Mar 31 Carolina will visit Giants Stadium for the ESPN Monday night game Aug. 17, while the Giants will make trips to Chicago in Week 2 as well as for their annual preseason-ending game against the Patriots in Foxboro, Mass., in Week 4. Only dates for the nationally televised exhibition games have been announced. The Giants will play their final preseason game at Giants Stadium against the Jets in Week 3 of the 2009 exhibition schedule.
Because the Giants and Panthers will be the last teams in the NFL to play preseason games, they'll also have the latest opening to their training camps. Teams are not allowed to start camp more than 15 days before the first preseason game, which means Giants players will likely be required to arrive in Albany on Aug. 1.

Unable to strike a plea deal for Plaxico Burress in time for Tuesday morning's hearing, the receiver's lawyer will instead seek a delay of game. Attorney Benjamin Brafman told the Daily News that Tuesday morning's appearance in a Manhattan courtroom "will involve an adjournment only." And while postponing the proceedings to a later date could simply be a move to buy time to strike a deal, Brafman cautioned, "It is merely an adjournment. Do not read into it beyond that."
Burress, 31, has not appeared in court since Dec. 1, when he was arraigned on gun possession charges filed after he accidentally shot himself with an unlicensed gun Nov. 29 at the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan. That crime carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 3-1/2 years upon conviction. After Burress' arrest, Mayor Bloomberg fulminated, "It would be an outrage if we didn't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

Former prosecutor Randy M. Mastro, a deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani, said Burress' case was going to be "a close call." Burress has not spoken publicly about why he was carrying a gun, but some have speculated it was for safety reasons after teammate Steve Smith was robbed at gunpoint three days earlier. Mastro said that would make for a "compelling story." "He has a story to tell the courts that is more sympathetic than the typical gun possession charge," Mastro said. The 31-year-old wide receiver, who caught the winning touchdown pass in the Giants' 2008 Super Bowl victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, has no criminal record. The gun he was carrying had a Florida license that only recently expired; it wasn't licensed in New York.
Prosecutors commonly offer reduced charges in gun possession cases, taking into consideration things like a defendant’s criminal history, the reason for carrying the gun and the circumstances surrounding an arrest. In Mr. Burress’s case, prosecutors may consider that he had been cooperative and that he did not appear to have a dubious motive in carrying the gun. The weapon was licensed in Florida, but the permit had expired when Mr. Burress was arrested. Even if the permit were still valid, he would not have been allowed to carry the weapon in New York because the permit was from out of state. Other mitigating factors might be that the gun appeared to go off by accident, and that Mr. Burress was the only person injured in the shooting, which occurred at the Latin Quarter nightclub.

Plaxico Burress is telling teammates and front-office officials he’s a changed Giant, a humbled 31-year-old ready to grow up at last. That’s until he’s reinstated, scores a few touchdowns, basks in the cheers of a forgiving crowd and remembers just how little use he always had for Tom Coughlin’s rules. Burress has proved he can’t be trusted, and that his team-first words don’t mean any more than Jeremy Shockey’s did. And yet Giants GM Jerry Reese is on record saying, “If things work out and [Burress] is onboard with what we want coming back, we’d love to have him back.”
Giants general manager Jerry Reese has said the team has two plans: one to move forward with Burress and one without him. According to a source, the team's position in light of the adjournment is unchanged. "We're waiting and seeing," the source said. Burress is also scheduled for a hearing in a grievance against the Giants tomorrow over $1 million that was owed to him as an installment of his signing bonus in December. The Giants did not pay that money. E-mails to an NFLPA spokesman were not returned last night, and it is unclear if the adjournment of the legal hearing will impact the grievance hearing.

There's a reason the gun laws in New York were written the way they are - to ensure that people who shouldn't have guns don't have them. Plaxico Burress, nervous, fumbling and ultimately self-destructive with a gun in his hand, fits comfortably into that category, too. He strutted into that nightclub like some character out of "Scarface." He was wheeled out like some fool in "The Pink Panther." When his case is finally resolved, he'd better not walk out of that courthouse as if he's Michael Corleone - free, unpunished, and in his mind, vindicated once again.

NFL News
Commissioner Roger Goodell says that Mike Vick must show remorse if he wants to play again. And you know what? Eventually somebody is going to sign him, because he is still young and it is impossible to believe that two years away from football have robbed him of all his talent. There was talk that the 49ers were interested and that the Bears might be interested. They should at least be curious about what Vick still has, the way the Jets should be.
NFL RB Ryan Moats accepts officer's apology. He accepts the apology offered by a Dallas police officer who stopped him with a drawn gun in a hospital parking lot while his mother-in-law was dying inside.

Mar 30 Giants, 2009 Draft Countdown, 29th Pick. The Giants were able to maintain their N.F.C. East lead after losing Plaxico Burress in late November, but it was clear through the last month of the season and the the divisional round loss to Philadelphia that an upgrade was needed over the current corps of receivers.

Justin Tuck made the Pro Bowl and was voted first team All-Pro last season, but by the time the playoffs arrived in January, he was not the same player he was in November. His foot ached, his knee ached, his body was worn out by constant double-teams and his sacks just about disappeared. Now the rich men who own NFL teams want to get richer and are expected to vote in May to increase the 16-game regular season to either 17 or 18 games for the 2011 season.

Mar 28 Almost all of the PSLs for the Giants' new stadium at the Meadowlands have been sold. The Giants announced that because of the relatively quick sale and brisk construction, PSL holders will be told of their actual seat locations by the fall, a full year before any games are played at the still unnamed facility. Ticket holders were originally promised to know their seat locations by the spring of 2010.

Plaxico Burress is expected to appear in Manhattan criminal court Tuesday morning for a pre-trial hearing. So far, no plea arrangement has been reached. "Stay tuned," a source close to the case said Thursday. The most common way to avoid the three-and-half years mandatory minimum sentence is to get the charge lowered to a third-degree possession. But the process of returning to the team fold will involve much more than what happens in court. If and when his case is resolved, Burress would then face a possible fine or suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Mar 27 According to a report, Plaxico Burress' lawyer has talked to the Manhattan district attorney's office in an attempt to enter a plea on behalf of the troubled Giants wide receiver.

The economy must not be that bad. Giants Stadium LLC announced Thursday that it has sold all personal seat licenses (PSLs) for non-club seats in the Giants’ new stadium at the Meadowlands. More than 70,000 PSLs have been sold in fewer than eight months since the offering was made to season-ticket holders and wait-list members.

Mar 26 The new locker room layout - Rocky Bernard was given Amani Toomer's old locker, which is right across the way from Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka and next to Mario Manningham. In fact, that row of lockers used to be "Receivers Road" with Toomer, Manningham, Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith. Now it's "Receivers and Rocky Road."

With receiver Plaxico Burress due in court next Tuesday, Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday that he had not thought about whether he would want Burress back if he is not sent to prison on a weapons charge. Coughlin conceded that the Giants' offense sputtered terribly during the late-season slide after Burress was suspended. "There's no doubt a player of that ability level is going to be missed," Coughlin said. "It was very upsetting. Especially when you have a great sense of team. The phrases we use - I really believe they buy into that stuff - ‘Don't let the other guys down.’ Here is a situation where guys were let down."

If Roger Goodell took a vote today on the expansion of the NFL's regular season, it might be 31-1 in favor of more games. The one dissenting vote would come from the Giants, who are concerned about player safety. Not only is Mara in the minority, but he said, "We're the only ones" who like things the way the season has been structured since it was increased from 14 games to 16 in 1978.
There are several hurdles before the league can expand its regular season from 16 to 17 or 18 games. Among them is reaching a new collective bargaining agreement with the players' union. Still, the commissioner hopes to present a proposal to the owners in May after the matter was discussed at length this week at the owners meetings.

Former Giants
Steve Spagnuolo's expertise, obviously, is defense. As he looked at Rams game film from last season, Spagnuolo didn't cover his eyes and wonder: "What have I gotten myself into?" Believe it or not, Spagnuolo was pleasantly surprised with some of what he saw.

