Giants get together for informal workout

ORADELL, N.J. -- Lawrence Tynes and Matt Dodge jogged over to Shaun O'Hara's truck in the parking lot, swung open the back gate, and pulled out a big blue cooler filled with drinks. Tynes, the Giants' kicker, pulled the wheeled cooler over to the field where close to 40 of his teammates were conducting a workout on the turf field at Bergen Catholic High School.

"I'm the water boy, too," Tynes said.

At this practice, the players had to take care of everything from providing the water to the pinnies worn by some offensive players to scripting the stretches and plays that were run. It was far from full speed ahead as the players, still locked out by the owners, joined the ranks of other teams who have organized their own offseason workouts. There was plenty of light jogging, playing out of position and frivolity.

But there was also football, which is something that many of those on the field Tuesday morning had been without since the season ended in early January.

The practice was closed to the public behind the fences of the private school and local football powerhouse, and as they drove out of the parking lot not one of the players who participated stopped to answer questions from reporters. But the workout, which lasted almost two hours, included some interesting names.

Possible free agent-to-be Mathias Kiwanuka was there, working on the defensive line for the first time since a bulging disc in his neck cost him the majority of the 2010 season. He was spending time tutoring second-round draft pick Marvin Austin. First-round draft pick Prince Amukamara was there as well, working in a secondary that included Bruce Johnson and Brian Jackson. O'Hara, who underwent several surgeries this offseason, was snapping the ball to Eli Manning while Rich Seubert, who had a major knee surgery, was there but not participating beyond limbering up.

Among those missing were many defensive linemen -- including defensive captain Justin Tuck, who has publicly questioned the need for such workouts as well as the wisdom of holding them given the risk of injury -- and most of the secondary. Without any true safeties, linebacker Michael Boley was actually playing the position in some seven-on-seven drills.

"For us, these workouts they do, seven-on-seven, the defensive guys we get nothing out of that," Boley said last week. "I think it's more for offense, more for timing. That's great for them, receivers, running backs, quarterbacks, go out and work on timing. But for us, our technique, it comes more when we get together with coaches and work on team stuff."

Given the situation with the lockout and Boley's participation Tuesday, though, it appears he'll take whatever football he can get these days.