Will Be Moving...

Packin Up and Shippin Out!

To my friends, family, and whoever else has been reading the blog, I am leaving the free agent pool and signing with G-Men HQ. For me, it is a step in the right direction, a step that hopefully will lead to more opportunities down the road. Don't worry, every article I write on their site will be put onto my Facebook without hesitation. I will keep this site up but will not post on it just in case. Thanks for sticking with me for my first season, and I hope you continue to read my thoughts on gmenhq.com!!!

RAMSES II

He's BAAACK!!

Well, I mentioned in the Hynoski update that Barden and the Giants were close to a reunion, and he's back. I thought that the Hynoski injury would cause a problem with the roster situation but I guess that is not the case, yet. 

You all know I love Ramses. The guy has all the tools to be a freak on the field. 6-6 224 pounds is beast size. He proved he could play with the game vs Carolina last year where he had 9 for 138 filling in for an injured Nicks. 

Hopefully he now understands that this is his last shot. Every other team in the NFL passed on his services, and he is already down towards the bottom of the Giants depth chart. I hope this lights a fire under him and he puts up some numbers in 2013.

Hynoski Injury Update

Not Too Good.

News came back today that Henry Hynoski has sprained his MCL and has a chip fracture to the lateral plateau in his knee. Adam Schefter of ESPN however, says the MCL is torn, which is obviously worse than just a sprain. Surgery is set for Friday. 

Doctors say it is not an unrealistic goal to have him back by week one, but I doubt it will happen. Have to start looking for free agent full backs now, which is unfortunate. With the loss of Bennett, Bradshaw, and now Hynoski, the running game for the Giants has taken a huge hit in terms of blocking. 

Update on Nicks missing OTAs: Apparently he is upset about his contract too, so that's great, don't expect him there unless Eli starts paying him. 

RECENT UPDATE ON NICKS: Had nothing to do with contract situation. Apparently he was honored in the New York area Tuesday night, missed Wednesday, shouldn't be a big deal. 

Interestingly enough, Ramses Barden was back for a physical and may sign shortly. Problem with that is, there was one roster spot available, and may have to be used for Hynoski's replacement.

UPDATE ON RAMSES: See next article... 

Start Of OTAs

OTAs Have Begun.



I'll start with this:

The Giants fullback Henry Hynoski was carted off the field after the 2nd play of team drills. Apparently he banged knees with Andre Brown after receiving a handoff and had his leg rolled up on.

He went for a MRI, results are not back as of yet, I'll let you know as soon as I know.

Hakeem Nicks, who broke the 5th metatarsal bone in his foot during the 2nd OTA last year, was a no show today. Coughlin is pissed saying,  "He should be here" ... "Yeah, I sure did (expect him)."

Cruz is still being a primadonna about his contract so he was a no show as well. There were reports that they were "on the two yardline" with contract negotiations, but I guess they stalled there, much like the Giants offense as a whole.

With the two best wide receivers out, Eli gets some much needed extra work with the back of the depth chart, Randle, Murphy, Jernigan.

Jernigan will be getting a lot of slot work with the Cruz absense. A guy that needs to turn the corner quick or he may not have a spot on this team.

Still real excited about the homerun threat in Murphy.

Expecting even more out of Randle in his second year.

Paysinger, Herzlich, and Rivers were the starting linebacking corps during team. Obviously this can change, and probably will.

Only rookies that remain unsigned are Pugh and Nassib.

I'm only going to  post injuries, interesting signings, and contract talks until the preseason starts, so stay tuned...

Giants Add a Linebacker

Giants Sign Aaron Curry

The Giants brought in two free agents on Thursday for a workout, linebacker Aaron Curry and WR/Return Specialist Josh Cribbs. Both left without a contract, one came back today and signed. Aaron Curry, a 27 yearold linebacker out of Wake Forest, was drafted number 4 overall by the Seahawks in 2009. In his senior year of colllege he won the Butkus Award for being the best linebacker in the nation.

Now obviously he did not live up to the hype of being the 4th overall pick. He went from the Seahawks to the Raiders after just 2 seasons by way of a trade, a 7th round pick to be exact. Played only 13 games for the Raiders and was waived after spending practically all of last season on the physically unable to perform list (PUP).

Now, the deal is a "low-risk" one year deal, probably for the veteran minimum which is perfectly fine with me. All low risk high reward with Curry. If his knees continue to be an issue, cut him. If he lives up to the talent of a 4th overall pick? That would be ridiculous value.