Mar 25 Don't like the Giants playing on Thanksgiving Day? It was pointed out by long time loyal fan Jim C., that Lawrence Taylor (who is currently dancing with the stars) once turned in one of his finest performances on a Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions. Nov. 25, 1982. Linebacker Lawrence Taylor broke open a kicking contest on Thanksgiving Day with a dramatic interception at the New York three-yard line, giving the Giants a 13-6 victory. He returned it all the way for the winning score with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Years later Joe Morris recalled that day. ''I remember Thanksgiving Day in 1982,'' said Morris, ''when L. T. had an injured foot and they told him he couldn't play against the Detroit Lions. And he didn't start. But he got in the game and intercepted a pass and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown, and we won, 13-6. So don't count him out this week."
You'll definitely want to read how ESPN Insider KC Joyner ESPN Insider writes it up. "Taylor had suffered a knee injury the previous week. Not only did he not start the game against the Lions, but he also missed much of the first half. It was an ugly affair with little offense, but Detroit was able to scrape out a 6-0 halftime lead. The Giants needed something to get them back in the contest, so LT went on a rampage on the first four drives of the second half."

* Taylor tells of his life from a small town in Virginia to becoming the most dominant defensive player of all time	* Through a record ten straight All-Pro seasons, LT led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories	* Never before seen photos * Includes LT, a 60-minute NFL Film highlighting his greatest hits and interviews

When Brandon Jacobs calls Plaxico Burress these days, he's never sure what he'll get on the other end of the phone. With six days to go before Burress' scheduled hearing regarding two felony weapons charges, Jacobs said his friend has his ups and his downs.
Plaxico Burress doesn't know whether his future lies on the field or behind bars, and the Giants are preparing for either possibility. Depending on what happens in his Manhattan Criminal Court appearance on two felony counts of gun possession next Tuesday, the Giants' offense could be facing some major adjustments.
"When you've got 3-1/2 years of your life and you don't know where you're going to live them, it can get a little scary," running back Brandon Jacobs said Tuesday. "Being in that situation can be hard. Someone who hasn't been in that situation before doesn't know what it's like. There are ups and there are downs."
Osi Umenyiora is just an optimist, and he believes after talking to legal experts that Burress will be playing for the Giants next season. He hasn't even considered the alternative, a mandatory minimum of 3-1/2 years in prison if Burress is not able to plead to a lesser charge and is convicted of the felony.
As the Giants continue their offseason workout program, Burress' nameplate remains on his locker, which is filled with football shoes and clothes. His uncertain status is hovering over the organization. GM Jerry Reese repeatedly has maintained he'd welcome back Burress as long as the player is free of legal problems and adheres to strict guidelines regarding behavior.

On the first day of the Giants' offseason workouts, Osi Umenyiora walked into the weight room and told Justin Tuck he's stronger than him. "Right now, he is. But if you think about it he's had six months of training," Tuck said Tuesday. "I've been beat up for the last six months."
Looking at Umenyiora, there is no doubt that he's happy to be back at work. The defensive end tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee in a preseason game against the Jets, sidelining him for the year. He said Tuesday his knee is at 99 percent and he will be ready for the start of training camp in July. Surprisingly, Umenyiora said the injury was not something new. It had been bothering him for two years and finally gave out in the exhibition game in August.

Taye Biddle was at Giants Stadium Tuesday along with his teammates at off-season workouts. He's not quite fully recovered from what appears to have been a random shooting in January. But Biddle is here, working out and battling the physical and emotional scars of the shooting.

Hard to believe, but David Tyree hasn't played since he made the unforgettable ball-to-helmet catch to set up the Giants' winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII. He hurt his knee during offseason training a year ago, underwent surgery and spent the 2008 season on the physically unable to perform list and then injured reserve. Tyree is healthy now and the seven-year veteran is looking forward to resuming his duties at wide receiver and on special teams.

NFL News
NFL owners passed four player safety rules for next season Tuesday and adjusted the calls on the kind of tackle that injured Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the 2008 opener.
NFL hires Washington lobbyist - The league is concerned that if a work stoppage affects the 2011 season it will draw unwanted interest from lawmakers.

Mar 24 Giants will visit Broncos on Thanksgiving night. They will face the Broncos on Thanksgiving night, Nov. 26, in Denver. It's only the third Thanksgiving game for the Giants since 1938. They beat the Lions, 13-6, in 1982. The NFL yesterday announced a handful of nationally televised games, including a Thanksgiving tripleheader. After the Lions host the Packers and the Raiders visit the Cowboys, Giants-Broncos is set for an 8:20 kickoff on the NFL Network.
The Giants are expected to have as many as five prime-time games, the rest of which will be announced when the league releases its entire schedule in April. This, however, is their first Thanksgiving matchup since Nov. 26, 1992, when the Giants lost at Dallas 30-3, and only the fourth in their history.

Unsure of Plaxico Burress' availability for the 2009 season, the Giants attempted to replace him with Cleveland's Braylon Edwards. Giants GM Jerry Reese inquired about the Browns' 26-year-old receiver at the NFL scouting combine last month, a league source confirmed, and Reese hasn't ruled out pursuing him again. Cleveland Browns GM George Kokinis confirmed to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer that the Giants have asked about Edwards, but said the talks didn't get very far.

The Giants, who already have more draft picks than they really need, have been awarded another one. The NFL announced that the Giants were awarded a third-round compensatory pick - No. 100 overall. They earned it by virtue of a complicated and mysterious formula that takes into account free agents signed last spring, free agents lost, and the impacts those players had on their teams.

NFL News
The Steelers get their opening-night showcase as Super Bowl champions. The oldest rivalry in football has a first-week renewal in prime time. An old AFL-style doubleheader closes out the weekend. That's how the NFL will begin the 2009 season, starting with as juicy a matchup as possible: Pittsburgh hosting the Tennessee Titans, who merely had the league's best record in 2008 and who beat the Steelers 31-14 in the 15th game of the season.

Mar 23 If Plaxico Burress doesn't get thrown in jail on gun charges, the Giants have decided to give him another chance, GM Jerry Reese told the Daily News at the league meetings Sunday. Reese, who said the legal process is what's most important for Burress now, said he and Tom Coughlin and the rest of the organization are "on board" with the plan to allow Burress to return as long as he agrees to play by the same rules as the other players on the team. That means showing up on time, not skipping treatment sessions and being responsible.

The Giants reportedly pursued a trade with the Browns for their top wide receiver, Braylon Edwards. The Giants offered the Browns the two draft picks they received from the Saints last year in exchange for TE Jeremy Shockey: a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder. The Browns countered by asking for WR Steve Smith. The Giants said no. The Giants then offered either of two other WRs: Domenik Hixon or Mario Manningham. The Browns said no. The talks died down after that last exchange, though they could pick up at draft time.

Giants President John Mara has for several years been a member of the NFL's competition committee, which oversees player safety and competitive issues and suggests rules changes. The committee made a unanimous recommendation to reduce the size of the wedge and eliminate "bunch" formations on onside kickoffs. Did the studies indicate that there are a disproportionate number of injuries on kickoffs? Mara: "Yes. There are more injuries per kickoff play than are on other plays."

NFL News
Overtime isn't likely to be discussed at the league meetings that began Sunday after the NFL competition committee came up with no proposals to change it. The players themselves support the current system - coin flip and all - so the owners will consider other issues: rules changes regarding player safety; the collective bargaining agreement with the players; and the state of the economy.

Mar 20 A season-ticket holder for the Jets and Giants is suing both National Football League franchises for what he calls their "unconscionable" ticket-pricing programs at the new, shared stadium in the Meadowlands. Harold Oshinsky - who has six seats in Section 130 for Giants games and four seats in Section 131 for Jets games - alleges that the resale value of the PSLs are overrated by the teams. He points to the uncertainty of future ticket prices, which now approach $100 per game even for the least desirable seats.
Oshinsky, who is from Long Island but now lives in Delray Beach, Fla., has bought season tickets for both Jets' and Giants' home games since 1984. His six Giants seats and four Jets seats are in the lower level near midfield and between rows 8 and 20. In the new stadium, Oshinsky's seats fall into the premiere "Coaches Club" section, where so-called personal seat licenses are selling for $20,000 to $26,000 a seat.

One of the big question marks for Giants fans this offseason is: Who is Bill Sheridan? The new defensive coordinator has never run a unit - he’s always been a position coach - and spent most of his career in the college ranks before landing with the Giants four years ago. So who is he? "One of the most intelligent football minds I’ve been around," Danny Clark said when he spoke to Newsday last week.

