Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Giants will conduct mandatory mini-camp this week and all eyes are on the Timex Performance Center in East Rutherford, N.J. this week to see if Hakeem Nicks will show up for practice.
Nicks, 25, is in the last year of his contract and will earn just over $2.5 million this year. That’s if he shows up to mini-camp.
Giants QB Eli Manning has started to complain about Victor Cruz’s and Nicks’ absence from the Giants’ training facility, as reported by Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News saying, “But you’d still like them back here just to work on things that we didn’t do as well last year. They know what they’re doing. It’s just a matter of improving how they’re doing it sometimes.”
No one outside of the team’s coaching staff knows the reason for Nicks’ absence, leading to unnecessary speculation.
In a series of blog posts for Rant Sports, I’ve made the case for the Giants to “Show Cruz the Money.” While at the same time, that’ the reason why it’s counterintuitive for Cruz to keep holding out for more.
The Giants need both wideouts for their offense to be effective (keys to winning the NFC East) for the upcoming 2013 NFL campaign.
Maybe they both know this and are in solidarity supporting each other before camp, or maybe Nicks and Cruz are great friends. Regardless, the start of mini camp this week means that if Nicks doesn’t show he will be fined for each day he misses. He will face a maximum fine of $66,150 for missing all three days of mini-camp.
There is no way of knowing if Nicks will show up at camp from June 11 -13. After all, $66,150 isn’t a lot to someone making over $2.5 million; maybe he is willing to make a point. At this point in time, we will have to wait and see how all of this will develop.
Joseph Alario is a New York Giants writer for www.RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.
