ALBANY — The Giants arrived yesterday for training camp and while his teammates carted personal belongings into their dorm rooms at the University at Albany, running back Brandon Jacobs quite expectedly carried in a chip on his broad shoulders.
What else is new?
“I like that people are counting us out again this year — because we don’t have Plaxico [Burress],” Jacobs said. “They’re saying that the young receivers can’t pan out and our veteran receivers can’t get it done. Plax was a special talent and it’s hard to find someone like him, but we have a lot of guys here that can play and do well enough to get the job done.”
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It was no surprise that defensive tackle Fred Robbins (coming off micro-fracture knee surgery) and linebacker Michael Boley (coming off surgery to repair a torn hip labrum) were placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the start of camp. It wasn’t expected, however, that newly signed DT Rocky Bernard would be put on the Non-Football Injury list.
Bernard left the offseason workout program with a slight shoulder issue, but two weeks ago while working out on his own he injured his hamstring and is not ready to practice. None of the three counts as a roster exemption.
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Now a starter, receiver Steve Smith says he is ready to fill the void left by the release of Burress and departure of Amani Toomer.
“Very confident,” Smith said. “I came in with two vets here and now they’re gone, so I think it’s my time to step in and do what I got to do.”
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After missing the entire 2008 season following knee surgery, DE Osi Umenyiora says he “craves” contact and doesn’t want to miss a practice.
“I feel like I’m prepared to go twice a day, I feel like maybe I should go twice a day,” Umenyiora said. “Whatever they feel is the smartest thing for me to do, I’ll do.”
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Eli Manning arrived at camp without a new deal. He’s entering the final year of his contract. “I’m not disappointed, I still got a contract and I’m going out there to play,” Manning said. “I don’t get caught up in the contract mess.”
First-round pick Hakeem Nicks on his first NFL practice today: “I’m anxious to see, football ain’t football until you put the pads on, that’s what they say.” … LB Danny Clark visited the troops in Iraq and Kuwait this past off-season and showed up at camp wearing U.S. Marine fatigues. “I promised the guys in the Armed Forces that I’d wear their uniform at camp,” Clark said.