May 3 Special Report - It is impossible to judge the merits of a draft within the first two-three days. More likely, it all won't come clear for the first two-three years. And as the nearly-sainted Bill Parcells used to say: "You know that a full 25 percent of kids drafted won't make it to a roster in the NFL." But the draft is done, for whatever good it has done, and the Giants appear to have come away with what they needed as well as picking talented players in the right rounds.

For the teams on the outside of the playoffs looking in, the reality is they usually have big holes on their roster and they need to use the draft to fill them. And the Giants sure seemed to do a terrific job of that this year. Just take a look at what their biggest needs were heading into the draft.

Theme of Giants' draft strategy: asserting dominance. No doubt, the Giants want to get back into the business of dominating the line of scrimmage, and they believe some of the youngsters they plucked out of the draft give them a fighting chance.

Experts grade New York Giants 2015 Draft. After seven rounds in three days, the 2015 NFL Draft concluded Saturday in Chicago as 256 college prospects turned pro across the league. Of those, the Giants drafted six players, who will now be linked together as the franchise's 2015 Draft Class. Giants.com gathered rapid reactions and early grades from media outlets around the country.

Giants' top pick, Ereck Flowers, brings one-man support team: his father. There was no agent because Flowers has chosen to go without one. His only official adviser is his father, who raised him as a single parent after Flowers's mother died when he was 6 years old.

Giants undrafted free agents signings. Just minutes after the NFL Draft ended, the Giants began adding even more players. They agreed to terms with several undrafted free agents.

May 2 Thirty-two names were called in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Alabama safety Landon Collins was not one of them, and now he's out to prove that 31 of those teams made a big mistake.
Though invited to stay for Friday's second and third rounds in Chicago, Collins instead chose to fly home to Louisiana to be with his family. "I was hurt more than anything," Collins said. "It was tough, but I walked out with my head up."
The Giants sent their own second-round pick (40th overall), fourth-rounder (108th) and a seventh-rounder (245th) to the Titans for the right to draft Collins. The 6-0, 228-pound Collins will help fill a critical void for Big Blue, which had just three untested safeties (Cooper Taylor, Nat Berhe and Josh Gordy) on the roster.

With the 74th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa out of UCLA. n 2014, Odighizuwa was a starter in all 13 games as a team co-captain, tying the team lead with 11.5 tackles for loss. He was credited with a career-best 61 tackles which ranked fourth on the team and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection by the coaches.
Odighizuwa has the ability to play any position along the defensive line, and the Giants believe he can be a sneaky-quick pass-rusher when he lines up on the interior of the line. But there will be a learning curve, said Coughlin. Odighizuwa will likely begin his career playing mostly on special teams, although he has the upside to eventually play left defensive end.

NFC East
How the Giants' NFC East rivals did in the NFL Draft first round.

May 1 The Giants, who have been steadily reconstructing their offensive line, tonight added a large and vital building block when they selected tackle Ereck Flowers on the first round of the NFL Draft.
The thorn in the side of the Giants the last two years has been a big one, and the process to remove it has been painful. Too many times their best offensive plans were thwarted by Eli Manning getting chased from the pocket, or worse -- being tossed to the ground.
Among other things, the Giants' selection of offensive tackle Ereck Flowers means that last year's starting tackles, Will Beatty and Justin Pugh, are officially on notice.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress is in trouble with the law again. His latest troubles stem from allegedly failing to pay New Jersey income taxes.

NFL News
Breaking down all 32 picks of the draft's first round.
Thumbs up, thumbs down for first-round draft picks.

Apr 30 Jerry Reese struck gold with the 12th pick in the NFL draft last year, getting a player who far exceeded even the Giants' expectations. But that doesn't mean the pressure is off the Giants general manager. He doesn't just need to draft an impact player with the ninth pick. He needs to draft a player who can have an impact now.

The Giants are coming off two strong drafts and need a third to tip the scales back to playoff football. That process begins Thursday night in Chicago with the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

NFC East News
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's control over personnel could wind up being a terrific case study for the NFL in years to come.
Cowboys - With Romo era closing, Cowboys must shine late in draft. No team has worked the first round better than the Cowboys in the last five years.
Redskins - The Redskins handed over their first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 as part of the trade that led to the selection of Robert Griffin III in 2012. Now, by virtue of their 4-12 record last season, they'll enter Thursday night's proceedings holding the No. 5 pick in the draft.

Former Giants
Stevie Brown agrees to terms with Houston Texans, Giants not given chance to match offer.
Stevie Brown rejects Giants offer, team still has no safeties.

Apr 29 Steve Weatherford generally has a sunny outlook on life, and that disposition extended itself to his assessment of the Giants' needs going into draft day.
Mock Draft: David Diehl predicts Giants' selection. the Illinois product knows not only what it takes to be versatile but also how to do it from Day 1.
There is little doubt the Giants will add a safety in this week's draft, but it is unlikely they make that call in the first round, with the No. 9 overall pick.
Five safeties the Giants could target in the NFL Draft. Landon Collins, Damarious Randall, Shaq Thompson, Eric Rowe and Anthony Harris.

Sometimes there are not enough hours in a day. One of those days is fast-approaching for Chris Mara. The third and final leg of the NFL draft arrives Saturday and Mara will be at his usual location.

NFL News
After Much Criticism, NFL's League Office Drops Tax-Exempt Status.

Apr 28 Could the Giants make a pick to protect Eli Manning and select someone like Ereck Flowers, shore up the defense with Vic Beasley or gamble on the talent of running back Todd Gurley.

Eli Manning recounts his NFL Draft Day experience. Neither of the two biggest names in this year's NFL draft -- quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota -- will be attending the festivities in Chicago in person. Then again, not everyone who attends the draft gets that kind of warm, fuzzy experience.

Mr. Clean. That's who the Giants have been looking to draft in recent years. Players who have no rap sheets, no off-the-field problems, no history of injuries. If you were a team captain in college, even better. But it's clear from the last two draft cycles -- the two the Giants believe have been the most successful in recent years -- that the team puts a premium on character when deciding which players they should select.

The Giants whittled down their running back depth on Monday, waiving Michael Cox, who suffered a season-ending injury in 2014. Cox, a seventh round draft pick out of UMass in 2013, saw playing time mostly as a kick returner over the last two seasons and actually was released prior to the start of 2014 before being re-signed to the practice squad. Cox was promoted to the active roster on October 6, but suffered a broken leg against the Seattle Seahawks, ending his season.

Apr 27 Eli Manning's contract with the team expires at the end of the upcoming season, and he confirmed Sunday that there have been no conversations with the Giants about an extension.
Manning leaves the drafting and player evaluation for the draft to the experts (not including Justin Pugh). But he wouldn't complain if the team's first pick is an offensive lineman that will help protect the Giants quarterback.

The Giants haven't had many Rookies of the Year. Beckham, who caught 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in only 12 games, was only the second ever to win the most recognized version of the award, following Lawrence Taylor in 1981 (Jeremy Shockey won some accolades in 2002). After hitting a home run with those picks of Taylor and Shockey, though, the Giants were unable to follow up with another hit.

NFL News
An exhaustive ranking of every NFL team's draft haul since 2010. Who is the best team at finding players in the NFL Draft? Who is the worst?

Apr 26 The Giants, by virtue of their lousy 6-10 season in 2014, own the No. 9 pick in the NFL Draft, a three-day event in Chicago that starts Thursday night with the first round. So, if you follow this line of reasoning, the Giants got Beckham at No. 12 and he turned into the Rookie of the Year. They are sitting at No. 9 this year -- three spots higher -- thus should get a player who should be at least as good, perhaps not right away, but certainly in time.
This is the time and the draft to focus on the offensive line. It's been a long time coming, really, and there are plenty of people inside the Giants' organization who feel that way. It's been a long time coming, really, and there are plenty of people inside the Giants' organization who feel that way. You can blame the last two miserable seasons on whatever you want, but nothing has been a bigger root cause than the play of an offensive line that has often hovered between mediocre and disastrous.

Former Giants
Chris Snee - During his 10-year career with the Giants, Chris Snee majored in football with a minor in film. So in his retirement, he decided to keep doing it. Snee said he liked the toughness and nastiness of Iowa's Brandon Scherff. "He's got that in him," Snee said of the fire he and the Giants like to see from their linemen.

Apr 25 Special Report - What does the schedule tell us about the Giants' 2015 chances? You may have noticed that the 2015 NFL schedule came out this week. The announcement of said slate has become an almost ridiculous spectacle, broadcast on not one but two networks (ESPN and NFL Network), while social media was able to flush out a few key games during the afternoon before the official release. Right off the bat, the Giants will earn their keep with three NFC games, including the opener at NFC East winner Dallas and a Week 3 home game against division rival Washington with retooling Atlanta right in the middle in Week 2.

Running back Rashad Jennings can't begin to tell you what a difference it makes to be in Year 2 of the West Coast offense compared to last year at this time, when learning offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo's system was like learning a new language.

Former Giants
David Tyree: You can count on Giants' Odell Beckham to use his head.
Hakeem Nicks will attempt to revitalize his stalled NFL career in Nashville.

