Aug 16 The Giants have added two more healthy defensive tackles, signing Carlton Powell and Oren Wilson. The team has lost Shaun Rogers for the season with a blood clot, and Marvin Austin (back) and Chris Canty (knee) are also sidelined at the moment. Austin had his back examined on Tuesday, but the Giants won't have an update on his status until Thursday.

With 90 guys on the training camp roster, it's not easy to get Tom Coughlin's attention. Last Friday in Jacksonville, Dwayne Hendricks definitely did. The first-year defensive tackle, who spent most of last season on the Giants' practice squad, had two sacks in the preseason-opening loss to the Jaguars and seemed to have his way with Jacksonville guard D.J. Hall. It's the kind of performance needed for a team suddenly besieged by injuries on the defensive line.

Markus Kuhn's NFL potential is untapped at this point, but his sense of humor has made the transition on and off the field as smooth as could be. Teammates have taken to joking around with him by throwing around Arnold Schwarzenegger references - one is German, one is Austrian - but as Kuhn readily admits, the native Europeans speak with a similar accent..

Chris Canty may not have declared himself ready for the season opener, but the Giants defensive tackle did give reason for optimism as he recovers from a knee injury. "My knee is in better shape than it was in November, December of last season," said Canty, who is on the PUP list.

He is a masterful deep safety, easily the best center fielder in a Giants uniform. And because of that, Kenny Phillips never gets to show off his other gifts. Phillips, who is in the final year of his contract, is coming off a career season in which he picked off four passes, made 82 tackles and helped knock away that Hail Mary pass to Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in the waning seconds of Super Bowl XLVI.

D.J. Ware might be the best option to provide power running and, as he showed on a twisting second effort for a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter of Friday's game, he can get his momentum moving forward quickly. As long as he's mentally committed to doing so..

A rocky 2011 on the personal front had Justin Tuck contemplating retirement momentarily last year, but the Giants' defensive end says that's behind him now and he's focused on winning another Super Bowl.

Hours after Victor Cruz saved the Giants' season with a 99-yard touchdown catch and run which also sank the Jets' season, the playmaking receiver celebrated with a Christmas Eve dinner at Abe & Arthur's. It was there, in the trendy and crowded Meatpacking district restaurant, where a Jets cornerback (Darrelle Revis) was finally able to chase down Cruz. "He pulled me over and said, 'Man, you are a good player,'" Cruz recalled.

Jets safeties promise to play rough. "We're just not going to let guys run down the field," Bell said during a break at the New York Jets' training camp. "That's one thing we're not going to do. We're going to get our hands on them early and beat them up a little bit and make them earn that catch.

Antonio Cromartie may make his debut at wide receiver against the Giants on Saturday. Rex Ryan left open the possibility that the Jets' cornerback could play both ways for the first time. Cromartie caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Greg McElroy against the third-team defense on Tuesday.

When the Giants and Patriots faced off in Super Bowl XLVI in February, you would have thought the Jets couldn't bring themselves to root for either their fellow MetLife Stadium tenant or their division rival. Not so, Bart Scott said Wednesday. In fact, the choice was easy for him. "I was happy for [the Giants]," Scott said after practice.

Heading into his fourth season, Sanchez is at a crucial juncture in his career. The addition of Tebow has made the Jets' quarterback situation the most scrutinized in the league. Sanchez faces extreme pressure to win and to win early.

Aug 15 The Jets think they have a secret weapon in Tim Tebow. The Giants just aren't sure how big a weapon he'll really be. So while Rex Ryan took pains to keep his first Wildcat practice a secret Monday, the Giants didn't see why the scheme was such a big deal.
"He's a gamer, he's a guy that knows how to play," Kiwanuka said of Tebow. "We've got to be able to prepare for it - Tebow-mania. It is what it is. We have a lot of manias over here. We had Tuck-mania and Eli-mania. We're used to that kind of attention and that kind of fanfare. But, for us, it's just another game."

Tom Coughlin feels badly for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, whose season is over because of a blood clot. Rogers had fit in well with the Giants' defensive line, Coughlin said, and had lost 50 pounds, per the team's request.
The Giants were down a tackle when camp opened because Chris Canty, who started all 20 regular season and postseason games last year, is on the physically unable to perform list as he rehabilitates from offseason knee surgery. Canty does not know when he will return.
Coughlin said that Rogers would be placed on blood thinning medication and because of that, he would need to avoid unnecessary contact that might create undetected internal bleeding.

Suddenly depleted at defensive tackle, the Giants on Tuesday are working out players to fill spots on the defensive line. Now it makes sense why the Giants put in a claim for former Bears defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron, who was awarded to the Browns.
Giants rookie defensive tackle and Germany native Markus Kuhn is plenty fine with his teammates doing Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions while mimicking his voice. Even though he's a rookie, he hasn't looked like a Junior member of the team at times.

Hakeem Nicks took a big step toward playing in the regular-season opener when he passed his physical on Monday and was removed from the physically unable to perform list.
Nicks was taken off the PUP list on Monday and will be brought along slowly but is expected to be ready for the season opener. He underwent toe surgery back in late May.

The Giants have waived Dwayne Hendricks four times. That's four times that he's gone back to his mother's house in Millville, N.J. Four times he's hit the gym harder than he thought possible -- working with his old high school team while confident that another shot was going to come his way. Hendricks had two sacks in the Giants' preseason opener against the Jaguars.

"Game day you have to have a certain look, you're in that code," Giants equipment director Joe Skiba said, referring to how game-time appearance is regulated. "Whereas in practice, the players like to have that little-I hate to use the word-swagger." Or as cornerback Prince Amukamara put it, "It's a lot cooler in style and in temperature."

With Marvin Austin in Manhattan to get his back checked out while fellow defensive tackle Martin Parker prepares for surgery and offensive tackles Will Beatty and James Brewer work through back pain and stiffness that's limited their practice time, at least one player says the mattresses supplied by the Giants at training camp aren't helping.
And just like that, Bed-Gate was born. Of course, there's no proof that their mattresses led to any of those injuries, or the back problems that cornerback Terrell Thomas suffered on Day 1 or the herniated disc in the back of defensive tackle Martin Parker. But the players refused to lay down their belief that the beds didn't help.

Tom Coughlin was asked if he likes the U-Albany facilities he said "except for when it rains." Mara said a decision on camp for next summer won't be made until the fall, but it will be hard for them to pass up the comforts of home -- particularly their big indoor fieldhouse with a full-length field in the parking lot of the Meadowlands.

With the toot of an air horn, another summer training camp is now in the history books. One of the obvious questions, as put to head coach Tom Coughlin, was did the team do what it set out to do? "Not enough; I would always say that," he said.

Aug 14 The Giants 2012 Team Logo that is imprinted on new shirts handed out to the team is, "Build the Bridge" In the grand tradition of "Talk is Cheap, Play the Game," and "Finish," the Giants have unveiled a slogan for the 2012 season: "Build the Bridge."
Simply put, Coughlin is looking to inspire his team to be the group that finished their final six games on a strong note than the group that was up and down for the first 14 games. He's looking for them to "bridge" that performance at the end of last year into this year.

Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are amused that people keep hinting the Giants were lucky to win the Super Bowl. "A lot of these teams, we punched them straight in their mouth,'' Umenyiora said.

After reviewing the film of Friday night's preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Eli Manning said the first-unit offense is "very close to being very good." The first-team offense produced 10 points on those three first-quarter drives.

When linebacker Keith Rivers started in place of the injured Michael Boley against the Jaguars on Friday night, it was his first NFL game action since Jan. 2, 2011. Rivers, who played all three of his previous seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, missed last year with a wrist injury. He thought he would be more nervous than he was Friday.

Neither tight end Martellus Bennett nor running back D.J. Ware ever have established themselves as anything more than reliable backups in the NFL. They may never have a better opportunity to showcase their talents than this season with the Giants.
In some ways, Ware is like the furniture, always there, rarely noticed. He's entering his sixth season with the Giants, a rarity for a player who has never broken into the lineup and really hasn't done a whole lot of anything other than finding a way to stick on the roster.

Hakeem Nicks looked good, really good, while opening up his stride as he ran routes on a side field during practice today. Tom Coughlin's tone when asked about Nicks indicated the Giants' wide receiver was indeed making very good progress in his rehab from a broken foot.
Nicks cleared his physical, has been removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list and is now on the active roster. There's no chance the Giants will put him on the field for Saturday night's preseason game against the Jets but Nicks is on schedule to get in a preseason game or two before the Sept. 5 regular-season opener against the Cowboys.

Victor Cruz admits he'll be doing a little reminiscing this week, knowing he's preparing for a preseason game against the Jets. He still cherishes the memories of his breakout performance against them two summers ago. He can still see the Jets coaches on TV shaking their heads in disbelief.

To begin camp, Martellus Bennett, made the most noise by saying he hated the Cowboys and wanted to kick their backsides in the Giants' season opener Sept. 5. In the past, Coughlin did not like his players to be so outspoken. But with two championships, he said he had become more patient. Coughlin has also enjoyed talking with Bennett. "He's an interesting guy," said Coughlin, who smiled and would not elaborate.

Running back David Wilson and cornerback Jayron Hosley showed glimpses Friday night against the Jaguars of how much more explosive the Giants' return game could be this season. But not everything was positive on Friday.

Veteran defensive end Osi Umenyiora sees a lot of himself in Adrian Tracy, and Tracy even earned a nickname because of it. "We call him Young Os," Umenyiora said of the third-year defensive end. "He's doing a phenomenal job. I love the way he plays and prepares."

Cornerback Prince Amukamara struggled in his start against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday night, but drew cheers from teammates and fans after picking off Eli Manning's fade pass to Domenik Hixon in the end zone during practice. "That's all he needs. Make a couple of those. That was a nice play," head coach Tom Coughlin said.

It would have been inconceivable early in Eli Manning's career that anyone would suggest he was a better quarterback than his older brother. But now that Eli has won his second Super Bowl MVP award, he acknowledges that people sometimes tell him he's better than Peyton. "I correct them very quickly," Eli told Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports.
Eli Manning doesn't look over his shoulder and see Tim Tebow, or have to hear the deafening sounds of Tebowmania follow him everywhere. Nobody thinks it's a good idea to take him off the field for any Wildcat. This was the question yesterday for Eli Manning: "Do you think you're an elite dad?" He smiles and says: "I think I'm an elite dad, yes. I think so."

John Mara was asked about the future of the Giants training camp after the contract with SUNY Albany expires this year. The Giants owner wasn't willing to indicate the team's intentions as he walked to a campus cafeteria. "It's nice the be wanted, but we'll make that decision in the fall," Mara said.

Aug 13 D.J. Ware is a skilled, well-compensated professional athlete, but like millions of Americans, he's motivated by a fear of losing his job. This is Ware's sixth season with the Giants. In all that time he has just 81 regular season rushing attempts.

