July 25 - Giants DE Osi Umenyiora is looking forward to the upcoming season. It was merely two years ago when the former second round pick led the league in sacks. Now, he looks to rekindle that Pro Bowl magic. Despite leading the team in sacks last season with six, defensive end Osi Umenyiora wasn’t fulfilled. It was a season marred by injury which caused the former Pro Bowler to miss five games with a strained hip flexor.

Of the eight Giants draft picks, six already are signed and set to report to Albany on Friday for the start of training camp. The two unsigned players are Ross and receiver Steve Smith, a second-round pick from USC. "I don't expect those guys to be out of camp," Reese said yesterday.

State taxpayers would have to shell out $421 million to construct a retractable roof on the new Meadowlands football stadium -- about twice as much as previous estimates -- according to a report by consultants for the New York Giants and Jets. And for that price, fans would receive "weather protection but not climate control," meaning the roof would keep them dry, but the stadium would not have heat or air conditioning.
The Jets and Giants said yesterday they don't want a roof on their new stadium in the Meadowlands no matter how much it costs. The comments came after the state released a report that showed putting a roof on the $1.2 billion stadium would cost some $421 million. The teams have resisted enclosing their stadium all along, saying it would cost too much money and that they favor the home-field advantage in cold weather, but the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority wanted a formal accounting of the project.

July 24 - Michael Strahan almost certainly will report to training camp with the rest of his Giants teammates on Thursday morning. Probably ... at least, he will unless he changes his mind. According to sources on both sides, there are no current plans for the 35-year-old Strahan to hold out in an effort to get an increase in his $4 million salary, despite months of rumors and reports. However, everyone acknowledges that Strahan is unhappy with his contract, not thrilled with the team's offseason activity, and is a wild card who on a whim could decide not to show up.

Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning are both entering their fourth season with the Giants. The coach is 25-23 in the regular season and has led the team to the playoffs in each of the last two years, a feat last accomplished by the Giants in 1989-90. But the Giants have lost NFC Wild Card playoff games in both of those seasons and are looking to advance further this year.
To do so, they likely will need a consistently outstanding performance from Manning, who has started the Giants' last 39 games, the NFL's fifth-longest streak at the conclusion of the 2006 season. Manning is 20-19 in those games, plus 0-2 in the playoffs. In 2005-06, Manning threw for 7,006 yards and 48 touchdowns. Holdovers Jared Lorenzen and Tim Hasselbeck and spring pickup Anthony Wright will compete for the two backup positions behind Manning.

Parking - Bill Squires is an operations consultant to the Giants and Jets, charged with an unenviable task: Figuring out how to deal with the loss of 5,000 parking spaces now buried under the construction site for a new stadium - ones that will remain lost until Giants Stadium is turned to rubble circa 2010. The imperfect solution will debut Aug. 10 and 11 for the Jets' and Giants' preseason openers.

Former Giants
While former teammates are packing for training camp - the Giants head to Albany later this week - Tiki Barber contentedly is packing for trips around the world with his fellow "Today" show star Matt Lauer. "If I was still playing my days would be consumed with 'can I get to 1,000 pounds in the leg press,' and 'how much can I do.' I'd have [strength coach] Joe [Carini] yelling at me," Barber said, grinning. "I'd be spending time wondering, 'Are we going to be good?' and other questions that come with playing team sports. That part is gone. Now I'm finding myself inspired to go to work the next day."

July 23 - The NFL off-season time period is way too long. Rumors get started, and some of them take on a life of their own and then come back to cause trouble. There is, for instance, the one about the Giants' new general manager, Jerry Reese, and how he doesn't like head coach Tom Coughlin. So it has been suggested that he is working at cross-purposes with the coach and his staff, in some silly sabotage attempt to undermine Coughlin and cause his dismissal after the season is over. One such rumor alleged that he released veteran left tackle Luke Petitgout for just such a reason.

July 22 - Tom Coughlin, the hard-driving, rules-obsessed, arm-waving, often out of control on the sidelines Giants coach, has presided over three of the most chaotic seasons in the team's 82-year history. It placed him right on the edge of getting fired in January, but he's not expected to be granted another reprieve if the chaos isn't replaced this season by at least one playoff victory.
No Tiki Barber, no Luke Petitgout, two new coordinators and a job that was nearly gone after the Giants' playoff loss to the Eagles in January. That's what Coughlin faces. Coughlin, who turns 60 on Aug. 31, does love the thrill of training camp, but he loves consistency and routine more. He's got little to go on this season in that regard, and he is on the shortest leash imaginable after signing a one-year extension following two days of meetings with co-owners John Mara and Jonathan Tisch..
In an effort aimed at fostering a better flow of communication between players and head coach and nip any and all sniping in the bud, Tom Coughlin will assemble a Leadership Council that will come to him with grievances and/or suggestions not long after the Giants open training camp in Albany. "It'll be comprised of different people in different stages, position-wise and number of years of service," Coughlin told The Post. "And hopefully that will be a means of communication between the players and myself."

July 18 - It seems strange that one of the most overlooked positions on an NFL team can turn out to be the most important -- the backup quarterback. With the threat of injury to their starter looming at all times head coaches have become very aware in recent years about the need to bring in a strong corps of backup quarterbacks, After having a relatively young and inexperienced group behind starter Eli Manning the past two seasons, the Giants brought in veteran backup Anthony Wright for the 2007 season, after signing the unrestricted free agent to a contract on April 19.
Wright, 31, will compete to be the second-string quarterback behind Manning. Wright, by far, has the most experience among the group of backups. He has started 19 games and appeared in 28 overall in during his eight NFL seasons, compared to five starts for Tim Hasselbeck and none for Jared Lorenzen.

With eight days remaining before players report to training camp, the Giants have invited one more player to Albany -- Nebraska lineman Chris Patrick. The team signed Patrick to a two-year contract after an impressive workout yesterday, his agent, Joe Linta, confirmed last night. Patrick was not selected in last week's supplemental draft and was eligible to sign with any team as a free agent. He had drawn interest from a few teams, including the Jets, who were hoping to bring him in for a visit in the near future.

Former Giants.
John Fox recalled his days as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants -- and just how naive he was about the day-to-day responsibilities an NFL head coach can have.

July 15 - Change. That was one of the prerequisites laid out to Tom Coughlin. Giants ownership is not demanding a kinder and gentler Tom Coughlin, but it stipulates a more reasonable Tom Coughlin. The man in charge does not have to be revered, but the acrimony leveled at Coughlin down the stretch of last season did no one any good. In 11 days, he heads to Albany for training camp, and slightly more than a week after the conclusion of camp, Coughlin on Aug. 31 turns 61. Last week, he married off his fourth child. He's a doting grandfather of four trying to survive in a job where the hiring of head coaches younger than his two sons are all the rage.
He's a respected and winning coach (93-83 in his NFL career, 25-23 with the Giants) instructed to adjust to the times and become more likeable, a better communicator with his players and less ornery with the media. And, oh yes, win more games. "I think there's no question I can improve," Coughlin admitted to The Post recently about his personal relations. "I'm going to try to be more patient, I'm going to try to be someone who understands again the jobs and responsibilities of those around me."
The sole reason to bring him back was to be fair about all of last year's injuries. The Giants saved a playoff spot only by beating a Washington team with its station wagons packed and running, then came back three times in the playoff game in Philadelphia. But they couldn't put a stop to the Eagles' game-winning drive, nor to Giants fans' desire for change from the apparent dysfunction.
The only way this coach will be saved is if John Hufnagel and Tim Lewis, coordinators Coughlin chose, turn out to have been the problems. And, of course, if Eli Manning somehow turns out to be a more productive quarterback with his best weapon retired. Jerry Reese, a GM who didn't hire Coughlin, didn't do much to help him in the offseason, effectively reducing the only theme of 2007 into the survival of the coach. The Giants need a lot more than a new Tom Coughlin. There may be fewer "never!s" in his M.O. But it's too late.
This is how the Giants made the playoffs last season: They lost six of their last eight, including a game where they blew a 21-0 fourth-quarter lead. Then they lost their playoff game. Then they lost their star player. Then the star player torched the head coach. That, folks, is not how you earn a contract extension, but the the Giants retained Coughlin anyway after he and his club self-destructed down the stretch. Now Coughlin is trying to win without Tiki Barber, a bona fide left tackle and a fullback. Oh, and did I mention the inconsistent quarterback under fire? Eli Manning's not the man on the spot here; Kevin Gilbride is. He's the new offensive coordinator charged with saving his head coach, and maybe he does it by cutting down on Manning's mistakes and finding room for Brandon Jacobs to run. All I know is that he has one year to come up with a solution.

What's one thing the Giants top three returning receivers all have in common? You guessed it. They're all dealing with some level of injury. Plaxico Burress had a solid season then had to have his knee cleaned out this offseason. Amani Toomer made it halfway through the season then blew out his knee. And Sinorice Moss, the super-hyped rookie, only played in six games and caught five passes due to a quad injury.

July 13 - Michael Strahan is well aware that preseason football magazines already in stores do not consider the Giants serious title contenders. They cite the inconsistency of quarterback Eli Manning, the retirement of Tiki Barber and a defense that was ranked 25th in the NFL last season as reasons the Giants will not reach the playoffs for the third consecutive year. But Strahan is confident the team will play better than those predictions suggest.

July 12 - Tom Coughlin said he's never before in his coaching career encountered as poisonous and harmful a sensibility as the one that developed last season inside his locker room, with players unwilling to keep internal matters in-house. Coughlin is determined to eradicate that mentality. "The culture was certainly embedded and it's something we can improve upon," Coughlin told The Post yesterday. "I've never seen it before. I've got to do a better job of communicating to the players that what they see around them in this modern age, where the chain of command is not something that is followed, where people do speak out in a fashion that is negative, it is a distraction.

