Tom Coughlin and Kevin Gilbride have a little work to do before Aug. 25, when they'll break their 14th and potentially final training camp at the University at Albany.
Starting today, when players report and go through their conditioning tests, the Giants' head coach and offensive coordinator need to find at least one, if not two, reliable deep threats for quarterback Eli Manning. If minicamp was any indication, the Giants want to air it out this season, and so what if Manning's two main receivers, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, are no longer with the team?
On top of that, the Giants hit Albany with a group of youngsters that remained unchanged before and after the draft. In other words, no established veteran pickups to replace Burress and Toomer.
Instead they go with Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, David Tyree, rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, and a cluster of mid-level free agents led by second-year player Taye Biddle and fourth-year player Derek Hagan.
Not particularly appetizing, save for the precise route-running by Smith. But Gilbride said he's prepared to implement the downfield plan with the available talent.
"Until you do it for real, it's hard for me to say, 'Hey, we're all set. Everything's fine and dandy.' "
Gilbride said. "But based on what we've seen in practice, I think we have some quickness. I think we have some speed. I think we've thrown the ball down the field some, made some plays."
"The next step will be when we go against somebody different. Can they maintain that poise? Can they continue to show the athleticism they've displayed? And when we go for real, are they going to continue to do the things that right now it seems like they can do?"
They'll see those different uniforms in the preseason opener Aug. 17 against Carolina. Until then, the receivers will have to gain the trust of Manning and his three compatriots, David Carr, Andre Woodson, and Rhett Bomar.
