Guilty as charged.
That is Damontre Moore’s admission to reports he was not exactly the hardest worker during his time at Texas A&M. Not long after the Giants took the pass-rushing defensive end in the third round of the NFL Draft, coach Tom Coughlin said the rep on Moore was that he was great on Saturdays but not so great the other days of the week.
Translation: Moore gave his all during games, not so much in practice or in the weight room.
“That wasn’t one of my strong fortes,’’ Moore said Saturday during Giants rookie mini-camp. “I’m here to work. I’m here to make my weakness my strong point. I’m just ready to get in there and give my all and try to prove people wrong. It’s nothing but motivation.’’
The Giants would like to think Moore’s lack of urgency is a product of his youth. He’s 20 years old — young even for a rookie. He left Texas A&M after his junior year but not before amassing 26.5 sacks — 21 in his last two seasons. He has the frame of a basketball player and already has gained a few pounds to his 6-foot frame, up to 255. The Giants see him playing at around 260 as they hope they have found their next edge-rusher to augment Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka and replace Osi Umenyiora, who signed with the Falcons.
“Honestly, my goals are to do whatever Coach says, just come in here with a closed mouth and open eyes and just be ready to work,’’ Moore said. “Whatever they tell me to do, I’m doing it like full speed.’’
Coughlin said the reports he received indicated Moore needed to pick up his work habits.
“I’m just repeating what was told to me,’’ Coughlin said. “But to his credit, he has come out and practiced hard. He kind of had a smile on his face. He has done what he was told to do. He is learning as he goes, obviously. So we would like to keep him that way — hungry and not sure.’’
Moore rushed the passer from a standing position his first two seasons at A&M before putting his hand on the ground this past season. Coming from Texas, he said he has tried to pattern his game after Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
“Seeing him put his hand in the ground, standing up and just being very versatile with his game,’’ Moore said of Ware. “You never knew what you were going to get, if you were going to get a power rush or a speed rush. I’m trying to assimilate my game to his.’’
* Coughlin said he hopes newly signed LB Aaron Curry can reclaim the form that made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
“He is anxious to have an opportunity and we are anxious to provide him with one,’’ Coughlin said. “Hopefully the two will meet and we will get a very talented player who can come into the Giant organization and play the way he was graded coming out of college.”
* QB Ryan Nassib, the fourth-round pick from Syracuse, showed great touch down the field, completing morning passes to Brandon Collins and Jeremy Horne.
“I think probably that one of the things that continue to grow on you is the way the quarterback is,’’ Coughlin said. “He responded to a new system — first time ever and was showing some ability to lead in the huddle and the huddle pays attention to him,” Coughlin said. The offensive line seems to have responded pretty well to him. He is throwing the ball, on occasion, well.’’Guard Eric Herman, a seventh-round pick from Ohio, was credited in college with 128 “pancake’’ blocks as a senior.
Asked how to define a pancake block, Herman said, “You take your opponent to the ground … unwillingly.’’
* The Giants yesterday made several roster alterations based on what they saw in the two-day rookie mini-camp. In addition to the Friday signing of LB Aaron Curry, five more players were signed, including two veterans participating in the camp on a tryout basis. The players with NFL experience added were DT Frank Okam (Texans, Buccaneers) and TE Michael Palmer (Falcons). They also signed three rookies: WR Jeremy Horne (UMass), DB Junior Mertile (Florida International) and DB John Stevenson (Georgia Southern). To make room on the roster, the Giants waived OT Levy Adcock, WR Marcus Davis, DB Buddy Jackson,LB Charleus Dieseul, DT Bobby Skinner and K Jake Rogers.