Interesting Development

The Giants' two starting safeties, Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson, participated in individual drills but didn't have pads on. Wondering what happened there, especially to Phillips, who was not reported injured during Sunday's game. He's had a bothersome knee since training camp, according to a Giants spokesman. Johnson did suffer a burner, so it's possible he could be held out of team drills as a precaution. Either way, it didn't appear to be serious for either of them.

Michael Boley was out there working, however, and Tom Coughlin said he'd take about 50 percent of the practice snaps. He'll be re-assessed after today.

The thing about Boley is that, even if his hip cooperates, he might have some advancing to do before Coughlin sticks him in the lineup Sunday night. Remember, he missed all of training camp because of the operation. So, even though he attended all the classroom sessions, this is his first exposure to contact this year.

"He's got to practice," Coughlin said. "Basically, the classroom is all he's had. Basically, it'll be on how he works and how he practices. He hasn't had any contact. And he'll have multiple roles, not just defense."

As expected, Aaron Ross remained out with his hamstring injury. But Kevin Dockery was back in there, a good sign. T Adam Koets was out with an ankle sprain.

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Coughlin said the Giants liked new waiver pickup Gartrell Johnson coming into the draft and in the preseason when he played for San Diego. He expects Johnson to step right in for the injured Danny Ware, even if it's only on special teams.

"He'll have his role (Sunday)," Coughlin said. "He'll have his little package, and he'll have to know what to do. He'll have to be ready to go."

He said the Chargers cutting 5-11, 218-pound Johnson didn't dampen the Giants' enthusiasm for the player.

"Sometimes it's not pleasant. It's never pleasant," Coughlin said. "Sometimes you put your 53 together and you make a move. He's got some solid size, and he can be an up-in-the-line of scrimmage guy like Ware. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing him on the practice field today."

EP