Adrian Tracy had a strip sack in Friday's preseason opener against the Jaguars and figures to replace Dave Tollefson in the Giants' defensive end rotation. Adrian Tracy (6-2, 252 pounds) is built just like Osi Umenyiora (6-3, 255), so Tracy uses the two-time Pro Bowl selection to compare his progress and technique.

Give Jayron Hosley credit for one thing above all else: After he muffed a punt in Friday's preseason opener against the Jaguars, the rookie stood right beside an agitated Tom Coughlin on the sideline instead of hiding in the far reaches of the bench area. "He's going to find you regardless. He's going to say what he has to say to you," Hosley said.

Giants test young punt returners in first practice since miscues against Jaguars.
Coughlin tried to test these guys by making them catch high punts from S Steve Weatherford with gunners in their face. Here's what happened.

Martellus Bennett caught three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville. Buttoned-down coach Tom Coughlin is getting used to Bennett. The coach even loosened up and did a few robot moves to illustrate. "I like them to have their own personality," Coughlin said.

After the Keystone Kops-style officiating of the first preseason game, Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz just wants to see the old referees back. He never thought he'd be so happy to anticipate the return of some of the people who put on the black and white stripes and whistle him for penalties. "I'm going to shake his hand and say thank you for coming back," Cruz said.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara's start against the Jacksonville Jaguars couldn't have gone much worse early on. On Jacksonville's first drive, he gave up a 29-yard catch on third-and-seven. Three plays later, Cecil Shorts got past him and caught a fade in the corner of the end zone to give the Jaguars the lead. Amukamara came back on the next series and earned a bit of redemption, stripping Shorts on an end-around.
"He'll have to play a lot more," Coach Tom Coughlin said in a conference call Saturday. "We need to put him in situations that he hasn' been too often, and it's the play-in-and-play-out, it's the ability to decode what the other guy is trying to do, have a sense and instinct about what's coming. That only comes with more time." It is clear that the coaching staff and front office are still waiting for Amukamara to grab the starting role outright.

Antrel Rolle played with two torn rotator cuffs. His left shoulder was damaged in the Dec. 11 game at Cowboys Stadium. Rolle dealt with it as best he could but in the first playoff game, Jan. 8 against the Falcons, his right rotator cuff was torn.
Given that the team's next opponent is the Jets on Saturday at MetLife Stadium, the name Tim Tebow came up during Antrel Rolle's news conference. Isn't the Giants safety a little curious to see the Jets' backup quarterback? "No," Rolle answered. "Just go out there and play the game. It's not going to be about Tebow. It's about us."

This year's Jets-Giants game is sure to get a lot of the usual build up, especially with the Jets having Tim Tebow on the roster and with the MetLife "Snoopy" trophy at stake (which the Jets won last year, by the way). But Tebow and Snoopy aside, the importance of the Jets has another aspect that really isn't talked about much. That game, at least recently, seems to be where future Giants stars are born.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress was headed to New England on Sunday to work out for the Patriots and while coach Bill Belichick would not confirm the tryout, he indicated that taking a look at a high-profile veteran such as Burress would be business as usual.

Aug 12 Tom Coughlin was encouraged by some of the performances he got from certain individuals in Friday's preseason-opening game, but he also sees a lot of things to work on for the defending champs.
The Giants believe they potentially have the most talented and explosive group of punt and kickoff returners in many years. But they were painfully reminded in their preseason opener that speed and elusiveness mean nothing if you can't catch the ball.
The Giants' opening preseason game was a four-quarter production Tom Coughlin would prefer not to see again, but he was intrigued by numerous individual performances.
Asked about that (ref) mistake on Saturday, Coughlin said "Let's not get too technical here. . . . There was an explanation. I can't tell you what it was at this time because to get another snap was all I was concerned with. At that point in the game there was not time for a lengthy explanation."

He spent the offseason adding six pounds of muscle to his already-thick frame, knowing all along that this would be his chance. And he opened the most important preseason of his life in style on Friday night against the Jaguars, rumbling for 30 yards on five carries and scoring the Giants' first touchdown. Yet D.J. Ware knew it wasn't enough. The 27-year-old Giants tailback knew it the moment he saw rookie runner David Wilson run.

Running back David Wilson, the Giants' first-round draft choice from Virginia Tech, had an impressive debut. He led the team with 43 rushing yards on seven carries, including a 26-yarder, and had a 48-yard runback among his two kickoff returns.
David Wilson said he wasn't nervous when he took the field for the first time as a member of the Giants on Friday night. He showed it with his first touch, a 28-yard kickoff return to begin the game.
Wilson was not perfect by any stretch, but he showed more than enough to indicate his unique skill set might just be the perfect fit for what the Giants already have in the fold. In terms of yardage, Wilson's first five carries went for 0, 26, -5, 17 and -1.

Victor Cruz worked enough in traffic last season to know he should've made the catch on a pass that went right through his hands in Friday night's preseason opener against the Jaguars. "I have to come down with that one," the Giants' franchise record holder for receiving yards in a season said afterward.
The Victor Cruz fairy tale still seems "crazy" to the man who lived it, even now that he's a best-selling author, Grammy presenter and superstar. It was just two years ago that he was an unknown kid from Jersey out of UMass who had mostly been ignored by NFL scouts. Then lightning struck for Cruz and the Giants. Now Julian Talley is hoping it will strike again. Talley is Victor Cruz - at least the pre-superstardom version.

Giants -They talk the talk. They walk the walk. They do it.
Out of the Blue [Hardcover]	Out of the Blue [Kindle Edition]
"It may seem like I came out of the blue. But, my road was long, windy, full of hurdles, and even some dead ends. I lost family. I lost friends. I even lost my way."

New Giants tight end Martellus Bennett hasn't been shy about expressing his thoughts. In fact, the colorful Bennett has quickly become a favorite go-to guy for his candid, offbeat, and unique thoughts.

Rookie linebacker Jake Muasau is a longshot with the Giants, but he's already beaten the odds. Jake Muasau has overcome homelessness, among other trials and tribulations, just to make it to the Giants' training camp.

Former Giants
Tiki Barber's homewrecking mistress-turned-wife Traci Lynn Johnson just doesn't understand why the public has such a negative opinion of her.

Aug 11 Record - Giants fall to Jaguars, 32-31, in wild preseason opener.

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ESPN - Eli Manning plays just two series as Giants fall to Jaguars 32-31.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Jaguars 32, Giants 31.
Giants.com - Giants fall to Jaguars, 32-31.
Giants.com - Postgame Coach Coughlin & Players.
StarLedger - Giants drop preseason opener, 32-31 to Jacksonville.
StarLedger - Giants preseason opener: Three things we learned.
Insidefootball - Jaguars 32-Giants 31: Hits, Misses & Musings
Insidefootball - Giant Mistakes Lead to Big Blue Letdown.
NYDailyNews - Giants defense needs strong start to the season.
NYDailyNews - Coughlin, Giants search for replacements in preseason opener loss.
NYPost - Giant talent, but up-and-down opener.
NYPost - Hosley, Jernigan struggle to catch punts.
Jacksonville.com - Good start for Blaine Gabbert as Jaguars win preseason opener.
Jacksonville.com - Ugly turnovers aside, Gabbert's offense provides hope,
Jacksonville.com - Rashad Jennings makes the most of his chance at RB.

Aug 10 On a rainy day last week, the Giants trudged into the University at Albany's gymnasium and switched their cleats for sneakers. They did what they could to get their practice in, squeaking through plays, but no one was satisfied.
With real contact in training camp and the number of practices pared down considerably, these four preseason games gain even more importance when it comes to young players making an impression, one way or another.
The purpose of preseason games is for the coaches to evaluate individuals who are playing in a very vanilla scheme. Therefore, should one unit look sloppy, I advise you to look past that and instead focus on the individuals.
The forecast is for a 60 percent chance of rain tonight with temperatures dropping from a daytime high of 92 degrees to 73. It could be a wet one for the Giants and Jaguars.

This will be Tom Coughlin's first time coaching a preseason game in Jacksonville where he was the head coach from 1994-2002. The Giants lead the regular season series 3-2.
If you thought preseason was meaningless, think again. Five reasons to watch: 1) How do the starters look? 2) Reps. 3) Draft picks. 4) Breakout candidates. 5) Question marks beginning to get answered.
Five players to watch: 1) WR Jerrel Jernigan. 2) LB Keith Rivers. 3) DT Marvin Austin. 4) S Will Hill. 5) WR David Douglas.

The Giants will get their first real clue as to how much David Wilson can help them this season when they open their preseason slate against the Jaguars here on Friday night.
At some point after the Giants' preseason opener against the Jaguars, David Wilson will do something he does every year. The rookie running back will create a sheet with all his goals for the upcoming season.

In years past, there were lots of question marks in Ramses Barden's head after a training camp practice. These days, he claims there are nothing but periods and definitive thoughts. No one needs to remind Barden this might be his last chance with the Giants.

It was believed that Will Hill was originally brought in to raise the level of competition among the young talent and the veterans, but now the coaches find themselves leaving him on the field more than they originally thought.

Chase Blackburn might play just 15 snaps Friday night in the preseason opener with the starters. But backup middle linebacker Mark Herzlich could be in store for 25 snaps or a quarter of the action or more.

Jason Pierre-Paul opened eyes in last year's preseason opener, registering two sacks in one quarter in a defeat to Carolina and doing it against Pro Bowl left tackle Jordan Gross, answering questions as to whether he was ready to be a starter in the league.

Eli Manning appeared on FAN with Mike (Sports Pope) Francesa Tuesday, but no announcement was made about him joining forces with the pontiff during the season. Maybe Manning has not decided what FAN show he wants to appear on.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress to Cowboys? Dallas has had 'preliminary discussions' with wide receiver's agent. The team is reportedly looking to add a veteran wideout if none of the players in camp distinguish themselves.

Stadium News
A judge has dismissed lawsuits by the Giants and Jets that aimed to block developers of the former Xanadu entertainment complex from building new amusement and water parks near MetLife Stadium.The teams may revisit their suits, but only after plans for the new parks have been passed by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.

Aug 9 Special Report - Herzlich, who is 6-4 and 245, is locked in a fierce battle with veteran Chase Blackburn for the starting middle linebacker spot. "Chase is a veteran and he has played really well," Herzlich said, "but it's a chance, an opportunity, and I owe it to myself to do everything I can." Linebackers coach Jim Hermann was asked how the battle was going. "Both are having great camps," he said. But is there a clear-cut winner? "Nope, too close to call," he added. "Too close to call. But I'll say this - I'd feel very comfortable with whoever is on the field [at the MIKE position]."

Cornerback Terrell Thomas says he could be back to practice anywhere from three to eight weeks after "aggravating" his ACL. For now, he'll do very light work, such as running in the pool, so he doesn't hurt the knee again. "Just no impact. I don't want to fatigue it at all," he said.
When Thomas is healthy he is a productive and valuable player. He led the Giants in tackles, interceptions and passes defensed in both 2009 and 2010. Aaron Ross stepped in as the starter when Thomas went down last year, but he now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars - who the Giants will visit in the preseason opener on Friday night.

