Tight end Darren Waller did not participate in practice Wednesday for the Giants, but there was nothing alarming about his absence.
This was a predetermined break, head coach Brian Daboll said, and not a decision based on Waller, 31, experiencing tightness in his right hamstring last week.
“Guys that are over 30 and have a lot of wear and tear that have played, we’re gonna give him a vet day,” Daboll said, adding that Waller will likely get one day off practice weekly throughout the season.
Receiver Sterling Shepard, 30, is expected to get a vet day off on Thursday.
Waller played just 38 of the 70 snaps on offense in his Giants debut.
There was no need to use him much in the second half of a 40-0 rout by the Cowboys on a rainy night.
He had three receptions for 36 yards, all in the first half.
Waller was plagued by hamstring issues the past two seasons with the Raiders and revealed last week he has an issue with a nerve in the hamstring.
The Giants made sure to limit the work they gave him during training camp.
“He’s done a good job throughout camp, we’ve taken care of him the right way, he’s taken care of himself,” Daboll said. “We’ll do everything we can to keep him as healthy as we can.”
There was a disturbing scene when cornerback Amani Oruwariye, a member of the practice squad, was placed on a backboard and carted off the field after participating in a special teams kickoff drill.
It turned out to be a neck injury.
Oruwariye was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center for evaluation and the testing came back negative.
He had movement in all his extremities and was cleared to return to the team facility.
Oruwariye, 27, started 36 games the past four seasons for the Lions.
He was signed by the Giants this past offseason, but did not make the 53-man roster.
Kicker Graham Gano took a cleat to the right calf on the blocked field-goal attempt in the first quarter of the opening-game loss and is dealing with an ankle/calf issue in his kicking leg.
He was listed as limited in practice.
“He’ll be fine,’’ Daboll said.
Limited in practice: CB Deonte Banks (calf), LB Cam Brown (ankle), CB Cor’Dale Flott (hamstring), Gano (right ankle), LB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring), DB Gervarrius Owens (hamstring), T Matt Peart (elbow), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee). Waller and T Andrew Thomas (hamstring) did not practice.
Given Ojulari’s past history with soft-tissue injuries, any time his name shows up on an injury report it is worth monitoring.
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