New York Giants Sign Rookie DE Jason Pierre-Paul

July 31, 2010

The New York Giants have signed rookie DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who was the last unsigned rookie from the 2010 draft class. The Giants are clearly impressed with Jason “Wild Thing” Pierre-Paul (that’s a nickname I gave him) because they made him their No.1 overall pick in 2010. JPP’s deal is worth roughly $20 million over five years with $11.6 million guaranteed. Some say that Pierre-Paul could be the steal of the draft, while others think the G-Men reached too high to grab him. Only time will tell but nobody can argue the fact that he is a raw, athletic freak of nature, something that doesn’t come around very often. Most scouts were comparing his body type to the original freak, Javon Kearse. The coaches will be particularly interested in seeing what No.90 JPP can do during training camp.

The fans were certainly impressed by the now infamous video of JPP, who made a bet with a team mate over who could do the most summersaults. Pierre-Paul then proceeds to flip over and over and over and over and just when you think he must surely stop any moment now, he does ten or fifteen more. The final count was somewhere in the mid-twenties and he won the bet. Why is this so impressive? Oh, I forgot to mention that Pierre-Paul is 6’5″ 270 pounds (see link in comment area).

Make no mistake about it, JPP is a work in progress. He is eager to learn according to the coaches but he went to a small college and didn’t start playing football until late in life. If his mind can catch up with his physicality, he could become a force in the NFL sooner then many think. Fans are very excited to see what JPP can do.

Do you think that Jason “Wild Thing” Pierre-Paul will be a starter by the end of this year or do you see him possibly developing next year?

RD – nygreporter.com

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Giants Sign Safety John Busing, Jones Clears Waivers

July 31, 2010

The New York Giants have signed safety John Busing, adding some help to their depleted safety group. This is a smart move on the Giants part and I like to see a backup DB or WR, who can also contribute on special teams, which I imagine Busing will be used for quite a bit. Busing (6’2″ 220 pounds) is a four year NFL veteran who has played for the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals. Reports say that the Giants brought him to the minicamp back in May, so they must have been looking ahead by working him out. He played college ball at Miami, Ohio and now has a shot at a permanent roster spot.

There is no denying the fact that the Antrel Rolle signing was huge. If it wasn’t clear to some of the fans back then, it should be now. The Giants have recently announced that Kenny Phillips will not be able to start practice (PUP list) and we know that rookie safety Chad Jones will be out for the year after his car accident. Giants GM Jerry Reese is clearly determined not to allow teams to pass against them, the way they did in 2009. He is giving new DC Perry Fewell the tools he needs to get the job done.

Rookie safety Chad Jones cleared waivers and will be put on the Giants Non-Football injury list. This is good news because Jones was highly regarded coming out of college. He is a very heavy hitter and someone the G-Men thought would compliment Antrel Rolle nicely, if Phillips could not make it this year. It just so happens, that neither Phillips or Jones will be available. This should be the last we hear about the safety position until Kenny Phillips is healthy enough for a full return to the game.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul has the only remaining roster spot available, as the Big Blue roster is currently at seventy nine players. Everyone expects JPP to sign sometime tonight before training camp starts tomorrow morning. Stay tuned!

RD – nygreporter.com

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New York Giants Sign Rookie DT Linval Joseph

July 31, 2010

The New York Giants have signed 2010 second round pick DT Linval Joseph, to a four year contract. This was an expected move by the team with training camp beginning tomorrow. This is breaking news so terms have not been released on his deal, other then the fact that it was a four year deal. The team and fans expect a lot from Linval and he has been receiving praise from his coaches early on. He is a very big man who can move fairly quickly for his size (6’4″ 328 pounds) and he absolutely loves playing football. He played his college ball at East Carolina and was born in the Virgin Islands.

This means that 2010 first round draft pick DE Jason Pierre-Paul remains the only 2010 draft pick still unsigned. This is a situation that I expect will change at some point during the day. Keep an eye out for hot news on the eve of this training camp. There are still a couple of loose ends that need to be tied up before the season starts. Coach Coughlin likes to have a clear mind entering camp and he wants his players to have the same clarity when trying to retain an enormous amount of information. If JPP decides to hold out and not sign with the team, it will be the first time in a very long time, that I can remember that happening in New York.

