Aug 6 Special Report Jerry Reese Sits Down To Answer Questions
Q -- Big one here, Jerry. Why didn't you re-sign [veteran wide receiver] Amani Toomer?
A -- "That's the crappy part of my job. Amani is such a competitive animal that he just refused to admit he couldn't start any more. At least that was our assessment. Could we have kept him around to help the young kids? Sure, but that's not who he is. He wants to start. He's quiet, I don't think he would have had his heart in coaching them. He still thinks it's his job. I wish he would have agreed to retire. I told him there is no way we can every repay him for all his effort, all his accomplishments, but we felt the time had come for him to be a reserve."

Big bucks. Huge expectations. Now that Eli Manning reigns as the NFL's highest-paid player, Giants fans agreed Wednesday their All-Pro quarterback needs to deliver another Super Bowl title. Or two.
"He's a franchise quarterback," GM Jerry Reese said. "He's done everything we ask him to do. He's come in, he takes a lot of flack from [the media] and he just keeps going. He's a good football player."
Of course, 20 months ago it was Reese who called him "skittish." That was before the Super Bowl run. Before Manning became the face of the franchise. Now, he'll hold that mantle through the 2015 season. He'll be 35 when the contract expires.
He is absolutely not a better quarterback than his big brother Peyton ($14.17 million), even if he temporarily holds wallet bragging rights with a $15.3 million average annual salary that makes him the highest paid Giant of all time and among the top three highest paid players in the league.
He’s a franchise quarterback who is four years younger than Tom Brady and has a Super Bowl MVP award under his belt. Manning improved dramatically last season, turning the ball over only 12 times after averaging 22 over the previous three full seasons. He also completed a career-high 60.3 percent of his passes.

The money does not add more pressure -- Manning was already facing Super Bowl expectations. It does not change his importance in the offense -- without a true No. 1 receiver, Manning was going to earn every penny of his salary this season no matter what it was. There will be talk about painting a target on his back, but that won't be anything new to Manning. He has had one from the moment he told San Diego "no thanks" leading up to draft day, engineering the blockbuster trade that landed him with the Giants as the No. 1 pick.
Eli Manning is about to become the highest-paid player in NFL history, which seems a bit out of whack because he's no better than the NFL's fifth-best quarterback going into the 2009 season. But he's being welcomed as the eighth all-time member of the $100 Million Quarterback Club by virtue of that incredible four-game playoff run a year and a half ago when he outplayed Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo, Brett Favre and Tom Brady as the Giants became one of the most improbable Super Bowl champions ever.
That ring materialized courtesy of another Manning quality that's more definable: his clutch ability late in games. In Manning's five seasons, he has led 17 fourth-quarter comebacks to either tie or take the lead. (An 18th fourth-quarter comeback during his tenure came on a defensive touchdown against the Bills in 2007.) The pressure of those late-game situations hasn't affected Manning. And Reese believes the weight of almost $100 million more in his pocket won't shake him either.
Manning did not comment on his impending deal yesterday, choosing to avoid the waiting media by slipping out the back door of the team cafeteria. However, he told the Daily News in the spring that he had no interest in becoming the league's highest-paid player, saying "I have no ego about that.

QB Eli Manning will soon be the 10th player the Giants have signed to a contract extension since the start of the playoff run to Super Bowl XLII. Take a look at those players and which ones might be next.

In the 6-4 tall, 264 pound behemoth Brandon Jacobs, the Giants have one of the most destructive offensive forces in the NFL. Jacobs rushed for 1,089 yards last season and tacked on 15 touchdowns to boot. While 1,000 yards is still a nice benchmark to achieve, ask any back in the league and they'll tell you that 1,000 isn't the standard anymore. In todays NFL, to be considered an elite running back, 1,500 yards and double-digit touchdowns is the goal.

The Giants are in the final year of their contract to hold training camp at the University at Albany, and the team has not decided whether it wants to return. The team has trained at the university since 1996. And Giants coach Tom Coughlin has liked taking the team away from Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., noting it gives players a chance to bond and the team can use six grass fields. However, the university does not have an indoor practice facility. And the Giants new headquarters at the Meadowlands has three grass fields and a field house that allows the team to practice on a full field when it rains.

Former Giants
Lawrence Taylor is involved in anti-bullying programs throughout the state and recently pitched his program to Tenakill Middle School's principal, education officials said at the July 30 Board of Education meeting.
Ernie Accorsi, the man who traded for Eli Manning, believes the Giants' quarterback still has more Super Bowl championships left in his arm. And that's why Ernie Accorsi thinks Manning deserves the potential six-year, $97.5 million extension that sources say the Giants and their quarterback have agreed upon.

NFL News
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reassured retired players that their pensions and disability benefits would not be reduced in a labor dispute next year, refuting statements made by the NFL Players Association.
Why the NFL has no rival: 'It's the game, stupid'. It's easier to find out-of-work supermodels than athletes good enough for the NFL, which is the short answer why the Lingerie Football League will survive for another day and the Arena Football League won't.

Aug 5 UPDATE Eli Manning is about to become the highest-paid player in the NFL. The Giants quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP has agreed to a new seven-year, $106.9 million contract that he is expected to sign later today, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Though it’s not the largest deal in NFL history, the average of $15.27 million per year is a new NFL high.
The highest average per year for a quarterback was the $14.17 million per-season rate the Colts gave Peyton Manning in 2004. But little brother has surpassed that figure. The final year of Manning's current deal will be included in the new seven-year, $106.9-million contract, which includes $35 million guaranteed.
There is a chance the deal could be signed Wednesday, but both sides wanted to review the contract, The Associated Press reported. Eli Manning took over as the Giants starter midway through his rookie season and he has led New York to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons.

Aug 5 Jerry Reese challenged his quarterback this season to make his receivers better. But Manning cannot make them bigger, and while his accuracy has improved, it still isn't his strength. "It's not about the receivers, it's about what the team does," Reese said. "We think the defense will be strong, we think our running game will be strong, and we think our receivers will get the job done. "You can't have it all. I wish you could have it all, but I don't see many teams that have every spot covered.
Eli Manning said he wanted to keep his interception total in the single digits this season. Did he mean in the first two days of training camp? While Manning has not thrown all of the interceptions, Giants quarterbacks have accounted for 11 turnovers through two days and four workouts. This after throwing just one interception in five minicamp practices this spring. "It's not in midseason form," Tom Coughlin said. "It's early, but I'm not very patient. I'd like to see some progress."
Tom Coughlin hasn’t reached the breaking point yet, but the way his offense is performing it might be coming soon. Three practices into training camp, the sad truth is that the Giants offense hasn’t been good. There have been too many penalties, blown assignments, bad throws and drops. And it’s starting to wear on the coach. It’s only Day 2, of course, but the early signs are definitely not good.

The Giants' defensive front, with the additions the team made through free agency, is supposed to be the dominant force that will carry the unit through the 2009 season. While that may very well end up being the case when the hitting becomes live in the preseason, it's the secondary that's making all the plays so far in training camp.
The Giants' defensive backs are in an aggressive mode. That has been clearly evident thus far in training camp and it was on display all day yesterday, as the defense came up with six interceptions -- two in the morning, four in the afternoon -- to inflate the two-day and four-practice total to 11.
Steve Smith rarely drops passes, but on back-to-back plays he put the ball on the ground. The first one was on a short route on a pass from Eli Manning on the right side. Then on the next play he went deep down the middle and Eli put the ball where it needed to be. Smith had a step on Travonti Johnson, but couldn't make the over-the-shoulder catch. What's worse, it clipped his helmet and he tipped the ball in the air where Johnson nearly had an interception. When he came back to the huddle, Brandon Jacobs was there to punch him on the shoulder pads and tell him to keep his head up. He did catch his next pass a few plays later.
As good as it is for the defense to be playing aggressive and getting these picks, it's got to be frustrating for the Giants. And there isn't even a pass rush yet, which is supposed to be the strength of this defense. We'll see if a day off from practice allows the offense to regroup.

With Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer no longer with the team, Hixon and Steve Smith have been penciled in for the first string. But they are being challenged by two experienced backups, Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham, along with two drafted rookies, Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden. The other receivers in camp are David Tyree, Derek Hagan, Taye Biddle and Shaun Bodiford. The competition is one of several intriguing subplots of the preseason.

He'd been all set to go out for the morning session, when coach Tom Coughlin came over to the table Justin Tuck was sitting on while waiting to get his ankles taped. The coach told him he wasn't practicing until the afternoon. Why the rest for the Giants' All-Pro defensive end? "Foot soreness," Tuck said. "I expect it to be sore for life," he said. "It's a part of my body that I'm always going to use and get beat up on." He grew a bit frustrated talking about it. "You're asking too many questions about my foot now."

The hero of the 2007 NFC championship game, who lost his job to John Carney last year, is the Giants’ sole kicker in camp this year. And this afternoon, kicking for the first time at the University at Albany since he slipped on a wet field and hurt his knee last summer, he showed no rust. Tynes went 8 for 8, kicking from between 21 and 41 yards

Under the pressure of a possible indictment, Antonio Pierce did his best to mask his emotions. But when Pierce found out on Monday that he would not be indicted for his actions on that November night when Plaxico Burress shot himself, the Giants linebacker - according to his teammates - looked extremely relieved. "Like a 10-ton brick was lifted off his back," said Giants linebacker Danny Clark.
Antonio Pierce expressed no remorse. His only regret about the night of the Plaxico Burress shooting was that he put himself in a dangerous position in the first place. "I am not sorry for how I acted that night," Pierce said Tuesday in his first comments since he faced a grand jury last week.

Antonio Pierce took a few questions during a brief media gathering. "I'm glad I had the opportunity to speak to the grand jury and let them hear the facts from my lips, not from nobody else's," Pierce said. "I thought I acted very reasonably and responsibly, instinctively to a teammate that was in need. That was my concern that night, to give him help.
Antonio Pierce said he felt "obviously very relieved" that the grand jury voted not to indict him and was heartened by the support he felt. Osi Umenyiora believes it was "uncalled for" that Pierce had to endure this legal battle and added he did not think Burress should have been indicted on three serious charges that figure to land him in jail. "I'm just going to hold my tongue on that," Umenyiora said. "That just is ridiculous to me, to be honest with you, but I'm just going to leave that one alone."
Pierce fielded only six questions from reporters before telling them he'd answer only football-related inquiries. "That's not in a negative way," he said. "I'm ready to move forward and so is my team." Pierce had a good practice Tuesday morning. He made a nice stop on a run up the middle and later he looked more nimble than last year when he backpedaled and reached up to knock away a pass David Carr had tried to loop over his head."

Antonio Pierce was not the Pro Bowl player he had been in 2006 or during the Super Bowl run, justifying the Giants' decision not to include him in contract spoils collected by Brandon Jacobs, David Diehl, Justin Tuck, Shaun O'Hara and Corey Webster. Though two seasons remain on the six-year, $26 million deal with which the Giants signed him away from the Redskins in 2005, Pierce probably has just this year to prove that, at soon-to-be 31, his skills can keep up with his brain for the game.
From his middle linebacker position, Pierce is the strategic and spiritual leader of the defense. No one spends more hours studying the next opponent. Few players are as admired by the other Giants. But some critics not associated with the team thought Pierce declined last season. They saw him twice chase Brian Westbrook as the Philadelphia running back scored long touchdowns and cited it as evidence that Pierce’s play was not at the standard he had set previously.

