Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: When your guys take a three-day weekend, what's the goals for those guys? Just to get away from football?

A: We've had the training staff, sports science, our team psychologist, trainers, we've had them talk to them about what their plans should be to help them be best when they get back. Get away a little bit, but certainly stay active and be ready to go on Monday.

Q: (Inside linebacker) Darrian Beavers was a guy that started the summer alternating in with the 1s. Obviously, he was coming back from injury. How much did that factor into things?

A: Again, when you're deciding who's on the roster, you go through a lot of things. Beavers will be back on the practice squad, so glad to have him.

Q: Have you completed the practice squad?

A: No. I can give you the guys that I know are coming back that will be out here today. (Tackle) Tyre Phillips, (defensive tackle) Ryder (Anderson), (safety Alex) Cook, Ox (outside linebacker Oshane Ximines), (outside linebacker Tomon) Fox, (wide receiver Cole) Beasley, (inside linebacker) Dyontae Johnson, (tight end) Ryan Jones, Beavers, A.O. (cornerback Amani Oruwariye), (cornerback) Gemon Green and (quarterback Tommy) DeVito.

Q: You mentioned sports science a ton this offseason. I don't know if it was more than last year. Just as a coach, committing to that, you have to listen to people who aren't coaches and stuff like that. I'm just curious about how you go about that.

A: They're very smart at what they do. We used them heavily last year, too. They have a lot of expertise in a variety of things. Practice schedules, how much load's on the player, when to back off, when to push them, when to condition, how to condition, so I lean on them heavily. They work closely with (Head Athletic Trainer) Ronnie (Barnes) and (Physical Therapist) Leigh (Weiss) and then (Director of Strength & Conditioning Craig) Fitz(gerald) and (Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach) Drew (Wilson) in the weight room. So, it's a good group to lean on, really, in a lot of different areas.

Q: Does each guy have his own regimen with all those people, or is it more of a general thing with the guys?

A: I'd say we try to be as specific as possible. When you're talking to a group, though, it's for the general purpose. Whether it's out here on the practice field or in the training room, you treat everybody the way they need to be treated in terms of what they need. You might need a little bit something different than Dan. I'd say they do a really good job of putting things together and then structuring it to each individual player while also understanding there's a big picture with the entire group.

Q: What will you do with the long weekend?

A: Work and maybe hang out with my wife and family a little bit. You don't really get away. This time of year, there's not much time to get away. You're kind of in the thick of it right now.

Q: How much are you already into the Cowboys? Are you completely focusing on them at this point?

A: Well, right now, for us, we're really focusing on things we need to see. I told you guys yesterday. So, different looks maybe that the defense hasn't seen very much, or different looks the offense hasn't seen. It's really about our team right now and the coaches, obviously, we've done a lot of work in the offseason. I'm sure most teams do, but for the players I think let's get better on certain little things that we can get better at.

Q: (Outside linebacker Boogie) Basham came down last night? This morning?

A: Yeah, he's here. He'll be out here today. Yep.

Q: What do you like in his game? Where does he fit now that he's here?

A: Again, we've got to get him out here and see what he can do. He ran a different system, a 4-3 system at Buffalo with his hand in the ground, defensive end. But he's 275 pounds. He's a thick body. We'll ask him to do the same stuff that all of our outside backers do.

Q: With (safety Jason) Pinnock, did you see last year starting potential for him? Obviously, he was brought in here.

A: Yeah, explosive athlete. He had to pick up our system again. It's a little bit different than the system he came from. Explosive, athletic, can run. So, I think Rome (defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson) and (safeties coach Michael) Trier have really done a good job with him, and give credit to the young man. He's done a good job of picking our stuff up and playing fast and he's an explosive athlete.

Q: Is the 53 still fluid?

A: Yeah. It'll probably be fluid all year.

Q: Do you anticipate moves coming later today?

A: I don't know. They could.

Q: Do you envision any of your injured guys going to the injured reserve to start?

A: I don't know. I'm not sure yet.

Q: With (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor), where do you see his value in his role?

A: He's played a lot of football, been a starter, been a backup. Knows our system. Good leader, good player to have.

Q: Are any of the injured guys from yesterday going to practice?

A: No, I think they're status quo here. Might see Ryder do some individuals, (cornerback Nick) McCloud will do individuals. A couple guys (will do) individuals, some install. (Safety) Bobby (McCain) will be limited, but he'll do some stuff. So, a couple guys back.

Q: Any injuries from yesterday?

A: No. Nope, status quo.

Q: How do you explain to the guys, especially the rookies, how things are going to change next week? They're going to be away for a few days and then come back and it's game week.

A: Just tell them what the schedule is. Again, I think our people in our building, other members of different departments that I asked to speak to them, do a really good job telling them what the expectations are, and then they go out and be a pro and do it. Their first year, obviously, doing it, first time doing it, but we've been doing the same schedule for the last week here. So, let's come in ready to work.

