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| Aug
10 There
have been several questions about the New York Giants' cap situation with
other teams spending money left and right. With the NFLPA website now up and active,
a few contracts have changed and it looks like Corey Webster and Antrel Rolle
both restructured their deals to help the Giants' cap situation. Osi
Umenyiora is not wrong for wanting more money. And the Giants are not innocent
players. They can only blame themselves for their tight salary cap situation,
which they are quietly using as a reason for not rewriting their disgruntled pass
rusher's deal. But Umenyiora has played it all wrong. He simply waited too long.
Some fans who attended Friday's practice took pleasure in heckling him. Others
were just angry. "Get knee surgery!" one yelled. "Osi suit up!" shouted another.
And there was more than one, "Osi, honor your contract!" Steve Smith spent a second day meeting with Giants personnel as the two sides try to finalize a deal to re-sign the valuable yet injured receiver. Smith yesterday was examined by team doctors, as the Giants want to determine how far along he is from the microfracture left knee surgery that cut short his 2010 season and will cut into his 2011 season. With
tight end Kevin Boss signed by the Oakland Raiders, Bear Pascoe is not playing
as much fullback. And even if he did, he's more of a hybrid compared with the
6-1, 266-pound Henry Hynoski. Hynoski left Pittsburgh a year early and was considered
one of the top fullbacks in April's draft. His stock slipped after suffering a
hamstring injury at the NFL Combine, and Hynoski's phone never rang during the
draft's seven rounds. Because of the lockout, Hynoski needed to wait three months
for a team. New York Giants overcame distractions, slow start similar to this summer to win Super Bowl XLII. Before they were Super Bowl champions, the Giants were a mess. Nobody remembers it now, but that's the way it looked in the summer of 2007. Their best player, Tiki Barber, had just retired. Their other best player, Michael Strahan, was threatening retirement and holding out for more money. The free-agent moves they did make were so seemingly insignificant, most people thought they had done absolutely nothing. Just like they seem to be doing now. Aug
9 The
Giants wrapped up what could be one of their last night practices of camp
-- the team has decided to go to a 2-4 p.m. schedule for Wednesday and Thursday
and may stay with that schedule The Giants are off on Tuesday (fans can call 201-935-8111,
extension 9385 to learn about practices info). According
to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, additional incentives would kick in if
Osi Umenyiora registers 13.5 sacks. ESPN New York 1050 NFL Insider Vinny Cerrato
reported last Friday that the Giants offered up to $2 million if Umenyiora reaches
15 sacks. Umenyiora would rather have his contract redone or shave off a year
from his current deal so he can play one year and then become a free agent. He
had 11.5 sacks last year. His career-high of 14.5 sacks came in 2005. Mathias
Kiwanuka may still move around the field and play some defensive end for Perry
Fewell. But linebackers coach Jim Herrmann says Kiwanuka will be a linebacker,
at least on first and second downs. Herrmann said. "In our base package he's
a linebacker. When we go to third down, all bets are off." Marvin Austin didn't play football in 2010, and his last organized football activity came in a college football all-star game in January. Since then, Austin's football practices were limited to private workouts until the Giants opened training camp last week. So when the second-round pick missed practice the past two days because of a hip flexor injury, the immediate question was whether it was a result of returning to football after so much time away. After
being waived by Washington and re-signed by the Giants last week, Andre Brown's
back where it all began. And thanks to a healthy heel and an added burst, there's
a growing sense his tour of the league could be over. "He looks faster. I
think all his issues with his legs are past and he does look more explosive,"
coach Tom Coughlin said. "From the time he was away, he got faster." Linval Joseph, 22, entering his second season after not getting on the field very much in his first year, and rookie Marvin Austin, 22, are being viewed as younger options for what Barry Cofield provided on a weekly basis. The Giants certainly weren't blind-sided by Cofield's departure for the Redskins, receiving a six-year, $36 million contract, an expenditure the Giants were never in a position to match. The Giants saw this coming, which is why last year they took Joseph in the second round out of East Carolina and took Austin out of North Carolina in the second round this spring. Devin Thomas was off to a strong start in camp as he made a couple of impressive catches. Then last Friday, the Giants' wideout went low to make a catch and the ball glanced hard off his right pinkie. Thomas felt stinging pain similar to a jammed finger. He went to take off his glove and he quickly discovered it was worse than a jammed finger. "Bone, just raw bone," Thomas said of what he found as soon as he took the glove off. Victor Cruz's three TD catches in the Giants' preseason opener against the Jets last August sets the bar high for the rookie. Cruz is working hard to build on that promise in year two. He's no longer a rookie legend or just a feel-good story. He's a second-year pro out of the University of Massachusetts battling for a role in the Giants' offense, trying to live up to the legend he created for himself. He arrived as a fifth-round draft choice in 2003 on the quiet side, and with the typical nervous energy of a rookie and cloaked in the anonymity all offensive linemen selected with the 160th pick can expect. But David Diehl was starting at guard by the second preseason game. He has not been out of the lineup since. Today, he is preparing for his ninth season as the Giants' longest-tenured player, a designation he inherited when Rich Seubert was released two weeks ago. Former
Giants Aug
8 Kevin
Boss didn't enjoy the week that felt like a month as he waited for offers
to come in and decisions to be made. He didn't enjoy thinking about the perception
fans would have if he decided to leave the Giants. And when he did make that choice,
and had to fight back tears while telling Giants tight ends coach Mike Pope over
the phone on the way to the airport he was leaving, he definitely wasn't enjoying
himself. Kevin
Boss was asked if he was disappointed that the Giants weren't more aggressive
to keep him. "It's a business," said the tight end, who wound up inking
a four-year, $16 million contract. "Unfortunately things didn't work out
for them being able to make the right moves to keep me." Here's an interesting
stat: Boss had 35 catches last season. The remaining four tight ends on the Giants
roster combined for 31 catches -- in their careers. Eli Manning, who yawned while Burress visited the Timex Performance Center, needs to make Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham better and ensure the shakeup on his offensive line doesn't result in a debilitating lack of cohesiveness. While making sure his current slot receiver candidates -- Domenik Hixon, Victor Cruz, Darius Reynaud -- and current tight end candidates -- Travis Beckum, Bear Pascoe, Jake Ballard, Daniel Coates -- do not turn into Bermuda Triangles or Rectangles. All
has been quiet on the Steve Smith free-agency front so far. Given his injury
situation after suffering cartilage damage in his knee late last year, the wide
receiver hasn't signed or gone on any visits. Until now. And the first stop will
be a familiar one. Smith is scheduled to fly to Jersey from California and meet
with the Giants early this week. Prince
Amukamara suffered what appeared to be a fluke injury Saturday night when
he broke a bone in his foot during practice. Amukamara was on crutches and his
left foot was in a boot. He said he isn't in much pain and could hobble on the
foot if needed, but obviously the team trainers don't want him to do that. He'll
soon undergo surgery and will miss about two months of action. Here's something that might excite Giants fans: Aaron Ross says he hasn't felt this good since his rookie year. "I've been doing pretty well," Ross replied when asked to assess how his training camp has gone thus far. "I came into camp in shape and I feel really good this year. I'm healthy. I feel like my old self. I have my balance back, my speed back, so I'm ready to go." Aug
7 The
Saturday practice will be remembered for something that was neither seen nor
remarked upon. At some point, cornerback Prince Amukamara broke a bone in his
left foot. The play was not evident. Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas have started 60 of a possible 64 games together in the past two seasons. It's the most of any Giants cornerback combination through two seasons in two decades, with the only comparable pairing being Phillippi Sparks and Jason Sehorn combining for 56 of 64 starts in 1996-1997. Ben
Patrick has decided to retire. Patrick joined the Giants on Monday after playing
with the Arizona Cardinals, and was expected to compete for playing time after
Kevin Boss left and signed with the Oakland Raiders. But Patrick found himself
down on the depth charts behind Travis Beckum and Bear Pascoe, and apparently,
he's had enough. A
passing attack that clicked more often than it fizzled last season will operate
without Kevin Boss, the reliable tight end who signed with the Raiders. Ramses
Barden, a statuesque athlete and receiver, has yet to take the field at training
camp, ankle surgery keeping him on the sideline. There's also no sight or sound
from Steve Smith, and that is troublesome. The savvy slot receiver, holder of
the Giants franchise record for catches in a season (107 in 2009), remains unsigned. Mathias
Kiwanuka had other offers, but returned to Big Blue for the chance to get
Super Bowl. "At the end of the day, this was the best fit, the best chance, the
best opportunity to get back to the Super Bowl," Kiwanuka said Saturday. Kiwanuka
collected four sacks in three games last season before going down with a neck
injury. He was cleared to play again over the winter. With
Osi Umenyiora still holding himself out of practice while adopting a pay-me-or-trade-me
stance, the addition of another defensive end could be construed as a message
to Osi. Dave Tollefson said he didn't see it that way. "No, I don't think so,"
Tollefson said. "Like I said, we've been playing together for so long now. You
could argue that maybe if they brought someone else in, but I'm just Dave, man.
