Edge rusher Brian Burns enjoys first training camp with New York Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Training camp days often drag on for coaches and their assistants.

There are meetings, training sessions, more meetings, plans are made for the next day’s training sessions and endless videos of the players are watched.

The film work can be boring unless something stands out.

Coach Brian Daboll has had that experience since the New York Giants opened training camp on Wednesday, when he watched outside linebacker Brian Burns go up against left tackle Andrew Thomas every day.

Burns, the linebacker New York acquired from Carolina, will face the Giants’ top lineman.

“We say that a lot when we watch as a coaching staff,” Daboll said Sunday. “Man, that’s a fun matchup to watch. Those guys are going at it. They make each other better. They’re both really good football players, so I think it helps us as a team.”

Burns said his competition with Thomas is fairly even.

“I’m embracing the opportunity,” Burns said. “Since he came back, because you know he didn’t practice at the beginning of OTAs, but since he came back, I’ve been on his side. We’re definitely going to make each other better. Today he made me a little bit (angry). He beat me today. So tomorrow we have a fight.”

Monday is the first day the Giants wear full protection.

“That’s a big step for this whole team to see where everybody is at, physically and their mentality,” Burns said. “It’s going to tell a lot about our defense, how we come out and play against our offense. It’s definitely a big step, and I’m going to put a lot of emphasis on that with our defense.”

General manager Joe Schoen gave up draft picks in 2024 and 2025, but then gave the linebacker a five-year, $141 million contract with $87 million guaranteed.

The Giants now have two excellent edge rushers in Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. In his five seasons with the Panthers, he had 46 sacks, including eight last season when Carolina often trailed in a 2-15 season.

Thibodeaux had 11 1/2 sacks in his sophomore season last season and they will benefit from having Pro Bowl tackle Dexter Lawrence provide more pressure up the middle.

Burns has played right tackle since camp opened, but he said he can play the other side as well. He and Thibodeaux share thoughts on the court and push each other.

“We had a competition yesterday in that last call-it ‘period,'” Burns said. “Whoever got the first sack had to do 25 pushups or something and he got it. I’ll give it to him for now. But yeah, we still have that friendly competition. It’s going to help us get better.”

NOTES: New York took tight end and fourth-round draft pick Theo Johnson off the Unable to Perform list and released free agent quarterback Nathan Rourke.

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