Giants Make Hard Choices to Cut Down to 53 Man Roster

September 3, 2011

NEW YORK – This is always a very difficult time of year for the Giants coaches and staff. I’m sure they would have loved to have kept everyone on the team but it just isn’t the way things work in the NFL. The Giants were forced to cut a bunch of players today in order to cut down to the mandatory 53 man roster. Head Coach Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese can finally exhale after making some very difficult decisions but I’m sure they will also monitor the careers of the players they cut. This is one of the most difficult parts of the job for these men, without question. Having to tell a man that he didn’t make the team, when you know he has given you 110% on the field is a terrible chore but a part of the business. You can view the final roster here Roster or simply click the roster tab on the top toolbar of our website.

Fans were speculating all week about who would be cut and who would make the team. I try not to get into those conversations out of respect for the players but I will answer a direct question if someone asks my opinion about a player. When you’re looking at all of these guys on paper and see you one or two at a certain deep position on the team, you have a pretty good idea if they will be on the final roster or not. A perfect example is the defensive end position. The Giants literally have four guys who could be starters at the position with DE Justin Tuck, DE Osi Umenyiora, DE Jason Pierre-Paul and DE Mathias Kiwanuka (he is a hybrid, I know). Trying to make the Giants final roster at the defensive end position would be a herculean task for any player. There were some cuts that were surprises, like there are every year and some cuts that sting a little more then the others.

I would like to personally wish the players well, who did not make the cut. It’s a shame that everyone can’t make the team based on their hard work and desire. It is never fun saying goodbye to a player who has given his all. Keep your head up and keep working hard. It might not be your time today but dreams do come true! Don’t give up!

The Giants will face the Washington Redskins next Sunday 9/11/11 at 4:15 PM EST for their first regular season game. Be sure to come back and check out our “Game Notes” each and every week throughout the season.

Were you surprised by any of the cuts made or with the Giants final roster?

RD – nygreporter.com

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The Giants Injury Epidemic Has Become a Serious Problem

September 3, 2011

NEW YORK – The Giants have been decimated by injuries for the past three years in a row. There is nothing more frustrating to the players, coaches and fans then the team losing games because they cannot field the best talent available. It has now become an epidemic, as the Giants have lost a ton of quality players to injury for the year and we have not even started the regular season yet. At some point, even the fans have to question the conditioning program in their search of why so many players have been going down in recent years. I am not calling out anyone on the Giants staff but this seems to be more then just bad luck when the Giants have consistently lost 20% of their team for the past three years. I’m not sure who or why anyone would argue with trying to find out the reason.

It is my intention to find the problem and eliminate it. I now this is highly unlikely but we can try right. I’m sure that people will say that injuries are a part of the game and I would agree with them but this is out of control now. This isn’t your run of the mill injury list, year in and year out. We are talking about high quality players and tens of millions of dollars being thrown away. At what point do we take a long hard look into what the heck is going on with players dropping like flies every year? I say the time is now to do a thorough investigation and evaluation of the strength and conditioning habits and routines that all Giants players must adhere to. Are they too strict or too soft? Are players not being taught the proper techniques? Are the players and coaches being held accountable? Is there any other answer besides a bad luck streak?

I’m not sure what can be done but it is becoming very hard to watch these players go down. I’m sure the coaches feel it even more then me with Coach Coughlin being the pinnacle of pain during these horrible turn of events. Football is a contact sport and injuries will happen but can any of you Giants fans out there honestly say that you can remember a three year stretch where we have lost so many good players due to injury? I know that I can honestly say no to that question. Let’s find out where the problem lies and eliminate it. By my count, the Giants have lost 36 players to injury over the past three years (including this year thus far).

Here is the list of Giants players who have been injured during the 2011 offseason.

1. CB Terrell Thomas – Out for season/IR List

2. CB Bruce Johnson – Out for season/Cut.

3. CB Brian Witherspoon – Out for season/IR List.

4. DT Marvin Austin – Out for season/IR List.

5. LB Clint Sintim – Out for season/IR List.

6. CB Prince Amukamara – Out 6-8 weeks.

7. WR Duke Calhoun – Injured/Cut.

8. OL Adam Koets – PUP List.

9. WR Ramses Barden – PUP List.

10. K Lawrence Tynes – Missed final 3 preseason games. Questionable for start of regular season.

11. DE Osi Umenyiora – Expected to to miss 2-4 weeks of the regular season after surgery.

How would you explain the massive amount of injuries experienced by the Giants over the past three years?

