New York Giants Roster Moves, Free Agency Signings

March 15, 2012

NEW YORK – To say that the Giants have been busy the past 48 hours is an understatement. The Giants could hit the 15-17 player signings benchmark by tonight if they continue at this pace. I see what Giants GM Jerry Reese is doing and it is fun to take this journey of evolution with him and guess what happens because he is not showing his hand. You must know the team well enough to come up with scenarios and quite frankly, if you’re one of those writers who has given up, don’t steal my formulas or ideas and print them as your own. I read everything related to the Giants daily. It’s like a kick in the gut when you put two and two together and check the timelines for story releases. If you want my work, pay me, don’t be a hack.

Now back to business, the Giants have made about a dozen deals over the last 48 hours and show no signs of stopping today. They know the cream of the crop is almost completely devoured by now and will make a couple more moves in my opinion by Friday night. It’s safe to say the Giants have addressed the tight end and cornerback areas considerably thus far. They also have S Chad Jones, CB Prince Amukamara, CB Corey Webster to work with too and TE Jake Ballard and TE Travis Beckum. How about signing both of the Andrews brothers (Shawn and Stacy)? Get those guys up to speed and on the field together and see what happens. I also think that signing DE Osi Umenyiora, S Deon Grant, LB Chase Blackburn are crucial for the defense and special teams group.

Let’s take a look at what has happened thus far. Giants GM Jerry Reese has solidified the cornerback position on defense. He knows the defensive line is fine but if a good deal presents itself, who knows? He knows the safety group is fine, maybe add one more. This tells me he will be attacking the linebacker group via the upcoming NFL draft. If he catches lightning in a bottle with a future LT, I think he will use the majority of the other picks on offense. I think it will be a LB or OL taken in round one this year. I hope it is another athletic linebacker to help out but at the same time think a ten year offensive lineman is needed right now. The recent roster moves also tell me the offensive line will be addressed via the draft and certainly the running back position.

Here are some of the recent signings by Big Blue this week. Some of the deals did not publicly state the terms.

These roster moves are valid as of 3/15/12 at 8:00 AM:

1. CB Terrell Thomas, 6’0″ 200 pounds – 4 year deal, fair and smart move.

2. WR Domenik Hixon, 6’2″ 185 pounds – 1 year deal, worth the shot.

3. CB Michael Coe, 6’0″ 190 pounds – Smart signing to bolster DB’s.

4. CB Bruce Johnson, 5’11” 185 pounds – Smart signing to bolster DB’s.

5. TE Jake Ballard, 6’6″ 256 pounds – I like this signing a lot. Well done.

6. CB Justin Tryon, 5’9″ 190 pounds – Smart signing to bolster DB’s.

7. QB David Carr, 6’3″ 215 pounds – I have always liked Carr.

8. TE Martellus Bennett, 6’6″ 270 pounds – 1 year deal, smart.

9. P Steve Weatherford, 6’2″ 211 pounds – Franchise tag, brilliant.

10. TE Larry Donnell, 6’6″ 269 pounds – No NFL experience.

11. OL Joel Reinders, 6’8″ 317 pounds – No NFL experience.

Keep an eye on players who were released, free agent markets:

1. RB Brandon Jacobs – Released by team. Surprising move and I hope he can return for a new restructured contract.

2. WR Mario Manningham – I hope we can re-sign Super Mario somehow but right now he is checking out the 49ers free agent market.

3. CB Aaron Ross – Visiting teams as we speak, Washington was the most recent. Really Aaron?

4. OL Kareem McKenzie – Restructure the contract for less money and get that 3rd ring and maybe Ring of Honor one day.

5. S Deon Grant – Both sides need to get this done. I love the way this man plays football.

6. LB Chase Blackburn – This guy is a big deal and he proved it again last season. Give him 3 years.

7. DE Dave Tollefson – He plays with the best defensive line in football and holds his own. Worth re-signing.

8. TE Kevin Boss – Rumors of him returning are doubtful after Martellus Bennett signing. Maybe not?

9. WR Plaxico Burress – Rumors of his return are most likely just that, rumors.

10. WR Steve Smith – This is an interesting possibility if they lose Mario Manningham. It’s doubtful to ever happen.

11. DE Osi Umenyiora – Pay this man the money he has earned and work it out like Manning’s contract or something.

What are your thoughts on the recent transactions made by the New York Giants? Feel free to leave a comment below.