Mar 19 Giants Team needs: Receiver, tight end, safety.
The Giants will have a lot better feel for the draft once Plaxico Burress has his day in court. If Burress has to spend time behind bars, there's a good chance the team goes after a wide receiver with the No. 29 pick. And they may take a receiver even if Burress avoids jail time.
Percy Harvin, the dynamic Florida receiver who doubled as a running back, will be in New Jersey Thursday for a private workout with the Giants. The 5-11, 195-pound Harvin, who did everything but run the 40 at his Pro Day Wednesday, said the Giants wanted him for a "special teams" workout.

NFL News
Even though nearly half of last season's overtime games ended with the team winning the coin toss scoring on its first possession, the NFL will not make any adjustment to its rules for the 2009 season.

Mar 18 The Giants’ strategy during this off-season has been to shore up needs where possible with veteran players and then concentrate solely on the draft to provide the rest of the solutions. A recent Las Vegas contact showed that the Giants are 2-1 favorites to win the NFC championship and 3-1 to win the Super Bowl. The Giants, a quality team well before the 2009 season starts, will need some help on offense, especially if Pistol Plax is legally gunned down. If he is unavailable to them, for whatever reason, he’ll join the list that includes last season’s other starter, unrestricted free agent Amani Toomer, a 13-year who has not been offered a contract.

Mar 17 Justin Tuck had just finished lifting the first weights of the 2009 season when he put a few more pounds on what he expects the Giants to carry this year. Asked if he felt the Giants are "the team to beat" when the season kicks off in September, he didn't hesitate.
"The players here and the coaching staff," Tuck said of his rationale. "The experience, we have been there and done it. We know what it takes to get there. No one can deny that the team we had last year was headed that way until we got some injuries here and there, along with distractions. All of that happens for a reason. On paper I think the team to beat is definitely us."
The Giants gave Tuck and new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan - the latter replacing Steve Spagnulolo, who left to be the Rams head coach - reinforcements by adding defensive lineman Chris Canty, defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, linebacker Michael Boley and safety C.C. Brown. With DE Osi Umenyiora looking good coming back from knee surgery, the Giants' defensive line could be the best in the NFL in Mathias Kiwanuka, Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield, Canty, Bernard and Jay Alford.
The two new faces and the one familiar mug promise to make Tuck's 2009 season a little less strenuous than his 2008 ordeal. The Giants' Pro Bowl defensive lineman finished the season with foot, knee and shoulder injuries that severely hampered him down the stretch. With Umenyiora sidelined and Michael Strahan off to a TV booth, there was no depth along the defensive line that the team enjoyed on its run to the Super Bowl XLII title the year before.

In two weeks, Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress is due in court for illegal gun possession charges. But he won't be at Giants Stadium in the meantime, as he wasn't among the 59 players coach Tom Coughlin expected at the first day of the team's offseason conditioning program Monday. "You all know the legal process is forthcoming, and pretty much, that's where we are," Coughlin said on a conference call with reporters Monday. "I don't have anything new to report."
Even if Burress is acquitted, the NFL could decide to suspend him or the Giants might decide that they have had enough of a talented player who has been fined dozens of times for various team violations. Burress was suspended for a game early last season for missing a team meeting. He sat out the final four for conduct detrimental to the team. Unfortunately for the Giants, they were 11-1 with Burress on the team and 1-4 in the final five, losing to Philadelphia in the NFC semifinal. Without Burress, the offense lost its only deep threat and became predictable.

NFL News
DeMaurice Smith, the new executive director of the NFL Players Association, set the agenda for his administration on its two key problems on his first day on the job. He wants to settle the collective bargaining issue quickly but is ready to go to "war" with the owners, and he says there is a "moral obligation" to take care of retired players.

Mar 15 Giants' Danny Clark brings, gets cheer on troops visit. - Danny Clark was crossing the street when a passing car screeched to a stop. Out jumped a man Clark had known years earlier; they were friends in Jacksonville when Clark, now a linebacker for the Giants, was playing for the Jaguars. They embraced, having not seen each other for six years. The encounter would have been interesting but shruggable had it occurred in New York or Chicago or even Florida. That it took place last week at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait - the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East - made it remarkable.
It wasn't only the enthusiasm of the men and women that surprised Clark, but the atmosphere. Perhaps from hearing stories his brothers shared about combat and perhaps because of media coverage, he had expected to spend his time there dodging explosions. That wasn't the case. "I thought it was going to be like in 2003 when it was in the thick of things," he said. "That's when the war was in full throttle. But it's so not like what the TV portrays. I didn't hear one gunshot, one bomb, no conflict whatsoever."

As the Giants are eating through years of previously stagnant ticket waiting lists, desperate to find suckers to purchase personal seat licenses in time for next year's scheduled opening of the Giants' and Jets' PSL Stadium, two- and three-generation ticket holders - loyal good times/bad times patrons - are being displaced, priced out, tossed out. In recent weeks, folks who were on that list for just a few years have zoomed to its top as the Giants desperately troll for the toughest folks to find - fools with money - to pay the mortgage on their new, 200-luxury-suite-lined ballpark.

NFL News
The 32 team player representatives are in Maui for their annual meeting this weekend and Sunday are scheduled to elect Gene Upshaw's successor as the NFL Players Association executive director from four candidates.

Mar 13 Perhaps responding to the recession and their ill-received personal seat license plan, the Giants will not raise ticket prices for the first time since the 2000 season. The NFC East champion Giants - whose average ticket price is $91.10, ranking 12th among the NFL's 32 teams last season - will host five 2008 playoff teams this season, including conference finalists Arizona and Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta, Carolina and San Diego. The Giants will also host NFC East rivals Dallas and Washington, as well as Oakland.
About three-quarters of NFL teams are freezing ticket prices, the league has said, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. The league in November lowered the price of playoff tickets an average of 10 percent in response to "the economic challenges facing fans."
The Giants’ ticket prices for the 2009 season will be as follows:
* Sections 301-308, 314-328 and 334-340 will be $80 per seat.
* Sections 309-313, 329-333, as well as 101-107, 115-127 and 135-140 will be $85 a seat.
* Sections 108, 114, 128 and 134 will be $90 per seat.
* Seats in sections 109, 113, 129 and 133 will be $95 apiece.
* Sections 110, 111, 112, 130, 131 and 132 will be $100 per seat.
* Mezzanine seats will be $105.

Join the Giants on Draft Day, Saturday, April 25th at Giants Stadium from 1 PM - 5 PM for the 2009 Fanfest, presented by Verizon Wireless! Take a tour of the Giants Locker Room and Press Box where some of the coaches sit during the game, autograph and photo opportunities, face painting, past Giants season Highlights streaming within the Stadium, Giants inflatables and much more! Tickets were listed as $25 per adult and $20 for kids 17 and under.

The latest blip on the Plaxico Burress radar of legal issues comes from four traffic tickets issued to the Giants receiver in Florida earlier this month. The March 1 incident, reported on TMZ.com, resulted in violations for speeding (60 in a 45), improper display of tags, improper lane change and improper window tinting.

Mar 12 Justin Tuck's reaction to his team's free-agency game plan was just about the same as everyone else's. "Who knew our D-line needed that much rehauling?" the All-Pro defensive end asked with a grin last night. He was referring to the signings this month of tackles Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, which left the Giants with perhaps the deepest defensive line in the league. It.

For years, it has been among the most formidable fortresses in fandom: The Giants' season-ticket waiting list, in which the climb to the top unfolded in painstakingly slow, multigenerational motion. In the past seven weeks, though, that wall quickly has been dismantled, startling fans who assumed they had years or decades more to wait. As the Giants sell what is left of their personal seat license inventory for the new stadium opening next year, they have reached deeply into their reservoir of potentially interested buyers. How deeply? Down to about 25,000th and counting - with PSLs in four sections still available.

Former Giants
Jim Fassel has finally landed a head coaching job again after striking out in the last six NFL hiring cycles. Fassel was named Wednesday as the head coach of the Las Vegas team in the new four-team United Football League that will play a six-game season beginning the first week of October this year.
Tiki Barber and Lawrence Taylor bothwork with Mark Lepselter, who has made a name for himself in the sports marketing business. It began with an invitation in 1990 to manage LT's, a just-opened restaurant on Route 17 in East Rutherford that was part-owned by Taylor.

Mar 11 It was Manning Day in Mississippi. Legislators took time out of their schedules to give special recognition to Archie and Olivia Manning and their three sons at the state capitol. The Senate passed resolutions honoring the family and spent time with Archie and his youngest son, Giants quarterback Eli, during a reception. Neither Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts nor his mother could make the event.

