**
Head Coach Tom Coughlin**
Q: It looks like you got Odell Beckham in there.
A: Yeah, we got him in there for a little.
Q: What is it with him that allows you to think he can get out on the field?
A: He came out of the training locker room and sprinted over to that cart over there and I thought, 'Well maybe he can run 20 yards.' What do you think?
Q: How has Johnathan Hankins looked?
A: Solid.
Q: Those are big shoes without Linval Joseph here.
A: It's his turn. That's why he's here.
Q: What have you seen him improve on the most?
A: You're not going to see anything really to talk about until you get the pads on. There's knowledge of what we're asking him to do, his ability to be in the right spot at the right time, his intelligence. All of those things are positive.
Q: When you brought Mario Manningham back you knew that this was not going to be a deal that he could get on the field before training camp?
A: Yeah.
Q: And is it still the knee? Injuries from last year?
A: It's the post-surgical rehab that we knew was going to be the issue. Hopefully he'll be okay for camp.
Q: When you say post-surgical is that from this offseason or from the original…?
A: There was a serious procedure, so he's still coming back. He played a little bit and didn't help himself.
Q: Quickness and agility were big things for him, he needs that in his game.
A: Absolutely. That part of it. I hope he can make a play like the last time he was here.
Q: He left after that play basically and hasn't done a whole lot since.
A: Well, they (the 49ers) were a better team with him on the field, believe me. Two years ago before he got hurt, he made a big difference with them.
Q: What kind of growth have you seen in Damontre Moore?
A: He's made good, steady progress. He's, naturally, a year later, a year more into it so he's more comfortable with what's going on. It's not one of those things where you don't notice that he's out there because he does have a correction here or there. We like what we see. His continued development in the weight room with just some added muscle and strength, a little bit more size is something that will help a lot.
Q: Robert Ayers and Walter Thurmond are guys who played on winning teams last year. How much are they making an impact?
A: Both, throughout the course of our work on the field, have stood out from time to time and both are solid players that will contribute.
Q: With Chris Snee not on the field, Brandon Mosley has been the guy that's been in there with the first team. What has he shown you and why him?
A: There are a lot of guys that play in there, but he deserved the opportunity that's been given. He's been in that classroom for any number of years and been with us for a long time, got an opportunity last year and was not able to take full advantage of it, got hurt right away in the game in Detroit. He's a big, strong kid that's played at the highest level in college, so we're counting on him to be a young player that's going to develop and help us.
Q: What's the difference between him now and maybe in the years past? Aside from mental advancement.
A: I think there's… that's all, that's what it is. Same power, same strength in the weight room, on-going size, continuous development that way.
Q: How has the chemistry been building with all of the changes on the offensive coaching staff?
A: Which chemistry?
Q: I'm sure you need everybody to be working together. Does that take time?
A: That's been very good. No. It takes time to get to know one another but the way that the changes were accepted on the offensive side of the ball and the attitude on everyone, as it should be, was very, very positive.
Q: That could be detrimental to a team if the coaching staff is…
A: That's never going to happen. That's not going to happen. Everybody's going to be on the same page, which is just a tribute to the quality of the individuals and their understanding and belief in what we're doing.
Q: Does Ayers and Thurmond coming from winning teams help in the transition being here?
A: Let's hope that it does going forward. They're happy to be in this building, too.
Q: When you have a tenured player like Mathias Kiwanuka who said he was a little unhappy about how the offseason went, do you talk to him to kind of make sure he's on the same page?
A: I talked with him back during the offseason. I haven't talked to him about anything like that since then.
**
QB Eli Manning**
Q: Two days in, how was it out there today?
A: I thought there were some good things and some things we needed to work on. That's still, we're still figuring some things out. Our defense is doing a good job throwing a lot of looks at us, which I think is good for us to see how things… we're going to communicate a lot of things, go over things that will prepare us best for the season. I thought the guys were competing, I thought they picked up the tempo better today offensively. I thought we did some good things.
Q: Just how valuable are these three days before training camp starts with this new offense that you have to learn?
A: I think just being here for the whole, all of the OTAs, the minicamps. I think the minicamp is just a continuation of what we've been doing this last month or so. One more time to go over it, really start from the beginning and go over things and kind of fine tune everything, make sure you have the exact understanding of what we're trying to do, so I think that's important. It's good… the more work we can get and right now, figuring some things out, the better off we'll be.
Q: Now knowing the details of this offense, how much of your communication with the O-line is critical compared to the one that you've run all of your previous years? How is that coming?
A: Everything is going well. I think we're communicating well with the offensive line, asking them questions after our plays are up on the sideline and going over things, just make sure we're seeing things the same way, the same communication. Each day is probably a look that may come up that we might not have declared perfectly but at least we're on the same page, we're doing things and we're getting better so I think from each practice we're learning new things and getting faster and making those declarations and getting things going. I think we're doing well but we still have some room to get better.
Q: What would you expect to happen after you guys wake up tomorrow for the last day or minicamp? You have about a month or so until you start training camp. What things, if any, will guys do to try to increase their improvement and to continue to try to get better?