Eli Manning has been criticized for not being enough of a vocal leader during his three seasons with the Giants. Yesterday, however, the usually soft-spoken quarterback didn't hold back when asked about what he thought life would be like without newly retired running back Tiki Barber. "I don't think we're concerned," Manning said. "We're excited by the players that we have who wanted to return for this season, and who wanted to be a part of the Giants and play."
With Tiki Barber gone into retirement, Tom Coughlin has laid the mantle of leadership at the feet of Eli Manning, who can either kick it aside or reach down and embrace it the way all Giants fans desperately want him to do. Manning says he's ready to accept the challenge.
Manning, known for his low-key demeanor, pooh-poohed the loss of running back Tiki Barber, saying there were more than enough weapons on offense to compensate. "It's not scary or anything," Manning said of Barber's retirement. "I'm ready to step up. Leadership is something you earn from your teammates, and I think I've earned that. We've won enough games [20] and had big comeback wins. They know I fight to the end."
Three weeks shy of his fourth training camp, Manning's grace period is officially over. He was the trade-engineered first pick of the 2004 draft, when the Giants mortgaged a piece of their future for him (two of the three draft picks they gave San Diego became Pro Bowlers Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding), and his teammates are saying it's time for Manning to prove he was worth it. "I don't have two or three years right now," veteran defensive end Michael Strahan said. "They say Eli is going to mature. Well, I need him to mature now." "He has no choice," end Osi Umenyiora said last month. "It has to be his year."

July 11 - Special Report - Ask most Giant fans to identify the key to this season's offense and chances are they'll pick one of three choices -- who replaces left tackle Luke Petitgout, who replaces running back Tiki Barber and will Eli Manning ever ascend to the levels anticipated for him?
Well, before you get fixated on one choice, let's do a little history lesson which involves wandering down the Giants' memory lane. If you are unforgivably young, check with your father (dare I say grandfather?). In 1961, the Giants were being led by a new head coach, Allie Sherman. They had a great season, led as they were by a newly-obtained veteran quarterback named Y.A. Tittle and a newly-obtained veteran wide receiver, Del Shofner. The running game was ordinary at best, featuring aging Alex Webster, younger but equally plodding Phil King and a little-used future star named Joe Morrison.
The Giants approached the final game of the season with a 10-3 record (they only played 14 games in those years), tied with the Philadelphia Eagles, a situation that seems to have always been in place, you know? The nightmare was that "Big Red" (Webster) and "The Chief" (King) both came up hurt for the final game against the Cleveland Browns in Yankee Stadium. What to do? What to do?

Fullback Jim Finn is out for the 2007 season with a shoulder injury, and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe left as a free agent. Finn and Shiancoe both played all 16 games for the Giants last season and were two of the team's best run blockers. Losing both of them means the Giants will have an offense that looks like the exact opposite of the smash-mouth approach usually associated with head coach Tom Coughlin.

The Giants yesterday added to their roster for training camp by signing Kevin McMahan, a wide receiver from Maine who owns the dubious distinction of being known as Mr. Irrelevant as the last player taken in the 2006 NFL Draft. McMahan, 24, was selected a year ago by the Raiders, who cut him prior to the season. McMahan has desirable size (6-2, 200) and speed (4.34), but he is coming off a hamstring injury that caused the Colts - who signed him last January - to release him.

This will be the Giants' 12th training camp in Albany and they're contracted for at least two more, which will break the team record for most consecutive camps in the same location (the previous record was 13 at Pace University in Pleasantville, N.Y., from 1975-87). After that the Giants hope to spend their summers at a new training facility scheduled to open at the Meadowlands in 2009.
TOP PRIORITY: To get Brandon Jacobs ready to fill Tiki Barber's shoes.

July 10 - Michael Strahan is eager for the season to begin and with the sand in the hourglass rapidly falling, he believes it is time for the Giants to step it up because he's running out of time. "I'm looking forward to (this season), because when you're older, you don't take it for granted that success is going to happen. "You don't say, 'Well, we can win in two years or three years.' I don't have two or three years right now. I'm thinking of winning right now. They say Eli (Manning) is going to mature. Well, I need him to mature now. The thing about this season is that the sense of urgency is greater than it has ever been."

Jay Alford, a third round pick in this past April's NFL Draft out of Penn State, grew up not too far from Giants Stadium in Orange, New Jersey. Alford spent the afternoon reminiscing about his childhood days while taking the Giants.com crew around the neighborhood. One of the highlights of the trip home was a return to his alma mater Orange High School.

Former Giants
Ken MacAfee, who played pro football for the Giants in the 1950s, has died. He was 77. MacAfee suffered a suspected heart attack July 4 while playing golf and was pronounced dead later at a Brockton hospital. MacAfee, an end, played for the Giants from 1954-58.

July 6 - It's still unclear what the Giants plan to do at the fullback spot now that Jim Finn (shoulder) is out for the season. At the moment, the only fullback on the roster is Robert Douglas, who lacks experience but has the potential to be a powerful blocker. Mostly, though, the Giants are expected to do what they did often last year -- use a tight end in that role.

June 30 - Last fall, the Giants and spokesman Eli Manning launched What Moves U, a program designed to teach youngsters about the importance of staying healthy and remaining active. To promote What Moves U, Manning recently taped a public service announcement (PSA) that was directed by Bob Greenhut, who produced such blockbuster films as "A League of Their Own," "Annie Hall," and "Big." The PSA was taped in three New Jersey locations - Trenton, Hoboken, and Giants Stadium - and each segment stressed the importance of exercise for young people.

NFL News
After 16 years in Europe, the NFL shut down its developmental league Friday. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said it was strictly business, insisting that after "significant investment," it was time to close NFL Europa and concentrate internationally on regular-season games outside the United States.
Last October, NFL owners passed a resolution to stage up to two international regular-season games per season. The new international series will launch on Sunday, October 28 when the Miami Dolphins host the New York Giants at London's Wembley Stadium.

June 26 - The Giants will celebrate Play Football Month at Giant Stadium on Saturday, August 11th, 2007 when they host the Carolina Panthers in the first game of the pre-season. During this celebration, they will honor youth football participants, as well as the parents, coaches, and administrators whose dedication to the sport allows it to continue to grow. You can nominate your team for many exciting opportunities.

Giants Stadium Parking Policy - One of the first impacts of the new stadium's construction is the loss of approximately 5,000 parking spaces on the Meadowlands Sports Complex. To overcome this shortfall the Giants have committed time and expense to insure to have an efficient plan in place.
Download the Full Parking Brochure in PDF.
View the New Parking Map.

Harry Carson spoke eloquently at his Hall of Fame induction last August about the NFL and its players' union needing to do more to help, and the movement has gained the kind of traction that Carson believes will ultimately benefit the men who built the game in the 1950s and '60s. Many of those men no longer can walk or are suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia, arthritis and Parkinson's, illnesses often traced directly to the bruising they took in the NFL.
Carson will talk about those players and others like them tomorrow when he visits Washington for hearings by the House Judiciary subcommittee on commercial and administrative law. A major part of the hearings will be devoted to problems experienced by retired players and the NFLPA's role in getting help for them.

June 24 - Eli Manning: If OTAs are any indication, he's on his way to having another perfectly underwhelming season. Lucky for him, OTAs never indicate anything. If he straightens out his passes and indeed finds Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey regularly during camp, he could springboard into the season on a high note. But he and new quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer have mucho work to do in camp.
Tom Coughlin won't last past this year if the Giants have a losing record. So there will be loads of pressure on him in training camp to produce a competent team all-around. He's made strides with his players as far as improving interpersonal relations with them. Let's see if it lasts, and if the players respond for him.

The Jets and Giants may be getting some new X-rated neighbors. East Rutherford, N,J., introduced an ordinance that would create an adult entertainment zone for strip clubs, massage parlors, porn stores and tattoo shops across from the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
The borough hopes to create a special district for X-rated businesses on roughly 10 lots not far from Berry's Creek. It's an effort aimed at keeping sex shops and go-go joints out of residential areas, officials said. Across Berry's Creek is the Meadowlands Sports Complex. A half-mile north up Murray Hill Parkway in Carlstadt, there are a couple of hotels. Stiletto's, an adult nightclub, is on Route 120 near the hotels.

June 23 - The Giants have trained in Albany since 1996, making this stint the second-longest time-span in one location in the team's training camp history. The team previously spent 12 summers (1975-87) at Pace University in Pleasantville. Albany will cease to be the Giants' summer home once a new training facility near the Meadowlands is completed, likely in two more years. The Giants have in place a two-year agreement to train at the University at Albany through the summer of 2008, with an option for a third year.

The players have scattered to enjoy leisurely pursuits, the coaches are on vacation and training camp doesn't begin for another five weeks. Following the conclusion of the team's formal offseason work in Giants Stadium, head coach Tom Coughlin this week sat down with Giants.com to discuss the offseason and what will be some of the team's key issues when it reports to camp at the University at Albany on July 27.

The offseason for Giants players consists of many things, including lifting weights, running sprints, learning new plays and eating ice cream. Yes, eating ice cream. On June 1, more than 20 children battling cancer - ranging in age from eight to 21 - attended the first Jay Fund Ice Cream Social in Giants Stadium. Head coach Tom Coughlin's Jay Fund, with help from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Tomorrows Children's Fund, arranged for the children, as well as their parents and siblings, to enjoy a full range of activities at the stadium.

How do you make a 300-pound NFL lineman nervous? Ask him to trade his shoulder pads for a tie, put him behind an anchor's desk and tell him he's on the air. Welcome to a different kind of NFL training camp: Boot camp for players who want to become broadcasters after their playing days end. For men whose lives have revolved around physical gifts and skills they have honed since boyhood - in some cases, they've have never had to apply for a job - the camp represents a taste of the real world, possibly a hint of things to come.
"As a football player, you believe in yourself," said Tim Hasselbeck, a backup quarterback for the New York Giants. "You think you're qualified to be doing what you're doing." Like the other players, Hasselbeck is fluent in football speak, like "cover-2 defense" and "seam route." But broadcast terms like "b-roll" and "roll cue" aren't often uttered in the huddle. "I'm back in Pop Warner now," Hasselbeck said. One of the smoother wannabe broadcasters, his wife, Elisabeth, works in television as a host on "The View."

