EAST RUTHERFORD
Parris Campbell Jersey , N.J. (AP) — It’s rare for a team’s fifth-round draft pick to catch the eye of a head coach in minicamp, well before NFL training camps begin in earnest late next month.Rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton has certainly made his presence felt for the New York Giants, however — especially when Slayton struggled with some dropped passes during the rookie minicamp in April.In fact, Slayton was matched up Thursday with first-round draft pick DeAndre Baker, much like the two were for three years in the highly competitive world of the SEC with Slayton at Auburn and cornerback Baker at Georgia.Although the two were not in full equipment Thursday, giving Slayton a bit of an advantage, Slayton simply ran away from the defender on two long passes, causing coach Pat Shurmur to take notice.“I think the guy who’s made huge improvements in my eyes has been Slayton,” Shurmur said. “He’s done a really good job. I think we were all here during rookie minicamp when he had the yips, drops and whatnot. He’s really smoothed it out and has been making plays. He’s the first guy that comes to mind in my eyes. This time of year, it’s more about throwing and catching and less about blocking and tackling.”Slayton was very appreciative of the coach’s kind words.“It’s definitely huge in my eyes and I’m glad he said what he did,” said Slayton, who was a high school state sprint champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in Georgia, much like new teammate Jabrill Peppers was in New Jersey during his high school days. “I’m trying to get better, so it means a lot to me that he took notice. It’s huge for me.”Slayton was a big-play receiver for Auburn, averaging more than 20 yards per catch during his three seasons, scoring 13 touchdowns. He also has good size, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 190 pounds.But Slayton dropped to the fifth round of the draft after he could have returned to Auburn for another year. He then suffered through rookie minicamp.“The first day (of rookie minicamp), I think I was trying too hard as a rookie, wanting to be super,” Slayton said. “Definitely, the one thing I never lost sleep over was my speed. I know other guys can run, so it comes down to what guy has the best technique.”Slayton knew that he struggled and needed to make an impact this week. With Baker covering him during one portion of the workout, fellow rookie and top draft pick Daniel Jones hit Slayton with two big passes. One was deep down the sideline and another was across the middle that Slayton also took for a touchdown.“A couple of times, I caught the ball and ran down the field and said to myself
Will Harris Jersey , ‘Yeah, I can do this,'” Slayton said. “I got some beautiful throws from Dan. It was a beautiful play to be able to run away from people.”And once again, Slayton found himself embroiled with cornerback Baker, who has impressed Giants coaches so much that he was running a good portion of the workout with the starters, alongside veteran Janoris Jenkins.“He’s a very good player,” Slayton said of Baker. “He’s sneaky strong. He might not look like much in street clothes, but he’s a lot stronger than I thought. I thought he was the best cornerback in the draft. The last two years, I saw a lot of him. I always thought he was a good cornerback. He’s so physical.”Slayton said that he likes the chemistry he has with Jones.“He’s a strong guy who throws a great ball,” Slayton said. “It’s easy to work with a guy like that. I just have to get open and he’s going to get the ball to me.”The two went to the Rookie Premiere for three days in Los Angeles last month, with the NFL Players Association hosting 40 of the top rookies for trading card photos and other merchandising, courtesy of Fanatics and Panini America, the trading card partner of the NFLPA.“It was a good experience for me,” Slayton said. “I got to know Dan better. We were the only two Giants out there. I’m not much of a picture taker, so it was all new to me. It was the first time I was ever to the West Coast. We did a lot of talking together out there.”Baker was admittedly not at the top of his game against Slayton because he wasn’t in full uniform.“We’re definitely at a disadvantage, because if the receiver gets a free release without pressing, it’s kind of hard to do anything,” Baker said. “It makes you better with your different techniques. You really can’t get your hands on them (receivers) in minicamp. So it’s all off-coverage and mirroring the guy and getting your feet better. That’s all you can do right now.“We’re out there competing. They won some battles and I won some battles. It’s all good to compete. It’s a good atmosphere, the DBs versus the wide receivers. Let’s see what I can do before the pads come on.”Shurmur also likes what he’s seen of Baker thus far.“He is very competitive and he’s very tough,” Shurmur said. “The corners are at a little bit of a disadvantage because there is no bump and run. Part of his charm was his ability to play up on a receiver and bump him. We think we are going to see more good stuff once training camp gets going. He’s very competitive, he picks things up and he works hard. Those are the things you need to see.”NOTES: Tackle Nate Solder, still recovering from late offseason ankle surgery, is happy to be part of an improved offensive line this season. The Giants traded for veteran guard Kevin Zeitler from the Cleveland Browns and signed free agent tackle Mike Remmers from the Minnesota Vikings. “Kevin brings awesome intensity to our group,” Solder said. “I like having him as a teammate.I’m excited about having him with us. The more you get to know someone, the better you feel about him.” Second-year OG Will Hernandez agreed. “Me and Nate