Do you think that DT Linval Joseph will finish the year as a starter for Big Blue?

RD – nygreporter.com

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Giants Training Camp Begins in Less Then 24 Hrs

July 31, 2010

The wait is almost over Giants fans. The 2010 training camp begins tomorrow in Albany. This is a very exciting time to be a football fan because you get to actually see what the players look like on the field. All of the number crunching and debates are over, it is now time for these guys to perform.

Training camp is extremely fan friendly and open free to the public. Do not bring camcorders (according to Pat Hanlon) but still photo cameras are fine. Be ready to pay $5 bucks to park your car or $15 for the full day parking during two a day practices. You can check out Giants.com (link in my blogroll to the right) for the full schedule and directions. They also sell team merchandise at the field but I would bring your own water and snacks.

I am going to take a look at three types of fans. I chose the number three because I could micro manage the personalities into dozens of categories but people have things to do on the weekends (including me) so I will make this brief. Here are three types of fans you may encounter in Albany.

There are cooks who cook to eat and then there are cooks who consider making a meal an art form. The same goes for the fans of the game. Some fans want to watch football on Sunday and root for their team to win and that’s it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these types of fans and I’m sure they make up a huge part of the television viewership that the front office is now accustomed to. This could be the guy you see on his cell phone at the stadium, watching a game his friend brought him to.

Then there are other types of fans who dig a little deeper into the team. They watch the sports shows and check out the sports sites. They go to a game when they can and watch their favorite team on TV every Sunday. These fans make up the largest portion of the fan pie or flow chart. These fans are the backbone of the organization and the ones who will not hesitate to purchase a team jersey or other merchandise.

Next you have the serious fan who we will call Type A. These are the ones wearing the authentic football jersey and cooking on a grill while tailgating at the stadium. Season tickets in hand and hanging out with other Type A fans. You will see both fan types above peppered into the group but the Type A fan does the planning and arrangements. These are the fans that have worked their favorite football team into the daily routine. They check the sites regularly, even multiple time per day and watch the shows, knowing what time they come on. They are the writers and bloggers and fans who attend training camp and preseason games. These are the 15,000 people who will show up to events outside of the game for the team such as a draft day party of charitable event. They are simply known as the die hard fan.

My point is that you will see all of these types of fans at training camp this year. The thing to remember is, we are all Giants fans and that is the one bond every Giants fan shares. I recommend going to a training camp at least once in your life for the experience and checking it off your life list for the true blue fan.

RD – nygreporter.com

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New York Giants Make Roster Moves 7/30/10

July 30, 2010

The New York Giants are staying busy and trying to get as much done before the weekend as possible. The Giants have cut linebacker Kenny Ingram and defensive end Ayanga Okpokowuruk. Team sources confirm that cutting these two players, will free up room to sign 2010 1st round pick DE Jason Pierre-Paul and 2nd round selection DT Linval Joseph. Both of these players are expected to contribute on the field this season. How much playing time is another question entirely but these two guys will get on the field.

LB Kenny Ingram became a fan favorite and had a lot of people rooting for him to make the team. Ingram was on the Giants practice squad last year and went to Florida State University. Ingram was a big guy at 6’5″ 239 pounds and wore No.43 with Big Blue. While Okpokowuruk went to Duke University and was picked up as a rookie free agent. Both of these cuts give the team room to sign the two draft picks I mentioned earlier. These signings are something that can happen at any minute now. Especially, because of the fact that we are two days away from the start of training camp.

I imagine the team must be feeling a little better about letting a LB and DE go, since they’ve brought in other free agents. Those were two questionable areas for the upcoming training camp. The front office and coaches must be comfortable with the guys they have left at both positions.

If any deals break or get signed tonight, we will get the news to you. I very seriously doubt that this will drag out beyond tomorrow but you never know. Crazy things like that happen all of the time in the NFL, just not in New York.

Stay tuned and don’t forget to check out the “NYG REPORTER TRAINING CAMP LIVE SPECIAL” coming soon!!

