There was nothing out of the ordinary about how Daniel Bellinger described his offseason routine after a largely successful rookie year.
He did not have to train for the scouting combine, so he was able to engage in more weight lifting to get bigger and stronger.
“Of course, there’s a picture out there,’’ Bellinger said, before laughing. “I was like, ‘That’s some really good lighting.’ The camera guy got me right on that one.’’
The picture Bellinger referred to was taken and released by the team, an action shot from one of last week’s practice sessions.
Bellinger had the ball in his two hands, the sleeves were cut off his white No. 82 jersey, and his arms were, well, bulging with muscles heretofore unseen by anyone around the Giants.
Bellinger wore long sleeves Wednesday after the Giants concluded their mandatory minicamp.
“I had to hide them today,’’ Bellinger said, referring to his arms.
The 6-foot-6 Bellinger is listed at 255 pounds and says, if anything, he is a bit lighter than he was as a rookie, when he played in 12 games and caught 30 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns — missing five games with a nasty eye injury that required surgery.
Better nutrition increased his muscle mass and decreased his body fat, he said, and he believes he is running better and feeling healthier.
And he has those massive biceps now, which he does not believe will help in any football-related capacity.
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“I wouldn’t say so, besides just cameras,’’ he said, smiling. “Not really. Just the strength side of it.’’
The Giants will have a team-bonding activity Thursday, then the veterans will go their separate ways until training camp in late July.
The rookies will stay around the facility a bit longer before they return for camp.
“I would just say for those guys to come back ready to go,’’ coach Brian Daboll said about his message to the players. “Be in shape. Make sure they’re being safe out there over the couple of weeks. But come back ready to go, both mentally and physically.’’
When he was a position coach and offensive coordinator, Daboll said this time of year contained more time away from the game. Not so as a head coach.
“I get a little bit of downtime, but then you’re right back at it,’’ Daboll said. “Making sure you’re reviewing schedules and training camp practices and getting a head start on some of the opponents. So, get a little bit of downtime. Don’t do a whole bunch.’’
The initial plan was for the Giants and Jets to hold a joint practice this summer, as they did last year, but that will not happen.
The teams play each other in the regular season.
Instead, the Jets will have joint practices with the Panthers and Buccaneers, and the Giants will practice with the Lions.
Daboll said the Giants-Jets joint-practice plan will likely resume next year. “Probably start it back up,’’ he said.
