Eli Manning eager for first minicamp with Ben McAdoo
New York Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo confers with quarterbacks Eli Manning, left, and Ryan Nassib, right, during the first half of an NFL preseason game in East Rutherford, N.J. on Aug. 22, 2015. Credit: AP / Bill Kostroun
The Giants take the field for the first time this week when the team holds its voluntary minicamp. After two weeks of being together for mostly weight room training and conditioning, Eli Manning said he thinks this camp, which begins on Tuesday, will not only give the squad the first glimpses of itself but also the first true impressions of new coach Ben McAdoo.
“It might feel different when you get out to the practice field,’ Manning said on Sunday at the March of Dimes March for Babies in Manhattan. “I think that’s when you recognize the coaching. The coaching might be different, the schedule might be different, it might have a different feel then.”
The Giants at least know McAdoo, who has been their offensive coordinator for two seasons. And they also know all of their coordinators. So when it comes to the football, nothing will be completely new.
Because of the way the offseasons are structured now, though, the Giants will be muddling through those first few days on the field together and Manning said his expectations are pretty low.
“We’ve had no team activities, I haven’t taken a snap with the offensive line yet,” he said. “I’ve been throwing routes with the receivers on our own after workouts . . . I think we’re going to go pretty slow, not do too much that first day. I think it’s about getting our rhythm, making sure we’re sound in what we’re doing, and getting back in the flow of things. Start from square one in our basic install and make sure we’re doing the little things correctly.”
Manning said McAdoo has been very involved in preparing for the upcoming draft, so he hasn’t been as hands-on with the team. That should change a bit this week at the minicamp.
“He’s probably ready to get the whole team out there,” Manning said. “You get to see more of him being the head coach when you get on the practice field and you get the meetings before practice to set the tempo for what we’re doing.”
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.
