New York Giants Safety Antrel Rolle Back in the News

January 18, 2011

NEW YORK – Why? That is the biggest question I ask myself when I hear about players talking in public about house business. I honestly wish Antrel Rolle could somehow reply to this story and tell us exactly what happened because players usually say their words were taken out of context. Until Rolle replies publicly about this, we have no choice but to take what he said from reliable writers and sources as the truth. I just shake my head every time I hear about a player talking about their feelings in public, when will these players learn to just keep their mouths shut in public?

Now when I say players should keep their mouths shut, I am talking about them keeping their mouths shut to the press. I am talking about their personal feelings on another player or coach remaining private. This is not how New York football handles their business and the fans are beginning to get annoyed with Rolle. He is speaking to the press too much about Big Blue for someone who has only been on the team for one year. He happens to be dissing head coach Tom Coughlin, the only coach other then Bill Parcells to bring a Lombardi trophy to New York, since Super Bowl wins were recorded. I am in awe that Rolle would have the nerve to tell the press that Coughlin needs to lighten up because he feels it is effecting his fun. Your fun? Really Antrel?

You know what is fun? Winning a Super Bowl is fun. Playing a season without 16 players landing on the IR List and not turning the ball over 42 times is fun. The Giants are a dangerous team when they are healthy and their second stringers aren’t making mental errors because of a lack of real playing time. The good news is that the Giants are now deep with players who have real game experience under their belts. But Antrel needs to calm down. He is a fan favorite and the players seem to respect him but he will learn what happens to people in New York who like to talk to much. This isn’t Arizona and the fans in New York do not like talkers. He does not want to become a pariah like Tiki Barber has to fans.

I was equally surprised to hear that Kenny Phillips got into the mix and offered some equally judgmental comments. Phillips has been in town much longer then Rolle and I expect him to know better then that. The team stuck by Phillips when he was dealing with a serious injury and he must know that Coach Coughlin had the final word on all of that. All I have to say to Kenny is, come on man.

My advice to Antrel Rolle is simple, the fans have accepted you, shown you love and respect your game on the field. Don’t take the weight of this city on your back because you can’t keep your personal opinions to yourself. You are not bigger then New York or the history of the Giants organization. Take it down a notch and enjoy the fact that you are playing on a solid 10-6 team that had some misfortune in 2010 but will be better in 2011. Think of the millions of New Yorkers and people around the world for that matter, who have to go to work everyday (if they are lucky enough to have a job) in an environment without any fun. You’re better then that Antrel, I know you are.

What are your thoughts about safety Antrel Rolle voicing his personal opinions to the press about Head Coach Tom Coughlin?

RD – nygreporter.com

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3 Comments | 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Regular Season, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL New York Giants, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Update, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Steve Tisch, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

Would DE Jason Pierre-Paul Make a Good DT for the Giants?

January 16, 2011

NEW YORK – I was having a conversation with one of my writer friends about the draft and he mentioned the defensive tackle position being a problem in 2011. The Giants will more then likely have to let one go and most think it will be DT Barry Cofield. Personally, I hope the team doesn’t let Cofield go because he is a rock in the middle and one of my favorite players. Unfortunately, there is a very real possibility that he will not return. If it were up to me, I would lock the man down with a four year contract. This situation at the defensive tackle position will no doubt effect the Giants 2011 NFL Draft but to what extent?

There are a number of possibilities that could occur before the draft in April, such as a free agent signing or a trade. One of the more interesting scenarios I have come up with is the possibility of converting DE Jason Pierre-Paul to a defensive tackle. Now before you all rip my head off just hear me out and remember this is only an idea. JPP was drafted in April of 2010 and was listed at 270 pounds. By the time the 2010 regular season started in September, Pierre-Paul bulked up to 285 pounds and was still flying around the field like he was a welterweight. My question is simple, what would JPP do if he put on another 15 pounds (to round it out at 300 pounds) and got those extremely long arms a yard or two closer to the opposing quarterbacks at the defensive tackle slot? It is a very intriguing thought.

It is extremely unlikely that this will happen but DC Perry Fewell has been using the “nascar” defense quite a bit this year. The name of the game is to get the talent on the field. Imagine Tuck, Osi and JPP on the field for every single down the defense played in 2011, that’s scary. Ultimately, Pierre-Paul’s talent at defensive end will prevail when Osi or Tuck decide to retire or move on to another team. But wouldn’t it be amazing if JPP were to change the defensive tackle position forever with his unique combination of size and speed? Where ever the team decides to play JPP, one thing is for sure, the guy is going to be a pro bowl player within a year or two. He is just too talented and committed for things to turn out otherwise.