The Giants have created an awkward conflict for their star quarterback by selling ad space on their practice jersey to a competitor of a company Manning already endorses for big bucks. Big Blue this week took the training-camp field at the University at Albany in jerseys bearing a patch advertising the Timex watch company. Problem for Manning is, he holds a six-figure deal to hawk Citizen watches, a Timex rival for which he has appeared in television, print and billboard ads.

Former Giants
Amani Toomer knew he still wanted to play, knew he still could play. Retirement was never an option. The Kansas City Chiefs invited him for a workout, then signed him to a one-year deal. The Chiefs didn't pursue Toomer as a free agent during the offseason, opting to head into training camp with an inexperienced group of receivers. But as those receivers continued to drop passes, they started looking for veteran help.
Plaxico Burress came to the Giants with his reputation established: Big-play receiver and a big-time headache. "We had our issues," Bill Cowher said. Cowher drafted Burress with the eighth pick of the 2000 NFL draft. Burress signed with the Giants in 2005, and Pittsburgh immediately won the Super Bowl without him.

Aug 4 Special Report Antonio Pierce was not indicted when the Manhattan Grand Jury rendered its verdict Monday, which at the same time found Burress liable for two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one for reckless endangerment. Since Burress is no longer with the Giants, having been released last April 3, the focus was on the breath of fresh air given the team with the news that Pierce will not face any charges.
Before today's announcement, coach Tom Coughlin and the Giants players were subjected to numerous questions about Pierce and whether or not the uncertainty about an indictment were distracting to the team as it began training camp. Now Pierce and everyone else can concentrate solely on football.

Replacing two tall and talented veteran receivers will take some time. That was clearly evident yesterday as the Giants hit the field for their first training camp practice. In the first full team period of the summer there were eight pass attempts and only two completions by the four quarterbacks, Eli Manning, David Carr, Andre Woodson and Rhett Bomar. No more Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer means moving the ball through the air will be a challenge.

Practice Reports  | Newsday  Morning   Afternoon  | Star Ledger  Morning  Afternoon

Before the play, Kenny Phillips told Corey Webster he was going to jump the hook route if Domenik Hixon showed it. As a safety, Phillips had deep coverage, so he needed Webster -- a cornerback -- to give him help up top if Hixon faked the hook and went long. When Hixon planted, Phillips broke to the spot. "I didn't think he was still going to throw it," the Giants' second-year safety said of quarterback Eli Manning. "When he threw it, I was like, 'Okay I'll go.'"
Kenny Phillips made two great plays in the first practice of training camp, coming up strong to make a diving interception and then collecting a tipped ball for a second pick. Of course he did. "Last year I couldn't get two yards off the hash," Phillips said, using images of "shackles" and "whips" to talk about the limits put on him. "It bothered me a lot. I felt like it was stopping me from being who I am." Now that he's no longer a rookie, though, he can turn in his junior license and enjoy full driving privileges. "I feel free," he said. "My wings, they're behind me.""

Dave Diehl - Training camp is a great time and a bad time. It’s bittersweet. It’s the toughest three weeks physically, and regardless of how you feel, how sore you are, you have to block out the temperature, block out injuries, block out everything that’s happened and go out there and perform. When everyone does that together it can make the difference between winning and losing during the season, pushing through everything and getting the job done. This is where a team’s identity is formed. Here, we all go through it together.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and one count of reckless endangerment, the Manhattan District Attorney's office announced. Burress now faces trial and serious jail time -- both weapons counts are class C violent felonies with a minimum sentence of 31/2 years and 15 years maximum -- making a return to the football field seem to be a distant concern.
Plaxico Burress - The jurors did not buy Burress' claim that he did not mean to commit a felony when he fumbled his illegal .40-caliber Glock inside a crowded nightclub - and shot himself in the thigh. Nor were they moved by Burress' public apology, which came after he testified for three hours about the November 2008 shooting that derailed his stint with the Giants and ended the team's hopes of a Super Bowl repeat.
Plaxico Burress, as usual, marched to his own drummer, this time into a 3-year-old law begging for a high-profile prosecution to turn it into the deterrent it was designed to be. The law covers simply possession of an unlicensed firearm, allows for no circumstances as to how accidentally that gun went off or how the bullet fortunately missed everybody after passing through Burress' thigh.

Aug 3 Giants training camp is underway. How do we know? Because the players were walking into their dorms with their suitcases, blankets and TVs. And because the first us-against-the-world shots have been fired. "I like the most that people are counting us out like they do every year," running back Brandon Jacobs said to reporters shortly after dropping off his belongings in his room.
The Giants placed linebacker Michael Boley on the physically-unable-to-perform list. No surprise there, as he's expected to be out for all of training camp following hip surgery. Fred Robbins is also on the PUP list to no one's shock, as he's been slow to recover from knee injury. But Rocky Bernard on the non-football injury list? That was a stunner even for Tom Coughlin.
Robbins’ replacement on the starting defense might have been Bernard, who joined the Giants the same day as Boley. But Bernard, who missed the team’s June minicamp with a shoulder injury, is not healthy enough to take the field. Bernard left the offseason program with the shoulder situation that has since improved. But he suffered a hamstring injury about two weeks ago while working out on his own.

Transcripts available from the following:
Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach Peter Giunta, Special Teams Coordinator Tom Quinn,
Running Backs Coach Jerald Ingram, Wide Receivers Coach Mike Sullivan,
Offensive Line Coach Pat Flaherty, Defensive Line Coach Mike Waufle,
Coach Tom Coughlin, Secondary/Safeties Coach David Merritt, Coach Chris Palmer,
QB Eli Manning, LB Coach Jim Hermann, Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan,
Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride, DE Osi Umenyiora, LB Danny Clark,
RB Brandon Jacobs, WR Steve Smith, DE Justin Tuck, WR Hakeem Nicks.

Antonio Pierce joined his teammates in reporting yesterday to training camp at the University at Albany, but he's the only one with worrisome legal entanglements hanging over his head. The respected co-owner of the team, John Mara, last week went public with his opinion, stating he believed any criminal charges levied against Pierce would be "unwarranted." It remains to be seen if a grand jury concurs.
Presuming the grand jury wanted to know what Pierce was thinking that night of Nov. 28, the DA has the perfect right to make Pierce and the Giants sweat. After all, they didn't immediately call the cops, didn't cut Burress until they were convinced his legal troubles couldn't be resolved in enough time for him to play this season, and now are trying to use the fact that they are indeed the Giants, to accuse the DA of a trivial pursuit.

It seems likely Antonio Pierce will immerse himself in football until the jury reaches a decision, which could be as soon as Monday. The question is whether he will be able to perform well as long as this situation is hanging over his head. Coughlin declined to say whether Pierce was affected last season -- or whether he believes Pierce played as poorly as many have said.
The problem for the Giants would be if Pierce were charged with a crime, convicted and given a prison sentence that took him away from football. Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan said the only thing the Giants could do at that point would be to ask a backup to take over.

Aug 2 First-round pick Hakeem Nicks became the last of the Giants' nine picks to reach a deal when the former North Carolina receiver signed a five-year contract on Saturday that will pay him a little less than $12.5 million. Giants fans are hoping that Nicks can provide the deep threat that the Giants lost late last season when Burress shot himself in the thigh in a New York City nightclub.

For all the additions the Giants made to their defense this offseason, perhaps the most important was a player already on the roster. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is back after sitting out last season following an injury to the meniscus cartilage in his left knee.

At first glance - really, at any glance - Steve Smith doesn't look like the logical candidate to try to fill Plaxico Burress' diamond- and gold-covered shoes as the Giants' No. 1 receiver - even though that's exactly what he'll be trying to do starting this morning when the Giants report to training camp at the University at Albany.

The Giants get back to it today when they report to training camp at the University at Albany for a 24-day stay, intent on once again laying the groundwork in the summer for an extended run in the winter months. Manning's targets are new but probably not improved, there are a few enticing new pieces on defense, coach Tom Coughlin returns and the core of the 2007 championship team largely remains intact. Once again, the Giants are considered -- and consider themselves -- formidable contenders..

Players actually started arriving at the University at Albany last night, though they didn’t have to be in until this morning The first team activity is the conditioning test at 12:55 p.m. It should be a fairly quiet day, now that all the draft picks are signed and there don’t appear to be any veteran players considering a holdout. So unless Antonio Pierce decides to say something about his time in front of the grand jury last week, there shouldn’t be too much to write or blog about. The real fun gets under way tomorrow at 8:35 a.m. when the first practice - - and the first set of two-a-days - - begins.

A guide to training camp:
The Giants arrive in Albany today, 18 months removed from a Super Bowl title but also six months removed from a meltdown in their first playoff game. Take a look at the story lines surrounding the team as it prepares for the 2009 season.

Five questions for Giants:
1. How will Antonio Pierce and Michael Boley impact the defense?
2. Who will step up at wide receiver?
3. How quickly will the defense jell?
4. Can Ahmad Bradshaw deliver?
5. Will Lawrence Tynes stay healthy?

Aug 1 All that’s left now for Antonio Pierce is to work - and wait. The Giants’ middle linebacker completed his testimony Friday before the grand jury hearing the gun possession case against Plaxico Burress. He answered questions from the jurors who the day before had heard him deliver a statement about his involvement in the shooting case.
It was the second day of testimony for Pierce, who allegedly transported Burress' gun across the New York state line back to Burress' house in Totowa. Published reports from earlier in the week indicated a nightclub security guard placed the gun in the glove compartment of Pierce's car. In New York, that constitutes possession of what was an unlicensed gun, though Pierce's lawyer has maintained his client assumed the gun was legally registered.
The grand jury's timetable for returning any indictments remained unclear. Burress could face 3 1/2 years in prison if convicted on a weapons count. Pierce made a statement to the grand jury during his Thursday appearance, and fielded questions from the prosecutor and from grand jurors on Friday, Bachner said. "It was really clear once all the testimony came out that no one could have acted any differently," Bachner said.
Minutes after he told a grand jury he did nothing in the Plaxico Burress mess, Giants linebacker and fellow twit Antonio Pierce couldn't wait to post this cocky tweet on Twitter: "Which way to ALBANY? someone just told me." Albany is the location of the Giants' training camp, where the team is heading tomorrow. And Pierce, who's been playing the victim in the Plax debacle, posted the arrogant message immediately after singing to the grand jury -- confident he'll skate free of criminal charges.

NFC East News
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Wade Phillips have made it clear they still believe in Tony Romo. Jones said. "You can call it leadership. You can call it execution. You can call it protecting the ball. It’s all there." Phillips said he doesn’t understand how anyone could question Romo’s leadership or work ethic.
Eagles - LeSean McCoy, the kid who once sought quarterback Donovan McNabb's autograph as a fan attending camp nearly a decade ago, is now catching passes from the same guy and being counted on this season to be the perfect complement to Brian Westbrook, if not more.
Redskins - The offseason still casts a long shadow, but Jason Campbell clings to what he believed 12 months ago: that the Washington Redskins are his team, that he’s capable of being an upper-tier NFL quarterback, and that realizing the latter will assure his place in the hearts of fans and front office doubters.