RD – nygreporter.com

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Giants Offensive Line is the Elephant in the Room

August 2, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants have been outstanding at the offensive line position for many years now. These guys have done such a good job protecting QB Eli Manning, that they have become almost an after thought. Fans could always rely on those guys to do their job and NFL fans acknowledged their superiority by voting the big guys into multiple Pro Bowls. We now find ourselves in an interesting predicament and completely unfamiliar territory with having to be concerned about the offensive line. Yes, the offensive line is the elephant in the room that nobody has talked about at length. If Eli Manning is going to continue his Iron Man streak for the most consecutive regular season starts, the offensive line is going to need a seamless transition into the new season.

One of the biggest player moves that really made me nervous was the acquisition of QB David Carr. I mentioned this is a previous article but I would like to explain to you why I am nervous. Eli Manning hasn’t really needed a true backup QB so far because he has proven to be extremely durable. A quiet tough guy if you will. With all due respect, Jim Sorgi and Sage Rosenfels aren’t exactly they guys you want running your team for any long period of time. Are the Giants concerned about Manning’s safety with this new offensive line? Do they lack confidence in the new group who will be taking over for Rich Seubert, Shawn Andrews and Shaun O’Hara? Are they concerned with the depth at that position if one or two guys fall to injury? Or did GM Jerry Reese just see an opportunity to sign a quality player familiar with the system?

The starters most likely will be William Beatty, David Diehl, David Baas, Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie. The others include Mitch Petrus, Adam Koets, Kevin Boothe, rookie James Brewer and newly signed Chris White who appear to be the primary backups. There are a handful of other players on the team who will be competing for a role on the offensive line but the players I just mentioned appear to be the front runners. This is going to be the year that certain players will have to step up. I know that is an overused term but it is quite literally what will need to happen in 2011 for the Giants to stay competitive. Some have speculated that Seubert, Andrews or O’Hara could return and play for a smaller contract. With the Giants issues with the salary cap, it is a possibility but unlikely at this point.

In summary, I am very concerned about the offensive line this year. I have faith in the players talent but the lack of experience concerns me. I am also wondering how long it will take QB Eli Manning to become familiar with a new center in David Bass. If those two guys can’t get on the same page quickly, the team is going to be in trouble. If not for the salary cap issues, I would like to see the team bring in another veteran to help out this very young offensive line. Even if it were just to add depth, I would feel much better.

Are you concerned about the Giants offensive line for the 2011 NFL season?

RD – nygreporter.com

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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

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New York Giants Will Focus on Depth and Improve in 2011

February 10, 2011

NEW YORK – There is no denying the fact that the New York Giants are a very talented football team. I have been one of the fans that said the amount of injuries the team had in 2010, seriously effected their play on the field. The Giants placed 16 players on the IR List in 2010. I’m not so sure that argument applies any longer, after seeing the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl with 15 of their players residing on the IR list. I like to believe the Giants are a deep team but maybe we have all been wrong. After back to back injury plagued seasons, fans have to wonder just how deep the team really is and what coaching changes need to be made in the conditioning department. The Giants went 8-8 in 2009 and 10-6 in 2010 respectively.

Giants GM Jerry Reese is a draft guru and I’m sure that he will be focusing on depth this year. He will certainly address the offensive line (which did an outstanding job in 2010) and get more talent to help out in that area. OL William Beatty, OL Adam Koets and OL Mitch Petrus are three guys who fans might see more of in 2011. He will focus on improving the cornerback position and quite frankly, he should. Why have a defensive coordinator who specializes in DB’s and then not get him at least two more players of his choosing to coach? This seems like a no brainer. I am comfortable with the safeties on the team but the cornerback position seems to need a little depth. CB Terrell Thomas has been outstanding on his side of the field and lead the team in tackles in 2010.

