2011 NFL Draft: Day Three, Round 7 New York Giants

April 30, 2011

NEW YORK – The Giants waited until their final pick to grab a running back with RB Da’Rel Scott (5’11” 211 pounds) from Maryland. There were a ton of fans who thought the G-Men should draft a RB with one of their early round picks (I was not one of these people). If there is a word to describe Scott it would be fast. This kid ran a 4.3 40 yard dash at the combine and could become a regular on special teams to start his career if he makes the team. I love these late round picks where the guys have a ton of heart and a desire to do work.

The Giants had a very good draft in my opinion. There seem to be mixed emotions from the Giants fans out there but rest assured, the Giants got some quality talent for the team. I really liked the first three rounds. I have a gut feeling about DT Marvin Austin and that feeling is telling me superstar. I was happy to see GM Jerry Reese really attack the special teams issues by drafting a running back and wide receiver who could be used in that very important area of the game. The G-Men also drafted a ton of speed. Some of these guys are quick as lightning and having that kind of speed on the football field can’t hurt. I also expect Prince Amukamara to become a pro bowl caliber player for the Giants in the near future. He has become a fan favorite overnight.

The 2011 NFL Draft is officially over for the Giants and we must all get back to reality now and the NFL lockout. I hope both sides can work something out quickly and get back to playing the game of football instead of the game of economics. The fans are fed up and expressed that very sentiment on multiple occasions the past three days. I’m exhausted from this draft and will probably sleep for 48 hours straight, so I say goodnight Giants fans and I will see you on Monday.

Let’s take a look at all of the Giants picks for the 2011 NFL Draft.

New York Giants 2011 NFL Draft Picks (Rounds 1-7)

Round 1 – CB Prince Amukamara – 6’0″ 206 pounds

Round 2 – DT Marvin Austin – 6’2″ 309 pounds

Round 3 – WR Jerrel Jernigan – 5’9″ 185 pounds

Round 4 – OT James Brewer – 6’6″ 323 pounds

Round 5 – No Draft Pick (Traded away for RB Darius Reynaud)

Round 6/A – LB Greg Jones – 6’0″ 242 pounds 

Round 6/B – S Tyler Sash – 6’0″ 211 pounds

Round 6/C – LB Jacquian Williams – 6’3″ 235 pounds

Round 7 – RB Da’Rel Scott – 5’11” 211 pounds

What do you think about the Giants grabbing a RB with their final pick?

RD – nygreporter.com

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


2011 NFL Draft: Day Two, Round 2 New York Giants

April 29, 2011

NEW YORK – Here we are on day two of the 2011 NFL Draft. After an exciting 1st round with the Giants stealing CB Prince Amukamara, the team now focused on other areas of need in the 2nd round. The Giants selected DT Marvin Austin (6’2″ 309 pounds) with the 52nd overall pick. This does not surprise me at all because the 2011 NFL Draft class was deep at the DT position.

There seems to be personality questions surrounding this player according to the experts but if GM Jerry Reese drafted him, I think it may be more hype then reality. This is a big strong guy. He had 38 reps on the bench press at the combine and his intangibles are off the charts. He is considered a first round talent by most experts but seems to have work ethic questions after missing the entire football season last year after being deemed ineligible to play. The Giants have plenty of players who can take this talented rookie under their wings and show him how to be a professional. Austin has won all sorts of accolades and is still considered a huge talent regardless of the off field issues.

Because the G-Men drafted a DT, that should mean that a current DT will not be with the team in 2011. I can only hope that they do not let DT Barry Cofield go or trade him. I am a big fan of Cofield’s and have been since Big Blue drafted him. He is a consistent player who does not miss football games. I would keep Cofield over Bernard for certain if given the choice. Canty has a lot to prove this year and so does Linval Joseph. There will be some competition at the DT position in this years training camp for certain and that is just the way Tom Coughlin likes it.

I’m surprised that the team hasn’t addressed the offensive line yet but I expect them to do so with their 3rd round pick. Be sure to come back and check out our next article on the Giants 3rd round pick tonight!

Are you surprised that the Giants took a defensive tackle with their second round pick?

