ALBANY — Aaron Ross was back. And then he wasn’t.
After missing last week’s practices with a strained hamstring, cornerback Aaron Ross yesterday morning was back on the field, along with the other starting corner, Corey Webster, who missed time with a sore knee. Ross, though, did not like the way he felt after the session and declared himself unfit for duty.
“I tried it, I could tell I wasn’t 100 percent, maybe not 80 percent yet,” Ross said.
Ross said he had an MRI exam on Monday that did not reveal any damage.
“But I still need to do some work on it,” he said. “I’ll try to limit myself from taking a big risk and hurting it even more.”
With the second preseason game coming Saturday night in Chicago, Ross won’t play. He said he is sure he will be ready for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener.
****
After coach Tom Coughlin heaped praise last week on QB Andre Woodson for the progress he’s made in a year, Woodson did not play well in the preseason-opening 24-17 victory over the Panthers. Woodson was 5 of 11 for 45 yards, one interception and was sacked once.
“I’m disappointed with the interception, but to say one guy, isolate him and say I’m disappointed, no,” Coughlin said. “I certainly would have wanted to see more but quite frankly, we’ve got to get better play out of that second offensive line before anybody is going to do anything.”
****
G Chris Snee (knee) remains out. “He’s got a little swelling in there and they want to get that swelling out of there once and for all,” Coughlin said. .¤.¤. LB Antonio Pierce (foot) and S Kenny Phillips (knee) sat out the evening practice
****
Eli Manning’s base salary was cut from $9.4 million to $7.5 million for this season as a result of the six-year, $97.5 million contract extension he signed. Don’t be mounting any fund-raising campaigns, though. He received a signing bonus of $13 million and will get an option bonus of $12.5 million, with 2010 being his option year.
****
Last year the Giants had 11 days between their first and second preseason games. This year they have five.
“Put it this way, I wouldn’t design it that way,” Coughlin said. “It’s not preseason when you’re doing things like this. It’s really not conducive to the growth that you normally get between the first and second games, but you do the best you can with it.”