Josh Berman’s Giants Update: Edition 3

May 25, 2010

Well for this week Giants fans, I thought I’d show off a little of my hometown roots. By that I actually mean I’m going to show my disgust with the fact that the Philadelphia Flyers actually made it into the Stanley Cup. We don’t usually discus other sports here at NYGReporter.com but if you’re curious I am a Giants fan (duh), a Nets fan (unfortunately), a Devils fan, and a Yankees fan. To see the Flyers crush my guys in the beginning was hard enough, but there are so many band wagon fans down here that it is almost unbearable. To make matters worse, I have heard on several accounts how “similar” the Giants run to Super Bowl XLII was in 2007 to the Flyers run this year. I mean it is a little, the Flyers have key injuries the Giants had key injuries, blah blah blah. I don’t want to hear Philly fans compare themselves to Big Blue, unless of course they have a no-name guy head out on the ice and bounce the puck of his head and into the goal. Until that happens, the Giants will always be first and best.

In other more important news, reports are coming in that Justin Tuck, the Giants all-star defensive end, who was recently referred  to as the Giants best defensive play (commence arguing among yourselves) is doing great and the shoulder is feeling better by the day. Tuck suffered a torn labarum from an intentional trip by former Cowboy Flozzel Adams, and depending on who you ask, Tuck was playing at about 60% all season long in 2009.

Continuing with Tuck, the defensive end was somewhat vocal in questioning the Giants early picks in Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph, fellow defensive linemen. Since then Tuck has had a chance to see them do drills and really work out and he has changed his mind. He indicated that he was biased in his early opinions, but now acknowledges their incredible athleticism and welcomes them with open arms to the Giants family.

And now the news you’ve all been waiting for, the league will vote tomorrow as to whether or not New Meadowlands will host a Bowl in 2014, and looks as though chances are better than good. John Clayton of ESPN is even calling them 100%. Although it won’t be the first time in recent memory that a Super Bowl will be played in a cold weather city, it will be the fist time in a long time that it will be played outside. The game would be very beneficial to paying off some of the leftover financial obligations the stadium brings, and even maybe bring in some naming rights competitors. Overall I think it will be great for the city and really open up the game to any climate, as it should be. What do you think the back lash will be if it snows during the game in 2014 when being held at the New Meadowlands Stadium? Should be interesting!

Josh Berman- NYGReporter.com


NY Giants Top Ten: Single Season Record, Receiving Yards

May 23, 2010

Here is a new segment that we will be doing here on the NYG Reporter, we will call them the unoriginal name of the “top ten” lists. Yes, we understand the cliche but it is still an effective means for communicating pertinent information about the team. The previous article we wrote before this, where we took a look at the fantasy football possibilities got me thinking. I mentioned that I thought WR Hakeem Nicks would break the single season Giants record for receiving yards in 2010. The current all-time record is 1,343 receiving yards, in a single season, set by WR Amani Toomer in 2002. During Hakeem Nicks’ rookie season in 2009, he had 790 receiving yards and six touchdowns, even though he only started in six games.

It will be interesting to see how the Smith/Nicks WR duo compliment each other. We could be on the verge of something big here in 2010. Let’s not forget about WR Mario Manningham, WR Ramses Barden, WR Derek Hagan, WR Domenik Hixon, WR Sinorice Moss and the rookie WR Tim Brown that Coughlin has mentioned during interviews. They will be competing with each other during the current OTA’s going on and even more so, come training camp in Albany this summer.

We will be doing the running backs and quarterbacks records during this week as well, so be sure to come back and check them out.

Let’s take a look at the top ten all-time receiving yards records for the New York Giants.

New York Giants all-time receiving yards, per single season, record standings.

1. WR Amani Toomer, 1,343 receiving yards in 2002.

2. WR Steve Smith, 1,220 receiving yards in 2009.

3. WR Plaxico Burress, 1,214 receiving yards in 2005.

4. WR Homer Jones, 1,209 receiving yards in 1967.

5. WR Amani Toomer, 1,183 receiving yards in 1999.

6. WR Del Shofner, 1,181 receiving yards in 1963.

7. WR Earnest Gray, 1,139 receiving yards in 1983.

8. WR Del Shofner, 1,133 receiving yards in 1962.

9. WR Del Shofner, 1,125 receiving yards in 1961.

10. WR Amani Toomer, 1,094 receiving yards in 2000.

Are you surprised by the amount of wide receivers on this list that have played  in the 1960’s? Do you think that WR Hakeem Nicks can re-write the record books in 2010?

