Q: What are your thoughts on Steve Smith going toPhiladelphia?
A: Well I'm disappointed obviously. We thought he'd be a Giant all the way. With the circumstances and the fact that Dr. Warren did the surgery, I think we know quite a bit about what it takes to get him back on the field but having said all that, we certainly know that that's the nature of our business. There were some disappointing factors involved which I'm not going to get into because I'm not the one to speak on that but we're disappointed that he's not here.
Q: Were you under the impression there was a deal with him?
A: No, I don't think so. No.
Q: How aware were you of the market for Steve?
A: Well I think that we conservatively approached it, at least in terms of thinking. Certainly there's a market for a player of that value. There were some issues that had to be dealt with as well and perhaps there was some more time to be spent in the process of getting ready to play. Our people had pursued an offer and tried to get this done a long time ago, to be honest with you, but nothing ever came forth from their people. We were constantly told that if and when the market did develop that we would be included in what was going on.
Q: There are a lot more people going out than there are coming in. At what point does that start to cause some concern?
A: Certainly it causes concern. Again, it's the nature of the profession and we'll just have to go on from here. We have plenty of players in the building. We've got to go from here.
Q: You said you were going to be kept abreast of what was going on. Did they not give you a chance to match?
A: From what I understand there wasn't any involvement on our part at all. We were never brought into the discussion and we were told we were going to.
Q: With Kevin and Steve gone, do you feel confident with the guys you have here?
A: I do. There are a couple of spots from the receiver standpoint that have to be proven out. Certainly, two guys who were most instrumental in what we did a year ago are still here and performing at a high level so I feel good about that. The challenge to Travis Beckum and some of these guys that have had an opportunity to play on a part time basis which now have greater opportunities – the word is opportunity, it's right there for them. So they've got to go get it, go grab it.
Q: How much time will the starters see on Saturday?
A: We usually go 15-18 snaps. We'll take into consideration any injury situation or anyone that causes us to have some kind of limitation but usually it's around 15-18 snaps.
Q: Are any of the new starters going to see more time?
A: Not necessarily. We have a lot of people to look at.
Q: With no OTA's and minicamps, does the preseason take on added importance for the evaluation of the players?
A: Without a doubt. You just hit the nail on the head. There hasn't been any evaluation so here we go. And, you're playing a preseason game with about 11 practices, so there you go.
Q: Will both of your punters play?
A: Yes.
Q: Are all the quarterbacks going to play?
A: We'll probably arrange that so that three will play and in another week the other quarterback will have a chance to play.
Q: Have you ever gone into a game knowing less about your roster than this one?
A: I think we know most…we know a little bit about our roster. It's a great chance to play and the challenge is right there in front of our guys. So, take it.
Q: Does having the same offensive coordinator and quarterback in place from last year give you a leg up on some teams that don't have that?
A: Well I think certainly continuity has always been a wonderful part of what the Giants believe in and we have a very good staff, a very good group of coaches. I've indicated to them in the process of preparing for getting our players back that this has got to be a factor in our development and going forward. So yeah, it's a factor. I'm not going to say to what degree it is over anybody else. Everybody's out there working their tales off but we do have some advantages.
Q: Were you given the impression that you offer to Steve Smith was too conservative?
A: Not from anything that I'm aware of.
Q: They didn't tell you at any point that you needed to come up a little bit more.
A: The negotiations don't go through me but no, that wasn't the case.
Q: You said Smith had a long haul before he'd be back. How long did you think that would be?
A: Maybe as much as 4 to 6 weeks.
Q: I understand that it's about business, but this sounds like you may have been upset personally about what happened. Is that accurate?
A: Well I am upset and so is everybody but we're disappointed in the fact the we… it's like lining up for the race and you're in he locker room and nobody tells you that the race is going to be run. That's the disappointing thing here. I don't believe that we were given the opportunity to do what we could do.
Q: When you look at training camp, have you had to change your philosophy at all because of the shortened amount of time?
A: Well we're using every second that we can. Meetings-wise, jog-through walk-through-wise, we're restricted to one practice so we've still tried to approach it with a lot of information. Of course we'll peel back for the game but there have been some changes in the way we approach things but by and large we've spent a lot of time in the classroom and hopefully that'll pay off.
Q: Is Beckum's hamstring issue something that could sideline him for a while?
A: Well I hope not. I hope not. He needs to be on the field and working every day and at this point he can't. He's not going to be able to go.
Q: Is there any rookie that you're looking to specifically to step up?
A: I wouldn't say specifically but certainly we think there's talent here that when given this opportunity, hopefully will rise to the surface.
Q: Are you concerned with the amount of information about the Giants that Steve Smith will take with him to the Eagles.
A: Not from that standpoint, no.
Q: Any word from Ben Patrick?
A: No.
Q: Any reports on Osi yet?
A: No. That was today I think, mid-day.
Q: Can you talk about Ryan Perrilloux?
A: He's been impressive. He really has. Strong arm, picked it up relatively quickly. He's got a ways to go but I've been impressed.
Q: Was it good to see Osi doing some football drills out there?
A: It was.
Q: Did that surprise you?
A: Did that surprise me, no.
Q: What do you want out of the first preseason game?
A: Well when you go into your first preseason game there's an awful lot of things on your mind but you want people free to show their ability. Organizationally, you want to be as sound as you can be, you want the substitution pattern to be understood completely. You want to hit hard. You want to run fast to the ball. You want people to take care, as soon as they have an opportunity be at their very, very best. Not be sloppy with the ball and control penalties in the first game. There will be a bunch of objectives for the first game.