Apr 24 Victor Cruz has no doubts he'll come back 100% after suffering a devasting knee injury last year. if Cruz is even close to the Cruz he once was, the potential is off the charts. The Giants have two legitimate Pro Bowl receivers, and Rueben Randle, who's still two weeks shy of his 24th birthday, will come off a 938-yard season and step into a third-receiver role.

The lack of a true safety signing this offseason may not be all that surprising to the Giants. It appears it was Rutgers product Devon McCourty or bust. McCourty was strongly pursued by the Giants at the start of free agency. But they lost out to New England. McCourty returned to the Patriots. It took another 37 days before the Giants signed a safety, which they consider Josh Gordy.

Nat Berhe remembers points last season when fans were clamoring for him to be on the field, when they wanted the Giants to take a look at the younger players. He laughs now when he reads reactions on Twitter or other social media venues about the team's lack of depth at safety. There are others in the mix. Cooper Taylor is returning from injury after barely playing his first two seasons.

Steve Weatherford reveals the secret to his ripped abs As someone who is constantly researching the latest fitness equipment, Weatherford discovered the Core Flyte online and quickly incorporated it into his offseason exercise routine.

Apr 23 How does NFL make Giants schedule? It takes 136 computers and four league executives to create the 256-game masterpiece that is the NFL schedule, which the league just released this week for 2015.

There is little doubt what is happening here. The Giants, fresh off a 6-10 season, have five prime-time games on their 2015 schedule, including four in the first six weeks. The reason is obvious - Odell Beckham Jr.

The Giants, for the third time in the past four years, will open their season against the Cowboys. The Giants, just as they did last year, close out their season against the Eagles. The entire schedule was revealed on Tuesday - Here are five takeaways, looking at what the Giants will face in 2015.

Giants get no luck in requesting not to play on Rosh Hashanah vs. Dallas Cowboys. To be sure, the Giants obviously have nothing to do with making the schedule, which is drawn up by the NFL.

Former Giants
David Tyree - Seven years after the last reception of his NFL career, David Tyree long since has come to terms with the fact it is the thing for which the world will most remember him. But initially he resisted.

Apr 22 The season opens with a visit to the NFC East champion Cowboys in Jerry World on Sunday, Sept. 13 (8:30 p.m.), the third time in four seasons that the Giants and Cowboys tussle in a season opener in prime time. The Giants will be seeking to end a run of frustration against Jerry Jones' 'Boys, who have won four straight and five of the last six meetings.

Apr 21 Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning believes current work rules that force him to work out with his receivers away from the New York Giants' training facilities are absurd.
Since Manning and his receivers couldn't make use of the team's state-of-the-art facilities in East Rutherford, they jetted down to Durham, North Carolina for the next best thing.
Eli Manning said he'd have no problem playing under the final year of his contract if he does not get an extension from the Giants before the start of the 2015 season.
After a forgettable year in 2013, quarterback Eli Manning bounced back last season with career highs in completions (379), attempts (601) and completion percentage (63.1) while posting 30 touchdowns and 4,410 yards (both second-best in his 11-year career).

A year ago, the offensive players reported for the start of the Giants offseason conditioning program wondering what new coordinator Ben McAdoo had in store for them. Now it's the defensive players who are waiting to have their questions answered. The program began today in the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, where most of the defenders met Steve Spagnuolo for the first time.
They were able to get a taste of what's to come. "We got in today and you get a chance to kind of see [Spagnuolo's] style, in terms of preparing for a team and going over some philosophies and core principles and some objectives that we want to get done in this offseason," Jon Beason said.

Apr 20 The Giants have a gaping hole at free safety and would like Stevie Brown to fill it. There's a good chance that happens soon. Brown would provide some badly-needed experience to an-almost novice group of returning safeties.

NFC East News
Eagles - If the reports are correct and the Eagles sign Tim Tebow on Monday, as expected, the team will have three former first-round picks at quarterback on their roster. And they will still have a question at quarterback.
Cowboys - NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray left a gargantuan hole in the Dallas offense when he defected to the East. It will be a challenge for head coach Jason Garrett, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and running back coach Gary Brown to replace what Murray gave this offense.
Redskins - The new general manager has retooled the roster. The new coaches on Jay Gruden's staff have helped tranform the playbook. Meanwhile, members of the scouting department have been buried in their offices evaluating players and/or traveling the country studying up on draft prospects.

Apr 18 The Giants have an official date and time for their preseason opener. On Aug. 14, at 7:30 p.m., the Giants will face the Bengals in Cincinnati, according to the Bengals. The entire NFL schedule is expected to be released next week.

Apr 17 With the NFL draft on the horizon, the Giants made several tweaks their roster on Wednesday. In addition to announcing the signings of defensive back Josh Gordy and linebacker Ryan Jones, they waived linebacker Paul Hazel and cornerback Josh Victorian.

For 41 years, the Giants have avoided selecting a guard in the first round of the draft. They might still be traumatized from their 1974 selection, with the No. 3-overall pick, of John Hicks, a guard from Ohio State. Hicks lasted four years with the Giants and the NFL and never lived up to his college credentials. Since then, the Giants used their first-round pick on an offensive lineman only six times, most recently in 2013 on Justin Pugh. Only once did they take an interior offensive lineman, in 1989, and that was for a center, Brian Williams, out of Minnesota.

Apr 16 One of the most important questions facing the Giants in 2015 is whether second-year wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. can repeat -- or even approximate -- his dazzling rookie-year performance.

Apr 15 John Mara believes the NFL playoffs are fine the way they are, with 12 teams qualifying for the postseason. But he knows the time may come, soon, when two additional teams are added to increase the playoff pool to 14 teams.
Mara very much enjoys serving on the Competition Committee, which studies all aspects of the game and recommends rules and policy changes to NFL clubs.
Momentum is growing throughout the league to change the play following a touchdown, which has become virtually automatic. Last season, NFL teams succeeded on 1,222 of 1,230 PATs.

The Giants finally have a player on their roster who has technically started an NFL game at safety after they agreed to terms Tuesday on a one-year deal with veteran Josh Gordy, according to multiple people with knowledge of the deal.

Apr 11 Victor Cruz said that his rehab from the knee injury he suffered last October has been one of the most difficult things he's ever had to endure. So much of the Giants' hope for 2015 rests on what they believe will be an unstoppable offense, and so much of the hope for that rests on the healthy return of Victor Cruz.
Cruz said the bulk of his rehab in recent weeks is "physically getting it stronger, getting the muscle back. Literally when you have surgery on your knee, the muscles atrophy and just go [away]. Your muscles just go [away]. So physically is definitely the hardest part right now."

Former Cowboys LB Victor Butler was signed by the Giants, but now he's been suspended four games for performance-enhancing drugs. For the fifth time in five seasons, a Giants player has been suspended for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Sacks aren't the only thing defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has a knack for. It turns out the 26-year-old Florida native also has an eye for design: He just listed his home in Boca Raton, Florida, for $2.1 million after an extensive -- and impressive -- amount of remodeling work. Built in 1995, the home was purchased in 2012 for $1.2 million by the player nicknamed JPP.

Apr 10 The The Giants' preseason schedule will include only AFC opponents for the third consecutive year. They will travel to Cincinnati and New England and host Jacksonville and the Jets. The dates and times of the games have yet to be finalized.
Even though preseason games don't count, they are far from meaningless. This will give us our first looks at the bones of Steve Spagnuolo's defense, and there is usually a player who comes from nowhere to create some excitement -- such as Victor Cruz or Corey Washington.

Apr 9 The greatest single roster addition for the Giants in 2015 will not likely come from free agency or the NFL Draft, but hopefully the return of a healthy and dynamic Victor Cruz.
There are several reasons to wonder whether a happy ending is in the cards for Cruz and the Giants, and whether an unhappy one might be coming sooner rather than later.

Andre Williams' rookie season was worse than it looked. In the four games that Jennings sat out, Williams never ran for more than 59 yards, and never surpassed 3.5 yards per carry.

Eli Manning has never strung together the consecutive dominant seasons that his brother has, and he throws a lot of interceptions for a guy considered by some to be a top 10 quarterback. But then there are those two Super Bowl rings.

Former Giants
Lawrence Tynes, who won a Super Bowl ring with the team three years ago, saw his career end suddenly when he contracted MRSA.
Lawrence Tynes has kicked off a $20 million lawsuit against the Tampa Bay Bucs, claiming that squalid conditions at the team's facility led to him contracting a career-ending infection.

Apr 8 At this point in 2014, Giants fans were screaming from the proverbial rooftops "Who is our tight end!?!" The answer ended up being Larry Donnell, who emerged as an effective receiver for the Giants in 2014 and hopes to continue his improvement in 2015.

In 10 fourth-and-one chances, Tom Coughlin went for the first down five times, which actually puts him in more aggressive company, along with the Ravens' John Harbaugh (10 out of 13 on fourth-and-one) the Saints' Sean Payton (four of six), and the Packers' Mike McCarthy (6 out of 10). But push the ball back one yard, and Coughlin gets extremely conservative.

