All you need to know about the Wednesday morning's practice during New York Giants Training Camp at the University at Albany is that there was a huge throng of media members surrounding Victor Cruz during the player interview period following practice.
Yes, Victor Cruz. The undrafted rookie free agent wide receiver from Massachusetts.
Cruz made the play of camp this morning, an incredible one-handed leaping catch on a ball from Jim Sorgi in the left corner of the end zone during a goal-line drill. Whether he was in or out of bounds was debatable, but it was a spectacular play.
Cruz, a Paterson, N.J. native, has quietly had a nice camp thus far. Today, though, the secret got out.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has certainly gotten head coach Tom Coughlin's attention. Coughlin, answering a question about trying to practice with just one tight end (Bear Pascoe) working interjected an unsolicited comment about Cruz.
"Victor Cruz. What do we need anybody for, we've got Victor Cruz," said an animated Coughlin. "I'm serious, he's made some outstanding plays. Yesterday he was going by people out there.
"It's a great thing. Just keep adding to the group."
Cruz, understandably, seemed a little surprised to be swarmed by reporters on his way to lunch. He patiently answered questions for a few minutes, though. He spoke about the opportunity presented by Steve Smith and Sinorice Moss being sidelined and Hakeem Nicks practicing just once a day.
"Because more guys are out I feel like the younger guys, me, Tim Brown and Duke (Calhoun) have to step up and learn our plays so things can go smoothly during practice," Cruz said.
Cruz grew up in Paterson -- as a Cowboy fan -- but the opportunity to be a Giant is not lost on him.
"It's definitely a surreal feeling. I wake up every day and I'm like 'wow, am I really wearing blue?,' " he said.
Earlier in camp, we talked about how Tim Brown has stepped up and put himself in position where he is being given more opportunities. Cruz finds himself in a similar spot.
"When the coaches start to give you more pointers, when they start to talk to you a little bit more you kind of feel like you're doing things right and they want to help you out a little more," Cruz said. "I think I got their attention a little bit."
- Rich Seubert will do some work tonight, according to Coughlin. Seubert said he can tolerate the pain caused by the broken bone in his left hand. "It's football, right? Who doesn't hurt this time of year, so I don't worry about that," Seubert said.
- Linebackers coach Jim Herrmann met with media Wednesday and said Mathias Kiwanuka, Dave Tollefson and Osi Umenyiora have all spent some time in linebacker meetings. "We're trying to get the best 11 guys on the field, so we're experimenting with some things," Herrmann said.
- Jason Pierre-Paul made a couple of nice run stops this morning, including blowing up a draw play for Danny Ware in the backfield.
- Rhett Bomar threw a beautiful long ball to Nyan Boateng this morning. Boateng beat Courtney Brown for what would have been an 80-yard touchdown.
- Aaron Ross picked off an Eli Manning pass this morning on what appeared to be a wrong route by Ramses Barden. It looked like Barden cut off a route and went inside, while Eli expected him to go upfield. The result was that Ross was the only player in the area of where Eli threw the ball.
- Chris Snee has some slight swelling in his knee, so Guy Whimper and Mitch Petrus got extra work with the first unit at guard this morning.
- Bear Pascoe drew praise from Coughlin for his yeoman work as the only tight end available for practice -- not counting offensive lineman Herb Taylor.
Couple of stories I posted over at SB Nation New York you might like.
- Coughlin said Wednesday he will not push his starters Monday just because the Giants are facing the New York Jets.
- Coughlin also said concerns about the Field Turf at the New Meadowlands Stadium "have been answered."