ALBANY – Amani Toomer, who seems to have just recently arrived, is the most experienced receiver on the Giants’ roster, and he’s only heading into his fourth season.
“That’s scary,” Toomer said.
With reliable Chris Calloway released to make way for the youngsters, Toomer inherits Calloway’s starting job, and the Giants are counting on a major impact from a player who until last season showed no signs of living up to his status as a second-round draft choice in 1996. On Friday, the Giants further committed to Toomer, a potential unrestricted free agent after this season, when they signed him to a four-year, $11.2 million contract that included a hefty signing bonus of $3.2 million.
This was a case of the Giants believing they needed to secure Toomer’s services before what might be a breakout year, rather than wait until he proves he can be the big, physical receiver they have lacked for more than a decade.
“If you wait until it’s without a shadow of a doubt, you lose him,” general manager Ernie Accorsi said. “I thought last year he justified where he was picked.”
Toomer did nothing as a rookie playing under Dan Reeves and was nearly buried on the depth chart in Jim Fassel’s first season. Exactly one year ago, Fassel gave serious thought about releasing Toomer, who admittedly experienced an attitude adjustment and responded with a 27-catch, five-touchdown season, highlighted by a leaping 37-yard TD grab in the final minute to propel the Giants to a stunning upset of the previously-unbeaten Broncos.
“I knew I had to do something,” Toomer said of the turnabout in his approach and work ethic. “I had to stop looking outward and start looking inward. This league is definitely a growing process, and I’m in a growing spurt right now.”
As a restricted free agent this offseason, Toomer paid a visit to Washington and said, “I was closer than a lot of people think” to a deal with the Redskins. Accorsi admitted the Giants heard rumors and began negotiating with Toomer earlier than they normally would have. What the deal shows is that Fassel, once a non-believer, has changed his view of Toomer’s worth.
“That young man has received his due for sticking with some things,” Fassel said. “As hard as I rode him and got on him, I never saw him back off. I still remember my first year I went hoarse yelling at him, and it wasn’t always proper language.”
The 6-3 Toomer is a large part of Fassel’s plans to open up what often has been a pop-gun offense. “I love when the ball is in the air,” Toomer said. “I think I can try to out-jump anybody and out-muscle anybody.” *One of the more hotly-contested training camp battles will be for the starting strong side linebacker spot, where Marcus Buckley must fight off a challenge from third-year Ryan Phillips. Buckley has been slowed a bit early with a pulled calf muscle. Of Phillips, Fassel said, “He’s come out of the blocks good.” … After missing an entire season while undergoing treatment for lymphoma, RB LeShon Johnson finds himself as a starter while Gary Brown mends. “Right now I’m working with the first team and that’s a blessing,” Johnson said, “because I can get my timing down with what the guys up front are doing.”
There was concern that Brown’s motorcyle accident would lead to his gaining too much weight, which has been a problem in the past with Brown. When he reported, though, Brown was three pounds under the weight the Giants set for him.
“I was nervous,” Fassel said. “I figured when he jumped on the scale we’d think there were two people on there.”
