Kenny Phillips excited to be key part of team's secondary

The first time Kenny Phillips’ return from injury prompted hyperbole was one year ago, when his arrival on the University of Albany practice fields prompted proclamations from his teammates that “Superman” was back.

Even the soft-spoken Phillips played with the joke, claiming he was Clark Kent working to put on a cape.

It apparently took an entire season for that to happen.

Phillips played all 16 games last year, his first year back from an operation to help repair an arthritic condition in his knee. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell admitted today that he “protected” Phillips in defensive packages to try to ensure he remained on the field.

Phillips often played as a deep safety to avoid major contact. Fewell is expecting Phillips to take a “quantum leap” this season now that the injury is behind him.

“Oh, yeah, it’s got to happen,” Phillips said. “Now, I probably take on a bigger role, as far as getting down in the box and just really be a part of the scheme.”

It’s not just Phillips who will appear different in the defensive backfield. The Giants’ secondary could evolve this season, especially after the team did not re-sign veteran safety Deon Grant and drafted cornerback Prince Amukamara in the first round. That improved the cornerbacks while thinning the depth at safety, a position in which the Giants often played three players at one time last season in an unconventional alignment.

“It changes because the personnel is different,” Fewell said. “You make plans but you can’t employ those plans until you have your entire team together, and then once you have your entire team together, you game plan.”

Antrel Rolle and Phillips will be stalwarts, but they may play in more traditional safety roles compared with the way they played with Grant.

One safety that will not contribute is Chad Jones, whose 2010 car accident kept him out of action last season and will keep him from participating again this year. The team waived/injured Jones today, and upon clearing waivers he will be placed on the non-football injury list for the season.

Jones attended today’s practice, received an ovation from the team and said he’s about 70 percent back to his optimum football shape.

“I still see myself as a New York Giants football player,” he said. “It’s nothing but motivation seeing all these guys out here run around, guys I played with, so I definitely see myself as a football player.”

In the past, the Giants also had the option of moving cornerback Aaron Ross to safety. Even with depth at cornerback, Ross made it clear today he would not be amenable to such a move in 2011.

“I’m not willing to do safety anymore,” Ross said. “Wouldn’t entertain it.”

Help might not be needed. If Phillips plays the way he and the coaching staff think he can, the biggest upgrade will be seen from Phillips, whose “Superman” moniker was issued one training camp too soon.

“I wasn’t as close to as where I thought I would be,” Phillips said. “A lot of guys were telling me it was going to take a year, but I was doing my best to try to prove them wrong. It turns out, they were right.”

Click here to order Kenny Phillips’ proCane Rookie Card.


(nj.com)