EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Martellus Bennett wouldn't take the bait on Thursday.

With the Giants facing the Cowboys on Sunday, reporters peppered the ex-Cowboy with questions about his former team, hoping the affable tight end would say something headline-worthy.

Instead, Bennett played it cool.

"I have nothing to show the Cowboys or anything like that," Bennett said. "All my emotions are to this organization and to the things that we’re trying to build and relationships I’m trying to build with these guys here, so I have nothing to show them. I have nothing to show to anybody else outside this organization and myself."

Bennett, 25, was the Cowboys' second-round draft pick back in 2008, out of Texas A&M. But he was underwhelming in his four seasons in Dallas, playing behind five-time All-Pro Jason Witten, and averaging just 21 catches for 212 yards per year.

The Giants took a chance on Bennett in the offseason, signing him to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. So far, so good -- in less than half a season, Bennett already has 25 receptions, for a career-high 305 yards and three touchdowns.

(By the way, that's just 15 yards fewer than Witten's season total, and three times as many touchdowns.)

"I enjoy it," said Bennett, when asked about his time in New York thus far. "I think there’s a lot of room for me to improve. I’m not where I want to be.

"I’ll probably never be the tight end that I want to be because my goals are kind of set high and my standards are high. So it’s just a learning process and continuing to grow as a player and be exactly what they need me to be here."

"I think he’s very attentive to trying to do everything as well as he can," said offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, when asked about Bennett on Thursday. "It’s always a positive thing when a guy is that critical of himself and realizes where he needs to improve and get better.

"As a coach, that’s always the first step in being able to help a guy and grow towards his potential. I think he’s been great. I think he’s working very hard this week."

And reporters will have to work even harder to get Bennett to supply bulletin board material, it seems. When asked later on if he had circled this game on his calendar at the beginning of the season, Bennett said, "No. I don’t circle any games on my calendar; they’re all the same."

He then added this, unsolicited:

"I don’t have a calendar, actually. (Expletive), after I think about it, I don’t have a calendar."

Apparently, he doesn't need one. It appears Martellus Bennett is in the right place, at the right time.