The potentially good news about defensive tackle Shaun Rogers was not the only injury news of the day for the New York Giants. The other news was not nearly as encouraging as the report that Rogers may be able to return this season despite a blood clot in his leg.
Starting left tackle Will Beatty remains sidelined with a back injury, and head coach Tom Coughlin said simply "unfortunately not," when asked if there was any news about Beatty.
With Beatty down, questions remain about how the Giants will configure their offensive line for the Sept. 5 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. One of those players impacted is tackle Sean Locklear, who has been taking reps at left tackle in Beatty's place. Even Locklear, however, admitted he does not know how the situation will turn out.
"I wish I knew. I don’t know. I come in every day and I don’t know how Will’s feeling but I’ll take advantage of the opportunity to learn and play," Locklear told reporters on Tuesday. "I wish I could know what they were thinking, but I don’t. I just come in and I know what I signed up for. I come in and compete."
Another injured Giant, starting weakside linebacker Michael Boley, does not sound optimistic about being ready to open the season.
"It's been a pain, obviously, since the beginning of camp. So, it's pretty frustrating to actually be out this long with a hamstring injury. So, I'm just hoping that the docs can give me some good news in the next couple of days," Boley said. "I'm very concerned about getting back out there. This is valuable time that I'm missing."
Boley missed two games last season with an injury to the same hamstring. Keith Rivers, acquired in the offseason via trade from the Cincinnati Bengals, would start in that spot if Boley is unable to play.