NFL

Eli Manning feels 100 percent, not sure what Giants will let him do

Eli Manning wants it all.

He never signed off on the notion that he would sit out the entire spring coming off April 10 arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle and, not only is Manning already participating in segments of the Giants’ off-season workouts he has his sights set on taking as close to a full load as possible.

“We’ll talk with the trainers and the coach, but they know I’m gonna want to be out there,’’ Manning said Monday at a Guiding Eyes for the Blind event in White Plains. “That was my goal from the get-go, to be back for OTAs, be back for that first OTA. If they want to limit me somewhat I’ll understand that but I’d like to take every single rep and they know that so they’ll have to make a decision on what they want to do. From how things are progressing I don’t see why that should be a problem, to get a number of reps in OTAs.’’

The first OTA is set for May 28 and Manning plans on being on the field as the starting quarterback. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the Dec. 29 season finale against the Redskins and when the ankle did not heal sufficiently, he underwent a debridement procedure that he looks back on as being the perfect remedy. He said he feels 100 percent and estimated that earlier in the day he took about half the snaps with the offense.

Manning, 33, sounds rejuvenated as he heals and learns first-year offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s system. “I still feel young, still feel healthy, I still feel fresh, having a new offense, having a little change definitely energized me and this offense,’’ he said.

Eli Manning with a puppy? Yep, Eli Manning with a puppy.Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Eli is also excited by the new blood around him. He was in Nashville last Thursday night visiting with his wife Abby’s family when he received a text message saying “We got another Newman Greenie on the team.’’ Eli immediately knew what that meant, as receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., the Giants’ first-round pick from LSU, attended Isidore Newman High School, the same school as Cooper, Peyton and Eli Manning.

Eli recalls he and Peyton being back home in New Orleans a few years ago and wanting to get in a throwing workout. They called their former high school coach and asked him to send a few receivers down to the field. Beckham, a junior in high school at the time, stood out as being unlike the others.

“He was a different athlete than the other guys who were there from a small private school in New Orleans,’’ Manning said. “Not a ton of great athletes at receiver. He stood out. Peyton and I were trying to make sure we were matched up with him every time.’’

Beckham during his time at LSU twice attended the Manning Passing Academy and Eli said he was impressed not only with Beckham’s athletic ability but his willingness to work and accept coaching.

In the second round, the Giants selected Manning’s center for the future and perhaps the present, Weston Richburg from Colorado State. In the fourth round, Manning got a running back he can turn and hand the ball, as Andre Williams of Boston College was the nation’s leading rusher in 2013 and a Heisman Trophy finalist.

“The more skill players and offensive lineman and good players you can add to the team the better off we’ll be,’’ Manning said.


The Giants signed five rookie free agents – all defensive players – and released four players from the roster. Added were DT Kelcy Quarles (South Carolina), DT Eathyn Manumaleuna (BYU), DE Kerry Wynn (Richmond), LB Justin Anderson (Louisiana-Lafayette) and S Thomas Gordon (Michigan).

The Giants terminated the contract of QB Rusty Smith and waived LB Allen Bradford, CB Junior Mertile and P Jordan Gay.