RD – nygreporter.com

Check out New York Giants Team Captain, Justin Tuck’s camp info here Justin Tuck ProCamps.


Giants Will Strike Quickly When Free Agency Begins in 24 Hours

March 12, 2012

NEW YORK – Hello Giants fans, the NFL free agency madness begins tomorrow. I fully expect GM Jerry Reese to have a plan in place, that will be put into motion when the clock strikes. His plan is already in motion, we are in motion right now, can you feel it? Areas that could be effected include the offensive line and the running backs. OL Kareem McKenzie might meet his replacement if reports are correct. RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB DJ Ware and RB Da’Rel Scott should all be on the final roster. Who the fourth running back will be is a mystery. Expect Reese to dig out a solid RB from the draft in the mid-rounds. This could also be addressed via free agency where Big Blue could make a run for tier-two talent. Making a play for a solid tight end is not out of the question either. The offense would benefit from an experienced veteran at the position. An offensive lineman with experience would make sense as well. Some should check in on OL Shawn Andrews and see what he has been doing. The return of OT William Beatty will be a plus as well.

That about covers the offensive options in my opinion, on the defensive side of the ball, I see linebacker as the primary area of interest. If the Giants were to lock up DE Osi Umenyiora for 3 years and then spend a little on a solid linebacker via free agency, they may have something there. Of course, you have to include locking down LB Chase Blackburn for 3 years as well. Both of those guys are very important to what happens on the field on defense and special teams. It’s a smart move that makes sense, plus both guys want to retire as Giants one day and possibly make it into the Ring of Honor. You can go to bed at night knowing both of these guys will be worth what they are paid three years from now. DE Justin Tuck, DE Osi Umenyiora and DE Jason Pierre-Paul together for the next three years means at least one more Super Bowl ring for the Giants Dynasty Team. Another ring means all of the NFL “experts” and haters are silenced for a decade. And you know what? Eli is going to do it.

Expect Big Blue to strike like lightning and make a bold move early in the free agency period. When you have the last pick in the draft, 32nd overall, it makes sense to strike quickly in free agency to bolster your squad. At least it makes sense in my mind and justifies an aggressive approach from the onset. I am just as curious as the next guy about which direction they will take regarding talent and managing cap space. Bravo again to captain QB Eli Manning for restructuring his contract to free up over $6.5 million in cap space. What a team player and superb leader he is for this franchise and he has now become the Greatest Quarterback in New York Giants history in my opinion. Put it in the record books ladies and gentlemen. Speaking of quarterbacks, will the G-Men be looking into other backup quarterback options for Iron Man Easy Eli? Some reports say QB David Carr might be on his way out. I’ve always liked Carr and though he brought some stability to the backup QB position. We will find out soon.

Who are some of the free agent players you have your eyes on for the New York Giants?

RD – nygreporter

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Giants Lose Half of their Starting Offense in 2011

August 11, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants might have to change their name to the New Look Giants this season. The team has been hit with a string of bad news (karma is a female dog) in recent weeks and the team has lost half of their starting offense. The news about WR Steve Smith going to the rival Eagles yesterday sealed the deal for me. I have been a very big fan of GM Jerry Reese and have showered him with praise since the first year he came to the team. But even my faith has been shaken by the mass exodus of pro bowl athletes in 2011. Think about this for a moment, the Giants have lost OL Rich Seubert, OL Shaun O’Hara, TE Kevin Boss, FB Madison Hedgecock and WR Steve Smith. All five of these guys were starters in an offense that requires eleven men. You do the math.

