New York Giants sophomore cornerback Sam Beal returned to practice this week after spending the first seven weeks of the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Beal’s hamstring issues come after missing his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury, but despite the repeated setbacks, the third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft remains determined to prove his worth once he’s back on the field.
“I haven’t missed a meeting,” Beal told reporters last Wednesday. “Just being in there, paying attention and staying locked in. Coach is always speaking to us, keeping us all on the same track. Staying on the right page, taking the right notes, I’ll be right on pace with the rest of the guys.”
Beal is eligible to return in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, but where will he play when he’s activated?
When Beal was practicing with the team this spring, he saw a lot of time as a slot cornerback, but defensive coordinator James Bettcher informed the media on Thursday that Beal will not slide back into that role once he’s activated.
“Sam is going to be an outside corner when he comes back,” Bettcher said. “It’s just going to be a day to day how he progresses, how he is fully healed, not where he’s at. Sam hasn’t practiced a ton, as we know, so every day is great for him, every meeting is invaluable for him. He’s been able to watch tape but he hasn’t been able to watch himself on tape and so that’s why the meetings are so important. It’s a great self-evaluation, sit and watch every bit, watch individual, watch his scout team reps, watch his defensive team reps, watch his special teams reps, all those things are key for him to try to build until that decision is made next week.”
Bettcher’s take would seem to indicate a small role for Beal upon his return as the Giants look to build him back up physically and get him up to speed mentally.
“Young players need as many reps as they can to get on tape, so that you can coach the fundamentals and techniques. Obviously, beyond that is the scheme and the calls, he just needs as many reps of those as he can get,” Bettcher said.
Given that Janoris Jenkins is actively being shopped ahead of the trading deadline, it’s imperative that the Giants activate Beal and get him up to speed as quickly as possible, whether that comes on the outside or inside.
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