NFL News
The NFL is making its already popular draft even more television-friendly, moving the first round to Thursday night. Next year's draft will switch from a two-day, weekend format to a three-day event with the opening round in prime time for the first time. The NFL said today that the first round will begin at 7:30 p.m. EDT on April 22. The second and third rounds will start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, with the last four rounds beginning Saturday morning.

Michael Vick said Thursday that he is getting close to signing with a professional football team but refused to elaborate. Vick made the comment to reporters as he left a courtroom after a hearing in his bankruptcy case. Asked about his progress in signing with a team, Vick said: "We're getting close." He declined to answer additional questions.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick won't rule out the chance the team will sign quarterback Michael Vick. But he's not saying it's a possibility, either. On Thursday, Belichick had been asked his thoughts about Vick. He responded by praising Vick's talent, but did not address the topic otherwise.

July 31 Tom Coughlin and Kevin Gilbride have a little work to do before Aug. 25, when they'll break their 14th and potentially final training camp at the University at Albany. Starting today, when players report and go through their conditioning tests, the Giants' head coach and offensive coordinator need to find at least one, if not two, reliable deep threats for quarterback Eli Manning. If minicamp was any indication, the Giants want to air it out this season, and so what if Manning's two main receivers, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, are no longer with the team?

Danny Ware blogged yesterday. "Training camp is almost here and I am ready to go! I’m ready to show everyone what they can expect this season... I really feel like I have an opportunity to get on the field, I’m comfortable with the offense and I can play fast. Just have to get out there and show the coaches what I can do."

The Giants have signed both of their second-round draft choices, linebacker Clint Sintim and offensive tackle William Beatty. Sintim was selected from the University of Virginia with the 45th overall pick, which was obtained from the New Orleans Saints in the Jeremy Shockey trade. Beatty, a 6-6, 307-pounder from the University of Connecticut, was the 60th overall selection.

Antonio Pierce appeared Thursday before the grand jury investigating gun charges against former teammate Plaxico Burress and was expected to return Friday. Pierce did not comment as he left the courthouse. His lawyer, Michael Bachner, said, "We expect the grand jury testimony to continue tomorrow. At that point, after that, we'll make a statement.

Check-up time for 19 "injured" Giants. Ralph Vacchiano reports, "I think it’s safe to say that DT Fred Robbins, recovering from microfracture surgery on his knee, will likely open camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. It’s possible DT Barry Cofield, also recovering from knee surgery, will land there too (though he didn’t seem to expect that). And LB Michael Boley, who is out until at least mid-August following surgery to repair a torn hip labrum, will definitely be on that list."

Former Giants
Amani Toomer, the team’s all-time receptions leader, remains a free agent but has not attracted any interviews or offers. He seems to be one of the first on a short list of "injuries in training camp," along with former Colts superstar Marvin Harrison.

July 30 Next up on the witness stand: Antonio Pierce. The Giants’ middle linebacker and defensive leader is scheduled to be in Manhattan tomorrow to testify in front of the grand jury that’s investigating the Plaxico Burress shooting, a law enforcement source told the Daily News. Pierce’s testimony will come one day after Burress took his turn in front of the grand jury in the hopes of convincing them not to indict him on charges of carrying an unlicensed and loaded firearm in Manhattan.
Burress spent three hours inside Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday telling 23 grand jurors that he was sorry about bringing his loaded, unlicensed Glock into a Midtown nightclub last November, and shooting himself in the thigh. "I was truthful. I was honest," the former Giant wide receiver told reporters, wearing a hangdog expression as he emerged from the courthouse with his lawyer. "And I'm truly remorseful for what I've done, for what happened, for what I did."
Defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman said Burress, who arrived for court in a gray suit and blue tie, asked the panel for "compassion and understanding." The gunshot inside a Manhattan club ended Burress' problem-plagued stay with the Giants, derailed the team's hopes of a Super Bowl repeat and put the talented receiver's career in jeopardy.
It's been eight months of excuses and whining and celebrity entitlement. A lifetime, in Rikers minutes, of getting away with it. But this time, it appears as if the planets are in proper alignment. If the justice system does its job, Plaxico Burress is going down. Yesterday morning, in a "secret" proceeding that turned into a sidewalk sideshow, Plaxico testified before a grand jury assembled to decide whether to indict him for a relatively straightforward event.

Plaxico Burress' 2 1/2-hour appearance in front of the Grand Jury hearing his weapons possession case Wednesday morning was an attempt to humanize the wide receiver, put a person out there instead of just a number. From the time it took for Burress to complete his testimony you would have to think the Grand Jury at least was sympathetic to some of his comments. Whether that's sympathetic enough to let him off on what otherwise appears to be an open-and-shut case remains to be seen.
Defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman cited "mitigating factors" that made Burress' case different "from virtually any other gun case in New York," among them that the former Giants wide receiver had an out-of-state permit for the gun and that he had purchased the gun legally. "This weapon was not used in the commission of a crime," Brafman said. "This weapon was not used to hurt anyone else. The only person who suffered was Mr. Burress as a result of this unfortunate incident." Morgenthau also said that Pierce might face charges, a move many think was intended to secure Pierce’s cooperation..
The New York Post reported earlier this week that Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau is insisting on jail time. Morgenthau's office has declined to comment to The Associated Press. Brafman criticized Morgenthau for speaking out, saying the district attorney's comments could prejudice the grand jury proceedings. Burress, wearing a pinstriped three-piece suit, thanked his family and his fans and did not take questions.

Kareem McKenzie has negotiated eight successful seasons in the N.F.L. As a starting offensive tackle for the Jets and now the Giants, McKenzie, a former Penn State star, has had a stellar reputation as one of the most thoughtful, respectful players in the league. He has also been a good mentor. Without being asked, he often talks to young players on the Giants and around the N.F.L. about avoiding what he calls "the trapdoors of being an N.F.L. player - especially in a city like New York."

July 29 Giants co-owner John Mara made it clear that the team has Antonio Pierce's back in the wake of reports that the middle linebacker is facing criminal charges for his role in the Plaxico Burress shooting. Mara insisted that any charges against Pierce, 30, would be "unwarranted" because "there was no criminal intent" to his actions on the night of Nov. 29, when Burress infamously shot himself in the thigh at The Latin Quarter in Manhattan.
John Mara, a lawyer, apparently thought D.A. Robert Morgenthau and his staff have gone too far in publicly discussing the case. So he issued his statement. "There was no criminal intent on the part of Antonio, who was thrust into this predicament simply because he accompanied Plaxico that evening and because he made the decision to immediately take Plaxico to the hospital. We believe it is unwarranted for the D.A.’s office to press criminal charges against Antonio under these circumstances."
A club security guard stashed Plax's Glock in the glove compartment of Pierce's Cadillac Escalade before Pierce drove off to take his bleeding teammate to the hospital -- and prosecutors may have flipped that guard to testify against Pierce, sources said. Officials allege that after dropping Burress off at New York-Cornell hospital, Pierce drove back home to Totowa, NJ, first dropping the gun off at Plaxico's estate in the same town.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress plans to tell a grand jury Wednesday how he accidentally shot himself in a Manhattan nightclub. Defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman said the one-time Super Bowl hero would give an honest account of the shooting that left him with a minor leg wound. "He's going to go in and tell the truth," Brafman said. "He's going to ask the grand jury for their compassion and understanding."
Plaxico Burress' attorney Benjamin Brafman said Burress would testify at 10 a.m. today. "He's going to go in and tell the truth," Brafman said. Burress, 31, shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub early on the morning of Nov. 29, 2008. He was accompanied by teammate Antonio Pierce, who still could be charged in the case.

NFC East News
Eagles Jim Johnson, whose attacking defenses helped the Eagles to one Super Bowl appearance and five NFC title games, has died. He was 68. Johnson had taken a leave of absence from the team in May as he battled a cancerous tumor on his spine. The Eagles announced his death Tuesday.
Giants Tom Coughlin remembered Johnson as a formidable rival who helped shape the career of Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo took over as the Giants' defensive coordinator in 2007 and helped lead them to a Super Bowl victory over New England the same season. He was hired this offseason as the St. Louis Rams' head coach. "He was an excellent, excellent defensive coach and he trained others to be the same," Coughlin said. "We know what Steve Spagnuolo meant to us. We had great respect for Jim, and he had great respect for us. I didn't know Jim personally, but we would always talk to each other, mostly about the NFC East and what a great, competitive division it is."

NFL News
Brett Favre told the Vikings that he will remain retired and will not be reporting to training camp this week. This comes as a bit of a surprise considering that Favre underwent surgery to repair his throwing shoulder in an attempt to come back and play in Minnesota. But as training camp neared, Favre clearly felt that he was not up for the mental and physical grind of a 19th season.

July 28 Bad news, Giants fans. Antonio Pierce is now facing a gun-possession indictment in the Plaxico Burress club shooting -- charges that could sideline him for the coming season and ultimately put him in jail. "The DA's office has confirmed that they are going to seek charges against Antonio," the star linebacker's lawyer, Michael Bachner, told The Post yesterday.

Do not rush Osi Umenyiora and Michael Boley into the lineup. Osi is coming off major knee surgery and Michael Boley is recovering from hip surgery and will miss a game due to suspension. The team is more than capable of weathering the storm if it takes a couple of games for Osi to get acclimated to the speed of the game again. By signing Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, and moving Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end, they provided the defensive line with much needed depth and the team can feel free to limit his playing time so as not to re-aggravate the injury.

Now entering his seventh season as the Giants' defensive line coach, Mike Waufle earned his first championship ring when the Giants defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. This year, Waufle received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 47th Annual Leatherneck Ball, the oldest and one of the largest fundraisers for the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund.

The third annual Taste of the Giants event will take place on Monday, October 19, 2009 in the Stadium Club at Giants Stadium. An evening of fine cuisine from the area's finest chefs, award-winning wine and a silent auction with great Giants items. The event will feature appearances by current and former Giants players.

July 27 The Post has learned Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce is still on the hook for allegedly possessing his then-teammate's gun after the shooting -- and could face a jail term of his own. Prosecutors have considered flipping the unidentified Latin Quarter security worker in hopes of nailing Pierce for allegedly bringing the Glock to Burress' Totowa, NJ, home after first driving Burress to New York-Cornell Hospital, sources said. Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau played coy on Pierce. "I'm not going to go into that," he said, smiling, when asked whether Burress alone faced gun-possession charges.

Right now the Cowboys' first regular-season visitor is as close to playoff success as the team can get. The Giants won a Super Bowl in the 2007 season. The Cowboys last won a playoff game in the 1996 season. The Cowboys and local taxpayers spent a few hundred million dollars to make Texas Stadium's successor successful. Jones is counting on Cowboys victories to make the place a sold-out success right away. No one on the current roster has achieved playoff success in Dallas. That's at any level - wild-card, divisional round, anything.