Reese sees him as being a middle or strongside backer, the latter he played in college. Expected to drop 10 pounds down to 255 as well.

In college he had outstanding field vision and was quite the ball hawk. As a junior he returned 3 of his 4 interceptions for touchdowns.

With the linebacker position being a glaring hole in the Giants defense, this is a great signing. Stay healthy and the Giants may have a great linebacker on their hands.

Rookie minicamp has begun. If anything happens with that I'll post. Cruz is still doing whatever he is doing and not signing a contract.

Rest of Draft and UDFAs

Who Else Did They Get?

I will never guess what the Giants will do. Ever again. Not one player I wanted was drafted or picked up.

4th, 5th, two 7th round picks, along with 6 undrafted free agents. Agree with some, not all. Still could have done better, I'll just put a thought or two on each player.

4th Round - Ryan Nassib QB Syracuse - Traded our 4th and 6th round picks to get a player that Reese hopes to "never play". Was mocked by many to go in the 1st to Buffalo. I guess you have to find an Eli replacement sometime, but also could be a trade piece down the road.

5th Round - Cooper Taylor S Richmond - Started at Georgia Tech Second Team All ACC as a freshman. Had a heart condition that caused him to miss sophomore year on a medical red shirt then barely played the next year cause of injuries. Went to Richmond for his last 2 years. Giants will use him as a 3rd safety/linebacker hybrid. At 6-4 228, he is a little big for a safety, a little small for an outside backer. He also ran a 4.49 at his pro day. Freak athlete, that I really want to see play.

7th Round - Eric Herman OG Ohio - 6-4 320, Mr. Pancake is what they call him, 335.5 pancakes at Ohio. Big nasty brawler. May not even make roster, but with the lack of depth at OLine, especially in 2014, he will be on the practice squad at the worst.

7th Round - Michael Cox RB UMass - 6-0 214 guy has good hands and good burst coming out of the backfield. Nothing else on him except the fact that he can flip into the end zone.

UDFAs

• Mount Union LB Charles Dieuseul 
• Mount Union is the Alabama of D3 football. 6-0 230. Went from LB to DE to LB during career there. 
• Charleston Southern DB Charles James
• 5-9 184. Apparently guy has a nose for the football. Had a school record 6 INTs in 2011
• LSU TE Chase Clement
• More of a lineman. 3rd string TE if anything
• Ohio State LB Etienne Sabino
• 6-2 247. All the physical tools, just not completely there in terms of skill. A project. 
• Virginia Tech S Alonzo Tweedy
• Special teams whiz apparently. Not as a returner necessarily but as a gunner on punt and kick coverage. 
• Virginia Tech WR Marcus Davis
• LOVE this pickup. Also loved Ramses Barden, ha. At 6-3 233 and arms that reach 32 and 3/4", he has all the physical talent in the world. Ran a 4.48 and had a 39" vertical at his pro day.   Has the speed to break away from the defender in the open field. His weaknesses are all fixable with good coaching. Blocking, and catching with his hands away from his body are the two big things against him. Coughlin & Co. hopefully will get all that fixed so we can add him to the list of Reese's gems. 

Day 2

2nd and 3rd Round Picks

Johnathan Hankins DT Ohio State

Damontre Moore DE Texas A&M

                                       

2nd round, Arthur Brown was still on the board and they did not go with him. Instead take a DT, a position the Giants have drafted in the 2nd round 4 of the last 5 drafts. What this says to me is they are set with the linebacking corps they have. Rivers, Connor, Jacquain as the starters most likely. 

Hankins: Big guy, 6-3 320, could weigh even more. That's the problem with him though. Has a stamina issue because he is just that big. Brings his work ethic in the weight room and in practice into question. The picture above would be nice to see, but it wont be happening often. Guy is a complete run stuffer. Able to take on double teams. Gotta be more consistent, some had him as a first round talent. 

Moore: This pick I like, a lot. 6-4 250. Once considered a top 5 pick, but with his terrible combine and pro day, his stock came crashing down. Apparently he has an attitude issue to go along with his work ethic. Off field issues are there too with an arrest for marijuana possession. Played behind Von Miller at A&M when they were in the 3-4 so got mentored by a great football player. 2012 they switched to the 4-3. 12.5 sacks, 20 tackles for a loss as a DE. Guy is a natural at getting to the QB. And the Giants could never have enough of those. 

I've been reading a little on late players. Take a look at the WR Da'Rick Rogers ... off field issues, but a tremendous talent, would LOVE HIM. I'll put up day 3 later tonight or tomorrow. 

