Saquon Looks Like Saquon Again and Other Observations from Giants' Day at Camp

Coach Gene Clemons shares his observations from the Giants' ninth training camp practice.

New York head coach Brian Daboll said he wanted a physical practice on Sunday, two days after his team went through its intrasquad scrimmage, and that's what he got.

The emphasis for practice was the red zone, which has been a problem for the Giants in the past. But before the team got to the practice field, I asked the head what level of aggression we could expect to see during these red zone sessions.

"We want to score every time," he said playfully. But here also said something that would set the tone for what onlookers would observe later in the day: the team got after it.

From the first snap of the run period, pads were popping, and by the time they made it to the red zone sections, everybody understood the assignment. Coaches were flying around, and players on both sides of the ball let the competition hear their commentary on the play results. It was a physical practice filled with guys getting run over, decleated, jogging gingerly to the sideline, limping, and yelling in celebration.

The offense led by the run game was able to find the end zone more often than not from the 10-yard-line out, but the defense made their fair share of plays.

Here are a few other observations from the practice.

Saquon Looks Like His Old Self

Many may not want to hear it, or they simply may not believe it, but running back Saquon Barkley looks like what he should be; the best offensive player on the field.

He's explosive--he has that nitrous when he hits the open field to leave defenders. He's decisive! He seems to be processing things quicker, making decisions, and using that burst to explode through spaces where he sees a slight peek of daylight.

He's also shifty. He still has that ability to make people miss in close quarters. There was only one clean shot on him through the entire practice, and that seemed to be a missed block on the interior and got Saquon hit as he gained control of the ball. This is a scary proposition for opponents and a great sign for the Giants offense.

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Tyrod Taylor Has a Starter's Swagger

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor knows his role on this team: to be the No. 2 guy. However, you'd never know it when you see him perform. He carries himself like a starter and does exactly what you would expect a good starter to do: he makes it look easy.

Taylor's athleticism is still intact, and he displayed it on a few occasions, scoring on what seemed to be a designed quarterback run where he nonchalantly stepped inside the pylon, tossed the ball to the official, and trotted back to the huddle.

He dropped a perfect ball into a receiver's hands in the endzone's back corner, similar to a drill they worked on earlier in practice. He hit a receiver in stride off an RPO when he caught the linebacker getting nosey.

He also executed two perfect bootlegs where he threw to a wide-open tight end for a score. The second time, the tight end dropped the ball.

Darrian Beavers a Menace in the Middle

If you look at the Giants' interior linebackers, they all fit the mold of the new-age NFL linebackers: they're built compact and look more like bigger running backs or fullbacks.

Darrian Beavers, however, does not fit that mold. He towers over all the other inside linebackers and looks like he belongs with the edge rushers and outside linebackers who are much bigger.

The rookie sixth-round draft pick looks like he is picking the game up well, and he is becoming a legitimate thumper inside that would benefit this defense as they will deal with a division full of teams who run the ball effectively.

Beavers, who has relieved Blake Martinez on those days when his workload is managed, is noticeable and is someone to watch for the preseason.

A Chemistry Lesson

The more the Giants quarterbacks and receivers get on the same page regarding route concepts, the better this offense will be. After practice, Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, and the receivers put in some extra work on route running and the passing game with what looked to be timing and placement.

It was interesting to watch as they seemed to have a system in place. And this was not something impromptu; it was organized and efficient. It was nice to see a coordinated effort between both units with purposeful work centered on improving particular aspects of their relationship on the field.

This can only be a positive for an area of the offense that has not looked as explosive or effective as many believe they will need to be for this team to emerge from the basement.

Up Next

The Giants are back to work tomorrow for their preseason opener against the Patriots on Thursday evening. Daboll said he expects everyone able to play to play. 

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