By Dan Duggan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NEW YORK — Giants coach Ben McAdoo provided updates on a trio of injured players as well as other issues surrounding the team before he received the John V. Mara Sportsmanship Award at the 81st annual CYO Club of Champions Tribute on Tuesday night. Here's what McAdoo had to say about Jason Pierre-Paul, Geno Smith, Darian Thompson and more:

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Taking it slow with JPP

The idea that defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul could have returned from his sports hernia/abdominal injury if the Giants advanced deeper into the playoffs should be put to rest. Pierre-Paul still is not 100 percent after undergoing surgery in December.

McAdoo said it's too early to know if Pierre-Paul will be ready for minicamp, which takes place from June 13-15. Pierre-Paul has been a limited participant in the preliminary stages of the offseason program.

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Bill Kostroun | AP Photo

Geno still limited

Like Pierre-Paul, backup quarterback Geno Smith is taking it slow. Smith tore his ACL in October and he has been limited early in offseason workouts, although that hasn't been easy for the 26-year-old who is hoping to resurrect his career.

"Geno is champing at the bit," McAdoo said. "He wants to get out there and be full speed, and we’re holding him back as best we can."

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Brad Penner | AP Photo

Thompson making progress

The Giants aren't rushing safety Darian Thompson onto the field this spring after he missed most of his rookie season with a dreaded Lisfranc foot injury.

"He’s not 100 percent," McAdoo said. "He’s still working his way back. But he’s moving around pretty good out there.”

The Giants are exercising caution with all of the players coming off injuries at this time of year.

“All three of those guys you have to be real smart with and start down low and build them up strong," McAdoo said. "It’s not going to be real smooth. There’s going to be some bumps in the road, so we’ve got to be smart with them.”

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Orlando Jorge Ramirez | USA TODAY Sports

Fluker is on guard

Free agent D.J. Fluker's versatility is part of his appeal. But he can only play one position at a time and he's going to start out competing for the right guard job

“That’ll be a place where he starts," McAdoo said. "But I think he’s a guy that can play inside and outside, either guard spot or right tackle. We’ll see how it goes. But again, he’s a big man that adds depth and some versatility.”

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Brian Spurlock | USA TODAY Sports

Engram staying tight

First-round pick Evan Engram figures to line up all over the field this season. His position label isn't particularly important, but he's going to be in the tight end meeting room.

“He’s a tight end," McAdoo said. "The offense is going to be vastly different than what he’s used to so we need to get him in. Probably the good part about it is he’s used to taking plays off of someone’s hands, so that helps with the signal part of things that’ll be easier for him. The no-huddle stuff will probably come easier than the huddle stuff, which is the way it goes for a lot of these guys. We’re going to start him out at tight end, we’re going to move him around, we’ll see what he can handle. But special teams is a big factor in this thing, too. He has four-core value and that’s got to be important for him.”

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Brad Mills | USA TODAY Sports

Perkins earns the start

McAdoo typically shies away from making depth chart pronouncements, especially in May, but he stated the obvious earlier this week when he named Paul Perkins the starting running back.

“It was Paul and Rashad (Jennings) last year and Rashad is no longer with us, so Paul is the next man up," McAdoo said. "We’ll see how long he can hang onto it.”

Expectations have been raised for Perkins, who came on late in a promising rookie season.

“I want Paul to push forward," McAdoo said. "I want to see him grow and take advantage of the opportunity. He didn’t even have an offseason last year, so to be able to jump in and do what he did in special teams early on in the season and grow there and make an impact like he did running the ball says a lot about him. It’ll be good to see him with a whole offseason under his belt and see him grow and gain that confidence.”

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Brian Spurlock | USA TODAY Sports

No charity case

The Giants signed Florida State wide receiver Travis Rudolph as an undrafted free agent. Rudolph is probably more well-known for the kindness he showed to a young autistic boy than his football accomplishments. But Rudolph wasn't signed because of his off-field actions.

“It doesn’t hurt, but that’s not why you’re signing a player," McAdoo said of Rudolph, who had 153 catches for 2,311 yards and 18 touchdowns in his college career.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

'A tremendous honor'

McAdoo was honored to receive the John V. Mara Sportsman of the Year Award at the CYO Club of Champions Tribute on Tuesday in Manhatan.

“It’s a tremendous honor," McAdoo said. "CYO and Catholic Charities are tremendous organizations that work together to give back to the communities to develop young people and incorporate sports into it. I think that’s great. I think a lot can be learned from sports, whether it’s learning how to win with class, learning how to bounce back from a loss, teamwork, character, sportsmanship. There’s a lot that can be learned.”

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Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.