June 22 - The Giants, who have trained on the UAlbany campus since 1996, begin workouts on Saturday, July 28. The four-week camp concludes on August 23. For the second consecutive year, Giants training camp will feature eight evening practices. The first night practice is slated for Tuesday, July 31, at 6:10 p.m. All eight sessions are preceded by a morning workout at 8:40 a.m. The other day-night workouts are scheduled for August 2, 4, 6, 8, 14, 16 and 22.
Training camp opens with morning and afternoon practices on July 28 and 29. As has been the routine in previous camps, the Giants will not practice on the days following preseason games. On the day before a preseason game, the team will hold a one-hour jog-thru session. The Giants will practice 21 days on campus, including 10 double sessions. 2007 Giants Camp Schedule

Former Giants
Three-time Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington will remain in the hospital at least a few more days as he recovers from arm and leg injuries from a motorcycle accident earlier this week. Arrington's attorney, Rosalyn Pugh said Arrington expects to be released from Prince George's Hospital Center sometime next week.

June 21 - Tom Quinn is beginning his first season as the Giants' special teams coordinator. Quinn joined the Giants prior to the 2006 season as an assistant to then-coordinator Mike Sweatman, who announced his retirement in January. Quinn last week answered questions from the media about several special teams-related topics.

June 20 - Steve Spagnuolo, who is in his first season as the Giants' defensive coordinator, talks with Giants.com. "I've got a lot of respect for Michael Strahan. I mean that guy, playing against him, we had him three times out at the Pro Bowl, he's a class act and he assured me the other day he'd be ready to go. I'm not really worried about Mike."

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin says he's ready for Eli Manning to "take the next step " this season -- which is pretty much what you'd expect a head coach to say when his star quarterback is struggling to get things right. But Coughlin wasn't specific, and that's the way it should be because the Giants not only need Manning to pick up his game, they need him to assume a new role, too.

NFL News
As medical experts from all over the country watched a video of some frightening hits that led to concussions in the NFL, Troy Vincent immediately recognized one of the players who remained motionless on the screen.

June 19 - It was a strange scene. Eli Manning, taking the snap, pivoting on his right foot, offered the football to a running back not wearing No. 21 at the New York Giants' first mandatory minicamp. Gone was veteran Tiki Barber, Manning's "security blanket," as veteran receiver Amani Toomer put it. For the Giants, who sneaked into the 2006 playoffs based largely on Barber's last-minute heroics, the task for his replacements -- Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns -- is enormous.
Barber's absence has created an unprecedented situation for Manning, who more than any other player on the team will be expected to pick up the slack. The void is huge; in 2006, Barber rushed for 1,662 yards. No team in NFL history has had a player run for 1,600 or more yards and then lost that player the following season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Giants' mandatory mini-camp and veteran offseason conditioning program concluded last Friday with the team's three coordinators holding question-and-answer sessions with reporters who cover the team. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride was asked if defenses will have difficulty dealing with Brandon Jacobs.
"I think he's a special guy. There are a lot of big guys, but he is exceptionally big and strong and physical and I think he is going to wear people down. My concern is whether he can stay healthy, because even though he is administering a lot of the hits, he is taking them, too. Tiki was special with his improvisation ability. I don't know that Brandon will have that."

Former Giants and Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington was hospitalized yesterday with serious but not life-threatening injuries after his motorcycle crashed on a highway ramp. Arrington lost control and hit a guardrail, Maryland State Police Sgt. Russell Newell said. He said police did not know how fast Arrington was traveling.
Lavar Arrington suffered broken bones in his arm and leg after crashing his motorcycle on a highway ramp in Maryland yesterday. The former Giants linebacker was hospitalized for nonlife-threatening injuries and reportedly was in stable condition at a Maryland hospital. According to ESPN.com, Arrington, who was wearing a helmet, suffered a broken bone in his arm and three broken bones in his leg after losing control of the motorcycle and hitting a guardrail. Police issued two citations to Arrington, for the accident and for not having a proper motorcycle license, and said alcohol was not involved in the crash, which did not involve other vehicles.

June 17 - Forget about Eli Manning, Kevin Gilbride says he's the one feeling the pressure to make the New York Giants' offense work. That didn't stop Gilbride from laughing when he was asked about what concerned him heading into his first full season as the Giants offensive coordinator. Left tackle. Halfback without the retired Tiki Barber. Fullback with Jim Finn out for the season following shoulder surgery. Two banged up veteran receivers in Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress. The continuing saga of Manning's development at quarterback. Gilbride had a lot of concerns and not a lot of answers Friday as the Giants wrapped up a three-day mandatory minicamp. A little more than five weeks from now, training camp will open at the University at Albany.

The Giants took a major gamble in February, cutting eight-year veteran Luke Petitgout in the hope that 2006 draft pick Guy Whimper would step up and seize the left tackle slot Petitgout manned. The fall-back plan was David Diehl, who will go into next month's training camp slated to start the season at a fourth position on the offensive line. He was the emergency left tackle for the final regular-season game and playoff loss against the Eagles last season. He gave up a sack on the Giants' first passing play against the Redskins and didn't give up another one in either game.
"I have all the faith in the world in him," Eli Manning said. "He's not a guy who will ever complain, or say, 'Hey, this is the first time I've done this.' He's here every day and he works hard." "Dave's an unsung hero for us," general manager Jerry Reese said. "There's not a lot of guys who could switch positions like that, and there's not a lot of guys who just come in every day during the offseason and do their jobs without a word."

Had he not moved from defensive end to linebacker, Mathias Kiwanuka would be stuck on the second team rather than what he is now: an every-down starter and one of the most important pieces of the Giants' defensive puzzle. "At this point in my career, I'm just happy to have a spot on the field," Kiwanuka said Friday. "I don't feel slighted at all, but it definitely feels like another rookie season for me." The Giants can only hope Kiwanuka performs as well this year as he did the first time around. The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder played in all 17 regular-season and postseason games last season with 10 starts at defensive end, finishing with 55 tackles, 23 quarterback hurries and four sacks.
There are bound to be mental aches when training camp opens late next month. After all, a defensive end is always moving forward whether it's a run or a pass. For a linebacker, deciding whether to drop (pass) or charge forward (run) must be immediate. "He has to learn; he has to play it," coach Tom Coughlin said. "He has to be put in situations where he has to make split-second decisions. He has to be able to fire from any position and not tip what his intentions are."
Kiwanuka admits such reads will take some time to master. In fact, he said he made plenty of mistakes on Thursday -- the day he first felt like a true linebacker. "But a lot of times they were read errors," he said. "I could live with those for now. Those kinds of translation errors will get better with time and reps. The things you don't want are when you're supposed to be doing one thing and you're doing another thing. Those are the things I've been trying to eliminate."

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Tiki Barber's retirement makes the Giants the first team to have a running back rush for 1,600 yards or more and not return the following season. Clinton Portis rushed for 1,591 yards for the Broncos in 2003 and then was traded to the Redskins. At least the Broncos received Champ Bailey in return. All the Giants get out of this is watching Barber on television. Barber ran for more yards in his final year (1,662) than three other prominent backs who retired in their prime: Jim Brown had 1,544 yards for Cleveland in 1965 and Barry Sanders had 1,491 for Detroit in 1998. Although Robert Smith was not in the class of Brown, Sanders or Barber, he had 1,521 yards for the Vikings in 2000 and retired.

NFL News
The battle between a group of retired players and union boss Gene Upshaw over benefit issues has gotten so ugly it makes trash talking before a Giants-Eagles game look like a fight between first-graders over who gets to climb the monkey bars. Now, the debate has caught the attention of Capitol Hill, where there will be a hearing on the issue June 26.

June 16 - For the first three years of Tom Coughlin's regime, Tim Lewis ran the defense. Lewis, fired after last season, now is the Panthers' defensive backs coach; Spagnuolo was hired by the Giants after serving eight years as an Eagles assistant. "He picked his spots, he wasn't just all negative," defensive end Osi Umenyiora said of Lewis during the minicamp that ended yesterday. "I liked Tim. A lot of guys didn't like him. I'm not going to say I was in love with Tim Lewis, but I didn't have the disdain for him that a lot of people obviously did."
Mostly, players in the secondary had issues with Lewis for his schemes (zones vs. press coverage) and for what they believe was a tendency toward negative reinforcement. Spagnuolo never has been a coordinator in the NFL and thus has no body of work to fall back on, but early returns are positive.
As excited as Steve Spagnuolo was about the defense's cohesion, even without a healthy Michael Strahan, that's how cautious Kevin Gilbride, in his first year as offensive coordinator, is being. The offense still belongs to Tom Coughlin, but Gilbride has changed plenty, mostly due to Barber's absence. With Brandon Jacobs, Reuben Droughns and possibly seventh-round pick Ahmad Bradshaw in the backfield rotation, the Giants will adapt their running game. And there's more pressure on Manning. He is incorporating some throwing and footwork mechanics from new QB coach Chris Palmer as well as the new wrinkles in the offense.
When asked about his concerns heading into his first full season as the New York Giants offensive coordinator, Kevin Gilbride couldn't help but laugh. Left tackle. Halfback without the retired Tiki Barber. Fullback with Jim Finn out for the season following shoulder surgery. Two banged-up veteran receivers in Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress. The continuing saga of Eli Manning's development at quarterback. Gilbride had a lot of concerns and not a lot of answers Friday as the Giants wrapped up a three-day mandatory minicamp. A little more than five weeks from now, training camp will open at the University at Albany.

The Giants wrapped up their three-day minicamp. The veterans are now off until the team reports to training camp at the University at Albany on Friday, July 27. The rookies will participate in another four days of conditioning and orientation sessions before departing for a summer break. Coughlin was asked after practice what message he imparted to the team prior to dismissing it until training camp.
"Well, you talk about all of the things that they have to do between now and then," said Coughlin. "You talk about the accomplishments that we have made to date. And I think the very fact that our offseason program attendance was exceptional, the guys worked their butts off. We had nice OTAs, we had a good minicamp here at the end. It was very important that we finished on a good note and I think we did."

