Not all players who attended rookie minicamp two weeks ago were, for lack of a better term, rookies.
Aside from veteran tryouts, practice squad members from the previous season were also invited, such as cornerback Brandon Bing and quarterback Ryan Perrilloux.
Bing and Perrilloux, signed along with six others shortly after the Super Bowl, used that invitation to show they can play and not just scout. Meanwhile, it provided an opportunity to be the go-to guys in front of the newcomers as they transitioned to the first round of organized team activities, which wrapped up Thursday.
"The rookie camp actually was very beneficial to me because it slowed everything down," Bing said after Thursday's practice. "So that helped me transition to the OTA. We've had two so far. Obviously there are no pads and stuff, but just getting back into the groove of things just like rookie minicamp. It's been going well. I'm just learning some stuff. Nickel [package] is coming up soon, I get to learn that stuff. Everything's good."
In rookie minicamp, Bing showcased what he's learned since joining the team midway through last season, reminding everyone that he'll be part of the deep competition in the secondary.
Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell -- who likes to call him 'Bada' -- didn't need the reminder.
"He is not a surprise because he worked and he is enthusiastic," Fewell said at the time. "He worked last year on the practice squad. And then coming into this camp he is showing what he can do. We are excited about him competing for one of those jobs this spring as well as this fall. He has picked up where he left off from practice from the playoffs, etc. So, yes, he has performed very well."
The coaches just wanted to get another look at him, that's how Bing took the opportunity.
"They wanted to get another glimpse of how I play, how I matched up against certain guys probably, and basically see me again because the last time they saw me was practice squad," Bing said. "So just to get a feel of things, get some extra work in which is fine with, slow things down because I did get here in November. So I just took it as an opportunity to showcase some of the skills I had."
Perrilloux took it the same way, and -- while once in close proximity to Bing's locker – recently had his belongings switched to the opposite corner of the locker room, next to David Carr and Eli Manning.
"I don't know the reason behind it, but I'm excited to be where I'm at it," Perrilloux said on Wednesday after the first OTA. "I'm excited to be having the offseason I'm having…I just want to master the offense. I just want to keep learning, staying in Eli's and David Carr's hip pocket and continue to learn and develop as a player mentally and physically."
For those that recall, Perrilloux was waived and re-signed so many times throughout the season that even he lost count. But the quarterback was reassured he wasn't doing anything wrong, which is evidenced by his current spot on the defending Super Bowl champs' roster.
"For them to keep wanting to bring me back and keep me around the program and to have an opportunity to be part of the Super Bowl team, that showed me that they wanted me here," he said. "They want to give me an opportunity to come out and be a Giant. I didn't take anything from it except I was doing what I needed to do to help this team and they wanted to keep me around."