The Giants are entering dangerous territory with quarterback Eli Manning. At 34 years of age, Manning is entering the twilight of his career. Reese and Coughlin should be making decisions with the immediate future in mind rather than the long-term.

Apr 4 Training camp is months away, but it's never too early for NFL teammates to start building camaraderie off the field.
Eli Manning and his trio of talented wide receivers, Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle, are working out at Duke University - which Manning has done before with his wideouts.

NFL News
NFL.com identified seven records that we could see fall in the near future. Two of them involve Giants players: one the holder and the other the potential breaker.
The NFL has hired its first female referee: Sarah Thomas, a gridiron veteran from Mississippi who has been blowing a whistle for the sport since 1996, when she worked her first Division 1-A high-school game.

NFC East News
Eddie LeBaron, a Star in the NFL at 5-Foot-7, Dies at 85. Grantland Rice, the celebrated sportswriter, called him the most mystifying T-formation quarterback he had ever seen.
Eddie LeBaron threw 104 touchdown passes and ran for nine touchdowns in his NFL career and was named to four Pro Bowl teams.

Apr 1 Why do the Giants need a safety? Numbers show they can't cover tight ends. The Giants' safeties last season, Antrel Rolle, Stevie Brown, and Quintin Demps, all struggled in coverage at various points in the season.

The Giants players don't begin their offseason conditioning program for another three weeks, but Eli Manning believes he is already ahead of where he was last year.
Manning threw for 4,410 yards last season under first-year offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, but the veteran passer said the Giants' sub-.500 record took much of the shine off his performance and still stings.

In his 11 seasons as the Giants' head coach, the most repeated criticism of Tom Coughlin has been his reluctance to play rookies. Back when the team was winning Super Bowls, the reliance upon veteran talent was at least justified. Now getting rookies who can contribute right away is more important than ever.

Mar 31 Special Report - If head coach Tom Coughlin has a say in the identity and position of the Giants' first round draft pick a month from now (and who would have the temerity to say he doesn't?) then he is dropping hints like bread crumbs on a mountain trail that he wants a defensive player.
He is pleased with what the Giants did - offensively - in free agency, even if the fans were disappointed that he didn't land a superstar. He is convinced that wide receiver Victor Cruz will come back "100 percent" from his knee injury and regain his earlier form. He is convinced that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is going to be "even better and more successful than he was [as a rookie] last year."

Mar 28 Coughlin hints at larger Giants role for Shane Vereen. Not one Giants running back had a reception of more than 27 yards last season, but Vereen topped that three times with the Patriots in 2014.
In an era where the instant evaluation of free agent signings is commonplace, even before they play a single game for their new team, criticism of the Giants acquisition of wide receiver/kick returner Dwayne Harris is as easy as an extra point.
The Giants have already begun working out prospects ahead of the draft, and reportedly attended the workout of one player who was kicked off of his college team for a variety of off-the-field incidents. David Irving sat out the 2014 college season.

Mar 26 Tom Coughlin sat at a table surrounded by a handful of reporters at yesterday morning's NFC coaches breakfast. He struggled to pick up his potatoes with a soup spoon, joked about his frustrations trying to get driving directions from his iPhone, and chatted casually about the state of basketball at his alma mater, Syracuse.
Coughlin believes Beckham, who had a spectacular rookie year, is "just touching the surface," of what he can do. He then said, "He can throw the ball, run the ball, he can catch the ball in all situations, he can kick, he's your backup extra point/field goal guy, he's your backup quarterback, he can run the scout team if you want, working on the zone option.

Tom Coughlin said he believes Victor Cruz will return to play at a high level, he's excited about the Giants' offseason acquisitions and like everyone else, he is interested in who will step forward at safety.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin owns iPhone, doesn't like GPS lady. The Giants coach, who is not exactly technologically advanced, has an iPhone. He then related a very funny story about using the know-it-all Siri function on his iPhone to get directions.

Mar 24 Rashad Jennings has huge expectations for the Giants in 2015. After they finished 10th in yards and 13th in points per game in 2014, the running back believes the Giants offense can be much better. Jennings welcomes the addition of Shane Vereen.

The NFL's super-secretive compensatory formula awarded extra picks in the 2015 NFL Draft to 14 teams, totaling 32 new selections. The Giants, Eagles and Jets did not collect any of them.

Eli Manning will be on the field just before the start of Super Bowl 50, one way or another. That's because the NFL plans to honor all 43 Super Bowl MVPs in a ceremony prior to the Golden Game on Feb. 7 at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area. Manning won MVP for both of the Giants' two recent victories in the game, and he'll be joined by other Giants MVPs Phil Simms and Ottis Anderson.

NFL News
The NFL rule book may be the most complex set of rules in American sports. The 97-page document is full of exceptions and exceptions to the exceptions, vexing fans who want simply to understand what they see on the field.
NFL league meetings: A look at all the potential rule changes.

Mar 23 The Giants are not any closer to working out a contract extension with Eli Manning and appear content to let him play out the final year of his deal, according to a report.
The Giants still believe in Manning as their quarterback, and their primary goal is to keep him a Giant for the remainder of his career. But there's no advantage in moving on this deal right now.

There has been a lot of talk this offseason that 2015 will be a "win or else" year for those who run the Giants -- that coach Tom Coughlin and his staff are out if they miss the playoffs again (which is likely) or even that Reese himself could be in danger of losing his job (far less likely).

NFL meetings: Giants co-owner John Mara, a member of the league's rules committee, gave a rundown of what to expect. He included his opinion that more playoff teams are inevitable, even if it's not this year.

Former Giants
Kevin Boss - Long-term concussion fears haunt retired former Giant.

Mar 21 George Selvie leaves the Cowboys to sign with Giants. The Giants keep adding small pieces to the puzzle in the hope that, when they're all put together, they create a much-improved team from last year.
The Giants are signing defensive end George Selvie, a pass-rusher who had seven sacks two years ago and three last season for the Cowboys, and who played his college football with Jason Pierre-Paul at South Florida.

Mar 20 The Giants have not signed any big-time names in free agency this year. John Mara said that's partly because of the dearth of big-time talent in the market.
Mara maintained that he is much more comfortable building the roster through the draft as opposed to splurging on big names in free agency.

Not since Ahmad Bradshaw have the Giants had a running back with the receiving ability that Vereen boasts. Even Bradshaw wasn't used that way and isn't as talented as Vereen in that area. The former New England Patriots player is going to add a new dimension to what the Giants can do because of his relatively rare skill set.

The Giants haven't done anything in free agency to address their need for pass-rush help, but they are looking. They will be paid a visit Thursday by defensive end George Selvie, who started every game the past two seasons for the Cowboys.

Mar 19 The Giants strengthened their run defense when they signed free agent defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis. The 6-4, 346-pound Ellis comes to the Giants after playing his first four NFL seasons with the Jets.
Ellis will have the chance to compete for a starting job, but he will also almost certainly be part of a deep rotation that includes Cullen Jenkins and Johnathan Hankins. Markus Kuhn and Jay Bromley, the Giants' third-round pick last year, will also battle for spots.

Add Daniel Fells to the list of returning Giants. The veteran tight end agreed Wednesday to return on a one-year deal. Fells, 31, is coming off a solid first season with the Giants.

Former Giants
Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants who spent the last two seasons with the Falcons, met with the Jets on Wednesday.

NFL News
9-point NFL touchdowns? There's a proposal out there to change scoring

Mar 18 The Giants raised regular season ticket prices for season ticket holders, but other adjustments will actually result in a reduction in pricing from 2014.

General manager Jerry Reese talked last year of there being three waves of free agency. The initial burst he spoke of, where you target a few players and go out and get them, is over. Now they're into the second wave, which will drag until the draft.

There is still plenty of time for Reese to bring in one of the available safeties on the free agent market, and he certainly should not ignore the draft as a way to improve the depth at that position.

Of the five new players the Giants signed early in the free-agency period, it's possible none will be a starter in 2015. But running back Shane Vereen has the opportunity to affect the offense as a third-down back and a short-range pass-catching option out of the backfield.

Mar 17 It would be unfair to criticize the Giants for not making moves. It's more appropriate to criticize them for the moves that they've actually made.
The Giants announced that they have re-signed guard John Jerry and cornerback Chykie Brown, two people who played for the team in 2014 and did nothing that demanded an encore.
Dwayne Harris might not be a wise investment for the Giants. For a returner who was not even in the top ten in return yards average, $7.1 million is a hefty guarantee for Harris.

Mar 15 The Giants have scoured the market for a safety, and even made some offers. None were good enough to provide some stability at a position with so much uncertainty. And now, they turn where? This year's draft features a weak crop of safeties.

Scanning the offseason depth chart -- which can be as useful as sandpaper in the ocean -- it looked as if the Giants needed to fill six holes in their lineup. It is a fairly long shopping list, and thus far the Giants have been strolling up and down the aisles but their basket is nearly empty, and the choice items are getting plucked from the shelves.

