from http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2009/08/ny_giants_place_three_players.html

NY Giants place two players on physically unable to perform list; one on non-football injury list

by Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger
Sunday August 02, 2009, 2:13 PM

3:05 p.m. UPDATED to fix the Giants' clarifying Bernard is on the non-football injury list, not PUP. Same difference - no roster exepmtion. Just means he suffered an injury while doing something not under the team's supervision.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The Giants placed linebacker Michael Boley on the physically-unable-to-perform list. No surprise there, as he's expected to be out for all of training camp following hip surgery. Fred Robbins is also on the PUP list to no one's shock, as he's been slow to recover from knee injury.

But Rocky Bernard on the non-football injury list? That was a stunner even for Tom Coughlin.

"The surprise is Bernard," the Giants' coach said today during his opening of training camp press conference. "I didn't expect this. He left (after the off-season program) with a hamstring (injury) and a shoulder (injury). The shoulder seems to be feeling okay, but he does have an issue with his hamstring."

Robbins and Boley players were placed on the active/PUP list and Bernard is on the non-football injury list - all of which don't come with a roster exemption. All the PUP designation means is those players entered camp with pre-existing injuries (don't worry, they're covered on the NFL insurance plan) and are eligible to remain there at the start of the regular season. If that happens, they have to remain on that list until the window between Weeks 6-9 in which they can be activated. Neither Robbins nor Boley appear likely to remain on the PUP list at the start of the season, though a setback could occur at any point.

Asked how long Bernard and Robbins will be out, Coughlin declined to set a time frame.

"I'm not even going to speculate," Coughlin said. "I know Fred has been running, but there's a difference between obviously running straight ahead and cutting and maneuvering. I think that's the thing."

Defensive tackle Barry Cofield also underwent knee surgery in January. But unlike Robbins, he's ready to go - though perhaps only once per day on days of two-a-days.

"We'll see," Coughlin said when asked if Cofield will be limited.

***

Coughlin said every player reported on time and that there were no no-shows. As for some of the other lingering injuries from the spring, Coughlin hinted some might drag into camp and limit a few players, but he declined to mention any names.

***

The conditioning test scheduled for today was postponed because of wet fields. That's the second straight year that's happened.

"Hopefully this is it for the rain," Coughlin said. "From what I understand, it's rained like crazy up here. I know on Friday, when I drove up, from Exits 19-21, you couldn't see. But otherwise, it was a nice trip."

Coughlin said the players did a "little bit more than a full stretch," some running and a warm-up routine indoors.

***

As for LB Antonio Pierce and his legal situation, Coughlin said, "The Antonio situation is a very serious matter. Antonio's been very serious about it. The way in which he's tried to go about getting this matter cleared. John Mara made a strong statement the other day about our feelings about it. It's a new year; we're anxious to get started. We have a football team that's been very mature about the way in which they've handled situations like this. Hopefully, this will be resolved in a manner that's very, very positive for our team. But we are going to focus on this coming season and hope for the best with the result of this."

Pierce did not speak to reporters today, so this nugget from Coughlin was as close as we got to a comment from him today: "I can use his words - he couldn't wait to get here and get started on this season and I think that's the way we all feel."