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Tom Coughlin was not shy to give his rookies praise for their ability to adjust to the pro game so far in their young careers. He cautioned, though, that it is still early and it might be “one step forward and two steps back” for them as they get more concepts thrown at them. All in all, Coughlin is pleased with what he sees so far, saying, “It’s a good impressive group right now.”

For a coach to be impressed by what he has seen only in OTA’s and one minicamp practice speaks to their ability to stand out in a crowd.

The one who stood out the most today was third round pick Damontre Moore. The defensive end out of Texas A&M had an impressive streak of plays in the 11-on-11 drills.

He started off by using a bull-rush on tackle Matt McCants to get a sack on David Carr. This type of power move in unexpected from Moore, who is seen as a speed rush specialist. On the ensuing play he stuffed the Giants’ patented shotgun draw play. Rookie Michael Cox took the draw and tried to squirt through a hole on the left side, but Moore was there to wrap his long arms around the ball carrier for no gain.

The following play saw Moore switch from right end to left end but produce more of the same havoc. He used his speed to get around fellow rookie Justin Pugh and put pressure on Ryan Nassib, who was able to get rid of the ball. Finally, Moore ended his impressive run by switching back to the right side and batting down a Nassib pass.

In four plays, Moore showed four different ways he can disrupt an opponent’s offense, one of the reasons why he was a consensus All-American last year of the Aggies.

Outside of Moore, several other rookies are being put in position to have an impact on the team this year.

Fifth round pick Cooper Taylor has been placed with the second team defense so far in practice. The fifth round pick out of Richmond is a physical freak, and the Giants defense is the perfect scheme for him.

As the third safety, Taylor, who is 6’4, 230 pounds and runs a 4.4 40 yard dash, was seen playing in the box and running with tight ends down the seam in today’s practice. In the red zone drill, Taylor ran step-for-step with tight end Adrian Robinson, who is very athletic himself, and did not give David Carr a window to fit a pass to Robinson in.

The Giants love versatility in all of their players, and Cooper Taylor seems to fit their likings perfectly.

Just like Taylor, second round pick Johnathan Hankins took his reps with the second team. Though less noticeable as Moore and Taylor, Hankins will be battling for the third defensive tackle spot. The only two tackles entrenched above him on the depth chart are Linval Joseph and Cullen Jenkins, two proven veterans. However, it will be up to Hankins himself to outlast several other proven veterans, Mike Patterson and Shaun Rogers.

Luckily for the rookie trio, they enter positions that came under heavy scrutiny last year for poor performance, so the coaching staff, who usually does not play rookies in bulk, must keep all of their options open, and fresh talent may be exactly what they did not know they needed.

Quote (xnozx. @ Jun 11 2013 10:53pm)

Coughlin Impressed By Rookies




DaMonster Moore 

Quote (Grizzy_Green @ Jun 11 2013 09:54pm)

Liking what I'm reading  I love offseason. I don't have to do any work. Just come here and read all your posts haha

also, should give me some fgs to bet on my bruins/snake bets for the cup lol

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Hey, a mini-camp fight. DE Damontre Moore (6-5, 250) and G Bryant Browning (6-4, 325) lock horns and tumble around.

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First fight of OTAs/mini-camp (that we know of). Bryant Browning vs. Damontre Moore.

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And now Round 2 w/two different guys. Tom Coughlin stops practice and implores them to "cut the bulls--- out!"

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Bit of a skirmish breaks out during team period with Damontre Moore and OG Bryant Browning. Then another with Browning + Charles James #nyg

Quote (xnozx. @ Jun 12 2013 04:05pm)

[FONT="Papyrus"]First Mini Camp Fights[/FONT]

Ralph Vacchiano‏@RVacchianoNYDN3h






God I love Coughlin...




Tempers are flailing out there.... competition!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!

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At one point in time, many wondered if Mark Herzlich would ever play football again. And even after beating Ewing's Sarcoma and signing with the New York Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent, questions lingered. Was he merely a fell good signing? Could he actually make the team? Well, he was a feel good story, and not just because he beat cancer, but because he's a hell of a football player who not only made the team, but went on to win himself a Super Bowl ring.

Now, here in 2013, Herzlich has surprisingly flown under the radar. The irony being that if there was ever a time to talk about what Herzlich means to a team on the field, this would be it.

With Chase Blackburn now in Carolina with the Panthers, Herzlich has the greatest opportunity of his career ahead of him: a chance to win the starting middle linebacker job for the New York football Giants.

    "This is an unbelievable opportunity, just to have the opportunity to break into the starting role," Herzlich said. "And the rest is on me — whether I perform well enough and do well enough and study well enough to get that job."

Throughout OTAs and during the first day of mandatory mini-camp, Herzlich has primarily found himself starting at MLB on the first-team defense. In others words, it would appear as if the starting job has become his to lose. And to say he's taking it seriously would be a bit of an understatement.

    "After the first OTA, we always go and watch the films — me and [Spencer Paysinger] were watching film, and we’re like, 'We’re gonna know this defense better than the coaches,'" Herzlich said. "So we went to Costco that day, got dry erase boards — I was on the dry erase board all [Monday], just reviewing everything from OTAs, getting ready for minicamp. That way, when you eliminate the mental mistakes, you can play faster and more physical."

Of course, as the team moves into training camp and the preseason, competition will heat up. Recently signed linebacker Dan Connor will compete for snaps, as will Jake Muasau and, possibly, Keith Rivers, who has some experience in the middle.

But, at the end of the day (royalties to Antrel Rolle), Herzlich has the inside track and does not appear ready or willing to let up. Odds are, he'll be the man starting in the middle when Big Blue opens their season against the Dallas Cowboys in early September.