RD – nygreporter.com

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WR Ike Hilliard Retires as a New York Giant

July 30, 2010

This has been a day full of blasts from the past. Two former New York Giants decided to retire with the G-Men and have it go down in the record books that they are part of the family forever. They are Ike Hilliard and David Tyree. The fans hold both of these players in very high regard, especially WR David Tyree who helped the team win a Super Bowl. Ike Hilliard is a fan favorite because he was with the Giants for most of his career after playing at the University of Florida. Both WR’s David Tyree and Ike Hilliard, were drafted by the New York Giants. Hilliard in 1997 and Tyree in 2003.

I had the pleasure of seeing Hilliard play at the Swamp during the nineties (1996) at the University of Florida. Ike (5’11” 210 pounds) spent eight years with the Giants after they drafted him and then the next four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a gifted wide receiver and a fan favorite, just as David Tyree was/is. Two former Giants WR’s coming back to the team, signing with the team, then retiring with the team. This is something that does not happen everyday in the world of football.

Ike played alongside Amani Toomer for a lot of years and I’m sure that Toomer would have nothing but good things to say about No.88 Hilliard. Ike took the heat off of Toomer on more then one occasion allowing Toomer to flourish. Toomer can hold his own in any situation and I do not want to sound like Toomer needed help. It was just a good fit to see them both on the field doing their thing.

Everyone here at the nygreporter wishes Ike Hilliard and his family all of the best!

Are you happy to see that WR Ike Hilliard has retired as a New York Giant?

RD – nygreporter.com

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WR David “Helmet Catch” Tyree Signs Deal With Giants

July 30, 2010

Sometimes, I feel like the Giants organization checks out our work here on this site. I’m sure that isn’t the case but we did write an article a week or so ago called “Hey Giants, what’s wrong with David Tyree?”. I did not see this report yesterday when they broke the news about signing DE/LB Alex Hall or putting rookie safety Chad Jones on waivers. These reports showed up this morning. Now this could have meant one of two things. First, the team feels like the have someone who can contribute solely on special teams and do some work. Secondly, Tyree signed a one day deal so he can retire as a New York Giant.

The reality is that No.85 WR David Tyree has officially retired from the NFL. He signed a one day deal that would allow him to go down in the record books as retiring with Big Blue. I love that Tyree did this and I cannot think of a better way to leave the game for him. One of our contributors here, Kyle L, had mentioned this is exactly what would happen and he was dead right within weeks of it happening, nice call Kyle.

WR David Tyree will forever be remembered for “the greatest play in Super Bowl history” during the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 17-14 in the most exciting Super Bowl of the decade. He is a Super Bowl Champion and a Pro Bowler, nothing can ever change that. I had the pleasure of meeting David at the NFL draft party in the old Giants stadium. He was a very cool guy and very genuine. He signed a football for me, we shook hands and as I was leaving I said “thanks man, God bless”, he stopped what he was doing, looked right at me and “Thanks, God bless you too”. I knew at that moment that this was a spiritual guy. Kyle tells me that Tyree is very happy with his life and has no regrets. Good for him I say.

Everyone here at the nygreporter, wishes David Tyree and his family all of the best in all that they do.

How do you think WR David Tyree will be remembered in Giants folklore?

RD – nygreporter.com


New York Giants Make Roster Moves 7/29/10

July 29, 2010

The New York Giants have signed another defensive player in LB/DE Alex Hall today. Hall (6’5″ 250 pounds) was a seventh round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2008. The Giants picked him up off the waiver wire from Philadelphia today, where he was traded by the Browns last year. He is a young guy who has played linebacker as well as defensive end. The Giants have reportedly shown interest in using him as an end. Hall could end up becoming a utility man of sorts this year splitting time between LB and DE and I will need to investigate his special teams abilities. Something tells me he will see some time there as well.

The Giants also waived recently injured safety Chad Jones today. Many have speculated that the move is simply so they can put the rookie on the Non-Football Injury list that would shut him down for the season, while making roster space in the meantime. This happened with WR Domenik Hixon a few weeks ago and everything worked out. Chad Jones might be a different story because teams might be willing to take a shot on Jones, particularly some of the west coast teams. This could also mean that the team has received some bad news and felt it would be best to do things quickly. We need to get some more info on this part of the story.

