Terrell Thomas ACL Tear Leaves Giants Thin In Secondary

Added by Nathaniel Mathison on July 31, 2012.

Another injury to Terrell Thomas leaves the Giants looking for help in the secondary.

Bad news for the second consecutive summer out of Giants camp. According to officials, cornerback Terrell Thomas has re-injured his ACL, the second time in as many summers.

Thomas, 27, slipped while covering Domenik Dixon during one-on-one covering drills. It was initially diagnosed as a sore knee but after ice was applied, and the knee started to swell the next day, all signs pointed that this could be the same injury that sidelined Thomas the entire 2011 campaign.

“Terrell re-injured his ACL,” said Ronnie Barnes, the Giants senior vice president of medical services. “At this point, he will most likely undergo an arthroscopic procedure to determine the extent of the injury to the ACL. However, no decision has been made at this point. Terrell is going to consult with Dr. [Arthur] Ting, who performed a reconstruction of the ACL in September.”

This is Thomas’ third time blowing out his knee and there are thoughts in camp that his playing days might be over. ACL injuries are make or break in this business especially and at a coveted position like a cornerback where knee movement, and agility can be the difference between elite, and dud. No one has ever made a successful comeback from three blown ACLs and Thomas may not be an exception.

Thomas who accumulated 186 tackles (career high 101 in 2010) and 10 interceptions in 2009 and 2010, was a rising star in what many considered a very talented defensive backfield. In 2010, Thomas and Giants opposite starting corner, Corey Webster, was one of the top CB tandems in the league. After this injury however, the G-Men are going to be scraping to find security at the position opposite Webster. The loss of former first round pick, Aaron Ross via free agency to the Jacksonville Jaguars further magnifies Thomas’ loss.

The injury has promoted Prince Amukamara, last year’s first-round pick, to step in and step up as the team’s starter. He has the skill set to become that guy, but a broken foot last year early, in his rookie season, sidelined him for much of the season. Therefore, Amukamara lacks game experience.

Other veteran presences, Justin Tryon, Michael Coe and Bruce Johnson are  all returning from injuries and rookie third-round pick Jayron Hosley will be expected to mature a lot faster this training camp.

The Giants could look to free agency to fill the void at corner as there are viable veteran backups that could reinforce the secondary. Players like former Steeler cornerback, Bryant McFadden and former Eagles corner Lito Shepherd are among the better unsigned corners still looking for work. The Giants can also opt to wait til the preseason starts when players can be waived and they can pick up a valuable piece that way.