Osi knows me, the Giants know me. I am what I am." This is Kenny Ingram's fourth stint with the Giants but only his second training camp. Last year, after packing his car for Albany, he was informed he'd be released just as he was about to hit the road. The fact he's back now, one year later, is a promising sign in the young linebacker's mind. "That's a great sign. I'm excited to see what's going to happen," he said. "I think persistence gets you places." One year into his NFL career, and still just 22 years old and five years removed since the day he took up the sport, the 6-5, 270-pound Jason Pierre-Paul is ready to take the reins off. He knows the Giants' defense, is more comfortable with his techniques, and doesn't need to slow down to think about what he's doing. Giants' rookies behind times. The neophytes were hurt the most by the labor dispute because rookie camp was canceled, forcing them to learn the complexities of the NFL game in a matter of weeks, not the usual months. "It definitely hurt them," veteran Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. "Rookie camp is always good for them to try to get ahead of the game just a little bit." After
the Giants hosted a post-practice meet-and-greet last Saturday, some fans
visited Redd's Restaurant and Bar in Carlstadt. "We've had an influx of people
coming because we offer a park and ride to the stadium," said Danny LoRusso, a
bartender. Aug 6
As
if the Giants didn't already have enough holes to patch, they must now replace
one of Eli Manning's favorite targets. Kevin Boss, a tough and clutch tight end
who made one of the biggest catches of Super Bowl XLII, officially spurned the
Giants yesterday, signing a four-year deal with the Oakland Raiders. According
to ESPN, the deal is worth $16 million With
the free agent market offering few players more appealing than those on their
own roster, the Giants can either trade for an established tight end or proceed
with the five tight ends in camp. That group is headlined by Travis Beckum, a
2009 third-round pick who is 6-foot-3 and 239 pounds and profiles more as an H-back
than a traditional tight end. Beckum has been Boss' backup the past two seasons
and has never recorded more than two catches in a game. The
team is a week from its first exhibition game, Aug. 13 in Carolina. That leaves
seven days to find a starting tight end before the Giants face live action. And
they'll try to do it while attempting to resolve the now-bitter Osi Umenyiora
contract standoff. Coach Tom Coughlin sounded exhausted discussing Umenyiora's
"sore knee," which again kept him out of practice. Antonio
Pierce, the former leader of the Giants defense, understands why Osi Umenyiora
is fighting to get a new contract with the Giants, and he sympathizes with the
plight of his former teammate. He just can't take Umenyiora's side in the war.
The now-retired Pierce, an analyst for ESPN, said on the radio this morning that
the Giants' owners are "doing the right thing" with Umenyiora. He also said that
due to his age and his injury issues, Umenyiora would be smart to lower his financial
demands. Aug
5 After
missing the first four practices without a stated reason, Osi Umenyiora finally
has one. The Giants informed reporters tonight Umenyiora has been sitting out
because "he says he has a sore knee," according to the team's public
relations staff. The key part there, of course, is the "he says" in
that statement. Though the team says it has no reason to believe he isn't in pain,
it is clearly separating itself from the diagnosis. As for the players who would have to step up in Umenyiora's absence, defensive line coach Robert Nunn had extremely high praise for second-year DE Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie season, recording 4.5 sacks. And remember, Pierre-Paul only started playing football in his senior year of high school, and played just one season of Division I college football (at South Florida). "I've been around the league 12 years, and I've not coached one (player) that he compares to," Nunn said. Every
day during free agency, Brandon Jacobs called Ahmad Bradshaw to tell his "brother"
he wanted him to come back. Jacobs even took a pay cut in the hopes the Giants
would have more salary-cap room to re-sign his teammate. That's a debt Bradshaw
said he'll gladly repay. Since
the Giants had a number of key players practicing for the first time, coach
Tom Coughlin elected to practice without pads again -- the Giants had their first
full-pads practice on Wednesday. Look for the Giants to have another practice
without pads on Friday, as the team tries to work the "new" players back
in. Prince
Amukamara, the Giants' first-round pick, finally agreed to terms on a contract
Thursday night, ending the longest holdout of any first-rounder this year. He
will sign a four-year deal worth $8.18 million, according to a source. More than
90% of the deal is guaranteed. Travis Beckum is the Giants' longest-tenured tight end for the time being. That means the 2009 third-round pick is charged with helping newly acquired Ben Patrick and last year's undrafted free agent Jake Ballard learn their playbooks. Which is something he apparently hasn't done well enough over the past two years. At the moment, the Giants offensive line projects to have Will Beatty at left tackle, David Diehl at left guard, David Baas at center, Chris Snee at right guard and Kareem McKenzie at right tackle. The Giants offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, though, said Beatty has to prove himself first. The Giants also have to integrate Stacy Andrews into the mix. Aug
4 Giants
second-year linebacker Phillip Dillard was very impressive in practice on
Wednesday night. And he wasn't alone, as nearly all of the Giants' young linebackers
made at least a few impressive plays. Umenyiora
set an NFL record with 10 forced fumbles last season, but the little more
than $7 million he's due across the final two years of his contract puts him nowhere
near the league's best-paid defensive ends. He knows if he doesn't get that raise
now, he might never get another chance. Mathias
Kiwanuka admitted it on Wednesday -- he thought his NFL career might be over
following his neck injury in 2010, which forced him to miss all but three games
of the season. "That was a very real possibility," Kiwanuka said, in
his first comments to reporters at Giants training camp in East Rutherford, N.J.
