All summer, Victor Cruz said he was ahead of schedule coming back from a ruptured right patella tendon, expressing delight his knee did not swell up after practices and never kept him from getting on the field.
As it turns out, the repaired knee is not the part of the body that is expected to keep Cruz out of the Giants’ season opener Sunday against the Cowboys. Cruz came away with a strain to his left calf late in training camp that kept him out of the final two preseason games and likely will force him to watch the Giants play this weekend on TV from New Jersey.
Cruz was the only player on the roster who was unable to practice Wednesday.
“Obviously, if this was strictly the knee or whatever, I think he’d be out there,’’ Tom Coughlin said. “The calf is what set him back. It’s not the knee, it’s the calf. There’s been some communication around the league with other clubs. For whatever reason, these things are very, very hard to get over. And we’ve experienced it before, obviously [IR-placed safety Nat] Berhe is a great example of that. But that’s what is holding him back, not the other.’’
Without Cruz, the Giants will start Rueben Randle opposite Odell Beckham Jr. at receiver and likely use Preston Parker in the slot when they go with three wide receivers.
There is always a chance Cruz gets medical clearance and is able to work Thursday, but given he is coming off a major surgery and has not played at all in the preseason, the Giants will be cautious. Returning too quickly from a calf injury could set him back weeks.
A key sign of progress for the Giants defense: Linebacker Jon Beason (knee) was able to practice on a limited basis. The same for defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins (hamstring) and linebacker Jonathan Casillas (neck).
“I did a lot more than I thought I would,’’ Jenkins said. “Felt pretty good and I felt pretty surprised.’’
Eli Manning said, “I haven’t thought about it,’’ when asked about a report that enough progress has been made on a contract extension to expect a deal to get done before the opener.
Manning had said Tuesday: “I’m not a big fan of having negotiations go on during the season.’’
He did not take kindly to anyone who interpreted that as giving the Giants an ultimatum. “That was your words, not mine,” Manning said. “Your headline.”
Special teams ace Dwayne Harris said he’s been in contact with several of his former Cowboys teammates, including backup running back Lance Dunbar.
“He called me Friday last week and said he’s gonna have more special teams tackles than me,’’ Harris said.
His response? “He already knows who’s gonna win that battle,’’ Harris said.
Former Giants DE Osi Umenyiora sounds as if he wants to suit up and play this weekend. He tweeted the Cowboys will lose by three touchdowns and then explained his reasoning: “Overrated O-line. Unstable at RB. Good WR. Erratic QB. Keep drinking the Kool Aid. But the Cowboys can and will be beat.’’
The Giants completed their 10-man practice squad by signing QB G.J. Kinne and LB Gerald Rivers. Kinne, undrafted out of Tulsa, signed with the Jets in 2012 and was most recently with the Eagles this summer. He briefly moved to receiver to enhance his chances of making the final roster. He lined up at safety in his first practice with the Giants.
