2011 NFL Draft: Day One, Round 1 New York Giants

April 28, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants have made their 1st round pick. With the 19th overall pick the Giants took CB Prince Amukamara (6’0″ 206 pounds – 4.43 40 yard dash) who was still available for some reason. There were a lot of experts who thought/think that Prince is a top ten talent (myself included). Giants fans can be proud that GM Jerry Reese pulled the trigger on this no brainer. RB Mark Ingram and OT Anthony Castonzo were both available when Big Blue took Prince, so that is something fans will have in the back of their minds once the season starts. Make no mistake, this is a solid draft pick for Big Blue that could start paying off as early as this year.

The Giants will now have an even more dangerous backfield with the addition of Amukamara. Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell must be wearing a perma-grin right now at the thought of coaching this young talent. With solid safeties in Rolle and Phillips and solid cornerbacks in Thomas and Ross, throwing Prince into this mix will really do some damage on the field. The Giants have a bigger need at the offensive line position but who can blame them for drafting a top ten talent that somehow dropped down to the 19th pick? Not me.

I am still hoping that C Stefen Wisniewski can fall to Big Blue in round two. He might even be worth trading up for since the team has a few extra compensatory picks this year. I would be very surprised if the Giants didn’t take an offensive lineman in the 2nd round tomorrow. Clearly, no one can blame them for taking Prince because no one thought he would be available. This is what you call a pleasant surprise.

The 2011 NFL draft will continue tomorrow night at 6:00 PM EST at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Then again on Saturday beginning at noon. Be sure to come back tomorrow for more coverage and check out the @nygreporter twitter account for immediate reactions from the draft.

Are you surprised by who the Giants picked in round one or were you expecting something like this?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!


2011 NFL Draft: D-Day Has Arrived Giants Fans

April 28, 2011

NEW YORK – Everybody can exhale because the draft has finally arrived. It feels like it has taken forever to get here, but the wait is finally over (sort of). Well, at least day one has finally arrived, and Giants fans will learn who the first round pick (19th overall) will be later this evening. Thank goodness because this lockout has fans ripping their hair out. Speaking of the lockout, the situation has become confusing with the judge ordering it to stop but team facilities still being locked up. It is still unknown how the lockout will affect trades and transactions in general during the entire 2011 draft. Let’s not worry about the lockout for the next 3 days and enjoy the draft.

The G-Men have a few areas of need that have been clearly explained for months now. The top three needs the Giants have are offensive linemen, linebacker and defensive tackle. This seems to be the general consensus for most fans and myself. I still firmly believe the team will walk away with one of these positions of need tonight, but if RB Mark Ingram is available, he may be too much to pass up on. The tight end and cornerback positions have also been mentioned quite a bit this offseason.

I have complete faith in GM Jerry Reese (the draft guru) and the rest of the Giants staff and scouts. They have done an outstanding job for years now, and I see no reason why 2011 should be any different. With that being said, the only two positions that would literally shock me (being drafted in round one) are the defensive end and quarterback positions. Everything else is fair game.

Be sure to come back later and check out our draft coverage. We will be doing an article on the Giants 1st round draft pick and giving our opinions on their choice. On behalf of the nygreporter, I would like to say good luck to the Giants organization. The draft begins at 8:00 PM EST tonight. Enjoy!

Who are you hoping the Giants draft in the first round later tonight?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please support the Eric LeGrand charity walk this June 4, 2011! Check it out at http://www.awalktobelieve.org


2011 NFL Draft: 2 Days Away Giants Fans

April 26, 2011

NEW YORK – Well Giants fans, the 2011 NFL Draft is now 2 days away. Are you getting excited yet? I know that I am. A judge also ordered an end to the lockout yesterday, but the NFL has appealed. I don’t know how long that will last but at least it is some good news for the fans. Still, the big story of the week won’t be the extremely annoying NFL lockout, it will be the NFL draft.

I still dislike the new schedule Roger Goodell has implemented with trying to drain every ounce of publicity he can get over three days instead of the traditional draft weekend. I absolutely hate that the marquee day (round one) is now on a Thursday evening. The draft is too long and should go back to the Saturday and Sunday schedule in my opinion. I know a lot of NFL fans who completely agree with me as well.

To be honest, I am exhausted from doing all of the research on college players. Not nearly as much as the Giants scouts I’m sure, but none the less I’m ready to get started. The Giants needs have not changed at all. Usually a trade or something will mix up the draft needs assessment, but due to the lockout, that is not the case this year. I’m sticking with my original needs assessment by position and still believe the G-Men will take a OL/C or DT in round one Thursday. I know there has been a ton of hype about Big Blue grabbing a OT in the first round but I do not agree with those people. I know sticking to my original layout isn’t as exciting (list will be added below) as giving you some new info but I feel strongly about my picks.

New York Giants: 2011 Draft picks by position.

Round 1 pick – Center or Defensive Tackle (Center is clearly the bigger need here but the draft is stacked with talented DT’s)

Round 2 pick – Defensive Tackle or Linebacker (they have some nice talent at LB on the team already but DT could end up being an issue)

Round 3 pick – Cornerback (there is a lot of talent at the CB position but Fewell needs some new blood to work his magic on, depth as well)

Round 4 pick – Offensive Lineman (this could be a tackle or a guard, the o-line will need help soon and depth doesn’t hurt)

Round 5 pick – No 5th Round Pick, traded away for RB Darius Reynaud (5’9″ 201) who is used as a returner.