RD – NYGReporter.com


2010 Fantasy Football: New York Giants Breakdown

May 23, 2010

Hello Giants Fans, I’ve noticed that the 2010 Fantasy Football Mock Draft rooms have been heating up. I know it is difficult to believe but ESPN already has their mock draft rooms up and running. It’s the same story with CBS Sports and their fantasy mock drafts. We are almost into June now and things are sure to heat up over the summer. The real 2010 NFL Draft has been over a couple of months now and the next significant time period will be training camp. There hasn’t been a release of those dates and locations as of yet but we know that the G-Men will be attending Albany this season for certain.

I am going to give you a list of the New York Giants players that will be worth having on your fantasy roster for the 2010 NFL season. I believe that the Giants wide receivers offer the best shot at making a difference on your team. I expect Easy Eli to have an improved year in 2010 and make the Pro Bowl. Clearly, the wide receiver group will benefit the most from Manning’s production on the field. I think drafters can get the New York Giants defense as a steal in the mid-to-late rounds. I expect the Giants defense to finish in the top ten for 2010. These are simply my thoughts on the 2010 possibilities for Big Blue. I’m sure this will help someone who reads this and decides they want to take a shot on some of these guys. Remember, this is designed to be a fun game, so don’t take it too seriously and enjoy yourself.

2010 Fantasy Football players on the New York Giants.

1. WR Steve Smith Smith is coming off a career season with Big Blue and he also made the pro Bowl in 2009. He is going to lose some passes to Hakeem Nicks but will still get enough to build on his numbers from last year. Look for 1,200 plus receiving yards and 10 TD’s from Smith in 2010.

2. QB Eli Manning – Manning is also coming off of a career year and I expect him to outperform 2009’s numbers and also make it to the Pro Bowl in 2010. I expect 4,000 plus yards and at least 30 TD’s from Manning in 2010.

3. WR Hakeem Nicks – I expect Hakeem Nicks to have a breakout season, by setting a new Giants record for receiving yards in a single season (currently 1,343 yards by Amani Toomer in 2002). This is another guy who could prove to be a steal around the 5th or 6th round of your draft.

4. RB Brandon Jacobs – Look for Brandon the Bull to return to form in 2010 with 1,000 yards rushing and 10 TD’s. You can easily get Jacobs in the 5th round in most drafts, I suggest you grab him or pay later.

5. RB Ahmad Bradshaw – Bradshaw will prove to have the skills to be a number one running back on any team. I predict he will have a 200 plus yard game during the 2010 NFL Season. I’m predicting 1,000 plus rushing yards and 5 TD’s in 2010.

6. TE Kevin Boss – Boss is about to have surgery on his ankle but should be ready for training camp. He is working his way up a short ladder of NFL tight ends. I’m guessing 600 receiving yards and 5 TD’s in 2010 for Boss.

7. New York Giants Defense/Special Teams – I am predicting the New York Giants defense will finish the 2010 NFL season in the top 10.

8. Wild Card Players – WR Mario Manningham, WR Ramses Barden, RB Andre Brown WR Victor Cruz and TE Travis Beckum.

Which New York Giants players do you deem worthy of a fantasy football roster spot? Do you play fantasy football? Check out the link in the comment area for a brand new fantasy sports site.

RD – NYGReporter.com


New York Giants Have Some Injured Players

May 22, 2010

The New York Giants have some players who are banged up and could miss playing time. The most serious of them all is backup offensive lineman Kevin Boothe. Boothe will be having surgery next week to repair a torn pectoral muscle and he will miss at least 4 months. This should open up an opportunity for one of the younger players to step up and give the team some depth at the offensive lineman position. It would not surprise me to see Giants GM Jerry Reese grab a free agent before the season started either. Protecting Eli Manning is priority number one when it comes to the offense.

Speaking of Eli Manning, one of his favorite targets will be going under the knife as well. Giants tight end Kevin Boss will be having surgery on his ankle and is expect to miss 4-6 weeks during his rehabilitation process. The reports are saying that he should be ready for the start of training camp. This is good news for Giants fans because Kevin Boss is more then just a safety valve for the offense. Boss showed his toughness last year by making some very difficult catches in traffic and holding onto the ball. Getting that kind of skill and toughness from the tight end position is a rarity. It sounds like Boss will not miss any playing time but if he has a set back, it could mean that Travis Beckum could see an increased role in 2010.