Former Players
Plaxico Burress' NFL career -- at least what's left of it -- is likely to remain in limbo with news that Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau is hellbent on seeing him do prison time. No team has made a move to sign Burress -- whom the Giants released earlier this year because of his pending gun-possession criminal case -- despite initial claims by his high-powered lawyer that several squads were talking about picking up the superstar wide receiver.

July 26 Less than one month after Bill Sheridan, the former linebackers coach, got the job (defensive coordinator), the Giants went on an $84 million defensive spending spree, bolstering their pass rush with linebacker Michael Boley and defensive linemen Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, and helping the secondary with the addition of veteran safety C.C. Brown. And in the spring, Sheridan saw that Osi Umenyiora is fully recovered after knee surgery kept him out last year. So it’s no wonder that Sheridan’s plan is to build on Spagnuolo’s pass-rush-happy system and turn his speedy players loose even more.

Movie Alert - Bigfan in August. Bigfan, a movie about a New York Giant's fan will debut on August 28, 2009. The movie follows an obsessed fan of the Giants who follows the team religiously. Patton Oswalt plays a hardcore fan, who struggles to deal with the consequences when he is beaten up by his favorite player. Bigfan

Former Giants.
Plaxico Burress - The DA said he was barred by law from providing any details of the jury's proceedings, saying only that he expected the secret panel's vote would be announced within "three to four weeks."

NFC East News.
Giants last year - A season that could have been. Won 11 of first 12, including a win over the Super Bowl champion Steelers on the road.
Eagles last year - Overcame improbable odds to make the playoffs in the final week, won two road games and reached the NFC championship game for the fifth time in eight years.
Cowboys last year - Great things were expected, but then QB Tony Romo got hurt, and when he returned, there were problems with WR Terrell Owens.
Redskins last year - A promising 6-2 start under rookie coach Jim Zorn turned sour as the offence faded in second half of season.

July 21 The Giants are cutting the price on many of the remaining unsold tickets in their new Meadowlands stadium by about 37 percent in hopes of re-igniting interest. The move comes after a year-long, Herculean marketing job that sold all but roughly 4,000 seats in their new, 82,500-seat stadium, during which a sagging economy and the $1,000-to-$20,000 cost of the personal seat license fee attached to each ticket dampened demand.

It was a third of a century late, but better that than never, right? The first official rail trip connecting the Meadowlands with the rest of the area's train infrastructure finally took place Monday, with the public debut set for Sunday's CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer final. The station is a very short walk to the new Jets- Giants stadium opening next year, and a modest stroll to Giants Stadium for its final season.
The new line operates between Hoboken Terminal and Meadowlands Station, stopping only at the Frank R. Lautenberg Station at Secaucus Junction. The ride from Hoboken to the stadium is approximately 23 minutes and it’s a mere 10 minutes from Secaucus. Trains will run every 10-20 minutes before and after events.
On the day Michael Vick completed his 23-month federal dogfighting sentence, both Giants and Jets ownership said they have no interest in bringing the suspended NFL quarterback aboard. "On a lot of levels, no," Giants co-owner and CEO John Mara said Monday, as the NJ Transit rail service to the Meadowlands was launched.

NFL News
Michael Vick doesn’t have a right to NFL employment. Now that he has completed his 23-month federal sentence, Vick should have the right to apply for NFL employment. Yes, there is a difference.
Michael Vick hopes to soon meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has said he would review Vick's status after Vick completed his sentence. Goodell has said he wants to sit down with Vick, but it's unclear when that face-to-face meeting will take place.

July 19 Special Report Would David Carr really step in and up to make us forget abour Eli Manning? Over Manning's career (2004-2008), he has completed 1,276 passes on 2,284 attempts for a 55.9 completion percentage. He has thrown for 14,623 yards (a 6.4-yard average) and 98 touchdowns against 74 interceptions. He has taken 120 sacks and his overall passer rating is 76.1 going into the 2009 season.
Carr has been in the league since 2002 and in that time has hit 1,325 of 2,128 passes (a 59.7 completion percentage). Overall, his 14,141 yards were good for a 6.4-yard average. He has hit 64 touchdowns (nearly all with Houston) against 70 interceptions while taking 263 sacks (76 in his first season), for a passer rating of 74.9.

Sinorice Moss said the starting receiver positions are wide open right now and the coaching staff will not pick the starters until after training camp. That being said, Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon have to be the heavy favorites to win those jobs going into training camp.

Mario Manningham, who signed autographs Saturday at the Toyota car dealership on Youngstown Road, has every intention of proving skeptics wrong in 2009. He's anxious to begin training camp Aug. 2, and there's no doubt in his mind that he'll join Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon as one of the top three targets for quarterback Eli Manning.

From Fred Robbins Blog - This last month before we report to training camp on August 2nd I’m trying to train twice a day to get ready for two-a-days. You’ve got to get your body in the routine of working out in the morning and then working out again in the afternoon. You want your body to be ready for the season, the long haul, and you want to be in the best shape physically.

Will Beatty is a left tackle who spent five years at UConn playing for Edsall. In April, Beatty became one of Tom Coughlin's players when the Giants took him in the second round of the NFL draft. He sees plenty of similarities between Coughlin and his one-time assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Uni Watch Field Trip: An Afternoon at the Meadowlands - The red alternate jersey has been retired. The Giants will not be wearing any alternates or throwbacks in 2009 or 2010, but they have a doozy of a throwback slated for 2011.

NFC East News
NFC East training-camp previews . Giants Training-camp report date: Aug. 3.

July 17 Ernie Accorsi always said, "You can never have enough pass rushers." The Giants are trying to prove him wrong by bringing in any and every able body they can find. The Giants felt they needed to get the pass rush back to to 2007 production levels, when they led the NFL in sacks with 53. Last year, without injured Pro Bowl DE Osi Umenyiora and future Hall-of-Famer Michael Strahan, the pass rush declined, dropping to 42 sacks, which was good enough for sixth in the league, but way below what the team is accustomed to.
It is almost certain that making the Giants' final 53-man roster this season will be the toughest assignment hopefuls have had in 20 years. The Giants are "full up" at most positions, and in some areas of the team they are overloaded with Pro Bowl or near-Pro Bowl quality performers. The D-line, for instance, shows ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck (both Pro Bowl veterans) along with Mathias Kiwanuka, Dave Tollefson and free agent rookie Maurice Evans, who looked surprisingly effective in minicamp. The tackles are Chris Canty (from Dallas), Rocky Bernard (Seattle), Jay Alford , Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins. The latter two are the incumbent starters although Robbins had some injury woes and might be questionable to start camp.

NFC East News
Eagles - They don’t report to training camp for another two weeks, but Donovan McNabb and his receivers are getting some quality time together this week. Every July, the quarterback invites the team’s wide receivers, tight ends and running backs out to his home in Chandler, Ariz., to work out with him, run routes and generally bond.
Redskins - They hope they have upgraded their defensive line with the Thursday, July 16 selection of Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon in the NFL’s annual supplemental draft. In acquiring Jarmon, the Redskins give up their third-round pick in the 2010 draft.
Cowboys - Instead of becoming the next Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman with Super Bowl rings on their resume, Tony Romo is starting to look like the next Danny White, a quarterback who could never get the Cowboys over the hump despite all of his glossy individual numbers.

NFL News
Pro football players swept across Capitol Hill on Wednesday and asked lawmakers to take a tough look at owners' profits as the two sides prepare to decide how to divide their big pot of TV money and other revenues.

July 15 Brandon Jacobs said on ESPN Radio 1050 in New York, "I don't think he's that good a passer, to be honest with you. I'm not a fan of Tony Romo. Keep him in the pocket, he's not that good. ... His luck will be gone sooner or later. If you were to keep Tony Romo in the pocket, he's not that effective." I don't agree with Jacobs because Romo has put up good enough numbers since becoming a starting quarterback, but I love the banter.

Justin Tuck was on the ball for charity Monday night. But it was not a football, a basketball or a golf ball. Tuck's sphere of choice was a billiard ball and with it he raised approximately $200,000 for his R.U.S.H. for Literary initiative. "We wanted to do something fun," Tuck said at Slate, the billiards club on 21st Street in Manhattan where the event was held. "My billiards game is a whole lot better than my golf game.'

NFC East News
As the offseason nears its end, here are the top storylines for each NFC East team heading into training camp. For the Giants - The battle at wide receiver. We all know that the Giants win football games running the football and playing a brand of defense that brings pressure and leads to turnovers and a short field for the offense. However, the competition at wide receiver should be something to keep an eye on.

July 13 Not long after Micah Rucker signed with the New York Giants in January, the team's fans began to wonder about the 2003 Estero High School graduate's potential with the squad. Rucker, 24, is entering his second year in the NFL. The Bonita Springs resident spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008 before being released.

July 10 The Giants top 10 prospects. In Chris Steuber's (Scout.com) series, an NFL prospect is classified as a player who has up to three years of NFL experience or is under 25 years old. Find out who Steuber targeted as the Giants top 10 prospects and read the details.

July 8 Michael Boley may not have been ready for the Giants' season-opener against the Redskins after hip surgery last month, but the league yesterday announced he definitely won't be around for it. The linebacker, who signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Giants in the offseason, was suspended by the NFL and will miss the Sept. 13 game for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
According to a statement released by the NFL, Boley is eligible for all preseason games and practices up until Saturday, Sept. 5, when his suspension begins. He will become eligible to rejoin the team on Sept. 14, one day after the opener at home against the Redskins. The Giants did not release any statements from Boley or team officials but knew of the incident when they signed him.
The suspension stems from an incident in May 2008 when Boley was still a Falcon and was charged with battery on his wife. Neither Boley nor the Giants commented on the announcement. A person familiar with the Giants' thinking said Boley and the team knew that the league would likely discipline him when he signed a five-year, $25-million deal this winter.

Tom Coughlin likely will never have the patience to sit and talk for a living after he is finished with coaching, like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden. But all three should know now, as should Jeff Fisher and John Harbaugh, not to call a football player a warrior just because he is making tackles all over the field. There was no more worthy NFL offseason news than Coughlin, Fisher, Harbaugh, Gruden and Cowher visiting Iraq. When the season starts, that trip might actually help all of us remember what we are talking about. It's just football.

Last year, a rash of injuries finally caught up to the New York defense in December. Pro Bowler Osi Umenyiora was lost in preseason, and end Justin Tuck and tackles Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins had to fight through health issues. The answer, for G.M. Jerry Reese, was simply to get deeper at already deep spots - which is why Bernard and former Cowboy Chris Canty were added up front. Now, the club can be confident that its biggest strength will continue to be one, even if the injury bug bites. For that, Bill Sheridan is grateful. "You don't look at our roster and think, 'Oh, my gosh, they don't have personnel,' " Sheridan said.

The Giants selected David Diehl on the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Since then, Diehl has started all 103 regular season and postseason games the Giants have played. He is the first Giant since the introduction of the 16-game schedule in 1978 to start all 96 regular season games in his first 6 seasons. Diehl has started at right guard, right tackle, left guard and, the last two years, left tackle for the Giants. Two years ago he started for the Giants team that won Super Bowl XLII. In 2008, Diehl was selected to the All-NFC team by the Pro Football Writers Association Diehl believes he would not have enjoyed professional success without the groundwork he did at Illinois.

