How The New York Giants Can Avoid Injuries Before The Regular Season

Jan 1, 2017; Landover, MD, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) catches a pass during warm-ups prior to the Giants' game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. The Giants won 19-10. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most frequent injuries for NFL players is a torn ACL, but for the New York Giants it’s just about everything else. Broken ankles, broken arms, shoulders being popped out…You name it and it’s happened to the Giants.

Moving forward into the offseason and only about seven weeks until the home opener, ensuring injuries are kept to a minimum is a priority.

How can the Giants successfully keep their star players healthy before the season even begins?

Easy, don’t overwork them or put them in positions to sustain ailments.

One of the most deadly times for players to suffer injuries is during pre-season games. Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a sprained ankle in 2017 during a matchup against the Cleveland Browns in the pre-season.

Now, these games are sometimes essential to build chemistry and to learn the offense, especially with the hiring of coaches and the implementation of new systems. The Giants’ players will need the live game action to understand their roles and test the new schemes against real opponents.

This significantly increases the risk of injury, and for players like Beckham that’re coming off season ending ailments, it’s freightening to think about them taking the field for meaningless games.

In my opinion, Beckham should be kept off the field at all costs until the regular season begins. As long as he knows the system he will be fine, as his chemistry with Eli Manning is already impeccable.

Other players that should play sparingly in the pre-season are safety Landon Collins, cornerback Janoris Jenkins, running back Saquon Barkley, defensive tackle Damon Harrison, and outside linebacker Olivier Vernon.

Now, you might be wondering why I didn’t include tight end Evan Engram. I believe the pre-season will be good for him to develop his blocking technique and to get going in terms of passing. It will be fun to watch him and Davis Webb connect if they manage to salvage a few reps.

Additional injury management options for the Giants:

One of the more underrated factors in minimizing injuries is rest days. Allowing the players plenty of rest and recovery days is a great way to keep the players fresh and ready for the beginning of the regular season.