Eli
Manning said he has called Kevin Boss and hopes Boss will be with the Giants
on Thursday. We assume Manning was being optimistic. On Wednesday, Boss worked
out for the Oakland Raiders, who are scrambling to replace Zach Miller. Domenik Hixon, Devin Thomas and the newly re-signed Michael Clayton are former N.F.L. starters who -- because of injuries, immaturity, or both -- never reached the potential they showed early in their careers. The three combined for two receptions in 2010. Any one of them could inherit the role the free agent Steve Smith played so well before an injury last season. The
Giants are looking for somebody to fill Deon Grant's role as the third safety
that Perry Fewell loved to use often on the field. Cornerback Terrell Thomas could
be that guy. Thomas said he is up for the added responsibility. He is coming off
his best season in which he led the team in tackles with 101 and also had five
interceptions. Aug
3 The
Giants set the asking price for Osi Umenyiora at a first-round pick. Pretty
much everyone knew right away that was way too high, and that they'd have to lower
it to make a deal happen. So they did. Or did they? The Baltimore Sun is reporting
the Giants have told the Ravens they'd take a second-round pick for Umenyiora. Umenyiora
reported to training camp Saturday after a one-day holdout. He has not practiced
with the team.The Giants granted Tony Agnone, Umenyiora's agent, permission to
shop him in a trade, giving him a specific timeframe in which to do it. The Giants
likely were spurred to grant permission for two reasons: Umenyiora's refusal to
participate in the Giants' first three practices of training camp has become a
distraction, despite the denials of teammates and head coach Tom Coughlin. The Giants drafted Clint Sintim early in the second round of the 2009 draft with expectations of Sintim becoming a playmaking linebacker on the Giants' defense. He stood 6-2 and 256 pounds, with athleticism that made him one of the ACC's most productive pass rushers as an outside linebacker in Virginia's 3-4 defense. Moving to the 4-3 with the Giants, Sintim has only 33 tackles in two seasons beset by injuries. Last year ended prematurely with a torn ACL. As an indication of what the team expects, Sintim lined up as the first-team strong-side linebacker when practice opened on Saturday. It's the same role Sintim was granted in last year's training camp, yet he did not do enough to keep the job. According to the roster currently posted on Giants.com, newly signed tight end Ben Patrick has been given uniform number 89 -- the number previously worn by tight end Kevin Boss. Boss has played for the Giants the past four seasons, but is currently a free agent. Big Blue has also given away the uniform numbers for free agents Deon Grant, Chase Blackburn and Dave Tollefson. You knew New York Giants GM Jerry Reese had to have something else up his sleeve when it came to the interior defensive line, and he addressed that Tuesday afternoon by signing former Arizona Cardinal Gabe Watson. After Rocky Bernard was not re-signed and Barry Cofield joined the Redskins, the team was basically left with Chris Canty and two youngsters--second year player Linval Joseph and rookie Marvin Austin. The
Giants want to make sure their fans know that their training camp practices
- all scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. - are free and open to the public at their
Timex Performance Center training facility at the Meadowlands. Attendance for
the first three practices was, in total, just 2,735. Aug 2 Osi Umenyiora said he "hopes there is a chance" of a return to the Giants in an e-mail with The Associated Press, while emphasizing that he wants what is "fair." The Giants granted Umenyiora permission to seek a trade. He has two years remaining on his contract. "What really annoys me is the hypocrisy of people clamoring for my head for asking for a new deal or to be traded," Umenyiora told The Associated Press. "Saying I have two [years] left on my deal. These contracts only mean something to us? Where is [Shaun] O'Hara? Where is [Rich] Seubert? True inspirational football players. They were cut after being injured. Just because Osi Umenyiora got permission from the Giants to seek a trade, doesn't mean he'll find one. But it does appear that he was able to find a few potential trade partners. The five teams that have expressed an interest are the St. Louis Rams, the San Diego Chargers, the Seattle Seahawks, the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. For now, though, a team source said the Giants are holding firm to their demand that they get a first-round pick in return - a return they don't seem likely to ever get. Here is the plea today to the Giants: Don't trade Osi Umenyiora. If you plan on challenging for Super Bowl XVLI and winning it, you need to resolve this Umenyiora mess and get him back in blue 72. Trading Umenyiora has the potential to sack the season. A 2012 No. 1 draft choice is always nice to put in your pocket, but it won't help you against Michael Vick and the Eagles in 2011. Osi Umenyiora will. The Giants can be a dominant defense with Perry Fewell sending Umenyiora and Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul in blue waves after the quarterback. They need him strip-sacking the quarterback again -- even more than they needed Plaxico Burress. . This team has not upgraded any position but punter, its receiving corps is as thin as we can remember it, the offensive line needs name tags, Kevin Boss and Steve Smith have yet to be signed, the linebacking corps is substandard and their Pro Bowler cannot appreciate that they have an intractable payroll issue. True, this may not be better than a .500 team even with Osi. And without him, maybe you're looking at 6-10, hoping to jump-start the rebuild that we all knew was coming after Philly slammed the window last Dec. 19, and let the Bill Cowher Era commence. Aaron
Ross moved from cornerback to safety last season. Just don't expect him to
do it again in 2011. "I'm not willing to do safety anymore," Ross told
reporters at the Giants practice facility Monday. "(I) wouldn't entertain
it." The Giants appear to have more depth at cornerback than they do at safety
this season. "I was injured last year and they always need someone to step
in and potentially be a starter on the field," Ross said. Ross doesn't care
that he may be the fourth corner on the depth chart. The Giants announced they have signed tight end Ben Patrick, who played the last four seasons for the Arizona Cardinals. Patrick, 6-3 and 258 pounds, has played in 42 regular season games with 20 starts. He has caught 45 passes for 446 yards (9.9-yard average) and four touchdowns. Both David Carr and Sage Rosenfels played little last season. Rosenfels played quarterback just once, in the fourth quarter of a 41-7 rout in Seattle, and handed off 16 times and thrice took a knee without throwing a pass. Carr made one appearance in San Francisco, at Carolina on Oct. 24, and completed five of 13 passes for 67 yards. Is it possible to have room on the final roster for both of them? Your Monday practice report: On Sunday, it was CB Terrell Thomas who had a big night. Monday, it was CB Corey Webster who was all over the field and the ball. It started early in the first team session when he knocked away a ball from QB Eli Manning to WR Hakeem Nicks on an in cut. Good job by Webster to get around Nicks to the ball without making any contact with the receiver. Later, Webster was all over WR Mario Manningham as he tried to get off the line and into his route and shortly thereafter broke up a ball from WR Domenik Hixon to Nicks. Deep
down, he wanted to be playing, lining up at safety with the rest of the Giants'
defense during practice. But Monday, just a little over a year after a horrific
car crash, Chad Jones knew better. Simply pacing the sidelines at the Giants training
facility was proof of how far the 23-year-old Giants safety had come, and it whet
his appetite for even more progress. Aug 1 - UPDATE - After exploring his options on the free-agent market, running back Ahmad Bradshaw has agreed to terms to return to the Giants. A person informed of the terms of the deal confirmed a report by The Wall Street Journal it's a four-year deal worth a total of $18 million, with $9 million guaranteed. Aug 1 - UPDATE - The Giants have given permission to the agent of Osi Umenyiora to work out a trade for the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end, a league source told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. The Giants want a first-round pick in exchange for Umenyiora, who continues to be unhappy with his contract status even after a meeting with team officials over the weekend, the source said. Aug
1 After
taking his physical in the morning and having a scheduled meeting with the
team physician in the afternoon, Osi Umenyiora did not participate in practice.