The Giants showed little or no interest in pursuing their own unrestricted free agent, safety James Butler, even though he was a starter the past two seasons. As a result, Butler last night did the expected and, according to reports, agreed to a four-year, $17 million deal with the Rams, who are now coached by Steve Spagnuolo, Butler's former defensive coordinator with the Giants.
Butler is expected to become the starting safety immediately. Butler has spent the past four seasons with the New York Giants including being a starter in Super Bowl XLI. This signing now pushes the Rams close to the max on the signing cap. It appears that Torry Holt will be released in the next few days so that will free some space.

Convincing loyal fans to pay thousands of dollars just for the right to buy tickets to Giants games has been much easier and more pleasant than Steve Tisch could have expected. The Giants co-owner said today that the response from fans to the team’s sale of Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) for the new Meadowlands stadium has been "fantastic" and the expected public backlash has been non-existent despite PSL prices as high as $20,000 per seat. "I've not heard anybody complaining," Tisch said at a ceremony to place the final steel beam atop the new stadium. "No one is upset. No one is saying 'This is wrong. This is unfair.' In fact, just the opposite."
The construction workers began placing steel at the site approximately 18 months ago. Today, they've put about 26,000 tons of steel up in the air, including about 15,000 different pieces. It is kept together with 420,000 bolts. "The most important people today are the construction workers who got us to this stage." Woody Johnson, the owner of the Jets said.

Stadium News
At this time a year ago, the Jets and Giants could have imagined a large corporate logo - symbolic of a naming-rights deal worth at least $30 million annually - adorning a 40-foot steel beam raised today in their stadium topping-off ceremony. Instead, a nondescript NMS - for "New Meadowlands Stadium" - was featured on a ceremonial steel football that is attached to the beam.
The Giants' new offices and training facility in one corner of the property are nearly completed, and the team expects to move into them this spring. Although the Giants have committed to holding their training camp in Albany again this summer, Tisch suggested that the team could hold its entire preseason camp at the new complex as early as 2010. - Photos

Mar 10 The Giants begin their offseason workout program on Monday and, as a player under contract, Plaxico Burress is eligible to attend the "voluntary program". However, Burress usually prefers to work out on his own in Miami, and several team sources have said they do not expect Burress to change those plans now.

Mar 8 Danny Clark has twin brothers who have served time in Iraq and Afghanistan as members of the Air Force and Marines. Now, the Giants' starting strongside linebacker has a chance to follow in their footsteps - at least a little. Clark has arrived in Iraq as part of the NFL's USO Tour, where he'll spend a week visiting U.S. military bases in both Iraq and Kuwait. He has been joined on the tour by Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen and Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon.
Giants LB Danny Clark is over in the Persian Gulf with the NFL-USO Tour.

In 2007 the Giants led the league with 53 sacks. Last year, they finished 6th best in the league with 42. The drop had everything to do with personnel. Jerry Reese tried to fix that in free agency this year. Chris Canty was the big ticket item and provides similar versatility to Justin Tuck. He played end in a 3-4 defense for Dallas, making him a bit of a hybrid and giving him the ability to play both inside as a tackle and as a rusher off the edge.

Michael Vick throwing to Plaxico Burress, Terrell Owens and Marvin Harrison would have been unstoppable a few years ago, especially with Vick's ability to run the ball. But now? Vick is getting out of jail in the next few months, Burress could be going to jail, T.O. just got cut by the Cowboys and banished to Buffalo after destroying his third team and Harrison faces declining skills and no market.

NFC East News
How rough waves and chilly waters ended three football players' lives. Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, Lions free agent defensive tackle Corey Smith and former University of South Florida players Schuyler and Bleakley hopped aboard a 21-foot Everglades 211 CC deep-vee offshore boat at dawn for a deep sea fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico.

Mar 6 With Plaxico Burress in legal trouble, and with Laveranues Coles now in Cincinnati, New York's teams could be in the market for a No.1 wide receiver. But that doesn't mean the Terrell Owens circus is coming to town. The Giants and Jets are in agreement: N-O on T.O.
N.O. ruined the Cowboys. They didn't win a damn thing with the guy. They didn't even make the playoffs last year. He drove Jeff Garcia mad in San Francisco. Then Donovan McNabb mad in Philadelphia. Finally, Tony Romo mad in Dallas. Along with Jason Witten and Jason Garrett.
By 11 a.m. yesterday, the Giants and Jets had sent out word that T.O. was No Go. Shortly thereafter, the Falcons, Redskins, Ravens, Vikings, Titans, 49ers, Chiefs, Browns and Dolphins hopped onto the Just Say No bandwagon. Oh, and the Eagles were not interested, either, having already experienced a locker-room implosion at the hands of the temperamental star.
When the Cowboys wash their hands of someone - and take a $9 million salary cap hit in the process - you know the guy is bad news. Owens would be the physical presence the Giants lack without Burress, but Burress is an Eagle Scout compared to the combustible Owens. Plus, at 35 years old he's on the downside of his career. He dropped more passes in 2008 than any receiver in the league and caught only 69, although he did average 15.2 yards per reception and had 10 touchdowns.

Skins, Giants to battle for Owens. It's the Redskins and the Giants, we (PFT) predict, who could be vying for his services. The Giants learned the hard way late last year that having a receiver who can draw double coverage is far more important than having two running backs who can gain 1,000 yards each. Sure, they were burned by Plaxico Burress, and on the surface they might not be interested in signing a guy like Owens, who has been a problem in the past - and that's an understatement. But, frankly, the Giants didn't bat an eye about signing defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, despite the fact that he flies the only red flag T.O. doesn't: a criminal record. And New York admittedly chased defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who likes his cars fast and his cleats sharp.

Former Giants
Michael Strahan likes to keep really close track of his women. When the gap-toothed ex-Giant suspected his longtime girlfriend of cheating, he put a tracking device in her car - and went ballistic when she found it, sources told The Post.
Not only did gap-toothed snoop Michael Strahan buy a tracking device to tail his unsuspecting girlfriend, he upgraded to a system that let him disable her ignition and lock her out of the car if he didn't like what she was doing, sources told The Post yesterday.

Mar 5 The Giants have signed a fourth defensive addition during the free-agency period, agreeing to a one-year contract with former Texans starting safety C.C. Brown yesterday. The move fills a vacancy on the roster where only two safeties remained from the 2008 team. James Butler, a starter for the Giants last year, is a free agent.
Brown was a four-year starter for the Texans, though he missed the final 13 games last season after fracturing his right forearm. He has fully recovered and passed the Giants' physical. "It's back to normal," Brown said. "I'm ready to get out there, run around and hit people."

Former Giants
Kurt Warner wound up right where he wanted to be, with a hefty pay raise to return to the Arizona team he led to the Super Bowl. The 37-year-old quarterback agreed to terms Wednesday on a two-year, $23 million contract with the Cardinals.

NFC East News
The Dallas Cowboys released wide receiver Terrell Owens on Wednesday night, according to the Dallas Morning News and ESPN. It is the Giants policy to investigate everything and rule out nothing, but it is hard to envision Tom Coughlin being so desperate to replace Plaxico Burress that he will allow Owens into his locker room after he was three-for-three in bringing down the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys.

NFL News
Two NFL players lost hope, took off their life jackets and surrendered to the sea less than four hours after their boat flipped over off Florida's Gulf Coast Saturday, a survivor of the fishing trip-turned-nightmare said Wednesday.

Mar 4 Giants may trade up on draft day. After his quick free agency spending spree has filled three defensive needs, Giants general manager Jerry Reese is faced with a problem most teams would love to have. He has too many draft picks and not enough needs. With an extra second-round and extra fifth-round pick from New Orleans in the Jeremy Shockey trade, the Giants have nine picks. They also may get one or even two compensatory selections. That's 10, maybe 11 choices, and one, maybe two, gaping needs.

The numbers are both puzzling and enticing. The Giants have seven defensive linemen who GM Jerry Reese insists "can be starters for anybody." But they can't all be starters with the Giants. The free agent signings of Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, the return to health of Osi Umenyiora, and four solid holdovers - Pro Bowler Justin Tuck and up-and-coming Mathias Kiwanuka at end and Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield at tackle - begs a question: Where the heck are they all going to play?
The Giants' philosophy is that they can never have enough pass rushers, but only four of the seven can be "starters" and only four will be on the field for a given play. Which is why Reese will be keeping an ear out for whining (although he said he doesn't expect it). "That's a good problem to have when guys are crying about playing time," he said. "That's not an issue for me. That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned if we have enough guys that they're crying about playing time. That's a great thing."
Chris Canty, speaking a few minutes later on a separate call, expressed a similar lack of concern about the number of snaps he might receive. "I just know it's good to be a part of a defensive line that has so many good players," Canty said. "I think we can definitely attack offensive lines in waves and they'll never get a break. We'll wear them down. So I'm really excited to be a part of that kind of defensive line."