The linebacker position is another area that must be on the team radar. The current linebacker group has a lot of talented players but they certainly don’t have a Lawrence Taylor playing back there. The G-Men need the next LT to be thrown into the mix and lead that group of young men. Fans still need to see how LB Clint Sintim and LB Phillip Dillard work out but bringing in a young veteran “Patrick Willis” type of player should be a priority in my opinion. As crazy as it sounds, the Giants might need to throw another wide receiver into the mix too. It was painful to see WR after WR go down with injuries and I would not want that to happen again in 2011. NFL teams need two No.1 and two No.2 WR’s on the team these days for just that very reason. Every fourth and fifth WR should be able to start as a No.3 on any NFL team. This is an ideal situation for all NFL teams and hopefully something Big Blue can pull off.

The one area of the team that needs the most help is also the only spot on the team that does not have depth. I’m talking about special teams and boy do they need work. P Matt Dodge and K Lawrence Tynes should both be concerned for different reasons. Dodge should be concerned because of his inconsistent rookie season and Tynes might feel the heat of a team needing a change at the kicker position. The return specialists also had their fair share of problems in 2010. Special teams coach Tom Quinn should also be very concerned about his job in my opinion.

Regardless of the injuries or depth issues, the New York Giants have enough talent to make the playoffs. There is no reason why they should have been watching the playoffs on TV this season with their 10-6 record. I will not guarantee anything or jinx the team but I would be shocked if the G-Men were to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year. If that were to happen, there would be big changes in New York for 2012. What do you think?

RD – nygreporter.com

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New York Giants Can’t Catch a Break

November 23, 2010

NEW YORK – The New York Giants have problems, big problems. The team has not been able to stay healthy since 2008. The 2009 NFL season may be one of the worst on record as far as injuries are concerned. The 2010 NFL season is slowly catching up to that infamous honor. There is absolutely nothing more frustrating then having a ton of talent on a team that cannot play due to injuries. I get physically ill when I think about the pro bowlers and supreme talent who have landed on the IR this year or who have missed significant playing time due to injuries.

The Giants have been making so many mid-season transactions, that it has become difficult to keep track of them all. It seems like the team is brining in a new player every single week. The news broke yesterday about star WR Hakeem Nicks having to miss at least 3 weeks with a leg injury and it was just another punch to the gut. The Giants already have players, who are playing games with injuries and legging them out. I will leave a current list of players who are missing significant time in 2010 below, so you can see for yourself what the team is dealing with.

Last year, the defense was the main problem and that has been fixed with the arrival of DC Perry Fewell and a bunch of new players. In 2010, the special teams has effected more games then I care to discuss and the offense has been turning the ball over at an astonishing rate. So far, turnovers and the special teams play are number one and two on my list of issues. Not too far behind and perhaps tied with one of the previous two items are the injuries. The Giants can’t seem to catch a break this year, after once again having a promising first half of the season. The Giants have had the No.1 defense and a top three offense for much of the first half of the 2010 NFL season and now it seems to be slipping away week by week. They are currently the No.2 defense and No.3 offense in the NFL with a 6-4 record.

This season is far from over and the G-Men are capable of running the table when healthy but when your three starting WR’s are Mario Manningham, Duke Calhoun and Derek Hagan, you may run into some problems because those are your No.3, No.4 and No.5 WR’s on the depth chart. Not to mention that TE Kevin Boss has been banged up all year and has missed time, further taking away weapons from Eli manning who is having a solid season despite his meltdown against the Eagles this past weekend.

The 6-4 Giants will reportedly sign the 6’4″ former Tampa Bay WR Michael Clayton to a one year deal today, to help the depleted WR corps. Clayton is a young 28 year old player with six years of NFL experience under his belt. He will be brought in from his current Omaha team with the UFL. This might be just the thing this young man needs to live up to his potential. The Giants will need to clear the air and get focused for their next game this weekend against the Jaguars at 1PM EST in New Meadowlands stadium.

Let’s take a look at some of the injured players for Big Blue.

