Giants Country

Top Storylines in New York Giants' Final Week of Training Camp

The Giants enter the final week of training camp and the preseason with joint practices on tape with the New England Patriots. Here's a look at some of the key storylines surrounding the upcoming week.

Patricia Traina

Top Storylines in New York Giants' Final Week of Training Camp
Top Storylines in New York Giants' Final Week of Training Camp /

This is a big week ahead for the Giants, as it's the final one of training camp and the last opportunity to fine-tune the roster ahead of the mandatory cutdown date on August 31, when rosters need to be reduced from 80 to 53. So let's have a look at some of the key storylines expected to unfold in the next several days.

Will Saquon Barkley see more action?

The Giants have been very deliberate about bringing Saquon Barkley back in the final stages of his rehab from a torn ACL. Last week Barkley was held out of any drills conducted against the Browns players, but this week, if Barkley has made progress and the medical staff gives the green light, that could change depending on the outcome of head coach Joe Judge's meetings with the team's medical staff.

"The priority will be to continue ramping him up and doing more and more. Last week in Cleveland, he did some one-on-ones, some pass drills with our guys and against our defense early in practice," Judge said Monday.

"We’ll see where he is. He keeps advancing in his rehab. His foot is tapping every day, wanting to do more and more, and physically he keeps progressing and showing us he can do more and more. ... I would expect it to be more than what we saw last week. Now, I can’t say that means 11-on-11 or seven-on-seven, I can’t give that answer right now, but as soon as we find out we’ll let you know before the practices happen what we expect him to do that day."

Earlier this summer, Judge suggested that if Barkley was ready, he could see some preseason snaps. He isn't expected to play Sunday night when the Giants and Patriots shift locations to East Rutherford for their preseason finale at MetLife Stadium.

Will TE Kyle Rudolph Be Activated Off PUP?

The Giants' PUP list, consisting of tight end Kyle Rudolph and cornerback Arron Robinson, could be halved this week if Rudolph, who was spotted last week before the Browns game running routes and catching passes, can pass a physical.

Rudolph has been on PUP since the start of camp while recovering from his off-season foot surgery in March. If he's to be on the 53-man roster to start the year, the Giants need for him to pass his physical so they can remove him from PUP.

If he doesn't pass a physical, Rudolph's status would change from active/PUP (where he counts against the training camp roster) to inactive/PUP, which means he wouldn't count against the 53-man roster, and he'd have to sit out at least the first six weeks of the season.

Giants Starters to Make Preseason Debut...

Judge said the plan is to let quarterback Daniel Jones (and presumably the rest of the starters), who have sat for the first two preseason games, get at least a half’s worth of football Sunday night. However, Judge cautioned people not to read into what they see Sunday night in terms of any final lineup decisions having been made.

"Obviously, when we get out there on Sunday, it will directly reflect based on how people have performed to this point and where the depth chart has indicated. However, there’s going to be a lot of guys that we’ll be getting one final look at and we have final cuts after that game," Judge said.

"We’re going to have to take a look at certain guys in certain situations, see how they mesh within certain units and the chemistry and impact they can bring. But in terms of having a set depth chart, nothing is ever concrete. ... "So, just because you see something in game three, I wouldn’t assume that that’s what it’s going to be against Denver in Week 1. We’ll make the decisions as we get closer."

...Including QB Daniel Jones

Judge's decision to sit third-year quarterback Daniel Jones for the first two preseason games caused more than a few eyebrows to raise considering Jones and the offense's struggles last year.

But Judge defended his decision to hold Jones out of those games while other veteran quarterbacks around the league were given preseason snaps.

"This to me has nothing to do with comparisons to other players in the league or their individual status," he said. "This is our team and how we choose to prepare them the best, get the guys exposure to who we thought we needed with different units and different situations, and keep building our team going forward."

Although Jones hasn't played in a game, Judge says he's happy with how Jones has progressed.

"I’ve seen improvement in his game across the board, pre-snap and post-snap, just understanding and processing," Judge said.

"I think it’s something that naturally happens for players, number one, as they go through their career and obviously a few years into his career, and now he’s going to gain more experience every year. And then being in the same system for multiple years to be able to process the decisions and the adjustments as they happen at full speed."

It bears noting that the improvement has come in practice, which, as Judge has said before, doesn't quite simulate the speed and tempo of a game. While there's no reason to doubt Judge's claim that Jones has improved, it will be more telling to see how he does against another defense playing at a game speed.

No Time for Walks Down Memory Lane

Judge spent the bulk of his NFL coaching career on the Patriots staff. But as he prepares to go back to where his NFL coaching career started, don’t expect him to get all sentimental.

"I’m a New York Giant. I’m focused on getting our team developed and ready for the season," Judge said. "This is a great opportunity to work against a good opponent, very well-coached, and to go up there and make sure that we hit some specific situations and focuses that both teams need in the regular season.

"This isn’t some kind of trip down memory lane. I wouldn’t bring the team up there for any kind of personal reasons, just the team we’re going to play anyway in the preseason. We know we can get quality work in with them and it should be a week to help our team progress like last week did, and we benefitted."

Giants-Patriots Practice Schedule

The Giants and Patriots are scheduled to practice from 10 a.m. - noon on both Wednesday and Thursday. The Patriots are planning to stream a live broadcast of the practices on their website (details below).

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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