General manager Jerry Reese said Tuesday that the 6-7, 304-pound Canty has "the skill set to play anywhere" from end to "three technique" tackle (outside of the guard) to the nose (over the center). Canty might have ability, but it doesn't necessarily mean the transition will be smooth. "No matter where he plays, it's going to be a tough transition," former Giants defensive lineman Keith Hamilton said Tuesday by phone. "With the style of play the Giants play, a lot of things happen quickly on the inside. There's going to be an adjustment period for him to get used to that. It's not going to be easy."

Legal troubles are a sensitive issue around the Giants these days after what happened in November with Burress - a player Reese reiterated Tuesday who "We'd love to have back" if he doesn't end up in jail for carrying a loaded and unlicensed handgun in Manhattan (and shooting himself in the thigh). Several players have pointed to the Burress incident - which also involved Antonio Pierce, who was questioned by police after he allegedly removed the gun from the scene - as what sent the Giants' 2008 season on a downward spiral. And Burress isn't the only current Giant with a troubled past or present.

USA Football and the Giants are partnering for a full-day (8:30a-5:00p) USA Football Coaching School on Sunday, July 12, at Giants Stadium. The day's curriculum is exclusively designed for Tri-State youth football coaches.

Former Giants
Derrick Ward said he is where he always wanted to be. "This was my first choice," Ward said yesterday when he was introduced by the Bucs. "I told my agent when this whole process started, 'Get me to Tampa.' I'm here. I'm a Buccaneer. I just felt it's a great fit." The free agent was a big part of the NFL's top rushing offense in 2008. But when the Giants signed Brandon Jacobs to a long-term deal, it essentially sealed Ward's fate as a former Giant.
The free-agent running back signed a four-year, $17 million contract Tuesday, joining a team that's trying to build a new identity after watching an aging defense falter during a season-ending collapse that cost the Bucs a playoff spot. The addition of a proven back such as Ward is essential because starter Earnest Graham is coming off an injury that sidelined him the second half of 2008 and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams has suffered serious knee injuries each of the past two seasons. The Bucs envision Ward sharing the workload with Graham.

Mar 3 Derrick Ward, the middle man in the moniker "Earth, Wind & Fire" - the three running backs who made the Giants the top rushing team in football in 2008 - reportedly has agreed to play for the Bucs. According to reports, he will sign a four-year contract worth $17 million with $6 million guaranteed. As of last evening, though, he had not yet signed a contract, and he is expected to take a physical this morning. Ward and Brandon "Earth" Jacobs each ran for more than 1,000 yards last season and both were due to become free agents.
The Giants were obviously committed to Jacobs, who recently signed to a four-year, $25 million contract. A team source said they were anxious to elevate Ahmad (Fire) Bradshaw to the No. 2 role. Still, it could be a big loss for the Giants considering Ward rushed for 1,025 yards last season, making him and Jacobs just the fifth set of teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in the same NFL campaign. And though Ward mostly played a secondary role, he did have a memorable, 215-yard day on Dec. 21 in an overtime win over the Carolina Panthers that helped the Giants clinch the top seed in the NFC.
Sometimes players grow out of their roles and must go elsewhere to achieve their true worth. Such was the case with Derrick Ward, the valuable reserve running back who last night left the Giants to sign a four-year, $17 million contract with the Buccaneers. Ward had visited or received interest from the Bengals, Eagles and Broncos. The Bucs last week released Warrick Dunn and guaranteed Ward $6 million in the new deal.

Before the Giants went on their weekend spending spree they were serious about signing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Very serious. According to Haynesworth, the Giants were serious enough to offer him more than $80 million just a few hours after the market opened on Friday. And while that didn’t put them in his ballpark, it at least got them into the parking lot of the seven-year, $100 million deal he eventually signed with the Redskins.

Room for all seven D-linemen. Jerry Reese knows the Giants now have seven starting-caliber defensive linemen to plug into four starting spots. And he expects to have the same seven in September when the season begins. Though he didn’t rule out anything, Reese said the plan is to go into the season with Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka at end and Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield, Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty at tackle. It’s a loaded front that he believes will prevent the line from wearing down like it did last season, which is why the Giants made the line a priority the last few days.

Giants GM Jerry Reese didn't do much in free agency the past two years but said the team would strike if they saw an opportunity and a need. This year, they saw both and jumped all over LB Michael Boley, DT/DE Chris Canty and DT Rocky Bernard. Well, there's a lot less cap room left, for sure. But the Giants still have a few more moves to make to add depth in a few positions. One of them is safety and the team might fill that today when free agent C.C. Brown (Texans) visits.
The Giants' general manager stepped up to the plate and went 3-for-3 in free agency over the weekend after Sunday's signing of former Dallas defensive lineman Chris Canty to a six-year deal reportedly worth $42 million, with some $20 million guaranteed. Canty joins former Seattle defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and onetime Atlanta linebacker Michael Boley in a retooled front seven for 2009.
The Giants did not reach out to Al Groh for his opinion on defensive lineman Chris Canty. But had they done so, the Virginia coach and friend of Tom Coughlin would have given them the green light. "He's a great kid, one of our favorites," Groh told Newsday yesterday, the day after Canty signed a six-year, $42-million deal with the Giants. "He's very focused and committed to what his ambitions and goals are. He had a tremendous work ethic when he was here."

Former Giants
Kurt Warner is being courted by an eager division rival of the Arizona Cardinals. The San Francisco 49ers sent a private jet Monday for the two-time MVP quarterback, who traveled from Phoenix to the team's training complex for a physical exam and a meeting with top brass.

NFL News
One survivor found, but 2 NFL players, Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith, still lost at sea. Nick Schuyler was plucked from the crippled boat 35 miles off Florida's Gulf Coast. There was still no sign of two NFL players and another buddy who set out on the fishing trip Saturday morning.

Mar 2 The Giants have always said you can never have enough pass rushers. Apparently, that goes for all defensive linemen, too. A day after adding defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, the Giants broke the bank for another defensive lineman, signing ex-Cowboy Chris Canty to a six-year, $42 million deal. They also gave him $17.5 million in guaranteed money and announced he'd play both end and tackle on what is now a very, very loaded and crowded defensive line.
For the Giants, this is the third defensive player and $83 million worth of new deals in a blistering long weekend of action. Falcons linebacker Michael Boley - another likely starter - and Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard joined the team on Saturday, and the arrival of Canty goes a long way in revamping the defensive front seven. Clearly, Reese was adamant about giving first-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan more talent to work with and getting the Giants back to the dominating defense that carried them to victory in Super Bowl XLII.
The Giants didn't quite break the bank. After all, they signed three players for less than the cost of one Albert Haynesworth. But they clearly are thinking about breaking a few quarterbacks this season. It was the most free-agent activity the Giants have taken part in since 2005, and even then they didn't pounce the way they did this weekend.
Canty entered the NFL as the Cowboys' fourth-round choice from the University of Virginia in the 2005 draft, the 132nd overall selection. As a rookie, he split time at right end with Greg Ellis and led all Dallas defensive linemen with 43 tackles (26 solo), including 2.5 sacks. He made his first NFL start in Giants Stadium on Dec. 4 and contributed four tackles.

NFL News
A massive Coast Guard search was under way in rough seas Sunday for four football players - two of them NFL pros - whose fishing boat vanished off the Florida coast Saturday. The boating party of four included Detroit Lions free agent Corey Smith, 29, and Oakland Raiders linebacker Victor (Marquis) Cooper, 26.

Mar 1 On the second day of NFL free agency, the Giants believe they greatly enhanced their defense with the additions of linebacker Michael Boley and defensive tackle Rocky Bernard. Boley will move into the starting lineup - the Giants didn't come up with a five-year, $25 million contract and guarantee $11 million for him to wait in the wings. Coach Tom Coughlin said Boley will move to the weak side after he spent his first four years with the Falcons on the strong side.
Boley was immediately penciled in as the starting weak-side linebacker - a position that three players manned last year. At 6-3, 223 (although the Giants say he weighs more like 238) he has the speed to be the impact pass-rushing linebacker the Giants haven't had for years. "We've addressed a position of need," Tom Coughlin said in a statement released by the Giants.
Boley said he also relishes the opportunity to line up on the weak side. Last year, Gerris Wilkinson, Bryan Kehl and Chase Blackburn all started at WIL for the Giants, the only one of the 22 offensive and defensive positions to have three different starters.