Tom Coughlin said 11 injured players will not play against Jacksonville on Friday. But it is possible the Giants may be without 12 players who are injured at the moment as Rocky Bernard was a new addition to the injured players on the sideline during today's practice. Bernard is considered questionable with a knee issue.
"First preseason game, the starters will play 15 to 18 maybe. The seconds will play about 20-25 and then we'll let the thirds play anywhere from the end of the third on or maybe the top of the fourth. There are a considerable number of guys that are not going to play."

Rookie RB David Wilson will see his first pro action when the Giants open preseason play Friday against the Jaguars. Wilson's biggest challenge is not running with or catching the football, but understanding the Giants' complex offense. " It's just a learning process and a learning curve and I knew it was going to happen and I didn't know how I would handle it. Everyday I'm just trying to get better."

The scoreboard at Lambeau Field showed that the Giants put a pretty good beating on the Green Bay Packers in January, but that's not how Clay Matthews remembered that divisional playoff game. He still refuses to give the Giants credit for the 37-20 win that knocked the Pack out of the playoffs. The Packers linebacker says his team picked the worst time to play their worst game: 'The fact is, (the Giants) didn't beat us.'

David Carr has marveled at the incredible hype and attention surrounding Jets quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. Like Tebow, Carr is a backup with first-round pedigree. The former 2002 top overall pick, though, is firmly entrenched as Eli Manning's backup. The dynamic between Sanchez and Tebow could be a full-blown quarterback controversy in a matter of weeks.
Carr takes the opportunities to play where he can get them-especially with a starting quarterback as consistently healthy as Eli Manning in front of him. It means that, probably more than any other player on the Giants' roster, Carr is looking forward to their preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday. Because whether he likes it or not, Carr has to be Mr. August.

Aug 8 Rookie wide receiver Rueben Randle is looking at the team's first preseason game in Jacksonville Friday night as a big step for himself and the other rookies, like David Wilson.
The Giants have released their unofficial depth chart on their website, three days before they face Jacksonville in the preseason opener. Most notable is that rookie running back David Wilson is listed as the second-stringer behind Ahmad Bradshaw, although D.J. Ware and Andre Brown have sometimes gotten carries ahead of Wilson in practices.

Markus Kuhn has never been to an NFL game. On Friday, Kuhn will be standing on the sidelines for the defending Super Bowl champs. A seventh-round draft pick out of North Carolina State, Kuhn is hoping to make an impact when the New York Giants take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, in the first preseason game of the year.

A lingering sciatic nerve issue continues to keep Giants left tackle Will Beatty out of practice, and even though coach Tom Coughlin said it shouldn't be a prolonged injury, it seems unlikely that Beatty will be able to play in the first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Giants have two unlikely players battling to be starting middle linebacker. Based on his veteran status and the immense contribution he made during the Super Bowl run, Blackburn arrived at camp as the starting middle linebacker. Herzlich is coming on strong in the best battle of the summer.

Cornerback Michael Coe and wide receiver Julian Talley had to be separated once near the beginning of practice. And toward the end of Tuesday's practice, wide receiver Domenik Hixon and cornerback Prince Amukamara were locked in a face-to-face staredown before cooler heads prevailed.
The Giants' offense had fooled Osi Umenyiora on a throw-back screen pass a few times in camp, and Tom Coughlin thought they had the two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher again this afternoon. Wrong.

Second-year defensive tackle Marvin Austin said the last two years have been a long road for him. The Giants were thrilled to get Austin in the second round. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said he adds a new dimension to the defensive line with his speed and quickness at 312 pounds.

Hakeem Nicks still has a ways to go before returning to practice and games. In the meantime, catching passes from members of the training staff will have to suffice.
Nicks remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list but is still on target to begin practicing soon and play in the season opener against Dallas. He appeared to run the routes without a hint of pain or trouble.

Martellus Bennett signed a one-year deal with the Giants after spending four years in Jason Witten's shadow. So far in training camp, Bennett has shown flashes of the potential the Giants still see in him. But he's clearly not pleased with glimpses.
The Cowboys drafted Bennett with the belief that he had all the tools to emerge as a downfield complement to five-time All-Pro Jason Witten. His career totals of 81 catches and four touchdowns with the Cowboys jump off the page, but not necessarily in a good way.

Former Giants
Brandon Jacobs may be a continent away in Santa Clara, Calif., with the San Francisco 49ers, but the Giants still find him impossible to ignore. In the mornings, he is still all over their film and on most evenings, his voice is back at Giants camp-via Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware's cell phones.

Aug 7 Tom Coughlin took time at the top of his press conference Monday to speak about the death of Garrett Reid and send his best wishes to the Reid family. "Our condolences, our deepest sympathy goes out to Andy and Tammy Reid and their family (after) the terrible, terrible loss of their son." Coughlin also mentioned defensive quality control coach Al Holcomb lost his mother.

Tom Coughlin was smiling while being asked about Terrell Thomas. That, in and of itself, was a good sign. Thomas, who is coming off the second surgery on his ACL in his career, will not need a third one - at least not yet. He will do light work on the side and hope his knee doesn't swell.
Coughlin did not say exactly what or how extensive the injury is. "You have to take what the medical people have said and utilize that," Coughlin said. "The idea is that they would rehab Terrell and see if we can get him to a position where he can come back on the field. So that's what we're going to do."
Tom Coughlin delivered the long-awaited news on cornerback Terrell Thomas and afterward was asked if this was the best-case scenario for the Giants. "I think it is," Coughlin said Monday afternoon following practice at the University at Albany.

On the same day the Giants got positive news about Terrell Thomas, cornerback Prince Amukamara had to sit out practice because of a hamstring issue. Head coach Tom Coughlin didn't sound too concerned and called it a "little bit" of a hamstring injury. LB Michael Boley (hamstring) returned to practice.
Terrell Thomas and Prince Amukamara were expected to be the Giants' top right cornerbacks this season, but Michael Coe has probably taken more snaps at the position with the first team than any player in training camp. .

Head coach Tom Coughlin said Monday that if fourth-year wide receiver Ramses Barden is going to make his mark in the NFL, the time is now. "It's time. It's time. It was time last year. It's time," Coughlin said after practice.
Everyone has been waiting for Ramses Barden. And everyone loves a good underdog story. But in one of the biggest and most intriguing battles in Giants training camp, undrafted rookie David Douglas is trying to unseat Barden and earn a spot on the roster.
Adrien Robinson had only one drop in his senior season at Cincinnati, and there was even some debate as to whether that was a catchable ball. In Saturday's practice here at training camp, the Giants' rookie tight end dropped two balls.

A year ago at this time, Victor Cruz was relatively anonymous, a former undrafted free agent who had flashed in the preseason before, but was fighting to make the roster. Now, he's a household name, a celebrity pitch man, Super Bowl winner, one of the biggest bargains in the NFL.
Wide receiver Dan DePalma is willing to do whatever it takes to make the team. He's even offered to play cornerback. "I will do anything on the field that I can," said DePalma, who spent last year on the practice squad as an undrafted free agent.

Linebackers coach Jim Herrmann said Monday that the Giants are comfortable with whoever is in at linebacker, and he hasn't had that situation in a long time. "We really have good, young guys who came in last year and are now back bigger and stronger," Herrmann said.

While the CBA makes all of the players happier, perhaps no one's demeanor has changed more than Snee, who has been laughing and joking with teammates and reporters since arriving here almost two weeks ago. Now, the limited contact has the Giants' second-longest tenured lineman feeling much fresher in camp. And in turn, he's much happier.

As receivers coach the past two seasons, Sean Ryan helped develop Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz into top-flight NFL pass-catchers. Now in his first season as quarterbacks coach, Ryan has a much more established player to work with in Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl MVP.
Manning is publicly cracking the whip on the Giants more than he has at any other time in his career. And it'-2011-05-2012-05s starting to look like the best argument yet for why the Giants will be able to avoid a Super Bowl hangover.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress is trying to not burn any bridges with the New York Giants or any other NFL teams. For one thing he wants to play football. For another, Uncle Sam is looking for him. Plaxico owes over $59,000 in back taxes from 2007..

Aug 6 There's been an interesting dynamic here in the first half of Giants training camp, wherein every Victor Cruz catch is a chance for the fans to once again serenade the breakout star with the chant heard around MetLife Stadium all of last season. The returning defensive players enjoyed hearing it last year, as it meant Cruz had made another big play. Now, not so much.

The perception of Marvin Austin is he's talented and motivated and will force his way onto the field in a rotation at defensive tackle, especially with Chris Canty sidelined following knee surgery. Austin cannot wait for the preseason games, when he can finally show his stuff. "I'm ready," he said. "This is what I was born to do."

If Chase Blackburn stays the same and Mark Herzlich improves, does that mean Herzlich is going to beat him out? Maybe. That's why this positional battle is so intriguing and it will remain one to watch through the preseason.

Aug 5 Well it looks like today we have a changing of the 'guard' at the middle linebacker position as Chase Blackburn, who entered camp as the incumbent, didn't practice today due to a thigh bruise, giving way to Mark Herzlich, the second-year player who last season went undrafted after courageously battling his way back from cancer.
Mark Herzlich got plenty of reps, including work with the first team. Herzlich continues to have a nice camp. On one play, he rushed the quarterback and put a nice move on rookie tackle Matt McCants. Herzlich just looks fast, big and aggressive in camp so far. If he keeps this up, he's going to push Blackburn.
Herzlich is much more confident in the middle of the defense than he was a year ago. Signed as a free agent out of Boston College, Herzlich, like all rookies, never got the benefit of an introductory offseason program because of the lockout. He reported to training camp with no knowledge of the Giants' defense.

Jake Ballard is with the New England Patriots. Travis Beckum is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the Super Bowl. Free-agent pickup Martellus Bennett is adjusting to a new offense. Bear Pascoe, with his knowledge of and familiarly with the offense, has earned the starting tight end spot and is well aware of the opportunity in front of him.
Pascoe entered camp having the benefit of three years with the team and some momentum following the Super Bowl run, where he notched his first career touchdown in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers. " think there's a great opportunity here for me to step in and kind of take it over," Pascoe said.

The Giants ran a "fire" call during their field goal drill today. That means the play breaks down and holder Steve Weatherford must do something smart and/or creative with the ball. For the first time in that situation, he threw it to tackle David Diehl, who wrapped his big gloved hands around the ball. "I heard that there might be a fire call and usually Weatherford likes to be the glory boy and want it himself," Diehl said. "He said he was going to throw it and I said, 'You better throw it to me.' It was fun. I've never scored a touchdown in my life. It's fun doing it in practice.

When he's upset and disillusioned, Antrel Rolle tends not to hide it. For the first year-plus of his tenure with the Giants, he drew headlines for griping publicly about Tom Coughlin's policies and other issues. As late as last December, he was calling out unnamed teammates for not practicing through injuries and was still grappling with a move from safety to slot cornerback - a switch he finally came to embrace during the run to the Super Bowl. All of those emotional ups and downs, culminating in the biggest up of his career, exhausted Rolle this past year and left him as wiped out as he'd ever been.