Q: Do you prepare yourself? You've been doing this for 30 years now. Do you have to change a switch?

A: No. No, I think if you're in this business, you always have to have your switch on.

Q: How close is Cole Beasley to being healthy, and how much impact did that have on roster decisions?

A: He's getting better. He's getting better.

Q: Last year, you had the examples of your veterans on the practice squad who essentially earned their way to the 53 – a handful of them, really, playing in the playoff game. When you look to veterans now – Cole is one I know you have a relationship with – is it easier to convince a veteran to come onto the practice squad now?

A: I really think it's probably case-by-case. But again, the practice squad has evolved to where it is now with 16 players and there are some players that you know are on a practice squad that are going to be ready to go right away that have played in football games, that know the system, that you can put in right away, and there's other players that maybe aren't ready quite yet to play in a regular-season game, but you think there's something to develop. So, there's a couple of different categories of players that are on our practice squad, all of which we think can help contribute, just probably in different roles right now.

Q: That rule wasn't always that way. Do you like that you have more flexibility with your roster?

A: I think it's good. The more guys you can have out here, and again, there's injuries, there's a bunch of stuff that happens, so to me, it's just really an extension of the roster.

Q: Does the new quarterback rule change your approach on anything?

A: Nope. No.

Q: Do you guys know what's wrong with (tight end) Tommy (Sweeney) yet or why he ended up going on NFI? Any more clarity on that situation?

A: No. I've talked to our trainers, I've talked to some of the doctors. I'm going to kind of keep that in-house.

Quarterback Daniel Jones

Q: You guys have a long break this weekend. What do you guys do?

A: I'll be around here. Just a chance to kind of recharge and get your body ready to go and get ahead on the week a little bit. Really just to recharge, reset and get ready to go.

Q: (Head Coach Brian Daboll) Dabs was talking a little bit about what you guys need to do as a team, but how much do you even now start looking ahead to Week 1?

A: I think this week has been mainly focused on us and what we need to do as a group leading into the whole season, finishing up camp and leading into the season. I think that's been the clear emphasis from Dabs and the coaching staff this week, and I think we've done that pretty well.

Q: How much growth have you seen from (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt) from the guy who showed up in OTAs and minicamp to the one now getting ready for Week 1?

A: I think he's made a ton of progress and worked really hard to do it. So, a large credit to him and how he's gone about his work. He's made a tremendous amount of progress showing up throughout camp making plays. We'll continue to work towards improving all together. He's in a good spot.

Q: Where specifically have you seen that progress? The acclimation period for rookie wideouts is usually pretty hard, so where have you seen him grow?

A: I think for any rookie, it's just coming in and learning an NFL offense, learning the NFL passing concepts, the routes you're running. For all rookie receivers, it's a lot different than what they're used to. I think that's the big thing, just learning the concepts, learning the playbook, and then learning the details in the routes and how to work against certain different looks, how to get open, how to feel space and zone and then beat man coverage. He's done a good job learning all that.

Q: He's your new locker mate?

A: Yeah. Yeah, new locker mate.

Q: Where do you stand on whether you have a WR1? You have a lot of guys that do a lot of different stuff here, as you did last year. Is it important to have one guy emerge as kind of the lead guy, so to speak?

A: I think we have a ton of guys who can make a lot of plays in a lot of different ways. As a quarterback, I think that's an exciting opportunity for you to see all those guys line up and the different ways we can attack a defense and all the different skill sets. They're all good at a number of things, and really good at a couple of things. It's emphasizing those, and that's an exciting position to be in from a quarterback. I think we've got a good group.

Q: How much attention do you expect (tight end) Darren (Waller) to take? That's a different element than you've had from last year, having him here. He kind of serves to some degree as that, even though he's a tight end. He's certainly going to take a lot of attention away and open some stuff up.

A: I think so. I think he's been in the league for a long time, made a lot of plays. It's no secret what he can do. Yeah, we'll see. We'll see how that goes. He's a matchup issue for anybody with his size and speed. We'll see how teams defend him.

Wide Receiver Jalin Hyatt

Q. On Odell Beckham Jr.

A: I met him down in AZ during the draft process. He was working out and we started talking. At first, I didn't know – I was surprised he knew who I was. It shows a lot of love that he has for the Giants. A lot of respect for him.

Q. What was the problem with 84?

A: It was no problem. I was trying to decide which one I wanted. If I wanted to stick with 84 or try to do something different, but I decided 13.

Q. Is there a story behind the number?

A: There's no story behind it. I just want to start my own legacy with it and do my best for the Giants in number 13.

Q. Was the decision all yours? Did you turn to anyone to ask their opinion on it at all?

A: Most of the decision was mine. I asked some of my teammates what they thought, and they told me, "You should do it", so I decided to make that change. I can't wait to go out there week one with that jersey number and do what I do.

