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Giants discuss whether to organize team workouts

There are other teams, like the Saints and Patriots, organizing mass workouts during the lockout.

The Giants, though, are more concerned with themselves and not risking injuries.

Both Justin Tuck and Shaun O’Hara said the idea of holding team workouts has been discussed among Giants players. But Tuck says figuring out when has been an issue with so many Giants scattered around the country training on their own.

Also, the Giants feel they are a veteran team that will be ready once football resumes.

“I’m not really concerned about our team,” O’Hara said at Tuck’s celebrity billiards event to benefit the R.U.S.H. for Literacy charity at Slate in Manhattan. “We are not installing any new offenses, we are not installing a new defense, we are a veteran team. I feel like we can start training camp tomorrow and 90-to-95 percent of the guys will know exactly what to do. We can run plays tomorrow without any meeting time or film time or any of that.”

O’Hara said if the team does organize a mass workout, it likely will not be in July when most players are typically on vacation before the start of training camp.

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The hardest transition will be for rookies and any newcomers who have not had the benefit of any offseason programs to meet with coaches and get a hold of the playbook.

They could use any time around Giants veterans to learn as much as they can.

Cornerback Terrell Thomas said he has been in contact with rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara, who was drafted in the first round, and rookie safety Tyler Sash, who was drafted in the sixth round.

Thomas said he will try to send them a copy of his notes from last season to help them learn the defense.

“I know that rookie minicamp was valuable for me and Kenny (Phillips),” Thomas said. “Just our base defense, we were up two hours that night going over (it). Once you get it, our defense is very simple after that.”

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Linebacker Michael Boley has been using the lockout time to heal after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder at the end of the season.

Boley is getting antsy to get back to football but says the time off has been beneficial for veterans who are using the time to heal up.

The lockout, though, also means that some players will miss out on offseason workout bonuses in their contracts. Boley can earn $250,000 by participating in 90% of offseason workouts.

“Chalk it up as a goner,” Boley said with a smile. “It is one of those things, it ain’t coming back. Hopefully next year.”