If you read this site regularly you know that I have often been critical of defensive end Osi Umenyiora, even as recently as pointing out a play I didn't like during practice earlier this week.
Not today. Umenyiora made himself available to media Wednesday morning at Giants Training Camp and I absolutely loved what Osi said in regards to his playing time this season with the apparent wealth of talent the team has at defensive end.
"I think there's enough out there for everybody. Obviously I've been very selfish in the past with my demands and some of the things that I have wanted but I don't really feel that way anymore right now. There's enough playing time for everybody. As soon as I get on that playing field I'm going to make plays, period. No matter where they put me, if I'm coming off the bench, I'm just going to be the best bench player ever so whatever they require me to do, I think they're going to use me to the best of my abilities because this team wants to win," Umenyiora said. "It's not a personal vendetta against me or anything that I've done in the past. I think that everybody needs to be a little bit less selfish and realize that there's enough playing time, there's enough money, there's enough everything out there for everybody and I think we'll be good to go."
Yes! That's all I have ever wanted to hear from Osi. It took an entire off-season and a few days of training camp, but that's all I've ever asked for. Humility. Team first. Now, all I want is to see him kick butt when he gets on the field.
Umenyiora said his hip will not be a factor in his performance this season.
It's something I've dealt with for a while now so it doesn't affect it at all. As far as me coming out here and competing, I'm going to compete and I'm going to play to the best of my ability and whatever happens after that happens," said Umenyiora. "I've been playing with it since 2006 so obviously I've done a couple of good things since then so I'm not going to point to that as an excuse why maybe I didn't perform at as high of a level as I wanted to. It is what it is. It's pain. It's something that I can deal with. It's something that everybody in the NFL is accustomed to dealing with and it's something that I'll continue to play with. I might not have that surgery after this year."
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Ramses Barden has had some ups and down the first few days of camp. He told reporters Wednesday that you just have to keep playing through the mistakes.
"Whenever you have a tough couple of reps, you try and find ways to forget about it, you know. You want to have a short memory. Those things happen. I'm glad that hopefully I got that out of the way early in camp," Barden said. "The idea is just to forget about it, try and figure out some things you can fix, and come back and get as strong as possible in the next opportunity.
"I think whatever they ask of me, I have to be prepared to do. Whether it's special teams, whether it's playing slot or on the outside or the red zone, green zone, goal line, whatever. I need to be prepared to fill a role wherever I'm at." - 'NEW YORK GIANTS TALK': Pat Traina (Inside Football and I will be hosting a special edition of New York Giants Talk this afternoon at 3 p.m. We might even have some player interviews for you.
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TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT: If you have been thinking about heading out to the University at Albany to watch practice and haven't been able to figure out a good night to go, tonight should be the one. The Giants are expected to go full pads for the first time this evening. Practice begins at 6:05 p.m. Who knows, maybe we'll get our first real camp fight.