The Giants also lost some other quality guys such as OL Shawn “Fan Fav” Andrews, DT Barry Cofield (who also went to division rival, the Redskins). They are in a contract battle with all pro DE Osi Umenyiora, they lost CB Bruce Johnson to injury and cut him. They signed TE Ben Patrick who turned around and retired on them and they have lost their 1st round pick CB Prince Amukamara for two months. When it rains, it pours. There were other transactions made but these mentioned are the big deals and the team still hasn’t addressed all of the free agents that need signing. The Giants play their first preseason game in two days and will need to get a ton of new players up to speed on the playbook and the system. I’m not sure how they will fair but I wish them good luck with that.

I cannot remember a year in recent memory where the Giants lost so many quality players within a one month period of time. I’m not sure if there ever was a similar situation in team history. Yes, the team has signed some players but they hardly replaced all of the talent the team lost. I hope Jerry Reese knows what he is doing because this will be an unrecognizable group of players on the field to the true blue fan. The fact that the team was six million dollars over the salary cap certainly plays into the mix but that also begs the question of why? Who was watching the salary cap and allowed this to happen? Rabid fans have been calling for the head of Jerry Reese and for changes in the front office as a whole. I will keep my opinions to myself until I see what the team does in 2011. I will not panic but I am certainly deeply concerned.

What are your thoughts about the recent roster moves made by the Giants?

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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New York Giants Continue to Reshape Team with More Moves

July 27, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants had a wonderful day by any measure of success in obtaining undrafted rookies yesterday. However, they also caused some waves among Giants fans by releasing some “fan favorite” players. After the news broke about the teams plans to release C Shaun O’Hara and OL Rich Seubert, the team followed up with more bad news by not coming to terms with OL Shawn Andrews. That means three offensive linemen have been cut or released in one day. This has left fans scratching their heads because it was very evident that the offensive line needed help before these cuts. They did re-sign OL Kevin Boothe to a two year deal but he is primarily a backup. The Giants have also reportedly agreed to terms with OL/C David Baas (6’4″ 330 pounds) who played his first six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Fans have come to trust GM Jerry Reese and I’m sure he has a plan but this is asking for a whole lot of trust.

Fans awoke today to more bad news, when they read that DT Barry Cofield will be leaving the team and going to the Washington Redskins of all places. Reports have him signing a six year deal with the division rival. This is another move I just don’t understand. Barry Cofield had become one of my favorite players because all he did was shut his mouth and do his job. The coaches must have seen something that I didn’t because Barry appeared to be the only steady rock in the middle of that defensive line. I truly wish him well and hate that he will be playing across the line from us for at least six years.

The Giants have been working hard to re-sign RB Ahmad Bradshaw and believe it or not, the team had been talking with WR Plaxico Burress for much of the day yesterday. Coughlin even came out and said he did not mind speaking to Burress, which he will do today. I’m not sure how realistic it is to think Plaxico will return to New York after all of the bad things he said about not wanting to play for Coach Coughlin but crazier things have happened in the past. It is unclear who the G-Men will target in free agency after clearing up some cap space by releasing all of these players. They may have to just sign all of their own players and only get one or two free agents off the market. The Giants have just placed the offensive linemen position on top of the “need” chart by making all of these moves. I’m very surprised they didn’t take measures to replace them prior to announcing the cuts. That only tells me that GM Jerry Reese must be targeting at least one big time offensive lineman from free agency. The madness is far from over so stay tuned for more updates fans.

Are you surprised by all of the player moves Big Blue has made so far?

RD – nygreporter.com

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New York Giants Summer Time Blues News

June 29, 2011

NEW YORK – We’ve had some interesting reports come out this week concerning Giants players. QB Eli Manning has been particularly visible and vocal this week. Manning continued to hold the player workouts in different locations around the East Coast and was very clear when asked who he would rather have as a teammate between Plaxico Burress and Tiki Barber. Not surprisingly, Manning chose Burress. He was also featured in a commercial with his brother Peyton that was hysterical. I wrote an article about it and suggest you check it out if you missed it Eli & Peyton Manning star in Football Cops because it is really funny. Safety Antrel Rolle was also in the news doing a ESPN podcast and DE Osi Umenyiora continues to discuss his contract situation to anyone who will listen. You can’t blame the guy for wanting to get his paper right.