They laughed at Jerry Reese when he drafted Osi Umenyiora in 2003. Who was Umenyiora, the news media wondered, and why was he selected in the second round - 56th over all out of tiny Troy State? Reese, then the Giants' director of player personnel, fathered Umenyiora's N.F.L. career, and often teased him about that moment when he first stood up for him. Since then, Reese and the Giants have watched Umenyiora mature from neophyte to sage.

Ahmad Bradshaw's eyes lit up when asked the question about David Wilson and how important picking up blitzes will be in his progression as a rookie. "We don't even put the rookies in behind Eli [Manning] until we know that they can do some blocking and they can learn the defenses," Bradshaw said. "The number one thing that we ask our running backs to do is take care of our $100 million quarterback," running backs coach Jerald Ingram said.

When Corey Webster was a young cornerback for the Giants, he was tutored and counseled by the likes of Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters. Now entering his eighth season, Webster has at least two years on each of the other 10 cornerbacks on the Giants' roster. It is Webster who dispenses advice, support and constructive criticism to youngsters and young veterans.

Jason Pierre-Paul puts his hand on the grass in the middle of a practice on a sweltering summer afternoon, and it's clear the offensive lineman in front of him is in trouble. He's strong enough to shove the 300-pounder back into the pocket, and quick enough to let go and cut outside before the lineman can react. He rode that power and athleticism to 16 1/2 sacks last season. There were probably a dozen more sacks he caused with his rush or just missed getting himself.

Tynes, DeOssie, and Weatherford. It sounds like a law firm, but Giants fans better know them as the special teams backbone - three guys that contribute to the scoring and sets the defense up with a competitive advantage. To understand the success the battery mates have had, one need only look at the relationship they share both on and off the field.

It's a strange rash of knee re-injuries that's left a handful of Giants players - and a suddenly distraught coach Tom Coughlin - to reevaluate the fragility of the human knee. Conventional wisdom holds that NFL players - and pro athletes in general - need about a year of vigorous rehab to get themselves back in action, and it is this timetable that Hixon, tight end Travis Beckum and linebacker Clint Sintim - the three Giants still recovering from ACL injuries - desperately hope to follow.

A championship is all that's missing from Shaun Rogers' resume. He's played in three Pro Bowls and has 37.5 sacks among his more than 600 career tackles. Rogers has also blocked 14 field goals. But he played for mostly losing teams in Detroit and Cleveland before spending the 2011 season with the NFC South champion New Orleans Saints. He came to the defending Super Bowl champions largely because he saw an opportunity to win that elusive ring.

Keith Rivers has wore No. 55 since his days at USC, where the late Junior Seau made the number legendary. Spencer Paysinger, who had worn it only one season with the Giants, gave it up before Rivers could even ask. "I'm still trying to get him, I'm taking care of him, dinners and stuff like that," Rivers said yesterday at training camp on his way to lunch at UAlbany. "I've got him covered."

Giants left tackle Will Beatty said tests done on his back on Friday were part of a "routine" checkup that revealed he's making progress in his recovery from a sciatic-nerve condition. While the medical and training staffs are handling Beatty with care, the Giants' pass rushers are by no means going easy on him. "No, they were making sure I was ready to go," Beatty said with a laugh. "They were testing me out fully."

Former Giants
Bill Parcells on his legacy. "Those that follow ... this has been fun for me coming here. When you start to get Hall of Famers coming up to you and telling you, "Coach, I wish I had a chance to play for you." That's pretty special. Or when it's Father's Day, and you get a call from one of your ex players, and they say "Thanks for everything," or "Hey Bill, I love ya," that's pretty powerful, because it makes you know that you somehow ... got 'em."

Aug 4 He was one of the best football prospects ever to come out of New Jersey and he won a national championship at Florida with Tim Tebow as his quarterback. That was a time when Will Hill seemed to have everything, including a long and lucrative NFL career in his sights. So how did Hill end up undrafted and unsigned after he left Florida in 2011?
After a year out of football when no team would take a chance on him even with a non-guaranteed contract, Hill is eager to make an impression and stick on the team's roster. After making a bunch of impressive plays in practice earlier this week, Hill has gotten some time with the top defense as a safety playing down low in the nickel.

If the first week of training camp is an accurate precursor, Ahmad Bradshaw's foot and ankle problems have finally become history. Bradshaw - jinx alert - has practiced every day, is running with his customary bulldog determination and is making precise and quick cuts. "I feel great," Bradshaw said today at the University at Albany. "I can't complain."
David Wilson has certainly shown how shifty he is with a lot of cutting, stopping and juking in camp. But Ahmad Bradshaw thinks Wilson has been trying to do too much and can actually get better with fewer of the stopping-on-a-dime moves. "He's quicker than most, so you don't know when to stop him and you don't know when to tell him to keep going. He's so fast, but all I can do is just help him in different situations. You approach him during the game and in practice also, just trying to lengthen his career."

DT Markus Kuhn showed some impressive strength when the defensive linemen went through a drill against the offensive line. One defensive lineman would line up against the offensive line and try to beat the man in front of him with various moves. DT Marvin Austin had a particularly nice move up the middle during his turn. Osi Umenyiora got by Locklear on one occasion. Jason Pierre-Paul also looked very good during this drill.

Although the slogan hasn't been officially adopted as the team's "official" battle cry, Victor Cruz's Young Whales T-shirts that bear the slogan "Business as usual," have pretty much summed up the mood at Giants camp so far as the defending Super Bowl champions work toward getting ready to defend their title.

Aug 3 Eli Manning has noticed all the attention surrounding Tim Tebow and the Jets. And he loves it. It means he gets to do his work in peace with little fanfare surrounding the defending champs. "I told David Carr to take his shirt off while we were running sprints after practice to see if he can get the same coverage."

The Giants' coaches and players were speaking in funereal tones earlier this week when talking about the injury to Terrell Thomas' knee. While they said they still had hope Thomas would be okay, it was pretty clear they thought he was done for the year. Then Thomas went to see the doctor who performed surgery on his knee last year and, on Wednesday night, an ESPN report indicated the doctor believed Thomas could play this season.
Appearing on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York 98.7 Thursday, general manager Jerry Reese said injured cornerback Terrell Thomas has a visit scheduled with Dr. James Andrews and that the team is "hoping for the best." - "That's all I can say about that right now," Reese said.

A year after being forced to play nickel corner - chafing and even talking about wanting to leave the Giants - safety Antrel Rolle has been thrust back into the nickel role again, at least for the moment, because of Terrell Thomas' ACL injury. Still, Rolle claims he'll do whatever Big Blue needs, even if it doesn't match up with what he wants.
Antrel Rolle is ready to cover slot receivers again if need be. A day after safeties coach Dave Merritt said Rolle will likely cover slot receivers again this season if Terrell Thomas is out for a while, Rolle said he would do whatever is asked of him. "Well, in this league, we have to have an open mind," he said.

Give Travis Beckum credit for his honesty when asked if Terrell Thomas' (potential) second ACL injury in as many years scared him. "It did," said the Giants tight end, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the Super Bowl. "But you can't try to progress on your knee and think about that at the same time. You've kind of got to blank that out and just work on your (knee)."

Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon made a leaping catch at the end of practice. But the most important part was Hixon, who is coming off his second ACL injury, got right back up. Hixon's catch was arguably the second-best in the full-pads practice.
Hixon demonstrated that he still has the speed to go deep, still has the moves to elude an outstanding cornerback, still can leap high for a ball, still has Manning's trust - and, perhaps most importantly, still doesn't have to worry about his right knee, where his anterior cruciate ligament was surgically repaired each of the last two years.

Jerrel Jernigan, who is benefiting from the added reps resulting from absence of Hakeem Nicks, the Giants top receiver who is on the PUP list as he recovers from a broken foot, has shown flashes of speed and elusiveness on the mid- to deep-passing routes, as well as an ability to separate from defenders. "I'm a guy who can do a lot of damage after the catch," he said when asked what people have yet to see out of him as a receiver. "I can make people miss."

Last year as a rookie, Jacquian Williams impressed the Giants with his speed and ability to cover tight ends and running backs. Williams' speed makes him a valuable commodity on Perry Fewell's defense. Besides playing on passing packages, he may play some of Deon Grant's old role as the third safety.

Jayron Hosley is battling for playing time at cornerback, which could increase with the uncertainty surrounding starter Terrell Thomas' injured ACL. The 5-foot-10, 178-pound Hosley was a two-year starter for the Hokies before leaving after his junior year. He intercepted 12 passes and had 98 tackles in his last two seasons. "

Will Hill was active and all over the field, getting physical and colliding with a few players, including rookie David Wilson. Hill has impressed the coaching staff and will continue to get a shot with Tyler Sash suspended for four games to start the season. Hill looks athletic and fast.

Don't mess with Jason Pierre-Paul, not if you don't want to get him mad. That's apparently what TE Bear Pascoe did, and JPP responded by charging into Pascoe on a block and knocking him on his fanny.

Aug 2 Jerry Jones has made it clear he's obsessed with the Giants. The Giants, though, aren't at all obsessed with him. For the most part, the defending Super Bowl champions responded with a shrug of the shoulders and a zip of their lips on Wednesday when they were asked to respond to the Cowboys' owner's vow to "beat the New York Giants' ass." About the only response was a couple of one-liners from Giants co-owner John Mara.
Jones, the Cowboys owner, and the rest of the NFL never learn: The Giants become a great team only when they feel disrespected and dumped on. Rex Ryan fired them up for last year's Christmas Eve showdown with all the big brother/better team talk. Tom Brady ticked off the Giants before each of his Super Bowl losses to Big Blue, and Jones distributed two tickets to each of his players for the NFC title game before playing the Giants in the divisional round. Oops. Giants 21, Cowboys 17.

Tom Coughlin expressed frustration with the fact that the Giants have had several players tear an ACL multiple times. Wide receiver Domenik Hixon, linebacker Clint Sintim and cornerback Brian Witherspoon all have torn their ACLs in consecutive years. Former Giant linebacker Jonathan Goff tore his ACL this week after attempting a comeback from a torn ACL with the Redskins.

Coach Tom Coughlin acknowledged Terrell Thomas' recovery "is going to take some time." That leaves veteran Corey Webster to man one starting spot, with Amukamara leading a cast of corners - Justin Tryon, Michael Coe and rookie Jayron Hosley - to vie for the other, and Rolle forced to play nickel if no one else steps up.

Domenik Hixon has missed the past two seasons after twice tearing and needing reconstruction on his right anterior cruciate ligament and it was Hixon on Sunday who was working in a one-on-one drill with Terrell Thomas when they both slipped and only one of them got up healthy.

On one play during recent 11-on-11s, second-year linebacker Greg Jones, working from the strong side, leaned forward and waited for the ball to snap. Almost as soon as the ball was snapped and quarterback David Carr handed it off to Andre Brown, Jones shot into the backfield, leaving a stunned offensive lineman in his path, and blew up the play..

