New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur touched on a wide variety of topics Monday in his post-practice media availability. Here are five takeaways.
Why the Giants changed the practice schedule
After practicing at 2:45 p.m. the first two weeks of camp, the Giants practiced at 10:45 a.m. on Monday. They will continue to do so the remainder of camp.
“You play at 1, you play at 4, you play at 7, so you’ve got to get used to practicing at all different times,” Shurmur said. “Partly the reason we practice in the afternoon for the first couple of weeks is so we can do the installations, the walkthroughs, and then the practice. Now that most of the installations are in, we’ll go back and flip the script and practice in the morning.”
On progress by Corey Ballentine
The sixth-round pick took reps at cornerback with the first team on Monday, the first time he has done that.
“He is getting a lot of opportunities, and I think he’s made steady improvement since the spring. It took him a little while to get going because of the accident he was involved with. But he’s made steady improvement,” Shurmur said. “He’s a very competitive guy, he gets his hands on balls, he has good instincts, he’s working as a returner, and we feel like he’s getting a little bit better every day.”
On the development of DeAndre Baker
The Giants, of course, traded up to select Baker 30th overall.
“I think he’s getting more and more confident within the system,” Shurmru said. “The next phase is when we start playing the games Thursday, out there against another opponent. Then we’ll see if he can take the next step. He’s a confident guy in general, which is part of his charm. But he’s starting to get more and more comfortable playing the position, so it shows up a little more.”
On the volume of reps for UDFA tight end C.J. Conrad
I keep beating this drum, but I find Conrad to be the most likely UDFA to make the roster.
“I mean they need their work and they’re getting their work. But he’s [Conrad] a guy that we need to develop, and younger guys can take those reps,” Conrad said. “They’re so valuable for young players. We talk about Beal being out and Ballentine getting his reps. The young players getting reps, it helps push them along in terms of their development. He’s done a good job with them. I mentioned… We talked about him a couple days ago. He’s tough, he’s competitive, he catches the ball when you throw it to him. He’s got good traits, now he just needs to develop.”
Why the Giants claimed Joey Alfieri
“We liked him as a college player, and certainly when he was available. He’s an edge linebacker for us, a guy that we were looking for. He went to Philly, and they’re more of a four-man front. Maybe not quite a fit for them, but a guy that might be a little bit better fit for us,” Shurmur said. “We liked him in college. He was available, and with some of the time that some of our guys are missing during training camp, it would be a good way for him to get in, get some reps and get evaluated.”