Q. Did that (Baltimore Ravens receiver) Odell (Beckham Jr.) part of it click in your head when you first thought about it?

A: It definitely did. What he did here – had a great career with the Giants and kind of took over. I was a fan when I was young watching him. High school, college, and now being here, but just with the jersey number, it's just one of those things I wanted to start my own legacy. I like low numbers, and if I had to choose a number it'd be 11, but it's retired here, so can't go with that one, so 13 would be the next option.

Q. The next best option.

A: Yep. 

Q. From the player who arrived here in OTA's/minicamp to the one now that's getting ready for this break before the opener, how much growth has Jalin seen in himself?

A: I've seen a lot of growth. It starts with the guys you go against in practice every day. We have some great competitors here. It starts with your habits; I've learned some good habits here, and it start with being in the film room more with (quarterback Daniel Jones) DJ and just trying to connect with everything and try to get a rhythm for myself and get comfortable just in the playbook and in this offense and do whatever they need me to do. So, a ton of growth since day one.

Outside Linebacker Boogie Basham

Q. What have the last 48 hours been for you?

A: I'd probably say it's been crazy, but it's also a blessing to keep playing football, for sure. No matter where it's at. For me, it's going out there for my family, playing for these guys. They don't really know me yet, but I am definitely a team player, ready to give all I've got.

Q. You know a couple people here, right? (Wide receiver) Isaiah (Hodgins) I'm sure you know from last year, a couple other guys. What's it like coming to a new situation like this?

A: It's kind of like a world shock, never been through it before. But like I said I'm always willing to change, definitely (have) to come out here and work, put the work in each and every day. That's what I'm bringing to it.

Q. How did you find out you'd been traded, and did it take you by surprise?

A: I was eating breakfast at the stadium and then they called me to the side and said you're getting traded right then. Had to make that quick transition to come out here yesterday.

Q. Did they let you finish your breakfast?

A: I barely finished it, so I just finished it, yeah.

Q. How do you look at this, a new chance, a new environment? Did you talk to Isaiah and (cornerback) Nick (McCloud)? Didn't have to go far to talk to Nick…

A: I would definitely say it's a new opportunity, new beginning for me, that's how I am looking at it. Everything that's in the past is in the past, now it's just looking forward, having that same mindset. I talked to Isaiah in the offseason, we both live in Arizona so that relationship always kept there. Me and Nick just go all the way back to college, so we always had a connection. It was a smooth transition having people here that you know is good.

Q. How would you describe what happened in Buffalo? What would you describe it as?

A: I would say just it is what it is, it's part of the business. No hatred towards them at all. Thankful for the opportunity, but now it's just all about the Giants. I'm here and ready to play ball.

Q. Do you wish there had been more opportunity there? You played but you never got the chance to start.

A: Some part of me is like I wish that would have happened, but then like I said I am here now and that's all I can focus on, not really worried about the past too much.

Q. Have you got a chance to talk to (Senior Vice President and General Manager) Joe Schoen since you got here and what was that like? You guys probably knew each other.

A: Yeah, yesterday I flew in around 2:30, 3 o'clock. Went through all the medical stuff, came here, Joe Schoen, big hug, dap up, good to see you again. He's the reason I got drafted in Buffalo in the first place. To come in here, he wanted me here, so that's like a little bond we got right there for sure.

Q. You say he's the reason you got drafted, was he like one of the scouts, one of the first scouts?

A: Yeah, one of the first scouts that contacted me, talked to me in the process and he was like, 'I really want you in Buffalo.' I knew it was going to happen eventually, just had that bond with him before he left Buffalo.

Q. Probably about a year and a half from now you thought it was going to happen.

A: Yeah, but you know, it is what it is.

Q. How about the idea that Dabs (Head Coach Brain Daboll) was your offensive coordinator, that you remember and now he's the head guy?

A: He always had that mindset that he wanted to be a head coach, even when he was an offensive coordinator. Just a matter of time. I'm thankful that I get the opportunity to play for him. He's crazy, you know he's got his little sayings here and there, I'm already used to it, but it's a great opportunity.

Q. What has (defensive coordinator) Wink (Martindale) said to you, if anything yet?

A: Just physical, knock back, that's all they need me to do. The rest of it will come.

Q. You've mostly been a hand in the dirt edge rusher, right? So, this is going to be a different role for you. When was the last time you played as a standup linebacker?

A: I'd probably say bits and pieces here in Buffalo, it wasn't too much, like all the time. Just kind of something that I could transition to.

Q. Did you like it when you did it?

A: Oh yeah, I could see a little more. Change is always good so that's how I look at it.

Q. Is the leverage different? It seems like it would just be a different way to position your body.

A: Yeah, you're standing up, so you are a little higher so sometimes you just have to adjust your body a little bit.