Will Beatty, starting left tackle for the New York Giants, missed practice Friday at UAlbany due to issues with his troublesome back. Beatty missed all of OTAs and the mandatory mini-camp due to the back injury, which he originally suffered while training on his own.
"He was kind of slowing down a little bit. So I think they’re going to look at that," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin.
Beatty missed the final six games last season with a detached retina, but is being counted on to return to the left tackle spot. The Giants seemed to try to limit Beatty's snaps for the first week of training camp, but the fact that Beatty could not go Friday after the Giants practiced in full pads on Thursday is a troubling sign.
In Beatty's absence, nine-year veteran Sean Locklear was working at left tackle. Locklear has started 82 NFL games, but only 13 of those at left tackle. Three of those starts came last season with the Washington Redskins.
The Giants could also use second-year man James Brewer at that spot in Beatty is unable to hold up, or move right tackle David Diehl back to the left side.
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