He rode a stationary bike at one point, marking his most activity of the two-hour
period. Coughlin said earlier in the day. "There's been issues over the years
-- the hip that Osi's had, for example, that (required) probably Dr. (Russell)
Warren coming in to talk with him." As
Ahmad Bradshaw's options appear to be dwindling on the free agent market,
the Giants are bringing in Atlanta running back Jason Snelling for a visit. A
source said Snelling traveled to New Jersey on Sunday night. The 5-11, 223-pound
back rushed for 324 yards and two touchdowns last season and a total of 613 yards
and four touchdowns in 2009. More impressive though is the fact that Snelling
has a total of 74 receptions and four touchdown catches in the past two seasons. In 7-on-7s, RB D.J. Ware (yes, he's the starter right now) caught a swing pass and got his head right upfield. No lost momentum. A good look there for a guy who believes he's got a shot to be the team's third-down back. LB Clint Sintim made defensive coordinator Perry Fewell happy when he pursued well to chase down Ware on a pitch play. Sintim's knee looked just fine there. When
free agency began last week, Steve Weatherford had plenty of interest in remaining
in New York -- just not with the Jets. The veteran punter, who signed with the
Giants Friday, said they were his No. 1 choice when he hit the market, even ahead
of jobs where he'd have been guaranteed a job. Despite all of his baggage, the Giants decided Plaxico Burress would've been a nice luxury to have on their roster. In the end, they made him an offer he decided to refuse. And that was just fine with the Giants' receivers, none of whom seemed upset Sunday that Burress had decided to sign with the Jets. They might not have minded if the 6-5 Burress had joined them, but they also didn't think Burress was someone they absolutely needed. Former
Giants July 31 - UPDATE Osi Umenyiora spoke to general manager Jerry Reese, though it's unclear if the conversation improved the relationship between the two. Later, defensive tackle Chris Canty referred to an undisclosed "medical issue" with Umenyiora. Clearly, there appears to be an injury standing in between Umenyiora and the practice field. July 31 - UPDATE Tom Coughlin said there were discussions with Plaxico Burress about a contract before Burress signed with the Jets this morning. He intimated that the Jets offered more guaranteed money. Burress received a one-year deal reportedly worth $3.017 million, all guaranteed. July
31 Umenyiora
returns to camp, says he'll never talk to Giant GM again. Umenyiora had accused
the general manager of lying in an affidavit recorded this spring, part of an
antitrust lawsuit 10 players filed against the NFL during the lockout. "It's
not what you would like," Coughlin said. "You'd like everybody to be
in a great frame of mind. .. I'd like [Umenyiora] to come in, I'd like him to
be excited about being a Giant." The
Giants signed autographs for fans in the bleachers, set up in the parking
lot next to the Timex Performance Center across the street from to the New Meadowlands
Stadium. Finally after negotiations and a lockout, New York Giants football was
back. In what could be bad news for two Giants free agents, DE Justin Trattou
was wearing Dave Tollefson's No. 71 and LB Jacquian Williams wore Chase Blackburn's
No. 57. Because of the new CBA rules that won't allow Brandon Jacobs to practice until Aug. 4 due to his restructured contract and with Ahmad Bradshaw's status in limbo, Ware practiced with the first team during the morning walkthrough on Saturday. The
Giants' new offensive line was on display Saturday, with Will Beatty making
his debut as the starting left tackle and David Diehl moving to left guard. Chris
Snee took some snaps at center (where he obviously did the snapping). He impressed
the heck out of Coughlin, who praised his ability to make the line calls and find
his assignments. Eli
Manning on Plaxico Burress, "People see the final results of the '07
year, when he didn't practice all year and say we won a championship," Manning
said. "Well we went 10-6 and barely made the playoffs. It wasn't like everything
was a breeze and we went 14-2. It was tough and we went through low points, it
was not always perfect. It is about being dependable, being committed to the team
and showing up for practice, working hard and doing everything you can to get
yourself and the team prepared to play each game." Give NFL owners credit for helping players face a better retirement. You've heard the stories, and seen the stats. These men live out their post-playing days in ceaseless pain or severe mental impairment, most of them literally losing three years of their lives for every season they played football. The NFLPA finally got the owners to do something about that, reducing the offseason program by five weeks, gaining more off-days, and limiting full-contact sessions. July
30 The
Giants held a 1 p.m. team meeting, the first gathering of the 2011 season.
Seventy-seven players under contract were present. One was not. That one was defensive
end Osi Umenyiora, whose frustration with his contract was demonstrated today
with the first day of a holdout. How long is unknown. His absence today resulted
in a $30,000 fine and a spot on the reserve/did not report list. Tom Coughlin was asked how tough it would be to play catch up and get some rhythm with just two weeks remaining until the team's first preseason game. "I wouldn't be surprised if it takes the better part of a week," Coughlin said. "Just think about when (seven) contracts are going to join us (on Aug. 4). We still are not at 90 (players). I would like to be there. We have some positions where the numbers are not where they need to be for us to even have a quality practice. We need to solve some of those issues too going forward." Press Conferences - Tom Coughlin | GM Jerry Reese | Justin Tuck Brandon Jacobs wasn't 100 percent sure that he'd be back with the Giants for the 2011 season. Now his return is guaranteed. Jacobs and the Giants reached an agreement earlier Friday to a "small restructure" of his current contract that will give the Giants some salary cap flexibility and allow Jacobs to remain with the team. The Giants last season struggled through the growing pains of a rookie punter, Matt Dodge. They had no intention of struggling through the growing pains of a second-year punter. They reached an agreement Friday with Steve Weatherford, who punted for the Jets the past two seasons. Former
Giants July
29 The
toughest moment for Rich Seubert wasn't leaving the Giants' facility the other
day or hearing about Chris Snee's and David Diehl's plans for training camp at
dinner Wednesday night. It was telling his 6-year-old son, Hunter, he wasn't a
Giant anymore. When
Shaun O'Hara got an emotional phone call Tuesday morning from his longtime
teammate Rich Seubert, he was "sick to my stomach" to hear Seubert had been
cut. He was so sick, in fact, he didn't even imagine what was going to happen
next.The two long-time teammates both admitted they were blindsided on Tuesday
when they found out they were being released by the Giants - moves that become
official Thursday afternoon. Over
the past few years, as the Giants drafted Will Beatty and signed Shawn Andrews,
David Diehl dug in his heels and made it clear left tackle, not left guard, was
the position he preferred to play. Now, it appears he won't get his wish. And
that he's okay with it. Diehl will move back inside to guard after being the Giants'
starting left tackle for the majority of the past four seasons, the Bergen Record
reported. Giants veterans report to training camp on Friday and all eyes will be on Osi Umenyiora. Will he report or will he begin a holdout? WFAN reported that Umenyiora will hold out. Justin Tuck said that if things do not change with Umenyiora's contract, he likely will not report today. Some sources aren't sure what Umenyiora will do. . Mathias
Kiwanuka, a key component in the changing defensive schemes of coordinator
Perry Fewell, will re-sign with the Giants. Teammate Justin Tuck tweeted -- "Kiwi
is returning to the big blue. Yes sir" -- and the deal has been confirmed.
