Terrell Thomas is trying to exert more self-control this time around.

Last year, Thomas busted his rear end to make it back for training camp after his second torn ACL. Now that he is attempting to come back from a third ACL surgery, Thomas is learning to try to be more patient.

“I’ve controlled myself a little bit more,” Thomas said. “Last year, I was killing myself. It worked out, when I went back I was in great shape, when I came back I was in great shape. This year, it’s just being a little more cautious.”

“There’s no dates at all,” he added. “There’s no hurry, no rush. There wasn’t one last year. I was just ahead of schedule last year. This year, we’re taking it slower, as far as rehab, building the foundation. I’m doing everything already. [Just] not in a rush to get out there for indoor, OTAs or whatever.”

Thomas’s rehab is slightly different this time around since he underwent a different procedure on his ACL.

“The first two were cadavers and this one was patellar tendon,” Thomas said. “That’s the part that makes it harder, because they open up the patellar tendon.”

Thomas said "the knee’s doing great" and that he may soon start doing individual work on the field.

When Thomas is ready to return, the Giants can add his experience and ability to a cornerbacks unit that includes Corey Webster, Prince Amukamara, Aaron Ross and Jayron Hosley.

General manager Jerry Reese raised the notion of Thomas playing safety to potentially lessen the wear and tear on his knee. Thomas said he just wants to be on the field again.

“All that safety talk, that was just based on my knee, how I come back,” Thomas said. “In that safety role, it’s kind of like the nickel. When we had the three-safety look, it’s pretty much nickel, it’s just a bigger nickel position. So I already know that position.

“That’s a position I played my first and second year at the nickel spot so it wouldn’t be a hard transition,” he continued. “I played a little safety in 2010. We had a package where I would go into the post. I had an interception, a couple tackles as well.”

So would playing safety be better for him in the long run?

"[Playing corner] it’s more being on an island,” Thomas said. “Your knee is in a more unstable situation. You have to react to the receiver. Safety is more you’re dictating. So I think that’s why Jerry Reese said that.

"But I already knew I’d switch to safety later in my career just because of my body type, the way I play. So I’m not scared at all. If they tell me I’m going to play kicker, I’ll play kicker.”

Thomas is optimistic about his latest return and is not worried about testing his knee even though he re-injured his ACL last year while losing his footing on the field early in training camp.

“You gotta get back out there,” Thomas said. “You gotta jump back on that horse. I’m not scared at all man. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.

“I’ve done everything I could last year,” Thomas added. “It just wasn’t meant to be. I’m taking that same attitude, just work my butt off, rehabbing. When the doctors say I’m clear, the Giants feel I can go out there, and I feel like I’m ready, then I’m good.”