The Giants didn't stop with Boley, either. They also signed defensive tackle Rocky Bernard after a day of negotiations. The former Seahawk who has the ability to get after a quarterback from the interior position, agreed to a deal, the details of which were unclear as of last night. "He's a veteran defensive tackle with skins on the wall," general manager Jerry Reese said of Bernard, who will turn 30 in April. "He plays hard, he's stout against the run and he has to be accounted for as a pass rusher."
After seven years in Seattle, he was not thrilled with the prospect of dealing with a rebuild. The 300-pounder recorded 55 tackles and four sacks in 15 games last season. He was suspended by the league for the opener after violating the personal conduct code following his offseason arrest on domestic violence charges. "I was looking for a fresh start," Bernard said. "Last year was really rough - it was so frustrating. I thought a change of scenery would be good." Bernard might land in the starting lineup, or he could provide depth in case Fred Robbins or Barry Cofield, who are both coming off knee surgery, are slow coming back.
Like Boley, Bernard entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft choice. He was the 146th overall selection in 2002. He made his first career start vs. the Giants on Sept. 22, 2002, becoming the first rookie defensive lineman to start a game for the Seahawks since Sam Adams in 1994.

The Giants' three Super Bowl MVPs Ottis Anderson, Phil Simms and Eli Manning, meet with fans yesterday at Mo's New York Grill in New Rochelle. Phil Simms believes Plaxico Burress will return as a Giant if he somehow avoids jail. "If the court case goes great, he'll be a member of the New York Giants," Simms said. Why is that? "Because I think the players like him, and I think the organization likes him too,"

Former Giants
Lawrence Taylor aims to score on 'Dancing with the Stars'. Giants great Lawrence Taylor, one of the most feared men on the gridiron, has a message for his fellow contestants on the next season of "Dancing with the Stars." Watch out.

Feb 28 The Giants will meet with free-agent linebacker Michael Boley on Saturday morning in what likely will be a formality. According to sources, the Giants and representatives of the former Falcon spent most of the day Friday negotiating a contract. The deal - a five-year package expected to be worth about $25 million - was close to completion Friday evening before Boley even arrived to meet with team officials. Barring a setback in the face-to-face or his physical, Boley is expected to sign the contract Saturday.
The Giants also played host to Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard last night. Cowboys defensive lineman (and Bronx product) Chris Canty is due in today, and Cardinals defensive lineman Antonio Smith might visit early next week. Both Canty and Smith played defensive end in 3-4 defenses, but would likely convert to tackle in the Giants' 4-3 scheme. The surprising interest in defensive tackles could be a sign the Giants are worried about the way Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins wore down late last season. Both players recently underwent knee surgery, and Robbins, who will be 32 in March, battled hand and shoulder injuries as well.
And that's not all. As the clock struck midnight and free agency commenced Friday morning, the Giants immediately inquired about Albert Haynesworth. But after a few hours they were passed in the left lane by the Redskins, who sign the prize defensive tackle with a seven-year, $100 million mega-deal that includes a record $41 million in guaranteed money.

Derrick Ward isn't a former Giant just yet. The running back hit free agency on Friday and plans to visit the Bengals on Saturday, but neither he nor the Giants has ruled out a reunion. "They left the door open for me and I know they would love to have me back, but it's a business," Ward said on Sirius NFL Radio on Friday, "and the business aspect of it right now is I feel I'm a starter and I proved I can help a team win some games and reach a Super Bowl level." On Thursday, Giants general manager Jerry Reese told WFAN: "Never say never with Derrick Ward."

NFC East News
The Redskins shook up the free-agent market Friday morning when they made Albert Haynesworth the NFL's first $100 million defensive player. But not before the Giants tried to get him first.
Eagles FS Brian Dawkins agreed to a contract with the Broncos the NFL Network reported. A seven-time Pro Bowl safety, Dawkins, 35, has played his entire 13-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Feb 27 Even though there were plenty of available receivers when the free-agent market opened at 12:01 Friday morning, the Giants were not expected to be aggressive shoppers. The market is filled with aging, underwhelming and overrated players at the position. And several team sources said they expect the ones they do like to end up overpriced. So it'll be bargain shopping, as usual, for the Giants. If the price comes down on the top players - such as Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh - they would be interested. But they don't expect the top tags to sink much.
Mostly, the Giants will attempt to add depth to a number of positions, notably linebacker, defensive tackle, receiver, safety, offensive tackle and possibly running back with the likely departure of unrestricted free agent Derrick Ward. "There are always good players," general manager Jerry Reese said. "You just have to look deep into what you need and what's available." One day after signing a four-year, $25 million contract that includes $13 million in guaranteed money, Brandon Jacobs was asked what he believes the Giants need to do in free agency.
"We have to hope Plaxico Burress gets out of all the issues he has going on there legally," Jacobs said yesterday. "If he can get out of that and we bring him back, I think that's basically all we need, to be honest with you." Jacobs said he's confident in the Giants' young receivers - Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and Sinorice Moss. "We need to get '17' back, though," he said. Jacobs has been exchanging text messages with Burress during the offseason.
"I'm going to hang around for another six years," the 6-4, 265-pound running back said on a conference call with reporters Thursday before boarding a flight to California for a vacation with his family. "I don't know where the last two are going to be, but I'm happy to get these four here." Jacobs, who will be 30 when his current contract expires, is clearly taking a realistic approach to the rest of his NFL career.

Brandon Jacobs said Thursday that he doesn't expect his buddy Derrick Ward to be back with the Giants this season, although he'd like to see him return. "With the nature of the business, I don't expect to see him back," the running back said a day after signing his four-year, $25-million deal. "But with the way things can go, I think [the Giants] are going to take a crack at him, no question, I think they are going to give it a shot." Ward was scheduled to hit the open market at 12:01 this morning along with Amani Toomer, James Butler and several others who probably won't be back for 2009. Ward reportedly will get interest from teams such as Cleveland, Denver and Arizona, and any bidding war certainly will drive the Giants out of the picture.

Feb 26 When the Giants on Feb. 12 designated Brandon Jacobs as their franchise player, the plan was to buy time in order to work out a multi-year contract. That plan worked to perfection, as yesterday Jacobs signed a four-year, $25 million contract that keeps him with the Giants through the 2012 season.
Jacobs is slated to earn $15million over the first two seasons and is guaranteed $13 million. And his average yearly salary of $6.25 million puts him up among the highest-paid running backs in the league. "I was confident all along that this was going to get done," Jacobs said. "I didn't panic one bit. I know the reason we did it the way we did. I knew I was going to be here. I was super-confident, and I am here. I'm happy about it."
Jacobs went in looking for something in the neighborhood of the $45 million deal over seven years that Marion Barber got from the Dallas Cowboys, so it would appear that a hometown discount was granted. He probably also left enough room under the salary cap for the Giants to sign an impact player when free agency begins tomorrow.
The Giants likely were nervous about extending the contract beyond four years due to Jacobs' injuries; he has yet to play a 16-game season despite rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of the last two. It's unclear how the contract will affect the Giants' salary cap, but it will leave the Giants with more room than the $6.621 million they would have been on the books for had.
Jacobs had his finest professional season in 2008, despite missing three games with a knee injury. He rushed for a career-high 1,089 yards after running for 1,009 yards in 2007 to become the fourth running back in Giants history to run for at least 1,000 yards in at least two consecutive seasons. The others were Joe Morris (1985-86), Rodney Hampton (1991-95) and Tiki Barber (2002-2006).

When the clock strikes midnight tonight it signals the first day of free agency in the NFL. Or, as it has come to be known in recent Giants history, a day of rest. You'd have to go back to 2005 - the last time the Giants were coming off a non-playoff season and the first full offseason with Tom Coughlin as coach - to find an offseason when the Giants stocked up on premier talent in free agency. That was the year they brought in Plaxico Burress and Antonio Pierce and Kareem McKenzie. But in the three offseasons since, the Giants have remained mostly on the sideline during the early frenzy.