DT Jay Alford and RB Andre Brown are two players who missed the entire 2009 season, they were back at practice and reportedly feeling good. This is extremely good news for the fans and team because those guys just make us deeper and stronger at two positions that require depth. I’m curious to see what Andre Brown can do on the field and I hope that Jay Alford can return healthy and motivated. RB Brandon Jacobs and RB Ahmad Bradshaw also participated in practice, which is great news since they both had off season surgery as well.

The Giants have been very quiet when it comes to discussing safety Kenny Phillips. The fact that the team addressed the safety position so much during this off season doesn’t comfort fans in the least. Phillips is a difference maker and someone the G-men cannot afford to lose. If Phillips is unable to pay during the 2010 season, it would be a huge loss. If it goes deeper then that and Phillips’ career is in jeopardy, then this might be one of the saddest stories in recent NFL memory. One thing is for certain, Kenny Phillips is working his tail off to get back on the field.

What do you think about the latest New York Giants injury reports? Will Kenny Phillips play in 2010?

RD – NYGReporter.com


New York Giants 2010 NFL Season Predictions

May 18, 2010

Hello New York Giants fans, I thought we could take a look at current team and make some predictions. That means we hope to get some interaction with our readers and hear your opinions as well. You may not agree with us or some of the comments you read here but we ask that everyone remain respectful. I am going to be as honest and respectful as I can about the upcoming season. Let’s keep in mind that these are predictions and this is simply an exercise in entertainment. Enjoy!

– The New York Giants will finish the 2010 NFL season with a 11-5 or 12-4 record.

– The New York Giants will finish in 2nd place of the NFC East (Dallas wins out).

– New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will improve on his career year numbers in 2009 (4,021 yards and 27 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 93.1 QB rating) and make the NFL Pro Bowl in 2010.

– The New York Giants will make the playoffs in 2010.

– The New York Giants will win their first game of the 2010 NFL Playoffs.

– The New York Giants will lose their second game of the 2010 NFL PLayoffs.

– New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks will set a single season record for receiving yards and yards after catch (YAC yards).

– New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks will make the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl.

– New York Giants linebacker Clint Sintim will have a break out season.

– New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs will rush for over 1,000 yards and have 10 touchdowns in 2010.

– New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will give Big Blue a top five defensive backfield in 2010.

– New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle will make an immediate impact on the team.

– New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora will man up and have a career season in 2010.

– New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw will have 200 plus rushing yards in a single game.

– New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith will beat his receiving numbers from the 2009 NFL season and make the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl.

– New York Giants wide receiver Ramses Barden will finish the 2010 NFL Season with 10 or more touchdowns.

– New York Giants will have a new punter named Matt Dodge when the 2010 NFL Season starts.

– The New York Giants will cut kicker Lawrence Tynes at some point during the 2010 NFL Season or immediately following it.

– New York Giants defense will rank in the top 10 during the 2010 NFL Season.

– New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas will make the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl.

– New York Giants will have five players make the 2010 NFL PRo Bowl.

– New York Giants General Manager Jerry Reese will win “GM of the Year” for the 2010 NFL Season.

Let’s hear what your predictions are for the New York Giants 2010 NFL Season. Do you agree with my predictions? Do you think we are wrong or most? Let’s hear your opinions.

RD – NYGReporter.com


The Curious Case of Barry Cofield

May 16, 2010

The 2010 NFL Draft ended three weeks ago and there are still some unanswered questions in my head. There is something that I still can’t wrap my mind around. Why in the world would the New York Giants consider trading defensive tackle Barry Cofield for a second round pick? At first, I thought it was a rumor or pure speculation but reports confirmed that the G-Men did indeed pursue a trade with the New Orleans Saints. I consider GM Jerry Reese to be a top five General Manager in the entire NFL but this trade makes absolutely no sense to me. The Giants drafted Cofield (6’4″ 306 pounds) in 2006 and he has only missed one game in his four years with New York. The 26 year old has been steady and strong in the middle.

