Chris Canty of the New York Giants said Sunday during an appearance at an autograph show in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. that he is "ready to go" following offseason knee surgery. That, however, does not mean that Canty, a defensive tackle heading into his eighth NFL season, will be a full participant once the team opens offseason training activities (OTAs) on April 16.
"I think we're gonna be smart with that, try to be cautious a little bit. Physically I should be pretty good but I think we're gonna exercise some caution," Canty said.
Coming Up
-- I was able to speak with one player for a longer period of time Sunday. Should have that interview for you on Tuesday. You will have to come back to find out who.
Canty is listed on the Giants' website at 317 pounds. It doesn't sound like he will be that heavy when training camp starts late this summer. "Obviously I wanted to lighten up after the Super Bowl," he said.
More notes from the show.
Former Giants Make Appearances
Wide receivers Mario Manningham (San Francisco 49ers) and Devin Thomas (Chicago Bears) have moved on to new organizations, but both were in attendance at the show Sunday. I had a chance to catch up with Thomas, who took some ribbing -- including from me -- because he attended the event wearing Giants' warmup gear.
"I used to play here -- I can still wear my old gear, can't I?' Thomas protested good-naturedly.
Thomas, hero of the NFC Championship Game victory over San Francisco with a pair of fumble recoveries, said he signed with the Bears simply because "Chicago was more eager than any other team to bring me in."
Offseason Losses
The Giants, of course, are losing Thomas, Manningham and several other players to free agency. Players, of course, understand the transient nature of the business so the comings and goings are no surprise. Of all the losses the players I talked to seemed to indicate the biggest loss will be the locker room presence of Brandon Jacobs, who signed with the 49ers.
Canty called Jacobs "a guy that's very vocal in our lockerroom. Brings a physical toughness to our football team and a passion that can't be duplicated."
Give Me The Ball Please, Mr. Gilbride
Fullback Henry Hynoski isn't exactly begging, but the 266-pound fullback has been saying since 2011 training camp that he would love the opportunity to actually carry the ball in a game. He caught 12 passes as a rookie last season, but never actually ran with the ball.
"Hopefully I'll be able to get a couple carries in here and there," Hynoski said Sunday. "I'd like to get one, but I'm content lead-blocking, that's my favorite thing to do by far."
Personally, I would love to see Giants give the ball to the fullback on occasion, just to keep defenses honest.
(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com | Follow Big Blue View on Twitter | 'Like' Big Blue View on Facebook.)