Sidelines Notes

Sideline Notes: Giants wrap up OTAs

Jun 13, 2019 at 01:36 PM

John Schmeelk

Giants.com

The final OTA of the Giants offseason program is in the books. It was three months of hard work for the players and coaches and a lot was accomplished.

Here's how the team wrapped up its offseason field work:

*If you are wondering why there was no sideline report for OTA No. 9 on Wednesday, it was because there was nothing to report. The practice was a walk-through with a focus on situational football and time management at the end of games. The team, for example, worked on getting to the line quickly to run a play or stop the clock and other small things that help teams win football games. Pat Shurmur focuses a lot on making sure his players are situationally aware and ready to execute the small things at the end of games that can make the difference between winning and losing.

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*The 10th OTA featured only three competitive periods and lasted about an hour. Eli Manning and a lot of the starters on both sides of the ball were given a break in competitive periods, with the younger players and backups getting all the snaps.

*The quarterbacks and receivers were on fire for most of the day, and it started early during half-line pass drills. Daniel Jones threw a perfectly-timed and accurate 15-yard out-route to Rhett Ellison near the sideline. Later in the same period, Jones showed how much he has learned during OTAs, looking off the middle linebacker by turning towards the tight end running a quick out before quickly shfiting his shoulders and hitting Bennie Fowler over the middle on a slant opened up by the moving middle linebacker. Fowler and Jones would hook up again during seven-on-seven on a perfect deep post over the head of the middle linebacker.

*Fowler quietly had one of the off-seasons of any wide receiver. He is in shape and looks like he added some muscle to his frame. He profiles as a perfect possession receiver in the middle of the field.

*Jones continued to shine during red-zone drills when he threw Scott Simonson open on the goal line, targeting him low and away from a defender to the only spot the pass could be completed. He would later hook up with Simonson on a back-shoulder catch down the sideline during seven-on-seven. The tight end got his body turned around and bobbled the ball a couple of times before bringing it in for the catch.

*Alex Tanney made a couple of good throws, too. In half-line drills, Tanney hit Cody Latimer on a skinny post. Latimer brought the ball in with one hand for one of the best catches of the spring. Tanney also got Darius Slayton one more big play before the end of OTAs, hitting him on a perfect deep post that could have gone for a long touchdown.

*Despite many of the starters getting a break and it being the last OTA, it was still very competitive. Saquon Barkley was barking at the defense while the backups were competing on the field. Both units were heavily invested in how their teammates on their side of the ball were performing.

*I've been watching these spring workouts for 12 seasons now, and this might be the best chemistry and energy I have ever seen. It sounds like an exaggeration, but the vibe and energy is positive and I can't wait to see how it transfers to training camp and games come the summer.

*Thanks for reading all the practice reports this spring. We'll be back with more when the players return for training camp at the end of July.

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RB Saquon Barkley at New York Giants Mini Camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, NJ