RD – nygreporter.com

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


These So-Called Giants “Experts” Are Trying to Sell Newspapers

April 4, 2011

NEW YORK – If I hear one more New York Giants “expert” say that the G-Men “need” to draft an offensive tackle in the first round, I’m going to freak out on an embarrassing level. The Giants DO NOT need to use their first round pick on the OT position. I would draft a DT (very deep draft at DT) before I took an OT in the first round this year. Now, if they took an offensive lineman (center) I wouldn’t be surprised but it shouldn’t be an interchangeable OT/OG/C, it should be a true Center. I wouldn’t be surprised if they took C Mike Pouncey, who seems to be the best available center when the Giants draft at the 19th overall spot in round one. But to say that OT is the area of most need in this years draft and worthy of the 1st pick is insane. Don’t believe the hype! (thanks Chuck)

It makes me angry when I read about the lack of respect for the current group of Giants offensive tackles. I think they have some good young talent at the position and have enough experienced players to do just fine in 2011. OT William Beatty and OT Adam Koets will be better this season. OT David Diehl and OT Kareem McKenzie are veteran players and OT Shawn Andrews can contribute in certain situations very well. They also have a couple of guys on the reserve squad that will get work. Yes, the team will need to use a high draft pick on an OT one year but not this year.

Clearly, the center position needs to be addressed. To be blunt, it is because all-world C Shaun O’Hara, whom I have tremendous respect for, is getting a bit older. They need to get a young true center into the system this year. I am still hoping the team can get C Stefen Wisniewski. Maybe use the 19th overall pick on a LB or DT then trade back up into the back end of round one or frontside of round two to grab Wisniewski. Could you imagine if the G-Men were able to draft LB Akeem Ayers and C Stefen Wisniewski by trading a 2nd and 6th round pick to move up for Wisniewski? That would be a very successful first two picks for Big Blue.

If you are one of the believers that think the team needs to draft an OT in round one, you’re going to have to leave a comment below and explain why it needs to be done in this years draft. I’m sick of all these cliquey Giants websites who think they know everything and are never open to debate. Gimme some elbow room. They want to generate website traffic at any cost. These are the same websites that feel the need to monopolize the market and suppress any new talent that seeks their advice or council. Let’s have a debate and see who can come the closet to correctly calling the draft by position this year. Of course if RB Mark Ingram is available at the 19th pick, all bets are off.

Here are my draft picks by position. We can call this the “Damien Draft 2011” from the Omen film because of the three 6th round picks they have. I don’t like that omen and hope they trade away a pick or two, so they can move up for better talent in the early rounds. Of course, any trades before the draft could change everything entirely. This also includes if the Giants trade picks to move up, this list is based on todays roster only.

New York Giants 2011 NFL Mock Draft by Position

Round 1 (19th pick) – DT or Center/OL

Round 2 (52nd pick) – LB

Round 3 (83rd pick) – CB

Round 4 (117th pick) – OL

Round 5 pick – traded away for RB Darius Reynaud

Round 6 (185th pick) – LB

Round 6 (198th pick) – TE

Round 6 (202nd pick) – RB

Round 7 (221st pick) – CB

RD – nygreporter.com

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


New York Giants Owner John Mara, Zero Panic During Lockout

March 13, 2011

NEW YORK – The Mara family has been around football since the beginning and the name holds a lot of weight around these parts. The NFL and media deem it newsworthy to mention that John Mara was one of the first to reach out during the CBA talks and prior to it. He tried to work out a deal and it’s all over the news? That means something. The NFL is in lockdown mode and who knows when the final deal will be worked out. Fans are scratching their heads wondering why these talks aren’t on CSPAN as well as the NFL Network 24 hours a day. If both sides want to be recognized and heard (the same as the MLB steroid hearings), then both sides should be heard by all. The fans know what is fair, let them be the judge since they are paying for everything anyway. Get your primary investors more involved.

I have an idea on how to save money on the salary commitments by owners. Simply adding the jersey rights program to the players, as a salary option. Generate additional revenue by using what is in front of you. Jersey sales. There must be reasons why players haven’t started charging to use their name and number more (as long as they rep their current NFL team). For example, Rebook is simply the hired hand that provides the New York Giants with their authentic NFL team jerseys. The New York Giants sell the jerseys separately as the official final product. In some cases a player will have something worked into their contracts about jersey sales. But where is the majority of that money going? I say it is time to give the players a bigger cut of that money since it is licensed through the team. This will eliminate some of the pressure the owners feel to pay their players and some of the players could make more then their initial investment. This is a win for both sides involved.