What do you think about the Giants adding yet another defensive end into the mix? Does the recent news of Osi’s inevitable surgery mean he could be forced to get it sooner by the team?

RD – nygreporter.com

PLEASE SUPPORT THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT!!


Giants Safety Kenny Phillips in the News

July 29, 2010

Hello Giants Fans,

Reports have just come out from the New York Post saying that safety Kenny Phillips will not be able to participate in full at the Giants first training camp practice on Sunday. I’m not sure how fans should take this news.

On one hand it could be no big deal and Phillips’ could return to practice in full on Monday. On the other hand, he may not be fully recovered from his injury. A micro-fracture that some have said will never be fully repaired, others say that his knee condition will digress. Others disagree with those opinions and think Phillips’ will be 100% at some point during the 2010 NFL season.

I am going to be cautious with my thoughts on this. I do not want to cross the line and make a rush judgement. Obviously, we hope that Kenny is able to play in 2010 but all of this recent news is making my stomach turn. The thought of having both Phillips and Rolle patrolling the backfield would be a dream come true. Get the highlight reels ready boys, you are going to be very busy in 2010, is what I would say. But the truth is that Kenny Phillips’ status is still uncertain and rookie safety Chad Jones is out for the year. The backfield will have some question marks during training camp. CB Aaron Ross will have to prove he can play this year too. He was also battling injuries for most of the 2009 season.

Do you think that Kenny Phillips will return this season?

RD – nygreporter.com

PLEASE SUPPORT THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT!!


New York Giants Training Camp News 7/28/10

July 28, 2010

Can you feel the electricity in the air Giants fans? The 2010 New York Giants training camp begins this Sunday!

It is now only four days away or roughly 95 hours away, whichever you prefer to use as a measurement of time. The point is that it is close and the players have begun preparing their minds to play football. Like Rocky Balboa, looking into the mirror in Rocky III, the players are searching their souls and asking if they have done all that they can do to be ready. If not, they can always put in the extra work at camp to get ready.

This is not a test, I repeat this is not a test. LIVE DRILLS will be held and players will be putting the pads back on in a matter of days. After, a light run through without pads the first couple of days (helmets only), the guys will be eager to hit something. Sort of like holding a pit bull back with a chain, waiting to be released. I normally do not write about the team in this manner but they have convinced me that they are not playing around this year. They are dead serious about making it back to the playoffs in 2010 and the journey begins this Sunday at training camp.

The Giants were embarrassed by what happened last season and when Mr. Mara became vocal, the message was clear. Changes were about to be made and people would lose their jobs. Not because Mr. Mara is a mean guy but because it was so painfully obvious where the problems existed and nothing could be done about it. It was best to severe ties with those individuals and move in another direction. The defense and special teams are the two areas with the most questions. There are some starting jobs still available and those jobs will be won through competition at camp. Writers are so focused on those two areas, that it might be easy to forget that the Giants have a very good offense.

QB Eli Manning didn’t get many new weapons this year and I doubt if he would even need another WR for 2010. In the 2011 NFL draft, sure I can see them grabbing another WR with in the first four rounds but not this year. Eli Manning had a career year in 2009 despite the poor overall outcome of the season. He will be even better this year. They are still trying to figure out the TE scenario. They have some quality TE’s in Kevin Boss and Travis Beckum and need to work them into the offense a bit more. This could be the area where Easy Eli creates the largest spike in production. The running backs will have their own mini battle for the third string slot. That would be RB’s Andre Brown and DJ Ware competing for that role, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have the number one and two spots locked down for now. RB Gartrell Johnson will also be in the mix but I expect Andre Brown to outperform them both for the third string spot. Johnson did show flashes of his ability in 2009 but will have a tough fight on is hands this season.

Be sure to check out our previous article on the 2010 New York Giants training camp for specific camp info. A must read if you are planning on attending one of the practices in Albany.

New York Giants Training Camp News 7/22/10

RD – nygreporter.com

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