Quote (silent9 @ Aug 24 2014 06:26pm)

Multiple post from you last few days, yes! You're back!

Quote (xnozx. @ Aug 24 2014 05:59pm)

I really wish we would pick up Richie Incognito.


With Schwartz down for awhile our depth at guard is depleted.


Boone wants top 10 guard money so that's not happening and SF wants a 1st round pick.

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EAST RUTHERFORD -- There could be a lot of different ways to describe what went down at Giants practice on Monday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. There were too many dropped passes, dropped interceptions, some jawing, a lot of yelling and ended with volatile second-year defensive end Damontre Moore being kicked off the field for the final by coach Tom Coughlin.

The most accurate description of the practice is ... spirited! Yeah, I'm going with that. The Giants ran a spirited practice on Monday, 79 hours before their final preseason game of the year against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium.

Why spirited considering all the miscues and drops? It is because tempers were charged and, as Coughlin explained, players and coaches were a "little tired, little irritated."

Here's what went down:

1. McAdoo Unleashes Tirade
The live portion of practice began with quarterback Eli Manning and the first-team offense experiencing more struggles. Five of Manning's first seven passes were incompletions, in large part to the lack of help he received from his receivers.

After Manning hit his most reliable target, Victor Cruz, deep down the seam for a big gain, Jerrel Jernigan dropped a well-thrown deep ball down the left sideline. Several minutes later, Rueben Randle dropped a touchdown pass in a red-zone drill and tight end Larry Donnell failed to get open as he stumbled across the end line. Manning threw the ball high and wide as a result.

The disappointing start prompted offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo to unleash what is for him (a man of few words) a profanity-laced tirade.

"Perimeter [receivers], that is @#@*&% @#**$&^#,@" McAdoo barked. "Have to make a &#@$*&#@ play."

That set the tone.

2. Damontre Loses Cool
Practice ended in a similar fashion, with tempers reaching a crescendo. Moore appeared to be furious by something that an offensive lineman did and was complaining vociferously after a play. Coughlin had enough as Moore was pointing, gesturing and causing a ruckus.

"Get him off the field," Coughlin said, sending Moore to the sideline as the Giants ran one more play before the horn sounded to end the live portion of practice.

"That was .. little tired, little irritated. Not much to it," Coughlin said.

At least it was a sign of life. In general, the Giants run rather quiet, tempered practices (in comparison to other teams around the league) that rarely feature any fighting or tackling. This was one of their most spirited workouts of the year, to date.

3. Rotating Tight Ends
The tight end rotation began with veteran Daniel Fells working with the first team. From there, the Giants rotated relentless. Get used to it. Coughlin said after practice the plan is to use a tight-end-by-committee approach this season.

Once again, none of the tight ends stood out much, although Larry Donnell made the most impressive play with a diving catch in the middle of the field. I also caught him making a nice block on a linebacker on one running play when he began in the backfield.

4. Spotlight on John Jerry
With guard Brandon Mosley (back) still sidelined, the Giants used John Jerry as the first-team right guard. Weston Richburg remained the left guard as well.

Jerry seemed to struggle at times handing the pass rush of defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins. On one play, I saw him get beaten cleanly at the snap, barely getting a hand on the veteran DT.

For a man his size (6-5, 340 pounds), Jerry sure seems to lack ferocity with his blocks as well.

5. Beason Inching Closer
Starting linebacker Jon Beason (foot) has to be getting close. He was working hard on the sideline with a trainer. At one point, he was doing a footwork drill where his feet seemed to be moving 100 miles per hour.

Seeing what Beason did compared to wide receiver Odell Beckham was like night and day. Beason, who is currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, was running, cutting and breaking a good sweat. Beckham did some very light jogs and spent most of the rest of his time watching practice. He doesn't appear close to a return.

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It's a moment that Corey Washington will never forget.

It was an afternoon in late May, and the 6-4 receiver had just wrapped up another day in the Arizona Cardinals’ rookie minicamp. He’d made several plays, as he remembers it, when he was summoned to the office. The Cards had decided to cut him.

“I was surprised,” Washington recalled Sunday. “They called me in the office right after practice, and I had a good practice that day and that whole week. I was shocked. It was like, ‘Wow, OK.’”

It was the “wow” moment that spawned an August’s worth of highlights for Washington, propelling a little-known receiver from an unknown school (Newberry College in South Carolina) to the cusp of a Big Blue roster spot.

For the last three months, the young receiver has been motivated by revenge, chasing an opportunity to get back at the team that never knew the talent it had. The Giants play the Cardinals in Week 2 (Sept. 14), and all Washington wants to do is stick it to the squad that cut him.

“Oh yeah. I’m ready for that game,” Washington said. “There’s a big chip on my shoulder. I’m ready for that game. I got that game dotted, circled. Cell phone. iPad. Calendar. Everything.”

The Cards cut Washington on May 28. The Giants grabbed him off waivers on May 29. He’s gradually emerged as an option on a team searching for playmakers. The Giants have Victor Cruz and a collection of unproven quantities at receiver, and the entire group has been inconsistent throughout this preseason.

With each game, Washington has commanded more attention. He opened the preseason by catching a 73-yard game-winning TD against Buffalo, and caught game-winning scores in each of the next two weeks, too.

It was almost a letdown when he didn’t get the game-winner against the Jets on Friday, but he did haul in a perfect deep heave from Ryan Nassib for a 31-yard score.

The preseason stats (nine catches, four TDs) only tell part of the story. Beyond Rueben Randle, this receiving corps lacks a tall target. Washington has spent August proving that he can go high to beat cornerbacks for jump-balls.

The Giants’ top four receiving spots are all but certain to go to Cruz, Randle, Jerrel Jernigan and rookie Odell Beckham Jr. Washington is battling Marcus Harris, Preston Parker and Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham for one or two more spots. But Washington has made his mark.

“He will go up and get the ball,” said Tom Coughlin. “That is very noticeable.”

The only thing Washington hasn’t done is make plays against starting corners. He’s seen time with Eli Manning and the first team in practice, and looked like he belonged in those situations, but in four preseason games, he’s still seen action only with the second and third units. Harris drew first-team action on Saturday, although a shoulder injury will keep him out for several weeks.

Washington hopes he gets his chance with the first team this Thursday, in the preseason finale against the Patriots, the final audition of his improbable August. But even if he doesn’t, the young receiver says he will “do what I can do” to make the team.

And he’ll keep enjoying the ride that started that day in Arizona.

“I still can’t believe it right now,” he said. “Fourth touchdown right here in preseason. It’s been fun.”