Since Rueben Randle was selected by the Giants on the second round of this year's NFL draft, an oft-repeated description of him has been, "NFL-ready." Just don't try to slip that one by his position coach. "I don't even know what that term means," Kevin M. Gilbride, the Giants' first-year wide receivers coach, said. "Does he show flashes? Do you see the talent? No question you do, but he needs to develop physically and mentally within our offense and our system."

Jason Pierre-Paul now understands that teams will have strategies to slow him, and that better technique will help him fight that, defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. Still, he is capable of making plays that are perhaps unorthodox in approach but yield spectacular results, and that cause Fewell to say, "That doesn't belong, but that's O.K., that's J. P. P."

Stadium News
Gov. Chris Christie described the lawsuit filed by the ownership of the New York Jets and Giants against the developers of the American Dream Meadowlands project as "anti-New Jersey."

Aug 1 Jerry Jones says his Dallas Cowboys will beat the Giants this season. Badly. The Giants won both games against Dallas last season - a 37-34 victory in Cowboys Stadium sealed by a blocked field goal by Jason Pierre-Paul and an easy 31-14 Week 17 victory to win the NFC East. They're also 3-0 in Cowboys Stadium.
The Giants don't travel to Dallas this season until Oct. 28, but the rivalry will heat up way before then since the teams will face off in the regular-season opener on Sept. 5 at the Meadowlands. That game already got some hype when former Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett rolled into Giants camp last week and declared he had "ill feelings" towards his old team and was looking forward to settling some old scores.

A day after learning cornerback Terrell Thomas is likely out for the season with a partially torn ACL, the Giants learned they'll be without another member of the secondary for a quarter of the regular season. Safety Tyler Sash has been suspended four games by the NFL for a violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Sash said. "The purpose was to help me with public speaking appearances. I had no idea that this prescription drug was banned by NFL policy... The timing of this positive test was March 2012, a time during which there is no physical performance required of me. I hope this explanation reinforces my innocence and shows that my intentions were pure."

Deon Grant was a versatile player for the Giants, as he was able to play up top in a traditional safety spot or down low as a pseudo-linebacker. "I don't like to get the call due to an injury; I like to get the call because they know what I bring to the table and know I would help the team out."
Deon Grant isn't a cornerback, but he was a pivotal piece in Perry Fewell's defense. He would allow the Giants to play their three-safety look again and perhaps use Antrel Rolle on slot receivers again if there isn't a cornerback to emerge that they trust against slot receivers.

Terrell Thomas' injury leaves the Giants without a proven starting corner opposite stalwart Corey Webster. Indications are that Amukamara will be given the chance to fill that role, a chance he relishes after failing to make an impact last season. "Last year, it was kind of my fault," the Giants' 2011 first-round pick said. "But this year, I'm starting fresh."
Not every team has a first-round pick ready and waiting in the wings, and if the Giants didn't think Amukamara were destined to be a starting corner, they wouldn't have drafted him. But recess is over for the Prince. If he can't handle the job the Giants are in trouble. They won it all once without Thomas, but none of them want to try it again.

After posting 1,536 receiving yards along with nine touchdowns in 2011, Cruz will earn $540,000 this upcoming season, which is significantly less than what most other star NFL wideouts are paid. Currently, the team has two players worthy of making number one wide receiver money in Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, but neither of which are being paid commensurate with their talent level yet.

Even when he's not at his absolute best, Giant's right guard Chris Snee is still as good as, or better, than a number of players at his position around the NFL. But don't tell that to Snee, who's a self-proclaimed perfectionist who wants to win every battle and who wants his teammates to never have to worry about what they are going to get from him.

July 31 The news out of New York Giants training camp in Albany on Monday was not good. The team announced that cornerback Terrell Thomas, who is attempting to come back from a second tear of the ACL in his right knee, has suffered another injury to that ligament.
The veteran cornerback, on his way back from a second torn anterior cruciate ligament, had injured the ACL again. Someone informed of the details of the diagnosis said it's believed to be a partial tear of the ligament. Still, for a player who must stop and cut often, even a partial tear is not good news.

With Terrell Thomas possibly out for the season as he waits for a full diagnosis, the team will now lean heavily on Prince Amukamara to continue his progression after a rookie year in which he missed half of the season with a broken foot suffered in training camp.
One of the other corners who will be needed if Thomas is out for a while is Jayron Hosley. But the rookie suffered a laceration to his knee when he slipped on the grass. Hosley wasn't the only Giant who slipped. Several players lost their footing on the grass, even though the weather was hot and dry. "The falling down is ridiculous," Coughlin said of all the slips in practice. "We fall down. We just fall down."

No Giants player is queried about his frame of mind more than Osi Umenyiora, who had at times expressed frustration before signing a restructured contract on June 1. But when he met the media for the first time in training camp at the University at Albany, the first question directed at the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end was, "Are you happy here?"

Both Mark Sanchez and Eli Manning were top five picks, drafted into the pressure cooker of the New York market, so there is a natural parallel. Not that long ago, before his pair of Super Bowl rings, Manning was a young quarterback, too. And his third-year stats, the year before the 2007 Super Bowl season, were oddly similar to Sanchez's.

July 30 He has watched Victor Cruz get serenaded to "Cruuuuz!" chants, seen Jerrel Jernigan start to blossom and watched Domenik Hixon make a comeback. This is all Hakeem Nicks has been able to do throughout the first few days of Giants training camp, and the wide reciever admits that it's made him a bit "antsy." But in just a few weeks, that's all going to change.
Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks says he'll begin cutting on his injured foot in a few days and believes a mid-August return remains reasonable. The fourth-year wide received remains sidelined with a broken foot suffered during OTAs in the spring.

As it stands now, Julian Talley is a long shot to make the Giants' 2012 roster. His reps during team drills have been limited and he's buried amid a cluster of wide receivers trying to impress the coaching staff while Hakeem Nicks is sidelined with a foot injury. But Talley isn't about to get frustrated. "That's big brother right there," Talley said of Victor Cruz, another wide receiver from UMass who faced long odds before having a breakout season last year.

In a meeting on the first day of camp, Tom Coughlin showed his team a few stats. Under the heading "Worst to Best," he reminded the Giants that they ranked last in the league in rushing offense in the 2011 regular season and 27th in total defense. He put up the number 400, which is the number of points the Giants allowed en route to a 9-7 regular-season record -- more than all but seven teams in the league, not one of which reached the playoffs.

Tom Coughlin liked what he saw in the Giants' third practice of camp. It was hot and the sun came out and some wide receivers and linebackers showed that this team has depth. With Michael Boley and Keith Rivers sitting due to hamstring injuries, the Giants shuffled some linebackers around.

Mark Herzlich starts camp as the second-team middle linebacker, but he hopes to make ground on Chase Blackburn and become the starting MLB in his second season. Last year, Herzlich showed a glimpse of what he can do when he started two games at middle linebacker against the Eagles and Saints. Herzlich was beginning to show what he is capable of, and who knows what would have happened had he not gotten injured.
Right now, according to the depth chart, Blackburn has the edge, which is amazing considering he was out of football at this point last year and didn't re-sign with the Giants until November. But Herzlich is lurking. He's leaner and quicker, feels more confident and has been spot-on with his pass coverage, which was his biggest weakness a year ago.

After a rookie season in which did not catch a pass, Jerrel Jernigan knew he had to make a good impression early in training camp. So far, so good. The swift receiver was one of the most notable players in the Giants' first three practices at the University at Albany.

QB Eli Manning was looking for Victor Cruz up the right sideline and looked like he might've had a window to get it there, but Corey Webster closed it, tipped the ball up to himself and picked it off. Cruz stayed on top of Webster and safety Kenny Phillips raced over to playfully tell Cruz to get off. Itching to get into the act, the other starting safety, Antrel Rolle, arrived on the scene and shouted "Salsa that!"

Giant's center David Baas will be the first person to admit that, despite winning a Super Bowl ring in his first season with the Giants, his first year with the team could have been a lot different. "It was tough," he said of his first year as a Giant. There really wasn't much time to catch my breath, but you know in life you can't always expect to write your own story. You have to roll with what's given to you."

The defensive front returns almost intact. Dave Tollefson is the one significant loss. Juistin Tuck believes that if he, Jason Pierre Paul and Osi Umenyiora can stay healthy, they will be impossible to contain. "It's going to be tough for offensive lines to block us. They're going to have to pick and choose. They can't double-team all of us."

Former Giants
Mario Manningham - Brandon Jacobs. Reunited with the 49ers in the offseason, the ex-Giants seem to have about as much love for their former team as they feel their former team showed in free agency. In other words, practically none.

July 29 While the Olympic cauldron was lit on Friday, German native Markus Kuhn couldn't watch his countrymen at the opening ceremony. "Unfortunately, we don't have a TV in our dorm," the defensive tackle said. Meanwhile, wide receiver Domenik Hixon, also born in Germany, is trying to catch some of the Olympic fever. "I'm trying to," he said. "It's a little hard throughout training camp, but definitely." - The 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Well, the Giants tried to beat the rain, but in the end, the outer edge of a storm that reportedly dumped some heavy precipitation on Saratoga area (30 minutes north of Albany) seemed to push the Giants into hurry-up mode. Nevertheless, head coach Tom Coughlin and his Giants not only finished the practice, but stayed on to sign autographs for the fans who sat through a steady rain for the last 20 minutes or so of practice.

Jerry Reese's expectations for cornerback Prince Amukamara this upcoming season are simple. "I expect Prince to play like a first-round draft pick," Reese said in a session with reporters. "That's pretty cut and dry for me." What does that mean, exactly?
Amukamara is poised to be a critical piece in the Giants secondary. The second-year cornerback suffered through a miserable, disappointing and injury-plagued rookie season as the Giants' first-round pick, but fellow cornerback Terrell Thomas believes Amukamara is set to emerge.

Before the season-ending injury last year, Terrell Thomas' numbers improved each of his first three seasons in the league. That set up 2011 to be a career year for the former second-round draft pick, but just because it turned into a lost season doesn't mean he can't find it once again.

Undrafted trio Chase Blackburn, Mark Herzlich, and Jake Muasau are quarterbacking the defense in Albany. Blackburn, the vet of the group who wasn't selected in 2005 out of Akron, is simply paying it forward to Herzlich, undrafted in 2011, and Muasau, a rookie. After all, he cut his teeth under former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce - another member of the undrafted fraternity.

The Giants have their best chance to repeat as Super Bowl champs in franchise history. They have a fourth chance to win Super Bowls back-to-back and another opportunity to repeat as champs for the first time in their 87-year history. Have a look at what stopped them the first three times in the season after they won they won the Super Bowl.

If the Giants are to follow David Wilson and Ahmad Bradshaw through the holes this season, the groundwork will be laid here, where the restricted number of practices will pinch Coughlin's desire to emphasize the run. Each practice, instead, must be balanced between the run and the pass, appropriate since that is the way Coughlin hopes it will be when the games begin.

