Category: Giants Training Camp

Giants’ Darren Waller on relationship with Daniel Jones: ‘It’s gelling’

New York Giants TE Darren Waller has been a favorite target of QB Daniel Jones early on in camp.

Among the new pass-catchers the New York Giants added this offseason, there’s no question tight end Darren Waller is the most notable.

Waller, who is basically a wide receiver playing tight end thanks to his rare athleticism, developed into an elite player at his position during his five seasons with the Raiders, with only injury being able to slow him down.

While there is that concern with Waller, the Giants are hoping he can not only avoid said issues, but also elevate quarterback Daniel Jones and help him take that next step in his career.

But before that can happen, Waller and Jones must be on the same page, and that’s something they’ve been working on all offseason — and that work continues in training camp, where Waller has been Jones’ favorite target.

“It’s a relationship that’s gelling,” Waller said. “We’ve got a few months under our belt of staying in touch and just open dialogue, ego removed. We can tell each other what we’re thinking, what he may want, things I’ve been comfortable doing and things I like doing and find a midpoint or be able to just learn about each other. I feel like it’s paying off and just trying to keep going day by day and let the results take care of themselves.”

With Jones and Waller connecting early and often in camp, it has also given us a closer look at just how good the Georgia Tech product is, as he’s routinely dominated anyone who has tried to cover him.

Waller’s performance has caught the attention of his teammates, who have heaped praise on the 30-year-old tight end, which he considers an honor.

“I mean, it’s an honor for my teammates to speak of me in that way because these are guys that do it at a high level and have done it for a really long time,” he said. “I guess it’s just for my size and my weight and I guess the way that I run and the multitude of routes that I try to be comfortable running, and a lot of guys don’t necessarily do that.

“But it’s just coming in with a mindset of I don’t want to be limited in any part of my game. Whatever they want to line me up and run at, I want to be able to do that and be effective at it and not just be like, ‘Oh man, I’m not really that good at that,’ or, ‘I can’t do that.’ I want to be able to do everything and just present myself as a viable option to the quarterback every time I run a route. That’s really the goal. Keep it as simple as that. Every single rep I go out there, make myself presentable. If he wants to throw it there, he can throw it there and throw it to me. So that’s just how I approach it.”

Waller finds himself in the right situation with the Giants as he looks to have a bounce-back year.

His offensive coordinator, Mike Kafka, was previously the passing-game coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he worked with the best tight end in the business, Travis Kelce.

If there’s anyone who will know how to properly utilize Waller and get the most out of him, it’s Kafka.

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See it: Saquon Barkley does his part to save Giants fan’s relationship

After training camp practice on Thursday, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley did his part to try and save a fan’s relationship.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is all about bringing people together, something he proved after training camp practice on Thursday.

After signing a one-year deal on Tuesday that fully secured his arrival at training camp on Wednesday, Barkley spotted a Giants fan on Thursday holding a sign that read:

“Saquon my ex will take me back if you sign this.”

Thankfully for the fan, Barkley delivered exactly what he needed and went on to autograph the sign, which now fully puts the ball in the court of the fan’s girlfriend — that is, assuming this is real, which it probably isn’t.

Still, thinking like that makes this less fun, so we choose to believe in love. Check out the hilarious sign and Barkley helping the young man out below.

Not only was the Barkley deal great news for the fan who otherwise would’ve been out of luck had he held out, it was also great news for the Giants, as the star running back and former No. 2 overall pick will play a huge role in the team’s offense in 2023.

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Notes from Brian Daboll’s Thursday presser at Giants camp: Hyatt OK, Nacho sore

Giants head coach Brian Daboll touched on a number of topics ahead of training camp practice on Thursday.

It’s way too early for some to be micromanaging the crumbs coming out of New York Giants training camp, but somebody’s gotta do it.

Head coach Brian Daboll will be meeting the media every day before practice, with the players speaking afterward.

One would think that Daboll would be served better by talking after practice, but in fairness, key information isn’t always known that soon so it’s best that he wait until morning to answer those questions.

Thursday’s topics included injuries/ailments and position moves.

Daboll said rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who left Wednesday’s workout with a bit of heat exhaustion (welcome to New Jersey summers) is “fine” and will be on the field on Thursday.

Defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches, a.k.a. “Nacho”, was in an auto accident this week but should be OK.

On Wednesday, rookie center John Michael Schmitz was not lining up with the starters (Ben Bredeson was) but should see action with the first group on Thursday. Daboll said Schmitz would also take reps at guard.

As for competitions for jobs this summer, Daboll said that the left guard spot is open and he is willing to let things play out and see if someone emerges. The group includes Bredeson, Shane Lemieux, Joshua Ezeudu, Marcus McKethan, Wyatt Davis and Jack Anderson.

The inside linebacker vacancy left by the injury to Jarrad Davis is another spot expected to be hotly contested. He said second-year backers Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers will both get an opportunity to win the job.

Daboll addressed the presence of veteran wide receiver Cole Beasley, calling him “scrappy” and “smart” while also noting he should help a unit that began camp with several players on the PUP list.

The coach wasn’t sure when the first fully-padded practice will take place (but then said probably Tuesday) and he reminded everyone that he’s still figuring out what certain players can do and that camp is the place to experiment.