July 5 Eli Manning shoots Reebok commercials at Briarcrest Christian. Reebok decided to shoot the commercial in Memphis because of the city's proximity to Manning's off-season home in Oxford, Miss. The commercial features Manning and Giants’ wide receiver Domenik Hixon, who last season led the team in receiving yards, pulling pranks on second-year safety Kenny Phillips. The commercials will begin airing in July, just in time for the start of NFL training camp. Photos Here.

NFL News
Steve McNair was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in a Nashville condominium Saturday - and authorities hinted he was murdered by a girlfriend who then turned the gun on herself.
Steve McNair was one of three players in NFL history to pass for 30,000 yards and run for 3,500, along with Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young.

July 4 In his three-year stint with the Giants, WR Sinorice Moss (second-round pick in 2006) has noticeably failed to perform up to those standards expected of his lofty selection. It isn’t that he doesn’t have the talent. The 5-8, 185-pounder has blazing speed, lightning-quick moves and flashes the ability to corkscrew defensive backs into the ground. It’s just that he doesn’t do any of those things in games. He is a world-class practice player, however, but always seems to come up with injuries after a torrid show of potential. He is likely in his last season of teasing the offense.
Moss has said, "I've been hearing guys tell me I wasn't going to make it to the NFL. That is just something for me to look at and listen to and just go out there and perform every week. I can't worry about what those people say. But it does bother me when people tell me what I can't do." What has kept him from complaining or demanding to be traded despite not getting much playing time since being a second-round draft pick in 2006? "I know how hard I work. I know what I put in. It was never for me to pout or complain or to argue or be mad at my coaches. Things happen for a reason. That's how I look at it. I just continue to perform and show these coaches why they drafted me. That's why I kept a positive attitude. I know what I am capable of doing when given the opportunity."

Running back Danny Ware reports it's all about football. "I’m not doing much lately except trying to get into the best shape of my life. Even though we have 4 weeks until we report for training camp on August 2nd it’s all about football right now for me. There’s never a day off... I got a ring when the Giants won the Super Bowl but I gotta earn one on the field. I basically had the best seat in the house for that one. I want to be a part of the offense and help the team win the Super Bowl, then I’ll have more memories to go with the ring."

NFC East News
Cowboys - The departure of Terrell Owens means the Cowboys will not have the same wide-open offense they did in the past. His replacement as the lead receiver, Roy Williams, is more a mid-range threat than a downfield target. Roy Williams caught just 19 passes last season. He started working with quarterback Tony Romo in February even before the offseason program began at Valley Ranch.
Eagles - They were one of just three defenses (Baltimore and Pittsburgh were the others) that finished in the top five in total defense, run defense, pass defense and points allowed last season. But that unit is facing the possibility of being without two of its key components in 2009. One is Pro Bowl free safety Brian Dawkins, who signed with the Denver Broncos in March. The other is defensive coordinator Jim Johnson.
Redskins - Coach Jim Zorn wants one of his highly-touted second-year WRs, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, to become a starter outside, moving veteran Antwaan Randle El to the slot position. Thomas and Kelly combined for just 18 catches in disappointing rookie seasons that began with them failing the conditioning test that opened training camp.

July 3 Tom Coughlin is one of five current or former head coaches who are in Iraq on the inaugural NFL-USO Coaches Tour. Coughlin, a fervent admirer of the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces, was originally invited to Iraq by Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the commanding general of the multi-national force in Iraq. Odierno is a Rockaway, N.J. native and Giants fan who has made several visits to Giants Stadium and the team’s training camp in Albany. "When you’re 15 minutes outside of Baghdad you have to shut all the lights off on the plane," Coughlin said. "The first part of the adventure was going in there; you land in sandstorms and darkness. The airport in Kuwait is a bustling place and then when you get over to Iraq it’s a little bit different."
Fans wasted no time seeking out their favorite coaches. One Giants fan from the Bronx and another from New Jersey ran to meet Coughlin; a lifelong Steelers fan (now a colonel in the Army) snapped a photo with Bill Cowher; a handful of servicemen based at Fort Campbell, Tennessee went to chat with Jeff Fisher. I also saw John Harbaugh (the former Eagles defensive backs coach) talking high schools sports in the Philadelphia area with a couple of Eagles fans. The one interaction that didn’t happen, however, was between CW4 John Case (originally from Texas) and Coughlin. A big Cowboys fan, CW4 Case politely declined to meet his team's rival coach.

July 1 It was more a challenge than a reminder when general manager Jerry Reese said this offseason that Eli Manning is "not a veteran any more, he's a Pro Bowler -- we'll put some of this on his back." With so much talk about the tall and talented receivers the Giants lost, Reese wanted everyone to consider the great asset he believes Manning can and must be.

The Giants signed running back Andre Brown, the fourth-round selection from North Carolina State. He became the sixth 2009 draft choice - and the second in two days - to sign with the Giants.

June 30 The Giants signed tight end Travis Beckum, the second of their two third-round draft picks, on Monday. Beckum is the fifth of the team's nine draft choices to sign, joining receiver Ramses Barden (third round), quarterback Rhett Bomar (fifth) and cornerbacks DeAndre Wright (sixth) and Stoney Woodson (seventh).

One of the most interesting job battles in the Giants training camp this summer will be for a position that didn’t exist last year. First-year pro Andre’ Woodson and rookie Rhett Bomar will compete to be the team’s No. 3 quarterback behind Eli Manning and David Carr. The Giants did not have a third quarterback on their roster in 2008, largely because they carried two kickers in Lawrence Tynes and John Carney.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress - The commissioner, in keeping with his get-tough stance on personal conduct, is leaning towards suspending Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick, the report stated, citing three sources with knowledge of the situation.

June 29 Giants training camp all-session parking passes will be available at UAlbany's Athletic Merchandise Store, located in the SEFCU Arena Lobby, beginning Monday, July 13. An all-session parking pass is $15.00. The daily parking fee is $5.00.
2009 New York Giants Training Camp Schedule

Giants and Jets fans in Westchester County also will be able to take a train to the Meadowlands in the 2009 season but on a limited basis. The trains will only run for football games, and only those with 1 p.m. kickoffs. Currently, 10 such Jets and Giants games are scheduled through Jan. 3, but because the National Football League uses flexible scheduling in the final weeks of the season, some of the game times could be changed.

Giants are selling your seats $499.00 - Comes in a pair of 2 seats. Each item will be authenticated with a tamper-proof hologram. Seat pairs will arrive in 6-8 weeks after the last NFL game at Giants Stadium. You will not get your exact seat but can request color (red or blue) depending on availability.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has begun his review on Plaxico Burress to see if the former Giants wide receiver violated the league's personal conduct policy. Goodell likely initiated his review so he can make a ruling on a potential suspension prior to the start of training camp. Goodell does not have to wait for any court ruling to decide to suspend Burress, who accidentally shot himself in the thigh on Nov.29 in a Manhattan nightclub.

June 25 Linebacker Michael Boley, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the New York Giants as a free agent, had hip surgery Wednesday and almost certainly will miss the start of training camp. Boley had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in an operation performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery. The former Atlanta Falcon hurt his hip during the Giants’ offseason program.
Boley missed a week of organized team activities (OTAs) earlier this month with what appeared to be a minor hip issue. Boley returned to the field and participated in the team's mandatory minicamp last week. Obviously, the injury continued to nag him. Since Boley was injured before training camp, he's eligible to be placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which means he wouldn't occupy a roster spot until he's activated. The Giants could use that spot when they sign one of their remaining draft picks.
The Giants break camp at the University at Albany on Aug. 25. This is a blow to the defense, because Boley, after four years with the Falcons, needed all the time he could get getting acclimated into the new scheme. He signed with the Giants on Feb. 28 and participated in the offseason program, which gave him a taste of what to expect as far as his assignments. Without the benefit of training camp, Boley, 26, will be far behind and there's no guarantee he will be ready to play by the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Redskins.

The real reason the Giants faded at the end of the season What drove the Giants’ demise was the defense. Unless you want to pin the blame on Antonio Pierce’s extracurricular issues related to the Plaxico Burress incident, Burress had nothing to do with the decline. The Giants’ passing offense actually improved with Burress out of the lineup. The running game declined some without the threat of Burress stretching the field to concern opposing safeties, but it wasn’t enough to drag the offense down; the team’s offensive DVOA was 20.6% with Burress in the lineup and 27.8% over the eight games he wasn’t around.

The Giants announced the signing of two more of their nine 2009 draft choices: wide receiver Ramses Barden, their third-round selection, and quarterback Rhett Bomar, a fifth-round pick. The Giants agreed to terms with rookie WR Ramses Barden and QB Rhett Bomar To create space on the roster for Barden and Bomar, the Giants released tight end George Wrighster, a seven-year veteran who was signed on May 9, and first-year offensive lineman Mike Fladell.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress - The 6-5 ex-Giant would give Jay Cutler a can't-miss target and an ideal compliment to Devin Hester's speed. Trading for Cutler was simple. Whether the Bears would benefit from acquiring talented and troubled Plaxico Burress is more complicated.

June 24 They say the off-season begins in February and lasts five months. I say the off-season begins now and lasts only six weeks. The past couple of months have been anything but off for all of us, as the Giants (and every NFL team, for that matter) have been working hard to reshape and improve their teams. It seems like not a day has gone by when there hasn't been a transaction, a hot rumor, a practice or a legal proceeding that figured to affect this team as it heads toward the '09 season. Through all of it, I believe a much different team has emerged. A better team? In the long run, I'd say yes. In the short term, I'm not quite sure yet.

Michael Boley is one of the guys on a rejuvenated New York defense, an already successful squad of linebackers including Antonio Pierce, Danny Clark and two-time Pro Bowl defensive end, Osi Umenyiora, returning from a knee injury that cost him his 2008 season. Umenyiora in particular has been a large presence in practice for Boley, who says "It's been great just seeing him, coming back from an injury like that. He looks great-he's still got the explosiveness that he's always had."

June 21 Here's hoping David Tyree makes The Catch again ... and this time I'm talking any catch. The hero of the New York Giants' Super Bowl XLII victory is sidelined, this time by a sore hamstring that kept him out of this week's minicamp. It doesn't appear serious, and Tyree insists he'll be in Albany, N.Y., for the start of training camp, but it's just another setback for a guy who deserves better.

Al Barden is the father of rookie Giants receiver Ramses Barden. "The first time I went to a game, I see him coming down the field, and the ball's up in the air coming toward him, and these two defensive backs are coming toward him. I didn't even want to look. I said 'Oh, they're going to kill my kid.' Then he leaps up, grabs the ball with one hand, comes down, knocks both guys down and takes off and scores a touchdown.

Stadium News
Photographs taken over the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ by by Tom Kaminski in Chopper 880 on Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress shot himself last fall, even though he easily could have shot somebody else once he started fumbling with his gun. So the only thing he killed was his team's chance to win the Super Bowl. "In our case there is no victim," Benjamin Brafman, lawyer, was quick to tell Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News, as if that puts Burress back in the open field, looking to catch passes again.

