Giants QB Daniel Jones spoke Thursday and weighed in on several topics as he gets his first NFL training camp underway. Here are the takeaways...
Offseason workouts
"I was back at Duke for a lot of it, kind of back and forth from Duke and Charlotte for a lot of it. Felt like Duke was the best place for me to have guys to throw to, have somewhere to lift, coaches around, got to spend some time with coach Cut (David Cutcliffe) and all those guys. Just being there, being around those guys, being able to throw to guys, a couple older guys were back too, just being around there I was able to do everything I needed to do."
Expectations for training camp
"First and foremost, just to improve as a player. Helping this team improve is where all of our focuses are right now, but individually, just to keep improving. I think improving, I think today and these earlier days, I think it's to pick up where we left off, before we left in the spring. I just think with that mindset, if everyone has the mindset, we'll continue to make progress and we'll be where we need to be in a couple of weeks when we open up."
How much further along are you since draft?
"I think I'm a lot further along. I think going back to rookie minicamp, I think I've certainly made a lot of progress since that. I think all the rookies have and should have to this point. There's still a lot to learn and a lot to do, I realize that. I think as a rookie class, young guys have made good progress since the beginning, looking back, and that's comforting."
What improvement specifically have you made?
"I think in the offense, just the scheme, executing the offense is a big part of it. Getting comfortable with what you're seeing, getting comfortable with our concepts, our offense, against certain looks and stuff like that. Just in the routine of learning it of drilling it, of reviewing it, and then repeating that process is helpful too to learn and get some exposure to."
What have you learned from Eli?
"A lot, a ton, I think a lot of it is the scheme and offense from someone who's been in it as long as he has. But just how he studies and how he prepares. It's helpful for me to just be around and watch him in meetings, watching him prepare for those meetings and you can learn a lot from that... Yeah, he's been very helpful for me and very appreciative for what he's done for me."
Nervous contract wouldn't get done?
"No, I wanted to be out here for the first practice. Glad we got it done and got that behind us... but yeah, I wasn't going to miss a practice."
How driven are you to play?
"I think, individually, like I said, my goal, my kind of focus is to improve. Particularly these next couple of days, is to pick up where I left off, pick up where we left off. Every day to improve. What that looks like down the road? I'm not sure. But I'm focus is on improving today, improving tomorrow and kind of taking those steps."
Competition every day and comparing yourself to other QBs?
"Since I've gotten here in the spring, since we started OTAs we've, as a room, as a position group, we've worked really well together, found a way to help each other. Help each other learn things, me in particular, being the younger guy, we've found a way to improve as a group, improve as a unit... that way [we are] helping the offensive improve. But [I'm] seeing that as a competition against the defense right now. We're seeing it as a competition and just improving every day is where our focus is and helping the team improve."
Handling size of New York market?
"I've thought about that. It's part of the position, it's part of the role here, and I'm certainly accepting of that and willing to take that on. I've had a couple of conversations with Eli about that and he's been helpful with it, obviously as someone who's dealt with it very well for a long time, there's a lot to learn there... Yeah, it's part of the position, something I'm certainly willing to accept."
When is the best time for you to replace Eli?
"You know, I haven't [thought about it]. Right now we're focusing on this training camp. As a group, we've done a good job moving along with the team, moving along with the offense, and as a group just trying to push the offense forward, and you know, like I said, what it looks like in the future? I don't know, but I think as we're improving as a group, the team will move forward."