Coach Jeff Monken and the Army football team watched the New Y

EAST RUTHERFORD New York Giants Hoodie , N.J. (AP) —ork Giants practice and were saluted by the NFL players after the workout.Because of NCAA rules, the Cadets had to watch the roughly two-hour workout sitting in the temporary stands surrounding the Giants’ three fields at the team headquarters near MetLife Stadium.After meeting with coach Pat Shurmur, the Giants walked over as a group, waved to the Army players and threw small equipment to the Cadets. Star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ran toward the chain link fence separating the field from the stands and climbed it, while two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning tossed gloves into the stands.“These guys are terrific young men and at some point they may be defending our freedom, so our guys, I thought it was great, they went over there and acknowledged them,” Shurmur said.Monken said the Cadets had planned to attend a practice last season but they had to cancel the trip when weather forced him to make up a practice at West Point. With a day off Tuesday, Monken planned the roughly one-hour trip from the military academy.“We were thrilled to have this opportunity to come here on our day off and watch the professionals Deandre Baker Jersey ,” Monken said.Army is coming off a 10-3 season that ended with a 42-35 win over San Diego State in the Lockheed Martin Armed Services Bowl in Texas. The Cadets open their season on Aug. 31 at Duke.Like most coaches, Monken said his team is not ready.“We are a long ways from ready,” said Monken, entering his fifth season at Army. “If you saw us practice yesterday (Monday), you would know how far we are from ready.”Monken and his staff stood on the sidelines and occasionally talked to Giants coaches during the workout. Being a former special teams coach, he spoke with assistant Tom Quinn. He also liked a few of the passing routes New York was running.“We’re not a big throwing team, but we can use some of that,” he said.If one drill caught Monken’s eye it was a scout team drill the Giants were using to prepare their defense for Cleveland.Monken took note of the offensive personnel on the field.“Who is in there but No. 10 at quarterback (Manning), and Beckham is over there playing receiver off the scout cards,” Monken said. “It’s great for our guys that these guys in there and giving their defense the best look http://www.giantsfanshop.com/Dexter-Lawrence-Jersey , and we’re prepared to win the game. Other people don’t notice. I noticed and I certainly think our guys noticed, too.” To fully assess whether the Giants got enough for receiver Odell Beckham Jr. from the Browns, one key factor needs to be considered: How much could they have gotten if they’d traded him earlier?It’s a fair question, given that they could have traded him last year, but reportedly held out for two first-round picks. Instead of trading Beckham, the Giants signed him to a new deal, and they paid him $21.495 million for ultimately only 12 games.They could have traded him before the 2018 draft, and they didn’t. They could have traded him after the draft, and they didn’t. They ultimately signed him to a long-term contract, gave him a lot of money Daniel Jones Jersey , and ultimately gave him up — possibly for less than they could have gotten last year.Ultimately, that’s the real question that needs to be asked, and ideally would be honestly answered (even if it never will be). What could they have had in 2018, and why didn’t they take it before giving Beckham all that money for a dozen games?Whatever the outcome, remember this: Chris Simms has said the Patriots inquired about Beckham last year, and that New England’s interest prompted the Giants to reconsider their willingness to trade him. Obviously, they’ve since reconsidered their reconsideration, and they’ll now be picking up the pieces while trying to calm down a fan base that overwhelmingly believes the team got rid of the wrong guy on the roster who was due to make $17 million this year.