Eli Manning enjoys being back on campus and even more so adores shocking teammates who never suspect the franchise quarterback would resort to childish practical jokes and silly shenanigans. So far, it's been all-quiet on the Eli front.
This offseason saw a different Manning - a looser, more quotable, more engaging personality who was clearly enjoying all of the success stemming from his second Super Bowl title and MVP, as well as perhaps the inner glee of having said he was an elite quarterback and then proving it.

Eli Manning will always be the most popular Giant. But judging by the crowd reaction early in training camp, Victor Cruz has moved into a close second. "It's all good, man," Cruz said after practice. "Anytime the fans take a liking to you, it's always positive, especially when it's for something positive.
Victor Cruz heard plenty of cheers and "Cruuuuz" chants from the fans during an impressive performance in practice at training camp. So far, there have been absolutely no signs of a Cruz hangover from a busy offseason. Instead, he's looked even more polished and confident in his route running.

This is a big camp for Jerrel Jernigan. He has a chance to win the third receiver spot and lock down the punt returner and kick returner spots. On Saturday, he showed a little bit of what he can do at receiver as he highlights our Day Two practice observations.

Domenik Hixon's name has never been mentioned among the likes of the NFL top receivers, but if you watch him closely, you'll see a wide out who is true to his assignments, who rarely makes a mistake, and who is reliable.

Deon Grant was one of the most respected voices in the locker room last season and a vocal leader on defense. He was a pivotal part of the Giants' three-safety look used often over the past two seasons. The veteran safety remains unsigned but recently said he expects to re-sign with the Giants sometime during camp.

Chris Canty was placed on the physically unable to perform list on Friday. When asked about Canty at his opening news conference, Coughlin said, "It's going to take a little while." Canty wasn't about to dispute that today. "Coach says it's going to be a while, it's going to be a while," Canty said.
Chris Canty said he has heard some of his peers around the league say the Giants were fortunate last year to win it all. Canty didn't elaborate on who those "peers" are. But certainly that will be fuel for the Giants.

Making Osi Umenyiora happy by giving him what he deserves - namely, a pay raise - guarantees the Giants won't go away, and here's why: They're not only a better team when he plays; they're a vastly better team. They were 9-4 when he played last season, 4-4 when he didn't.

General manager Jerry Reese greets fans yesterday at training camp, where he said the lack of controversy so far has him concerned, but that he expects his Super Bowl champs to be a strong team again.

July 28 First practice of training camp is in the books. Asked if he saw anything in particular that impressed him, Tom Coughlin quipped: "Not really." Coughlin said the relief is always there when the first practice is over and you get through it, and that's exactly what we saw as a crowd watched from the bleachers at UAlbany.
"We're going to get a better running game coming out of this camp. I really believe that," coach Tom Coughlin said today after the first practice of training camp. "It takes a lot of time to develop that, and to be honest with you, without the two-a-days, it's a little bit more difficult to just zoom in on any one thing and stay with it. But we've definitely got to rush the ball better."

New CBA restrictions. With reps being carefully measured, those young players who are fighting to make the team had darn well better take advantage of every rep they are given. Whereas in the past, a coach might be able to overlook one or two gaffes, now with reps at a premium, if a guy doesn't step up, he's very quickly going to find himself out on the short end of the stick.

Here's your order at linebacker so far. Michael Boley,Chase Blackburn and Mathias Kiwanuka lined up with the first team. Second team was Keith Rivers, Mark Herzlich and Jacquian Williams. And Greg Jones, Jake Muasau and Spencer Paysinger rounded out the third team. Muasau had a nice diving interception after a pass glanced off the outstretched arms of wide receiver David Douglas. -- Boley got the first interception of camp, picking off a short pass from Eli Manning intended for Cruz.

Terrell Thomas has worked hard to get ready for this season after missing all of 2011 with a torn ACL. And before camp began he said he was 100 percent ready and would be a full participant at practice. Then, on Day 1, he hobbled off the field.

After a 2011 season in which endless combinations of linemen were used as the result of injuries ranging from a detached retina to a mysterious neck injury, the outlook for the Giants isn't so daunting. After finishing last in the NFL in rushing a few years removed from creating holes for the league's top rushing attack, the Giants are thinking it can't get worse.
Sure, they were better down the stretch -- particularly in the playoffs, when their average went way up to 116.5. But Ahmad Bradshaw and his beleaguered offensive line know the passing game carried them for much of last season. This year they want to give Eli Manning a little help.

Justin Tuck had his facemask debut; Antrel Rolle has his hairdo to show off. We'll see which gains more traction in the Twitterverse, but keep in mind Rolle's do glows in the dark.
His reason for the exotic design is simple and superstitious: the last two times he reported to training camp with a special haircut, his teams went to the Super Bowl. The first trial was in 2008 with the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 then last year with the Giants.

Don't try to convince Jason Pierre-Paul his life is different this year because he was a Super Bowl winner and an All-Pro in 2011. "I'm just trying to be that 23-year-old kid, trying to make the football team like I don't even have a spot on the team," Pierre-Paul said.
Jason Pierre-Paul still has a long way to go, he says, before reaching his full potential. A scary thought considering his monster numbers last season. Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora like to say that Pierre-Paul is only scratching the surface of how good he can be.

July 27 Martellus Bennett, in his first season as a Giants tight end, said he harbors ill feeling towards the Cowboys, his former team. "I just want to kick those guys' (butts). That's what it's all about," the tight end said of the Cowboys. "We're cool, but we ain't that cool. I kind of got some ill feelings towards them overall...I kind of hate everybody, honestly, in the NFL."
Despite any frustrations he might have felt being stuck behind All-Pro tight end Jason Witten, Bennett, said that he was able to learn a lot from his former teammate. "Who better to learn behind than Witten? He's one of the best to ever do it, I've learned a lot from him. Kind of like, every once in a while, plants can't grow when they're shaded by the tall trees, so I get a little something for myself now."

Winning the Super Bowl is sweet, and the world won't let you stop tasting it. There comes a time, however, to move on. Over the last few months of minicamps and OTAs, players reiterated that notion of putting the season to rest, but now it's reality with the start of training camp.
Justin Tuck is on record as saying he believes the Giants can become a dynasty. "We're not a dynasty yet," he said. "We still got some work to do ourselves." Security on campus at the University at Albany has been beefed up after laptops and bicycles belonging to the Giants were stolen earlier in the week. No sensitive information was lost in the thefts.
Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks will start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list as the Giants take things slow with their top receiver. Nicks, defensive tackle Chris Canty, tight end Travis Beckum and linebacker Clint Sintim will start camp on the PUP list according to head coach Tom Coughlin.

Victor Cruz said he felt "nostalgic" about being back to the place where he first started to make an impression on the Giants' coaching staff two years ago. Cruz is now in a much different place in his career - a franchise record-holder, a mega star and a player many defenses will try to shut down this upcoming season.
When Victor Cruz was asked what kind of tone he expected the 65-year-old coach to set as the team reported for training camp yesterday, the wide receiver-turned-best-selling author didn't hesitate. "An assertive one," Cruz said, "with the understanding of we're here to work. It's not just another walk in the park for us. This is a new season. It's a new energy that we have to come in with. Last year's over."

When the Giants opened training camp in 2011, Tom Coughlin delivered a one-word, T-shirt-ready directive to his players: "Finish." The Giants followed the order perfectly, winning their final six games, including Super Bowl XLVI. The late-season surge and resulting championship resulted in a considerably longer message when Coughlin welcomed the players to training camp at the University at Albany. "The message is one of improvement," Coughlin said - but he was just warming up.
He wants his Giants team to keep its "all-in" and "finish" mentality. But he also added a new slogan: "sustain." "We certainly want to continue with the 'all-in' and 'finish,'" Coughlin said. "But we also would like to come out of the starting gate and we would like to sustain and finish and establish some kind of consistency that we think we are capable of playing with." Coughlin put emphasis on the word "sustain" when he said it.

General Manager Jerry Reese ate lunch Thursday absent the drumbeat of vilification that followed him last summer - the departure of tight end Jake Ballard, it seems, has not induced the hand-wringing that Steve Smith and Kevin Boss did - and Osi Umenyiora has no plans for another training camp exercise bicycle ride to nowhere. When the Giants took part in their conditioning run Thursday afternoon, the most daunting question was whether receiver Hakeem Nicks was still on schedule to return to action from his broken foot by mid-August.

What do we make of the New York Giants? They've won two Super Bowls in the last five years, yet in that span, they've posted win totals of 10, 12, 8, 10 and 9. They've illustrated how the competitive nature of today's N.F.L. has created a system in which titles are won not by the best team but by the team that gets hot at the right time.

July 26 Special Report - With an eye on the calendar, knowing that the first practice for the Giants in training camp is Friday, E-GIANTS herewith presents a collection of "Tales from Summer Camp." --- "One of the worst things I ever had to do in my life was tell my old teammate and best friend, [defensive end] Jim Katcavage, that he was being cut because, well, he just wasn't good enough anymore." - First year head coach Alex Webster in the summer of 1969.

NFL training camps are about to begin, which means it's time to trot out preseason power rankings. The Giants, set to defend their Super Bowl championship, are naturally at or near the top of many preseason power rankings heading into the final full weekend of July. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the Giants at number three. Bob Glauber of Newsday ranks the Giants as the best team in football. Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune has the Giants beneath only the Packers in his power rankings.

According to oddsmakers, Green Bay, New England and San Francisco have a better chance to win the Super Bowl than Big Blue, which defeated all three en route to a coronation in Indianapolis last February. Believe it or not, Eli's brother Peyton and the Broncos, Bergen Catholic grad Brian Cushing and the Texans, and yes, even Michael Vick and the Eagles are viewed as greater favorites to reach Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.

In the shadow of Tebowmania and plenty of other distractions across the New York sports landscape, the defending Super Bowl champions will report to training camp on Thursday morning. And while they are the defending champs, they are not likely to be the favorites. Maybe not even in their own town.
Players today will gather for meetings in the morning and go through a conditioning running test in the afternoon. Coach Tom Coughlin will present his theme for the summer as the Giants, after their stunning late-season run, look to pick up where they left off.

July 25 The NFL has endured a long, dark offseason marked by BountyGate, concussion lawsuits and a rash of arrests. But Osi Umenyiora has an idea of how to fix the NFL's image. Tim Tebow can show the league the way.

With the countdown to the start of training camp reduced to mere hours, and another Super Bowl title defense at hand in New York, it's still a bit mind-boggling to contemplate how Eli Manning and his Giants teammates earned that coveted second ring last season.

One of the guys that might not have gotten enough credit for his role in the Giants' run to Super Bowl XLVI is Michael Boley. The veteran linebacker, entering his fourth season with the team in 2012, helped keep the defense together after middle linebacker Jonathan Goff was lost with a knee injury.