What makes this even more bizarre is the fact that the team is in disarray at the DT position. Former Giant Fred Robbins left for the Rams, Jay Alford is returning from a season ending injury, Rocky Bernard is still a question mark and Chris Canty is still a mystery. Bernard and Canty were both plagued by injuries for most of the 2009 season as well. The rest of the DT group are strictly depth players or possible future stars. Why would the team consider trading their only reliable defensive tackle for an unproven prospect? Even if Jerry Reese knew he would be taking a rookie defensive tackle early in this draft, why wouldn’t he have offered someone else for the trade? I can think of half a dozen players (perhaps not worth a second round pick) that could be offered up instead of Cofield. This is the first time I can honestly say that Jerry Reese might have slipped up. I’m very happy that this trade did not go through and the fans can only hope that Cofield doesn’t take this personally, although I don’t know how you can do that as a player, who has been as loyal to a team as Cofield has. Hopefully, all of the parties involved can move past this and prepare for another run at the playoffs in 2010.

DT Barry Cofield was re-signed to a one year contract. I don’t know what the team is looking at that we don’t see but I would have given him a three year contract.

Do you think that trading Barry Cofield for a second round pick would have been a good move? Do you find this attempt to be curious to say the least?

RD – NYGReporter.com


Tom Coughlin’s Head Coaching Job is in Jeopardy? Really?

May 14, 2010

The haters have already started their assault on New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. After a brief two year hiatus (2007 and 2008) from the negative talk about Tom Coughlin being on the “hot seat”, it seems that following a disappointing 2009 campaign (injury plagued season), the boo birds have picked up where they left off. I’m amazed at all of the negative chatter across the world wide web on this subject. Not only that but I’m shocked at how quickly some fair weather Giants fans can throw their team leader under the bus. Where is the loyalty and respect from these people I wonder? If Coughlin wins the Super Bowl again this year and proves these haters wrong, they will simply apologize and wait for another poor season before crying again. This is a disgusting cycle that some have become eerily accustomed to. To all of you haters I say, let it go.

Tom Coughlin (Giants head coach since 2004) will go down in history as one of the best New York Giants coaches in history. In fact, he might find himself directly behind Bill Parcells at some point, sitting comfortably in the number two spot. Everyone would love nothing more then to win a Super Bowl every single year. Get over it, it can never happen.  The NFL is far too competitive and father time takes his toll on all of us. Some make the argument that Coughlin had his success in 2007 and 2008 simply because of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. I can see why they would think that since the G-Men had two outstanding seasons while he was a part of the team. Some might forget that the Giants went to the playoffs for two years straight before Coach Spags arrived. There is no question that Spags had a lot to do with the success but it was more then that. It was a team effort as it always must be in order to be successful.

I hope that all of the haters will remain silent and let the team do their job. I think the Giants will be back in the playoffs in 2010 and I believe they may have found a solid replacement for Coach Spags in Perry Fewell, after a dismal year under former DC Bill Sheridan. Let’s give these guys some time to show what they can do before throwing them under the bus.

Tom Coughin’s career record with the New York Giants.

2004 – 6-10 – 2nd place in NFC East

2005 – 11-5 – 1st place in NFC East – Playoffs

2006 – 8-8 – 3rd place in NFC East – Playoffs

2007 – 10-6 – 2nd place in NFC East – Playoffs – Super Bowl Champs

2008 – 12-4 – 1st place in NFC East – Playoffs

2009 – 8-8 – 3rd place in NFC East

What do you think about the negative talk about Tom Coughlin’s job being in jeapordy? Do you agree with all of the hype or do you think the man deserves a break for everything he has accomplished with the team?

RD – NYGReporter.com


New York Giants Re-Sign WR Derek Hagan

May 13, 2010

The New York Giants continued to tweak their roster by signing five year NFL veteran WR Derek Hagan to a one year contract. Hagan (6’2″ 215 pounds) hasn’t done much for Big Blue since he came to the team from the Miami Dolphins in 2008. In 2009, Hagan had 101 receiving yards and 1 touchdown. I expect to see Hagan used primarily on special teams but he could get into a few games, if he can impress the coaches. Most Giants fans would prefer to see him do well (myself included), so that the team can be even more effective in the passing game. QB Eli Manning can use all of the help he can get and the re-signing of Hagan shows that Jerry Reese is very intent on keeping Easy Eli happy. A deep group of wide receivers ensures that the team will not be without a backup in that particular area.

There will be a lot of talented receivers on the team in 2010. Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks will more then likely take the one and two spot, while the battle for the third slot will be between Mario Manningham and the rest of the wide receiver group. Ramses Barden is still a very intriguing prospect because of his size and strength. One could say that this year’s first round pick, Jason Pierre-Paul could be viewed in the same light as Barden. Barden was brought in as a project because he came from a small school, exactly the same situation as Pierre-Paul finds himself in. QB Eli Manning had a career year in 2009, even though the team finished with a disappointing record. The WR corps was a big part of his progress and they should all flourish once again in 2010.

