Giants OTA's: Brian Daboll tempers expectations on rookies
The New York Giants will need every player on the 53-man roster to contribute if they want to replicate or go beyond last season. Everyone from special teamers to top 10 picks will have go to above and beyond. And while rookies are a part of that collective, head coach Brian Daboll is stressing patience […]
The New York Giants will need every player on the 53-man roster to contribute if they want to replicate or go beyond last season.
Everyone from special teamers to top 10 picks will have go to above and beyond.
And while rookies are a part of that collective, head coach Brian Daboll is stressing patience for the first-year players at OTA's.
Daboll stuck around after practice on Wednesday to answer some questions from the media. Seeing as this is the "elementary" part of the year, the action on the field may be tame, but the media is still clamoring for the latest on the newest faces. Brian Daboll wanted to make one thing clear though, the learning curve in the NFL…it's real:
"Usually, from I’d say year one to year two, for the players that are just getting drafted, they really didn’t have an offseason," Daboll told reporters. "They’re learning a brand-new system. They don’t have a lot of experience to draw from in the NFL. And then year two, they can have some experiences to draw from, but you’d like to see a jump from everyone in year one, your rookie class, to year two. It happens at different times. You just get better each day."
Daboll chose his words wisely here. He's not offering a built-in excuse for his rookies, instead, he's explaining (in short order) how hard it is to step in and become an immediate contributor. But what he also foreshadowed, and explained in the very next question, is what he expects from last year's top-10 duo:
"They’ve been through some of the stuff," Daboll said in regard to the development of Evan Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux. "So when they’re watching cutups of things that we did the previous year, they know it. As a rookie, you have no idea what’s going on right now. So, I’d say most players from year one to year two, there’s a little bit more comfort level. "
And with that comfort level, comes higher expectations. So while Neal and Thiboudeax don't need any extra pressure from their head coach, Daboll only cares about this season for his sophomore pass rusher:
"How would you assess Kayvon’s rookie year?"
"I’m worried about this year," answered Daboll.
"How much more is there for him in year two?"
"I’d say just like all the other players, we’re just trying to get better day by day, finished Daboll."
And that's the bottom line this time of year.
The Giants have one more week of organized team activities before they attend a mandatory minicamp to close out the offseason.
But even with the season on the horizon, Brian Daboll is preaching patience.
Featured image via: © Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
