Martellus Bennett, signed as a free agent from the Cowboys, is listed at 265 pounds, but last week Giants tight ends coach Mike Pope said Bennett weighed in at 291, questioning aloud if the increased bulk was a factor in the hamstring pull that has kept Bennett off the field.
Is this something that needs to be investigated?
“What you all should be writing is how much of a freak Martellus Bennett turned himself into,’’ Bennett said yesterday, explaining he has been “beasting out’’ all offseason.
Bennett arrived from the Cowboys with a reputation of having a lively personality and perhaps not the world’s greatest work-ethic. He conducted a group interview bare-chested following an OTA practice and never once came close to reaching for a shirt.
“I had to let the world see,’’ Bennett said, “because the way it sounds, it’s like, ‘Damn this guy’s fat?’ I just wanted everybody to know that I’m not fat.’’
As he spoke, Bennett frequently rubbed what he stressed is a flat stomach and showed off what he insists are biceps that are “like three inches bigger than they were last fall’’ as visual evidence he has “just been getting rocked up.’’
Yes, he has bulked up, but he does appear to carry the weight easily on his 6-foot-6 frame. Coach Tom Coughlin said Bennett “obviously has got the size to carry whatever weight we would want him to carry.’’ and added Bennett’s ideal playing weight is something the Giants will get “under control.’’
Bennett said he believes he is in complete control of a body he says is “Looking like Atlas, not Professor Klump’’ and promised there is no need for concern.
“I mean, there’s this perception about me that I don’t work hard, but if you ask any of the coaches, any of the guys on this team in the offseason program, I haven’t missed a day,’’ he said. “I haven’t stepped out of one workout or anything.“My body fat percent is like 13. By the time the season comes I’ll be at nine percent body fat.’’
* LT Will Beatty, coming back from surgery to repair a detached retina, has been on the sideline because of a lingering back issue that figures to hold him out of next week’s veteran mini-camp.
“Anybody that has had a bad back realizes that if you get yourself in trouble it is very difficult to get out of trouble in a short amount of time,’’ Coughlin said.
* Coughlin singled out CB Michael Coe, WR Ramses Barden, DE Adrian Tracy and rookie RB David Wilson as having impressive offseasons. … S Tyler Sash injured his left hamstring in a special teams drill and was limping badly in the locker room afterward. … Rookie DT Markus Kuhn isn’t practicing because the German native has not secured a work visa.