Giants mini-camp

Giants tight end Adrien Robinson did not separate himself from the pack during OTAs and minicamp.

(John O'Boyle / The Star-Ledger)

EAST RUTHERFORD -- The shuffle at tight end for the Giants spring has been noticeable. One day it's Adrien Robinson's turn to begin the day with the first team. The next it's Daniel Fells or Larry Donnell or Xavier Grimble or Kellen Davis.

But most often, it appeared Robinson was running with the first-team offense. He flashed a bit more than his competition. That would have seemed to make him the favorite to win the starting job when the team reconvenes next month for training camp.

Not so fast. Robinson has failed to separate from the pack during OTAs and minicamp this spring.

"It's fully open right now to all five guys. Whoever can step in and play the role the best way, that is the way we need to go," said tight ends coach Kevin M. Gilbride, who was the team's wide receivers coach the past two seasons. "We're not worries about who was drafted where, who was just signed in the offseason, who is a rookie. None of that matters."

Robinson was a fourth-round draft pick in 2012. He's the only one of the five that was drafted by the Giants. But that apparently doesn't matter, especially after two seasons where he didn't record a single catch.

Robinson, 25, may have skills, but he also has some parts of his game that need refinement.

"He's a large man, so he should be a point-of-attack blocker. The thing that Adrien needs to continue to do is develop in his consistency," Gilbride said. "That is with his techniques and knowing his assignment and adjustments. … He has some speed to get downfield. He has some athleticism to get in and out of breaks. But his body control needs to improve, whether it's foot placement in the run game or controlling his body to come to a complete stop on a pass route where he needs to present himself to a quarterback as a stationary target.

"These things need to improve as far as the consistency of it. He shows flashes of being able to do it. He needs to carry it onto the field on a consistent basis."

Until that happens, Robinson remains one of five, all with an equal chance to earn the starting tight end job. During OTAs, none of the options seemed to separate themselves.

"Pretty much it's another day-by-day [situation]," Coughlin said last week. "Somebody will do something well one day and then someone else on another day."

Until Robinson puts it together every day, the door remains open for the rest of group. After failing to blow away the competition this spring, it will now ultimately come down to whoever performs best in training camp.