He also said the team was keeping a watchful eye on the players who have a history of injury this summer.

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Giants’ Jalin Hyatt left Wednesday’s practice due to heat-related reasons

Giants WR Jalin Hyatt left Wednesday’s practice early due to heat-related reasons but was doing fine afterwards.

New York Giants 2023 third-round pick and wide receiver, Jalin Hyatt, exited the team’s first practice of training camp early on Wednesday.

According FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, Hyatt left the field during Day 1 of camp and in the midst of a seven-on-seven drill because of “heat and illness” but was doing fine afterwards. The Tennessee product later returned to the field at the end of practice.

Prior to his early exit, Hyatt flashed his speed and provided an impressive clip showing the rookie wide receiver scoring a touchdown, something the Giants hope to see plenty of after taking him with the No. 73 overall pick earlier this year.

Hyatt will of course make the roster out of training camp, but how big of a role the speedster secures remains to be seen. The Giants have a crowded situation at wide receiver, and especially when it comes to the slot, where Hyatt primarily played in college.

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2023 training camp: Giants rookies, select vets report on Tuesday

New York Giants rookies and select veterans will officially report for the start of training camp on Tuesday (all other players on July 25).

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The New York Giants are one of eight teams who will officially begin training camp on Tuesday with the arrival of rookies and select veterans.

All remaining Giants players will report on Tuesday, July 25 with the first media availability coming on Wednesday, July 26. That date will also represent the team’s first camp practice of 2023.

Nine training camp practices will be open to the public this year, as well as their third annual Giants Fan Fest. That will be held on Thursday, August 24 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The open practices are as follows:

DATE TIME EVENT
Wed., July 26 10:00 a.m. ET Open practice
Thu., July 27 10:00 a.m. ET Open practice
Fri., July 28 5:00 p.m. ET Open practice
Sun., July 30 10:00 a.m. ET Open Practice and Back Together Weekend
Mon., July 31 10:00 a.m. ET Open practice
Tue., August 1 5:00 p.m. ET Open practice
Thu., August 3 10:00 a.m. ET Open practice
Fri., August 4 10:00 a.m. ET Open practice
Sat., August 5 5:00 p.m. ET Open practice
Thu., August 24 6:00 p.m. ET Giants Fan Fest presented by Wendy’s

The Giants are also scheduled to conduct joint practices with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday, August 8 and Wednesday, August 9.

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9 Giants players who need a strong training camp

These nine New York Giants players need to shine during training camp or risk being buried on the depth chart or worse.

The New York Giants will soon return to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey for their 2023 training camp.

For many players, the impression made on coaches and front-office executives over the summer will determine their future with the organization. Even some of the established veterans and recent signees will have something to prove as they convene to lay the foundation for the second season under general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

Some will look to prove they’ve made progress since they joined the team. Others will look to prove they’re better than the rookies brought in at their respective positions. Training camp will ultimately paint a clear picture of the best players.

Here are nine Giants players who need to have a strong training camp for one reason or another.

Giants 53-man roster projection: Injuries have changed things

With camp winding down and the final roster cutdown day ahead, Giants Wire takes one more stab at the New York Giants’ 53-man roster.

The New York Giants are heading into the final stretch of training camp and have just one preseason game remaining. Their roster, currently at 80 players, must be trimmed down to 53 next Tuesday.

Due to injuries, there is quite a bit of uncertainty. Signings are expected in the coming days but those will be more like end-of-summer insurance.

Based on what we know currently, here’s the latest Giants Wire stab at the final 53-man roster.

Giants training camp: 7 takeaways from Day 12

The New York Giants wrapped up training camp practice No. 12 on Sunday and it was an ugly, injury-riddled affair.

Following a 23-21 victory over the New England Patriots in Week 1 of the preseason, the New York Giants returned to the practice field on Sunday.

Head coach Brian Daboll kicked things off with his daily press conference and went to work breaking down the team’s excessive injuries. He also outlined what’s coming up next week, including the elimination of one padded practice.

Meanwhile, Sunday was the final day of practice opened to the fans until 2023.

Here are seven quick takeaways from training camp practice No. 12.

Giants training camp: 9 takeaways from Day 11

The New York Giants wrapped up their final practice before Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots and here are nine takeaways.

The New York Giants took the practice field at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Tuesday for the final time before a Thursday night game against the New England Patriots.

Things kicked off with a quick update from head coach Brian Daboll before the team’s assistant coaches were made available to the media. The primary point of discussion was Monday’s bench-clearing brawl, but things quickly moved on to other topics.

Here are nine takeaways from training camp practice No. 11.

Giants training camp: 10 takeaways from Day 10

The New York Giants wrapped up training camp practice No. 10 on Monday and it included a massive fight involving players and coaches.

The New York Giants were back on the practice field at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Monday preparing for their first preseason game.

It may be hard to believe, but the last week without football until February has come and gone. The Giants, of course, hope to be playing that long themselves.

In a break from recent tradition, head coach Brian Daboll did not hold a press conference on Monday morning. Instead, he appeared on WFAN and allowed his coordinators — Mike Kafka, Wink Martindale and Thomas McGaughey — to handle the media.

Here are 10 quick takeaways from training camp practice No. 10.