Feb 25 Special Report - So what's going on with the Giants as they get ready for Friday's opening of the Unrestricted Free Agent period? A few things, of course, none of them critically important, and if there are a few such items, they aren't about to act in full disclosure. There are reports that the Giants and the Jets will be the final combatants in the UFA battle for outside linebacker Bart Scott of the Baltimore Ravens, and while you might think that the new Jets' coach, Rex Ryan, who was the Ravens' defensive coordinator, might have the edge, perhaps not so.

The free-agent signing period begins tomorrow at midnight and the Giants can dive in feeling confident that they have a full complement of defensive ends, which will free them up to concentrate on bolstering the linebacker and defensive tackle positions. This was certainly not the case down the stretch of last season, when Justin Tuck was laboring with a bad knee and lower leg, Mathias Kiwanuka was dragging to the finish of his first full NFL season as a starter and there was no quality third player in the rotation. Osi Umenyiora is on pace to return at full strength.
Franchise tags have eliminated 14 top players from the market, including the Giants' Brandon Jacobs. The Jacobs tag may wind up being the Giants' biggest move during the free agency period, which begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday. They reportedly are $10 million-plus under the $123 million salary cap for 2009, which gives them some working room. Reese has not been a big player in the market, focusing mainly on second-tier players to fill needs. The Giants traditionally use the draft as their main source of talent. The magic is to keep those players onboard after you draft them.

Feb 23 - A year ago, Eli Manning was palling around in Antigua with billionaire banker Sir Allen Stanford. Now Stanford is accused in a massive $8 billion fraud scheme, and the Giants quarterback is thanking his lucky stars he didn't get financially involved with him. "I was on vacation there and was invited to the cricket match. It was not a paid appearance, and I have no money invested with him," Manning said of his outing to a February 2008 cricket match with Stanford.

Feb 22 - It was Giants general manager Jerry Reese's turn with the media Saturday at the NFL combine, and one of the major topics was the status of wide receiver Plaxico Burress.
The Giants are planning for life without Plaxico Burress. And they're planning for life with him. With free agency and pre-draft scouting on the front burner, Giants general manager Jerry Reese said Saturday the organization is prepped for all scenarios.
"I hope he's motivated, but the legal process is what's most important right now and his health is what's most important right now," Reese said. "But we'll prepare as if he's not going to be here, and if he is, it's a bonus."

The Giants are waiting for the legal process, which resumes with Burress' next court date on March 31, to play out. Free agency begins on Friday, but the only big-name receiver on the market will be T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who's more of a possession receiver, not a Burress-like threat. So Burress' uncertain situation won't affect the Giants in free agency. The draft isn't until late April -- nearly four weeks after Burress' next court appearance -- so there could be a lot more clarity to the situation by then.

Will Mario Manningham will play a bigger role in 2009? "We hope so," Jerry Reese said. "Anytime you pick a guy in the third round you're hopeful that he's going to come on and develop and be a good player for you. He really has some nice skills. But he just has to learn the pro football game. I think he's going to be a good player, the jury is still out on him. He flashes things we really like, I think our coaching staff likes him, so I think it's going to be a big year for him."

Giants DTs Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield have both undergone scopes on their knees recently, general manager Jerry Reese confirmed this morning at the NFL scouting combine. "We expect them to be okay," Reese said. "I hope it's nothing major. I'm not a doctor. We'll see where they are this off-season, but they should be fine for the season."

Feb 21 - Tom Coughlin on how the Combine changed and if it has changed for the better. Tom Coughlin, "I think it definitely has. There's two ways of looking at that. It's much more efficient now, without a doubt. There is very little wasted time. The evenings are now established with set times for the interviews. It used to be a few short years ago you had to hustle around and scramble with your scouts to get guys to be interviewed. That's been completely worked out. Your hope is always that more and more of the outstanding players will participate so that this one aspect of the Combine is also completed."

Tom Coughlin indicated Friday that the troubled wide receiver, in conversations with receivers coach Mike Sullivan and director of player development Charles Way, is eager to reestablish himself as one of the league's premier players.
Coach Tom Coughlin, speaking yesterday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, sounded as if the Giants are in a holding pattern regarding their plans with troubled receiver Plaxico Burress.

Tom Coughlin confirmed Mathias Kiwanuka will remain at defensive end next season as part of a three-man rotation with Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. Kiwanuka switched to linebacker for his injury-shortened 2007 season and remained at the position in training camp last year. He switched back when Umenyiora suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Jets in the preseason.

Here's a look back at Tom Coughlin on his first Combine with the NY Giants in 2004.
- - On Day 4 of the N.F.L. combine, Giants Coach Tom Coughlin conducted his first news conference since he was hired in early January with the kind of brusque efficiency that has cemented his reputation. He strode up to the podium on Sunday, dispatched answers to 19 questions and strode off toward the next workout at the pace of someone being stalked. The whole process lasted 9 minutes 31 seconds. Coughlin did express confidence in the incumbent quarterback Kerry Collins, lending credence to the idea that he would like to begin by bolstering the offensive line and will not be tempted if one of the top two quarterbacks is available. ''Kerry's a very good quarterback,'' Coughlin said. ''He's had some outstanding years, and we'd like to help him have even better years.''

Feb 20 - Several Giants scouts discuss what they saw out of QB Eli Manning, RB Brandon Jacobs, DE Osi Umenyiora and TE Michael Matthews coming out of college.

The Giants have extended a second-round tender to restricted free agent CB Kevin Dockery, according to someone who recently spoke to Dockery. The tender means Dockery is free to negotiate with another team. If he signs an offer sheet with another club, the Giants will have the opportunity to match. If they don't, they'll be owed a second-round pick.

Former Giants
Jeremy Shockey, who never participated in the program with the Giants, apparently will show up for the Saints' off-season sessions next month. "He'll be there," promised Saints coach Sean Payton on Thursday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. "[Quarterback] Drew [Brees] is pretty good about that. Those guys quickly figure out what his calendar is and put their calendar around his accordingly."

Feb 19 - Brad Van Pelt will be remembered by many for his contributions to one of the most fearsome linebacking groups in NFL history. Together with Hall of Famers Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor, and Brian Kelley, they formed the "Crunch Bunch" in the 1970s and early 1980s for the Giants. But for those closest to Van Pelt, who died Tuesday from an apparent heart attack, football mattered little. Van Pelt's fiancee found him dead at his home in Owosso, Mich. He was 57.
The news of the death of Giants great Brad Van Pelt hit his old Crunch Bunch teammates harder, even, than any of those hits they had delivered as one of the NFL's premier linebacking corps. It just didn't seem right, said Brian Kelley, angry and philosophical at the same time.
Kelley spoke of the bond the four linebackers shared. "The four of us have been very, very close for a long time," Kelley said. "It is sort of like missing one of your limbs when he is not there now. I don't think it has really set in with us yet, and once it does I think it is going to be tough." Taylor called Van Pelt "one of the greatest players I ever played with."

Derrick Ward wants to be a starter, and he knows it's probably not going to happen in New York. Ward said he believes the only way that will happens is if he goes someplace else. "Yeah, I think so," Ward said. "They just franchised Brandon Jacobs. He's the starter there. He's their workhorse. He's the one that sets the tone on the team. I was able to come in after him and do my thing. But I think I'm ready to take over that starting role for a team and help a team win." Ward didn't completely rule out a return to the Giants, but after they franchised Jacobs and guaranteed him a $6.621 million salary for 2009, it's hard to see them coming up with decent money for Ward, too.

Feb 18 UPDATE - Former Giants LB Brad Van Pelt Passes Away (1951-2009).
Van Pelt, 57, suffered an apparent heart attack in Michigan, where he lived most of his life. Van Pelt, Hall of Famers Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor and Brian Kelley formed the Crunch Bunch, arguably the NFL's finest groups of linebackers in their era. In 1973, Van Pelt and Kelley were drafted by the Giants. Three years later, Carson joined the team. In the five seasons from 1976-80, Van Pelt made five Pro Bowls and Carson two as the linebackers were the best unit on teams that won a total of 24 games. In 1981, the Giants selected Taylor with the second pick in the NFL draft. With Taylor on board, the excellence and the fame of the linebackers soared.

Feb 18 - Special Report - Is it possible that the decision to apply the franchise label to running back Brandon Jacobs, which will guarantee him of a salary of "only" $6.2 million in 2009, was a clever tactic that will enable the Giants to keep running back Derrick Ward as well?

Ahmad Bradshaw has been in a Virginia prison since Sunday, serving the second half of a 60-day sentence for an undisclosed probation violation. His attorney, Charles Stacy, told the Daily News that once Bradshaw is released in March, his sentence from the probation violation will be completed.