I would like to hear your thoughts on whether or not JPP would be a nice fit at the DT spot in 2011 or if you feel he is too valuable as depth for the DE spot. Please keep in mind that the Giants will be getting a guy named Mathias Kiwanuka back from injury in 2011 as well.

RD – nygreporter.com

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6 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Regular Season, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Transactions, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL New York Giants, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Steve Tisch, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

2011 NFL Draft: New York Giants Debate Begins

January 15, 2011

NEW YORK – Let the debates begin! Giants fans from all over the country are weighing in on what they feel are the biggest areas of need for the team. Since writing my own needs assessment last week, I have been getting messages from our readers about the 2011 NFL Draft. There is a tremendous amount of interest and remember the G-Men have the 19th overall pick in round one.

You already know that I am torn between drafting a linebacker or offensive lineman (Center) with the first round pick. I’ve had members suggest getting a running back or a tight end in the first round. Surprisingly, the running back position has come up the most besides the linebacker slot. I do not agree with using a first round pick on either a running back or a tight end but I certainly think they should be drafted at some point in the middle to late rounds. I still believe in the Bradshaw/Jacobs tandem but have less confidence in the tight end group.

I had left off the tight end position from my initial draft assessment because of the depth with Boss, Beckum and Pascoe but after taking a second look, it might not be a bad idea to grab another. The current linebackers did a great job in 2010 but they were certainly overshadowed by the performance of the defensive line and the defensive backs. Giants fans long for the old days when opposing teams feared the Big Blue linebackers. New York has always been considered a defensive team first and an offensive team second. New Yorkers love a strong defense and DC Perry Fewell has brought them back into the elite NFL rankings. GM Jerry Reese will surely give Fewell a couple of new toys to play with on an already tough defense.

The player research is in full throttle and Giants fans are throwing out prospect names left and right. I would love to hear some of your thoughts on this subject, do not be shy about leaving a comment in the section below. You do not need to be a nygreporter member to leave a comment. I would particularly like to hear some names of sleeper players that I am unaware of. What are your thoughts and what position do you think the Giants will draft in round one?

You can check out my draft by position order here in a previous article – 2011 NFL Draft: New York Giants Early Bird Edition

RD – nygreporter.com

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16 Comments | 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Update, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Steve Tisch, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

2011 NFL Draft: New York Giants Early Bird Edition

January 5, 2011

NEW YORK – It’s never too soon to search for improvements. I would like to take an early look at the New York Giants 2011 draft needs. These draft needs will absolutely change by the time the draft arrives on Thursday April 28, 2011. Keep in mind that the NFL now holds the 1st round of the draft on Thursday night, rounds 2 and 3 on Friday night and rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday. The times have not been released yet but that’s the schedule. The New York Giants will have the 19th overall pick in the 1st round.

So let’s take a look at some of the needs for Big Blue. The first two positions that pop into my mind are Linebacker and Center. I would not be surprised one bit to see either of these positions taken in the first round. I would also not be surprised to see the Giants take two offensive linemen by the time the draft is over. I made the same prediction last year but the Giants surprised me by taking a defensive end with the No.1 overall pick. A pick that proved to be awesome because DE Jason Pierre-Paul had an impressive rookie season and he will continue to develop into a beast. If there is one thing that I am certain of, it is the fact that Giants will not take another defensive end with their first pick in 2011.

The Giants will more then likely dip into the free agent market once again in 2011, so I’m not sure where these needs will be on the chart come April. I can only make my guesses based upon what I see today. The Giants need to get more help on the offensive line to protect franchise QB Eli Manning and they need to get a serious playmaker at the linebacker position. I’m not knocking LB Jonathan Goff who did an excellent job in 2010 replacing the retired LB Antonio Pierce. The team still needs more fire from that area and I would be shocked if the G-Men did not pick up a return specialist in the late rounds. Let’s take a look at the early bird special.

2011 NFL Draft – New York Giants Edition, player rankings are current as of 1/03/11.

1. Linebacker/Center – Stefen Wisniewski of Penn State is the No.1 ranked Center in the draft by CBS Sports. The No.2 Center on that list is Kristofer O’Dowd of USC.

2. Center/Linebacker – Greg Jones of Michigan State is the No.1 ranked MLB in the draft by CBS Sports. The No.2 MLB on that list is Quan Sturdivant of North Carolina.

3. Cornerback

4. Running Back

5. Offensive Tackle

6. Linebacker

7. Return Specialist – CB/WR

Please feel free to give your opinions and your own draft needs assessment in the comment area. I know it’s a bit early to do this but I love the draft and couldn’t wait. As I mentioned, I’m sure this draft order will change a couple of times before April rolls around.

RD – nygreporter.com

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21 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Update, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Steve Tisch, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

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