Osi Umenyiora Mad at Bill Sheridan?: DE Osi Umenyiora participated in team meetings yesterday but left team facilities before practice started. The Giants say his absence was unexcused.
“Osi was here this morning earlier and there must have been something of a personal nature, left,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin after practice. “I haven’t personally talked to him; he did respond to (General Manager) Jerry (Reese), evidently by text. That’s all I have. I haven’t seen him so I can’t tell you. I can’t indicate to you what the reason was or anything, because I don’t know…He didn’t speak to me before he left… We will have to talk to him when he gets back. Obviously he is not here, so I am concerned. “
The Star-Ledger and The Daily News are reporting that Umenyiora is apparently upset with new Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan for being critical of Umenyiora’s play. However, The Ledger is also reporting that this dissatisfaction with Sheridan is isolated and not a unit-wide problem as Umenyiora’s defensive teammates support Sheridan. “It’s camp fatigue,” an unidentified source told The Daily News. “They spent way too much time with each other this summer.”
In the evening, the Giants released a statement with an apology from Umenyiora. “I made a mistake by leaving the facility today. I was wrong,” Umenyiora said. “I came in here this afternoon and met with Coach Coughlin, Coach Sheridan, and (Defensive Line) Coach (Mike) Waufle and apologized and explained why I left the building; that will remain between us. I have no problem with our Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan or any of our coaches. That’s the end of it, as far as I am concerned.”
Boley Activated Off of the PUP: The Giants activated LB Michael Boley off of the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List yesterday. Boley had surgery after the mini-camp to repair a torn labrum in his hip. He missed all of training camp and the first three games of the preseason.
Boley participated in some individual drills during practice.
“It’s a big relief,” said Boley. “I have been sitting out and just not being able to be involved in walkthrus and being able to be out there with the team and actually go through stuff with them. It’s been kind of frustrating, to be honest, but I’m really excited to be back.”
Boley will miss the first game of the regular season due to an NFL suspension, and he cannot practice with the team from September 5-14. Boley will not play against the Patriots on Thursday, but he said his goal is to be on the field in Week Two against the Dallas Cowboys.
Giants Waive Three Players: The Giants waived CB Stoney Woodson, WR Taye Biddle, and OL Terrance Pennington.
Woodson, the Giants’ 7th round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, was actually waived-injured due to an ankle injury.
The Giants need to make two more roster subtractions by 4:00PM tomorrow. One is expected to be HB Andre Brown being placed on season-ending Injured Reserve.
Injury Update: Not practicing fully yesterday were LT David Diehl (patellar tendinitis), HB Danny Ware (ribs), WR David Tyree (hamstring), DE Osi Umenyiora (unexcused absence), DT/DE Chris Canty (hamstring), DT Jay Alford (knee), LB Michael Boley (hip), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), and S Kenny Phillips (knee).
“Diehl has just been dealing with a patella tendinitis kind of thing for the whole training camp really,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “What the doctors wanted to try to do was relieve some of that so next week he can work. As of today, he is not scheduled to practice or play in this game (against the Patriots on Thursday night).”
“(Phillips) had some swelling, like he had in training camp,” said Coughlin. “They had to deal with that after the game. That is why he is not working.”
“(Ware) feels better, he feels better,” said Coughlin. “He couldn’t practice today but he feels better than he did yesterday, so that is a good sign.”
LB Antonio Pierce (foot) practiced on a limited basis. Both Boley and Canty participated in individual drills.
OT Guy Whimper collided with HB Brandon Jacobs in practice, and Whimper left practice early. “(Jacobs) obviously came back and practiced,” said Coughlin. “Whimper evidently has a little bit of a hip flexor. Hopefully that will come around, will have to come around quick. “
OL Andrew Carnahan left practice early with a knee injury.