While he might have been an excellent scout, Jerry Reese behaves erratically on the resource-management front. He did this same thing last year, signing Rashad Jennings to an over-market deal on the first day of free agency instead of waiting out the running back market and taking the best option from a group of Jennings-like players once the prices settled.

For more than a decade, Manning, Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers -- the third quarterback in the 2004 draft-day drama -- have been linked, compared to each other on the field and eyeballing one another when it comes to their contracts. So the bar is set for the Giants. If they want to extend Manning, it will cost them $20 million a year to do so.

Mar 14 The Giants continue to shop for a new safety option, but Rolle doesn't seem to think they'll find one. Asked if any safety could be better than him, Rolle had a quick answer. "At the end of the day," he said, "nobody."
Rolle did not want to leave the Giants, but once free agency hit and he had not heard from the team, he knew he was headed elsewhere. Sure, that hurt, but Rolle signed a three-year, $11.25 million contract with the Bears and has not uttered a bad word about his former team.
Rolle revealed in a farewell interview with WFAN's Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts that he spoke to the Giants "very late in the free agency process," but at that point he was at the Bears facility in Chicago and close to signing his three-year, $11.25 million contract.
The true end of the Antrel Rolle era came Friday when he said his farewells in one final appearance on "The Joe and Evan Show" on WFAN. Radio Rolle has left the building. But not before bringing the kind of honest, insightful and passionate dialogue that marked his weekly appearances on the program, sometimes even overshadowing his impact on the field for the Giants. His finale included everything that we've become accustomed to hearing from him.

The Giants sure are taking an interesting approach to free agency. Rather than shaking up a team that needed to finish strong to reach 6-10, they continue to bring many of the same pieces back for at least another season. The latest example is offensive lineman John Jerry.
John Jerry gets a team-high bonus for starting 16 games during the 2014 season. Jerry was signed on the cheap last offseason after being involved in the Jonathan Martin scandal in Miami. When guard Chris Snee retired before training camp and Geoff Schwartz injured his toe in the preseason, Jerry grabbed a starting spot. It was a role he never relinquished.

Mar 13 Antrel Rolle is now a Chicago Bear, and there appears to be no hard feelings on his part about the Giants making a halfhearted effort to keep him in New Jersey. But Rolle was still somewhat surprised that the Giants, with only two safeties under contract, didn't make more of a competitive offer.
Rolle, 32, was one of the veterans chosen by Tom Coughlin to make certain he was communicating well with the players. If the coach had a message to be sent, it was often Rolle who delivered it. Yet there is no evidence that the Giants came close to retaining him.

For the second consecutive year, GM Jerry Reese allowed defensive captains - players who were integral contributors, on and off the field, to Super Bowl winning-teams - to walk out of the building, never to return. No Tuck. No Rolle. Will one of these three Giants step up to lead the 'D'? - Jon Beason, Jason Pierre-Paul and Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie.

The last time Shane Vereen put on a uniform, he was playing for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. The next time he suits up, it will be coming out of the backfield for the Giants. "This is not a step down. If anything, it is a step up," Vereen said Wednesday.
Vereen went on to praise Bill Belichick and all that he learned with the Patriots, but it's the "step up" quote that will probably raise some eyebrows in Foxborough. To be fair, Vereen was probably just caught up in the excitement of signing a new contract with $4.75 million in guarantees.

Mar 12 Despite three straight playoff-less campaigns, Tom Coughlin will not be on the hot seat in 2015. The Giants and their longtime coach agreed to a one-year extension on Wednesday, setting Coughlin up to coach through 2016.
Since becoming the Giants' coach in 2004, Coughlin is 96-80 (.545) in the regular season and 8-3 (.727) in the postseason. He led the team to championships with victories over the New England Patriots in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.

The Giants have agreed to terms with linebacker Mark Herzlich. The Giants also agreed to terms with fullback Henry Hynoski. One of the most feared defensive players in college football in 2008 as a junior at Boston College, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma (a form of bone cancer) and missed the entire 2009 season.
The Giants re-signed linebacker Mark Herzlich, fullback Henry Hynoski and running back Chris Ogbonnaya. Fifth-year pros Herzlich and Hynoski joined the team as undrafted rookies in 2011, while Ogbonnaya was signed late last season.

Antrel Rolle's departure inevitable, but Giants will miss him. Rolle and the Chicago Bears have agreed to terms on a three-year contract worth $11.25 million with $5 million guaranteed.
The Giants are currently without a safety on the roster who has started an NFL game. The Bears, who have struggled to fill the safety position in recent years, appeared to target Rolle from the start of free agency.

Mar 11 Counting the cash: Contract terms for Giants' free agent acquisitions. They may not have been names you've heard before or the players you wanted, but they made some moves.
Giants Free Agency Tracker, a running list of the Giants' 2015 free agency activity - Who's coming - Who's going - Who's staying.

The Giants had three of their own linebackers -- Mark Herzlich, Spencer Paysinger and Jacquian Williams -- eligible for free agency, and of the three it looks as though either none or one will be back.

Antrel Rolle's free agent tour will begin - and may end - in Chicago.Rolle has not ruled out a return to the Giants, but it seems increasingly unlikely.

Mar 10 The Giants are hosed at safety. This year's free-agent safety market was basically Devin McCourty and a bunch of guys, and McCourty stayed in New England despite the best efforts of the Giants (and the Eagles) to lure him away.
That search could lead them to Ron Parker, who in some ways is eerily similar to the 2010 Antrel Rolle. As free agency kicked off this past Saturday, with teams allowed to open negotiations with agents, the Giants were one of more than a handful of teams -- including the Jets -- that inquired about Parker.

NFC East News
Eagles - Wide receiver did not appear to be a major area of need for the Eagles at the end of the season. The sudden departure of Jeremy Maclin, however, changed all of that.
Eagles - Head coach Chip Kelly has said goodbye to three players who amassed a total of 5,576 yards and scored 33 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Kelly seems to believe his system will be successful, no matter who is on the field.
Cowboys - The Cowboys made it clear that they were going to allow DeMarco Murray to test the market and attempt to match. While there has already been plenty of negotiating throughout the league involving several big names, Murray hasn't been involved.
Redskins - Under new general manager Scot McCloughan, the Redskins' approach to free agency may end up different than in past years. McCloughan has said he would prefer to build a roster through the draft and exercise caution with regards to signing other teams' players.

Mar 8 The Giants don't have a safety on the roster that has started an NFL game and it's unlikely Antrel Rolle will return. The Giants are going directly to the top of the board at the free safety position with the hope of landing either New England's Devin McCourty or Denver's Rahim Moore.

The Giants have a little over $13 million in salary cap space right now, but while that number seems low, it shouldn't limit them in free agency. They can always create more cap space by renegotiating with players under contract, or by backloading any free agent contracts to soften he cap hit in 2015.

Mar 6 Antrel Rolle said he has not yet had any conversations with the Giants about a return for the 2015 season. Rolle, 32, has said he would like to play for the Giants for the rest of his career, but he seems to be coming to grips with the reality that he probably won't.
With Antrel Rolle likely gone, Giants could explore these free-agent safeties.
If Rolle bolts, these 4 safeties could help Giants secondary.

Minor injuries reported as plane skids off runway at LaGuardia; Giants' Larry Donnell unhurt.
Donnell had made the trip to the New York area to sign his new contract with the Giants.

Mar 5 The clock is ticking on Giants' free agents as Rolle, others head towards open market. Antrel Rolle is one of several Giants free agents who don't seem likely to re-sign by Tuesday.

The Giants and Jon Beason are negotiating a pay cut, but the linebacker said he is confident he will remain with the Giants for the 2015 season.
Beason played in parts of four games last season because of a foot/toe injury suffered during the spring. Beason is serving as his own agent.
Beason said, "I want to be a Giant. They took a chance on me when other people may have thought I was done. You want to go out and hold up your end of the bargain."

Coming off a breakout season that the Giants hope will be the stepping stone to a good NFL career, there was no doubt tight end Larry Donnell was returning next season. On Wednesday, they made it official.

The only question that Giants fans want Victor Cruz to answer this offseason "Will you be able to recapture your Pro Bowl form?" Cruz indicated that the toughest aspect of his rehab is more mental than physical.

Mar 4 How bad has the Giants' offensive line been in recent years? So bad that, one massive offseason overhaul later, it still has a handful of serious problems. The ground game still ranked just 23rd in the NFL. And Manning still absorbed 28 sacks.
More upgrading is needed on a line that played a part in the running game that finished only 23rd in the league with 100.2 yards per game and only 30th in yards per rushing attempt (3.6).
The club met with several speedy rushing options at last month's Combine. They may also look to the free agent market for a change-of-pace weapon, especially since there could be several intriguing options - Four players to keep in mind.

Odell Beckham Jr. created plenty of buzz. His sensational one-handed touchdown catch ecame a worldwide sensation thanks to endless highlights and conversation on social media. But on Monday, the Giants wide receiver seemingly had enough of the endless talk.

Steve Weatherford to donate brain to research after his death The Giants punter thinks it's vital for him to join x-Seattle Seahawks receiver Sidney Rice and countless other NFL players -- he'll donate his brain to be studied after he's gone.

