'Quiet' Malik Nabers embracing louder New York Giants leadership role
With veteran quarterback Russell Wilson joining the ranks, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart backing him up, and upgraded talent on the defensive side of the ball, there's an aura of hope around the Giants.
Part of that hope resides with the youthful skill players on offense. Tyrone Tracy Jr., Theo Johnson, and Wan'Dale Robinson aren't rookies anymore, but they're still on their rookie contracts. Malik Nabers had a fantastic rookie campaign, and as the Giants' go-to guy, he's embracing a more vocal role in the wide receivers' room in Year 2.
"It's just being more vocal about just getting guys ready to go or making sure we're on the right path to what we want to accomplish, and I have to sometimes get out of my mode," Nabers said on Wednesday. "I talk to myself a lot. I talk to myself in my head, and I'm always quiet a lot, so sometimes I have to step outside of those boundaries and get guys riled up and get them going, get my receiver group going, and that's just a part of just being a leader and just wanting to be better for my team."
Nabers' adjustment to how vocal he is with his teammates stems from the encouragement of Russell Wilson.
"I think Malik's done a great job, just his leadership, his voice in the film room, too," Wilson said. "He's done a great job with that. I've been telling him that the more he communicates what he sees and feels, not just to us quarterbacks but really to the group as a receiver, and we all want to be on the same page. I think he's doing a great job of that. He's really just stepped into that role, the leadership role."
Wilson noted that Nabers has guys like Slayton and Robinson to watch and listen to.
"All those guys are so tremendously smart and experienced in a lot of ways. I think he's really done a great job of just his practice habits and when he is out there going as hard as he can every rep," Wilson said.
Nabers left practice early on Wednesday, but says that it is part of the plan to keep him healthy for the start of the regular season. He's dealt with a nagging toe injury for years, so making the right plan with the trainers and following through with it is a high priority for the young receiver. And, from the sound of it, he understands how important it is to stay healthy for the duration of the season.
The Giants face off against the Bills on Saturday, August 9, at 1:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 'Quiet' Malik Nabers embracing louder Giants leadership role
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