NFC East News
Eagles - When they drafted Kevin Kolb in the second round of the 2007 draft, it appeared that Donovan McNabb’s days as the team’s starting quarterback were numbered. But after getting his contract reworked this week, it looks like McNabb’s reign will last at least another two seasons.
Cowboys - Three and a half months have passed since they cut Terrell Owens, and we’ve been subjected to more spin than a stuntman from “The Fast and the Furious” film franchise. From what I could tell, the receiver’s release was necessitated by every consideration known to man, except the most logical ones: He’s a nightmare when things don’t go his way and he undermined the authority of the franchise quarterback.
Redskins - While Jim Zorn, a former NFL quarterback and quarterbacks coach, likes what he saw from Todd Collins this offseason, he’s still not ready to play Brennan if something would happen to Campbell. And, of course, Collins and Brennan could wind up dueling to start in 2010 if Campbell departs after being so publicly dissed by the Redskins’ front office this spring.

June 19 Tom Coughlin took a hefty 18 minutes for his "Goodbye for the summer" speech to the Giants yesterday, figuring he could hold the interest of his team that long but no longer. "You can't go more than 20, you know that rule," Coughlin said. "I had to bring it back to their attention one time."
At first, Coughlin told the media he would keep the contents of his speech "between the players and myself." But he immediately relented a bit and spoke in generalities about the long break between now and the Aug. 2 reporting date for players in Albany -- the latest start to camp ever. The coach also wished the team a happy six-week break for them and their families.
Coughlin included some housekeeping measures in his talk, noting they will have fewer practices at the University at Albany because of their preseason opener scheduled for Monday night, Aug. 17. Because practices cannot begin earlier than 14 days prior to that first exhibition, the Giants can’t begin work until Monday, Aug. 3, when most teams will have started camp over the weekend.

Five yards away, Sinorice Moss is a small target. Twenty-five yards away, along the sideline and with a defender nearby, the window to the Giants' undersized wide receiver becomes minuscule. So when Eli Manning tried to get the ball to Moss during a recent practice and underthrew him just a tad, the result was predictable: cornerback Terrell Thomas easily got position and knocked the ball away. For Manning, it's been an adjustment throwing to Moss and a few other targets much smaller than Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.
Eli Manning is still in line to get one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history. He is just going to have to wait a little longer than expected. Manning and the Giants remain far apart in their negotiations on a new deal, according to two NFL sources with knowledge of the talks. Nobody is panicking, even though 2009 is the last year of Manning's rookie contract, and both sides expect a deal will eventually get done.

With the absence of Plaxico Burress often given as a reason why the Giants didn't return to the Super Bowl last season, it is easy to forget that the team was without another All-Pro: Osi Umenyiora. Unlike Burress, the team will have Umenyiora back in uniform this year, and after not having played a game since his knee injury in the 2008 preseason, Umenyiora is happy to get back on the field.

June 18 This mandatory minicamp will come and go without three Giants rookie draft picks doing much of anything. That's not good news for linebacker Clint Sintim, tight end Travis Beckum and tackle William Beatty. All three might be raring to go on Aug. 3, in time of the first training camp practice up in Albany. They better be. Already, hamstring problems caused them to miss valuable work on the field during the organized team activity (OTA) sessions and the three days of the mini-camp that ends today.
"There are different degrees of strains, but we've been looking at a couple of young guys that have been out forever," Tom Coughlin said. "Why they're not progressing to the point they can come back ..." The frustration in Coughlin's voice was evident as he failed to find the words to complete that sentence. He then added: "There's such a short window to work with them and when they miss that amount of time it hurts them." One player who's missed a lot of time in the past is WR Sinorice Moss. And now, he's out again after suffering a strained hamstring on Tuesday. Moss missed both practices Wednesday and will not practice Thursday, meaning his promising spring is over.
Moss insisted it's "not serious," but it was serious enough to keep him off the field. "It frustrates me, but maybe I just need to rest my legs," Moss said. "I'm trying to stay positive about the situation. "It's unfortunate," Tom Coughlin said. "He was getting a lot of snaps and he was doing something with them."

Giants Veteran Mini Camp Photos

It took Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield a month before he could even start running following offseason microfracture surgery to repair the cartilage tear in his knee. Advertisement But after sitting out the entire offseason conditioning program, which closes today with the end of the team's three-day mini-camp, he expects he'll be 100 percent for training camp. He'd better be. Now that free agents Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard are here, his job - and future with the Giants - is on the line.

After the Giants’ minicamp concludes tomorrow, most of the players will scatter for six weeks of rest and relaxation before training camp. But not Lawrence Tynes. The kicker’s most frequent destination will be the TIMEX Performance Center, where he will work right up until his departure for the University at Albany.

Aaron Ross said he and Corey Webster are looking to become the new leaders of the cornerback group. Meanwhile the entire secondary will miss Butler, who was not the most athletically gifted safety in the league but certainly one of the smartest. It was no surprise former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo signed Butler as a free agent to coordinate his secondary with the St. Louis Rams. "James was a real 'brainster,' he could break down defenses," said Ross. Now that job will fall to the young safety duo of third-year man Michael Johnson and Kenny Phillips, last year's No. 1 draft pick who moves into the starting free safety position. Coach Tom Coughlin is looking to Phillips in particular to provide some leadership in the final line of defense.

Newsday Morning Practice Report   |   Newsday Afternoon Practice Report.

Kevin Boss knows all about the standard Mark Bavaro set for Giants tight ends two decades ago, when he led the team in receiving during its Super Bowl XXI season and climbed to 10th on the franchise's all-time receiving list. But Boss never had a conversation with Bavaro, who also wore No. 89, until an event at the Secaucus Crowne Plaza Saturday. After they exchanged autographed pictures -- Bavaro wrote, "To Kevin, You're the best #89 I know!" -- Boss admitted he left with the smile of a "giddy little kid."

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress had been told on Monday that there had been no grand jury impaneled to hear his case -- and that his next court date wouldn't be until late September. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said that timing would allow Burress to play for any of "several" teams hoping to sign him for this season. But yesterday, Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau said there was no special arrangement with Burress. Morgenthau said his office would convene a grand jury sometime next month.

Stadium News
Timex joined Pepsi and Izod on Wednesday as companies with naming rights at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The 15-year multimillion-dollar deal between the watchmaker and the New York Giants calls for the new training facility to be named the Timex Performance Center.
Giants chief executive John Mara would not disclose the specific financial terms, but the Giants can earn as much as $3 million annually. "This was a big step for us because it demonstrates that there are companies out there still open for business and who want to enter into these types of arrangements," Mara said.

June 17 In his four-year NFL career, Giants wide receiver Sinorice Moss has been slowed by injuries, a frustrating spot on the depth chart and meager opportunities on the field. This spring, though, Moss has been playing like he's ready for a breakthrough, which was evident again Tuesday as he starred during the first practice of the team's minicamp.
He made two over-the-shoulder grabs in the morning session and another on a sharp comeback. "He has created some excitement on our part in watching him do that," Tom Coughlin said. It is June, and before Moss can convince many of his doubters, he'll have to perform in the regular season.
"I have a lot of naysayers," Moss said. "People say I can't do this, I can't do that. I've been hearing that all my life. It does bother you when people tell me what I can't do. That's why when I step out on the field every day I have that attitude of just making plays so my coaches can know 'Hey, when it's time to play in the game, give this guy the ball.'

Giants Veteran Mini Camp Photos

Moss was hampered in his rookie season by a lingering thigh injury he suffered in training camp. Since then he has seen the Giants draft Steve Smith in 2007, Manningham last year and Nicks and Barden in April. Along with Domenik Hixon, they form a relatively inexperienced wide receiver group that is certain to come under great scrutiny on a team set at every other position.
Even with the departures of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, a line has formed in front of Moss. Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith are the starters. Second-year player Mario Manningham and rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, barring injuries, are roster locks. That's five spots filled at a position where keeping six is usually the norm. Despite the presence of veteran David Tyree, Moss is the favorite to hold on.
Moss has not produced as the Giants expected he would when they selected him on the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. In 29 games he has 38 receptions for 403 yards and two touchdowns. In 2008, he played in 10 games and caught 12 passes for 153 yards and two scores, both against Seattle on Oct. 5. The Giants believe he is capable of posting better numbers.

The biggest reason Moss is still here is that he’s got blazing speed, but that was counteracted during his first three season by injuries and inconsistent performances in practice. Now he seems healthy, the consistency is there, and he’s comfortable enough that his speed is finally on display. "I feel like I can do so many things with the ball in my hands,"
During the last drill of practice, WR Sinorice Moss made a difficult, sliding catch to bail out QB David Carr in a two-minute drill. And that was good. But then he yelled, tossed the ball aside, walked towards the trainer and slammed his helmet to the turf. That wasn’t good. It turns out that Moss suffered a “hamstring strain,” according to the Giants. He did spend a few minutes laying on the ground with a trainer hovering over him, but he also was able to get up and walked off the practice field with the rest of his teammates.

Newsday Morning Practice Report   |   Newsday Afternoon Practice Report.

Running back Brandon Jacobs said falling way short of their 2007 accomplishments last season has eaten at the Giants all winter. "Oh, we have a very bitter, bad, disgusting taste," he said. "It hurts more than anything. We have another crack at it, and I think we're going to have the same kind of season. I think we're going to go a little bit further."
Brandon Jacobs said the Giants are eager to prove themselves this season. He noted that the return of injured defensive end Osi Umenyiora will help the defense and that young receivers are stepping up to replace Burress, who was released in April, and Amani Toomer, who was not re-signed. "It's definitely a motivating thing for me as a player, and as part of this team and for a lot of other players in this building, to come out and show we can win 12 games next year and go a bit farther," Jacobs said.

It has been 21 years since the Giants last had a safety selected for the Pro Bowl when Terry Kinard was chosen to represent the NFC. Since then the position has been a revolving door with names such as Jesse Campbell, Sam Garnes and Omar Stoutmire shuffling in and out. As the team prepares for this season, they have found two young safeties in Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson who might put an end to that drought, which has extended into its third decade.

Tom Coughlin and several players including QB Eli Manning, DE Osi Umenyiora, WR Sinorice Moss and RB Brandon Jacobs met with the media to discuss the 2009 season and their overall thoughts on some of the rookies who have made positive impressions.

