Eli Manning wishes Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz were at OTAs

As we head into the second week of June, still about three months before the NFL's regular season begins, does it truly matter if Giants receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks haven't shown up for one voluntary OTA practice?

Probably not to most of the world (unless you happen to be a Cary Williams fan). But to Eli Manning, who hasn't thrown lately to his two top receivers, it's kind of a big deal. Earlier in the offseason, Manning tossed passes to the duo while training at Duke University, but that was nearly two months ago.

And it doesn't sound like New York's quarterback is all that pleased by the absences of Cruz and Nicks.

"You got some work [at Duke], but I was really hoping that would be a little starter course to the spring and not a substitute for what we're doing on the field right now," Manning said Thursday via USA Today. "This is the stuff where you're getting to go against cornerbacks. You get to work your technique. You get to practice those things we're going to do in the season."

While Cruz still isn't happy that he hasn't been offered a long-term contract by the Giants and still hasn't signed his restricted free agent offer (he might even be looking into reality TV in order to supplement his income), Giants coach Tom Coughlin isn't sure why Nicks hasn't been around, especially since Nicks was at Giants headquarters for pre-OTA offseason workouts.

Lest you forget, the practices are voluntary, meaning neither Nicks nor Cruz is doing anything illegal or wrong by not being there. That won't be the case next week when the Giants hold their mandatory minicamp, meaning Nicks but not Cruz will be required to attend. But the receiving duo also isn't making Coughlin real happy. Or the guy who's supposed to be throwing them passes.

Not that Manning would make a fiery public statement.

“I've got to worry about the guys that are here. That's all I can do," Manning said. "I've got to worry about each practice trying to get better. Making sure I know what I'm doing, working on the things that I need to improve on and then talking it over with the guys that are out there on the field about each play, watching film with them, making sure we're on the same page and we've got a chance to go out there and win the practices."

That's more difficult to accomplish when two of your best receivers, no matter their reasons, aren't in the building and on the field.