Now that the Giants know Kiwanuka is back they will have to make a decision on
Osi Umenyiora., who might be a training camp holdout when it opens Friday because
he's seeking a new and improved contract. The
Giants are currently in discussions with 14-year-veteran Brad Maynard about
coming back to the organization with which he began his career, according to someone
informed of the progress of negotiations. The person requested anonymity because
talks are ongoing. It's unclear at this point if the sides are close to a deal.
Maynard's agent, Chad Wiestling, could not be reached for comment. Plaxico
Burress will make his long-awaited return to the Meadowlands Friday night,
but chances are that it will be a one-night-only affair. The Giants are "a long
way" from a reunion with their disgraced former Super Bowl hero, according to
co-owner John Mara, despite Tom Coughlin's willingness to sit down with Burress
to see if they can work out their differences. July
28 Tom
Coughlin, who will be 65 next month, faced speculation at the end of last
season about his job security. Even though the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008,
the team has failed to make the postseason the last two seasons. The team made
it clear at the end of last season that he'd return. The
Giants do not allow their coach to head into a season on his final year and
yesterday they made official what most everyone knew was coming, announcing a
one-year contract extension for Coughlin that puts him under contract through
the 2012 season. As
negotiations continued with Ahmad Bradshaw in an attempt to bring the free
agent back to East Rutherford, the team was trying to restructure the contract
of Brandon Jacobs to create salary-cap space and keep him here, according to someone
informed of the talks between the two sides. The Giants have asked Brandon Jacobs to restructure his contract, a move that will help the team deal with the $120 million salary cap and, more specifically, re-sign Bradshaw. Jacobs, 29, last season was supplanted in the starting lineup by Bradshaw and is scheduled to make $4.65 million this season and $4.9 million in 2012, too much to play a backup running back. Eli
Manning did not have a lot to say -- as usual -- when he spoke Wednesday afternoon
at the Giants facility. He was pretty tight-lipped about Smith, but clearly wants
him to remain a Giant. "He's been a great receiver for us," he said.
"I hope he comes back to the Giants. I hope he gets healthy soon and be able
to play football." Meanwhile, he -- like everyone else -- is concerned about
all the upheaval surrounding the team. Former Giants July
27 The
Giants' first training in New Jersey since 1995 - and first at the team's
training facility - will include all practices at night. Beginning on Saturday,
July 30, and continuing through Aug. 20, the Giants will practice from 6 p.m.
to 8 p.m. (Saturday's practice will actually begin at 6:15 p.m.) All practices
will be open to the public. There will be 2,000 fans admitted per day on a first-come,
first-serve basis. Approximately 30 Giants players were at team headquarters to renew acquaintances, check out equipment and work out. The players are permitted in the facility on a voluntary basis until Friday, when training camp will begin with physicals, a team meeting and conditioning. The first practice is Saturday. The
end of the lockout and the opening of football business brought the end of
an era for the Giants. One of the pillars of the team -- the feisty, overachieving
offensive line -- was ravaged yesterday when center Shaun O'Hara and guard Rich
Seubert reported to work at the team practice facility and made quick exits after
they were informed the Giants will cut them tomorrow, when all releases become
official. The
Redskins have agreed to terms with free agent defensive lineman Barry Cofield,
according to multiple reports. Washington has been searching for help along the
defensive line, and the 27-year-old Cofield is coming off of a career year in
which he recorded 54 tackles and four sacks for the New York Giants. Shortly
after 10 a.m. Tuesday, Mark Herzlich, the former Boston College linebacker
who survived Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, by undergoing aggressive
radiation treatment, agreed to a free-agent contract with the Giants. Iowa State safety David Sims wrote on his Twitter account he's headed to the Giants. Plus, Richmond defensive tackle Martin Parker has agreed to terms with the Giants, per someone with knowledge of Parker's decision. Twitter was abuzz last night and into the morning with news of the Giants' potentially signing Hynoski (6-1, 260 pounds), a physical presence a few scouting reports have labeled "devastating" at times. Oregon linebacker Spencer Paysinger tweeted he's officially a Giant. The
first thing Giants defensive end Chris Canty did when he arrived at the practice
facility Tuesday was go straight to his locker. "It's kind of like the first day
of school - that's what I equate it to," said Domenik Hixon, who missed the entire
2010 season with a torn ACL he sustained in practice. For Hixon, the opportunity
to test his knee and impress coaches in a truncated training camp is a tricky
proposition. Former
Giants July
26 The
NFL lockout is over, with a Monday afternoon peace accord that should have
come with an accompanying warning: "Get ready for a wild ride." The
longest pause in league history gives way to the most frenzied stretch we're sure
to see in pro sports, a starting gun to a race suddenly transformed from marathon
to sprint. "Compressing about four months of work into two and a half weeks,"
is how player agent Tony Agnone described it, calling his Monday night "already
crazy." The Giants have often turned to free agency in the past for help at linebacker, with marginal success, and they reportedly have interest in adding Stephen Nicholas this offseason. Nicholas had a career-high 80 tackles and three sacks in 2009, and tallied 78 tackles in 2010. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, he would also help on special teams. Nicholas could be reunited with former Falcons teammate Michael Boley, who is set at one outside spot. . At
some point during the NFL lockout, Kevin Boss gave up hope. The stalled negotiations,
the threat of lost games, the possibility of another uncapped season and the contentious
nature of talks forced Boss to lower his own expectations of being a free agent
this year. Kevin Boss is one of 15 Giants who are unrestricted free agents and
he may begin negotiating with any team starting at 10 a.m. All that stands in the way of Giants center Shaun O'Hara's return to the field is a visit with the trainers, who will determine whether O'Hara's surgically repaired feet (left ankle, right foot) is able to play when the Giants report to training camp on Friday. O'Hara, 34, was limited to six games last season. The Giants did not address center in the draft and did not take an offensive linemen until the fourth round of April's draft. Count John Mara among those who believe the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement will lead to the wildest free agency signing period in NFL history. Hours after speaking at the Washington, D.C. news conference at which the agreement was announced, Mara spoke to Mike Francesa on New York radio station WFAN, the team's flagship. NFC
EAST NEWS July 25 - UPDATE NFL players voted to OK a final deal, days after the owners approved a tentative agreement, and the sides finally managed to put an end to the 4 1/2-month lockout, the longest work stoppage in league history. "This is a long time coming, and football's back," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, "and that's the great news for everybody." Giants report for camp on Friday. The facility will be open on Tuesday and the Giants officially will report for training camp on Friday. Their first practice is expected to be Saturday. On Monday - Free agent list will be distributed to teams at 6 p.m. ET. - League will announce teams can go to 90 man rosters On Tuesday - Trade discussions can open. - More. Free-agent defensive tackle Barry Cofield said he'll keep the Giants informed of offers he receives, though he doesn't expect the team to match them. The Giants will have to slash salaries just to get under the cap and then must figure out a way to keep some of their free agents, a list that includes Ahmad Bradshaw, Kevin Boss, Mathias Kiwanuka and Steve Smith. July
25 It
figures to be an unpredictable and unprecedented free-agency period since
this one is coming so late in the offseason. With the expectation that fourth-,
fifth- and sixth-year players and higher can become free agents, ESPNNewYork.com
takes a look at a few of the most pressing free agency questions facing the New
York Giants. July 24
John
Mara thinks Osi Umenyiora and Jerry Reese need to sit down and have a "man-to-man"
talk. "I told him that when this (lockout) is over, he's got to sit down
with Jerry man-to-man and work this thing out,'' Mara told Newsday's Bob Glauber.
