Donte Deayon and Travis Rudolph running out of time to impress Giants coaches
Giants cornerback Donte Deayon (38) drops into coverage during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, NJ, on Monday, Aug 20, 2018. Credit: Brad Penner
Sometimes when a cornerback gets beat in coverage, all he can do is put his head down and sprint.
That’s what Donte Deayon knows he needs to do now. Only it wasn’t a receiver who blew past him, it was an opportunity to make the 53-man roster. The third-year cornerback was having a strong start to training camp before he suffered a hamstring injury on July 29, extending himself to break up a pass in the end zone. For about three weeks – and through two preseason games – he had to wait on the sideline while his chances got a lengthy head start on him.
On Sunday, he returned to the field and on Monday he was back in his first full practice with the Giants. Now, with the clock ticking toward final cuts, Deayon knows he needs to cram as many eye-catching plays into the rest of the month as possible.
“Hey, I got all the urgency to go make it,” he told Newsday on Monday. “I still have two weeks to showcase what I can do and I’m ready to go out there, fly around, and have fun.”
He was doing precisely that on Monday, breaking up passes and working in coverage. A few times he was even lined up against second-year receiver Travis Rudolph. Rudolph is in the same situation, just returning from a quad injury that has shortened his audition time.
Giants receiver Travis Rudolph (19) catches a pass during a drill during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, NJ, on Monday, Aug 20, 2018. Credit: Brad Penner
The two of them are not only on the bubble, but also on the clock.
“They’ve got to catch up,” Pat Shurmur said. “That’s just the nature of being out.”
Rudolph seemed to have a more difficult return on Monday. He dropped two passes in drills, one of them defensed by Deayon.
“Ideally you want to make plays,” Rudolph said. “I just want to show I can go out there and ball. The same thing I did last year. Show I can be in this league.”
Rudolph and Deayon have spent the majority of their brief careers on the Giants’ practice squad, but both made cameo appearances on the active roster last season. This summer was supposed to be their time to prove to a new coaching staff and front office that they belong in the NFL and, more specifically, with the Giants.
They only have so many more chances left.
“That’s up to the coaching staff and the higher-ups, but I’m just going to go out there and give it my all, play my heart out, and let the chips fall,” Deayon said. “I know the level that I can play at. I believe in myself. The people around me believe in me. And that confidence is just bringing me up so I’m ready to get back out there.”
And see if he can close the gap on his dream.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
