PRO FOOTBALL;Giants Breathe More Easily as Jones Signs

Giants Coach Dan Reeves was asked today what he wanted to see in Saturday's scrimmage. "I don't want anyone hurt," he responded.

Good answer. One thing Reeves will see is his first-round draft pick, defensive lineman Cedric Jones.

Jones signed a six-year, $12.19 million contract that includes a $6 million signing bonus late today, a person close to the negotiations said. Jones, the fifth overall pick from Oklahoma, will make $6.635 million in the first year of the contract. By comparison, the second overall pick, Kevin Hardy, received a $6 million signing bonus from Jacksonville, and much of that money will be deferred.

The agent for Jones, Gary Wichard, praised Giants General Manager George Young, saying, "This deal got done because of him."

The major delay was that Wichard wanted to insert triggers that would escalate the money in the later years of the deal. The Giants did not agree but made up for Wichard's concerns with a huge signing bonus.

The team cannot afford to have any more players hurt, especially along the defensive line. It seems that injuries come in waves, and the injury bug has taken a nice chunk out of the Giants. Fullback Charles Way, who Reeves said was one of the best blocking backs in the league, has a sprained calf, but that is about the only real injury any player on offense has suffered. Most of the injuries have been on defense.