"He's got to do that." Teams
just continue to sit on their wallets with no indication of when the players
will vote, and the doors can open. The GMs are not allowed to conduct any business
with the players until the players' executive committee ratifies the deal. They
came out of the meetings Friday low-key, knowing they are still at least days
away from getting started. The
Giants have 14 of their own free agents and probably will try to re-sign most
of them, given that incorporating too many players from other teams without the
benefit of the offseason learning period won't be desirable. It's hard to debate
the importance of bringing back running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who in 2010 led the
team in rushing with a career-high 1,235 yards. July
23 Sorry,
football fans. The NFL is stuck in a holding pattern, with work still to be
done to end the lockout. Heck, the players haven't even scheduled a vote. As it
is, clubs already were being told not to expect players to begin arriving at facilities
Saturday, the day owners said gates would open.. July
22 Giants
running back Ahmad Bradshaw estimates his chances of returning to the Giants
at 75 percent, though he admitted he would like to play for the Dolphins as well.
"I love New York, and that gives them the upper hand. But like I said, it's
all a business. ...I take it very seriously where I want to be. I love New York,
I'd love to stay there but then the money factor comes in." General
manager Jerry Reese will probably find a way to free up enough money to bring
Bradshaw back. But he also has other free agents in the likes of Steve Smith,
Kevin Boss, Mathias Kiwanuka and Barry Cofield as well. Bradshaw hopes the Giants
can keep him and Brandon Jacobs, who is slated to make $4.65 million this season. With
the NFL's lockout appearing close to a conclusion and training camp thus quickly
approaching, focus will shift to the composition of the Giants roster. One player
who appears to be ready for training camp is running back Charles Scott, a practice
squad contributor in 2010 who was involved in a car accident in May. If approved by the players, the NFL's new deal would cover the 2011-2020 seasons and the 2021 draft. It would include the following -- Reducing the offseason program by five weeks, reducing organized team activities from 14 to 10; -- Limiting on-field practice time and contact; -- Limiting full-contact practices in the preseason and regular season; -- Increasing number of days off for players. -- Opportunity for current players to remain in the player medical plan for life. -- An enhanced injury protection benefit of up to $1 million of a player's salary for the contract year after his injury and up to $500,000 in the second year after his injury. The
pressure is firmly on the players to bring back football after NFL owners
voted nearly unanimously to approve an agreement they said was negotiated with
the players. But instead of joining in the celebration Thursday night, the players
came out fighting. The NFL canceled its Hall of Fame game between St. Louis and Chicago on Thursday despite owners voting in favor of a tentative deal to end the lockout, pending player approval. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodelll added that the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will go on as planned on Aug. 6. This year's class of inductees includes Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Shannon Sharpe and Richard Dent. July 21 The Giants will have some maneuvering to do in order re-sign many of their own expected free agents such as Ahmad Bradshaw, Steve Smith, Mathias Kiwanuka and Kevin Boss. One move that figures to be a major factor will be the Giants' decision with Shawn Andrews. Andrews would give the Giants the flexibility to move David Diehl to right guard but he did have to deal with some back issues last season. When healthy, Andrews was effective for the Giants. Tom Coughlin is surprise guest at D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony. Park Ridge Police Officer Scott Malloy said, "I reached out to him several months ago and asked him if he wanted to speak to fifth-graders about the dangers of drugs and violence. I thought it would be great for him to talk to the kids about what it means to be successful." Former Giants July 20 Decisions, decisions. Giants general manager Jerry Reese will find himself drowning in them when and if the lockout ends this week. NFL players are expected to vote today to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement - if there is one. The owners are expected to do the same Thursday. Then the fun begins, with teams reportedly having a 72-hour window to exclusively negotiate with their free agents. By then, Reese has to decide whether to keep together much of the core of his team. Osi Umenyiora has the power to block any new deal between the NFL and its locked-out players. He just doesn't intend to use it. There was speculation that Umenyiora might refuse to sign off after his deposition was leaked a few weeks ago, revealing his belief that he was promised a new contract or a trade by Giants GM Jerry Reese. Umenyiora could seek to recoup money he feels he lost by not getting that promised contract last year. That appears to be similar to what others are doing. A proposal under consideration would set up nearly $1 billion over the next 10 years in additional benefits for retired players. That would include $620 million in pension increases, long-term care insurance and disability programs. Retired players complained to the court recently that they had been excluded from negotiations, which is why Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller's presence was significant. According to the folks at TMZ, 75 former NFL players have sued the league for concealing the risks of concussions. The plaintiffs include former Dolphins receiver Mark Duper, former Giants and Cardinals running back Ottis Anderson, and former Giants running back Rodney Hampton. Helmet manufacturer Riddell also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. NFL
Item July 19 There are multiple reports that teams will have a three-day window to re-sign their own free agents, and if that is the case, the Giants will be wise to lock up Bradshaw before he hits the market. He's coming off a career-best 1,235 rushing yards and supplanted Brandon Jacobs as the starting running back. If the Giants lose Bradshaw, they will have to look outside their roster to replace him. They have Jacobs and D.J. Ware under contract, and selected Da'Rel Scott in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. This season, all scoring plays will automatically be reviewed, and coaches will not be able to challenge rulings of scoring plays. The replay official's job just got a lot tougher, and the networks will be under more pressure to show replays in a timely manner. That won't make anyone happy. July 18 Rookie Roles: RB Da'Rel Scott. Giants.com is taking a closer look at each of the Giants draft selections and what role they may play in 2011. With their last selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Giants selected Marlyand RB Da'Rel Scott. This 205 LB running back will compete to for a spot in the Giants backfield and also special teams. Thanks to the lockout, no one person - not NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, not players exec DeMaurice Smith, not a single owner, general manager or coach - knows for certain when the NFL's free-agency period will start or how long it's going to last. But when it does ... watch out. The steady stream of signings spread over five months in a normal offseason will become a swarm of deals crammed into as little as 10 days. Imagine more than 400 players changing teams in a matter of hours, and that's what you're likely to see in the coming weeks. July 16 Osi Umenyiora's happiness with his contract will not only have an impact on the New York Giants but it could also affect a deal between the NFL owners and players. Sal Paolantonio reports that the plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit against the league want their situations resolved "before they sign off on the deal. They all want to be taken care of," Paolantonio said. "If (Umenyiora) doesn't get it (a raise), he doesn't sign off on the deal. If he doesn't sign off on the deal, we have no deal league-wide. So there is going to be some kind of deal to make Osi happy." NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller has lobbied