June 15 - It seems like a simple thing, maybe even an insult to make professionals do in practice. But one of the first things new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo told his players has become a small symbol of how much has changed already for a Giants defense that didn't live up to expectations the past few seasons. When the football hits the ground for any reason before the play is called, all 11 defenders have to run to it. So it can look a bit silly to onlookers when Sam Madison bats away a pass, scurries to his feet and runs away with the ball, followed by 10 other guys in the dark-blue jerseys the defense wears.
In only a few weeks, new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has noticeably changed the way the defense practices. From the scrambles to grab loose balls (even if they're not fumbles), to the booming sound of the players breaking the huddle, Spagnuolo has turned practice into a much more intense -- and enjoyable -- experience for a unit that ranked 25th in the NFL in overall defense last season. "The defense should always be a reflection of the D-coordinator's personality," Pierce said. Which is why the players' response to a loose ball is so telling.
Pierce said former coordinator Tim Lewis suggested it last year after hearing the Bears' defense scoops up every ball in practice. But Pierce said the defense did it "mockingly" for only a few weeks. Now, under Spagnuolo, every loose ball in practice appears to be a fumble in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. His message of intensity is being received, whereas Lewis' demanding (and often demeaning) presence wore out the players.

Eli Manning squatted and barked out a few signals before turning around to the backfield, holding the ball in his multimillion dollar right arm. Robert Douglas took the handoff from the Giants' franchise quarterback and bolted through a bunch of imaginary tacklers., no doubt hoping it's a scenario that will play out for real when the Giants begin the regular season in a few months and not just a small snapshot of the second day of the team's mandatory three-day minicamp. With Jim Finn placed on injured reserve, the 6-foot-1, 248-pound Douglas is currently the Giants' lone option at fullback. And it's no given the free-agent pickup will be the one to supplant Finn, especially since he's never suited up for a regular-season game in the NFL.
The Giants actually expected Douglas to supplant Finn and believe he can handle the load. Douglas, who will turn 25 by the time training camp rolls around, has had difficulty sticking with an NFL team. Coming out of Memphis, he originally was a rookie free agent with the Titans in 2005. Since then, he has had flings with the Buccaneers and Texans. The Giants signed him off Houston's practice squad late last season.
If Douglas becomes the fullback, he will get accustomed to seldom carrying the ball. Finn started at the position the previous four seasons and had just two rushing attempts - both last season. He also had eight receptions last season. Though NFL teams have considered him a running back, Douglas is not concerned about the lack of touches, because he sees himself as a fullback. "I've been playing fullback since high school," Douglas said. "In college, I got a little bit away from that because we ran a one-back set. But senior year they moved me back to it and I was blocking for DeAngelo Williams. I hardly ever got the ball then, but we had success - he put up 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns with me in front of him, so I really have no problem with it. I just have fun playing football."
Tom Coughlin on losing Jim Finn - "It is a big loss when you lose a guy who obviously knows - has played the game - has played in this offense, brings a lot of intelligence to the game. But it is more unfortunate. He has had some problems with it. He set it off this spring. He was concerned that this was going to be the final outcome if he had the surgical procedure. He chose to go ahead and have that done. So obviously we just have to do the best that we can to continue to move forward here and develop some guys that can fulfill that role. I have been impressed with what Robert Douglas has been able to do. But of course we don't have any pads on yet, either."

When the Giants reported to training camp last year, confidence, sometimes bordering on cockiness, was evidenced in their public statements far more than concern. Coming off an 11-5, NFC East-title season, the Giants were a popular choice as title contenders. Some players openly discussed what they considered the team's Super Bowl potential. But after starting the season 6-2, the team sputtered to an 8-8 finish (and a wild card postseason berth).
Along the way there were some regrettable verbal salvos, including criticisms of the coaching staff, critiques of strategy and sniping about who should be saying what. Coughlin didn't like the summertime Super Bowl discussions and he was particularly unhappy that several players aired their gripes to the media. He told them his door was always open so they could talk to him, but some players chose to vent in a more public forum.

Apparently, Jeremy Shockey did not fully grasp the point Giants coach Tom Coughlin tried to make Wednesday about wanting his players to do their talking on the field this season. The often-controversial tight end has had plenty to say during his six seasons with the Giants and seemed one of the obvious targets when Coughlin told the team at the start of this three-day minicamp, "Let's just play the game. Talk is cheap." Regardless, he insists that his words and actions are overblown.
"I just feel there are a lot of people up in this area that whatever I do, they write," he said. Shockey again defended his decision to spend most of the off-season working out in Miami rather than taking part in the team's optional workouts in New Jersey. "One thing I'm really trying to do this year is to stay healthy and make it through a full season," he said. "That was one of the reasons why I really wasn't working that much up here during the off-season."

Michael Strahan this week saw his good buddy and former defensive partner in crime, Jessie Armstead, officially retire as a member of the Giants. Armstead hasn't played in an NFL game in four years, but at 36 is merely one year older than Strahan, who is preparing to play in his 15th NFL season. The age gap between Strahan and his younger teammates is akin to The Great Divide. "Big time," Strahan said. "I see it every day." He gets kidded as if he were an old uncle. He even gets kidded for playing with two generations of NFL talent. "[Linebacker] Reggie Torbor just said to me 'Did you play with Steve DeOssie? " Strahan said. "He said 'Well, his son is here. When they're signing up sons of guys you played with, it's time for you to quit.' He could be right."
Coach Tom Coughlin isn't going to push Strahan for answers right now. During the minicamp at Giants Stadium, the veteran either went through conditioning drills with the training staff or stood with the defensive players and watched team drills. The one thing that was obvious was that he was having fun being around the guys, most of whom are at least 10 years younger. Even Strahan realizes their interests are different. When the new guys talk about shoes, it's not the kind a person wears on his feet. It's the wheels on their cars. Strahan laughs and shakes his head, thinking about his new generation gap. His voice is serious when it comes to football.
"As long as I feel good, as long as I feel like I can contribute and they want me around, I will keep going," Strahan said Wednesday. "You love the competition of it, the camaraderie of it. Once I don't enjoy that and I can't contribute, it's time to pack it up." Strahan doesn't see that now. Before being hurt against Houston in the eighth game of the season, Strahan said teams still had to double- and triple-team him in passing situations. He said his play against the run was second to none.

June 14 - Giants coach Tom Coughlin had his full squad together Wednesday for the beginning of minicamp, and he had two things on his agenda before the team started its work on the field. The first was letting Jessie Armstead, signed for a day so he could retire as a Giant, address the team to describe what it meant to wear the uniform for nine years. Next was a message from the coach: Less talk, more work.
After spending a maddening season listening to Jeremy Shockey, Tiki Barber, Plaxico Burress and others complain, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin isn't going to take it any more. Coughlin met with certain players and spoke to the team Wednesday about the need for the Giants to play more and talk less, especially when it comes to criticizing teammates and the coaching staff. "Let's just play the game -- talk is cheap -- let's play the game," Coughlin said Wednesday as the Giants opened a mandatory three-day minicamp. "I would like it to stay that way."
Anyone remotely aware of the plight of the 2006 Giants knows the destructive capabilities of off-field distractions. The second-half swoon came wrapped around controversy lurking around every corner, from Tiki Barber and Jeremy Shockey questioning the coaching staff to Plaxico Burress angered by remarks by Michael Strahan, resulting in an explosive Strahan diatribe, to the constant conjecture about Coughlin's coaching security, or lack thereof.
A 6-2 start had the Giants in first place in the NFC East, but Coughlin watched his team spiral out of control in the second half and lose six-of-seven before sneaking into the playoffs at 8-8 with a Week 17 win over the Redskins. As things were falling apart, backbiting among the players through the media threatened to tear the team apart. Comments from Michael Strahan, who accused wide receiver Plaxico Burress of "quitting" during a come-from-ahead loss to Tennessee, and Tiki Barber, who complained about not getting enough carries in a loss to Jacksonville, created distractions.

Tom Coughlin question - How does it feel after day one?
"I liked the energy. I did. I liked the energy. And of course we have been working. I'm real pleased with the over-some 60 veterans that have been here every day. And that is what laid the foundation for us to be able to go out there and not fall all over each other this morning. So it was pretty good. I thought that we were sharp and the energy level was good. Everybody was into it. I would like to maintain that for the five practices we are going to have."

Although defensive end Michael Strahan missed seven games last season with a mid-foot sprain and didn't take part in most of the drills Wednesday, he believes he's primed to have another Pro Bowl season. "I feel like I can have my best year this year," he said. "I feel great." Even with 15 seasons of wear and tear on his body, Strahan says he's still an elite player.
Michael Strahan said he thinks he can have one of the best years of his career in 2007, even as he recovers from a Lisfranc ligament sprain in his right foot. It's not as if he's going to be overtaxed in training camp. Coach Tom Coughlin said after the first session of the Giants' three-day, full-team mini-camp that the seven-time Pro Bowler will be held to one practice per day once the real work begins at the end of July. For now, Strahan will mostly watch and participate in a few individual drills. And that's just fine with him. He figures that, with 14 years behind him, he can afford to relax a little in the summer heat, injury or no injury. "I don't say he's taking it easy on me," Strahan said. "He just understands I'm 15 years into it, not five. I have to take care of myself. I'm no spring chicken, you know."
Strahan has more than just age and mileage to overcome. He missed seven of the last eight regular season games, plus the NFC Wild Card Game, with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot. Strahan sat out six games, aggravated the injury in his Christmas Eve return vs. New Orleans, then was placed on injured reserve. It is the second time in three years that Strahan missed approximately half a season with an injury (after eight straight years in which he played every game). In 2004, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle, but returned the following year to start all 17 games, record 11.5 sacks and make his seventh Pro Bowl. Strahan believes a similar comeback is in the offing this year.

Jim Finn's 2007 season is over before it began. And the Fair Lawn native's time with the Giants might be done as well. Finn, who suffered a shoulder injury last month while blocking a teammate during organized team activities, was placed on injured reserve yesterday after undergoing surgery in Los Angeles on Monday. Finn's agent, Alan Herman, said his client suffered a tear in the back portion of his labrum. Finn had a small tear in the front part of his labrum surgically repaired after the 2005 season.
Although Finn, 30, still has two more years remaining on his contract after this season, it seems unlikely he will be back with the team and an injury settlement appears imminent. The Giants were already looking for a size upgrade at fullback and a banged-up shoulder certainly will not help the 6-foot, 245-pound Penn and Bergen Catholic graduate's cause.
It is believed that Finn was injured when he was hit during a recent organized team activity, or voluntary practice, at Giants Stadium. Finn was preparing to enter his eighth season in the NFL and fifth with the Giants. In his first four seasons with the team, Finn missed only one game and made 43 starts. He was used primarily as a blocker for Tiki Barber and a receiver. Last season, Finn started 11 of 16 regular season games, plus the NFC Wild Card Game.
He caught eight passes for 54 yards, boosting his career totals to 60 receptions for 423 yards. Because Barber has retired, the Giants will have two new starters in the backfield behind Eli Manning his season. Finn was the only pure fullback listed on the roster, though Coach Tom Coughlin last week praised Robert Douglas' work at the position during the OTAs.