Mr. Mara has a ton of smart people around him I’m sure. I don’t know what the Giants jersey sales numbers look like, so they will have to look into it themselves. But if there are no rules against substituting $1,000,000 on 53 player contracts for apparel sales, why not give it a try so you can free up cap space. Using these numbers, the Giants had to sell a minimum of $53,000,000 worth of player jerseys (roughly 212,000 authentic or replica jerseys) in 2010 and would have to do so every year. It seems like a big number but might be worth while in certain isolated situations. If even half of these number were to work out, that would still be $26,500,000 saved in salary commitments or $1,250,000 per every 5,000 physical jerseys sold. There would be virtually no paper work if the NFL and teams hooked up with a merchant/affiliate program such as Football Fanatics. That program handles all the paper work and even mails out the money to the individual players or they can use direct deposit if preferred.

PJR – Player Jersey Rights could be worked into the contracts at a $1 million dollar annual fee, which would be deducted from the players base salary. When the player retires, he will retain 25% of the Jersey Rights permanently, as part of each players retirement package. Players must be enrolled into the annual Jersey Rights program to qualify for jersey rights at 25% for life.

Whatever the outcome or length of the lockout, I know that John Mara will not panic or make an irrational decision. I’m confident he is working hard to get things back on track. Some of the leaked issues seem to be workable, it’s the issues the public does not know about that have me concerned. What can we do? Have a lockout party of course and wait it out. Remember what I said about things happening before the 2011 NFL draft, if the lockout goes beyond that, we might be in trouble.

RD – nygreporter.com

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


nygreporter Sports Special: The 2011 NFL Lockout

March 12, 2011

NEW YORK – After all the time spent on the CBA negotiations and numbers, the owners and players still couldn’t get anything done by the deadline which has now come and passed. This opens up a whole different can of worms. There are more questions then answers now and it looks like lawsuits are unavoidable. The biggest question of them all is how long will the lockout last and when can the players get back to work? Trust me, all that the fans care about is when the players will go back to work. If this drags into months instead of days (it should be only days), then the NFL risks losing a bunch of fans who were on the fence to begin with. Do not be as arrogant as Rome and watch your empire crumble under the weight of greed and power.

What can they do now? Apparently, nothing will interfere with the 2011 NFL Draft “schedule” but how do teams plan for the draft with an uncertain future surrounding so many players? The Giants for example had 21 free agents this off season. How does this effect the targeted area of need for coaches and GM’s? One thing is for certain, both sides will be losing a ton of money for each day that this lingers on. Nobody wants to give up the kind of money these guys mess around with. I sincerely believe the lockout will amount to nothing more then a speed bump. My measuring stick is the 2011 NFL Draft. I believe something will happen before the draft or on the day of the draft. If it goes beyond that, then the fans should start to get concerned. That starts to run into the conditioning and all of that. Not good.

My advice to the fans would be to sit back and relax and let both sides work it out. I would be shocked if this turned into something really ugly and dragged on for too long. We are now about six weeks away from the draft, as I mentioned, consider that the true marker to keep an eye on. Once this line gets crossed, now you’re talking about physical workouts being interrupted and could it possibly mean, the return of the scabs?

How long do you think the 2011 NFL Lockout will last? Are you on the players side or the owners side during this mess?

RD – nygreporter.com

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


nygreporter.com and shop.giants.com forge Merchandising Partnership

March 11, 2011

NEW YORK – We have finally locked down a partnership with Shop.Giants.com. That means you can now find official New York Giants merchandise on our website. This is something that I have wanted to do for a while and think our readers will appreciate the convenience of going straight to the official New York Giants team store if they decide they want to buy something. If you want to learn how you can do this for your own website, using your own favorite team, I suggest you check out an affiliate program and learn how to Find a sponsor for your web site. Get paid for your great content.  You get a percentage for using team ads. You will need to get approved and once you do, just become a partner with a merchant, such as shop.giants.com. As you can see, there are no minefields of advertising to maneuver around on nygreporter and we intend to keep it way. However, we do want the fans to have access to Giants products.

