Here is your Tuesday practice report from New York Giants training camp at UAlbany. In general, there were a few big plays generated by the offense. This, however, was a much better day for Perry Fewell's defense than for Kevin Gilbride's offense.
Injury Report
Starting left tackle Will Beatty missed a fourth straight day of practice due to the sciatica in his back. Linebacker Jacquian Williams was also out of practice again. Prince Amukamara, who missed Monday's workout with a slight hamstring issue, was back on the field and taking reps with the first team on Tuesday.
Tuesday's Main Event
It doesn't exactly equate to the melees that have been occurring in Cortland at New York Jets camp, but there was a pretty good exchange between Domenik Hixon and Amukamara. It escalated from words, to Hixon slapping Amukamara in the helmet, a shot that was returned. The two then grabbed each other by the jersey and went face-to-face before being pulled apart.
Practice Highlights
Players Who Impressed: Ramses Barden, David Douglas, Osi Umenyiora, Joe Martinek and Hixon are the first ones who come to mind. More on each as we go along.
Players Who Struggled: Sean Locklear, Bear Pascoe. I could probably throw in some other offensive linemen, too.
Now, for your practice play-by-play stuff.
- Barden made several nice catches, a couple of fade routes, a couple of passes in traffic where he had to be physical, including at least one lined up against Corey Webster. It would have been a spectacular day for Barden if he could have hauled in a fade with Webster draped on him during a goal-line drill, but the ball slipped away.
- Pascoe had a drop during goal line drills and seemed to have some trouble with his blocking assignments. He got whipped by Umenyiora on one play, leading coach Tom Coughlin to berate him. I don't know whether to make anything of it, but during the two-minute drill that concluded practice Martellus Bennett worked with the first team.
- Victor Cruz absolutely embarrassed cornerback Michael Coe during the goal line drill, breaking inside and pretty much leaving Coe standing still at the line of scrimmage while he caught a touchdown pass from Eli Manning.
- Hixon continued to impress. He is running well and catching the ball. He beat Amukamara, Bruce Johnson and Webster for catches today.
- Greg Jones continues to work at both the strong side and middle linebacker spots. Today, he had a nice run stop when he sliced into the backfield to stop Andre Brown.
- Jason Pierre-Paul lined up on the left in front of David Diehl a few times. On one play he blasted the veteran tackle, pushing him all the way back into Manning. On another, he batted down a swing pass for Ahmad Bradshaw.
- Adrian Tracy, trying to make the squad as a reserve defensive end, has quietly had a nice camp. Today, he diagnosed a reverse for Jerrel Jernigan and was in the backfield on one play. On another, he correctly read a screen to his side, forcing David Carr to double-clutch on a throw for Adrien Robinson.
- Speaking of screens, Umenyiora made a brilliant interception on a throw-back screen for D.J. Ware, snatching Manning's pass.
- Here is your daily David Douglas update, your 'DD Report' as it is. Douglas continued to impress. He made a fantastic double move on cornerback Janzen Jackson, breaking to the sideline for a 15-yard completion from Ryan Perrilloux. Douglas also got an opportunity to return kickoffs today, and looked smooth doing it.
- Rookie tight end Adrien Robinson got a few first-team reps during the goal-line portion of practice, and hauled in a short out from Manning.
- During a two-minute drill at the end of practice Umenyiora simply abused Lockear, running around him at will on multiple occasions. Locklear got an earful from Coughlin.
- A good blitz pickup from Joe Martinek, stoning Keith Rivers and allowing Perrilloux to throw a deep ball that would have been a big play if Julian Talley had held it.
- Cruz made the final catch of practice, a 30-yard touchdown reception from Manning. Both Cruz and Bennett were in the end zone behind the defense, and they bumped into each other trying for the score.