       

Giants First Round Pick

And the Giants Select...

JUSTIN PUGH!!!

Well here is your Giants 2013 first round draft pick. Offensive lineman from Syracuse. 6-5 307 pounds. 34 starts at Syracuse, mostly at LT. Biggest hit on him is his arms. They measure at 31.5 inches, which is t-rex like in the NFL. "Good" thing is, in 2012, he allowed only a half sack and one other hurry of his quarterback. Now Syracuse was not playing NFL type defensive ends/tackles, so that means little to me really. 

Jerry Reese on Pugh: "He was the highest guy on our board. You guys think I'm joking when I say that, but he was the highest guy on our board." 

...

"Pugh can play every position on line," Reese said. Can he be opening day starter? "We'll see. I think it's going to be a lot of competition."

The guy doesn't even have a set offensive line position. Where is he going to play? Over Boothe at LG?  Snee at RG? Or be Diehl's replacement at RT? Center? WHO KNOWS! I would be so much more comfortable with a stud at one of them instead of a second round grade player at some of them. 

 Here's what I think. Jerry Reese sits in his office, and is like, "hey who can we draft that NO ONE thinks we will draft? Oh Justin Pugh? Alright lets take him, shock the world again!" I am furious with this pick. The needs on the defensive side of the ball are TREMENDOUS. A linebacker? Pick Ogletree. A corner? Pick Rhodes, or even Trufant. A safety? Matt Elam. Defensive End? Bjoern Werner. 

By the way, if he turns out to be some pro bowl type offensive lineman and Reese proves me wrong, then that would be absolutely amazing, we do need the O line help and youth. 

I am not even gonna guess what Reese is going to do tomorrow. What I do know is that the Giants better go defense, and NOT TE'O. Here's whats left that I would like to see happen tomorrow, pretty much in order: 

CB Tyrann Mathieu (this pick may make up for my anger in the first round) 

OLB Arthur Brown (pick I would be very excited about) 

ILB Kevin Minter (another pick I would be very excited about)

CB Darius Slay (worried about torn meniscus in knee that "does not need surgery") 

DE Cornellius "Tank" Carradine (tore his ACL on November 24th last season) 

Who To Pick At 19?

Pick 19

Now I will never mock a draft. That is a huge waste of time, since predicting even the first round in the draft is almost as hard as predicting March Madness. What I will do is give you some options the Giants SHOULD have at 19, IF they stay there. 

Based on recent history, the Giants base their draft on BPA, or best player available. That is how we got the likes of JPP, in a year where the Giants had needs at other positions and a good to great defensive line at the time. This is what makes trying to predict the Giants pick so hard. Does Jerry Reese draft the BPA in his mind? Or do they go with need. Speaking of need, here are the glaring holes on the team coming into next year:

OL: The line is filled with guys over the age of 30. Anchored by left tackle Will Beatty, the future of the rest, especially right tackle is uncertain

LB: With Kiwi going back to DE, all 3 starters from last year are gone. 

CB: Terrible group last year. CWeb is in his final year. Prince never seems to be fully healthy

DE: VERY underachieving bunch last year. With the loss of Osi, and Tuck being in the final year of his contract it may be a need if the Giants don't see the younger players like Tracy being able to fill the roll. Even with Kiwi coming down, still a need. 

S: Kenny Phillips is now an Eagle. Stevie Brown and Antrel Rolle are now the starters. Do they trust Will Hill to be that 3rd safety? Trell has a high cap as well, do they need to replace him next year? 

Now I'll give you a list of players I HOPE the Giants draft at 19. Then some I would like to see later on. 

1. Alec Ogletree LB - The guy is an athlete from Georgia, use him at the weakside LB spot. Maybe even as a spy on QBs like RG3 and Vick. Need speed on defense to keep up with evolving offenses. LOTS of character issues, but the Giants have had their fair share of those types. Draft profile here. (Giants haven't drafted a LB in the 1st round since '84 when they drafted Carl Banks.) 

2. D.J. Fluker OT - A monster right tackle from Alabama. 6-6 335 is enormous in my book. Long arms is can make up for his slight trouble with pass blocking, but he is a run blocking tackle. David Wilson would have little problem getting to the outside with Fluker over there. Problem is, gotta hope that the Dolphins and Chiefs get a deal done that sends Branden Albert to Miami.  Draft profile here.