You all know that too many advertisements can ruin a good website. Pop ups and the loud ones are avoided like the plague. That is why I will not let ads ruin our website. You will only be able to purchase New York Giants merchandise on this website. Of course, NFL gear for the NFL Draft, NFL Pro Bowl and the Super Bowls to be included too. But you will never find the clutter we have all come to loathe. You can be sure your getting official Giants gear when visiting us here. I mean, think of the possibilities, you have Eli Manning jerseys and  Steve Smith jerseys and you have a host of other Giants jerseys you can choose from as well. You can always get a team hat if you need a gift for a sports fan. You never see anyone get mad over getting a hat. Other items that nobody ever gets mad at receiving are team T-shirts, just make sure you know the right size.

It’s nice to know that you can always just go straight to specific catalog areas if you feel like browsing too. After all, it can get pretty cold in East Rutherford during the winter at New Meadowlands stadium and people will need to dress warm while they wait for the game to start, tailgate gear might be just the thing you’re looking for. I am proud to have Giants products available on my site, I know our readers are people who represent their team to the fullest. All of this talk about “stuff” has me wondering what your most prized Giants possession is? Mine revolve around meeting a player usually but what are yours? Feel free to leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

What is your most prized New York Giants possession? My favorite is a helmet that Michael Strahan personally signed for me.

RD – nygreporter.com

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


Steve Smith Interview 3/6/11, nygreporter Edition 0001

March 6, 2011

NEW YORK – Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, do we have a special treat for you today on our one year anniversary. Happy Anniversary! As the marquee reads above this article, we have New York Giants WR Steve Smith in the house. Steve was nice enough to take some time out of his busy schedule and answer a few of our questions and yes fans, this is the real Steve Smith (he has since added this story to his facebook wall). In fact, Steve Smith will forever go down in history as the first interview ever for nygreporter.com. We are thankful to Steve (and his agent) and very thankful for all of the good things happening to us lately.

Steve Smith comes from an elite college football program at USC. I forgot to mention that I was at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 6th, 2003 and saw USC beat BYU 35-18, Smith was on the USC roster at the time and so was Terrell Thomas. They went on to win the Rose Bowl that season and both eventually made it to the NFL. Not surprisingly, the two former/current teammates are two of the best players on the team. Clearly products from an elite program under the tutelage of solid coaches.

Smith has done quite a bit in his short career with Big Blue. This includes getting himself out of the shadow of another NFL player in Carolina who shares the same name. He is breaking Giants WR records and he’s been to the Pro Bowl. Smith has become QB Eli Manning’s favorite target when the team needs a big play and he never complains when asked to sacrifice for the team. He has a Super Bowl ring and has established himself as a top tier NFL wide receiver. He is also a fan favorite for his laid back and cool style which compliments his skills on the field. No.12 jerseys (Steve Smith Jerseys and Collectibles) be seen all over the tri-state area and you have to sit back and wonder what Smith could possibly do in 2011, that will have fans rooting for him even more? Will he break another record or get back to the pro bowl in Hawaii? We will all have to wait and see but one thing is for sure, Steve Smith is going to play hard and be a huge asset for the New York Giants. Please join us, as Steve shares his thoughts on the G-Men and his NFL career right now.

I cannot think of a better way to say thank you to our readers, then by having Steve Smith do this interview. So, here he is (you get the Apollo Creed intro Steve) the Super Bowl Champion, Giants Record Holdin’, All American First Teamer, Ice Cold Pro Bowl Player, Number 12 Wearin’, Ten Table Ring Havin’, silent assassin Wide Receiver who catches everything in sight, Mr. Steve “One Two” Smith. (you can use the “One Two” nickname Steve)

The nygreporter Steve Smith Interview

RD/Q1: Hello Steve, welcome to nygreporter.com and thank you for doing this interview. With the 2011 NFL Draft coming up next month, my mind always wanders to the rookies and what they have to go through during the transition process. When you first arrived in the NFL after playing football at USC, what were your personal expectations during that rookie season?

