of them. Did you reach out to him or anyone else that made the switch?

A: I have not.

Q: How would you sum up your NFL career so far?

A: So far, I've just been a player that's getting better and better each year. Injuries played a part. I kind of had to battle through those. I feel like I showed grit and resiliency to still be standing here today. I'm just going to focus on continuing to get better in the future.

Q: Are you in a better mental space now in your career as opposed to when you were going through all of those trials and tribulations?

A: Definitely. I'm healthy, and I'm a lot more experienced in this league now. I've seen a lot more, been in a lot more situations so certain things I know how to handle.

Q: Any overall thoughts on the O-line and how you're meshing?

A: I think we're meshing great. We're going out there, we're busting our (butt) every day, we're rallying alongside one another when it gets tough, so that's always exciting to see because when the offensive line is coming together up front, that's a great indication of a good performance on offense.

Q: Do you have any preference on left side or right side?

A: I've been playing both. I just want to play, so wherever the coaches line me up, I'm going to do my best to execute the best I can.

Q: (Head coach Brian Daboll) Dabs said things happen faster on the inside than on the outside so what are some of those things that you've had to adjust to?

A: Just in terms of like a 3-technique is closer than a 5-technique off the edge would be. At tackle, they talk about, 'Patience, patience,' but at guard, you kind of (have) to get on a guy right now. The fight starts a bit earlier and just in terms of picking up blitzes and things of that nature, a lot of times they happen just a bit quicker.

Q: Have you broken from the huddle yet and ran to the wrong spot just because of muscle memory?

A: No, not yet (laughs).

Q: Is there any challenge to mentally prepare for either position?

A: Just the fact of the matter of the playbook. Just making sure that I don't get crossed up because sometimes I could line up on the left side, but mentally I could process a play as a right-sided player so just constantly having to be locked in schematically to what we're trying to achieve.

Q: What's that like? How do you try to focus on that?

A: Just studying my playbook. Getting into the book and taking a deep breath and going out there and playing football, because the fact of the matter (is) I know the plays, I know what I'm being asked to do. I just go out there and just try to execute to the best of my abilities.

Q: Most guards are not as tall as you. What is the advantage and is there a disadvantage of being so tall?

A: I can't really say, to be honest with you. I'm a big guy. I take up a lot of space, but in terms of height, I can't think of a tangible advantage.

Q: Do you still hold out hope that you could be the player the Giants drafted you to be?

A: I'm just focused on getting better each year and being the player I know I can be. I appreciate the Giants organization for continuing to believe in me and giving me an opportunity to showcase my skillset. I'm focusing on getting better every single day, chopping wood and carrying the water.

Q: How much are you advised of the plan going into each day? Because some periods you're going in with the second team, sometimes you come in during a period with the ones. How much are you aware of that going into the day or is it on the fly?

A: I'm aware before practice. Coach writes out the depth chart in the morning before each practice, so I take a look at that and I'm ready to go.

Q: Is there any adjusting at all to when (quarterback) Russ (Wilson) is in there? You've dealt with really tall quarterbacks, and Russ is certainly not a tall quarterback, and he has to see over you. Is there anything that you've noticed so far that's different?

A: That's a better question for Russell himself to answer. I'm not back there. I can imagine that it'd probably be pretty tough to see over a guy as massive as me, but you should ask him that question.

Q: He hasn't thrown the ball and hit you in the back of the helmet yet, right?

A: No, not yet (laughs).

Q: How's (offensive lineman) James Hudson III been in the locker room as he's been added into the mix of o-linemen?

A: He's been pretty good in the locker room, a good locker room guy, good teammate and he works hard.

Running Back Tyrone Tracy

Q: How's it been in pads so far?

TRACY: Electric, man. It's been good. Good energy out there. I mean, you all have been out there, so, we are really out here, really trying to take a step towards our goal. So, I think we did that each and every day, every time we step on the field.

Q: Is there extra motivation just because of either it's a new season or is it more, 'Hey, we know how last year ended, we've got more work to do here?'

TRACY: Last year was last year, to be honest. We just focus on us, each and every day, every time we step on the field. We aren't really worried about what happened last year. It's a new team, new energy, new locker room. Everything's new, it's a new season, so why are we worried about the past? You know what I'm saying? So, we are just going to continue to take a step forward each and every day.

Q: Tyrone, you've talked a lot about, you and your potential at running back. The idea of you're now officially a running back and your mindset and the way you've played with the year under your belt. I'm just curious, do you think about or set goals as how good can you be as a running back? Where is your ceiling after last year?

