Giants receiver Ramses Barden is coming off ankle surgery but he tweeted Tuesday that he was going to play catch with “my favorite quarterback’’ and added “hopefully he feels the same way about me.’’
Eli Manning certainly isn’t playing favorites, having organized a passing camp he hopes will take the place of the workouts that should be but are not allowed at the Giants headquarters.
The lockout has again locked the doors of the Timex Performance Center to all Giants players, prompting Manning to jump to action. He was part of a small group of about a dozen players to take the field Tuesday at Hoboken High School to run, throw, run routes and catch passes. No doubt, this take-charge attitude is pleasing to coach Tom Coughlin, who is powerless to gather his team together and unable to check up with any of his players.
Joining Manning was backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels. Among the receivers on hand were Barden, Hakeem Nicks, Samuel Giguere, Victor Cruz and Duke Calhoun. Running back D.J. Ware was there, as was tight end Kevin Boss.
Most players are working out on their own at various sites in New Jersey. It is important for the offensive players to get together to start the long process of getting down the timing in the passing game, and Manning, who lives in Hoboken, didn’t have to go far to find a field for the Giants to use.