Coming off a troubling season Shaquem Griffin Seahawks Jersey , New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple seemingly has grown up.
A bad attitude led to a suspension for the final game of the 2017 season and a couple of benchings earlier in the campaign has been replaced by a business-like approach.
That's rapid progression for a soon-to-be 23-year-old who appeared to have worn out his welcome two years after the Giants drafted him with the 10th pick overall.
The change didn't just come. It's been coming since Pat Shurmur was named coach and Dave Gettleman took as general manager. They met with Apple after a 3-13 season and told him he would be starting with a clean slate.
"It is definitely important for me, first impressions," Apple said. "I just wanted to show that I was a hard worker and just continue to show that even now as we continue to go on with these practices, staying on top of that and trying to get better every day."
Apple is going to be a key piece for the Giants in James Bettcher's 3-4 system. He has the talent to be a lock-down cornerback, which would give the Giants two. Janoris Jenkins is on the other side of the field.
"They have a lot of confidence in me," Apple said of the coaching staff. "They told me that they feel I am a really good player and as long as I listen to them, I can get better and become a Pro Bowl player. I see that as well. With my athleticism, I see myself, especially in this defense, I see myself as excelling in it and I am looking forward to the season.is"
Apple started 11 of 14 games as a rookie and finished with two interceptions, 49 tackles, and a fumble recovery Authentic Carlton Davis Jersey , playing on a team that went 11-5 and earned a playoff berth. Last year was a horror. He started seven of 11 games, didn't have an interception, and was suspended for the final game of the season for getting into an argument with coaches about playing on a scout team. The Giants called it conduct detrimental to the team.
Safety Landon Collins didn't hesitate to say last season that Apple needed to grow up.
Apple won't say what caused the turnaround, but it's obvious something has changed.
On the field now, Apple is all smiles and ready to work. The former Ohio State product frequently goes over to Jenkins and picks his brain.
"Like when I see Jackrabbit make a play on the other side, I think to myself, 'OK, it's time for me to make a play if the quarterback comes my way,'" Apple said of Jenkins. "But it's always fitting that I'm trying to pick his brain because he was All-Pro, Pro Bowl corner, so he's definitely one of the best in the game. So, if I can learn as much as I can from him Lions Sylvester Williams Jersey , that'll make me a better player."
Apple also is taking no downs off. Early in Saturday's workout, he hounded first-year receiver Amba Etta-Tawo on a pass over the middle. Later on the Giants' first day in pads, he gave second-overall draft pick Saquon Barkley a good bump on a running back.
Shurmur certainly has been impressed by the new version of Apple.
"With my eyes, just a few months into this, I'm seeing a guy that's all about his business," Shurmur said. "He is very business-like and he is covering really well, which is a good attribute for a corner. I like the way he is working. He's out there challenging but he is also being smart. Based on what I have seen, there are very few mistakes that he is making when we move the coverage around and I like the way he is functioning in the building." Matthew Stafford has a lot of numbers on his side, supporting the case the Detroit Lions drafted the right guy No. 1 overall in 2009 and were wise to give him a $135 million, five-year extension last summer.
The strong-armed quarterback has completed 62 percent of his passes over his career for nearly 35,000 yards with 216 touchdowns. After injuries stunted the start of his career, he has started every game for seven straight seasons.
But he hasn’t been able to change Detroit’s number of postseason victories since the franchise won the 1957 NFL title.
Stafford has helped the Lions reach the playoffs three times Cheap Thomas Rawls Jersey , losing a wild-card game each time to leave them stuck on one postseason victory in six-plus decades.
He knows that fact as well as anyone in the Motor City and yet he insisted that doesn’t get him down.
”There’s that mindset to go out there and work to prove people wrong and all that kind of stuff,” Stafford said Thursday after reporting for training camp. ”I just want to prove myself right.”
Stafford will begin his 10th training camp on Friday morning, aiming to help Detroit avoid having just another mediocre season in Matt Patricia’s debut as an NFL head coach.
The Lions won nine games the previous two years and coach Jim Caldwell lost his job after the team didn’t return to the playoffs last season.
Stafford seems set up for success on offense, working with a familiar offensive coordinator, Jim Bob Cooter, and throwing to returning veteran receivers Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.
More importantly, the team has invested in improving the running game through free agency and the draft by bolstering the offensive line and backfield.
The Lions have been among the NFL’s worst rushing teams in recent years, allowing opponents to sack Stafford an average of 43 times over the past four seasons.
Despite the slew of sacks and even more hits, some of which have led to injuries, Stafford has been able to stay on the field.
”When I came into this league, I was 21 years old and I felt pretty good most days,” Stafford said. ”I’m 30 now. I don’t feel bad Authentic Mitchell Trubisky Jersey , but it’s different. A little bit of a new normal.
”I feel as good as I’ve felt coming into a camp in a long time. I feel really healthy and ready to go.”
Stafford could potentially be entering the prime of his career.
”Quarterbacks in this league really develop pretty well at this sort of age range,” Cooter said. ”He’s getting better at different things. Every year we have different sort of points of emphasis. It could be throwing a certain pass, it could be pocket movement or it could be something with his feet.
”It’s a big camp for him too, right? There are a lot of different things around here. This is not the exact same system or exact same camp as last year’s camp.”
Stafford has become savvy with the media over the years, answering questions without saying anything controversial.
He doesn’t make bold predictions and rarely goes out on a limb on any topic.
The husband and father of two young girls seems to strike a life-work balance, but his competitive streak can be heard at times when he hears doubters.
”Nobody’s got higher expectations than we do in our locker room,” Stafford said. ”We hold each other accountable to being a really good football team and doing things the right way all the time. All that outside stuff doesn’t get to us. We really don’t talk about it. Don’t hear it.”
NOTES: The Lions signed DT Ricky Jean Francois and LB Darnell Sankey. They released LB Al-Rasheed Benton and OL Beau Nunn. … Detroit put LB Devon Kennard and DE Cornelius Washington on active-non football injury list.
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10.09.2018 08:49
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