Loading ...While appearing at the Queens Theatre at a Time Warner Cable event to promote his new book "Victor Cruz: Out of the Blue," New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said teammate Hakeem Nicks is targeting week one, not training camp, for his return to the football field.
"He looks good. He's walking again on his own so that's definitely a good sign," Cruz said. "He told me he'll be ready and he told me he'll take training camp to continue rehabbing and continue to get his foot back right, but I definitely expect him to be ready by game one."
Nicks, who fractured the 5th metatarsal in his right foot in late May, has repeatedly said he'd return and participate in training camp. However, only seven weeks into a 12 week timetable and with less than two weeks remaining until training camp in Albany kicks off, the chances of a miraculous early return are becoming less and less likely. On the positive side, easing into a return decreases the chances of a setback and all but assures Nicks will be ready to suit up for week one against the Dallas Cowboys.
Quarterback Eli Manning recently said he's not concerned about the timing between the two, citing years of familiarity and Nicks' incredible work ethic as reasons.
"He’s a guy who knows the offense, he knows what he’s doing, it won’t take long for us to get back on the same page," Manning said.
If the initial 12 week timetable for Nicks' return proves accurate, the wide receiver would cleared to play around August 16th. That would leave him three weeks to actively prepare for the opener, but as the team learned with cornerback Prince Amukamara only a year ago, these injuries tend to linger a bit. It's much more realistic that Nicks returns to practice in early September and suits up for the first time on September 5th when Big Blue opens against Dallas.
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Dan where is this week’s video memory??? U can’t leave us w Philly fumble!!!
Oops!!! The last was Strahan’s record sack, but that Philly fumble is such a bad memory!!! PTSD!!!
We had a different one last week – will have another later today. Timely news first. Haha
Thanks lookin forward to it!!!
So news on the injury front, unlike last season, continues to be better than our worst fears would suggest.
I think having Hakeem from the very first game gets us at least one extra win in those first four weeks. It also allows Randle to more slowly move into the #3 spot on the depth chart rather than feel pressured to produce immediately rather than in spot duty.
And while no one can know whether TT can get back quickly to where he was just prior to being injured, keep in mind that at that time he was looking like the best corner on the team and being touted by the coaches as being ready to make a run at the Pro Bowl based on what they were seeing from him. So even if he is 95% of that this season we have ourselves an outstanding player to join with Webster and the two youngsters whom I think are going to be really outstanding NFL players in Amukamara and Hosley.
We’ve also learned over the past few weeks that Tuck feels great, that Austin is fully recovered and picking up his position quickly, that all of the linebackers who were injured look like they’re fine, and that Snee is 100% for the first time in three years and Diehl is fine so won’t be playing this season with a broken hand.
Right now it looks to me like the greatest injury risk going into camp is Will Beatty. This team needs him to be healthy and to have improved. There are a LOT of question marks around him. And they really need him to be ready to justify that high draft pick. In a few years the two youngsters they grabbed this year may be ready to make some noise, but they’re obviously not ready yet and the way the Giants have gone about rebuilding the offensive line is currently dependent for its success on Beatty’s performance in 2012 and beyond.