3. Xavier Rhodes CB - From Florida State coming in at 6-2 217, Rhodes has some nice size that runs a 4.39 40. Loves to jam receivers on the outside. Long arms and big frame are perfect for throwing receivers off their routes. Also good at shedding blocks to help support the run. Draft profile here.

4. Kenny Vaccaro S - Best safety prospect in the draft outta Texas. Will have to slip by a few teams, Dallas being one of them at 18. Aggressive in run defense, and can be that 3rd safety to come down and cover the slot. Draft profile here.

5. Desmond Trufant CB - Younger brother of Marcus, the kid out of Washington has talent. Runs a solid 4.38 40. At 5'11 192, can he take the punishment of the NFL on a weekly basis? His aggressive nature could see him sidelined, and with Prince barely healthy all season, the last thing we need is another hurt corner. Draft profile here.

I would also really, really, really, like to see the Giants draft Tyrann Mathieu the CB out of LSU, or more recently, out of marijuana rehab. Guy obviously has off field issues because he loves smoking weed, got him kicked off the team at LSU after being a Heisman finalist his sophomore year. Guy can return kicks and is an absolute ball hawk, will get the INTs or strip anybody holding the ball. Complete play maker  best ball skills at the combine, BY FAR. 3rd or 4th round would be fine. Don't be surprised to see the Pats take him in the 2nd though. 

Also later on I would love to see Connor Vernon in another blue uniform. WR from Duke looked real real nice at the combine, catching absolutely everything. Also works out with the Manning brothers at their camp they do at Duke, where Eli praised him for always getting open. IF and a huge IF that Cruz situation doesn't pan out, we need to start looking at slot WR's that can not only run routes, but go deep. 

Notice how I didn't put any defensive ends. I feel like Reese can find them somewhere later. JPP figures his stuff out, Tuck bounces back, Kiwi and Adrian Tracy, and whoever else can hold it down. 

Andre Brown Signed his tender so he's all set. Cruz is still being an absolute idiot, $8 mil a year with $15-$18 mil guaranteed is on the table. He wants number 1 WR money. Out of his mind. 

2013 Schedule

Here it is. 2013 Regular Season Schedule

Week 1: at Cowboys, Sunday, Sept. 8, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Week 2: vs. Broncos, Sunday, Sept. 15, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 3: at Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 22, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 4: at Chiefs, Sunday, Sept. 29, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 5: vs. Eagles, Sunday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 6: at Bears, Thursday, Oct. 10, 8:25 p.m. (NFL Network)
Week 7: vs. Vikings, Monday, Oct. 21, 8:40 p.m. (ESPN)
Week 8: at Eagles, Sunday, Oct. 27, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 9: Bye
Week 10: vs. Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 10, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 11: vs. Packers, Sunday, Nov. 17, 8:30 p.m.* (NBC)
Week 12: vs. Cowboys, Sunday, Nov. 24, 4:25 p.m.* (FOX)
Week 13: at Redskins, Sunday, Dec. 1, 8:30 p.m.* (NBC)
Week 14: at Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 8, 4:25 p.m.* (FOX)
Week 15: vs. Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 15, 1 p.m.* (FIX)
Week 16: at Lions, Sunday, Dec. 22, 4:05 p.m.* (FOX)
Week 17: vs. Redskins, Sunday, Dec. 29, 1 p.m.* (FOX)

Boom, kicking off Sunday Night Football this year at Jerry's World. Yes Sir! Ready for some payback for last years opener. Then right after that its Manning Bowl III at home. Gonna be a real tough game. Hopefully Eli can finally get the best of Peyton. Eagles week 5 obviously is a big match up. Giants will have time to get film on the Eagles new offense which is good, but they couldn't figure out the Redskins at all last year so who knows. 

Bears and BMarsh/Bennett/Cutler the following week is a scary match up. Not as afraid of their defense though. We get AP week 7 at home, maybe he will get busted for steroid use by then. Week 9 is a great time for the bye, right in the middle of the season

I'm only excited to see the Raiders if Terrelle Pryor is a starter. The Packers on Sunday Night Football is obviously a scary game because they are the Packers. Regardless of how well we play them, they are a scary team. We see the Redskins for the first time week 13 so hopefully RG3 is already out for the season or at least banged up before that. Phillip Rivers sucks so who cares about the Chargers. Seattle week 15 will probably be a nightmare. That defensive line could rack up 15 sacks against us. Lions have Megatron so maybe we can get LeBron James in our secondary by then to help out. 

Well that's 5 prime time games. There is also something that I do not like. The Giants are known for starting hot and having a poor second half, well look at the 2nd half of the schedule... 5 of the last 8 games are against 2012 playoff teams. 

