PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : NFC : Giants Sign Wheatley to Five-Year Deal

Getting first-round draft choice Tyrone Wheatley signed was a big pain for the New York Giants.

It took the team 17 days and a five-year, $5.2-million contract to get the tailback to training camp, and the first thing he did was aggravate a muscle strain in his buttocks while running wind sprints Wednesday morning.

But he showed up at the afternoon practice and looked good.

“I’m happy I’m playing football,” Wheatley said after the workout. “It’s something [the contract talks] that I wished never would have happened. But I had to do what was best for Tyrone Wheatley and it finally got done and I’m real happy.”

Wheatley got a team-record $2.3-million signing bonus with reported base salaries of $390,000, $487,500, $585,000, $682,500 and $780,000. He could also earn $2 million in incentives over the life of the contract.

Wheatley, who missed the exhibition opener Sunday at Cleveland, doubted Coach Dan Reeves would play him Friday night at Giants Stadium against New Orleans.

However, Reeves also surprised the 17th pick in the draft by making him return kickoffs Wednesday.