Giants' Saquon Barkley suffers mild hamstring strain | What it means

Anyone in Detroit with access to Lions practice and who wanted a sneak peek at Giants star Saquon Barkley probably is out of luck.

Barkley suffered what Giants coach Pat Shurmur called a mild hamstring strain during Monday's practice, when he hauled in a long pass from quarterback Kyle Lauletta after getting steps behind cornerback Janoris Jenkins and linebacker Alec Ogletree of the first-team defense.

Barkley did not return to action and had his leg wrapped on the sideline. He walked off with teammates (not trainers) and without the wrap.

"We'll be smart with him as we move along here," Shurmur said.

What does that mean?

It would be a surprise to see Barkley in team drills over the next three days as the Giants and Lions hold joint practices in advance of Friday night's preseason game. Shurmur has said multiple times the one thing that concerns him most this preseason is injuries.

Pass-rusher Connor Barwin hasn't been on the practice field since he was injured Thursday.

Shurmur's definition of "smart" for Giants star Odell Beckham as he recovers from October ankle surgery has included individual and team drills but not the more physical 1-on-1 drills. And that safe plan is under the controllable circumstance of the Giants practicing against the Giants.

Even with Shurmur and defensive-minded Lions head coach Matt Patricia agreeing on the tempo of practices, more variables are introduced when there is an opponent on the field.

If Barkley is a no-go against the Lions -- he played six snaps against the Browns and had five carries for 43 yards, including a 39-yarder -- it means more opportunity to clarify the depth chart.

The Giants already were taking it easy with Barkley before the injury, as he had two practices where he was not involved in 11-on-11 series.


Veteran Jonathan Stewart has been the No. 2 running back all preseason, but second-year pro Wayne Gallman and two players with zero career carries -- Jalen Simmons and undrafted rookie Robert Martin -- are coming on strong.

"I think they're good, physical runners, and that's where it starts for them," Shurmur said. "They know how to run the football and we saw the other night that given a little room, they can make yards.

"They're both getting much better at pass protection, and I think they're both doing a much better job of catching the football. So, their total game is getting better, but for those guys it starts as being runners."