Fullback Henry Hynoski read books to students in North Bergen The hope is that his future will be with the Giants after a season where he played 18 percent of the team's offensive snaps in its new offense. Hynoski finished with seven carries for 13 yards in 16 games.

NFC East News
Eagles - Chip Kelly now has final say on all of the Eagles personnel decisions, and on Tuesday news emerged that the team was parting ways with cornerback Cary Williams, outside linebacker Trent Cole and running back LeSean McCoy.
Eagles - LeSean McCoy's relationship with Chip Kelly had 'become strained' Ladainian Tomlinson says. McCoy and the head coach seemed to butt heads from time to time last season on the practice field.

Mar 3 Moments after the Giants committed to defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (for a lot of money) for at least one more season, they ended their relationship with center J.D. Walton.
Walton was one of three offensive linemen to start every game last season, joining left tackle Will Beatty and right guard John Jerry.
Walton's reward for finally staying healthy and avoiding the Giants' injured reserve bug? The Giants released him Monday.

Mar 2 - UPDATE JPP will play in NYC for at least one more year. JPP received a non-exclusive franchise tag, so other teams can still work to sign him until April 24.
The tag also allows the front office to continue negotiating a long-term contract with Pierre-Paul's representatives without the external pressure of having other teams interested.
Pierre-Paul will be free to sign an offer sheet with another team but the Giants would receive two first-round picks from that team if they choose not to match.
The Giants have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term contract. That's the tactic used in the past when the franchise tag was employed with Brandon Jacobs and Steve Weatherford.

Mar 2 The Giants will try in 2015 to turn back the defensive clock to a better time, bringing back former coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to try to return the defense to the championship form he instilled back in 2007. Could some other old friends return to try to help Spagnuolo do that? Are Umenyiora, Canty, Cofield fits for the Giants?

Here's how Giants should handle their top five potential free agents. They have one superstar that they want to retain. And then come the questions. Get ready for the start of a different Giants offseason.

As veterans around the league are cut at a frantic pace, the clock is ticking on the Giants and middle linebacker Jon Beason. If it were easy to replace a veteran middle linebacker who serves as the quarterback and leader of the defense, the Giants likely would. Beason is an injury risk and comes at a costly price negotiated last year when he was a free agent the Giants desperately wanted back after a stellar 2013 season.

Feb 27 Detroit Lions release running back Reggie Bush; Giants interested?
Giants offseason move tracker: Signings, cuts and contract restructures.
Giants released defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka - D-Line options.
5 Things the Giants should do before the start of Free Agency.

Feb 26 Peyton Hillis' tenure with the Giants is over, and most likely so is his career. The one-time Madden video game coverboy was released by the Giants on Wednesday.
By releasing Hillis now, the Giants save $945,000 on this year's salary cap. A day earlier, the Giants released Mathias Kiwanuka, their longtime defensive end/linebacker, slashing $4.8 million on the salary cap.

What the Giants knew and learned about Odell Beckham Jr. at last year's NFL Combine. The Giants landed Beckham with the 12th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. But not before holding their breath every step of the way.

Hobart offensive tackle Ali Marpet had the fastest 40 time among the offensive linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine, and if he had his druthers, Marpet would be clearing the way for New York Giants running backs next season.

Feb 25 In a widely expected move, the Giants released longtime defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka.
Mathias Kiwanuka had spent his entire career with the Giants and was a part of Super Bowl teams in 2007-08 and 2011-12.
It lasted nine seasons, 120 games and included 412 tackles, 38.5 sacks and two Super Bowl victories. It was a solid run for Mathias Kiwanuka and the Giants.
Mathias Kiwanuka was a member of the Giants' Super Bowl XLII and XLVI championship teams. He was on injured reserve for XLII and played in XLVI in his hometown of Indianapolis.
Kiwanuka was drafted as a defensive end but also played linebacker when it was in the best interest of the team (and not always his own). In an interview with Newsday last summer, Kiwanuka said he would advise young players to not switch positions as he did.

Osi Umenyiora started his career with the Giants. And despite his many ups and downs with that franchise, he wants to retire a Giant.
He spent the first nine years of his career as a pass-rusher, recording three double-digit sack seasons. The Giants won two Super Bowls during his time with the team.
Even though general manager Jerry Reese considers Umenyiora one of his all-time favorite Giants players, that does not mean a reunion is about to happen.
Would an Osi Umenyiora return to Giants make any sense? Umenyiora, at this point in his career, would surely come cheap.

Are the Giants skeptical about the use of analytics? The analytics movement has come slower to the NFL than the other three major sports leagues, and apparently slower to the Giants than most other franchises.

Giants punter Steve Weatherford is treating five Dickinson High School students to the prom experience of a lifetime. The five students who write the top essays will be treated by Weatherford to an all expenses paid prom including tuxedos and gowns, hair stylists and accessories, and limo service to and from the prom.

Feb 24 The New York Giants will use their franchise tag on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul if the two sides fail to reach a long-term deal by March 2.
Given the current state of the Giants roster, they can't lose a player of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul's talent. They won't lose a player of his talent.
Franchising Pierre-Paul also does not preclude the team from continuing to discuss a long-term contract. But it would keep Pierre-Paul off of the open market.
Under the franchise tag, other teams can still make offers to Pierre-Paul, but if they lured JPP away from the Giants, they'd have to surrender two first-round picks.
The Giants have used the tags six times: three franchise and three transition. They are: Jumbo Elliott (franchise) in 1993. Carl Banks (transition) in 1993. Howard Cross (transition) in 1994. Rodney Hampton (transition) in 1996. Brandon Jacobs (franchise) in 2009. Steve Weatherford (franchise) in 2012.

Feb 22 Giants not putting all their eggs in the Victor Cruz basket. The hope is to have Odell Beckham Jr., Cruz and Rueben Randle as the top three receivers. Healthy and focused, that would be a strong receiving corps.
No one expects Cruz to never play again. Reese said he seems to be doing well in his rehab, which is as tedious and slow as everyone expected it to be (Cruz is not even running yet). The doctors say he is doing well, Reese said.
Despite having a solid depth chart at receiver with Beckham, Rueben Randle, and Victor Cruz coming back from a knee injury, general manager Jerry Reese said that the Giants would not hesitate to add to the position, through free agency and the draft.again.

For at least one day, the legend of Odell Beckham Jr. did not grow. No, Jerry Reese brought it back to earth just a little bit. The Giants' superstar receiver did not play through that entire monstrous 2014 season with tears in his hamstring that were never fully healed.
Reese also said that if their burgeoning star did, in fact, have two tears in his hamstring, he probably would not have been permitted to play in the Pro Bowl or the string of meaningless games down the stretch in the regular season.

The Giants safety position was a revolving door of mediocrity in 2014. Jerry Reese suggested that the team could look to improve at that position could from within, with two of their recent draft picks in the mix to compete for a starting job - Cooper Taylor and Nat Berhe.

NFL News
Raiders and Chargers are willing to share a stadium near Los Angeles. The proposal is the latest in a string of bids to put a team in Los Angeles, which lost the Raiders and the Rams 20 years ago.

Feb 20 Special Report - Giants' head coach Tom Coughlin, speaking at the on-going rookie tryout combine in Indianapolis, offered up his wish list for the coming season - and as things turn out, it seems to be an identical version of what the fans would like, too.
"I would like [defensive end] Jason Pierre-Paul to play for the Giants forever and to retire as a Giant," he said. "I also want to see us re-sign veteran [safety] Antrel Rolle. He is a spirited, professional player who helps our team."
He was also asked about a one-year contract extension (which is on the way, according to reliable sources), and he said: "I don't have any opinion about that. All I want is to stay at the Giants' head coach.

Interesting tidbits from Coach Coughlin at Combine. It has been four months and one week since wide receiver Victor Cruz suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon that required surgery. Coughlin updated his offensive co-captain's status.

Feb 18 The Giants have re-signed their first free agent of the offseason, bringing back veteran wide receiver Kevin Ogletree on a one-year contract.
Ogletree joined the Giants on Oct. 14, two days after Victor Cruz suffered a torn patellar tendon, ending his season.

Giants' perfect plan for JPP: Keep him or get two 1st-round picks. The Giants are negotiating to keep Jason Pierre-Paul by placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on him that would force any salivating suitor to surrender a pair of first-round picks should the Giants decide not to match the offer during the seven-day window.

The past two years, the Giants used a first-round pick (Justin Pugh) and a second-round pick (Weston Richburg) on offensive linemen, and no one will be surprised if they head in that direction again. Their line needs to find a stud player.

NFL News
NFL's circus Deflategate probe turns up black-market ball thief.
The NFL has reportedly fired an employee who sold footballs.
Patriots staffer gave official an unapproved football.

Feb 17 Jason Pierre-Paul to be franchised? Clock starts ticking. The Giants will have no choice but to show their cards soon with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.
Giants have until March 2 to make a decision The 26-year old end would make $15 million in 2015 if he accepted the exclusive franchise tag from the Giants.
The Giants rarely like to travel the franchise tag route, but they did use it in 2012 on punter Steve Weatherford and before that in 2009 on running back Brandon Jacobs.
There is a chance that the Giants simply will allow Pierre-Paul to test free agency and see how much other teams think he is worth.