Jessie Armstead played his last game with the Redskins. And he last practiced with the Panthers. But in his mind, he will forever be a Giant. Yesterday, he signed a one-day contract and retired as a member of the team with whom he played the first nine seasons of his career.
To make room for Armstead on the roster, the Giants placed starting fullback Jim Finn on season-ending injured reserve. Finn had shoulder surgery on Monday. Taken in the eighth round of the 1993 draft, Armstead played nine seasons for the Giants, helping them reach the Super Bowl in 2000. A special teams standout for his first three seasons, Armstead became the starting weakside linebacker in 1996. He had five straight seasons of more than 100 tackles, including a career-best 134 in 1997 when he first made the Pro Bowl.
"Jessie was one of the greatest linebackers in the history of this franchise," said John Mara, the team's president and chief executive officer. "He was a team leader who always gave 100 percent. We could always count on him to make a big play at a critical moment in the game. He is a true Giant and we are very proud that he has chosen to retire as a Giant."
His most memorable season occurred in 2000, when he helped the Giants reach Super Bowl XXXV with a 41-0 rout of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship in Giants Stadium. Though the team fell to the Baltimore Ravens two weeks later, Armstead's longtime teammate Michael Strahan still jokes about the linebacker's "almost" game-changing play.
With the Giants trailing 7-0 in the second quarter, Armstead intercepted a short pass from Trent Dilfer and returned in 43 yards for a touchdown, only to have the play nullified by a disputed holding penalty on Keith Hamilton. Strahan and Armstead were not only tied together because of their friendship, but also because they were the team's most renowned defensive standouts.

On the day that former teammate Jessie Armstead signed with the Giants so he could retire here, Petitgout said he always thought he'd get a chance to do the same. "In a perfect world, I'd have been the first-round pick who played 10 years at left tackle for the Giants and that'd be it. In the end, you're just a number." Numbers weren't even the issue for Reese, who said in March that it was a "group decision" to release Petitgout Feb. 12 rather than restructure a contract he'd signed for former GM Ernie Accorsi. Petitgout was due to make $5 million in salary in 2007, and said his agents offered to restructure to ease the cap hit. "They never came back with a solid figure. They said, 'Congratulations and good luck,' " Petitgout said, noting he thought it was Reese, not Tom Coughlin, who made the call on cutting him. "I never had any issues with Tom. I tried to give them everything I had."

June 13 - Special Report - There is a chance, although it's not formalized and the way things are it probably won't be until it formally announced that fullback Jim Finn will not be playing for the Giants any time soon. He has a shoulder injury, which head coach Tom Coughlin confirmed last Friday, and there is really no timetable established for a definitive answer to the problem. The indication is that the Giants must have felt it could mushroom into a problem since they tried in vain to sign restricted free agent Vonta Leach from Houston, only to see the Texans surprisingly match the offer, rather high (said to be $5.2 million over four years) for a kid with next to no NFL experience.
QUICKLY NOTED -- Former Giants' linebacker Jessie Armstead seems ready to sign a contract with the Giants so that he can retire as a Giant. ... "It's a perfect opportunity," he said. "You see guys do it sometimes, like Emmitt Smith did [in Dallas]. It's something special." ... So was Armstead, absolutely.

Armstead was an eighth-round pick out of Miami in 1993 and played outside linebacker with a chip on his shoulder through nine Giants seasons, five consecutive Pro Bowls and one Super Bowl. That 34-7 loss to the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV stands as "the best time and worst time" of his career. He left after the 2001 season and played two years with the Redskins, where he had a profound influence on a young linebacker named Antonio Pierce. Armstead's words of encouragement and talk of the way the Giants treated their players influenced Pierce's decision to sign with the Giants in 2005, and the two still talk every week.

Eli Manning sat in the principal's office Tuesday, waiting to address a group of fifth and sixth graders."I always get a little nervous when I'm sent in here," Manning said in jest. Manning is a long way from grade school, but as an N.F.L. quarterback, he is still on the hot seat. After his appearance at Hedgepeth-Williams Elementary School on Tuesday, Manning was headed to three days of minicamp, where his growth as a quarterback remains the most important piece of the Giants' offensive puzzle. With the running game a question mark after the retirement of Tiki Barber, more of the offensive load could fall on Manning as he enters his fourth N.F.L. season. Manning is well aware that this has been characterized as a make-or-break season, both for him, and for Giants Coach Tom Coughlin. But he said he has no regrets about his decision three years ago to shun the San Diego Chargers and engineer a trade to the Giants.

Before every player is sent away for more than a month of vacation before training camp late next month, the entire team will participate in a three-day minicamp that begins today.
Whom we'll be watching - RBs Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns. Tackling is prohibited, so it won't be like the regular season when these guys will try to bowl over opponents. But it will be interesting to see how they do and how many snaps each gets.
CB Aaron Ross. First-round draft picks always have the spotlight on them for much of minicamp. Ross has had his ups and downs during OTAs. With a solid minicamp, he could start solidifying one of the top three corner spots.
WR Sinorice Moss. He dazzled at times during last year's minicamp only to suffer a quad injury early in training camp that derailed his rookie season. This might be his time to start shining again.

Every healthy player is expected to participate in this camp - after all, attendance is no longer voluntary. "We know that having everybody here helps us because now we move along as a team with no parts missing," Tom Coughlin said. Receiver Amani Toomer, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, has been limited to agility running on the side and may get to do some individual work during this camp. He will not be involved in any full-team activity.
"I don't want him to be in any bumping and grinding," Coughlin said. Defensive end Michael Strahan, limited to nine games last season because of a Lisfranc mid-foot sprain, also will be handled delicately. Another defensive end, Justin Tuck, is coming off foot surgery and won't work at all. The Giants are hopeful Toomer, Strahan and Tuck are ready to go for training camp, where they likely will be limited to one practice a day. The status of fullback Jim Finn (shoulder injury) is undetermined.

June 10 - Of all the coaches to work the sidelines in the NFL, Coughlin always has been one of the gruffest and roughest, so rigid, the legend goes, he once fined two players for being late to a meeting, even though they were in a car crash.
He is the taskmaster who commanded his children to keep their shoes lined up neatly in the garage, a standoffish guy with an icy stare who rarely lets people in. But as the Giants prepare for spring drills on Wednesday, Coughlin, 60, finds himself at a crossroads.
Four years after Coughlin was hired because of his reputation as a disciplinarian, his boss, wife and children are urging him to change that image, show his softer side, loosen up. He says he will try, but after nearly 40 years of in-your-face coaching, it won't be easy. And, of course, there's a catch: He knows he could do everything asked of him and still get fired.

Harry Carson had not played a game in nearly two decades when he stood at the podium at his Hall of Fame induction in Canton last summer and displayed the leadership skills that made him one of the all-time great Giants. He used the powerful forum to bring the plight of the retired player from whispers into the public consciousness. He pleaded for the league and the union not to forget retired players in need, not to leave behind those who had helped construct the foundation of what is now a $7 billion-a-year industry. "If we made the league what it is, you have to take better care of your own," Carson said that day.

June 9 - Jeremy Shockey was back on the field yesterday, bouncing around, playfully chiding teammates and injecting a bit of energy into the Giants' organized team activity workouts. Plus, he arrived in East Rutherford weighing a career-high 265 pounds of visibly solid muscle. And he said he's faster than he was at this point last year. Energetic. Solidly built. And speedy. Three reasons why the veteran tight end feels he shouldn't have to respond to concerns for the third straight year about his training in Miami for much of the off-season.
Jeremy Shockey said he doesn't understand why anyone makes the slightest fuss about him working out in Miami instead of joining the vast majority of his teammates at Giants Stadium. "I hope people just get used to it, because next year it's going to be the issue again," Shockey said yesterday. The Giants have had seven Organized Team Activity practices thus far this offseason and Shockey on Thursday showed up for the first time. He'll be on the scene for Monday's final OTA and be on the field for next week's three mandatory mini-camp practices.
Shockey considers it a slap in his face for people to question his commitment for not wintering in the Meadowlands. "People think I'm trying to do something that betters myself and no one else," he added. "First things first, I have to take care of myself in order to benefit this team. I'm not out drinking every night, I'm not going out every night, and if I do, I guarantee you I'm working out the next day. "People questioning my character hurts me because I play hurt, I've played with broken bones in my body and I'm going to continue to play like that. I want to win a championship for this organization, but it seems no matter what I do, it's not good enough for the people up in this area.
Shockey's decision to work out on his own differs from most players and is at odds with Coach Tom Coughlin's desire to have every player participate in the team's voluntary offseason conditioning program. When he does arrive every year, Shockey is asked why he follows his own regimen. Today was no different. "I work hard," he said. "Every year I leave to work hard and in order to do that you have to work in a very intense, very hot environment, like Miami. In that aspect, you gain the edge cause you work out outside. It's a lot harder, you have a lot more high intensity workouts with college kids. Offseason workouts are about keeping guys in shape that don't want to be in-shape, those guys that stray off, eat bad food and don't run." Coughlin would no doubt offer a spirited dissent, but he was pleased to have Shockey back on the field. So was quarterback Eli Manning, who has occasionally contacted Shockey and urged him to work with his teammates.

For the past seven seasons, the Giants had one worry-free position: running back. But after years of relying on the supremely talented Tiki Barber - the franchise's career rushing leader - the team finally has to find his replacement. Or, more accurately, replacements. Barber retired after rushing for 1,662 yards in 2006. That increased his career total to 10,449 yards. Barber also caught a franchise-best 586 passes. The Giants might not have a back who can contribute those kinds of numbers, but they must find productive players at that important and high-profile position. Running backs coach Jerald Ingram is getting his first look at his talented group of backs during the organized team activities (OTAs) currently occurring at Giants Stadium.