Asked if he was confident in his team's chances as training camp opens, Tom Coughlin said: "I certainly am. You are talking about the world champions." Some question marks remain: a running game that finished last in the NFL, an aging offensive line forced to rely on several unproven pieces and a schedule featuring a pair of three-game runs against 2011 playoff participants in November and December.

The Giants made signing Martellus Bennettt a priority in free agency. Bennett practically oozes potential. He has terrific size at 6-6. He has soft hands and nice athleticism. He is a good blocker. Bennett could be a terrific red zone target for Manning. The hope is Bennett will fulfill his potential now that he has a chance to start after backing up Jason Witten in Dallas.

Jerrel Jernigan heads into camp knowing the No. 3 receiver job behind starters Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz is wide open, and the coaching staff wouldn't mind at all if he fills it. The fight to move up the depth chart at receiver figures to be one of the key stories of training camp at the University at Albany, with players of different sizes, skill-sets and histories all vying for playing time and roster spots.

July 24 Eli Manning hit the mark recently when he shot back at Amani Toomer after the former Giants receiver admitted he thought Tony Romo, and not Eli, was the best quarterback in the NFC East. Manning told The Post Monday morning, "I saw Toomer not too long ago at the ESPY awards and I went up to him and I said 'Hey, I think Willie Ponder and Ike Hilliard were better receivers than you were for the Giants.'"
Oh, and Manning also was asked if he heard Michael Vick's saying the Philadelphia Eagles could be a dynasty. "Of course, of course. You always have to have some breaking news in the offseason," Manning said. "Obviously, we've got to play football. I know they're a talented team and they've got great players. We've got some good players on our team as well, so we'll see Philadelphia down the road."

The defending Super Bowl champion Giants have the toughest schedule in 2012 (opponents had a combined winning percentage of .547 last season). Thus, they can't afford to take any games for granted this season. That's easier said than done, of course, so here's an advanced warning to Big Blue: Don't fall into the trap and overlook these three opponents! Carolina Panthers (Week 3), Cleveland Browns (Week 5), Cincinnati Bengals (Week 10).

Five Giants training camp questions - 1. Can the Giants become the first repeat Super Bowl champs since New England in 2005? - 2. Who will earn the most carries behind Ahmad Bradshaw as the No. 2 RB? - 3. What spot on the offensive line will David Diehl call home? - 4. How will the numbers game at linebacker play out? Expect familiar faces to be sweating out cut days. - 5. Is Martellus Bennett the answer to replace Jake Ballard at tight end?

Three reasons for hope - 1. Eli Manning. No, he's not perfect, but he should have been ranked higher than 31 in the NFL Top 100 Player of 2012 poll. - 2. Steve Weatherford. The Giants' colorful punter keeps saying he has ways to go before he's as good as Jeff Feagles in directional kicking. - 3. The pass rush. With the defensive line set to mostly return intact, the only minor concern that exists before camp is the health of starting tackles Chris Canty and Linval Joseph, and the depth behind them.

The Giants are hoping that their offensive line will be better this season by having a healthier line. Last season, Baas, Snee and Diehl battled through injuries while Beatty's season ended after 10 games due to an eye injury. The Giants also believe moving Diehl to right tackle to replace McKenzie and having Beatty back at left tackle is the answer.

Right guard Chris Snee talks about the difference between the two Super Bowl victories, what he expects from the team this season and more. "Both Super Bowls were special, but this one was different because my kids were older and they'll always remember this one. They were fired up every week. There was so much excitement around the house, I had to calm them down, especially my wife. She was firing me up on a Wednesday before a game. It was just exciting. My neighbors were all involved and decorated the street for us. It was fun."

July 23 Deon Grant hasn't retired, and he hasn't signed with another club. But he thinks he'll land somewhere during training camp. He thinks he'll land back with the Giants. Grant's return would solidify the Giants three-safety alignment, a set that the team relied on heavily last season. While mainstays Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle are ready to go, the Giants spent minicamps searching for that No. 3 option.
The Giants are hoping that they can finally turn the page on Deon Grant, who while much appreciated by the coaches for his experience is not getting any younger nor cheaper for that matter. With Phillips and Rolle set as the starters, the team has Chris Horton, Tyler Sash, Steve Brown, Janzen Jackson, and Will Hill competing for the likely two spots remaining at that position.

For the second time in four years, the Giants head north to the University at Albany as the reigning kings of the NFL, having secured a Super Bowl victory and eager to lay the groundwork for a repeat performance. Not everyone made it back for this training camp -- mainstays Brandon Jacobs (49ers), Aaron Ross (Jaguars) and Mario Manningham (49ers) are elsewhere and Kareem McKenzie presumably is retired. But the triumphant trio of Eli Manning, Justin Tuck and Tom Coughlin returns and, guided by their indelible touch, this figures this to be a low-key, high-energy camp.

Linebackers - The Players: Chase Blackburn, Michael Boley, Mark Herzlich, Greg Jones, Mathias Kiwanuka, Jake Muasau, Spencer Paysinger, Keith Rivers, Clint Sintim, Jacquian Williams. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has made no guarantees about whether incumbent Blackburn can hold the starting job. What Blackburn has in his favor is experience. He more than makes up for any deficiencies he has in the physical aspect of his game with intelligence, something that cannot be taught.

Steve Weatherford's punting is just one reason why the Giants' special teams improved last season. The other major reason was the coverage units. With Jerry Reese infusing the coverage team with youth and athleticism with several draft picks like Jacquian Williams, Mark Herzlich, Greg Jones and Tyler Sash, the Giants did not allow a single punt or kickoff return for a touchdown.

Much of Victor Cruz's rags-to-riches narrative was unearthed during his rise last season, but in the 307-page memoir -- written with Peter Schrager -- Cruz provides new insights into his life. In it, he writes about his relationship with his grandfather, whom he called Papi. He details his academic trouble at UMass, where he was expelled twice. And he chronicles the night his daughter, Kennedy Ryan, was born hours after the Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs.

Giants -They talk the talk. They walk the walk. They do it.
Out of the Blue [Hardcover]	Out of the Blue [Kindle Edition]
"It may seem like I came out of the blue. But, my road was long, windy, full of hurdles, and even some dead ends. I lost family. I lost friends. I even lost my way."

July 21 Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said David Wilson is likely the most explosive player on the team. We'll see how long it takes for the rookie to learn the offense, pass protection and earn the trust of the coaching staff in order to replace Brandon Jacobs. If it doesn't happen by the end of camp, the Giants might go with a veteran like Ware or Brown initially as Bradshaw's backup until Wilson gets more comfortable and emerges.

James Brewer was a fourth-round pick last year and made the 53-man roster, but didn't appear in a single game in 2011 and is perhaps best known for taking care of the team's lucky teddy bear in the playoffs. But with more changes on the Giants offensive line -- notably right tackle Kareem McKenzie's departure -- Brewer is expected to step up and become part of the rotation.

Defensive end Justin Tuck leaped over massive logs and bounced off thick stumps buried in the ground behind Torrey Pines High School recently. Last year, Tuck let the offseason get away from him, leaving him surprisingly unprepared for what turned out to be a Super Bowl-winning season. That's not happening this time. When the Giants head to training camp next week, their defensive leader should be the most focused of the bunch.

Henry Hynoski's father, Henry Sr., had played with the Cleveland Browns in 1975 and Henry Jr. was determined to carry on the family tradition. There was just one problem: his parents would not let him play. Hynoski was first eligible to play youth football when he was a second grader, but his parents said no. They said the same thing the next two years and told him he needed more development. Football could wait because injuries were too risky at that point.

Former Giants
Tiki Barber has married his one-time mistress and girlfriend Traci Lynn Johnson in a civil ceremony in New York City. The 37-year-old former New York Giants running back wed 23-year-old Johnson at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau, eight days after the divorce to his ex-wife became final.

July 20 Three areas of concern for the Giants heading into the 2012 season. The Running Game -- As any Giants fan knows by now, Big Blue ranked dead last in the National Football League in rushing with 89.2 yards per game. Run Defense -- The G-Men, who allowed 121.3 yards per game on the ground, ranked No. 19 in stopping the run last season. Special Teams -- The Giants' special teams are nothing special. Big Blue ranked in the bottom half of the league in both punt and kick returns.

The Giants offense (and team in general) is one of the more fascinating in all of football. Key parts leave in free agency and they are replaced. The Giants are often perplexing, playing like the Browns in certain spates of the season only to play the best defense in football when it counts later in the year.

The Giants have one of the best quarterbacks in the game, in his prime. Eli Manning is coming off his second Super Bowl victory and second Super Bowl MVP performance. And he's only getting better. David Carr provides the team with a veteran backup. The Giants like third-string QB Ryan Perrilloux, but he'll likely have to beat out Carr since the team probably will carry two quarterbacks on the final roster.

Jojo Nicolas says he brings versatility to a Giants secondary looking to replace Deon Grant, who remains un-signed. Nicolas, who led the Hurricanes in interceptions and was third in tackles his senior season, is looking to secure a spot on the roster

July 19 The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants will begin their defense of their title next week when they report to the University of Albany on Thursday, July 26, 2012. The first practice session will take place on Friday, July 27.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has said during the offseason that he is concerned about the line. While he may be overly concerned, Gilbride has a familiar face in a new place (David Diehl at right tackle) and a starting left tackle with a back issue.

Terrell Thomas, who signed a new contract in the offseason, is returning from a knee injury. Thomas is motivated to prove that he can return to the level he was at before; if he can, the Giants secondary will be better than it was last season with one of its best tackling defenders back opposite Webster.

With the Cowboys' improvements in the secondary, the Redskins' RG3 acquisition, and the Eagles' stacked line-up, there's reason to think the Giants will be finishing at the bottom of their tough division. Manning and the Giants slid their way into the playoffs, taking advantage of a porous Cowboys secondary ravaged with age and an inability to cover.

Another day and another round of appearances on the Victor Cruz book tour. Victor Cruz has spent his final complete week before training camp promoting his memoir "Out of the Blue," which was released yesterday. "It's been good so far," Cruz told The Star-Ledger yesterday. "Everybody likes it. They love the pictures. They're learning a lot of things about me that they didn't know and it's been a great response so far."
This weekend, fans, family and friends will gather for a signing of Cruz's new book, "Out of the Blue." The Giants wide receiver is excited to celebrate a book in which Paterson is a main character. "Paterson is all over the book. It's all about growing up there, the ups and the downs." Cruz hopes the story of his first 25 years can positively impact kids who want to dream but don't see a way off the street corners.

July 18 Everyone in football is looking, searching for the next Victor Cruz, the next hidden gem. Football Outsiders compiled a top-25 list of prospects who are 26 and under and might be on the cusp of a breakout. There are two second-year New York Giants who are part of this list. Offensive tackle James Brewer is ranked eighth and running back Da'Rel Scott made honorable mention.

Marvin Austin hasn't played a meaningful football game since he finished his junior year at North Carolina. Now he joins a crowded defensive tackle position -- in addition to starters Chris Canty and Linval Joseph, the team brought Rocky Bernard back and signed veteran Shaun Rogers. Austin talks about that competition, his health and his love more music.