Cullen Jenkins 'kind of knew' pay cut was coming after rough season. Jenkins, 34, is old by NFL standards. He is coming off a down season (15 tackles and 1.0 sacks) and was set to make a good chunk of change in 2015.
Limited to just 12 games last season due to a calf injury, the 34-year-old defensive tackle had his salary slashed from $2.2 million to $1 million in a move that reportedly saves $825,000 in cap space.

Feb 15 The Giants seemingly hit the jackpot last year when they selected Odell Beckham Jr. with the 12th overall pick. He set a slew of rookie records, became 2014's Offensive Rookie of the Year and provided the most immediate impact by a Giants first-round pick in more than a decade. This week, they'll try to find another Odell.

Larry Donnell made a huge leap from 2013 to 2014, and the Giants believe that his offseason work ethic will lead to another big leap in 2015. They believe they have not only a starter, but a future star in Donnell.

Feb 13 How was Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. perceived prior to last year's NFL Combine? A lot will change in the public perception of prospects in the final 10 weeks before the NFL Draft. Beckham was barely viewed as a first-round prospect.

Former Giants
Terrell Thomas played in 60 regular season games with the Giants and announced his retirement Thursday
After sitting all of last year, with nothing but a month-long stint in Seattle Seahawks training camp to show for his efforts, the cornerback finally realized his NFL days were over.

NFL News
What made Patriots coach Bill Belichick laugh on Letterman?

Feb 12 The Giants added to the depth on their offensive line by bringing in a 23-year-old considered the top offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League.
Canadian Football League star offensive lineman Brett Jones was the CFL's Rookie of the Year in 2013 and Offensive Lineman of the Year this past season.

Giants release the retired David Wilson, officially putting an end to his NFL career. Wilson finished his career with just 504 rushing yards and five touchdowns, but he made a mark as a kickoff returner where he totaled 1,755 yards - sixth all-time in Giants' history.

Giants offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz gives his survival guide to the NFL Combine. Schwartz's career is a testament to the inexact science of the Combine, and he was compelled to write about his experience at the "meat market" for The Players' Tribune.

Feb 10 One of the Giants' priorities this offseason will be to improve their offensive line, and they're not opposed to using nontraditional means to do it.
Reports out of Canada state the Giants on Tuesday will sign Brett Jones, named the top offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League in 2014.

Here's a rundown of five Giants players that might be cap casualties, including how much the team can save by cutting them.

NFL News
The top 25 NFL free agents and where they'll land.

Feb 7 Giants should franchise Jason Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul is immensely talented and still very young (he just turned 26 last month), but his career hasn't been a consistent one.
There's plenty of risk in offering Pierre-Paul the blockbuster contract that he likely craves. Before he showed his considerable upside during 2014, he'd flashed a scary downside.
Barring a new deal between JPP and the Giants, or the imposition of the franchise tag by the Giants, Pierre-Paul will hit the open market on March 10.

In a farewell that was both heart-wrenching and humorous, Ann Mara was remembered for her devotion to her family and the Giants, her deep faith, and an indomitable spirt.
The funeral was held at Manhattan's St. Ignatius Loyola Church and was officiated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Cardinal Edward Egan.

Feb 6 One of the biggest problems with Perry Fewell's tenure: It's not that his schemes were bad; it's that he didn't appear to adjust them to fit the personnel or the situations he had to face on a weekly basis. In his first tenure with the Giants, Steve Spagnuolo showed that he wasn't afraid to adjust if things weren't working.

The Giants published a cool multimedia look at Odell Beckham Jr.'s rookie season, tracking him from draft day to the day he accepted the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Former Giants
Lawrence Taylor at 56: 'Hard to believe' I'm still alive.

Feb 5 The Giants announced the unveiling of More Than Just 'The Catch' -- an interactive website commemorating Odell Beckham Jr.'s record-breaking rookie season.

Feb 3 Ann Mara loved the Giants almost as much as she was loved by those who knew her.
She continued the family tradition of close, personal relationships with coaches and players.

NFC East News
Could Eagles be opening night opponent for Super Bowl champion New England Patriots?

NFL News
Pete Carroll's choice to pass instead of run all-time gaffe.
Derision lands in lap of Seahawks' Offensive Coordinator.
Mike Francesa's angry Seahawks rant doesn't disappoint.

Feb 2 Ann Mara, owner, fan and first lady of football, dies at 85. Ann Mara attended almost every Giants game, home and away, for 60 years and was a fierce and feisty defender of the team.
Although she was always a Giants fan, the team became a vital part of Ann Mara's life in 1952, when she met Wellington at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan. She loved to retell the story of their first meeting.

Odell Beckham Jr. already has the one-handed catch world record, and he followed that feat up with some incredibly difficult trick shots with the guys from Dude Perfect during the Super Bowl 2015 pregame show on NBC.

NFL News
Super Bowl: Patriots pick off Seahawks, 28-24.
Super Bowl: Quarter-by-quarter analysis.
One yard from crushing loss, Patriots grab their 4th title.
Tom Brady changes label from 'cheater' to 'greatest of all time'.
The Seahawks were 1 yard from a repeat Super Bowl victory.

Feb 1 Odell Beckham's latest grab: Offensive Rookie of the Year. Beckham is the first Giants player to receive this honor.
He is the franchise's first Rookie of the Year since Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor won the defensive award in 1981.
Watch: Odell Beckham Jr.'s catch named Play of the Year.

NFL News
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tried rope-a-dope, but he looked like the dope.
Legacies on the line as Seahawks, Patriots face off.
Russell Wilson best guy to root for in a Super Bowl full of nuts.
Super Bowl 2015: Seahawks vs. Patriots preview.

Jan 31 Eli Manning has played in and won two Super Bowls, but even when the Giants have not advanced to the Super Bowl, Manning usually spends a few days at the site of the big game. But Manning did not make it this year, for a good reason - his wife, Abby, gave birth Thursday to their third daughter.
Manning's passion for the Giants after 11 seasons and two Super Bowls is so strong that his father, Archie, believes that he would probably retire before landing in a new destination, like his brother, Peyton, did three years ago after being cut by the Indianapolis Colts.

NFL News
Bill Parcells has concerns about both the Seahawks and Patriots in Super Bowl.
Landon Cohen: Meet the Seattle Seahawk who went from parking cars to the Super Bowl.
The anti-Belichick: How Pete Carroll makes football fun.
The more Goodell talks, the worse it gets for him.

Jan 30 Odell Beckham set another record. This time it was one that nobody even knew existed, but nonetheless was impressive. Beckham caught 33 passes from quarterback Drew Brees on Thursday (without a drop!) to set the Guinness World Record for most one-handed catches in a minute.  |  The Rules.

Jon Beason said he is looking forward to earning the trust of new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and becoming his new Antonio Pierce.

Could Tom Coughlin handle the Seahawks' personalities? Former Giant Justin Tuck weighs in. "No, I don't think so," Tuck said. "I think Coach Coughlin is a little bit more to the line.

Does Giants long snapper (and former Patriots ball boy) Zak DeOssie think New England cheated? He was pointedly asked whether he ever saw any suspicious tampering with footballs while on the job.

Jan 29 Cornerback Prince Amukamara missed the final eight games of the season after surgery to repair a torn biceps muscle, but he said Wednesday that the injury was healing fine and that he expected to be cleared for full activity as early as March.

Former Giants
Mark Bavaro never quite gained enough traction with Hall of Fame voters to make it to Canton, but one former member of the Giants coaching staff in the 1980s made a pretty strong case for Bavaro's candidacy at Super Bowl Media Day: New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Will Hill in trouble again, warrant issued for his arrest. This would mark the second time in as many years that a warrant Hill for outstanding child support payments.

NFL News
NFL.com ranked the first 48 Super Bowls, and two of the Giants wins cracked the Top 5.
NFL looks to nail Marshawn Lynch for his hat, not his words.
Brady, Wilson are quarterbacks with different styles.

Jan 28 Telling Beckham Jr. to 'tone it down' a big mistake - Michael Irvin.
Irvin worked out with Beckham last offseason before he was drafted, so he knew the Giants were getting "a phenomenal player."

Steve Spagnuolo will now try to improve a defense that allowed a league-worst 230 points in the second half of games in 2014 and went 3-5 on the road.

Former Giants
Perry Fewell, ex-Giants defensive coordinator, lands with NFC East rival.

NFL News
Pete Carroll explains 'unpopular' decision to trade Harvin.
Are the Giants only a few pieces away from being Super Bowl contenders?
Can Seahawks copy Giants' SB blueprint? If the Giants have taught us anything, it's that pressure from the defensive line can beat Tom Brady in the Super Bowl.
Patriots still trying to forget loss to Giants in Arizona. For good reason, it appears Super Bowl XLII is a sensitive subject. The Patriots had the lead with less than a minute to play.
PredictionMachine.com ran 50,000 simulations of Super Bowl XLIX. And 57.5 percent of the time in its simulations, the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots.