When Gibril Wilson is healthy, there's little room to argue that he's not one of the finest players on the New York Giants defense. After an impressive rookie year in 2004 that unfortunately ended in injury, Wilson responded with two more solid seasons as the starting strong safety. Having tasted the playoffs in two of his first three NFL seasons, Wilson is happy he's been successful but clearly wants more. .

June 8 - Losing veteran depth on their offensive line with the expected move of Rich Seubert into the starting left guard spot, the Giants yesterday took a step to reclaim some of that experience with the signing of guard Zach Piller.
In 2006, Piller started three games before suffering an ankle injury at Miami on Sept. 24. He was inactive for three games before being placed on injured reserve on Oct. 26. The Titanswaived Piller on Feb. 21. He was signed by the Detroit Lions on March 26 and cut on May 2. Piller started all 16 games in 2003 and 2005. In 2004, he started the season opener, but suffered an injury to his left biceps and missed the rest of the season. Piller was Tennessee's third-round draft choice in 1999, the 81st overall selection. He was a reserve guard for two-plus seasons before breaking into the starting lineup.

Head coach Tom Coughlin, at a recent team workout, however optional, refused to answer a question as to the identity of the team's left tackle, a situation left open and exposed because of what seems, at least now, to have been a premature release of veteran Luke Petitgout. The reason was almost certainly financial, with a little concern for his health thrown in, but he almost immediately secured a new contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers said to be slightly higher than the one the Giants apparently chose not to afford, something in the area of $5.5 million for the year.

June 7 - After entering the 2006 season expecting to have plenty of quality veteran linebackers, the Giants dealt with major injury problems at the position. This year, some of those veteran faces have been replaced. But the centerpiece of the corps remains the same as the team participates in the organized team activities (OTAs) at Giants Stadium. Antonio Pierce is using the practices to not only improve his skills as an individual, but also to try to instill confidence in the group.
"The way the league is now, it's basically a year-round thing," said Pierce, who had a career and team-high 140 tackles last season. "As much as you want to call these voluntarily and it the offseason, it really isn't. We're a team that kind of went down and we want to try to get off to a fresh start, a fast start and a new beginning, so there's no better way then starting a little bit earlier."

June 6 - Though it is often the most overlooked unit on a football team, a solid offensive line is one of the most important ingredients in a championship squad. The Giants are hoping for big things out of their line in the 2007 season, as most of their key players from last season are returning. Offensive line coach Pat Flaherty is getting his first look at the group's progress during the organized team activities (OTAs) currently being held at Giants Stadium.
Returning starters David Diehl, Chris Snee, Shaun O'Hara and Kareem McKenzie and Rich Seubert are joined by veteran reserve Grey Ruegamer, second-year pro Guy Whimper and rookie sixth-round pick Adam Koets. The only key contributor missing is former left tackle Luke Petitgout, who was released in February and is now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

June 5 - One of the Giants' strengths for the 2007 season will be their defensive line. Position coach Mike Waufle is getting a first look at the line's great potential during the organized team activities (OTAs) currently being held at Giants Stadium. From a defensive line standpoint, the focus of the practices has been on making the group faster and more aggressive than it was at times during the 2006 season. The coaches are also giving the players a little more independence to rush the passer.

Amani Toomer was in the Giants' practice bubble as the team had another OTA (organized team activity, or voluntary practice). But the veteran wide receiver was more spectator than participant. Toomer is pleased with the progress he's made since undergoing surgery on his left knee seven months ago, but the Giants' medical staff has not cleared him to participate in drills. So Toomer stood with the other receivers and watched the workout.
Toomer expects his surgically repaired left knee to be ready when the New York Giants open training camp in a little less than two months. After attending Monday's organized team activity practice, Toomer said his knee felt 70 to 80 percent its normal strength. "I am not really surprised, actually they have been slowing me down a little to keep me going for the long haul," said Toomer, who is the team's all-time leading receiver in yards gained (8,157) and No. 2 in receptions (561) behind the recently retired Tiki Barber (586).

Sinorice Moss, the former Miami star, and Steve Smith, the Southern Cal standout, are getting a lot of snaps during the organized team activity sessions at Giants Stadium. That's because Toomer is doing his rehab work on the sidelines, gearing for what he hopes will be some participation in next week's mandatory minicamp. And because Plaxico Burress remains absent from the voluntary sessions along with tight end Jeremy Shockey, defensive end Michael Strahan and fullback Jim Finn. "I look at me and Steve as being the wide receivers of the future," said Moss, whose first year was ruined by a recurring thigh injury that limited him to six games and five receptions.
The day after the NFL Draft, Sinorice Moss picked up the phone and called to congratulate Steve Smith, which is interesting, considering the selection of Smith can be viewed as a real threat to Moss. After all, Smith is a smallish receiver from a big-time program (USC) selected by the Giants in the second round. Moss is an even smaller receiver from a major program (Miami) also taken by the Giants in the second round, one year earlier. One could argue that the Giants felt greater urgency to grab up Smith at least partly because Moss endured an injury-ravaged rookie year.

The Big Four were again MIA - Shockey, Burress, Michael Strahan and Jim Finn. They were joined by quarterback Anthony Wright, receiver Darius Watts and rookie linebacker Zak DeOssie. Everyone else was in attendance. Here are a few sights and sounds from inside the Giants' practice bubble (it was pouring outside): -- They're only jogging through non-contact drills at the moment, but newly converted LB Mathias Kiwanuka admits he still has moments where he's not quite sure what he's supposed to do on the field. "It's not going to happen overnight," he said. "I knew it was going to be a process. But every day I feel more comfortable about it."

Those who do not know R. W. McQuarters’s name or face may recall his hair. For nine N.F.L. seasons, including the past two with the Giants, it sprang from under the back of his helmet, a bundled tassel dancing with every step and obscuring the name sewn on the back of his jersey and the top half of the numbers. When McQuarters walked into the Giants' locker room this spring, several teammates and team employees walked past him with a generic hello.
Only later - sometimes a few seconds, sometimes a few days - did they approach him again with wide eyes. "They'd go, 'You know, man, I didn't even recognize you,' " McQuarters said. On March 21, McQuarters had his first haircut since his rookie season. So much hair came off that he had to get a new helmet, two sizes smaller. "I was like a bobblehead in my old one," said McQuarters, his pate covered with short bristles.

Toward the end of Antonio Pierce's bio on the Giants' Web site, two of his hobbies are listed. One is "working with cars," a harmless pastime enjoyed by many. The other is "breeding pit bulls," a hot topic in the NFL these days with the ongoing investigation of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's potential involvement in a dog-fighting ring.
But according to Pierce, his interest in pit bulls is limited to an appreciation of the animals, not an exploitation of them. "Anybody who fights pit bulls is a punk," the middle linebacker said yesterday after the team's organized team activities workout at Giants Stadium. "It gives my dogs a bad rap. Everybody loves my dogs because they're good dogs. So of course I'm not pleased with it."

June 2 - Jerry Reese recently completed his first NFL Draft as the Giants' general manager. He talks with Michael Eisen about the team's rookie class.
Q: What about Aaron Ross impressed you?
A: Reese: "I have said this before, Ross skill set fits the profile of Steve Spagnuolo's defense. He wants big guys with long arms who can disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage and battle from a press position."

May 31 - For those expecting to see Eli Manning tossing passes to Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey at Giants Stadium yesterday, it was a quick, harsh turn back toward reality. No Burress. And no Shockey. Only second-year receiver Sinorice Moss, rookie tight end Kevin Boss and a bunch of other seldom-used Manning targets running routes during organized team activities. After Burress made a brief appearance in the area for passing drills earlier this month -- with a few words about realizing what it takes to develop a rapport with Manning (i.e. off-season drills) -- the fourth-year quarterback's top two options were once again nowhere to be found. "(I) accept it," Manning said when asked if he was upset with Burress and Shockey's absence, or if he's come to expect it. "I have to do what I have to do."
Tom Coughlin only wanted to talk about the players present for Wednesday's organized team activity practice, which eliminated tight end Jeremy Shockey and wide receiver Plaxico Burress from the conversation. The two Giants receivers have been around but have not attended any of the three voluntary OTAs. They were joined on Wednesday's absentee list by defensive end Michael Strahan and fullback Jim Finn, leaving some 84 players for Coughlin to discuss. One was offensive lineman David Diehl, who promises to start at left tackle when the Giants line up for real Sept. 9 against Dallas.

The Giants yesterday went through their first full-team organized team activity (OTA) practice with David Diehl lined up at left tackle, except for the times he lined up at his familiar left guard spot. With the release of Luke Petitgout and the lack of any veteran signing, Diehl is the obvious replacement at the most important spot on the offensive line. Though all indicators point that way, Diehl has been told very little about where he'll wind up this season. "It's not going to behoove him to know until there's a time when he really has to know," Coughlin said. "He knows exactly what he needs to know."
Few linemen are as versatile as Diehl, who has played every position but center while starting all 66 regular season and postseason games since joining the Giants as a fifth-round draft choice in 2003. Last year, he started the first 15 games at left guard before moving out to tackle for the regular season finale and the NFC Wild Card Game. Diehl said he does not have a preference regarding where he lines up this year.

Lawrence Tynes, a place-kicker trying to win a job with the Giants, might have been given the perfect test Wednesday. Tynes was asked to make about five chip-shot field goals at the end of an optional off-season workout, his first practice with the Giants. It was a chance for Tynes to show he could be consistent. Tynes missed a short field goal in the Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts last season.
The miscue was said to have annoyed Chiefs Coach Herm Edwards and raised concerns about his consistency. The Chiefs drafted Justin Medlock of U.C.L.A. in the fifth round in April and traded Tynes to the Giants in May for a conditional draft pick. “No one in this league is going to be judged on one kick,” Tynes said after practice, insisting his trade had more to do with his contract status than with the miss.

May 30 - Attending a Giants or Jets game will be a bit more costly for certain fans and a lot more inconvenient for others until the teams' new stadium opens around 2010. Beginning this season, the teams are instituting a pre-paid permit system for entrance to the Giants Stadium lots. Only season-ticket holders with permits, priced at $150 each, will be allowed to park in the Meadowlands complex. Those without a permit will have to travel to an off-site lot approximately two miles away and take a shuttle bus to the game.
Season-ticket holders are eligible to purchase one parking permit for every five tickets on their account with a maximum of six permits for those accounts with 26 or more tickets. Team spokesmen said no single-game permits will be sold.

