2014 NFL Training Camp: Tuesday Round-Up

The second day of Giants training camp is done, with more than a few heat related issues. We had multiple players carted off but head coach Tom Coughlin told us that most of them were heat related.

That conditioning was as much a factor as it appeared to be was clearly frustrating for Coughlin, who otherwise was very positive about the first full day of practice.

Coughlin had a lot to say in his first two press conferences (picture by Andrew Garda)

Coughlin had a lot to say in his first two press conferences (picture by Andrew Garda)

Before we get into the details of the rest of the day here in East Rutherford, let's take a glance the two other camps which are open, the Dallas Cowboys (who won't practice until Thursday) and the Buffalo Bills. We'll also take a look at some other news surfacing today.

Buffalo Bills

The biggest news here is what's been going on with defensive tackle Marcell Dareus.

This is on top of the two offseason arrests he had this year. The good news for Bills fans would be that the felony drug charges were dropped yesterday, as he aggreed to enter the NFL Drug Treatment program. The bad news is that some of the red flags we saw predraft seem to have been true. He's been benched twice for team rules violations, arrested twice and showed up to camp out of shape. The team is desperate for defensive tackle help but Dareus isn't panning out the way they'd hoped he would.

Bills fans can feel a little better though given the early camp play from rookie receiver Sammy Watkins. SBNation's James Brady discusses a few plays by Watkins, including video of a play where he torches the Bills secondary.

Good news Bills fans! You have a great receiver.

Bad news Bills fans! Your secondary might not be good.

This will all come down to EJ Manuel in the end, but having Watkins will go a long way towards helping Manuel improve.

 

Dallas Cowboys

Along time ago - long enough to where it makes me feel old to think about it - I covered the Cowboys in Oxnard, California. It was always a bit of a circus, and probably is again this year.

The Cowboys had some high expectations last year and missed. Then, the expectations were reset for this year.

And then the defense - which was already a question mark - imploded. DeMarcus Ware was released and then Sean Lee was lost for the season.

At least they have gotten through reporting to camp without an injury, right?

There's not much else to report, though that little miracle might be enough.

The defense will be what you want to watch here, as the injuries it's dealing with are significant and are rattling the team's cage. Sean Lee's injury leaves the "Mike" linebacker spot very weak and Anthony Spencer's constant injuries mke him unreliable as the strong-side defensive end.

Of course new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is an intriguing storyline, as is the condition of Tony Romo's back. They can't afford to have him injured with Brandon Weeden as their backup. Will they put him on a camp "pitch count?"

All these things will be on display in just a few days and what the result is could have a huge impact on the team I am watching this week.

Ah the New York Giants.

As i said at the top, it was a practice rife with injuries. Jameel McClain, Xavier Grimble, rookie Odell Beckham Jr and Brandon Mosley were all hurt - Mosley, Grimble and McClain were all carted off.

As I said before, Coughlin told us that most of the "injuries" were heat related (The Star-Ledger's Conor Orr said Mosley was removed for a stomch ache). There was some murmuring among the beat writers that Beckham Jr pulling up on a long ball was not an uncommon site in the spring, when he had been battling a hamstring injury.

At least the news about McClain seems to be good.

I heard a rumor that the issue might've been his shoe, so we'll see how quickly he gets back on the field.

Coughlin definitely didn't seem pleased, mentioning Beckham stopping on the ball. On the play, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had him beat and Eli Manning overthrew the ball as well. It's the sort of play a veteran receiver will become a defender on. Beckham pulled up and limped away after the play. He was running a short time later, so we'll see if the hamstring issue he dealt with in camp has emerged again.

So far, it appears as if this offense is going to go faster than it has before and move the ball more quickly. Manning rolled out a few times (ala Aaron Rodgers) but it wasn't pretty. It's not his strength an we'll have to wait and see if his comfort level increases.

Manning Holds Court After Conditioning (picture by Andrew Garda)

Manning Holds Court After Conditioning (picture by Andrew Garda)

How fast the ball comes out, how quickly this team can get it moving will be the key to this season. The offensive line still has issues, and as Packers fans know, the best way to avoid that (aside from just not getting hurt) is to get the ball out quick on occasion.

We'll be talking more about that s the week progresses.

I'll be back tomorrow with more news from training camps around the league (10 more teams report tomorrow though there are no new teams starting practices) and more reports from here at Giants camp as we begin to see a little more of what the new McAdoo offense looks like.

 

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