The Giants looked overseas this offseason to try to add young depth to their wide receiver corps and found Anthony Dable. The 27-year old native of France played professionally in Grenoble, France and then in the German Football League.
In his last two seasons in Germany, he caught 145 passes for just under 2,500 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Dable found his way to the Giants, who were intrigued by his size and speed combination at 6-4 and 220 pounds.
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“I learned football by watching videos of the receivers I like on YouTube, and I like guys that are the same size as me, like Brandon Marshall,” Dable said. “I think I play like Brandon Marshall. I like how he moves after the catch, with his size.”
Dable understands it’s important for him to use his size to his advantage and that can be done both inside and outside.
“I actually like the short routes, get a little space and get open,” he said. “I like to do stuff after the catch. I can stretch the field, go high and get the ball, too.”
There is a significant adjustment going from Europe to the NFL, most of it having to do with how the players’ day is structured in the offseason.
“The time we spend on the field is different,” Dable said. “There’s less time on the field, and more in the meeting rooms. I like it because when you come on the field, you are prepared.”
NFL playbooks can be notoriously large and complex, but for Dable it hasn’t been an issue.
“I speak French, English, German. I know that I can learn, and they are making it easy, too,” Dable said. “I can always improve, so if you really know what you’re doing and the adjustments, you can play fast with maximum ability. Sometimes, since I’m still learning, I’m thinking a little too much, so you really want to shave that time off when you’re thinking so you can just go out there and play.”
Dable gained invaluable experience practicing this spring, but perhaps his biggest adjustment to America has come off the field.
“The food is different, especially on the off days. I miss the food the most.