"No More BS" and Andre Brown's goals.

JPP Sick of BS, ABrown Sets Lofty Goals

Jason Pierre-Paul has put his two cents into what has hindered the Giants in the past few years. Apparently it has been too much "BS". He, like all of us fans, is frustrated with the lack of consistent play from this ball club since Coughlin has come on as head coach. They always start off hot, go ice cold, then try to catch a spark and ride the flame to the Super Bowl.

“We can’t BS around this year,” JPP said on Tuesday. “The falling down and going up, that sucks, you know what I mean? Because it’s like every year it happens. Every year.”

He went on to say how much of an impact he made last year and how his stats didn't tell the whole story. Well I have news for him. He had 6.5 sacks last year, 10 less than 2011. Coughlin says the fact he came into camp overweight took him down a few pegs. JPP of course fired back saying he wasn't, going on to state that the NFL hasn't seen anything yet in terms of his potential. Beat a double team, and prove to us fans that your rookie season wasn't "BS".

On the offensive side of the ball, Andre Brown actually had some surprising aspirations.

“I have to outdo last year’s stats. Eight touchdowns – I want 22,” Brown said. “I want 1,300 (yards) this year. That’s the steppingstone. I have to erase last year’s stats and show I can do better.”

Yeah. See, here's the thing with that. David Wilson is going to be the featured back in this offense. Brown will not only split carries with him, but probably another back as well. Not to mention the aging offensive line the Giants have. Brown, however, will most likely be put in goal line and short yardage situations.  The guy broke his leg in November, crushing his breakout season. Does he have talent? Absolutely. Are the goals a little out of reach? Most likely.

Regular season schedule is released Thursday the 18th at 8PM ET,  with the draft a week from that. I will post the schedule when it is available and be giving you some info on potential 1st rd draft picks for the Giants sometime next week. PRESEASON SCHEDULE is below:

GAME 1: Saturday, Aug. 10: at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.

GAME 2: Sunday, Aug. 18: vs. COLTS, 8 p.m.

GAME 3: Saturday, Aug. 24 vs. JETS, 7 p.m.

GAME 4: Thursday, Aug. 29: at New England, 7:30 p.m.

Another Eagle?

Giants Sign Mike Patterson

This is old news.

Just adding DL depth here. Patterson, or "Patt" is a good run stuffer, shown here by Blogging The Beast. ESPN has him at 6'1" 300 Lbs, so obviously he has some size. If you click on the link, the images show his ability to take on double teams and stand his ground. He is a guy that does not get pushed around very often.

Issue here is his health. In 2011 he suffered a seizure during training camp. The next off season he had surgery to repair a arteriovenous malformation in his brain. Not sure what that means, but brain surgery in any form scares me. He only got to play 5 games last year.

A healthy Patterson will not be a starter, but maybe a goaline/short yardage lineman. Linval Joseph and Jenkins will probably get the majority of the reps with Patterson, Shaun Rogers, Marvin Austin and Markus Kuhn coming in under special circumstances.

That TE Signing.

Giants Pickup Brandon Myers 

I know this happened a while ago but whatever. 

Giants picked up free agent TE Brandon Myers formally of the Oakland Raiders. The guy is 6-foot-4, 250, obviously a nice big target for Eli to throw to. Racked up 79 for 806 and 4 with Oakland last year, with most of those being on short to intermediate routes. His long was 29 yards, showing he is not a vertical threat. A good short yard, or red-zone target, an area that the Giants were miserable in last year.

Another thing, he is a terrible blocker, and this is what confused me about the pickup. Giants primarily have used their TEs as block first. We saw some change in Bennett but even he is a block first TE. With the huge knock on David Wilson being his pass pro ability (and of course the fumbles), having Myers and Wilson on the field in any passing down does not make much sense.

There were a few time last season where Oakland had Myers either line up off the line or come in motion and fire off the ball from the slot. If the Giants want to have him off the line, that is where Pascoe or Adrien Robinson can come in to block a little.

I am most frustrated with this pickup because of Adrien Robinson. He did not come into any game, at any time last year, after Reese praised him for being the JPP of tight ends. With the acquisition of Myers, ARob is in the same spot as he was last year. I want to see what he can do on the field. Get him more reps in preseason so he can prove what he is worth.

Oh, and the Giants resigned Kevin Boothe to a 1 year deal. Looks like the whole offensive line is coming back for next year. The Giants have to start building this line through the draft. The right side is no younger than 31 years of age, and oft-injured. We saw them hurt the Giants last year, and I can guarantee they will this season.

