Back when the Giants held training camp at the University of Albany, the camaraderie of the team often developed in the dorm rooms, where pranks and unwinding was a fixture of summer.
Nowadays, the Giants hold camp at their team facility and players spend their nights at the team-designated hotel. Thus, the advent of expansive dance parties inside the team locker room.
“Now … there’s not much time at the hotel,’’ Eli Manning said Monday. “You get done late and you’re kind of back in your room. So, that time has kind of come into the locker room during the day, where you get little breaks where I guess they’ve turned into dance parties now. So, that’s the new thing.’’
Manning, during his formative NFL years in Albany, was a closet prankster. He has not completely sworn off such hijinks but says it is more difficult now that the Giants train at home in New Jersey.
“Yeah, not a whole lot,’’ Manning said. “I think the hotel got angry about some damages over the years, so trying to be respectful.’’
After a slow start to camp because of a lower-body issue, RB Shane Vereen was noticeable for the first time, catching passes out of the backfield.
“I feel pretty good,’’ Vereen said. “I’m happy to be back out there full-go.’’
Last summer, Ben McAdoo altered the usual routine for Manning in the preseason, playing the veteran quarterback in only two preseason games, the second and third.
“I think I got enough action over the last 14 years to get me ready for the upcoming season,’’ Manning said.
There is a chance Manning does not play at all in Friday night’s preseason opener against the Steelers.
“Whatever coach wants to do, what he thinks is best for me, the team, I’m going to do,’’ he said. “For the first preseason game, you might take six or seven snaps. So, it’s not like it’s going to make a difference for that upcoming season. I think you’ve got enough reps in practice, enough reps in the second and third [preseason games] and obviously 13 other years of preseason and regular-season games should get me in good rhythm.’’
Kicking inside the field house and out of the rain, rookie K Aldrick Rosas went 4-for-4 on field goals and is now 20-for-20 in camp.
Brandon Marshall had his best showing yet in training camp. The highlight was a juggling, one-handed touchdown catch on a deep ball from Manning, beating Eli Apple in the one-on-one drill. Marshall opened the team period with a reception on a crossing route.
“I think we’re doing some good stuff,’’ Manning said.
Sure, you can call it solid defense, but the first-, second- and third-team offense did not score in three red-zone possessions. Manning’s drive stalled when he failed to connect with Odell Beckham Jr. in traffic, Josh Johnson went 4-and-out and Geno Smith, after picking up two first downs, fizzled when his fourth-down pass was batted down by Dalvin Tomlinson.
TE Will Tye might be facing an uphill battle to retain his roster spot, but he helped himself in this practice, making two catches in the two-minute drill, the second a difficult grab on the left side. Tye, if you recall, had 48 receptions last season.
Lo and behold, WR Sterling Shepard was in uniform and on the field for practice, five days after getting carted off with a sprained ankle. Shepard did not do much, but he is running fine. WR Tavarres King (ankle) returned to practice. LB Keenan Robinson (concussion protocol) remains out. LB Mark Herzlich and DT Robert Thomas did not practice.