Hakeem Nicks eventually resurfacing with the New York Giants is more a matter of when, not if.
How does Tuesday sound?
Newsday's Tom Rock spoke with quarterback Eli Manning, who has been texting with Nicks and said he expects the receiver to attend this week's full-team, mandatory minicamp.
Jones: A Giant problem? Not so fast
Victor Cruz and Hakeem
Nicks remain absent from OTAs. What does this mean for the Giants? Kimberly Jones digs in. **More ...**
Nicks was a no-show at organized team activities because of what Yahoo! Sports described as unhappiness over his contract. Agent Peter Schaffer denies that his client skipped those sessions because of the $2.725 million he's set to earn in the final year of his rookie contract.
The Giants have shown little urgency to furnish Nicks with a new contract, largely because they're still dealing with the demands of Victor Cruz. Nicks -- who would lose up to $66,000 by skipping the three-day minicamp -- brings little leverage to the table. He's coming off an injury-riddled campaign and didn't exactly light it up last season.
But Manning, who in 2012 struggled to build chemistry with his receivers, is losing patience with his on-the-lam wideouts. The two-time Super Bowl-winning passer has been throwing to a group that includes Jerrel Jernigan, Rueben Randle and Louis Murphy. If Manning hopes to be a three-time Super Bowl-winning passer, he needs Nicks and Cruz to sort out their issues and get on the field.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.