for increased benefits for retired players during NFL labor negotiations. Eller and other retirees have sued both the NFL and the NFL Players Association, complaining that they've illegally been left out of the latest talks after taking part in court-ordered mediation sessions earlier this year. They say both sides have also conspired to keep benefit levels and pension payments low in the new collective bargaining agreement. July 15 Da'Rel Scott was very eager for the chance to work with LaDainian Tomlinson -- not just because of the teaching lesson the five-time Pro Bowl selection would provide but also because Tomlinson was Scott's favorite running back growing up. Scott, a self-proclaimed "rep guy" who learns by "taking reps and asking questions," hopes his progression will soon continue on a practice field with his Giants teammates. Rookie Roles: LB Jacquian Williams. Giants.com is taking a closer look at each of the Giants draft selections and what role they may play in 2011. With the 202nd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Giants added some serious speed to the Linebacker group with the selection of Jacquian Williams. Williams is 6'3, 216 pounds and played his college football at South Florida with last current Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul. Barry Cofield is hoping to become an unrestricted free agent and land the biggest contract of his life. And where do most unrestricted free agents look to when they want big money? The Washington Redskins. "My goal, since I've had such success with the Giants, has always been to be a Giant," Cofield reiterated in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. With a deal in place on the rookie wage scale, the NFL and the players apparently are moving quickly toward a full and complete CBA. Sal Paolantonio of ESPN (via Chris Mortensen's Twitter page) reports that a settlement is now on the fast track. Chris Mortensen of ESPN (via Chris Mortensen's Twitter page) reports that, at the current pace, a deal could come within the next 24-to-48 hours. If an agreement is reached soon, New Jersey could wind up a net winner. That's because the labor uncertainty has led the Giants and Jets to cancel their scheduled training camps this month at separate upstate New York locations. Instead, the Giants would train - and spend money - in East Rutherford, while the Jets would do the same preparing for the season at their Florham Park practice site. Six of the ten most valuable franchises in sports play American football, according to a list issued by Forbes, and two of them play in the same yet-to-be-sponsored stadium. The Giants were ranked eighth, and the Jets, co-owners of the New Meadowlands Stadium, checked in at No. 10. July
14 Special
Report - We are led to believe now that the only barrier to peace and understanding
between the owners and the decertified players is what to do with the rookies,
more specifically the first-round rookies, in terms of how much to pay them. So
what's this all about? Why did the final sticking point become a matter of how
much the rookies will be paid? The owners have their purpose, to subject the rookie
first-round contracts to no more than four years - and the team will hold the
option for a fifth year. Some Giants fans are making significant profits when they sell their New Meadowlands Stadium personal seat licenses on the team's official PSL resale website. But others are walking away without coming close to recouping their original investment. The grimmest PSL resale figures have been for the mezzanine club-seat areas A, B, and C. Ticket prices for those sections range from $250 to $500 per game, and they have been the sections for which the Giants and Jets have had the hardest time selling seats since the stadium opened in 2010. NFC
East News July 13 Giants safety Antrel Rolle said he is in fine shape after spending most of the time working out at the University of Miami and doesn't believe it will take him long at all to get back into what he calls "football shape" once camp begins. Last season, Keith Bulluck took a seat on passing downs, because the Giants did not trust his ability to drop in coverage coming off reconstructive surgery to repair a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. His one year with the Giants convinced the Rockland County native -- he grew up in New City -- that he wants a second chance to make a first impression and is convinced another year removed from knee surgery will allow him to once again be the impact player he was for a decade in Tennessee. Rookie Roles: Safety Tyler Sash. Giants.com is taking a closer look at each of the Giants draft selections and what role they may play in 2011. With their sixth round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Giants added some more help to their secondary with the selection of Iowa Safety Tyler Sash. Sash who recorded 13 interceptions in college will look to contribute on both defense and special teams in the NFL. Without a collective bargaining agreement in place soon, many teams will need to delay training camp. The Giants and Jets and Baltimore Ravens already have canceled out-of-town camps and will do all their preseason work at their home facilities, at a significant cost to the communities where they normally would have gone. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions will go on as scheduled on Aug. 6. But the game the following day between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears is in jeopardy, which certainly would put a damper on the festivities. July 12 He is a quarterback, spokesman, captain, and most recently, an actor. However, Eli Manning traded them all in for a whistle this past weekend, heading down to Louisiana with his family of football royalty for the 16th annual Manning Passing Academy. Last year Keith Bulluck got the last minute invitation to Giants camp. New York gave the former Titans linebacker a chance after he rehabilitated a 2009 knee injury with a one-year deal, but the free agent told the NFL Network last week that he's ready for a bigger role with whoever picks him up after the NFL lockout ends. Rookie Roles: LB Greg Jones. Giants.com is taking a closer look at each of the Giants draft selections and what role they may play in 2011. With their sixth round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Giants selected Michigan State LB Greg Jones. This 5'11 LB was a key contributor to the Spartans' defense and will look to make an impact on both the defense and special teams units of the Giants. There
are several people who think Buffalo linebacker Paul Posluszny is the guy
who can help the Giants fill their need at linebacker. Posluszny, who has played
four seasons for the Bills, could become an unrestricted free agent if the new
collective bargaining agreement allows fourth-year players to become UFAs. July 10 Rookie Roles: OT James Brewer. Giants.com is taking a closer look at each of the Giants draft selections and what role they may play in 2011. In the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Giants selected Indiana OT James Brewer. Brewer is not expected to play right away but has all the necessary skills to make an impact once he gets his head in the Giants offensive system. July
9
The Giants will not hold training camp on UAlbany Campus - expect to return
in 2012. Because of logistical and timing restrictions resulting from the league's
current ongoing labor negotiations, they will not hold training camp this summer