Steve Smith: My expectations were to come in and make an impact. Just like I did at USC. Unfortunately, injuries set me back for most of the year but once I got healthy towards the end of the season, I showed what I could do.

RD/Q2: Winning a Super Bowl ring in your rookie season is crazy and something very few NFL players can own. What is your favorite memory from that entire life experience?

Steve Smith: Yeah, it was crazy. It was an unbelievable experience and I enjoyed the whole ride, from beating the Cowboys on the road to beating the Packers and Brett Favre and of course beating the Patriots. I remember it all like it was yesterday and it makes me hungry to get back and win another ASAP.

RD/Q3: By now, the fans have all seen what the Giants XLII Championship ring looks like, it is magnificent. Other then Michael Strahan (with all do respect of course), what player from the 2007 team shows off their ten table bling the most? Is it Sam Madison lol?

Steve Smith: You know what, that’s a good question. I feel like most guys keep it in a safe place, as I do and don’t show it off too much. It’s something we all treasure and don’t want to lose.

RD/Q4: The amount of recent injuries endured by the G-Men has been staggering from a fans perspective. Steve, you are inside the locker room, how frustrating has it been for you personally and for the other players to have to deal with the wave of injuries the past two seasons?

Steve Smith: It has definitely been frustrating but it’s a part of the game and everybody realizes that. That’s why it is important to have good depth and good leadership.

RD/Q5: How are you feeling yourself, Steve? The team was not the same without you on the field last season and we all hope you are back to 100% soon. I would also like to point out, that I believe I was the first person to call you Steve “the silent assassin” Smith. Did you know this was one of your nicknames (do you like it?) and do you have any other interesting nicknames the fans might not know about?

Steve Smith: I am feeling great! I am working hard everyday in rehab and I’m right on schedule. I’ve never heard of that nickname (the silent assassin) and I am not as silent as you may think. Another nickname I’ve gotten from fans is “3rd and Smith” (in reference to all of my 3rd down catches) and then “Scuba Steve” is one from my college days.

RD/Q6: You have seen some drastic player moves since you were drafted by the Giants back in the day (you’re a veteran now). What are the top player acquisitions you have seen since your arrival in New York in 2007? Also, which young Giants player is on the rise in your opinion?

Steve Smith: I think bringing in veteran safety Antrel Rolle was a great move because he is a Pro Bowler at a position we needed help with. I think that one stands out the most but there are a ton of other moves that were important as well. All of which contribute to making us a very dangerous team in 2011.

RD/Q7: What are your goals for the 2011 NFL season? I have practically guaranteed that the Giants will not miss the playoffs for a third year in a row. I do not apologize for my aggression in that statement. Do you feel the same way? Do you think the Giants will return to the playoffs in 2011?

Steve Smith: There is no doubt in my mind that we will return to the playoffs in 2011 and do some damage when we get there. Our one and only goal is to win the Super Bowl, so nothing else matters. Personally, my goal for 2011 is to be 100% healthy for the entire season and help my teammates matter as well.

RD/Q8: The Wide Receiver group has a ton of talent. I can’t remember the last time this group was so deep with good players. How do you get along with your fellow WR’s and who is your best friend on the team?

Steve Smith: They’re my best friends. Hakeem, Mario and I are very close and hang out a lot off the field.

RD/Q9: The Giants have 21 free agents to work on this off season. That is a lot of work to do and something the team has been addressing this past week with a few signings (Ware, Hixon and Reynaud). Do you want to play your entire NFL career with Big Blue? Also, how does it feel to have the Giants all-time record for receptions (107) in a single season?

Steve Smith: Of course I want to stay in New York my entire career. Having the record feels great but it is not something I really think too much about because I am focused on the future and not the past. I’m sure I will appreciate it more when I look back after my career is over.

RD/Q10: Last question Steve, if you were trapped on a deserted island and could only take 3 people with you to help you survive, who would they be?

Steve Smith: My Mom, my brother and Eli Manning.

RD/EI: Thank you so much for the interview Steve and Giants fans look forward to seeing you return strong in 2011.