Chris Snee knows that when you are the champions there is a pretty big target on your back and even though he's been in camp before as a Super Bowl champ, it doesn't make it any easier. "But, the goal is to win back-to-back. It might be a lofty goal, but that is what we expect. I have eight more fingers left on my hands for rings."

July 17 There's only one team in the NFL that has to deal with the challenge of a Super Bowl repeat. Steve Weatherford is confident that his team, led by Tom Coughlin at the top, can handle the pressure that comes with wearing the crown.

Last year, David Baas, who signed as an unrestricted free agent, came into camp with no off-season, had to miss the first few days of training camp while the NFLPA ratified the new CBA, and then proceeded to go through an injury-filled year that included knee and neck injuries.

July 16 The Giants struggled most of the season to stop the run, allowing opponents to rush for 100 yards or more in 11 of the 16 regular-season games last year. Canty and Joseph are solid and the Giants should be better inside with Rocky Bernard back and the addition of Marvin Austin, who missed his rookie season due to injury.

Former Giants
Lawrence Taylor last played in the NFL before any of the 140 kids who attended his free football camp Friday at Hackensack High School were born. Former Giants teammates Stephen Baker, Beasley Reese and Odessa Turner joined Taylor in coaching and counseling campers, as did fellow ex-Giant Tiki Barber.

July 15 Brandon Jacobs was sent packing after he refused a pay cut, and the Giants added David Wilson, the 5-9, 205 lb. speedy back out of Virginia Tech whom offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said, "I don't know if we have had a guy as explosive, regardless of the position, here. I think Da'Rel Scott gives you - in a 100-yard dash - you may be able to beat him, but I don't know that you see quite the darting, the explosiveness, and short bursts that you see with him."

Even for the Manning brothers, this offseason has been extraordinary, from Eli basking in a second Super Bowl triumph to Peyton's comeback in a new uniform. Peyton said he still has more rehabilitation ahead and has "stopped giving percentages" regarding how healthy he is, but his goal remains to participate fully in training camp, preseason and the regular season. Eli, meanwhile, smiles at the sight of his older brother back on the field, actively running high school-age campers through drills along with the college quarterbacks who serve as counselors.

July 14 Victor Cruz said he saw Nicks Wednesday night at the ESPYs and Nicks told him he expects to be ready for the team's opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 5 -- and not when players report for training camp on July 27.
Cruz suddenly is the one established receiver for Eli Manning to throw to once training camp kicks off July 26 at the University at Albany. One year ago, Cruz did not have a single NFL reception and was preparing for a camp battle merely to survive the roster cuts.

Like all of the Giants who heard former receiver Amani Toomer say Tony Romo is the best quarterback in the NFC, instead of Eli Manning, Victor Cruz questioned why Toomer would make those statements. The receiver actually caught up with the former Giants star at the ESPYS and stood up for Manning. "I was like 'Toom, what's up man?"
Even with all of the fan fare, Cruz isn't worried about any kind of Super Bowl hangover. "None of this stuff is going to hinder what I do on the field. It's just stuff that comes along with what I always wanted to be," Cruz said. "It was always my dream to be shooting commercials and (doing) photo shoots."

In his upcoming memoir, "Victor Cruz: Out of the Blue," which comes out on July 17, the receiver details how Revis and Cromartie's insults effected him heading into the teams' showdown on Dec. 24. Revis had said he didn't know who Cruz was, while Cromartie had ripped Mario Manningham for losing his starting job to "a guy named Victor Cruz."

July 13 The fans have spoken: Tom Coughlin is the best coach in team sports. Decided by an online vote, the two-time Super Bowl champion head coach won the "Coach/Manager of Year Award" at the 2012 ESPYS on Wednesday night. Coughlin won the award over fellow coaches John Calipari (Kentucky Basketball), Kim Mulkey (Baylor Women's Basketball), Patrick Murphy (Alabama Softball), Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), and Darryl Sutter (L.A. Kings).

Wide receiver Dan DePalma, a Verona native who spent all of last season on the practice squad, is a potential sleeper this season, according to a few veteran players. DePalma, who played the role of the New England Patriots' Julian Edelman in practices leading up to Super Bowl XLVI and could prove to be as versatile as Edelman, talks about the lofty expectations his teammates have of him.

Former Giants
Brandon Jacobs has spent plenty of time this summer with his former Giants teammates and Wednesday night was no exception, as he attended the ESPYs in Los Angeles. Jacobs gets to face the Giants Oct. 14 in San Francisco.

July 12 Last year, the Giants replaced Kevin Boss with Jake Ballard. This year, the Giants hope to find another big target over the middle for Eli Manning. Bear Pascoe has the most experience of all the healthy tight ends. Beckum is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the Super Bowl and might not be ready to play when the season starts.

Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers says Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell puts his players in position to make plays, which is why Rivers believes his production will increase this season.

Linebacker Spencer Paysinger, who last year came out of nowhere to not only make the 53-man roster, but who contributed week in and week out, be it on special teams or in special situations on defense.

July 11 Thirty-three year-old Rocky Bernard isn't the same player he was when he was in Seattle -- where he accumulated 29 sacks in his first seven seasons. Rocky Bernard, a free agent after last season, wasn't sure if his career would continue, but the Giants came calling again.

Giants CEO John Mara is a member of the NFL's competition committee and is involved at evaluating player safety issues. "For me, it's a personal thing, because I grew up with these guys," the Giants CEO said of the retired NFL players who seek restitution from a league that Mara admits has underserved them for too long. "It's shocking to me to see guys who, when they were players, you'd say, 'This guy is going to have a good post-football career - very smart, has his degree ...' "And then it's 10 years later, and he's broke and out of work. It kills you to see that. It absolutely kills you."

Stadium News
The developers of the American Dream mall in the Meadowlands sought today to knock down a lawsuit by the Giants and the Jets aimed at blocking the long-stalled project.

July 10 Will Beatty is the starter, but he was slowed by a problematic back issue throughout OTAs and minicamp. Beatty said at the end of minicamp last month that he will be ready for training camp. David Diehl moved back to left tackle and the Giants won a Super Bowl with Diehl there, but the team moved Diehl to right tackle this season to replace Kareem McKenzie.

Many members of the New York Giants are strong, spiritual men who often refer to the good book and specific passages each day. Among them is cornerback Terrell Thomas, who recently admitted to Inside Football's Pat Traina that following an ACL injury last season, his faith was briefly lost.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress said that former teammate Eli Manning is quite possibly the best quarterback in the NFL today. With that statement, Burress joins a growing list of former Giants who have come to the defense of Eli following some shocking comments courtesy of the retired Amani Toomer in which he named Tony Romo as the premiere quarterback in the NFC East.

July 9 Terrell Thomas, the talented fifth-year player out of USC, was poised to have a breakout season until a freak accident in a preseason game resulted in a torn ACL. One thing he never lost was his faith that he would get back on the field and that he would fulfill his potential as a NFL player.

July 7 David Wilson likes to chase to rabbits and can complete a series of backflips in a row. He also was a track star and a pretty productive running back at Virginia Tech -- he was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1709 yards and nine touchdowns his junior season.

When it comes time to relax, Steve Weatherford likes to sneak away to his "man cave," where he does acrylic painting in his spare time. "I don't know if I'd call it a talent," he admitted. "It's something that I enjoy doing. It's like having a hobby; just because you have a hobby doesn't mean you're good at it. It's something for me that is very relaxing."

Former Giants
Amani Toomer may have raised the ire of the Giants fans who once cheered him on but he didn't back off his Tony Romo is better than Eli Manning remarks Friday. Toomer, appearing on ESPN Radio with Michael Kay, said he researched the stats beforehand and that they point to the Cowboy QB.

July 6 While watching highlights of seasons past over the weekend, defensive end Osi Umenyiora decided it's time for the fans to forgive Tiki Barber and to simply respect what the man did for the team. He made a simple plea, via Twitter, for Big Blue faithful to let bygones be bygones.

David Wilson likes to chase to rabbits and can complete a series of backflips in a row. He also was a track star and a pretty productive running back at Virginia Tech -- he was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1709 yards and nine touchdowns his junior season.

The Giants drafted David Wilson at the end of the first round with hopes that he can help plug the hole at backup running back. Brandon Jacobs, the backup to Ahmad Bradshaw last season, signed with San Francisco as a free agent.

Like Victor Cruz, Julian Talley is a wide receiver out of UMass from New Jersey. The two are friends and Talley said the two are similar in their skill sets -- he, like Cruz, likes lining up in the slot -- but he's also trying to make a name for himself.

Former Giants
Amani Toomer went as far as to say Manning is not even the best quarterback in the NFC East, instead giving that honor to Cowboys QB Tony Romo. "Tony Romo is probably -- if you look at him statistically -- he's probably the best quarterback in the NFC East," Toomer said.
Amani Toomer's comments sparked immediate reaction on Twitter. Giants PR czar Pat Hanlon asked, "QB or golfer?" Added Giants DE Osi Umyiora, "They will be Booing my guy toomer at Giants stadium. That we can agree on." It should just add to the buildup when Romo and Manning collide on opening night.

NFL News
The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit against the NFL on behalf of three players suspended in connection with the bounty investigation, calling Commissioner Roger Goodell "incurably and evidently biased."

July 5 When we last saw Greg Jones, he was on a knee, proposing to his girlfriend as the confetti was still falling on the field minutes after the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI victory. It was one of the great wedding proposals of all time. The 2011 sixth-round pick talks about adjusting to his new role and what others have said about his proposal.

Eli Manning always had excellent throwing ability. That was evident when he was the No. 1 pick out of Mississippi. As he's played in the NFL, and remarkably has never missed a game, he has continued to expand and refine the necessary attributes.

July 4 From the moment he signed with the Giants last summer through Super Bowl XLVI, David Baas' life was rather hectic, as he struggled to get adjusted to a new system and a new area of the country while battling injuries and even forces of nature. It all ended well for the team's starting center, of course, but he realizes he could stand to improve in a few areas of his game.

Steve Weatherford isn't an average NFL punter. Forget about the chiseled physique that has landed the 29-year-old in several health and fitness magazines, and gotten him noticed by the President of the United States, who was said to have recognized the effervescent Weatherford as "that ripped punter" during the team's June 8 visit to the White House.

The Giants are set to open training camp at the University of Albany in just over three weeks, and amid all the hoopla that comes with entering a new season as the defending champions there will be at least eight players on the bubble and fighting for their professional careers.

Former Giants
Derrick Ward said Tuesday that his NFL career has come to an end. He and Brandon Jacobs both topped 1,000 yards in New York in 2008, but Ward hasn't rushed for more than 500 yards in a season since.
Ray Perkins, 70, a head coach once again. "He was George Young's first hire and was very much an unknown at the time," Giants co-owner John Mara told The Post. He said Perkins will make it ''uncomfortable in the locker room for the players to lose.'

NFC East News
Why they will, why they won't. A look at each of the four teams and the reasons why you should like their chances to finish on top... and why you shouldn't.