Bringing In WR Depth

Giants Sign Louis Murphy

6'2" 200 lbs. 4.32 40. Those are the numbers on Louis Murphy. This 5 year pro was drafted in the 4th round by the Raiders in 2009. He was constantly overshadowed in college by Harvin and Tebow. His NFL career really started off well, even with his QBs in Oakland being JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski, and Jason Campbell. 2011 however, he had a groin injury which seemed to have bothered him. Spent last year with Carolina where caught 25 for 336 and 1. His best year came in 2010 when he brought in 41 passes for 609 and 2 in 14 games. Pair him with Eli, who knows what can happen. He can definitely stretch the field. Great arm length to reach out for passes, maybe those that Nicks couldn't reach last season...

With Hixon and Barden practically out the door, Murphy adds depth behind Cruz, Nicks, and Randle. He will battle with Jernigan for that 4th WR spot. His speed, size, and length are perfect for the slot. 

I love speed, so I love this signing. Speed is so important in the passing game, getting separation from the cornerback. He finally has an elite QB in Eli, and maybe his numbers will improve with that. You saw Eli over through a banged up Nicks on deep balls, I trust that Murphy could get those, just keep him healthy. 

While writing, the Giants announced their signing of Dan Connor, linebacker from the Cowboys. Going into his 5th year, he is being brought in to compete for the MLB job. With Boley released and Blackburn hopefully not coming back from free agency, the Giants only have Herzlich to really compete for the starting job. 

Kenny To Philly

Kenny Phillips Off to Philly

The recently oft-injured Kenny Phillips has decided to join the Giants' heated rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. His contract is going to be something like LaRon Landry signed with the Jets last season, a "prove it" contract, to see if the player can remain healthy throughout the year. It seemed like there was little interest to have Kenny on the Giants from both parties. Last season Perry Fewell wasn't even sure how to get him on the field when he came back from injury, and Kenny sidestepped questions about wanting to return after his contract was up. 

Although he has been injured recently, he brings a the Giants defense to another level. His intensity and ability not only helps the secondary, but brings the whole defense together. When Phillips played (09-12)  they were 28-13, when he didn't they were 12-15. Coincidence? I think not. However, I believe we have the safety depth we need to replace him. Is Stevie Brown just as good as a pure safety? No, but we also have my boy Will Hill, just signed Aaron Ross back who has experience at the position, also Terrell Thomas who may be switched to safety to protect his knee. 

Another safety depth booster will come in the form of Ryan Mundy. Remember last year when Stevie Brown was signed? I don't either, I had no idea who he was or why he was on the team. 8 INTs later, Reese seems to have found another gem. Will it be the same with the 28 year old Mundy? He's played in all 16 games in the past 4 seasons for the Steelers. Rarely started, but made 39 tackles last season. Start him on special teams like Brown, and see what happens.

Keith Rivers was resigned for another year. So injury prone, its upsetting. Guy has freakish ability, just has never been able to stay on the field. If he can stay healthy, he can be a starter on this team, especially at strong side or middle.

Yesterday the Giants signed kicked Josh Brown. Gives us more power and range from the kicker position. Tynes is all but gone, thanks for the HUGE NFC Championship kicks.

Bye Bye Bennett

Free Agency Day 1

 

Well day one of free agency is pretty much wrapped up at this point, and to be honest, I am pissed. If you have read this blog before, you know how much I like Martellus Bennett. From day one, I knew he was going to make an impact. He is a freak athlete that just needed the opportunity to get on the field. 55 for 626 and 5 was more than enough from a "block first" TE. Now Bennett is on the Bears, agreeing to a 4 year deal. The issue with the 3 tenders, the Giants only have $1.5 mil in cap room. The Giants gave Bennett a "prove it" contract last year, he proved it, he's gone.

 

 Mike Pope the TE coach has his hands full. See the Giants drafted Adrien Robinson in the 4th round last year, and Jerry Reese stated that he is the JPP of tight ends, he just needed to learn the offense. Or will the Giants draft another TE? I've seen a few mocks that have them drafting Zach Ertz out of Stanford. Don't hold your breath on that, unless Reese sees that he is the next Jimmy Graham.

 

Other notes:

Dannell Ellerbe went to the Dolphins after winning the Superbowl with the Ravens last year. He would have been a real nice fit with the Giants in the middle of that defense. Young, and proved he could play after becoming the starter last year for BMore.