What do you think about the G-Men re-signing WR Derek Hagan? What do you think about the entire wide receiver group for the 2010 NFL season?

RD – NYGReporter.com

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The New York Giants Youth Movement

May 11, 2010

The New York Giants are a very young team. I was extremely surprised to see just how young, when I checked out the roster this morning (courtesy of Giants.com). I decided to look deeper into the college career of Linval “The Anvil” Joseph today and was going to write an article about him (I’ll get to you soon Linval), when I noticed the “years of NFL experience” next to each players name. Needless to say, I was very surprised at what I read. I started to wonder if I was just getting old and if things had always been this way or if this truly was a youth movement going on in New York. I understand that a player with five years of NFL experience is technically a veteran but I would hardly say that he was an old player. In fact, I would say a player at the five year experience mark is just hitting his prime. I used the five year mark as a starting point and worked my way up the ladder of experience. Players at the four year mark and below would certainly be considered “young” in football terms.

The one thing I learned by taking a closer look at the roster was, the oldest three players and spots on the list, all belong to the offensive line. The New York Giants offensive line is one of the best in football and I am not suggesting that they can’t play anymore, I want to make that clear. There is only one player on the team with ten years of NFL experience and only two players on the team, with nine years of experience. All three of them are starting offensive linemen. Giants GM Jerry Reese addressed the offensive line last year by drafting OT William Beatty and again this year by drafting OG Mitch Petrus. I would love to see the current offensive line play for another decade but it is just not going to happen. There are currently 37 players on the roster with four years or less NFL experience.

Personally, I do not look at this as a bad thing. I think the team is doing exactly what they need to do, in order to make another run at the Super Bowl. I have complete faith in Jerry Reese and the rest of the Giants staff. I also disagree with all of the media hype about Tom Coughlin’s job being in jeopardy this year. The man won the Super Bowl in 2007, coached the team to a 12-4 record in 2008 and was plagued by injuries in 2009. Last year was not coach Coughlin’s fault in my opinion. But enough about my opinions, let’s take a look at what the Giants roster tells us.

The Number of players with NFL experience, by years.

10 years of NFL experience – 1 player

9 years of NFL experience – 2 players

8 years of NFL experience – 1 player

7 years of NFL experience – 2 players

6 years of NFL experience – 4 players

5 years of NFL experience – 6 players

What do you think about the youth movement going on in New York? Is this something that will help or hurt the team during the 2010 NFL season?

RD – NYGReporter.com


Can CB Aaron Ross Make a Comeback in 2010?

May 10, 2010

I would like to talk about CB Aaron Ross for a bit today. This is one of the most intriguing issues the Giants will face in 2010. Ross was a budding star before his injury plagued 2009 season. Reports came out saying that he was unsure about his NFL career and if he even wanted to play anymore. Not exactly the type of talk you want to hear from your starting cornerback. Most of what came out of Ross’ mouth, was due to the depression he must have felt about not being able to play. He is an extremely competitive guy and I imagine that the frustration got the better of him that day and the media ran with his comments. Ross is a Super Bowl Champion and knows what it takes to get there again. He must know that he is an important part of the puzzle and that the team needs him. We know his heart is there, now we need to know that his body can do the work.

CB Terrell Thomas has emerged as the number one cornerback on the Giants defense and I’m curious to see who will be starting opposite him. If Ross is healthy, he will certainly get his starting role back but if he can’t go, things will get extremely interesting. There are only seven cornerbacks on the current roster and three of them are rookies. CB Corey Webster (the senior CB with five years of NFL experience) would seem to be the obvious choice to replace Ross if he can’t play.

Let me be clear, I am a fan of Aaron Ross. Like many Giants fans, I would love nothing more then to see him running around and making plays for Big Blue. When I spoke with Michael Eisen and John Schmeelk of Giants.com last week, I brought up the subject of Ross’ health and didn’t receive a definitive answer from them. I didn’t get the feeling that the guys were hiding anything but rather, they truly don’t know what will happen. Eisen said that Ross continues to work hard on his rehab and we will have to wait and see how that translates to the field. A bad hamstring can be a lingering problem and something that could resurface from time to time.

What do you think about the current cornerback situation in New York? Do you think the team needs to grab another free agent CB or are you confident with the players currently on the roster? How important is it that CB Aaron Ross return to the field?

RD – NYGReporter.com