ALBANY — Brandon Jacobs ended his training camp silence yesterday with a loud, booming gesture.
Jacobs sported a white T-shirt with bright blue lettering that read, “Free 17 Let Him Ball Out,” referring to former teammate Plaxico Burress, when he met with reporters after the team’s morning practice.
“The shirt I have on? You won’t see that anywhere unless you go and get it made, just like I did,” Jacobs said. “I just had it made. It only took a couple of minutes, so you can get one, too.”
Jacobs said he talked once a week with Burress, his former teammate, before training camp began. Burress applied for a work release last month. It was the second time he had applied for one; his first application was denied by the New York State Department of Corrections in November.
If the release is approved, Burress’ NFL-imposed suspension would be lifted and he would be eligible to play with any NFL team. Giants general manager Jerry Reese hasn’t closed the door on Burress returning to the team once he is released from prison.
“I’m just hoping for the best for him and his family,” Jacobs said. “Hopefully he can get out and continue his career.”
Burress’ future soon may become clearer, but Jacobs’ gets cloudier by the day. So far during camp, the Giants’ other veteran running back, Ahmad Bradshaw, has been taking the first snap in virtually every team period. But if Jacobs knows why, he’s not saying.
“I really don’t know anything about it,” said Jacobs, who is Bradshaw’s roommate. “I’m just out here to try and help us win. That’s about it.
“No matter who gets the first carry or what, I’m still there and I’m not dead, so we still have a chance to win [the Super Bowl].”
When running backs coach Jerald Ingram was asked if Bradshaw had supplanted Jacobs as the starting running back, he said the team doesn’t have one.
“It’s who does what when that player’s called,” Ingram said. “From that standpoint, if we run an outside play, if we want to be in third down, if we want to be in two tight [ends], what is the defense’s game-plan gonna be?”
After rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2007 and 2008, with an average of 5.0 yards per carry each season, Jacobs ran for 835 yards last year and averaged 3.7 yards per carry. He attributed the decline to an ailing right knee, which required arthroscopic surgery at the end of last season.
In an attempt to avoid nagging injuries, Jacobs changed his workout regimen this offseason. He moved away from strength work, focusing instead on flexibility.
“I just realized that all the strength stuff isn’t benefiting me, the dead lifts and the power lifts,” he said. “I’m 28 years old, you know. I came out of the womb strong. . . . I just need to be more flexible.”
The Giants finished 17th in the league in rushing last year, so the roommates are hoping to lead Big Blue back to where they were in 2008 — the NFL’s top rushing offense, supplanting the Saints.
“We built a house on top of the hill,” Jacobs said. “We need to go back and knock at that door, and New Orleans better let us in again.”