Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE
There were NFL rumors last week that New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara would suit up for the Giants this past Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Sunday came and went and Amukamara was inactive. Jayron Hosley got the start opposite Corey Webster and performed fairly well, moving inside to cover the slot man in formations of three cornerbacks.
With a short week coming up, there is a chance that Amukamara will not suit up yet again when the Giants take on the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. If he doesn’t, Hosley will most likely get the start again.
When asked about Amukamara on Monday, Tom Coughlin offered nothing new on the cornerback’s ankle sprain. Amukamara will most likely practice this week but whether or not he will suit up on Thursday is up in the air, as is his role if he does play.
The Giants might decide to take it easy with Amukamara, letting him come in during nickel formations, moving Hosley inside. Hosley has the potential to be an impact player. GM Jerry Reese compared him to Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones (on the field, not off of it) in his prime which is a pretty lofty comparison.
Heading into this season, the Giants expected Terrell Thomas to be the starter opposite Corey Webster, but he suffered a partial tear to his ACL for the second straight year. That opened the door for last year’s number one pick, Amukamara, to claim the starter spot but he has been hobbled by injuries. Michael Coe had his chance and got burned. Justin Tryon was also burned last Sunday by Buccaneers receiver Mike Williams on a touchdown. Hosley, on the other hand, performed well.
If Hosley has another good game against the Panthers, he could be handed the job, moving Amukamara into the third corner spot, which might not be a bad thing.
Amukamara showed flashes of the player the Giants thought they were getting but injuries and the lockout severely limited his ability to make an impact. The Giants might take it slow with Amukamara and ease him back in to keep him healthy. In the meantime, Hosley might perform well enough to steal the starting job away from Amukamara. This is a position battle that is far from settled as the Giants continue to try and patch a hobbled secondary.
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