TRACY: I mean, it really isn't a ceiling, to be honest with you. I don't think of it as a ceiling. It's really, I'm going to do the best that I can do each and every game. Every time I step on the field, lace my cleats up, I'm going to do the best I can do. And like you said, is there a ceiling? No. I don't think there's a ceiling. It's more so, you know, how good do I want to be. I think I can be as good as the best player that y'all can ever think of. That's how good I think I can be. But, again, it's not about what I say. It's about what I do and how I go about it. I have to be a professional. I have to take care of my body, how I sleep, how I eat, everything. So, it's not really just about what you do on the field. It's about what you do off the field. When you talk about professionals, that's what you're talking about. You're talking about how they carry themselves each and every day.

Q: Have you got that sense from your new quarterback, Russell Wilson, that he seems to embody that? You know what I mean? Every day, every minute.

TRACY: I think he is, when you talk about professional and people who go about their business the right way, that's what Russ is. Obviously, I've only been around him for a short amount of time. But he does everything like a professional. I know it seems cliché, but it's the truth. You know, like I said, I've only been around him for a short period of time. But every time I'm around him, he's in here doing something. He's never just sitting around. Either he's getting treatment or, talking about plays, or he's talking to defenders about what they saw and how he can get better or whatever. Everything about him is really just being a true professional.

Q: By the end of last year, you were, you know, three down running back. With (running back) Cam (Skattebo) here, that could change. Is there a mindset change at all with that?

TRACY: No. And to your point, Cam here is nothing but adding to what we got. I think that it's a great addition to the room. If you look around our room, there's really nothing anyone can't do. We didn't add Cam, just to do one thing. We added him because he's a good running back. You know what I'm saying? They didn't bring me here just to do one thing. They added me because I'm a good running back.

So, at the end of the day, whoever's in there on third down, second down, first down, it doesn't matter what it is. You're going to produce, and that's the standard that we have in a running back room. When we go on the field and we get them opportunities, whether it's pass or run or even pass protection, man, make the play. There is no third down back. There is no, you're passing down back, whatever. There's not that in our room. It's more so can you play, and then when you do get the opportunities, take care of it. You know what I'm saying? And make the most of it.

Q: Do you think your skill sets complement each other well?

TRACY: Yeah, yeah. I mean, shoot, look at him. You know what I'm saying? The man's strong and powerful. I'm more slippery and elusive, you know. But at the same time, we both can catch out the backfield, we both can pass protect. So, it's not like when Cam comes in, 'Oh we're running the ball downhill.' No, he can do really anything, just like I can do really anything. So, it's a really good addition to our running back room because when you add a player like that, that can give that power element, not necessarily saying we didn't have it last year, but when you watch his film, you can obviously see it on film what he's bringing to the table. So, when you add that, it definitely puts emphasis on it in our room.

Q: What kind of power element could Evan Neal give at guard?

TRACY: I mean, E-Neal, he's moving stuff. I was about to say the wrong word, but he's moving stuff back there, man. When I say he's actively trying to get better. Obviously, he had injuries and stuff that came up, but obviously he's doing everything he can to get back into it. But E-Neal is doing the best he can, with the opportunities he's given.

Q: He's moving stuff?

TRACY: Yeah, yeah, he's moving stuff.

Q: That's a good sight for you, isn't it?

TRACY: Yeah, it is a great sight for me as a running back. You know, our o-line, we only had pads on for two days. So, I mean, these first few days, man, they were doing an amazing job of just resetting the line of scrimmage, allowing running lanes for running backs. It's really given us our vision, allowing it to make it easy on us. So, my job is to make them look good. I want the O-line to look amazing, like the best O-line in America. So, I'm doing the things that I can to make sure they look good, but then they're really doing all the hard work for me, though.

Q: Is it a little different seeing a guard that tall?

TRACY: I mean not really to be honest, just because I want tall everything. O-line, I want everybody to be 6'7", just because, obviously the bigger, the stronger you are, the better it is for me. But it's not really a big difference, though.

Q: What's it like lining up right behind 94 (defensive lineman Elijah Chatman)?

TRACY: Lovely, lovely. You ever seen him in a squat room? Yeah, see him under a squat rack. Yeah, that's lovely. Just let me tell you that, yeah.

Q: Your draft class was a bright spot last year. You're only in year two, but do you think that group almost already emerged as leaders this year?

TRACY: Yeah, yeah. I mean, you can see it. Obviously, (wide receiver) Leek (Malik Nabers), he's being more vocal. I'm being more vocal in my room. (Safety) T-Nub (Tyler Nubin), he's one of the leaders on the defense, making sure he's speaking up. Obviously, he's safety, so he has to communicate. Like, (cornerback) Dru (Phillips), you got (inside linebacker) Darius (Muasau), (defensive lineman) Chat (Elijah Chatman), we're all really trying to take a step forward this year. Just make sure that we're being a key point, key focal point, you know, often defensively and special teams.