Former Giants
Amani Toomer - Although Amani Toomer remains a player without a team, he's pleased he's no longer with the Giants. "I don't know if it would have been a good situation for me to go back there, anyway," Toomer said. "The way the season ended, I wasn't being used and I was put on the back burner. But it had to end sometime and it doesn't always end the way you want it to." The longtime Giant caught 48 passes last year, his lowest total for a full season since his third year in the league, and he didn't have more than three receptions in any of the team's last five games.
Tim Hasselbeck, a former backup quarterback for the Giants, said on ESPN's NFL Live yesterday that teams -- including the Jets -- would be wise to refrain from signing his former teammate Plaxico Burress. "When you're looking at Plaxico Burress, there's no doubt that he can be a dominant receiver at times on Sundays," Hasselbeck said. "We've seen it. But with that being said, I played with the guy. I was in the locker room with him for two years. He's a disaster as a teammate. He's a disaster as a guy that you have to coach.
Plaxico Burress' lawyer argues for Donte Stallworth-like sentence or less. Donte Stallworth got 30 days in jail for killing someone driving drunk, while Plaxico Burress is facing 3-1/2 to 15 years in prison for shooting himself in the leg. And Burress' attorney, Benjamin Brafman, doesn't think that's fair.
The war inside the DA's office already has drawn things out so long that a grand jury has yet to be convened over what seems a relatively simple incident that took place back in November. His next court date is Sept. 23. But be sensible. We're talking about a multimillion-dollar football career! "He may be stupid, and he used bad judgment, but the only one he hurt was himself," said one source.
Plaxico Burress - Roger Goodell must decide if he's going to let Burress play while facing a possible grand jury indictment on Sept. 23 on felony gun charges. If there is an indictment, the trial is not expected until next spring. Goodell could announce he's suspending Burress for the first month of the season, but still allow a team to sign him now, bring him to training camp and then have him for the final 12 games.
Plaxico Burress is intent on playing in 2009, and it appears he wouldn't mind doing so in Tampa Bay. The former Giants receiver, who is embroiled in a legal snafu and faces weapons charges in New York after an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound last year, reached out to Bucs RB Derrick Ward and others on the team to express an interest in joining them.

June 16 Heading into today's mandatory three-day mini-camp, there are no off-field issues or headaches to worry the Giants. It's actually all about football. Heck, yesterday the Giants and Burress even reached a settlement on the second grievance Burress filed in December. Burress claimed the Giants should not have withheld slightly more than $1 million as a result of his four-game suspension and fine of one game-check.

Kelvin Smith relishes his status. As the Giants take the field today for minicamp, the North Rockland High and Syracuse University product is one of the team's linebackers, for now. But to say he's a long shot to make the opening-day roster is an understatement. At this point, just making it to training camp will be an achievement. You see, even former draft picks - Smith went in the seventh round in 2007 to Miami - face iron-stiff odds of sticking when they're signed out of a rookie-minicamp tryout. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Smith, working back from a torn left ACL that killed his entire 2008 season, is under no illusions that any advancement with the Giants will be easy.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress - In a sweetheart arrangement that will likely allow him to play for millions of dollars this season, gunslinging ex-Giant Plaxico Burress won't see a felony indictment for at least another 13 weeks -- thanks to a delay approved by Manhattan prosecutors yesterday.
Plaxico Burress is still facing an indictment, a possible trial, and maybe as many as 15 years in prison. But none of that will stop him from playing in the NFL this fall.
Plaxico Burress - The Jets aren't going to pull the trigger on Plaxico Burress - at least not anytime soon. Once regarded as a leading suitor for the talented but troubled receiver, the Jets' interest has waned, according to two NFL sources.
Plaxico Burress - For his own credibility and the integrity of his league, now is the time for Roger Goodell to suspend Burress for the first four games of the 2009 season as punishment for one of the clearest violations yet of the NFL's personal conduct policy.

June 14 Special Report We are less than a week away from the Giants' mandatory three-day minicamp, after which time some of the players will continue to work, others will attempt to gain some sort of vacation time before the real crunch begins, head coach Tom Coughlin will fly off to Iraq and Afghanistan with four other coaches (past and present) on the USL-NFL tour and training camp will begin on Aug. 2.
What the Giants have accomplished in the days and months since their embarrassing playoff elimination defeat at the claws of the Philadelphia Eagles remains to be seen, but for these purposes it might be wise to dwell on what they have not accomplished.
For instance, they have neither replaced wide receiver Plaxico Burress nor Amani Toomer, their two starters when last season began. Plax is gone, having been released early in April after the prolonged discussion about his future as "The Shooter" on the team. Toomer, the 13-year good guy veteran, was simply allowed to walk off into the sunset, perhaps a mistake and (some think) perhaps one that might be rectified before training camp starts.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress will be in Manhattan Criminal Court tomorrow, but instead of his status being clarified with a plea arrangement or trial date for 2010, his attorney says the case will be adjourned until September. Will any team sign him, bring him to training camp, count on him and then find out in September that he has reached a plea agreement to serve jail time that presumably would cost him at least the rest of the season?

Stadium News
The clock is ticking on Giants Stadium. By March it will be rubble. But before the demolition you can get a sneak peek behind the scenes, including a walk through the tunnel and onto the field. Kevin Burt took a job as an usher here in 1979. He spent most games working the upper tier. Burt will be hosting public tours of Giants Stadium most Saturdays this summer. On a recent Thursday morning, Burt led a collection of writers, photographers, cameramen and other media members through the old stadium. Tours next Saturday, June 27; July 4, 11, 18; Aug. 8, 15, 22; and Sept. 5, 12, 19. at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford. Park in Lot 10/12 and meet at the stadium's East Gate. Cost is $15, kids 5-12 and seniors $10, ages 4 and under free. Check here first: Izod Center

June 13 Michael Boley is a versatile linebacker who can rush the passer or drop back into coverage (he has six career sacks and five interceptions). He will solidify the WIL position, where last season Gerris Wilkinson, Bryan Kehl and Chase Blackburn all started for the Giants - the only one of the 22 offensive and defensive positions to have three different starters.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress - The wide receiver hopes to get the case put off until September, which means he could play next season, defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman said. "We'll be in and out of court in five minutes," Brafman said. "There will be an adjournment." The case was first postponed April 1 so the two sides could continue plea bargaining over the Nov. 29 fiasco in which the troubled star put a bullet through his thigh while partying at the Latin Quarter club. Prosecutors had no comment. Pro football officials are not sure Burress will play in 2009. One NFL general manager said teams could be reluctant to sign Burress without knowing how the case is going to be resolved.
Plaxico Burress - The Jets have had one predraft discussion with agent Drew Rosenhaus about Burress, the former Giants receiver who has a hearing Monday in Manhattan regarding his gun possession case. If he's cleared to play this season - he could face jail time, and even a suspension by the NFL - the Jets could be in the mix, along with Chicago and Tampa Bay, to add the playmaking but troubled wide receiver.

NFL News
The Michael Vick era in Atlanta is officially over. Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the team relinquished its contractual rights to Vick on Friday. "Michael remains suspended by the NFL," Dimitroff said. "However, in the event NFL commissioner Roger Goodell decides to reinstate Michael, we feel his best opportunity to re-engage his football career would be at another club."

June 13 Michael Boley is a versatile linebacker who can rush the passer or drop back into coverage (he has six career sacks and five interceptions). He will solidify the WIL position, where last season Gerris Wilkinson, Bryan Kehl and Chase Blackburn all started for the Giants - the only one of the 22 offensive and defensive positions to have three different starters.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress - The wide receiver hopes to get the case put off until September, which means he could play next season, defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman said. "We'll be in and out of court in five minutes," Brafman said. "There will be an adjournment." The case was first postponed April 1 so the two sides could continue plea bargaining over the Nov. 29 fiasco in which the troubled star put a bullet through his thigh while partying at the Latin Quarter club. Prosecutors had no comment. Pro football officials are not sure Burress will play in 2009. One NFL general manager said teams could be reluctant to sign Burress without knowing how the case is going to be resolved.
Plaxico Burress - The Jets have had one predraft discussion with agent Drew Rosenhaus about Burress, the former Giants receiver who has a hearing Monday in Manhattan regarding his gun possession case. If he's cleared to play this season - he could face jail time, and even a suspension by the NFL - the Jets could be in the mix, along with Chicago and Tampa Bay, to add the playmaking but troubled wide receiver.

NFL News
The Michael Vick era in Atlanta is officially over. Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the team relinquished its contractual rights to Vick on Friday. "Michael remains suspended by the NFL," Dimitroff said. "However, in the event NFL commissioner Roger Goodell decides to reinstate Michael, we feel his best opportunity to re-engage his football career would be at another club."

June 12 Michael Boley is one of the newest Giants, having signed as a free agent in March. But the linebacker, who spent his first four seasons with the Falcons, is already being treated like a member of the family. And after sitting out last week's organized team activities with a hip flexor injury, Boley was back on the field this week, getting acclimated with an attacking defense that should suit him better than Atlanta's scheme from last season.
Michael Boley, who seemed fast-tracked for stardom in Atlanta before a new coaching staff decided to rein in his athleticism. Eventually, after starting for most of his career, he became a third-down linebacker, a role player. But with the Giants, he's slated to be the starting weakside backer when the season begins in September. Given his ability to rush the passer and cover receivers out of the backfield, it's hard to see him coming off the field very often.

It appeared everyone was in attendance Thursday for the ninth of the Giants' OTAs. They have one more Friday before veteran minicamp, which runs Tuesday to Thursday next week. Manning hit WR Steve Smith on the first play. Smith made a diving catch past CB Kevin Dockery. Manning then found Manningham on a post past Ross (who would soon bow out). Manningham had to reach back and turn a bit to make the catch. He later made a similar catch -- this time on a fade down the sideline with Ross in coverage. Over on the other side of the field, there were some pretty good battles going on between the LBs and the TEs and RBs.
Who looked good? Mario Manningham beat Aaron Ross twice on deep balls. Jonathan Goff did a nice job of jamming at the line of scrimmage. Boley had Michael Matthews covered down the seam. Brandon Jacobs looked quick on his routes, beating Pierce straight down the field and then beating Kenny Ingram on an out. Allen Patrick smoked Gerris Wilkinson down the middle. Domenik Hixon caught a deep ball over Rashad Barksdale.
Eli Manning had a chance to air out a few balls today and looked very relaxed in doing so. He hit TE Kevin Boss in stride on a seven-on-seven drill - Boss, by the way, looked extremely fluid. Then Manning connected with Mario Manningham over the middle. Manningham did a great job of separating from the defender. Manning connected again on another deep ball, this one to Sinorice Moss who separated nicely from Rashad Barksdale. Good job by Jonathan Goff, lining up at middle linebacker to stop Steve Smith on an outside slant. Goff quickly diagnosed the play perfectly and quickly got himself into a position to make the stop.
Jonathan Goff missed most of his rookie season with a variety of injuries including a fractured transverse process in his back, a concussion and a hamstring. He appeared in just five games and never took the field with the defense – only special teams. Goff said it was difficult dealing with his injuries, especially since he'd never experienced anything like the three that dogged him last season and ultimately landed him on injured reserve by late December.

On the field, off the field, Hakeem Nicks came at David Diehl with questions. Where to rent an apartment to avoid the New Jersey traffic snarl? Where to get furniture? Where to eat? Nicks was able to fast-track through so many incidental details by heeding the guidance of Diehl, who is entering his seventh NFL season and is as solid a player and person as the Giants have on their roster. "He's definitely been a big help to me," Nicks said. "When people come to town he'll pick me up and we'll go out to dinner. Any little things I need he'll tell me to just pick up the phone and give him a call. In my eyes we feel like we're a family at All Pro Sports."