Giants' Aaron Ross plans to wed track star Sanya Richards. Richards, hopes to collect as many as four medals in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and Ross is the Giants' top draft choice. While both have the competitive nature inherent in world-class athletes, they would rather support than contest with each other.

May 29 - Zak DeOssie was a fourth-round selection by the New York Giants in the 2007 NFL Draft. A linebacker and long snapper out of Brown University, DeOssie has the NFL in his blood as his father, Steve, played for four teams during his pro career. The rookie, who turns 23 years old on Thursday, talks about his life in a Q&A following the draft.
Q: Is it special to be drafted by a team your father played for?
A: I broke down right when it happened. My old man was right next to me. Football is a big part of my life, a big part of my family's life, and I couldn't see a better fit for myself.

May 28 - Last year at this time, Giants fans were as excited about Sinorice Moss as any rookie since Eli was just coming into town. Moss, who the Giants selected in the second round of the 2006 draft, was extremely high on their draft board last year. Moss injured his quad early in camp and never fully recovered from it. Upon returning, the coaching staff was very hesitant about leaving him in the game for many plays. With no Amani Toomer in the second half of the year, and no productive third wide-out, Moss should have been given his chance to play consistently. That opportunity never happened, whether he was unhealthy to or the coaches just thought he was not ready.

Former Giants
Phillippi Sparks - The Giants made the playoffs only twice in his time, including the notorious first-round collapse against the Vikings in 1997 during which Sparks had a heated confrontation with a teammate on the field. He said in advising his daughter Jordin before the last two rounds that he used football analogies. "I told her the final three was like the playoffs," he said. "The final two, babe, is something I couldn't get to but you can: the Super Bowl." (The Giants got there the season after Sparks left.)

May 25 - The Manning camp is special because of the family's commitment. They don't simply attach their name to the camp, hire someone to run it and then divvy up the proceeds. Archie and all three sons are at every session. Dad is constantly moving, whether it's to check in on a drill, chat up some campers' parents or solve a logistical problem. Cooper, Peyton and Eli are on the field instructing the campers every minute of every session. That's not all. The four Mannings share a suite in the same dorm used by many of the campers.
"That's where our credibility comes from and why we've had our success through the years," Archie Manning said. "We've all been involved with camps where the star of the camp or the head coach shows up and takes pictures the first day and you never see him again." Manning Passing Academy

The Giants acquired placekicker Lawrence Tynes from the Kansas City Chiefs this week in exchange for a conditional 2008 draft choice. Tynes, who is entering his fourth NFL season, will compete with untested Josh Huston to succeed Jay Feely as the Giants' kicker. Feely signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent. Tynes and the Chiefs could not come to a contract agreement. Tynes rejected Kansas City's five-year offer and instead signed a one-year tender. Soon afterward, the Chiefs selected UCLA kicker Justin Medlock with one of their two fifth-round draft choices and Tynes knew he was on his way out of town.

May 23 - Jeremy Shockey flew in from Miami under the radar like a stealth bomber late last week to participate in the Giants' offseason program, to the delight of quarterback Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin and his coaches. "My only goal is to win a championship, and I can't do that injured," Shockey told The Post yesterday. "The No. 1 way to stay healthy is for me work on natural grass." Shockey said he is in the best shape of his life after another winter of spartan workouts on the natural grass at his Miami (Fla.) alma mater.

General manager Jerry Reese decided he didn't want to spend on a placekicker, letting Jay Feely go to the Dolphins in March and signing only two rookies as potential replacements. Yesterday, Reese decided the Giants needed to go to training camp with at least one proven NFL kicker. Reese acquired Lawrence Tynes from the Chiefs for a conditional draft pick. Tynes, 29, spent three seasons in Kansas City and made 68 of 87 field-goal attempts (78.2 percent).
However, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards did not think Tynes was consistent. The former Jets coach wasn't happy with him when he banged a chip-shot field goal attempt off the goalpost in the playoff loss to the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts this postseason. Tynes' future with the Chiefs became tenuous when Kansas City drafted Justin Medlock of UCLA in the fifth round of the draft. Medlock led Division I-A kickers with 2.15 field goals per game.
The Giants sent a conditional 2008 draft choice to Kansas City on Tuesday to acquire veteran placekicker Lawrence Tynes. However, general manager Jerry Reese says the Chiefs can't bank on receiving that pick, which can be no higher than a sixth-rounder. Tynes, 29, will compete in training camp with first-year man Josh Huston to replace Jay Feely, who signed a free agent contract with Miami.
Although the Giants maintain it's an open competition between Tynes and Huston, it looks as if it's Tynes' job to lose. "We feel better about having a veteran kicker coming in and competing for the job," Reese said. "We're not bringing him in to give him the job. He has to earn it. We feel like we have a strong young guy vs. a veteran kicker, and the best kicker is going to win the job.
The Giants' trade for Tynes is their second of the offseason. On March 9, the Giants acquired running back Rueben Droughns from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for wide receiver Tim Carter. In 2005, Tyens was named AFC Special Team Player of the Week for after a game at Miami (10/21/05), in which he succeeded on attempts from 30, 51 and 52 yards to become just the second player in Chiefs history with two field goals of 50-plus yards in a single game.
Last season, Tynes again received AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after converting all three of his field goal attempts (45, 40 and 19 yards) and two PATS for 11 points, including a game-winning 19-yard field goal with 1:36 remaining, at Arizona on Oct. 8. Tynes, who turned 29 on May 3, is the first Scottish-born player in NFL history.

NFL News
The Super Bowl has been criticized for not having enough seats for regular fans to watch the NFL's biggest game. Thanks to the Dallas Cowboys, that shouldn't be a problem in 2011. NFL owners voted Tuesday to play the 2011 Super Bowl in the Cowboys' stadium in Arlington, a $1 billion stadium seating up to 100,000.
The NFL wants to take better care of players, both current and past, with a new system to encourage whistle-blowers protecting those with concussions and by working with other groups to coordinate medical care for retirees.

May 22 - Way back in 1953, they used a 27th-round pick on Rosie Brown, a tackle from Morgan State. Brown, one of the greatest offensive linemen in league history, is in the Hall of Fame. Homer Jones, still the last Giants wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl (in 1968) was a 20th-round selection from Texas Southern in 1953. More recently, linebacker Jessie Armstead was taken on the eighth round in 1993. He played in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1997-2001.
The 27th, 20th and eighth rounds are all extinct, but the Giants still search for high-quality players in the lower rounds of the draft. They think they might have found one last month in running back Ahmad Bradshaw, a seventh-round selection whose name was the 250th announced in a 255-player draft. Bradshaw, who entered the draft after his junior season, rushed for 2,987 yards (the fifth-highest total in school history), averaged 5.4 yards a carry and ran for 31 touchdowns at Marshall University. He also caught 86 passes and added another five scores.

NFL News
Owners looking to shorten NFL draft - The topic of trimming the current 15 minutes for a first-round selection and 10 during the second came up only days after the NFL endured its longest first round ever last month -- 6 hours, 8 minutes.
Owners to Decide on Site for Super Bowl - Tony Dungy has given lots of big talks, including one in February that turned out pretty well for his Colts. Now he hoped to persuade NFL owners to let Indianapolis host the 2011 Super Bowl.

May 21 - Special Report - Here's a thought, however unsettling. What if Jerry Reese was right all along with respect to the offensive left tackle position and in his confidence that left guard David Diehl can handle the transition? He has, in fact, played every offensive line position with the exception of center, and now that the Giants released veteran tackle Luke Petitgout, there is a yawning abyss at that position and no one with any real experience to fill it.
"It was a team decision," said Reese, the new general manager now successfully embarked on his first season out of the shadow of Ernie Accorsi, and that is all he would say, not choosing to comment on whether the release was due to Petitgout's health, injury history or financial drain on the team's payroll -- or, perhaps more likely, whether it was a combination of all of the above.

May 19 - Less than a month ago, Jerry Reese experienced his first NFL Draft as the Giants' general manager. Now Reese has hired someone to make that task easier in the future. Yesterday, Reese announced the hiring of Marc Ross as the Giants' director of college scouting. Ross, who has 11 years of NFL experience, comes to the Giants after three years as a college scout for the Buffalo Bills. He also spent seven years with the Philadelphia Eagles (1997-2004), where he became the league's youngest college scouting director in 2000 at 27 years old.
The director of player personnel title has been eliminated, but the basic duties fall to Ross, 34, the former Princeton receiver who has been in the NFL for 11 years. "We liked Marc's skill set," Reese said. "He has been a college scouting director. He was the youngest college director in the league when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles. So he understands the management and the dynamics of the department."
Reese, under the now nonexistent title of director of player personnel, did Ross' job for the last five years, including this spring when he also doubled as the GM. Veteran scout Jerry Shay will be Ross' top assistant, and Joe Collins, Jeremiah Davis and Steve Verderosa were all given the title of "executive scout." Other candidates vying for the job included Patriots scout Marvin Allen, Ravens scout Lionel Vital, Buccaneers scout Brian Gardner and Ken Sternfeld, the Giants' current assistant director of pro personnel.
With the Giants, Ross will head a department in which many scouts have been in place for years. But he has no trouble about being at the forefront of such a veteran staff. "That's no problem," Ross said. "I have been scouting in the league since I was 23. I have always had to work with older guys. I was a director at 27 and I had to work with older guys underneath me. If you treat people fairly and with respect and do you your job efficiently and do it well, then age shouldn't be a big factor." Because he is coming from the outside, Ross will deliver a fresh perspective to the scouting department and offer some new thoughts on how to proceed.

May 17 - The first regular-season NFL game outside North America is shaping up as a must-have ticket. The first 40,000 tickets for the Oct. 28 game between the Miami Dolphins and Giants at London's Wembley Stadium sold in 90 minutes Wednesday. The first batch of tickets went to fans in Britain and the rest of Europe selected randomly from registered ticket requests. Sales in the U.S. to Giants and Dolphins fans are expected to begin within a week. Further tickets will be released to fans in Britain next month.
Clearly, London is thrilled to be hosting the NFL and the Giants are excited to go there. Offensive lineman David Diehl and defensive end Osi Umemyiora attended the news conference. The trip will be especially meaningful for Umenyiora, who was born in the Golders Greene section of London, about three miles from Wembley. Umenyiora's family moved to Nigeria when he was seven and his only memory of London is that "it rained a lot." But he's looking forward to returning.