Jan 27 Odell Beckham Jr. reveals he played season with two tears in hamstring. It turns out that the Giants rookie receiver, who had one of the most spectacular debut seasons in NFL history, did it all with two tears in his right hamstring that still aren't completely healed.
He finished with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games. And somehow, now we come to realize it could have been even greater.

NFL News
Where did locker room attendant take footballs before AFC Championship?
Patriots owner demands apology over Deflategate. Kraft dug in and came out swinging.
The Super Bowl. It is a legacy of the meanest, nastiest war in the history of sports.
Albatross of debt weighs on Super Bowl City.

Jan 26 Odell Beckham Jr. gave Giants fans another reminder of why there's so much to look forward to with their prized receiver. Fresh off a season that likely will earn him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Beckham delivered another "wow" performance in his first Pro Bowl on Sunday night. Beckham made two dazzling catches in the first half.

Mathias Kiwanuka is the most obvious New York Giants cap casualty this offseason, as it's been a long time since his production matched up with his salary and they can save $4.85 million by cutting him.

Giants have fond memories of last Super Bowl in Arizona. From Manning's great escape and David Tyree's famous helmet catch to Plaxico Burress' game-winning touchdown reception and the pass-rush harassment of Tom Brady in between.

NFL News
NFL has history of letting Belichick off the hook.
Booted by Patriots, Pete Carroll has chance to strike back.
Richard Sherman happy to shed villain label, pass it along to Bill Belichick, Tom Brady.

Jan 25 Odell Beckham Jr. has been enjoying himself during Pro Bowl week, mingling with the league's best players (at least those that didn't bail on the game), and showing off some of the skills that made him the likely Rookie of the Year.

Ann Mara, the mother of Giants co-owner John Mara, is still recovering after falling and injuring her head last week, the Giants confirmed. The matriarch of Big Blue slipped on ice last Sunday and hurt her head and has been in the hospital since then.

Former Giants
Pepper Johnson - Jets hire Pepper Johnson, former Giants linebacker and Patriots assistant, as defensive line coach.

NFL News
The 8 craziest things Bill Belichick said during his epic press conference.
The glaring holes in Belichick's Deflategate 'science'.
Phil Simms isn't buying what Tom Brady is selling.

Jan 24 Special Report - Has the future already begun in Giants Land? Eli Manning is under contract for the 2015 season and if he doesn't sign an extension, he'll be eligible to find a new home. There is no way the Giants will let him go, not after this season and not after next. He just turned 34 and there's no reason to think he can't play until his late 30s, which means someone's going to have to pay him.
Since he's entering that final contract year, the Giants can't restructure but one should expect an extension in line with the deal New England's Tom Brady signed before the regular season ended, three years for roughly $14 million a year. When that deal will be struck is unknown. Preseason? Post-season? Week 15? It doesn't matter. But before you say that they should just let him play out 2015 and see what happens, consider the alternative: Who else if not Eli?

NFL News
NFL says no conclusion yet on Pats' deflated footballs. The league said evidence shows the Patriots used underinflated footballs during the first half of the AFC championship game.
Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson noticed the Patriots using Colts game balls at one point during the first half of the AFC Championship Game, a 45-7 Patriots victory.

Jan 23 Odell Beckham Jr. will play on a Cowboys-heavy Pro Bowl team. Beckham was the No. 4 overall selection in Wednesday night's Pro Bowl draft -- the second pick of the team selected by former Cowboys wideout Michael Irvin.  |  Photos

Every position is a position of interest for the Giants scouting staff at the Senior Bowl. Some just have a bit more urgency than others. You can start with the offensive line.

Why the Giants absolutely must draft ILB Denzel Perryman. Let's look at the middle linebacker spot. Veteran and three-time Pro Bowler Jon Beason, who signed a three-year deal to play that spot last offseason, continued to have issues with staying on the field.

NFL News
Belichick's grimacing act becomes routine in New England. Nope. No idea. Not me. Next.
Belichick: Totally unfamiliar with the pregame process for selecting and approving game balls.
Aikman on Deflategate: Brady knew and Belichick should burn.
John Madden: Tom Brady should be held responsible in the case of the deflated footballs.
Fran Tarkenton: Let me say this, when I played, I controlled the ball before the game.

Jan 22 Giants likely to address run game in offseason. As the team continues to rebuild its offense, expect the Giants to look for powerful, run-blocking offensive linemen and possibly a veteran, change-of-pace running back.

Live from the 2015 NFL Pro Bowl: Odell gets drafted. Giants.com will follow the rookie wide receiver throughout the festivities leading up to the annual showcase game on Sunday at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

NFL News
Odds on Bill Belichick being suspended for Patriots' cheating scandal.
Ex-NFL GM offers quick fix to avoid more possible Patriots cheating.
Bill Belichick can't help but channel his inner Richard Nixon.
A seamstress who handed off to the NFL for 48 Years.
The Seahawks have done some dirty cheating, too.

Jan 21 The Giants could extend Eli Maning's contract to gain cap space in the short term and keep the QB around for the long term.

With all the holes the Giants have to fill this offseason, the good news is that general manager Jerry Reese will not be hamstrung by salary commitments and should have some money to throw around in free agency, or re-sign some of the team's own free agents. But at least a chunk of that cap space will go towards signing their draft picks.

Evaluating the Giants' 2015 Opponents. Firstly, let's evaluate the six games that come from within the division. All divisional games are tough, but some tougher than others.

Over the last nine months, Odell Beckham Jr. led all non-quarterbacks in jersey sales on the official NFL online shop, according to ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell.

Former Giants
Roman Oben, who spent four seasons with the Giants from 1996 through 1999, was named the NFL's director of youth football on Tuesday.

Jan 19 Of all the mysteries surrounding the New York Giants since their disappointing 2014 season ended, perhaps the biggest and still as of yet unsolved one is why the team retained special teams coordinator Tom Quinn.

Jan 17 Why the Steve Spagnuolo hiring reeks of desperation for Giants. Michael Strahan was still playing that first year Coughlin and Spagnuolo united. Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka were young, fast and serious threats to a quarterback's health as well.
The coordinator is only going to be as good as his players. And now that Spagnuolo is back in the fold, the Giants have to answer a lot of questions about their personnel on his side of the ball.
It wasn't just his scheme that turned the Big Blue defense into a monster in 2007. He had a Hall of Famer, two brilliant pass rushers and a Pro Bowler. Look around and compare that to what he's working with now.

Jan 16 Almost six years to the day after Steve Spagnuolo left the Giants, he was rehired as their defensive coordinator. It's hardly a surprise that coach Tom Coughlin and the Giants settled on the familiar Spagnuolo. He was always the heavy favorite to resurface with the team.
Only one player from Spagnuolo's previous tenure, defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, remains on the roster, and he is not expected back in 2015. Safeties coach David Merritt is the only member of the defensive coaching staff who worked with Spagnuolo (the Giants also announced that Tim Walton will be their cornerbacks coach, replacing Peter Giunta, who was fired with Fewell).
Maybe Steve Spagnuolo and the New York Giants are made for each other and having him back as defensive coordinator will return them to Super Bowl glory, or at least the playoffs. Maybe the Giants see something in him that no one else in this hiring cycle saw, and maybe they're right. I just don't think, if I were the Giants, that I'd risk my future on it.

Former Giants
Pepper Johnson has only ever had one interview for a defensive coordinator gig. This time, Pepper Johnson was sure his chance was coming. He had finally stepped out from Bill Belichick's long shadow. His old team, the Giants, was talking to him about the defensive coordinator job he's always wanted. Then his phone rang on Thursday morning and Tom Coughlin told him "We're going in a different direction."

Jan 15 Special Report - Hiring the next defensive coordinator may be the biggest decision the Giants will make since they decided to retain Coughlin and Reese or since letting offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride go. Maybe even since hiring of Coughlin as head coach in 2004, which was a Franchise decision with a capital F since that was the year they also moved heaven and earth to get Eli Manning.
The Giants want the right guy and won't compromise. As a franchise that prides itself as having a level, measured and consistent operation, the Giants won't scamper to the hottest coach on the market. They are in a curious spot, however, since the word is that co-owner John Mara has read Coughlin and Reese a riot act of sorts and told them, allegedly, that 2015 shall be a year of great success or they may be asked to vacate the premises.

Tom Coughlin has made it through two straight losing seasons and hasn't been to the postseason since the Giants won the Super Bowl following the 2011 season. He likely won't be around a year from now if that doesn't change. "We need to be a playoff team in 2015," team president and CEO John Mara said on WFAN Wednesday.
Unlike a year ago, when offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride retired and Coughlin brought in Ben McAdoo to revamp the entire system, the Giants seem to be looking for a smoother transfer of power. hat could the biggest hint yet that Coughlin is leaning toward a reunion with Steve Spagnuolo.
Steve Spagnuolo is the top choice of many Giants fans and some in the Giants' building. Here's a look at some of the potential pros and cons of hiring Spagnuolo as Perry Fewell's replacement: Spagnuolo was the Giants' defensive coordinator for only two seasons, but they were wildly successful.

