New York Giants training camp: Tuesday takeaways — rough day for offense

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants concluded their sixth training camp practice on Tuesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Here are some of the takeaways.

Injury update: False alarm on Brian Burns

There was concern on Monday when Burns, the star edge defender acquired via trade from the Carolina Panthers during the offseason, left practice early with an apparent ankle injury.

Head coach Brian Daboll said he expected Burns to work in individual drills on Tuesday. Burns, though, had other ideas. He took a substantial number of 11-on-11 reps, and had what would have been a sack of quarterback Daniel Jones on one play.

Other injury notes:

• Center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) missed a third straight practice. Daboll said Schmitz’s injury is to the same shoulder that cost him games last season, though it is not the same injury.
• Tight end Lawrence Cager missed practice with a hamstring injury.
• Rookie safety Tyler Nubin continued to miss practice with a calf injury.
• Dexter Lawrence (illness) did individual drills after missing Monday’s practice.

The Greg Van Roten effect

Could the signing of veteran guard Greg Van Roten lead to another reconfiguration of the Giants’ offensive line? The Giants already moved Jermaine Eluemunor from left guard to right tackle, a move that seems more and more permanent with each day Evan Neal remains on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Van Roten played 1,024 snaps at right guard for the Las Vegas Raiders a year ago, playing next to Eluemunor on the right side of the Las Vegas line. That, naturally, led to Daboll being asked if the Giants would consider moving Jon Runyan Jr. from right to left guard.

The answer? Maybe.

“We’ve had conversations about it if this was going to happen,” Daboll said. “When everybody gets back healthy we’ll see how it shakes out. I wouldn’t rule out left side, right side. We’ll just see how it goes.”

Read into this whatever you will, but during Tuesday’s last 11-on-11 first-team period, Runyan moved to left guard and Aaron Stinnie flipped over to the right.

Daboll indicated the Giants would like to settle their starting combination as soon as they can.

“Usually, we mix and match people. Obviously, you want to try to get your guys out there as soon as you can,” Daboll said. “With the injuries we had last year, we had to move people, shuffle people around. You do it now so that at least they’ve had some reps at it. You don’t do it at all, and you just throw them in on game two and they haven’t had one snap of moving to a spot. You’d rather work some of it now. But ideally, you’d like to get the five guys out there healthy, working together, communicating. But again, we’re in day whatever it is. We’re early.”

Rough day for the offense

Tuesday was not a good day for the Giants offense. On the flip side, that meant it was a good day for the Giants defense.

Unofficially, I had quarterback Daniel Jones as just 5 of 13 during 11-on-11 work. A couple of highlights (lowlights?):

• Nick McCloud batted away a deep ball intended for a seemingly open Jalin Hyatt. The ball was delivered late because Jones had to step away from the rush by Kayvon Thibodeaux.
• McCloud also knocked down a short throw and seemed upset with himself for not intercepting it.
• Jones was “sacked” at least once each by Thibodeaux and Burns.
• Jones did make a nice throw downfield to Wan’Dale Robinson, stepping up to avoid pressure and delivering the ball.
• Tae Banks got the better of Malik Nabers on an out route, knocking the ball away.
• Dru Phillips knocked away a short pass intended for Wan’Dale Robinson.

The Giants also had at least one botched handoff between Jones and Devin Singletary, and had a reverse blown up in the backfield.

Alignment notes

I try not to read too much into how players are being aligned this early in training camp, but there are a few things that were noteworthy on Tuesday.

• I mentioned Runyan above. It won’t surprise me if Runyan to left guard becomes a real thing, perhaps as soon as Thursday.
• Cornerback is getting interesting. Nick McCloud, who had been working in the slot, was on the outside quite a bit on Tuesday in place of Cor’Dale Flott. Isaiah Simmons and rookie Dru Phillips worked in the slot.
• Austin Schlottman was the first-team center with Schmitz sidelined again.
• Rookie running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Dante ‘Turbo’ Miller each got some first-team reps.

More practice notes

• The Giants once again did offensive line vs. defensive line 1-on-1 drills on a far field away from media, so nothing to report from those.
• Second-year safety Gervarrius Owens had an interception of Drew Lock on a ball intended for wide receiver Dennis Houston.
• The Giants, with pads on for a second straight day, did a 9-on-7 run drill.
• During a punt drill, Giants returners aligned with their backs to punter Jamie Gillan. Once the ball was in the air they had to turn, locate it, then move to it and catch it.

Hard Knocks

A reminder that the final episode of ‘Hard Knocks’ airs on Tuesday night at 9 p.m.

Remaining open practices

(All practices at 10 a.m.)

Thursday, Aug. 1
Friday, Aug. 2
Sunday, Aug. 4
Monday, Aug. 5 (Joint practice with Detroit Lions)
Tuesday, Aug. 6 (Joint practice with Detroit Lions)