– QB Jim Sorgi – Injured Reserve List

– WR Ramses Barden – Injured Reserve List

– WR Domenik Hixon – Injured Reserve List

– WR Victor Cruz – Injured Reserve List

– DE Mathias Kiwanuka – Injured Reserve List

– LB Adrian Tracy – Injured Reserve List

– S Michael Johnson – Injured Reserve List

– CB Bruce Johnson – Injured Reserve List

– OL Adam Koets – Injured Reserve List

– S Chad Jones – Non Football Injury -Injured Reserve List

– WR Steve Smith – Week to Week

– WR Hakeem Nicks – Week to Week

– OL Shaun O’Hara – Week to Week

– OL David Diehl – Week to Week

– FB Madison Hedgecock – Week to Week

RD – nygreporter.com

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New York Giants: Seven Rounds in Seven Days, Rd.6

April 15, 2010

Here we are on day two of the “Seven Rounds in Seven Days” segment. We will be examining the past six years of drafts by round. A different set of rounds everyday for seven days. The legendary Ernie Accorsi will be compared to the young buck (I say that with respect) Jerry Reese. The 2010 NFL Draft is now exactly one week away. What will the Giants do? Could they still grab a player via free agency? Will there be a major trade announced? It’s beginning to get very interesting, the closer we get to draft day.

Now, let’s take a look at the New York Giants round six picks for the past six years.

ROUND 6

Ernie Accorsi

2004 Draft – Round 6 – WR Jamaar Taylor

2005 Draft – Round 6 – DE Eric Moore

2006 Draft – Round 6 – No picks available

Jerry Reese

2007 Draft – Round 6 – OT Adam Koets

2008 Draft – Round 6 – QB Andre Woodson and DE Robert Henderson

2009 Draft – Round 6 – CB DeAndre Wright

NYGReporter

2010 Draft – Round 6 – Position Prediction – Running Back

After taking a look at the history above, I think it is fair to say that round six is a push between these two legends. OT Adam Koets is the only player out of them all that may have any promise of making a living in New York. Robert Henderson would fall to second on the list if I had to choose. It is nothing against the other players that the G-men drafted, it’s just the nature of the business to be somewhat judgmental. The one pattern that I am picking up on thus far, is that Ernie Acorsi seems to be missing picks quite a bit. No doubt from wheeling and dealing but I find it interesting that while Accorsi has given up a pick in each round so far, Reese continues to be stingy with his draft picks and has retained them all. Both of these men are experts at what they do and trying to figure out which system is best is ludicrous.  A blend of both styles might be the best thing for New York.

What do you think about this brief history of round six picks? What position do you predict Big Blue taking with the 2010 sixth round pick?

RD – NYGReporter.com



2010 New York Giants: The Offensive Tackles

April 8, 2010

The New York Giants offensive line has been one of the best in football for a very long time. There were a lot of injuries in 2009 but QB Eli Manning seemed to be moving around like a jack rabbit quite a bit in the backfield. I would never say anything bad about this group of men who protect Eli. Last season seemed a bit strange in multiple areas, not just the O-line. I’m willing to accept that and have confidence that the Giants offensive line will once again become a wall to opposing defenses in 2010. The New York Giants currently have six offensive tackles on the roster.

Second year left tackle William Beatty, performed pretty well this year. I would not be surprised to see him become the starting left tackle at some point in 2010. This of course is based upon the promise he showed in a dismal 2009 season. David Diehl “doesn’t care where you play him, just get him on the field” would most likely switch to an offensive guard position. Diehl is a young veteran presence on the team that the rest of the tackles can learn from. Players like Adam Koets, who have been on the team for three seasons now and could blossom into a very good starter. Guy Whimper is a mainstay and has played well in New York. He will need to step up his game during training camp this year to lock down a permanent spot, the Giants seem to be experimenting with different options and it may include bring in some other talent at the offensive tackle position. Herb Taylor is a great depth guy and team player but along with Whimper as his primo competition, may need to pick his game up during the 2010 training camp.

What do you think about the current New York Giants Tackle situation? Do you think William Beatty is the future at left tackle?

Here is a list of the current 2010 New York Giants Offensive Tackles:

1. David Diehl, LT #66

2. Kareem McKenzine, RT #67

3. William Beatty, LT #65

4. Guy Whimper, OT #79

5. Adam Koets, LT #61

6. Herb Taylor OT, #68

RD – NYGReporter.com