 

Skins released Deangelo Hall. The guy is a Giants killer and they have shown interest in picking him up. This point in his career however, they will have to put him on the inside, which would be a huge upgrade for the secondary.

 

Ryan Torain was resigned, just adds depth to the runningback corps.

UPDATE:

Deal for Martellus Bennett -- four-year, $20 million.

Aaron Ross is back after being with Jacksonville last year.  30 yeras old. Started 9 of the 14 games he played in with the Jags, will be in his own reality show with his wife the olympic star. If there is no DHall/draftpick/pickup, its Ross vs Hosley for the slot corner.

 

Tenders All Around

Cruz, ABrown, SBrown Get Tendered

John Mara announced today that the Giants have placed tenders on Victor Cruz, Andre Brown, and Stevie Brown. Cruz has a 1st round tender with both the Browns receiving a 2nd.

Mara stated that Cruz would become a very wealthy young man if he accpeted the Giants offer, but Cruz and his agent have said that they want to test the free agent market. Do not be surprised to see someone sign him to an offer sheet. If you have not heard, Percy Harvin was traded to the Seahawks today for a 1st round pick and then some. I could see the Vikings giving the Giants that 1st round pick to pick up Cruz as a semi replacement for Harvin. Also, don't sleep on the 49ers who have a ridiculous amount of picks at their disposal.

Stevie and Andre  Brown should be safe with the Giants. Both players came out of no where this past year and contributed greatly on defense and offense respectively. I doubt there is a team in the league that would risk a 2nd round pick on players that are not fully proven in the NFL.

I see all 3 coming back. Cruz is a product of Eli. Not the other way around, and hopefully he understands that.

Three tenders take up $6.9 million in salary cap space ($2.879m to Cruz, $2.02m offered to Browns), $1.5 million left for now.

UPDATE: Anquan Boldin just got traded to the 49ers for a 6th round pick. Thats two WRs going to the NFC West, do the Rams travel down that road and pick up Cruz? Speculation shows Rams have interest.

Jenkins to the Giants

Giants Grab Cullen Jenkins

 

First notable signing for the Giants this offseason. With the release of Canty, it is a much needed acquisition.  Played for the rival Eagles for the past 2 years. Started all 16 each year. Seems to have had his best year with the Packers in their 3-4 defense as a DE in 2010 with 7 sacks in 11 games. Will give the Giants a nice boost in run defense, one of the biggest problems for Big Blue last year.

 

The numbers on the contract: 3 yr/$8m deal with $2m upfront and $3 guaranteed.

 

Happy to see the Giants are bringing outsiders in. That defensive line defintely needed a boost, and Jenkins can provide that.

 

Before the deal the Giants were $10.5 mil below the cap. Should still have room to get more accomplished this off season. 

Bradshaw, Boley, Canty Cut

Only the Beginning?

Well here we go. You don't make the playoffs, drastic things need to happen. Say goodbye to Ahmad Bradshaw. I was one of the few that disliked how Bradshaw would continue to get reps even when he wasn't practicing, taking away from David Wilson's development. Now, with yet another surgery on his bothersome foot, he is off the team for good. Giants will likely tender Andre Brown and just run with the two backs next season. Boley is not very surprising. He stopped starting games and playing all together towards the end of the season. I love Jacquian Williams and always have, it's his time to step up. I've actually liked Canty a lot. The defensive line as a whole played terribly but Canty had 3 sacks and 20 tackles in only 9 games this past season.

Right now it is all about trying to get back to championship form. I hope Eli restructures his deal so we can bring both Cruz and Nicks back. It's been reported that Cruz is asking for too much and that Nicks is top priority, which is fine, but we need both to compete. These 3 cuts (Canty $6.5 mil, Boley $4.5 mil, and Bradshaw $2.75 mil)  account for about $13.75 mil in cap space. Expect more to come within the next couple days.

Season Recap

No Philly Recap

Completely wrong about the outcomes of Sunday's games. Hoped the jinx would work, it didn't. Packers let AP run all over them. Stafford is just terrible. Not even going to recap the game vs Philly. Vick looked terrible, not sure if he will start anywhere else. 

Bottom line, we are not in the bracket above because of the inconsistent play from this team. One week they look like the best in the league, the next they look like the worst. They get too caught up in thinking they can flip a switch when in the most desperate of situations, and that's just not how the league works. 

