The New York Giants held their first day of mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday. Starting defensive end Olivier Vernon was present after skipping voluntary OTAs. Here are some takeaways from day one.
Ready To Compete After Off-Season
Vernon seemed ready to be back at camp with his team after a long off-season. He went to work this off-season and kept all of his preparation for the upcoming season the same as always.
“It's a great opportunity to come back with the team and get better, work with them and keep things moving forward,” Vernon said. “Just working out, training, just trying to get better. I know these guys were grinding out here, so I was trying to grind the same way.”
Excited For The Rest Of The Defensive Line
Vernon gained a couple of teammates in the off-season on the defensive line. The Giants chose former Alabama defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson in the second round of the NFL Draft. They also re-signed defensive end, Jason Pierre-Paul, to a four-year, $62 million deal.
“I see a lot of young talent out there right now getting after it. It's refreshing, “Vernon said.
“I was just as happy as him. We had a great run, and we both played good on the field and I'm happy that he's still here. I kept telling him before the season, that he wasn't going to go anywhere, so it came to fruition,” Vernon said.
Feeling Healthy
After suffering a broken hand last season, Vernon seems to be healthy for the 2017 season. He played through the injury for much of the 2016 season.
“The main thing is staying healthy. Just trying to stay healthy, being out there on the field with my teammates. We'll just go from there,” Vernon said. “I started feeling better towards the end of the season but that's football at the end of the day. You're going to get banged up, so you just got to keep going and fight through.”
Refreshed For Another Playoff Run
The Giants finished the 2016 season with a 11-5 record, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card game in the playoffs. The team made some additions on both sides of the ball for another run this season. Vernon is excited for what’s ahead.
“It’s great. When you're trying to build something, you want to keep everybody together for the most part. We got a lot of guys right now that saw what we could do last year. Right now, it's all new and fresh. Everything that we did last year, is on the back burner now. It's a whole new grind. Everybody has to prove themselves once again,” Vernon said. “On paper, it looks good. But as far as what I see, as far as the leadership, guys being more vocal. Which we had vocal guys last year, but just adding to it. We got a lot of potential, but once again, you still got to prove yourself when you get on the field. I feel like this team is ready to prove themselves.”