What a classy guy. What do you think fans? I think he was very generous with his answers and very firm in his beliefs. We learned a little bit about his state of mind and health status, as well as some cool facts from his college days. I am even more convinced now that Steve Smith will be ready for the 2011 season and he will be looking to make big plays for Big Blue. If you’re interested in learning more about Steve or the charities he supports, be a sport and follow/friend Steve on his facebook account http://www.facebook.com/SteveSmith and his twitter account @SteveSmithNY.

RD – nygreporter.com – 1 year anniversary 3-6-11

Here is a link to the photographs we have of WR Steve Smith at the 2010 training camp in Albany.

WR Steve Smith, No.12 – photographs

All photographs are the property of nygreporter.com.

copyright 2010-2011

The Steve Smith Interview: nygreporter Edition 0001


nygreporter Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary at Midnight!

March 5, 2011

NEW YORK – What a crazy year it has been in the world of sports. I can’t believe we have been up and running for a full year already. I was trying to get our readers an interview with a Giants player for this special occasion and got very lucky, because I have one of the best players on the team answering a few questions for us. I will publish the article tomorrow (Sunday 3-6-11) of an interview I had with a “surprise” New York Giants player (he has since been revealed as WR Steve Smith). I suggest you all come back tomorrow and see who it is that I’m talking about. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Hopefully, we will be able to get more interviews now with Giants players and coaches. I know these are exactly the types of articles Giants fans want to read with their coffee in the morning or at home at night. Some of the other writers here like Josh and Saulo, have been with the website since we first went live. Others such as Andrew joined us last year. I would like to say thank you for all of your contributions and as always guys, I look forward to reading your next articles. What a strange journey it has been to get us here today. At the stroke of midnight tonight it will be one year.

Things will continue to get interesting during the next few weeks with the upcoming NFL Draft, The CBA talks (extended another week), free agency and trades. We will be here to cover it all and give our unique perspective on the team. When Saulo takes a moment from his world travels and gets on his laptop, he usually blesses us with an informed article. We need to read more from Saulo! When Josh isn’t studying for mid-terms or finals, he also blesses our readers with well thought out stories concerning the current state of Big Blue. I am sure we will see more of Josh over the summer. Andrew has been busy lately but he also gives us a great perspective on the team through his work. Thank you once again writers for all that you do and thanks especially to all of our readers who are making nygreporter a respectable family friendly website. We have not wavered from our clean chat policy or managing a safe environment for sports fans.

If any of our readers have a website suggestion, please feel free to leave a comment below. You do not need to be a member of nygreporter (although we hope you will become a member) to leave a comment but you do have to have a wordpress account. To become an nygreporter member, make a wordpress account, then make a separate account for nygreporter.com on wordpress. You can also subscribe to our email list or RSS feed if you prefer. We are always open to hearing new ideas about projects our readers might like to share and we always encourage participation.

Here are some of the more interesting things that happened during the past year.

– Getting to do our first big time interview with New York Giants WR Steve Smith, Steve Smith Interview 3/6/11, nygreporter Edition 0001

Being a “featured” blog on Giants.com and working towards developing a partnership, Giants.com features nygreporter on their Website

The shout out we got from Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger on NJ.com for correctly picking the final score of a game. Here is a link to the story and video, Mike Garafolo Gives nygreporter a Shout Out on NJ.com

Attending the New York Giants 2010 NFL training camp at the University of Albany. Here is a link to the pics, Images

Going on the “Eisen’s Insight Live” podcast and talking Giants football with Michael Eisen and John Schmeelk. Listen for “Robert from New York” at the 16 minute mark of the show. Here is a link to the podcast, NYGReporter Calls “Eisen’s Insight LIVE” on Giants.com

Doing the LIVE updates for the 2010 NFL Draft on the Giants via nygreporter, New York Giants 2010 NFL Draft RECAP

– Calling the “Mike Francesa Show” and talking football with Mike while he was at Giants training camp in Albany. No links are available but it was a good 5 minute talk about the Giants defense.

Getting involved with multiple charities and promoting their causes on our website, American Red Cross – Wounded Warrior Project – A Walk To Believe – A Journey for 9/11

COMING SOON: We are working on a partnership that will allow nygreporter.com to sell New York Giants merchandise. We will ONLY promote New York Giants products on our website.