To get from Kennedy High School to his home on Paterson's North 8th Street each afternoon, Jarell Williams faces a human obstacle course. "He has to walk through crack-heads and drug dealers to get home," Kennedy football coach Ron Jackson said. "I just mind my business, and they mind theirs," said Williams, a 5-foot-8 wide receiver who led the state with 987 yards receiving in 2006. "I'm used to it now." Still, Williams says he has many friends who were great athletes, "or could have been great athletes, and now they're just not in school, or they're on the streets." The odds are against a young black male making it out of Paterson, into college and onward toward a successful life, but Williams was among more than 40 Kennedy and Eastside football players who on Wednesday got a glimpse into a potential better future.

May 16 - The interest in the Giants' game against the Miami Dolphins in London on Oct. 28 has been so great that the NFL is considering having each team play one international game every year. The topic of a potential 17th regular-season game, to be played in several international cities, may be discussed at the NFL's owners meeting in Nashville on Tuesday. And if it is, it's an idea Giants ownership is likely to support. The league has received more than half a million requests for the 90,000 tickets for the game at Wembley Stadium, far more than originally expected. (Approximately 5,000 of those tickets will be made available to Giants fans sometime next week.)
Giants fans interested in following their team across the Atlantic will be able to buy tickets next week for the Oct. 28 game against Miami in London. But like everything else with this new venture, this might be a trial-and-error process. Approximately 30,000 tickets went on sale today in the United Kingdom for the NFL's first regular-season venture outside North America, scheduled for 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium. That will start the first phase of the ticket sales, which will include about 5,000 tickets for the two teams participating. The Dolphins will get a few more since they gave up their home game to hold this international extravaganza and therefore have to deal with their season ticket holders.
Representatives from the Giants, the NFL and the city of London announced tickets will be available for sale in this area next week for the Oct. 28 Giants-Dolphins game at London's Wembley Stadium. Tickets will be made available locally through Giants.com and Big Blue Travel, which will offer two packages that include airfare, hotel, game ticket and more. The "Knight" package costs $2,400 while the "Crown Jewel" package will cost $4,800.

Shortly after New York Giants treasurer Jonathan Tisch said how "excited" he was to be part of the NFL's regular season foray into Europe, a reporter asked if he'd feel differently if the Giants -- not Miami -- sacrificed the home date to play abroad. Tisch paused, and we had our answer. It probably would've made the decision more difficult," Tisch said at a news conference to discuss the Oct. 28 game in London. Hurray for Tisch. At least the guy's honest.

According to ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., the Giants got a C- minus this year largely because, "I was surprised they didn't take left tackle Joe Staley, because they need someone who can protect Eli Manning's blind side." And USA Today's Tom Weir gave the Giants his lowest grade, one star, because, "Although Eli Manning lacks protection, the Giants ignored their OL needs." We could go on, but you get the picture. So does Giants lineman David Diehl, who started the last two games of the 2006 season at the pivotal left-tackle spot and appears to be the top candidate to protect Manning's blind side in 2007.

The search for a new director of player personnel could prompt the Giants to bring back one of their own. Greg Gabriel, a former longtime member of their scouting department, will interview today with new GM Jerry Reese, according to a published report. Since taking over for Ernie Accorsi, Reese not only added GM duties but continued to work at his previous role as head of player personnel. Reese opted to wear two hats to ensure a smooth transition for the NFL Draft. Gabriel, the Bears' director of college scouting for the past six years, spent 16 years (1985-2001) with the Giants, deeply involved in scouting as director of player development. Gabriel worked alongside Reese and certainly is well-versed in the inner-workings of the Giants' operation. .

May 15 - Long before he was an NFL head coach, Tom Coughlin worked with receivers. So he knows the sound a perfectly cradled pass makes. "You can tell a lot about a guy catching a ball," Coughlin said. "I want to hear that nice, soft poof. I don't want to hear a whack against the palm of a hand or the ball going against the fence." The Giants' rookie minicamp concluded Monday at Giants Stadium after Coughlin and his staff had a chance to observe 50 players, including eight draft picks. And what he seemed to like most about receiver Steve Smith, a second-round pick from Southern California, was the muffled noise when the ball reached his hands. "He sounded good," Coughlin said. "He was solid."
Smith knows exactly what Coughlin wants to hear and see. He's played for a coach who says similar things -- former Jets and Patriots coach Pete Carroll, who has restored USC to a national powerhouse. Not only that, Smith has played the last four seasons in a high-flying, high-scoring offense. Perhaps, then, he'll be able to make the transition to the NFL more easily than the average rookie. "I think it helps me a little bit, definitely," he said. "With the pro style of offense that we had, it makes it a little easier for me running the plays and things like that. But definitely it's a new level, it's a new speed."
Many veterans were at the stadium yesterday for individual workouts and weight lifting while the rookies were on the field. But there was no sign of tight end Jeremy Shockey, who trains in Miami during much of the off-season. Voluntary organized team activities begin one week from today with the mandatory veteran minicamp scheduled for the middle of next month. Coughlin said the team has averaged 62 veterans per day in the workouts with a single-day high of 65 -- a total he believed to be an "all-time high" in his stint as coach.

Now that he has been drafted by the New York Giants, Adam Koets is putting his thrill-seeking on hold. The parachutes, bungee cords, skis, surfboards and skateboards are being put in the closet. The offensive tackle from Oregon State is going to keep the piano around, just in case he gets bored. "I'll pretty much try anything once," the sixth-round draft pick said at a Giants minicamp. "If I like it, I'll keep to it." Koets is somewhat of a question mark looking toward next season. His credentials are impressive. He started 37 straight games at left tackle for the Beavers over the past three seasons, playing against some of the top defensive linemen in the Pacific-10 Conference.

Of all the players Tom Coughlin saw fit to single out following yesterday's morning rookie mini-camp practice, he first mentioned Ahmad Bradshaw, a running back from Marshall. "He had a noticeable morning," Coughlin said. Attracting attention for his work on the field is what Bradshaw desperately needs in order to stick on the Giants roster, coming from where he is as a seventh-round draft choice. Already, Bradshaw has gained notoriety for the wrong reasons, as the Giants selected him despite a criminal rap sheet that clearly made him drop on draft boards like a rock in a pond.
Ahmad Bradshaw knew the questions would come on Saturday, his first day on the field as a pro football player. Not football questions, but questions about character, that new NFL buzzword. The 21-year-old running back answered them all Saturday, and again yesterday. But this time there were more football questions, more questions about his future rather than his past, because the seventh-round pick, No. 250 out of 255 selected two weeks ago, might have made the biggest impact of any player at the Giants' rookie minicamp.

When Shockey joined the Giants as a first-round draft choice in 2002, he was brash, cocky and outspoken. Shockey was a Pro Bowl player that first season (and three times since that year), but he arguably received more attention for the sometimes outrageous statements he made, the company he kept and the parties he attended. It's safe to say Kevin Boss will never appear in a gossip-page photograph with Tara Reid. He is the anti-Shockey, reserved and soft-spoken.

The Giants have been waiting to see whether Josh Huston can handle the placekicking duties. But they are just going to have to wait a little longer. Huston was supposed to participate in the Giants' rookie minicamp, which concluded Monday at Giants Stadium. But a week ago he began feeling a pain in the stomach area that at times, he said, felt like a stabbing. He was diagnosed the next morning with appendicitis and underwent laparoscopic surgery later that day. He was on the field for the Saturday and Monday workouts, but only watched as rookie free agent Marc Hickok handled the kicking.

May 14 - Of all the rookies set to infiltrate Giants training camp in Al bany this summer, Steve Smith is poised to outshine them all. Count on it. On the first day of rookie minicamp Saturday, Smith, with every step and each catch, soared above the other 50 players, the vast majority of whom will never play a single down for the Giants or don the uniform again after today's camp finale. This indeed was Smith's official introduction to the NFL, but no one can ever say he hasn't been fully versed in what to expect.
Amani Toomer's age (33) and health (recovering from ACL surgery) were two reasons why general manager Jerry Reese chose Smith with the 51st pick, but they weren't the only reasons. The Giants' passing attack has added weapons in each of the past three offseasons - the signing of Plaxico Burress in 2005, then the drafting of Sinorice Moss in the second round in 2006 - but it will never be a bigger factor than in the coming season. Smith matched up with first-round pick Aaron Ross in several plays and drills, and Smith got the better of the former Texas cornerback a few times.

Aaron Ross plays cornerback -- a position at which the Giants need immediate help. And he's a first-round pick, so all eyes were on him two days ago for the start of this year's rookie minicamp. So that's why every time he missed a jam on a receiver, got beat to the outside for a completion, committed a pass-interference penalty and bobbled a punt, it seemed like a pressing crisis. But before anyone in this age of instant analysis labels Ross a first-round bust, consider that the first regular-season game is five months away. And cut the 24-year-old former Texas Longhorn a break, as he's just learning some new terminology.
Aaron Ross (6 feet 1, 193 pounds) was likely the third-best corner in the draft. "He has size. He has speed. He fits our scheme," GM Jerry Reese said. "He has long arms and can battle big receivers. And he can play the press coverage our coordinator thinks we're likely going to use more of this season." Said Ross: "I feel like I can make plays. If I'm around the ball, it's going to happen. I feel that's why they [drafted] me. I'm not nervous at all. This is what we do for a living. I have a great opportunity in front of me. I'm out here with the guys. I just want to stand up."

For Ryan Grant it was more than a year since he'd been on a practice field, dating to last year's Giants rookie minicamp. After missing all of last season, the former Don Bosco star finds himself with a golden opportunity in the team's revised running back plans. He is participating in this year's camp with the knowledge there is a need for a third back behind Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns. And with James Sims cut last week, the options appear to be down to three: oft-injured veteran Derrick Ward, first-year man Grant and seventh-round draft pick Ahmad Bradshaw. Ideally that No. 3 guy also could serve as a third-down back.