E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer
for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he is one of
only four sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls.
Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

Are they mandatory or optional, these OTA sessions? Do players actually have to report or can they decide to float in their pools or play golf at a nearby course until the "mandatory" minicamp later this month?

By AARON KLEIN
Perhaps the best way to explain this is the phrase "optional-mandatory." You cannot get into serious trouble if you don't show up, but for those of you who might remember Ron Dayne, who probably also remember he blew off a full spring's worth of pre-season training and workout sessions -- hey, he wasn't technically required -- and then spent the next 16 weeks of the regular season on Game Inactive. It was a cruelty perpetrated by then head coach Jim Fassel and it was the most unforgivable thing he ever did. So there they are, today's Giants, optionally choosing to participate in this non-mandatory session.

Organized Team Activities, or OTAs, is just another euphemism for mandatory off-season practices, renamed to make the NFL Players Union suits happy. You only began hearing it called OTA just recently, but the basics are the same: players get together in the offseason by team mandate and contractual agreement, run around, play catch, try not to get hurt and get a look at the new guys.

The June 16-18 veteran minicamp will be a more organized, structured get-together, more like a preview of training camp but without the (significant) hitting, 90-degree heat and sleeping in college dorms.

There is more the OTAs and veteran minicamp (the team already held a minicamp for the rookies after the draft and they will join the big guys later this month) than just tossing the old pigskin, hanging around and making believe that it's all as easy as baseball's spring training... much more. What will the team look at during these OTAs and veteran mini-camp?

LEADERSHIP AND PERSONALITY

If you have not been paying attention, the old guard leadership that the team has enjoyed as a rule over the past decades is gone. The leadership base is now built on young veterans and older but less familiar free agents.

The last of the grizzled veterans is gone: Amani Toomer, it seems, has apparently played his last game with the team. There was no last minute re-signing, so rebuilding of bridges and no reconciliation.

Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, a nine-year veteran, enters his fifth season with the Giants and has become a leader, though one could argue that Justin Tuck has become the true face of the defense.

The true leaders of this club -- Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Shaun O'Hara, Tuck, Pierce and Osi Umenyiora -- are the core of the team. Danny Clark, Jeff Feagles, Fred Robbins and Rich Seubert have been quiet leaders as well. Toomer, Michael Strahan and Tiki Barber are but memories now.

And don't you for one second think that Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey carried any great weight in the leadership department. Their losses were addition by subtraction.

The team will also look for veteran experience from free agents Rocky Bernard, Michael Boley and Chris Canty but they are the new guys and will have to defer to the aforementioned team leaders for a while.

So, the staff will be looking to see that the core leadership is still intact. There will be concern in the secondary and at wide receiver, where veteran leadership will likely fall to guys like defensive backs Corey Webster and Aaron Ross, and wide receivers Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon. A frightening aside: with the exception of David Tyree, who is entering his seventh season, no wide receiver has more than four years of experience.

RECEIVERS

Not only is leadership at the position a key factor as the 2009-2010 ramps up, but the overall talent base and scheme will be under the microscope. In truth, the loss of Burress, at times a dominant receiver, was felt last season mostly because he was suddenly gone and the team reeled in an attempt to refit with the unit with just four games left. Heck, they barely threw the ball to one of the most prolific receivers in Giants' history (Toomer) down the final stretch and into the playoffs.

This year, with the addition of two promising rookies in Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, the team has had time to rework the unit. So far, Steve Smith appears to be working as the No. 1 with Hixon No. 2. Then it's anyone's guess as to who will be the third, fourth, fifth receiver. The team can pick from Tyree, Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss, Nicks, Barden and host of others.

Still, if there's one unit the entire league will be studying it will be this one. Beneath the surface there will be continued murmurs about a possible trade for Arizona wideout Anquan Boldin, especially now that he has fired former agent Drew Rosenhaus and signed on with Tom Condon, a team favorite and representative of none other than Manning among others.

The team will also take a close look at the tight ends group, which is virtually unchanged save for the addition of rookie Travis Beckum, who as a receiver could add quite a bit more versatility for the offense. Look for two-tight end sets and for Beckum as an H-back or slot receiver. The offense will also look to see which of Darcy Johnson, Michael Matthews and Lee Vickers will earn the third and likely final tight end spot.

DEPTH AT O-LINE

We've talked ad nauseum about the starting offensive line, a superbly talented, experienced yet aging unit led, arguably, by O'Hara and Seubert. David Diehl, the current left tackle, Kareem McKenzie, the right tackle, and guard Chris Snee round out the starting five. In the draft, the Giants found Will Beatty, the likely heir to the left tackle job. Many have pondered a move of Diehl back to his original guard position or even right tackle. McKenzie is getting on in years and last season's injuries put a scare into the coaching staff if nothing else. Two notable free agents were added -- guard Tutan Reyes, a 10-year veteran, and second-year tackle Andrew Carnahan -- which should improve the depth here. What Beatty shows between now and the end of the preseason could dictate the direction of the line or at least provide a glimpse into the near future.

SAFETIES

The versatile secondary is heavy in cornerbacks and light in safeties, with just Kenny Phillips, Michael Johnson and free agents C.C. Brown and Steve Cargile on the depth chart. The team could look to move cornerback Terrell Thomas over to safety or, as we have speculated here, look at linebacker Boley as a stop-gap, emergency safety (similar to using a defensive lineman as a receiving tight end in goal line situations). Heck, the team could run several defensive sets that would see Boley dropping into coverage and, in effect, become a safety for that snap. Still, the staff will be looking at the safeties with their eyes peeled. Don't forget, Phillips is just entering his second year and Johnson his third... experience is a hot commodity these days.

THE RETURN OF OSI

Coming off a preseason knee injury, Umenyiora's return to form will be a key factor in the overall success of the defensive unit and the team's success overall. No pressure. Having him back at end will open up the options more than the team could last season without him and his presence will likely relegate Matthias Kiwanuka to a situational role. Canty, a defensive end/tackle, opens things up even more.

Umenyiora is reportedly approaching 100 percent in his recovery process and the team will not only be watching for the old Osi but will protect him as much as possible until the games count.

QUESTIONS AND BUBBLE PLAYERS

There will be several questions going into training camp and the coaching staff can get an early look right now during OTAs and later in the month during the mini-camp.

Among them: Are Nicks and Barden the real deals? Which veteran receivers -- Tyree, Moss or Manningham -- will stick and which will have to pack up their locker? Can they keep Brandon Jacobs healthy for 16 games, especially with December games against Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington and Carolina? Talk about meaningful games. Will Danny Ware take the Wind role or can rookie Andre Brown surprise?

Will McKenzie be able to secure the right tackle job again? Is third quarterback Andre Woodson going to lose out to rookie Rhett Bomar? Can Robbins, Dave Tollefson and Jay Alford find spots on the defensive line? Will rookie linebacker Clint Sintim (who came up with a pulled hamstring Monday) unseat Clark at strongside?

Oh, and one more: how will the Giants stack up against the improved Philadelphia Eagles?

Check out Dave's website at E-GIANTS where you can subscribe to his newsletters which run much more frequently than what is available here.
- Team Giants

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