Shortly after he fractured his left thumb July 25, Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard was steadfast in his belief that he would return for the Sept. 8 opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

More than three weeks later, Shepard's outlook remains optimistic.

Seen without his non-contact yellow jersey Sunday afternoon at Giants practice -- the first time since the injury -- Shepard showed further signs of progression as he works back for the 2019 season.

The news surrounding Giants camp this week is WR Golden Tate having to serve his full four-game suspension for violating the league's PED policy. 

Tate was confident that the details in his case would have the suspension exonerated, but that wasn't the case given the league's no tolerance mindset when it comes to PEDs. The veteran wideout explained that he let the NFL know immediately when he found out there was a banned substance in the prescription, yet that wasn't enough to change his verdict. 

"I just thought, after we looked at the facts in the situation, that the NFL would be understanding," Tate said. "But because it's a no-tolerance policy, they, I guess, upheld the suspension."

With injuries and a suspension sidelining the Giants' top three receivers, the team is desperate for any wideout help it can get. However, the team's latest volunteer to catch Eli Manning's passes is definitely an unexpected source.

Newly acquired safety Jabrill Peppers proved after practice Tuesday that when he says he wants to help the team however possible, he really means it.

"I think I could do whatever I put my mind to," Peppers told NJ Advance Media.

The Giants have had a revolving door at the wide receiver position recently and not by choice. 

Already during 2019's training camp the team has lost Sterling Shepard and Corey Coleman to injury, plus Golden Tate to suspension. 

But Russell Shepard thinks the team has the pieces to turn this big negative into a positive. 

The Giants made two new additions to their depleted wide receivers corp.

The team signed free agents T.J. Jones and Amba Etta-Tawo following a workout on Saturday while they placed wide receiver Corey Coleman on the injured reserve. They also waived kicker Joey Slye. 

Coleman tore his ACL on Thursday, the same day that Sterling Shepard fractured the tip of his thumb. Prior to Saturday's practice, it was discovered that receiver Golden Tate was appealing a four-game suspension for violating the league' PED policy. 

The blows just keep coming for the Giants' wide receivers. 

Golden Tate is appealing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's Performance-Enhancing Drug Policy, a source confirmed to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.  

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tate will have his appeal scheduled the first week of August and a resolution should be reached before the start of the season. He believes he has a legitimate case. 

Training camp just started and the Giants wide receivers are dropping like flies. 

The team announced on Friday that in addition to Sterling Shepard fracturing his thumb in Thursday's practice, receiver Corey Coleman sustained an ACL tear and is out for the season. 

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The Giants are optimistic that Sterling Shepard's fractured thumb will only keep him out a couple of weeks, and there's hope that rookie Darius Slayton's hamstring will only linger a few more days. That's good news to balance the bad news that Corey Coleman has been lost for the season with a torn ACL.

Still, the Giants' receiving corps wasn't deep to begin with, and that was badly exposed with three injuries on Day 1 of training camp. That's why GM Dave Gettleman is bringing in some help, which he hopes to find with a big wide receiver workout on Saturday.

A few weeks ago during Giants minicamp, we profiled five dark horse players who turned heads. At the end of the day though, every football player knows that, while minicamp standouts are nice stories, the real competition starts in training camp.

Big Blue training camp starts in a little over two weeks. It's a 90-man competition for 53 spots, and more than a few veterans will be left behind if they don't put up a good showing.

Here are five guys who are on the hot seat for the Giants: 

Behind Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate, there is an opportunity for somebody to step up and grab the Giants' No. 3 wide receiver spot. If rookie Darius Slayton performs in training camp this summer like he did this week, he'll have a shot.

By all accounts, the fifth-round pick out of Auburn had a strong minicamp this week, rebounding from what was a rough showing during rookie camp. 

"The guy that's made huge improvements in my eyes has been Slayton, he's done a really good job," Giants coach Pat Shurmur said Thursday. "I think we were all here during rookie minicamp when he kind of had the yips, drops and what not. He's really smoothed it out and he's been making plays. He's the first guy that comes to mind. This time of year, it's more about throwing and catching and less about blocking and tackling. I think the young guys in the secondary have been competing, all of the new players. That's a good thing."

When Giants wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert walked to the podium during coaches availability on Wednesday, it was expected the slew of Odell Beckham Jr. questions were going to come his way. But with him now on the Browns, Tolbert wanted to talk about who he actually will be coaching in the new season.

"I'm going to say this about Odell, I don't want this to be an Odell Q/A," Tolbert said affirmatively. "Odell was a great player for us, with the Giants. We all love Odell, we respect him as a player and wish him nothing but the best with the Cleveland Browns."

For the Giants, though, it isn't as simple as replacing Beckham in the offense this season. He had over 1,000 yards receiving in four of the last five seasons, and was Eli Manning's favorite target when he was on the field. 

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The 2019 NFL Draft is over, and the Giants have made all of their picks to bring in prospects they believe can impact them for years to come. It will be fun to watch as these rookies join the veterans at camp this preseason to see who will earn a spot on the 53-man roster, and who will be starting at the end of the day. 

Between the new rookies and veterans, here are some position battles to watch in the new year...

DEPTH RECEIVERS

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There is less than a month to go until the Giants can use their 12 picks in the upcoming NFL draft. Here's a look at how those picks might go:

First round (6th overall) - LB Devin White, LSU

The Giants sent out a few tenders for the 2019 season, including K Aldrick Rosas and WR Corey Coleman, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed on Wednesday.

Rosas was among the five exclusive rights free agents (ERFAs). Center Jon Halapio and FB Eli Penny were issued tenders, while OL Kristjan Sokoli and DT Jordan Williams did not receive one which means they will be unrestricted free agents on March 13 when the new league year begins. Those issued a tender will make a league minimum salary for the new year.

Rosas was an essential for the Giants to bring back, especially after his impressive 2018 season. He was one of the best kickers in the NFL, hitting 32-of-33 field goals and 31-of-32 extra points. This performance earned the 24-year-old his first Pro Bowl bid, as it was a big step forward from a shaky 2017 season.