New York Giants head coach Joe Judge said Tuesday the team is exploring alternative training camp sites away from its facility in East Rutherford, N.J., in case the venue remains closed when camps are scheduled to begin in late July.
“Hopefully in a perfect world, we’re all back in New Jersey, training sooner rather than later,” Judge told reporters on a video conference call. “But we’re planning for all sorts of hypotheticals so we’re not caught by surprise.”
However, Judge also suggested it was unlikely the team would hold camp elsewhere, with safety amid the coronavirus pandemic the most important factor.
“I have a tough time right now asking a player to fly across the country from California when I probably wouldn’t be the first one most willing to throw my two sons on the plane to go the other way,” Judge said.
New York and New Jersey are under strict stay-at-home orders amid the pandemic, and various restrictions are expected to continue for several months at least.
The MMQB’s Albert Breer reported Monday that “a number of teams,” particularly in the Northeast and on the West Coast, have explored out-of-state training camp sites to avoid restrictions in their home states.
The league released its regular-season schedule last week, and the Giants are planning as if they’ll have a normal training camp leading up to their Sept. 14 opener at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but contingency plans are being built for a variety of scenarios.
“Whatever we have to work with we’re going to make work for us,” Judge said.
He also touched on several football-specific topics, including the expected structure of the offense under new coordinator Jason Garrett, who spent the past nine-plus years as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Judge said the Giants’ approach would be “similarly based” on Garrett’s offense with the Cowboys, with no carryover from the scheme Pat Shurmur ran with New York the last two seasons.
“Along with that, it’s going to take shape throughout the season,” Judge said, emphasizing game-to-game changes depending on the opponent.
Garrett, 54, hasn’t called plays since the 2012 season, as Bill Callahan (2013-14), Scott Linehan (2015-18) and Kellen Moore (2019) handled those duties as his offensive coordinator. The Cowboys finished 15th in points per game in each of Garrett’s last two seasons calling plays.
On defense, Judge said coordinator Patrick Graham would run a scheme with many similarities to what he ran with Miami last season and with New England when Graham and Judge were both with the Patriots for most of the 2010s.