The Bad

Injuries hurt us this year. started with T2 and his ACL which made a thin Cornerback corps even thinner. Prince played in only 13 games. Andre Brown going down made way for David Wilson, but it would have been nice to have all 3 going. Bradshaw was never fully healthy, and never will be. Locklear going down hurt more than it seemed. Nicks not being able to get to 100% and missing on deep connections with Eli hurt us. The opponent got the chance to double Cruz all game with Nicks not fully going.  Kenny Phillips is hurt and hasn't lived up to potential.

Defensive Line (DEs). Started week one against Dallas. Not one DE had a sack and the team had 2 total. It was perceived that the Giants were going through a Super Bowl hangover, but did the pass rush get any better? No. The DE's will get blown up in the off season. No more Osi, Tuck may even be a goner as well. The ends had no idea how to contain. Let running backs cut back. The middle got exposed over and over again. Went into the season thinking that we had more than enough guys to rush the passer, boy oh boy were we wrong.

Corey Webster. Again started week 1 and just got worse. Guy could not guard a blind kid. He is owed nearly $9 Million next season. That is an absolute joke. Get rid of him. I do not care if it makes our secondary laughable, I do not want a glaring weakness on this team. Besides the DE's, Corey Webster is the biggest disappointment this season.

Eli Manning. Comparing last year and this years stats, they look pretty similar. Besides the 1,000 YARD GAP in total passing yards. In games that could have put us in the playoffs (ATL/BAL) he threw for 311, 1 TD, 2 INT in both games COMBINED! Eli is known for being clutch, but those two games put a kink in his armor. I get that Nicks was hurt, but there are plenty of weapons on this team. As a QB of Eli's caliber, he has to take control of the team and put them on his back. A stronger leadership role from Eli may have easily put the Giants in the playoffs. I know that he isn't the vocal leader we would all like to see, but when the team is down, you cannot join them, you have to rise above.

The Good

Andre and Stevie Brown. Both guys came in due to injury and took complete advantage of their opportunity. Andre was the big bruiser that could be put on the goal line and get in no problem, and also had the speed to break big runs. Stevie had his eighth interception of the season vs Philly, the most by a Giant since 1968. Had 307 return yards, which set a new Giants single-season record. These two will be great contributors in 2013.

Martellus Bennett. A guy that was highly touted for his blocking ability had 55 receptions, the most for a Giants TE since Jeremy Shockey. You have a healthy Locklear for a full season, bring Beatty back, you won't have to make Bennett stay in to block anymore. I knew what the guy could be capable of, but his play shocked many others. Just another weapon that Eli can bring the best out of.

Sean Locklear. Another guy that game in due to injury. Had Giants fans crying for him to remain the starter after Diehl came back. Of course he was not, then was put back in, and got hurt. His play this year has earned him a starting spot if healthy next year.

Victor Cruz. This season everyone knew who Victor Cruz was. Everyone had to be aware of number 80. There were plenty of doubters out there. Saying he is just a one year wonder. Think about it though. Defenses know who he is. Nicks is practically playing on one leg. Cruz is getting doubled constantly. Yet he still puts up over 1,000 yards with 4 more receptions and 1 more TD than last year. Yes he dropped the ball a couple times, could have cost us the Dallas game. But there is a level of chemistry between him and Eli that will make them a dangerous pair for a very long time.

 Rueben Randle. Wasn't as bright as these other guys but the rookie was not touted as a great receiver. He showed down the stretch that he can play. He has great leaping ability. The instincts to come back and fight for the ball. Finished the season real strong with 2 TDs.  A little more chemistry with Eli, he will be in the 3 receiver sets next year, not Hixon. 

David Wilson. Up and down season really, ending on a great note though. Put himself right in the dog house week 1 with the fumble. Dropped passes when he was put in later on in the season. Then wham. Guy was putting the Giants at the 40 yard line practically every kickoff return. Always being a shoestring tackle away from taking it to the house. 1,533 yards returning kickoffs is now a team record. Had his first TD against the Browns then didn't do much. Went off against the Saints from both the line of scrimmage and kick returns. Then capped off the season with the start against the Eagles. Can't wait to watch him play next year.

 Outcome

Obviously we end the season with the same record as last year 9-7. I blame it on the defensive line, especially the ends. Listen, our secondary was not any worse than it was last year but the lack of pressure made it seem 10 times worse. Without a pass rush, the Giants led the league in giving up plays over 20 yards. 15 sacks combined from the big 3 defensive ends. JPP had 1.5 more than that by himself last year. Absolutely pathetic year for the DE's who I thought would take control of this team and lead them to another playoff/Super Bowl run.