Feel free to leave your comments below, we would love to hear from some of our readers. Once again, thank you to the Giants community for all of your support.

RD – nygreporter.com – 1 year anniversary 3-6-11

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


An Open Letter to Our Readers: nygreporter.com

March 4, 2011

Dear Loyal Readers,

As some of you may or may not be aware, this Sunday (March 6th), will be the one year anniversary of the creation of nygreporter.com! It has been an incredible year to say the least. As we approach both our one year mark and our 24,000th view, we here at nygreporter would like to take step back and reflect on the year it was. Having started in March of 2010, this site has followed the exact path of a real year in the NFL. As you all know, the seasons official begins in March each year and we have been lucky enough to be here covering the ups and downs of the 2010-2011 campaign.

We were there through all of the botched punts, the 25 interceptions, the horrific and scary losses but we were also there to witness 4002 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, 1235 rushing yards for 1052 receiving yards, we saw 11.5 sacks twice over and a 5 interception season by one shutdown corner. We saw 10 wins, we saw no playoffs, we saw an IR list that looked more closely to the size of an active roster (kidding of course) but most of all we saw a ton of heart from a team that in the end was left defeated yet hungry. I strongly believe that the team has an incredible hunger to win; I see big things in the future for this group of guys!

As far as nygreporter goes? Well, we are hungry too! Hungry to improve, to write better, to write more, to see more traffic and ultimately more success. I see big things in the future for us too. You, as the reader, can expect big things this coming year. We will be here all season long for years to come covering your favorite team, so please, stick with us, support us, spark debate in the comment section, let us know you are here and what you are thinking! We would absolutely love to hear from you! We wish all of our readers the best in everything they do, thank you for sticking with us through our first year we hope you have enjoyed reading our work almost as much as we have enjoyed writing it. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come!

Sincerely,

Josh Berman – nygreporter.com, writers and staff


Giants Sign Ware, Hixon and Reynaud to Short Term Deals

March 3, 2011

NEW YORK – It looks like Big Blue is sending a clear message that they intend to address the special teams issue very early. The Giants signed 3 players to short term deals over the past two days. I am surprised by two of them actually. The three players signed are RB DJ Ware (2 year contract), WR Domenik Hixon (1 year contract) and RB Darius Reynaud (1 year contract). All three of these players will see most of their game time on special teams. They may be brought into the game under certain conditions or situations but they will primarily be used on special teams. The Giants also put out tenders on a handful of players including WR Steve Smith, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, TE Kevin Boss, DT Barry Colfield and DE Mathias Kiwanuka.

I was surprised that the team locked up RB DJ Ware for another two years because he hasn’t been the most productive player. But I was even more surprised when they retained RB Darius Reynaud. This only means that they will not be unprepared if the injury bug pays a visit once again. I hope that Ware and Reynaud can contribute more in 2011 and I’m sure they do too because the whole world will be watching this group. Expect some fiery competition in training camp this season.

The return game was atrocious last season and I think there will be a couple of guys on that squad looking for some payback. I expect the Giants special teams to be much more aggressive in 2011. If Tom Quinn emerges with his job intact after last season, it will be the biggest upset since Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in Japan. Punter Matt Dodge should thank his lucky stars too and do his best to maintain consistency. Coach Coughlin has no patience for inconsistency and he will be very vocal about it.

The CBA talks are not going well but they did decide to extend the deadline a bit which is a good thing. The team will need to devote all of their energy to the 2011 NFL Draft very soon. Some on the staff have already been on the job for months. It’s who they are and what they do. Now that the NFL Combine has winded down, there is nothing left but free agency and the draft to look forward to as fans. And then the quiet season returns in May and June where there isn’t much football news. I expect things to continue to happen with the Giants camp from this moment through the entire weekend. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Here is another look at the three recent signings.

1. DJ Ware, RB #28 – 6’0″ 234 pounds – signed 2 year contract

2. Domenik Hixon,WR #87 – 6’2″ 185 pounds – signed 1 year contract

3. Darius Reynaud, RB #15 – 5’9″ 201 pounds – signed 1 year contract

What are your thoughts on these recent signings by Big Blue? Are any of them a surprise to you?

RD – nygreporter.com – 1 year anniversary 3-6-11

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