Jeremy Shockey finally showed up at the Giants' off-season workouts Thursday, but his return was trumped by the surprise appearance of another intriguing visitor: quarterback Doug Flutie.
Flutie, 42, who was released last month after four seasons with the San Diego Chargers, came to Giants Stadium to meet with team officials and take a physical. General Manager Ernie Accorsi described the visit as a routine part of the Giants' evaluation of available players.
It was unclear if Flutie and the team were actively involved in negotiations. His agent, Kristen Kuliga, confirmed Flutie's visit but declined to comment beyond that.
It is difficult to gauge the level of the Giants' interest. Although the quarterbacks behind Eli Manning on the depth chart are solid, there is still room to upgrade.
Jim Miller, a 12-year NFL journeyman, and Jesse Palmer, the fifth-year player who has started just three games in his career, are each vying to back up Manning next season.
The addition of Flutie would significantly bolster the Giants' depth at quarterback. Since the departure of Kurt Warner, Accorsi has said that he was looking for an experienced backup who can help tutor Manning, who is entering his first full season as the starter.
"A smart, veteran guy who's been through the wars and can play under pressure," Accorsi replied when asked to describe his ideal backup earlier this year.
The savvy Flutie, a 12-year NFL veteran, would appear to qualify. After a Heisman Trophy-winning career at Boston College, Flutie, who is listed at 5 feet 10 inches, won three Grey Cup championships in the Canadian Football League, having been considered too small to play quarterback in the NFL.
In 1998, after eight seasons in Canada that were preceded by five lackluster years with Chicago and New England, Flutie returned to the NFL., leading Buffalo to a playoff berth and earning a Pro Bowl selection.
Although Flutie has logged just one more year of NFL playing time than Miller, he has started more than twice as many games.
Besides his experience in Canada, Flutie played in the defunct US Football League.
Flutie, a noted scrambler, could help Manning develop that aspect of his game as much as he could help him with other nuances of quarterback play, like reading defensive coverage schemes and anticipating blitzes.
Coincidentally, Manning would have gotten a chance to learn under Flutie last season had he not forced a trade from the Chargers, who had selected him first over all in the 2004 NFL draft.
Manning might have hoped that his first off-season as professional this spring would have been largely unremarkable. It would have been if not for the news media's focus on the absence of Shockey, the star tight end, from team workouts.
A few days into the workout program, Manning noted that he would lobby Shockey to join the team instead of working out at near his Miami home.
Because the off-season program is voluntary, the Giants could not require Shockey to attend. But Manning's comments, and those of coach Tom Coughlin, seemed critical of him.
But Thursday, Manning backed away from his remarks, saying that they had been misinterpreted. Shockey said that his absence had been blown out of proportion.
Asked if he and Manning had cleared the air, Shockey responded: "The air was never foggy. We talked, it's fine, we went out and played catch."
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