Monday, July 21
Football season officially arrived today as your New York Football Giants reported for their first day of training camp.
Of course, the biggest news coming out of today’s meeting is the announcement that offensive lineman, and 2-time Super Bowl champion, Chris Snee has retired. An emotional day for his teammates, fans, and the entire organization came after speculation late last night that Snee would be making his decision official after meeting with the team.
NY Giants Rush posted this piece earlier today regarding the “end of an era” that came with Snee’s announcement, and social media was abuzz with tributes to the man who proved to be an inspiration to many, both on and off the field (see examples from former Giant Shaun O’Hara, Justin Pugh, Steve Weatherford, and Victor Cruz below.)
For the rest of camp, it will be important to keep an eye on how the Giants recover from the loss of the veteran right guard. Just a few hours after the big announcement, the Giants signed right guard John Sullen, a former Auburn Tiger.
Sullen, who was signed as a rookie free agent in 2013, did not play a single game last season. While it is not certain he can be the replacement needed, the addition of Sullen will make the coming days very interesting.
In other news, running back David Wilson was cleared for participation today, as was offensive tackle Will Beatty, offensive guard John Jerry, and wide receiver Mario Manningham, while linebacker Jon Beason was placed on the active PUP list. (Basically, this means Beason counts against the 90-man count for the training camp roster, and can be removed and added to the active roster at any time before final cuts are made in August.)
While Beatty, Jerry, and Manningham will all be limited in days to come, David Wilson is ready for action. Quarterback Eli Manning has also said that he is “100 percent” after undergoing surgery on his ankle during the off-season.
Official practices will begin tomorrow (with no pads, of course).
Alexis Celluro | Featured Columnist