at the University at Albany, their camp venue since 1996. Rookie Roles: WR Jerrel Jernigan. Giants.com is taking a closer look at each of the Giants draft selections and what role they may play in 2011. In the third round, the Giants drafted 5'8 Troy WR Jerrel Jernigan to add some team speed to the Giants offense. Jernigan seems like the ideal slot WR and also should play a big role in special teams. NFL News July 8 Kerry Collins, one of the most productive, durable and successful quarterbacks in Giants history, today announced his retirement, ending a highlight-filled 16-year career. Collins played for the Giants from 1999 through 2003. He led the team to the 2000 NFC Championship and a berth in Super Bowl XXXV and a 2002 NFC Wild Card Playoff berth. Collins was released by the Giants in 2004, soon after the Giants drafted Eli Manning. Kerry Collins Highlights - a quick look back at the Giants 41-0 shutout of the Vikings in the 2000 NFC Championship game. Though he arguably ranks behind Phil Simms and Eli Manning on the list of all-time Giants quarterbacks and carries the 34-7 loss to the Ravens in the Super Bowl on his resume, Collins was an elite passer (16,875 yards and 81 touchdowns as a Giant) for a team that badly needed one after five years of mediocrity with Dave Brown, Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox and Danny Kanell. And he was a humble, contrite player who overcame alcoholism to rebuild his career and lead the franchise that gave him a second chance to the Super Bowl. Respect for Collins was not a given, but boy, did he earn it with the Giants, resurrecting his career, turning a soiled image into one of great distinction. Collins, who yesterday announced his retirement after a prolific, up-and-down 16 years slinging the football for the Panthers, Saints, Giants, Raiders and Titans, is not going to get inducted into the Hall of Fame, but he will be remembered as a class act who, with the Giants, turned skepticism into loyalty from teammates who grew to adore him. July 7 Rookie Roles: DT Marvin Austin. Giants.com is taking a closer look at each of the Giants draft selections and what role they may play in 2011. With their second round selection in the 2011 Draft, the Giants selected North Carolina DT Marvin Austin. The 6'2 DT will be a welcome addition to the Giants interior defense. Rookie Roles: CB Prince Amukamara. Giants.com is taking a closer look at each of the Giants draft selections and what role they may play in 2011. With their first round selection in the 2011 Draft, the Giants selected Nebraska CB Prince Amukamara. The 6'0 CB will be a welcome addition to the Giants secondary. Former
Giants July 6 Michael Clayton, in his brief time with the Giants, viewed the team and its coach, Tom Coughlin, as an all-business operation that values experienced players -- an attitude he believes will help his chances for a return. "As an older, veteran team, they really have a lot of respect for veteran players," Clayton told the St. Petersburg Times. "We [veterans] set the standard. It's a great feeling." There is really no point asking Matt Dodge if he's still haunted by images of DeSean Jackson's improbable last-second punt return touchdown for the Philadelphia Eagles last season. "Personally, I'm a pretty resilient guy," he said. The former seventh round draft pick by the Giants booted 72 punts as a rookie, and his average of 44.8 yards ranked him ninth in the NFL by season's end." It has been seven years since the San Diego Chargers made the daring and bold move of trading their first round pick Eli Manning for Giant's newly drafted quarterback, Philip Rivers. One reason Manning has amassed more yards, touchdowns and interceptions is because he has started 23 more games than Rivers. But Rivers clearly is the more accurate passer. July 3 Whenever the NFL gets its act together there will be no lurching back to business. It will be a whirlwind swim-or-be-eaten dive into the free agency waters and Giants general manager Jerry Reese has promised "We'll be ready to pounce." NFC
East News July 1 New York Giants owner John Mara rejoins NFL at table, but negotiations reportedly regress. ESPN was quoting player sources that progress had regressed and last evening, the NFLPA was conducting a conference call with all player reps and executive committee members, presumably to reestablish a united front and not to cave to owners' demands, the big issue still being the revenue split between the groups. NFC
East News June 30 Justin Tuck, an old-school guy at heart, said he doesn't understand why people take shots at others via social media. Either way, he says the Giants will handle their business on the football field. As for Umenyiora's uncertain future, Tuck wants to see his sack partner remain a Giant but hopefully get what he wants as well. Umenyiora wants a new contract. While several Giants want Umenyiora back, the same probably can't be said for former Giant Tiki Barber, who is making a comeback. Tuck said the former running back "did kind of turn some guys off." June 29
The Eli Manning Lockout Passing Camps continued touring last week at Duke
University. After training at Hoboken High School and Bergen Catholic in Oradell,
Manning spent three days last week with Hakeem Nicks and rookie Jerrel Jernigan
in Durham, N.C. David Cutcliffe, Manning's coach at Ole Miss, now coaches at Duke. Barry Cofield has no team and no contract after five very solid seasons playing defensive tackle for the Giants. Eventually he will be on the open market, though his intense desire is to remain with the Giants. Still, he knows that so many moves made by the team -- for several years -- add up to his getting pushed off the roster. Cornerback Terrell Thomas has quietly become one of the Giants' most productive players. For the second year in a row, he led the team with 101 tackles. But in 2010 he had 80 solo tackles, compared to 67 the previous year. He again led the Giants with five interceptions and in passes defensed (15 last year after finishing with 16 in 2009). He also forced four fumbles and recovered one. Former
Giants NFC East News June 28 Tiki
Barber isn't coming back to the Giants and there's very little chance Plaxico
Burress is, either. But if one of them would ever again don a Giants uniform,
Eli Manning believes Burress would be accepted back more readily than Barber.
"Probably Plaxico just because he has probably fonder memories of winning a Super
Bowl and that catch for the touchdown in Super Bowl XLII," Manning said yesterday
on the Dan Patrick Show. As optimism abounds and both sides of the NFL's labor negotiations progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement, Giants lineman Chris Canty expressed his desire to team with pass rusher Osi Umenyiora once practices and training camp resume. "He's a terrific player," Canty said. "We need him." Stadium
News June 27 On the eve of the first anniversary of a gruesome car wreck that nearly took his life, Chad Jones had his head buried in a playbook. The New York Giants safety spent Friday night drawing up plays with his brother, Rahim Alem, for youngsters who will attend Jones' first football camp next month. Though Jones still has a long way to go before playing again, he hopes that by next summer he will at least be training with his Giants teammates, resuming a career that was put on hold when he lost control of his Range Rover and slammed into a light pole. Vinny DiTrani: Farewell to the only job I have ever known... 42 years of covering the NFL, five with the Joe Namath-led Jets and most of the other 37 with the Giants. There were 38 Super Bowls, including the three won by the franchise which was the league's laughingstock after The Fumble in 1978. DiTrani, who started as a full-time employee at The Record on May 25, 1967, is retiring later this week. However, he will still make his weekly picks and occasionally write for The Record. Former Giants June 25 The Giants, unlike the Jets, have not pulled the plug on their upstate training camp plans. The Jets will not be heading to Cortland, N.Y., this summer, but the Giants still are holding out hope that the NFL lockout will be lifted in time for them to train, as usual, at the University at Albany. The Giants have held training camp in the New York state capital since 1996. Larry
Izzo was on the wrong end of Super Bowl XLII. Pretty soon, he'll make the
jump to the winning side. Er, sideline. Izzo, a 14-year NFL veteran who played
for the Dolphins, Patriots and Jets, will join the Giants' coaching staff as their
new assistant special teams coach, according to someone informed of Izzo's impending
hire. Kicker Lawrence Tynes was a standout performer in a 2010 season in which the Giants' special teams sometimes struggled. Tynes led the team with 100 points, his second 100-point season in a row and third in his four years with the Giants. Tynes succeeded on 19 of 23 field goal attempts and all 43 of his extra point tries. Former
Giants June
23 Steve
Smith has Osi Umenyiora's back. The Giants receiver did not stand idly by
as Eagles running back LeSean McCoy last week started an unprovoked Twitter battle,
calling Umenyiora "overrated n soft" and declaring he is only the third-best
defensive lineman on the Giants roster. Eli and Peyton Manning have teamed up for a DirecTV NFL promo entitled "Football Cops," in which the brothers sport '70s style mustaches while fighting crime in the streets with their quarterbacking skills. Former
Giants |
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