Giants' Seubert likes reconnecting
The Giants offensive line (L-R) Kareem McKenzie, Chris Snee, Rich Seubert and Kevin Boothe during a Giants loss to the Cowboys, 33-20. (Nov. 14, 2010) Credit: David Pokress
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Mike DeVito returned to the Jets' training facility yesterday morning, hopeful they'd be able to get a workout in.
No such luck.
"Same thing as yesterday," DeVito said. "It's a ghost town in there, not much going on. I went in and saw Dave [Szott, director of player development] and just said 'Hi,' and he said basically no workouts will be going on."
Ferguson said he showed up again to see if anything had changed. "Apparently. nothing has," the tackle said. "So we'll just kind of have to wait and see how it plays out.''
"It's frustrating," Ferguson's agent, Brad Blank, told Newsday Wednesday. "I've had a few conversations with him the last couple of nights and he wants to go to work and I think most of the players do."
A federal judge lifted the NFL's lockout Monday evening, but the teams have not fully recognized it. They've allowed the players onto the property and to enter the buildings but not to resume football activities while there. That includes a no-access rule for weight rooms and training tables, and in many cases no contact with the coaching staff.
On Tuesday, the Giants not only allowed their players into their facility but also let them use the weight room. Chris Canty took advantage of that, but by Tuesday evening the NFL had cracked down on the Giants' goodwill gesture and the weight room was off limits.
That didn't stop three Giants -- Brandon Jacobs, Rocky Bernard and Rich Seubert -- from dropping by Wednesday. For Seubert, it was a social call to catch up with people with whom he's had no contact since the lockout began March 12.
"I think that's the weirdest part," Seubert said. "Like the equipment guys, the video guys, the trainers. I've spent more time with those guys than I did with my wife for the last 10 years. That's the hardest part. You can't even go get dinner, you can't grab a beer somewhere or just hang out. That's why I came in, to make sure I came to say hi to those guys, see how their families are doing and make sure everything's going all right with those guys."
DeVito said he didn't know how much longer he would keep showing up on a daily basis only to be kept from working out. A big reason why he did so the last two days is his $350,000 workout bonus. Ferguson has a league-high $750,000 workout bonus.
If the courts issue a stay on the injunction lifting the lockout, no player will be allowed at team facilities. Until then, they're welcome to take the tour but not permitted to touch any of the equipment. Although it was frustrating for Ferguson and DeVito, just reconnecting seemed to be enough for Seubert.
"It's like limbo," Seubert said. "People get caught up on the football part of it but we also have lives and have friends, and if somebody told you that you couldn't talk to your friend for the last six weeks, it's weird. So it's just fun to be back."
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