Rookies are always tested mentally and physically. But this year at Giants Stadium, things have been even more intense. Along with the usual adjustments to the speed of the game and the information overload that comes with trying to absorb a playbook that makes Webster's Unabridged Dictionary look like a comic book, the Giants' rookies also have a slew of non-football issues thrown their way.
Coach Tom Coughlin said he has thrown more at these rookies than he has in the past. And not all is football-oriented. "They include their community service with the learning aspects of player programs, player development," he said. "They’ve had multiple lectures this spring. We have a lot of stuff that we try to get to them in addition to the football part of this."

Former Giants
Jessie Armstead opens Honda dealership in Hamilton. A few years ago, Jessie Armstead would drive friends and family members down to Hamilton -- a few miles east of Trenton -- to a huge grass lot on Route 130. "People thought I was losing my mind when I would bring them out here and say, 'This is where my dealership's going,'" the former Giants linebacker said.

June 11 As the first player the Giants signed in this year's free-agent period, Michael Boley immediately moves in as the starting weak side linebacker, a spot the Giants last season never successfully filled after watching Kawika Mitchell leave for the Bills following the triumph in Super Bowl XLII. Considered in Atlanta as a future Pro Bowler, Boley started all 16 games in 2008 -- he never missed a game in four years with the Falcons -- and had a career-high 109 tackles.

As thousands of Americans do each year, Hakeem Nicks is looking forward to attending his first-ever Major League Baseball game. But Nicks' big league debut comes with a twist most fans don't get to enjoy. The Giants’ first-round draft choice will throw out the first pitch tomorrow at Citi Field in New York, where the hometown Mets will face their fierce rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicks will be joined on the field by the entire Giants rookie class, including the team’s nine draft choices.

Anyone who has ever seen Brandon Jacobs warm up for practice with a little shadow boxing, throw body punches at the padded goalpost before a game, or shout down teammates who dare to express a contrary opinion about professional pugs is well aware of his passion for the sweet science. Before he began focusing solely on football at Southern Illinois University, he even had a pretty good amateur career in the sport, losing only twice in more than 30 bouts growing up in Louisiana.
When Jacobs began considering colleges, he could only find a few that even had boxing clubs. He wound up at Southern Illinois, hung up the gloves and dedicated himself to football, and a few years later helped lead the Giants to the Super Bowl. "I've been into boxing a long time, boxing is something that has driven me very much," said Jacobs, who still tries to spar in the gym once in a while.
Brandon Jacobs would box during the off-season if the Giants would let him. But if Jacobs can’t try to succeed where Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Alonzo Highsmith and Mark Gastineau failed, the gigantic running back will settle for what he considers the next best thing.
Jacobs, who was an amateur boxer as a youth in Louisiana and still spars regularly, has decided to put his money where his interests lie and become a boxing manager. "I've been wanting to get into the business after I was done playing," Jacobs said. "If I didn't fight, I wanted to get into the promotion business, but I hear from people that's a lot of headaches. So I wanted to do something that was more personable with the fighters."

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress is a hot topic because of a court date Monday that could help clarify his legal situation. He must clear many hurdles before he's allowed on the field, but he's reportedly hoping to play this season. The receiver-needy Jets have spoken to Burress' agent once, in April, according to Rex Ryan, but they continue to monitor his situation, according to sources.
Plaxico Burress has only so many seasons left in him and delaying the trial will be to his benefit, especially financially. And don't expect NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to step in and suspend Burress. How can he if Burress has not been found guilty of anything? If you don't count complete stupidity. And don't think there won't be a long line of suitors, including the Jets, for Plaxico's services after the Giants wisely told him he was no longer worthy of representing them.

June 9 Tom Coughlin has spoken often about his admiration and respect for U.S. troops serving overseas. Now he's going to get a chance to tell them himself.
Tom Coughlin will be one of five current and former NFL coaches who will travel to Iraq later this month with the inaugural NFL-USO Coaches Tour. Coughlin is one of three Super Bowl-winning coaches -- Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden are the others -- in addition to Jeff Fisher of the Titans and John Harbaugh of the Ravens, to make the trip.
The coaches will travel to meet and greet service members for several days in the Persian Gulf region. "This is something I've wanted to do for years," Coughlin told Sports Illustrated's Peter King, "and I can't tell you how excited I am, and all the coaches are, to be making this trip. It's a great chance for us to recognize the real heroes of this country."

Former Giants
Tiki Barber yesterday had an emotional visit with the two young sons of tragic city cop Omar Edwards, who died in a hail of friendly fire last month. Edwards, a diehard Big Blue fan, idolized Barber. So family members were delighted when Barber spent an hour playing with Edwards' two children, Keanu, 7 months, and Xavier, 18 months, at a West Side playground.

June 7 Special Report Are they mandatory or optional, these OTA sessions? Do players actually have to report or can they decide to float in their pools or play golf at a nearby course until the "mandatory" minicamp later this month? Perhaps the best way to explain this is the phrase "optional-mandatory."
You cannot get into serious trouble if you don't show up, but for those of you who might remember Ron Dayne, who probably also remember he blew off a full spring's worth of pre-season training and workout sessions -- hey, he wasn't technically required -- and then spent the next 16 weeks of the regular season on Game Inactive. It was a cruelty perpetrated by then head coach Jim Fassel and it was the most unforgivable thing he ever did. So there they are, today's Giants, optionally choosing to participate in this non-mandatory session.
Organized Team Activities, or OTAs, is just another euphemism for mandatory off-season practices, renamed to make the NFL Players Union suits happy. You only began hearing it called OTA just recently, but the basics are the same: players get together in the offseason by team mandate and contractual agreement, run around, play catch, try not to get hurt and get a look at the new guys.The June 16-18 veteran minicamp will be a more organized, structured get-together, more like a preview of training camp but without the (significant) hitting, 90-degree heat and sleeping in college dorms.

Kenny Phillips may be bigger but he’s also bolder. In the secondary he’s no longer hesitant to shout out shifts in coverage or other information. Last year, as a rookie, he wasn’t very vocal on the field. "I guess that goes with me being comfortable," he said. "I know the guys a whole lot better. I'm just feeling more and more comfortable with myself and the guys I'm playing with."

Chris Canty can play both tackle and end, which may lead to the rotation of Mathias Kiwanuka from end to strong-side linebacker and back to end. He has played both of those positions in three seasons with the team after being its No. 1 draft pick in 2006. The other tackles are incumbent starter Barry Cofield, along with reserve Jay Alford and long shots Leger Douzable and Jeremy Clark. This adds to the mystery - who will play the ends and who will be the tackles?

Former Giants
Tiki Barber's stock has plummeted. He's the TV equivalent of General Motors, but there ain't no bailout coming his way. Maybe Barber can turn things around, maybe he gets in a groove this season.
Plaxico Burress seeking way to play. With days to go before a critical appearance in Manhattan criminal court, the attorney for Plaxico Burress is working feverishly behind the scenes to find a negotiated settlement that would allow Burress to play football in 2009 -- either by reaching a plea deal with minimal jail time or by postponing a possible trial until after the 2009 NFL season with the hopes of playing this fall, a source with knowledge of the case said Friday.
Jeremy Shockey broke his silence about the high-profile episode. And while Shockey didn’t elaborate on what happened, he essentially backed up the general assumption that a day of hard partying combined with the extremely hot Las Vegas climate combined to knock him down for the count, according to the Associated Press and Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Jim Fassel, now coaching the Las Vegas/Los Angeles franchise in the United Football League, said he would sign quarterback Michael Vick(notes) if no franchise in the NFL wants him, according to Newsday. "I would, simply because people make mistakes," Fassel said. "I mean, the mistake he made was horrific and everyone was taken aback by it obviously, but once he pays his debt to society, he has jail time and he's lost everything. Everybody gets a chance to re-prove themselves."

June 6 Taking full advantage of their new indoor practice facility, with a high roof and a full-length football field, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride dusted off the big-play, deep-pass offense (you know, the one they’re not supposed to have now that Plaxico Burress is gone). Now, keep in mind that the quarterbacks are throwing with no real pass rush and it’s still all non-contact, but the offense - especially the receivers - did look very, very good.

Practice starts in Giant new facility. The Giants believe their new practice home will help jump-start a deep passing game that last season, even with Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, was somewhat stagnant. "In the bubble we always kind of had to worry about running a guy into the back of the end zone, it was a small area and you're kind of scared to let some balls fly," Eli Manning said.
Perhaps no one will benefit more than Manning, who will see truer coverages and can better simulate the throws he will make in a game. Manning was always aware that a long throw could send his receiver running into the wall of the bubble.
Many people commented on how the new facility allows the offense to use the entire field and not worry about having receivers run into the walls of the old bubble. In fact, the Giants went deep a few times. One of the prettiest catches was down the left sideline when Andre Woodson hit Ramses Barden in stride.

Sprinting down the field after catching a screen pass, halfback Ahmad Bradshaw couldn't help but hear the pounding of feet as a defender chased him down. Glancing over his shoulder, Bradshaw got a surprise at the Giants' voluntary workout on Friday. The player closing the gap was defensive end Osi Umenyiora, the two-time Pro Bowler who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Bradshaw said. "I always knew Osi had those wheels. I felt him and said, 'Wow that Osi.' It's crazy. He's been working hard and you can tell just by the speed he showed today."
Tom Coughlin was asked what was it like to have Osi back and how does he look? "Osi looks very good. He has done a real good job in the weight program this offseason. He has been very serious about his work. He has been very good in the meetings. He has done a good job in practice. He has really worked hard to make sure that his rehab and his physical and mental approach are exactly the same as they were prior to the injury."

It's starting to become a little clearer why the Giants spent $58 million on two free-agent defensive tackles this offseason. neither Barry Cofield, 25, nor Fred Robbins, 32, has done much during the Giants' organized team activity sessions so far, and Coughlin said they won't be participating in the June 16-18 mandatory minicamp either. The Giants haven't given a timetable for the return of either player, although Coughlin did say Robbins' recovery is going slower than that of Cofield.
The Giants' starting defensive tackles from last season have been on the sideline all spring after undergoing knee surgeries. Yesterday, once again, Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield were rehabbing while the rest of the team was practicing. In their place, Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard -- veteran starters who were added in March -- were working with the first-string defense during organized team activities. "It's a beautiful thing," middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "Free agency is a beautiful thing."

Antonio Pierce wouldn't make any predictions about what he thinks the Giants' defense with all its new additions up front and the return of Osi Umenyiora will accomplish in 2009, but he did say he'd like to finish the season ranked in the top five. "You're in the top five," he said, "you have a pretty good chance of playing in February."
Even the absences of defensive tackles Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield, both coming off knee surgeries, from the spring workouts hasn’t dampened Pierce’s enthusiasm. "It’s only June," he said, "and if I do the math right there’s 30, 60, 90 more days roughly before those guys have to be out there for our [regular-season opener]. We’re not talking about guys coming in fresh, we’re talking about guys who have been in this system.

One of the guys who stood out in Friday's OTA was second-year safety Kenny Phillips. He broke up a couple of passes and had some really good coverage on Kevin Boss along the far sideline, busting up that pass attempt. I had a chance to grab him for a few questions in the locker room after the workout and he was as confident as ever. "I feel way more comfortable," he said of his second year in the system. "I feel at home."