http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/austin-bryant-jersey , we have been clicking together and understand each other well. We can read each other’s mind now. Me and him, we’ve come a long way together and we’re ready to get it going. Kevin is an awesome guy and a great teammate. He’s the lead guard here and I’m going to learn a lot from him.”.The Giants were slated to resume OTAs next Wednesday, but they pushed the workouts up a day to Tuesday instead. Perhaps no part of the NFL has evolved more drastically over 100 seasons than the actual places where the games have been played. From the baseball parks some of the league’s pioneering teams were shoehorned into during the early days to the billion-dollar palaces been built lately with enough high-definition screens that all 70,000 fans can see the slow-motion instant replays at every angle.Here’s a look at some of NFL’s most iconic and impactful venues over the years:LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM, Los AngelesOpened in 1923, the Coliseum first gained the Rams as a tenant in 1946 when they moved west from Cleveland. The Raiders played there from 1982-1994 in their L.A. stint between stays in Oakland. Then the Rams came back in 2016 from St. Louis for a final reunion until they move into their new stadium in Inglewood in 2020. The Coliseum will host a third Summer Olympics in 2028.SOLDIER FIELD, ChicagoOpened in 1924 next to Lake Michigan, Soldier Field became host of the Bears in 1971, after they played 50 years in front of the brick and ivy at Wrigley Field. The colonnades remained after the renovated stadium re-opened in 2003 following a one-year stay for the team at the University of Illinois in Champaign.LAMBEAU FIELD, Green BayThe Packers moved into the new City Stadium, a bigger version across town that was considered the NFL’s first football-specific facility, in 1957. Eight years later, it was renamed for the famed franchise’s first head coach, Curly Lambeau. The Packers won their first Super Bowl after the 1967 season after beating Dallas in the NFL championship game, known as the “Ice Bowl,” on a last-second quarterback sneak by Bart Starr after a kickoff temperature of 13 degrees below zero.CANDLESTICK PARK, San FranciscoOpened in 1961, this stadium near the brisk San Francisco Bay gained the 49ers as a tenant in 1971. The facility, which was much windier for baseball games than it was for football, hosted five Super Bowl championship teams, ranging from the 1981 to 1994 seasons, as future Pro Football Hall of Fame members Joe Montana and Jerry Rice formed one of the league’s greatest passing games. Montana’s throw to a stretched-out Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone in the NFC title game against Dallas, known as “The Catch,” sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl and helped put the ‘Stick on the NFL map.THREE RIVERS STADIUM, PittsburghOne of the many cookie-cutter
Max Scharping Jersey , circle-shaped, multi-purpose facilities of the era, Three Rivers Stadium opened in 1970 for the Steelers, who won four Super Bowl championships during their residency along the riverbanks. One of the most famous plays in NFL history took place here in 1972, when the “Immaculate Reception ” by Franco Harris off a deflected pass in the closing seconds gave the Steelers a playoff game victory over Oakland. That was the franchise’s first postseason win after going the first 40 years without one, the first 37 of which were at Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium.TEXAS STADIUM, DallasOpened in 1971 in the suburb of Irving, the stadium featured a European soccer-style partial roof with a rectangle cut-out that cast long shadows on the turf and kept the game outdoors while still sheltering fans from the weather. Or, as Cowboys linebacker D.D. Lewis was widely purported to have explained the reason for the hole was “so God can watch his favorite team.” The Cowboys won five Super Bowl championships during their stay at Texas Stadium.MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME, New OrleansThe Superdome has outlasted seven other domed stadiums from the AstroTurf era that have come and gone, even surviving Hurricane Katrina that forced the Saints to play elsewhere in 2005. The spaceship-like building, which opened in 1975, has hosted seven Super Bowls. At the last one, six years ago, Baltimore beat San Francisco after a 34-minute power outage darkened the stadium and halted the game.CENTURY LINK FIELD, SeattleOpened in 2002 for the Seahawks, this stadium quickly became the loudest outdoor facility in the league behind an ardent fan base known as the “12th Man” and a unique rainbow truss design that traps in the crowd noise.AT&T STADIUM, DallasThe first stadium with construction costs that passed the $1 billion price tag, AT&T Stadium opened for the Cowboys for the 2009 season in the suburb of Arlington with a massive, center-hung, high-definition videoboard as the premier attraction among many Texas-sized amenities. The Super Bowl was held there in the stadium’s second year, infamously remembered for the temporary sections that weren’t completed in time for the big game and ultimately left 400 ticket holders without seats in the quintessential first-world problem.US BANK STADIUM, MinnesotaOpened in 2016 for the Vikings and host of the second-highest scoring Super Bowl following the 2017 season, US Bank Stadium became the NFL’s first facility with a translucent roof . The world’s largest pivoting glass doors add to the outdoor feel for the indoor stadium.