Jan 14 Giants to interview Steve Spagnuolo for defensive coordinator job. Spagnuolo, 55, was the Giants defensive coordinator under Tom Coughlin for two seasons - in 2007 and 2008.
Under Spagnuolo's watch, Giants defenses ranked seventh and fifth in the NFL. The Giants won Super Bowl XLII in the 2007 season with him on staff.
He was unable to duplicate that success elsewhere. He spent three mostly terrible seasons as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams (2009-11) and one disastrous year as the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints (2012).
Spagnuolo has spent the past two years as a defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens. He's clearly overqualified for his current job and clearly qualified for this job, which is one he used to have.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was named the Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year for the 2014 season by the Pro Football Writers Association on Tuesday. Beckham, the 12th overall pick in the draft out of LSU, led all NFL rookies and set a franchise rookie record for receiving yards, among many other milestones reached in a phenomenal first season.
The 12th overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft from LSU, Beckham set franchise rookie records with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in only 12 games. His 108.8 yards-per-game average was a Giants record and the highest figure by a rookie in NFL history.

Jan 13 Steve Spagnuolo is coming back to the Giants ... for an interview at least. The former Giants defensive coordinator who designed the game plan that beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII is expected to interview for his old position this week.
Will John Fox's departure from the Broncos land him on the Giants' short list for defensive coordinator? Not so fast. Fox happens to be extremely overqualified to be an assistant coach at this point in his career.

Jan 12 All signs are pointing towards Steve Spagnuolo being the Giants defensive coordinator next season. Four league sources put Spagnuolo as the favorite for the job. All seemed to think it was a strong fit.

Jan 11 The next person to interview for the Giants' vacant defensive coordinator position will be a blast from the franchise's past. Early next week, the Giants will interview Pepper Johnson.
Johnson, 50, was once part of a renowned Giants defense, playing linebacker for Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, alongside Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and Carl Banks. Now he might get a chance to return to the Giants to run their defense.

Jan 10 Tom Coughlin is in search of a new defensive coordinator, and that speaks volumes for where the tenured coach is at in his career and with the Giants. I think it's fair to trust him to hire the coordinator who's the best bet for the organization in the long run, regardless of what it means to his own immediate future.

The Giants scored at least 24 points in each of their final six games, their longest such streak in 51 years. They scored 24 or more points in eight consecutive games from Sept. 29-Nov. 17, 1963.

Former Giants
The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its modern-era finalists for the Class of 2015. Quarterback Kurt Warner and kicker Morten Andersen now await the final announcement during Super Bowl Weekend.

Jan 9 What does it mean? Another year, another coordinator pushed out the door. Make it two in two years. The Giants made a change on the offensive side of the ball after last season's 7-9 record. They made a change on the defensive side of the ball after this season's 6-10 mark. Head coach Tom Coughlin is still there, but there are fewer and fewer familiar faces surrounding him as the Giants look to get back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season.

The Buccaneers introduced 32-year old Raheem Morris as their head coach on Jan. 18, 2009. That same day in St. Louis, the Rams held a press conference for their new head coach, Steve Spagnuolo. Six years later, those two could be going head-to-head to become the next defensive coordinator of the Giants.
There's nothing wrong with Steve Spagnuolo as a defensive coordinator candidate for the Giants. They know him. They like him. Tom Coughlin is comfortable with him, and he'd excite a good portion of the fan base with memories of the 2007 season and Super Bowl XLII. I just don't think that's the way the Giants should go.
The Giants have requested permission to speak with Raheem Morris, the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who now works as the defensive backs coach in Washington. He has never been a defensive coordinator in the NFL before, though he was for one season in college (2006) at Kansas State.

Former Giants
Will Hill gets this dream chance now with the Ravens, a dream chance to upset Tom Brady Saturday night in Foxborough and close to within 60 minutes of the Super Bowl -- Hill's Heaven, following Hill's Hell as a New York Football Giant, three suspensions in three seasons and out, goodbye and good luck.

NFL News
Romo, Rodgers banged up but raring to go for playoff battle.
Winner of de facto Manning-Luck trade may ride on these playoffs.
NFL's popularity soaring, but its credibility is sagging.

Jan 8 Odell Beckham Jr., the electrifying New York Giants rookie who packed a season's worth of top-wide-receiver stats into three-quarters of a season, will be rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Jan 7 One week after strongly defending his embattled defensive coordinator, Tom Coughlin reversed course and fired Perry Fewell -- a move that could clear the path for the return of Steve Spagnuolo, one of the most popular and successful defensive coordinators the Giants have had in years.
It's the second straight year there has been a major shakeup to coach Tom Coughlin's staff. Coughlin was asked to return once again, but this time without Fewell as his top defensive lieutenant. Last year offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride was forced into retirement and longtime tight ends coach Mike Pope and running backs coach Jerald Ingram were fired.
Tom Coughlin's firing of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell means he is out of scapegoats and the next scapegoat will be him, so the Giants head coach better get this one right. Interviewing former Giants inside linebacker Pepper Johnson is necessary. "I would have to calm down my emotions, but I would love that opportunity," Johnson told The Post Wednesday.

During his two years with the Giants, Steve Spagnuolo's defense ranked fifth and seventh in the NFL and the defensive surge in 2007 guided the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII, limiting the record-breaking offense of the unbeaten Patriots to 14 points. Rarely does an organization get the opportunity to call for a do-over, but the Giants have a chance to bring Spagnuolo back as their defensive coordinator. Coughlin also dismissed cornerbacks coach Peter Giunta.
Both coaches were handcuffed by an inordinate number of injuries. Giunta had just one game in which his full allotment of healthy cornerbacks was available. Prince Amukamara, Walter Thurmond III and Trumaine McBride all went on injured reserve and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie spent most of the season battling injuries. "We all understand in this league when a defense is unsuccessful," safety Antrel Rolle said on SiriusXM's NFL Radio shortly after the Fewell decision was reported, "but I figured that he would be back given that we had so many people on IR, to give him a chance to make the wrong right."

Jan 6 The three most obvious takeaways from the 2014 Giants season were - 1) they were not a good team. 2) rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is really good. 3) quarterback Eli Manning had a much better season than the previous year.

Former Giants
Allie Sherman, who led the Giants to the NFL title game in each of his first three years as coach, died on Saturday night at his home in Manhattan. Sherman was 91 years old.
Allie Sherman utilized the T-formation during his days as the Brooklyn College quarterback, and he used the formation during his days as an NFL assistant and head coach.

NFC East News
Additional Commentary on the Officiating in the Dallas-Detroit WC Game.

Jan 4 There will be plenty of changes that take place before the Giants open training camp sometime in late July. Five burning issues that the Giants need to resolve to get back to the playoffs after a three-year absence.

Eli Manning isn't the 23-year-old kid that landed with the Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft anymore. He's a 34-year-old man who just finished his 11th professional season. Manning turned 34 on Saturday. Have a look at Eli through the years.

Jan 3 Desire for continuity runs deep. If you've been following what's going on with the Giants, you shouldn't be surprised.

Odell Beckham Jr. fined for second straight week after outburst vs. Eagles.
Both of his recent fines resulted from hits in which he appeared to be targeted and he reacted to them.
The explanation for why Beckham was not penalized for throwing down his helmet may be technically correct.

Jan 2 The opponents for the 2015 regular-season games have been determined.

Giants 2014 studs and duds include Odell Beckham Jr., Eli Manning, and Antrel Rolle.

Giants to select 9th in 2015 NFL Draft. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers own the No. 1 pick of the 2015 National Football League Draft, which will be held on April 30-May 2 at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Former Giants
Brandon Jacobs, once one of the Giants' emotional leaders, said he can understand where people might be concerned with some of Odell Beckham Jr.'s antics, especially given Coughlin's no-nonsense approach. But he said the franchise is best left letting the rookie be himself.

Jan 1 Odell Beckham Jr.'s December was just as extraordinary as his November, so it was no surprise when the NFL announced that the flashy Giants receiver won his second consecutive NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month Award.

The Giants announced that they hired Mike Sullivan to replace Danny Langsdorf as their quarterbacks coach.
Danny Langsdorf left the team after only one season to become offensive coordinator at the University of Nebraska.
Sullivan was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator in 2012-13. After leaving the Bucs, he stayed in Tampa and worked this year as a consultant.

John Mara didn't directly say Tom Coughlin won't return after 2015 if the Giants fail to reach the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, and of course he didn't have to. Mara made it clear by doing the following: "He raised the possibility he'll ignore team policy and allow Coughlin to coach out the final year of his contract without a safety-net year tacked on."

Tom Coughlin's time to shape his legacy with the NY Giants. Is he the man who won two titles in the last eight seasons? Or is he the one whose teams missed the playoffs in five of the last six?

Former Giants
Kenny Phillips hasn't played in an official game in the NFL since his departure from the New York Giants after the 2012 season. The New Orleans Saints have signed Phillips to a reserve/future contract.