Q: Is that something you guys have discussed? Like, do we all need to take a leap? Eventually, it's going to be a big part of this team's future.

TRACY: I mean, we didn't really talk about it, but it's more so a known fact. Obviously, we already had a big role last year, so we're really trying to take that and then just continue it into this year.

Q: You talked about your goals in the league, you told the NFL Network, you said, like, 1,600 or 1,700 yards. Is that a reasonable goal for you to want to shoot for?

TRACY: Yeah. Yeah. I wouldn't put nothing out there that isn't reasonable for me to shoot for. If I say it, that means I'm trying to go for it. But, yeah, that's definitely reasonable for me. Like I said, if you look at it from the points of last year, a healthy O-line, I didn't play until game five. I had, like, 500 yards, you know, by week nine, something like that, or our bye week. Obviously, everybody started getting hurt, so we playing a mixed match with the O-line, so it makes it a little harder. But at the same time, I do believe in my skill set, I believe that in our O-line, I believe in our coaching staff, that we can get the job done. And then if I go out there and just do what I do, you know, God willing, all my goals will be checked off. But I think the first thing we need to do is win. I think winning will bring everything else. It's cool to sit up here and talk about all your personal accolades and all your personal goals and all this and that. But at the end of the day, like, you got to win. You know what I'm saying? If you don't win, none of that stuff really matters. I could have 2,000 yards, but you're losing. If you look at some of the best running backs, they're on winning teams. You know what I'm saying? So, if you just have a good team, period, point blank, your personal stats will come along.

Cornerback Deonte Banks

Q. How is camp going for you so far?

A: Good. (I'm) trying to just get better every day.

Q. Do you feel more comfortable in this defense entering year two?

A: Yeah, I definitely feel more comfortable, just because it's my second year on this defense, so I feel good.

Q. There are two new voices in your ear now being your cornerbacks coach (Jeff Burris) and secondary coach (Marquand Manuel). How has that impacted you?

A: I like them a lot. I like how they teach; I like how they talk to me. I just like them a lot. They're good coaches.

Q. What difference have they made? Have they told you something that resonated with you?

A: I mean, we do a lot of pre-practice stuff going into practice, they just make sure I'm ready to practice. They get me ready to go, they get me going.

Q. You say you're focused on trying to get better every day. What are you trying to improve in camp?

A: Just being a better player overall.

Q. How are you approaching your competition with (cornerback) Cor'Dale (Flott) and what's your thinking on it?

A: We're just competing every day.

Q. Is it different for you lining up with the twos sometimes? The last couple of years you haven't really done that a lot.

A: I'm just competing, right now. Whoever (is) out there, I'm just guarding them, doing my job.

Q. Do you feel you're in a battle for the starting job?

A: Yeah.

Q. What do you need to do to win it?

A: Just be me, be better.

Q. What have you learned so far from (cornerback) Paulson (Adebo)? What has he been talking to you about and how have you leaned on him?

A: He just teaches me a lot, such as we talk about finishing plays a lot. What (Commanders cornerback) Marshon (Lattimore) taught him, he kind of teaches me the same thing.

Q. Is it cool just having another vet in the room and someone who's already done it at a high level?

A: Yeah, definitely. He teaches me a lot. He teaches everybody a lot.

Q. How can you guys as a secondary be better than last year with guys like Paulson and (safety Jevón) Holland?

A: Getting better every day.

Q. When you look back at your performance last season, how would you look at it compared to your rookie year?

A: I just feel like it's kind of like a sophomore slump, but I feel good, so I'm cool.

Q. Why would you have a sophomore slump? I'm sure you analyzed it to see what you did right and what you did wrong. What do you see when you looked at that?

A: Just finishing plays, really. That's really it – just finishing plays.

Q. How frustrating is it to see like, 'Man, if I just did this or that, this could've been a difference in the ball game'?

A: I don't really think about it, because I'm just getting better every day.

Q. With finishing plays, your effort was questioned at times last year. Have you taken that on more so this year and have that in the back of your mind?

A: Right, that's what I'm saying – (I'm) just getting better at finishing plays and being a better me.

Q. Have you been getting along with your offensive teammates to compare notes like what happened on specific routes just to get a little bit more insight so you can improve your game?

A: We do a lot of release work with the offense and a lot of one-on-ones, bunches, stacks. We do that with them.

Q. (Defensive lineman) Dexter (Lawrence) said earlier in camp that you are asking more questions and being a little bit more vocal. Is that intentional? Are you taking the learning part more seriously?

A: I wouldn't really say it's intentional. If I (have) a question, I'm (going to) just ask it. I'm not really more of a vocal guy; I just try to lead by example.

Q. Do you feel urgency to live up to the hype that you had when you came in as the first-round pick?

A: I'm just getting better every day, my guy.