Antrel Rolle expects to play nickel cornerback

NEW YORK — The Giants decided against moving Antrel Rolle to cornerback after Terrell Thomas suffered a season-ending knee injury. That doesn’t mean Rolle won’t play cornerback this season.

During practice this week, Rolle lined up as the slot cornerback in nickel situations. Deon Grant entered at safety. Rolle confirmed yesterday that, as it stands now, the nickel cornerback is his spot in that formation.

“I don’t know what to expect this season, but I know as of right now, that’s the plan,” Rolle said at a fan festival for MetLife Stadium. “I have no problem doing that. It’s something I’m very comfortable with pretty much my entire career.”

This will be different than the three-safety formation the Giants employed last season because Rolle will take the responsibilities of a cornerback. He said he plans on dropping from 206 pounds to 200 pounds to get quicker.

Rolle came into the NFL as a cornerback in 2005. He switched to safety with the Arizona Cardinals in 2008. In 2010, the Giants made Rolle the highest-paid safety in the NFL. He was productive last season, although he expected an even better 2011 after getting used to the “mental gymnastics of the position.” He does not expect this change to require much adjustment.

“There’s a lot of carry over from last year, so it’s not like everything’s going to be new to me,” Rolle said. “I pretty much know what to expect and I know how to play my teammates.”

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(nj.com)