Feb 16 - A look at the Giants' free agents.
Locked in - RB Brandon Jacobs and QB David Carr.
Locked out - WR Amani Toomer, K John Carney, and QB Anthony Wright.
If the Price is Right - Derrick Ward, James Butler,Grey Ruegamer, R.W. McQuarters.
One and Done - DE Renaldo Wynn and Jerome McDougle.

Feb 15 - Start your stopwatches! The NFL's annual beauty contest begins Wednesday in Indianapolis - the scouting combine - where there are two certainties: overflow crowds at St. Elmo's steakhouse and freakish workouts that make suckers of easily-seduced talent evaluators. The Jets and Giants, picking 17th and 27th, respectively, are eager to check out the some of the players.

Feb 14 There was never any argument that running back Brandon Jacobs isn't one of the most important pieces in the Giants' franchise. Now, it's official. The Giants yesterday slapped Jacobs with the unwanted franchise-player tag, meaning if he signs the tender his salary for 2009 will be $6.621 million - the average of the five highest-paid running backs in the league.
The franchise tag also means that if another team were to offer Jacobs a contract, the Giants have the right to match that deal. And if they didn't match it, they would receive two first-round draft picks as compensation from that team. They also could trade Jacobs, if they so desired. But the real goal is to lock up Jacobs for a long-term contract, and franchising him gives the two sides more time to work that out.
Jacobs is said to be looking for a seven-year, $45-million contract similar to the one Cowboys running back Marion Barber signed last spring. It's unclear how close the two sides are to an agreement, but if they were close, the Giants likely would not have used the tag for only the second time. (The first was Jumbo Elliott in 1993.) The tag decision also means that free-agent-to-be Derrick Ward almost certainly will not return to the Giants.
Sources said the Giants' opening offer was closer to $25 million over six years with about $12 million guaranteed. One source said the Giants' offer was also laden with incentives related to playing time because they were worried about Jacobs' injury prone nature. In his two seasons as the Giants' No. 1 running back, Jacobs has missed eight of 32 regular-season games. It's not clear when negotiations on a long-term contract will start again, though it likely won't be until after the free-agent signing period settles down.

Feb 13 The Giants, according to reports, were angered that Drew Rosenhaus this week sent an e-mail to every team in the league, listing Plaxico Burress as one of his clients who could be available via a trade. The Giants alerted teams that they did not give Rosenhaus permission to do so and warned any interested team that going down that road would be considered tampering. Rosenhaus, though, says those rules don't apply to him. "Let me just say in general that as an agent I can do whatever I want," Rosenhaus said yesterday morning on his weekly appearance on WQAM radio in Miami.
Rosenhaus maintained that he did nothing wrong by sending out the e-mails, which reportedly also included Anquan Boldin and Chad Johnson as players who are trade-able even though their teams have not given permission for a trade either. Both Boldin and Johnson have been vocal about their desire to leave their current teams, however. Rosenhaus also represents Jeremy Shockey, who essentially complained his way out of the Giants last summer and forced a trade to the Saints.
Plaxico Burress is in a "very difficult situation" with the Giants, according to Drew Rosenhaus, although the agent would not say whether the troubled receiver is seeking a trade.
Rosenhaus, who sent an e-mail to NFL teams earlier this week informing them that Burress was available via trade, dodged the question of whether the wideout wanted out of New York. But he did say Burress' problems with the Giants ran "far deeper" than any friction that e-mail caused.

Feb 12 With so much being made over whether the Giants will ever allow Plaxico Burress back on their team, a new slant on the question has emerged: Does Burress want to return as a Giant? One big sign that he might not be looking forward to a return to Big Blue comes in a report from the Newark Star-Ledger that Burress' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, circulated an e-mail to all 32 teams in the league, indicating Burress could be available in a trade.
A league source confirmed Rosenhaus did not have the Giants' permission to solicit trade inquiries, and that the Giants were furious when they learned about the e-mail. The report said that Kevin Abrams, the Giants assistant GM, notified the rest of the league that Rosenhaus was not acting on behalf of the Giants, and that Rosenhaus eventually sent out a second e-mail admitting as much. A Giants spokesman said the team had no comment.

Former Giants
Jeff Rutledge, quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals, has been fired, according to sources. The Cardinals already are looking for an offensive coordinator to replace Todd Haley, who became the Chiefs head coach last week.

NFL News
Brett Favre's departure leaves quarterback picture too Green for Jets. Now what? In terms of experience and production, the Jets suffered perhaps the biggest single-day dropoff at one position in NFL history, going from Brett Favre to The Three Standbys - Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff and Erik Ainge. Favre's retirement Wednesday left a crater-sized hole in the lineup - one veteran player, speaking anonymously, ripped management for the current plight - but GM Mike Tannenbaum and new coach Rex Ryan did their best to sell the potential upside of the three young quarterbacks.
The Jets did the right thing in August trading for Favre, who was supposed to inject hope and energy and create a buzz for a franchise buried deep on the New York football depth chart behind the Giants. Favre said his shoulder began hurting in training camp and got progressively worse. He could feel it tear at different points during the season. He needed a cortisone shot in San Francisco right after the Jets' dismal loss to the Niners on Dec. 7.

2008 Sideline Padded Gloves

Giants 2008 NFC East Division Champs

Feb 10 David Carr will be back for another season with the Giants. Sam Madison, Reuben Droughns and Sammy Knight will not. Carr, who spent last season as the backup quarterback to Eli Manning, has re-signed with the Giants for the 2009 season. The Daily News has learned Carr received a one-year deal worth $2.1 million, which includes a $1 million base salary in 2009. Meanwhile, as first reported by NYDailyNews.com, the Giants freed up more than $4.25 million in salary cap space by cutting Madison (who was due a $1.77 million salary in 2009), Droughns ($1.25 million) and Knight ($1.25 million). All three players had ended the 2008 season on injured reserve.
Droughns was acquired from the Browns in exchange for wide receiver Tim Carter two years ago. In 2007 he led the Giants with six rushing touchdowns but had only 275 rushing yards. This past season he didn't have a carry but recorded 11 tackles on special teams before suffering a season-ending neck injury in December. "I'm not done yet," Droughns wrote in an e-mail Monday. Madison's career with the Giants -- and perhaps his entire NFL career after 12 seasons -- also ended with an injury: a fractured ankle in the finale against the Vikings.
In 2006 Madison signed a four-year deal with the Giants after nine seasons with the Dolphins. He had six interceptions in his first two seasons with the Giants before recording only one in just seven games this past season. He and Droughns had taken pay cuts to remain with the team. Knight signed a three-year, $5.15 million contract with the Giants as a free agent last season. He was scheduled to earn $1.25 million in each of the next two seasons.

John Carney's performance on Sunday, when he made all three of his field goals for the NFC and became the oldest player in Pro Bowl history, was almost certainly his last performance as a Giant. It should come as no surprise that the Giants are going to let the 44-year-old kicker become an unrestricted free agent on Feb. 27. According to one team source and one league source, the Giants' kicking job in 2009 will once again be a one-man show -- as long as he's healthy -- starring Lawrence Tynes.

The Giants have been shuffling to fill the holes in their coaching staff from the departure of three coaches this off-season. Today, they plugged the last of those gaps created when defensive quality control coach Andre Curtis left to join Steve Spagnuolo with the Rams. Replacing Curtis will be Lafayette defensive line coach Al Holcomb, according to someone informed of the hiring. The Giants are expected to announce the hiring shortly.

Plaxico Burress and the NFLPA have filed grievances against the Giants for almost $2 million in lost salary stemming from his accidental shooting and suspension two months ago. Usually, Burress is on the other end of such legal proceedings, and typically for much less money. The Giants have left the door open for his possible return -- layering their remarks with obvious conditions -- but they are also contending that Burress defaulted on his contract and are attempting to recoup several million dollars in previous and future bonus money.
Trouble-plagued Giant Plaxico Burress - facing felony gun charges after he accidentally shot himself in the leg with a .40-caliber Glock at a Midtown nightclub - has been sued at least nine times since 2000 by people who said the millionaire pro athlete failed to pay a debt. The people seeking payment from the 2008 Super Bowl hero run the gamut from a Pennsylvania homeowners association trying to collect delinquent dues to a Florida woman whose car Burress rear-ended while driving without insurance because he'd failed to pay the premium.

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