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          New York Giants

          Giants' secondary lets its play do the talking

          • Kieran Darcy, ESPN Staff WriterJul 30, 2014, 03:00 PM ET
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              Kieran Darcy is an ESPN.com staff writer. He joined ESPN in August 2000 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, where he played four years of JV basketball.
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          EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- There was a whole lotta hootin’ and hollerin’ at the end of the New York Giants' practice Tuesday, from one group in particular.

          The defensive backs were all gathered in a circle around reserve cornerback Charles James, bobbing up and down as James regaled them with some sort of song-and-dance routine.

          But that’s probably about as much noise as you will hear from the Giants’ secondary this summer. Unlike their counterparts based in Florham Park, Big Blue’s style is not to boast.

          “At the end of the day Coach Coughlin is still our coach, and his motto is, 'Talk is cheap, play the game,'" cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “So I think if anyone starts to open their mouth a little too much, I think he’ll shut it for us real quick.”

          Amukamara was responding to a question regarding the Giants’ high-profile additions to the secondary this offseason, and whether there’s an added boldness or brashness to the unit this season.

          Cornerback Walter Thurmond, who the Giants signed away from the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, did make one eyebrow-raising statement back in April, saying the Giants’ secondary was at least as good if not better than the Seahawks’ so-called Legion of Boom.

          But a week into training camp, no Giant has said anything in the same ballpark as the New York Jets' Dee Milliner, who pronounced himself the best cornerback in the NFL a few days ago.

          Amukamara did say the Giants’ defensive backs are playing with a little more swagger.

          “I would say during this camp we are starting to tune to our swag,” Amukamara said. “With the addition of Walter and DRC, they definitely bring a different dimension to our defensive backfield, and it’s pretty contagious.”

          DRC, otherwise known as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Thurmond certainly should help the Giants this coming season. So too could the fact that the defense is facing a faster-paced offense in practice under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.

          “Reps against the no-huddle with our offense, it does help,” Amukamara said. “Going against guys like Philly, their offense is very, very fast. And I think the Redskins, they do the same thing, too. So that’s only [going to] prepare us for the season.”

          But if you’re looking for chest-thumping or self-aggrandizement, East Rutherford is not your best bet -- except maybe right after practice, in the defensive back huddle.