A: I think you just keep getting in the weight room, make sure your conditioning is well, make sure you come into training camp as healthy as possible and in the best shape. Keep reviewing some of the scripts that we have or some of the practices that we have, going over them, keep going over them. For me, going over the words, making calls out loud to be able to verbalize everything so I think doing all of those things so when we come back for training camp we haven't taken a step backwards, we're where we left off if not even better at some things, having some questions and a better understanding of what we're trying to do.
Q: Do you suspect there will be some groups gathering, even with your receivers throwing a little bit or are you just going to try to put that aside?
A: We just have to see. Maybe a couple, a lot of people are traveling around doing things so it makes it somewhat difficult because you can't do it here with the CBA and all of those rules. If we can hopefully maybe get together somewhere, it would be good to get some work done.
Q: How has your relationship with Ben McAdoo progressed?
A: It's going well. I think we communicate well. I'm trying to ask him lots of questions, he's asking questions about what I like, what I like in two-minute, what plays I feel comfortable with. I think we're communicating well and getting on the same page.
**
WR Mario Manningham**
Q: How close do you think you are?
A: It's going really good. Just being patient, getting strong and I'll be ready by camp.
Q: Is this what you figured your timetable was to kind of see things here and then once you start training camp do you think you'll be okay?
A: Yeah, I'm going to be alright when camp starts, just trying to build the confidence back. Every day and every week it gets better.
Q: Is this still, this is rehab from the initial surgery from a while ago, right?
A: No, I went and got scoped in January so that's what I'm rehabbing.
Q: Did it feel like you've been gone for two years? You come back into a locker room after being away.
A: Actually it didn't. When I came back just the feeling… just like I never left. The guys here are cool, you know just looking around still. We know we have a mission. We know we have to do what we have to do.
Q: Did you ever have the thought that you would be back in New York?
A: You kind of do, but you don't because you never know what's ahead of you. I'm glad I'm back.
Q: Do you expect to be the same player that you were?
A: Yeah.
Q: Can you talk about what life was like on the west coast with the 49ers?
A: It was different, this is the east coast and that's the west coast. It's different, everybody runs their organizations differently. It was different, different offense, different people, different front office. Everything was different.
Q: And obviously the injury hurt what you could do there. Was it frustrating being there for…?
A: Yeah, it was frustrating. Of course. You have to overcome everything. Everything isn't set up to be the way that you want it. I had injuries, I'm going to deal with it but I'm going to do what I have to do to come back like I left.
Q: How much does it concern you that 18 months later after the surgery that it's still somewhat problematic, that it's still not 100%?
A: You said 'how worried am I?' I'm not worried at all. Rehab is not like I'm just sitting around and not doing anything. That's my whole point of getting back on the field – rehab, doing something every day, doing something every day and every week to make my knee stronger.
Q: This is not the same offense that the Giants had when you left. How hard is it to pick it up when you're not able to get out and run plays on the field.
A: I just left the same offense so that's kind of a good thing.
Q: The Niners?
A: Yeah.
Q: How similar is it?
A: It's similar. We have adjustments and different signals but that's a part of the game, different signals. Nobody has the same signals in football.
Q: But this is a lot more similar to your offense with the 49ers than the offense that you left with the Giants, correct?
A: Yeah.
Q: How do you think this offense fits you?
A: More freedom, more running around, just more open space, opportunities.
Q: It is more, easier is not the right word, but is it more simplified for a receiver? Less reads, less decisions.
A: Yeah, it is. That's what the West Coast offense is built into, just going out and playing. Just going out and not thinking while you're out there or being hesitant about your decisions.
Q: Coach said he hopes that you can get back to the point where you were making plays for the Giants before you left. Does it make it easier or any more comfortable for you coming back to a place that you know?
A: I mean, I'm not going to say easier but it makes it a little bit more… it gives me a little bit more hope, leaving somewhere and then coming back and then just not… say there's a new head coach or whatever, you know what I'm saying, I know these guys and I know the level that they play at as far as winning and the high intensity and the coaches and the players. I'm glad I'm here.
**
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie**
Q: How are you adjusting with only one day left of camp?
A: I have my up and down days, just getting here and learning all of the terminology and learning to play on the back end.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about being with the Giants?
A: Just flying around, that's one thing I knew. In certain times I'm on the field and in certain areas on the field and I see multiple guys there, so I can tell this is a defense that gets after people.
Q: Now that you've gone through OTAs and minicamp today, how good can this secondary be?
A: First off, without the safeties playing and moving you up, you know just learning off Antrel and Stevie, I think we're going to be real good. They're very vocal, they definitely have experience back there and they can help us learn so I think we'll be good.
Q: Learning a new defense…
A: You just try to fit your style of play into the defense and make it work for you. I think that's the hardest thing in coming over here and just learning this system and the scheme and the things that they put in.
Q: As one of the new guys, how easy it is to mesh with the guys who have been here?
A: Any time you have guys that… it's kind of easy because you've been around the game and you kind of know the game so you can sense a feel for it. It's still kind of tough because, you know, coming from different systems, you're learning a whole new system. The communication's got to be there.
Q: How easy is it for you to pick up their tendencies?
A: I've played with 'Trel before so I kind of know what he's doing. Just watching more film and just being around the game, I just take all of that and go out there and play.
