New York Giants Update: Rookie Minicamp; Blount Signing Unlikely

The New York Giants will conduct their rookie minicamp this weekend in New Jersey. 

The New York Giants will have their 2017 NFL Draft class along with about three dozen other players in the building this weekend for their rookie minicamp. Their six draftees: TE Evan Engram, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, QB Davis Webb, RB Wayne Gallman, DE Avery Moss and OT Adam Bisnowaty will be joined by 15 undrafted free agents as well as a score of others who will be here on a tryout basis. 

ITEM: The New England Patriots assigned a little-used tender to RB LeGarrette Blount.

The Giants were said to have interest in Blount but will probably stay away now that the Pats made this move. Don’t forget, the Giant drafted Wayne Gallman in the fourth round this year, so the need for Blount is no longer imminent.

“The Patriots made it hard for any team to sign the 30-year-old Blount when they chose to use a “May 9 tender” on him, according to multiple reports published on Wednesday,” writes SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. “It’s a rarely-used maneuver that essentially ties Blount’s signing into the NFL’s formula for giving out compensatory picks in the 2018 draft, and makes him less attractive to any interested teams.”

ITEM: CEO John Mara says it too early to be naming Davis Webb Eli Manning’s heir apparent. 

“I think it’s a little premature to be anointing this guy as the heir apparent to Eli, he hasn’t set foot on the field yet. But he’s got a lot of talent and we’re looking forward to seeing what we got when he gets here,” Mara said on The Rich Eisen Show per PFT.

“As Bill Parcells used to say, let’s not get his bust ready for Canton just yet. Listen he’s a talented guy, but let’s let him get on the field, let’s let him get on the field, let’s let him play in the preseason and develop. If he’s the successor, that’s great. If not, we’ll find somebody else.”

ITEM: Justin Pugh has not been asked to play tackle this spring.

Pugh says he’s been strictly used at guard and there has been no talk of him moving back to tackle.  “I don’t think anything is set in stone, but I think I’m at left guard right now,” Pugh told reporters. “I’m not working anywhere else.”

ITEM: The Giants appear to be hanging on LB J.T. Thomas, at least for now.

Giants LB JT Thomas, who missed almost all of last season with a knee injury, says he'll definitely be ready for the start of training camp.

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) May 9, 2017

Thomas is due $2.975 million this year and the Giants will not realize any cap relief by cutting him, so he is probably going to be in camp this summer. Thomas will have many hurdles to clear if he is to be more than just a special teamer and backup this season.

ITEM: QB Geno Smith says he’ 100% and ready for training camp.

Geno Smith says he's "100 percent" healthy. Thinks he would could be cleared in full right now to play if needed.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) May 9, 2017

Smith is six months removed from ACL surgery and was signed by the Giants this past offseason on a one-year deal worth approximately $1 million. He will be one of three players, along with Josh Johnson and rookie Davis Webb aiming of the top backup spot behind Eli.

ITEM: LB Mark Herzlich changes his number so he can be used at TE.

“It’s exciting,” said Herzlich, who changed his number from 94 to 44 this spring.”A lot of times I’m playing scout-team tight end the last couple of years just because we were low in numbers and I was able to show I could be versatile in that aspect. So, when it’s, ‘Hey, you want to come add another weapon to your repertoire?’ It’s, ‘Yeah, sure, sign me up.’ The more I can learn, the better. And the better I can help out, the better, too.”

Teammate Keenan Robinson, the Giants’ MLB, has said that Herzlich would be “one of the best TEs in the NFC East.” The Giants could use another blocking TE to go with newcomer Rhett Ellison, so why not Herzlich?