Five Things I Think I Think About The Giants, Charity Softball Edition

It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for a New York Giants-related brain dump. Here are “Five Things I Think I Think” as the Giants near the completion of their off-season program.

Can A Softball Game Help The Giants?

Coach Ben McAdoo talks a great deal about how players being together at this time of year builds chemistry. Second-year linebacker B.J. Goodson talked recently about how getting to know his fellow defensive teammates off the field is helping him transition to a key role on the field.

Which makes me wonder if last Friday’s Landon Collins Charity Softball Game could actually help the Giants on the field in 2017. Sure, the best thing about the event was that it raised $30K for the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund. Raising that money was the whole point.

It certainly can’t hurt, though, that the dozens of players — past and present — who took part obviously had a wonderful time doing it. There is adversity in every football season, just like there is always adversity in life. Liking and respecting your teammates can only help you get through that adversity. In that sense, maybe Friday helped tighten the bond between players that could help the Giants down the road.

About The Roger Lewis Situation

Roger Lewis’s arrest over the weekend makes him subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy, which means that regardless of whether or not he is convicted under Ohio law of Operating a Vehicle Impaired (OVI) he could be subject to discipline from the league in the form of a fine or suspension.

I think it also, unfortunately, has to call into question his future with the Giants. The Giants like the 23-year-old Lewis, and he had a few good moments for them last season. The reality is, though, that he is a replaceable part. He is an end of the roster guy who caught seven passes last season and did a pretty good job as a punt gunner. Teams will tolerate mistakes by and give multiple chances to star players. They are less likely to tolerate them from a player like Lewis, who also had previous run-in with the law.

Maybe the Giants will support the young man, but they have a number of players — Tavarres King, Darius Powe, Kevin Norwood and Travis Rudolph among them — who could pretty seamlessly take Lewis’s spot.

The Impressive Growth Of Bobby Hart

I think one of the enjoyable things about being able to spend some time around players year after year is watching them grow. Such is the case with Giants’ third-year offensive tackle Bobby Hart.

I can remember talking to Hart at his locker during rookie mini-camp when he was a pudgy, 20-year-old seventh-round pick. I thought he was a nice, shy kid ... but I also had serious doubts Hart would ever really be a contributor for the Giants.

Now, entering his third season, Hart is a well-spoken young man who has obviously taken becoming an NFL player seriously. His body is much different, and his humility tells you he understands he needs to be better this season than he was in 2016. If that attitude translates on the field he should be improved this season.

Let’s Talk About Injuries

I think I wouldn’t worry too much at this point about a guy like Brandon Marshall taking a day off because he is sore, or Eli Apple missing a couple of workouts, And, let’s clarify something about safety Darian Thompson. I see people in my Twitter timeline wondering about Thompson and his injured foot. The Giants simply going slow with Thompson as he comes back from the foot injury he had last season. There is no current, or new, injury.

The one injury I might worry about right now is the calf injury that has thus far kept tight end Rhett Ellison off the field. Ellison admitted last week that he suffered the injury before OTAs. He downplayed his missed practices, saying the Giants are just “being real smart this time of year.” Still, calf injuries are tricky. The Giants know that all too well as both Victor Cruz and Nat Berhe recently lost complete seasons to calf issues that just wouldn’t heal. I have no idea how serious Ellison’s injury is, but it’s one I think I want to monitor.

A Few Quick Thoughts

I think I’m jealous of Andrew Adams’ softball swing, which produced 16 dingers during Friday’s Home Run Derby. My swing would look more like Eli Manning’s, producing a little dribbler to second base ... I think I’m rooting for Matt LaCosse after two injury-plagued seasons, but unless someone else gets hurt I don’t see where he fits ... I had a chance to chat briefly with placekicker Aldrick Rosas the other day. I like his attitude, and his leg ... I think I really wish Ereck Flowers would come out and talk to the media this spring. He could help himself by having a good conversation with reporters ... I think I really wonder about the NFL future of Owamagbe Odighizua, who has been absent from OTAs after some bizarre off-season tweets that make you wonder how committed he is to football.

[E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com | Follow Big Blue View on Twitter | 'Like' Big Blue View on Facebook]