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Terrell Thomas will make his first appearance in a game since the 2011 preseason Saturday night vs. the New York Jets/ The New York Giants' cornerback, trying to come back from his third torn ACL, was on the verge of stardom at the time. He knows that now he is simply in a fight for a roster spot.
"I have to go out there and perform. I haven’t made the team yet. This is the first time that I’ve been in the position to have to make the team and it’s exciting," Thomas said. "It’s actually driven me and motivated me to keep pushing, to work through practice and to keep getting better, to show the coaches, the GM, the owner, whatever I have to do to prove to these guys that I can still play football. I’m just blessed to have another opportunity to go out there and play football again after two years."
Eli Manning curious about offensive line
The Giants will have two new starters, center Jim Cordle and right tackle Justin Pugh, on their offensive line Saturday. Quarterback Eli Manning, whose well-being is in their hands, says the game will be a "great test" for the revamped group.
"I think you have to try to find the positives in everything when you're moving guys around. You want guys who are very versatile and can play different spots. Through the course of the season you're going to have guys in and out a little bit. You're going to have some injuries and guys are going to have to step in and fill those roles," Manning said. "We're going to get a lot of work and I think it will be a great test for these guys. The Jets are a talented defense and show a number of looks and we're all going to have to be on the same page in knowing who we're blocking. Block the guys well, so we can run our offense successfully."
Cordle taking nothing for granted
Jim Cordle, taking over at center for the injured David Baas on Saturday, is not taking his new role for granted. Cordle has played 25 games for the Giants the past two seasons, but has never started.
"I'm playing for a roster spot this game, just to stay around here. We'll see, when opening night comes up, what the lineup is," Cordle said.
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Justin Tuck: New York Giants have the potential to be the top-ranked defense in the NFL - NYPOST.com
"The ceiling is the No. 1 defense," he said Thursday after practice. "That has to be in your thought process. We have the talent to do it. I don’t think anybody in that defensive meeting room can allow themselves to think that we can’t do that."
Giants' Justin Trattou is making a name for himself | NJ.com
Trattou, who spent last season on injured reserve with a foot injury, has two sacks and a batted pass among his four tackles this preseason. The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder has been a constant presence in opposing backfields and plays on all of the Giants special teams.
"It’s definitely going well," Trattou said. "I feel like the year off gave me a chance to get in great shape. I was able to get 100 percent healthy.
"I was able to really improve my speed and quickness. I’ve been focusing on being lean and fast as oppose to being bulky and stronger. I was able to keep all my strength and get faster."
Power Rankings: Where do Giants rank?
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