He doesn't talk of improving his hands, or honing his ability to separate from defenders. He doesn't discuss getting stronger, or mention getting faster.



No, ask Ramses Barden what his goal is this season, and the Giants receiver delivers a simple answer: "I'm here to be the man."



"Plain and simple," he adds. "There's no explanation needed."



It's a goal that the Giants would love to see Barden achieve. The team had high aspirations when Barden was drafted in the third round in 2009, but so far the king-sized wideout has only disappointed, with just 15 career catches.



Yet when training camp opens in Albany next month, Barden will have perhaps his best and maybe his last chance to turn around his stalled career. Mario Manningham's decision to sign with the 49ers has left the Giants searching for a new No. 3 receiver.



The 6-6 Barden will battle veteran Domenik Hixon, second-year man Jerrel Jernigan and hyped second-round pick Rueben Randle for the role behind Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. It will be a lengthy audition, too, especially if Nicks, as expected, rests his broken foot for most of training camp.



Barden is the long shot in this competition, so much so that he wasn't even mentioned by Kevin Gilbride when the offensive coordinator was asked to assess the receiver landscape after last week's three-day minicamp. Gilbride said Jernigan showed "flashes," Randle displayed "down-the-field speed," and even said undrafted free agent Brandon Collins looked "really, really impressive."



What did Gilbride say about Barden? Not a word. And Barden was hardly surprised. He's perhaps the most unique wideout on the roster, with otherworldly size (6-6, 244) and solid athleticism, and he routinely dazzles in practice, but he has struggled to deliver in game situations.



His performance in the Giants' Christmas Eve win over the Jets was emblematic of that. With the Giants pinned on their own 1-yard line in the third quarter, Eli Manning twice looked to the big wideout who so often posts up cornerbacks in practice. But Barden couldn't make a critical catch; it was Victor Cruz who saved the team with a 99-yard third down catch-and-run.



"I practice well," Barden says. "The next step for me is to carry that over with confidence to the game. Everybody knows what I can do. It's (about) being able to do that in September."



Barden hopes that the first injury-free offseason of his career will help prepare him to do that. While he says that "there's nothing like game reps," he does believe that he will be more comfortable in Gilbride's offense after participating in all the Giants' Organized Team Activities and making several impressive catches in minicamp.



And as soon as minicamp wrapped up, he headed to California to do more training, working out with teammate Keith Rivers and a handful of other pros. "It's great to have a completely healthy offseason to build on," Barden says. "It's great to have a brand new opportunity, a clean slate, essentially, to make my mark."



It will be a heated "competition," Barden admits. But a more grizzled Barden will be ready.



"I'm not going to walk around looking over my shoulder," he says. "It's fun, and I can't wait to see how this season unfolds."



Here's a closer look at the training camp contenders for WR:



BARDEN, 4th year, 6-6, 226 pounds



SKINNY: Had a "good camp," according to Eli Manning, but there's still work to do, says WR coach Kevin Gilbride Jr.: "He still has areas that he needs to improve on such as creating separation from defenders and things like that. He's working hard at that."



BRANDON COLLINS, rookie, 5-11, 176 pounds



SKINNY: Signed out of rookie minicamp and continued to emerge in last week's veteran minicamp. Says offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride: "Good speed, great quickness, but also picking up the offense pretty quick."



DOMENIK HIXON, seventh year, 6-2, 197 pounds



SKINNY: Receiving corps' elder statesman hasn't been tentative after tearing ACL for second straight year last season, but possesses little upside. "Very very steady, very consistent," says coach Tom Coughlin. "He is a tough guy. And, again, he is a great example."



JERRELL JERNIGAN, second year, 5-8, 189 pounds



SKINNY: Seemed comfortable in veteran minicamp after struggling last season. "You see flashes with Jerrel Jernigan," says Gilbride. "That guy, he can help us."



RUEBEN RANDLE, rookie, 6-2, 210 pounds



SKINNY: Second-round pick was billed as NFL-ready coming out of LSU, but Gilbride cautions he's still figuring out pro game: "There is so much thinking going on. You can see it slows him down."



JULIAN TALLEY, rookie, 6-1, 192 pounds



SKINNY: Undrafted free agent was held back because he missed some practice, and Gilbride says he will "reserve judgment." But can you really rule out a quick WR from Victor Cruz's alma mater UMass?