NFC Notes: Sterling Shepard, Giants, Panthers, Saints

Giants

Giants WR Sterling Shepard has dealt with injury issues that have held him out and he is now starting to feel better being an active participant in training camp. 

“It feels great just to be back out there with the guys and actually going against somebody. I’ve been sitting over there for months running routes by myself trying to visualize someone there. To actually have somebody there it honestly was ten times better,” Shepard told Jordan Raanan of ESPN. “I wasn’t even thinking about my planting or anything like that. I felt great. So it was good to be back out there with the guys. I’m going to be smarter myself in what I allow myself to do and not really push back. Because I’m one of those guys that like to keep going and going and going. And I know I have to take my time this time and do things differently than I have in the past. And just be patient. That is my main thing because I get antsy and I want to get in there three reps in a row. I may just have to take one rep, and take a rep off. That’s just the way it has to go. I have to hold myself back sometimes. I control what I can control and that is being healthy and staying on the field. And when I’m healthy and I get an opportunity, to show my ass. That is what I’m focused on.”

Giants HC Brian Daboll commented on the team’s plans to keep Shepard healthy ahead of the new season.

“We will limit him, relative to the number of reps, and just kind of bring him along,” Daboll said. “He has done a good job in the rehab process. So he was ready to get taken off.”

Panthers

Panthers GM Scott Fitterer recently told reporters that the starting right guard position is open and expects a competition as training camp gets underway. One issue is that the team doesn’t have G Austin Corbett back to full health yet, as he tore his ACL in the season finale against the Saints. 

“No, I don’t know that yet,” Fitterer responded when asked about Corbett’s replacement. “It’s a wide-open competition. The good thing is we have numbers in there. We have versatility in there. Brady’s [Christensen] back, he’s fully healthy. Austin, he’s pushing to get back. He’s ahead of schedule. We’ll see what that means. We won’t know until like cut day, like where he’s at.”

“But those young guys really need to push,” Fitterer added. “And Zavala coming in—and unfortunately, he tweaked his hamstring last week, so he’s gonna be a couple of weeks. But he’ll be in that mix. So Zavala, Cade Mays, Justin McCray—all those guys pushin’ and we like that group inside.”

Fitterer also commented on the Panthers’ depth at pass rusher: “We like it but we always need to add more. You can never have enough pass rush. So if there’s a pass rusher out there that upgrades our roster, we’re gonna pursue that.” (Joe Person)

• According to Panthers HC Frank Reich, edge Marquis Haynes has a back issue but the team is looking for a positive diagnosis and for him to return to action quickly. (Mike Kaye)

Saints

Saints RB Jamaal Williams commented on the state of the running back market and spoke on the wear and tear that players at the position accumulate on their bodies.

“Our bodies go through so much, and yet we have people who can go through years of playing. And yet, we’re diminished,” Williams said, via Turron Davenport of ESPN. “We’re the most warriors on the team. We deal with everybody, D-linemen, linebackers, and DBs. Our position is where warriors are at.”

• Nick Underhill reports that Matt Giordano has been hired by the Saints as the assistant secondary coach, replacing Sterling Moore.