ALBANY, N.Y. - Only a few hours before the first practice of Giants training camp, Terrell Thomas was talking about how he has full confidence in his surgically repaired knee and how that confidence will grow with each successful practice.

Well, that confidence was on hold today because the Giants’ starting cornerback left the first practice of training camp with stiffness in his back.

"Legs are fine," coach Tom Coughlin said. "His back tightened up on him."

Thomas was being stretched on the side for about 10 minutes as the rest of the team finished up individual drills. He walked off the field with trainers toward the locker room then returned shortly thereafter. He did not participate in the rest of the session and only watched from the side.

Coughlin is hopeful this won't be a long-term issue. Thomas seems to believe it won't be.

“It’s God’s plan,” Thomas said in a quote released by the team. “And I’m not worrying about it. It’s not like I have a back spasm or messed up anything. It just really locked up on me.

“It came out of nowhere. Usually, sometimes it’s just tightness. But I’ve never had something like this or kept me out of practice or in a game where my back locked up on me. Things happen for a reason. I’m glad that it’s minor. I’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”

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And now, the first practice report of training camp, beginning as always with...

THE INJURIES

The guys on PUP - WR Hakeem Nicks (foot), DT Chris Canty (knee), TE Travis Beckum and LB Clint Sintim (knee) – obviously did not practice.

RB Da'Rel Scott was hunched over at one point, though it was unclear if it was an injury or perhaps some kind of fatigue. He hung in there. We'll see if anything comes of that. (As I'm typing this, I realize I forgot to ask Coughlin about him. Aargh.)

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THE STARTERS

LB Michael Boley had a big first day and had a sequence where he was in on about four of five plays. The last of them was an interception on a ball from QB Eli Manning to WR Victor Cruz. Boley slipped underneath and easily made the pick – one of three for the defense on the day.

So much for Cruz's offseason hangover. He opened team drills with two catches, including one that elicited the first "Cruuuuuz" chant of camp when he slipped and reached behind him to make the grab. Later, during 7-on-7s, he made a tough catch on what would've been an excusable drop when he grabbed a quick slant from Manning in front of CB Corey Webster.

FB Henry Hynoski figures to be a bigger part of the passing game this year. Early on today, he caught a quick out to the right edge past LB Keith Rivers. Expect Hynoski's receiving skills to be a running theme here in these reports throughout camp.

DT Linval Joseph was in to make a couple of stops in team drills midway through practice. A lot of times, it's tough to see what's going on inside during practice, but it was evident Joseph was knifing through there.

LT Will Beatty, who will be limited in camp as he attempts to overcome a sciatic nerve issue, practiced today and seemed to be moving fine. We'll monitor how much he does moving forward.

THE BACKUPS

CB Prince Amukamara got on the board early with an interception on an overshot deep ball from QB David Carr to WR Rueben Randle. Amukamara was playing Randle well and then, when he realized the ball was going to be long, he lengthened his stride and got to it. On his was down the sideline on the return, he got an escort from defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, who loves to be a lead blocker for his guys.

Somebody asked me on Twitter the other day who my under-the-radar breakout guy is. I said Scott, in part because I think he can catch the ball out of the backfield. In the first team drill today, Scott dropped a ball on a short hook over the middle. He was plenty upset with himself for that one.

Good catch by WR Ramses Barden to reach back on a quick slant in front of rookie CB Jayron Hosley. Barden made the grab with the defender right on top of him, as he often does.

CB Michael Coe had great position in front of WR Domenik Hixon on a deep ball up the left sideline from Manning that fell incomplete. Secondary coach Peter Giunta was pleased with that play and a few others when Coe came down from his spot in a zone to make a tackle.

Giunta wasn't as pleased with CB Bruce Johnson, who struggled with his footwork on a few plays. Johnson got twisted on an out route by Cruz, who couldn't make a fingertip catch on a ball a little high and outside. Johnson did come back a few plays later to close down on RB Andre Brown after he caught a wheel route.

I wrote in the spring about LB Mark Herzlich's coverage skills and they were on display again today. On one play, he was right with rookie TE Adrien Robinson on a post up the seam, forcing Carr to take a check-down pass. A few snaps later, he was right on TE Ryan Purvis' hip on a similar route.

THE YOUNG GUYS

Among the more energetic players today was DE Justin Trattou, who clearly looked to be eager to make an impression right away. Trattou was quick off the edge and hustling down plays from behind. He also maintained the edge on an end around to WR Jerrel Jernigan and his teammates appreciated the effort there.

A few minutes after Scott's drop, RB David Wilson reached up to make a nice grab on a short throw from QB Ryan Perrilloux that was above his head. Good start for Wilson, who will have to work his way up the depth chart from his current role with the third-team offense.

LB Spencer Paysinger almost picked off a short slant from Perrilloux he undercut, though Hixon thought CB Dante Hughes' holding the intended receiver made Paysinger's play on the ball possible. Hixon had a point, I believe, and Hughes was grabbing some more white jersey later on when he was covering Randle, who fought through the grasp to make a nice catch.

Paysinger had himself a nice practice, minus one play when his angle on TE Bear Pascoe in coverage wasn't to Fewell's liking. Paysinger took much better angles on a few running plays to make Fewell happy.

Former Rutgers RB/FB Joe Martinek is out here, doing what he does ... which is pretty much everything. He had what seemed to be a good crack-back block (or as much as was allowed in this practice) on LB Greg Jones, who didn't seem to think it was a legal play.

Perrilloux was about as inaccurate as I've ever seen him. He badly missed WR Dan DePalma deep, threw at Wilson's ankles and missed a few other short throws.

Robinson couldn't make a catch he made during rookie camp that had us all gaga. It was a short throw from Perrilloux over his head to which he just didn't seem to react quickly enough.

Undrafted WR Brandon Collins made one heckuva tough grab while pretty much being beat up and sent to the ground by CB Justin Tryon as he was trying to run the quick slant. Collins has been the impressive surprise among the backup receivers, dating back to the spring.

LB Jake Muasau had an interception off a deflected pass that bounced off WR David Douglas' hands. Muasau made the diving catch and got up for the return, but a squealing Fewell wanted him to return it all the way.

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There was great anticipation for a drill that's a favorite of the players - the one where one returner tries to avoid a pair of defenders bearing down on him from about 20 yards away. Wilson and Jernigan were among the players expected to make guys miss, but they didn't. And they were booed by their teammates.

Here's hoping for more highlights the next time they do that drill.

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And something Jorge Castillo noted that I’m sure will interest you – the linebacker depth chart:

First team: Boley, Chase Blackburn, Mathias Kiwanuka

Second team: Jacquian Williams, Herzlich, Rivers

Third team: Jones, Muasau, Paysinger

Mike Garafolo: mgarafolo@starledger.com