Round 6 pick A – Tight End (the team has a mission to get QB Eli Manning as many weapons as possible)

Round 6 pick B – Running Back (they need to add a young RB into the mix and GM Jerry Reese is good at finding talent late)

Round 6 pick C – Linebacker (keep stacking talent until you find the golden 3 that fit the best)

Round 7 pick – Cornerback or Wide Receiver (this guy should be used on special teams, get the most talented special teamer available here)

Who do you think the Giants will take with the 19th overall pick on Thursday?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!


2011 NFL Schedule: New York Giants Edition

April 19, 2011

NEW YORK – The NFL announced the 2011 regular season schedule today on the 39th day of the lockout. Talk about a contradiction. They should be required to add the proverbial “asterisk” next to the schedule like they do in baseball for steroids. Just to let the fans know that there still might be an interruption to the 2011 season. Hey, thanks!

I do not mean to sound condescending but this lockout is affecting thousands of people during a nationwide economic crisis. The thousands I speak of are not players or coaches or owners. They are the everyday people that work for NFL teams who aren’t millionaires. I don’t think the NFL realizes that people get paid about $300 per week (if they are lucky) for unemployment benefits. And the people that live month to month are 9 days behind on all their bills.

The release of the schedule is good news. The Giants got a very nice bye week in week seven. I always have a good time reading and planning around it. It looks like the G-Men will have a tough schedule on the road this year. The play some really tough teams. I think they will be up to the task come September after they get some work in at training camp and some time in the weight room. Enough from me, here is the 2011 NFL regular season schedule you have been waiting for fans!

2011 Regular Season Schedule: New York Giants

Week 1: Sunday 9/11/11 – 4:15 PM EST – Giants @ Redskins

Week 2: Monday 9/19/11 – 8:30 PM EST – Giants vs. Rams (MNF)

Week 3: Sunday 9/25/11 – 1:00 PM EST – Giants @ Eagles

Week 4: Sunday 10/2/11 – 4:05 PM EST – Giants @ Cardinals

Week 5: Sunday 10/9/11 – 1:00 PM EST – Giants vs. Seahawks

Week 6: Sunday 10/16/11 – 1:00 PM EST – Giants vs. Bills

Week 7: BYE WEEK

Week 8: Sunday 10/30/11 – 1:00 PM EST – Giants vs. Dolphins

Week 9: Sunday 11/6/11 – 4:15 PM EST – Giants @ Patriots

Week 10: Sunday 11/13/11 – 4:15 PM EST – Giants @ 49ers

Week 11: Sunday 11/20/11 – 8:20 PM EST – Giants vs. Eagles (SNF)

Week 12: Monday 11/28/11 – 8:30 PM EST – Giants @ Saints (MNF)

Week 13: Sunday 12/4/11 – 4:15 PM EST – Giants vs. Packers

Week 14: Sunday 12/11/11 – 8:20 PM EST – Giants @ Cowboys (SNF)

Week 15: Sunday 12/18/11 – 1:00 PM EST – Giants vs. Redskins

Week 16: Saturday 12/24/11 – 1:00 PM EST – Giants @ Jets

Week 17: Sunday 1/1/12 – 1:00 PM EST – Giants vs. Cowboys

Will you be attending a Giants game this year? Are you a season ticket holder?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please support the Eric LeGrand charity walk this June 4, 2011! Check it out at http://www.awalktobelieve.org


2011 NFL Minicamp: New York Giants Edition

April 18, 2011

NEW YORK – It’s been a crazy off season for football fans in 2011. You have to wonder if the teams will even hold minicamps this year because of the lockout which has now been going on for 38 long and painful days. The Giants began their mandatory minicamp on June 15, 2010 last year. That’s about 8 weeks away from us now using the current 2011 calendar. The rookie minicamp started even earlier then the mandatory one. It looks like they will need to get this lockout thing straightened out soon or else. I believe the owners have a date set in their mind. They will be willing to negotiate until the alarm date goes off on their iPhones, blackberry devices or Get Smart shoes.

There was some good news put out there today. The NFL will release the 2011 schedules tomorrow at 7:00 PM EST. This is always a fun 20 minutes when you make a cup of coffee and go over the new schedule. Check out who has the hardest strength of schedule and all of that. It is a nice and relaxing information gathering session. The fact that fans already know the opponents makes it a little less exciting but getting to find out the bye week is a plus. Perhaps, they will include all of the preseason dates and times as well. They released the preseason games last week but not the entire preseason schedule with dates and times.

The minicamps are important. Just like the training camps are important. Each piece to the puzzle is important no matter how insignificant it may appear to others. I’m sure Tom Coughlin and his coaching staff are watching too much film and climbing the walls right now at this very moment. Some of the staff might be up at 3 A.M. in a zombie-like state, watching film on the 7th round possibilities at the fullback position. It gets pretty ugly for staff this time of year and I applaud you all who do it everyday. You’re going to need a nice mini-vacation after April 30, 2011.

Do you think the NFL lockout will extend beyond the NFL Draft and into late summer? Will NFL teams hold their annual minicamps in 2011?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please support the Eric LeGrand charity walk this June 4, 2011! Check it out at http://www.awalktobelieve.org