The Giants have also been discussing selling the naming rights for Giants stadium. So far, it looks like they are getting fans ready to call New Meadowlands stadium the MetLife Stadium. I do not like the name personally because I feel it reflects the New York Mets, which I am not a fan of. Most fans agree that JetBlue Stadium or Green Giant Stadium would be a better fit but neither company seems to hear the battle cry. There is still no word about the 2011 training camp and where it will be held. The NFL lockout has now reached 110 days and if it continues any longer, the Giants will surely cancel their annual trip up to Albany. I expect an announcement to come either this Friday or sometime next week about this situation. The Giants simply can’t wait any longer to protect the preparation process for players and coaches. The Giants also announced that they will be hiring special teams assistant coach Larry Izzo once the lockout ends.

OL Shawn Andrews went on vacation in the Turks and Caicos islands. Andrews is one of the most vocal players on the team and can be found on twitter most days chatting it up with fans. I hope the Giants realize what a true social media machine he has become for the team. CB Terrell Thomas held a football camp for kids out in California this past weekend too. He was joined by a few teammates including CB Michael Coe and WR Ramses Barden. It is nice to see Giants players getting involved with communities and also seeing them support each other in their efforts. Great job guys! That is all I have to report for now. There isn’t much football news these days but I’m sure this will change by next week when some really important decisions will have to be made.

What would you do with your time if the NFL lockout actually cancels 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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Ongoing Activity at New York Giants Headquarters

September 15, 2010

NEW YORK – Hello Giants fans, things have been buzzing this week with fresh news about Big Blue. Today, they added even more drama to the week old season, with the news of OT William Beatty planning to undergo surgery and missing 2 months of the 2010 season. That means Beatty will out until at least week nine, because the Giants have their bye-week during week eight. This is a huge blow to the offensive line depth and we can only hope that Beatty will return to his old self when he gets back. OL David Diehl will be filling in at left tackle, something Diehl has done for a long time in New York, until Beatty returns. He is said to be working with pro bowl OL Shawn Andrews, on getting the position responsibilities down.

Now that the G-men have released LB Bryan Kehl (I don’t like this move) and activated TE Bear Pascoe, they have an open spot to fill on the practice squad. TE Kevin Boss has officially been ruled out the Colts game (LB Chase Blackburn will likely join him on the sidelines), TE Travis Beckum will be getting the start over Pascoe. WR Hakeem Nicks and DE Osi Umenyiora were also added to the injury list and are questionable. We can’t forget that OL Kevin Boothe is also on the PUP list and won’t return until week seven.

The Giants brought some free agent players in for a workout today. Some of those players include 11 year veteran CB Dre’ Bly and CB Brian Witherspoon and CB CJ Wilson. Big Blue seems to be looking for special teams help and depth at the DB position. I absolutely agree with these tactics and would feel much more comfortable if they had another backup. CB Aaron Ross has already missed one game, even though he is said to be ready to go for the Colts game. All together, there were about a dozen players brought in for workouts including CB’s, QB’s, RB’s.

I would not be surprised if we heard about the team signing someone tonight or first thing in the morning. Be sure to come back and check for updates on who will be added to the practice squad.

How would you feel about getting a CB added to the roster?

RD – nygreporter.com

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UPDATE: OL Dennis Landolt was signed to the practice squad today.


New York Giants Training Camp Report 8/20/10

August 20, 2010

Hello Giants Fans,

Today was the final day of the 2010 New York Giants training camp. Twenty days have come and gone and we’ve learned some interesting facts about the players. The Giants beat the Jets in their first preseason game and will now face the Steelers tomorrow night at New Meadowlands stadium at 7 PM EST.

Fans will get an opportunity to see QB Rhett Bomar lead the offense for most of the game. Bomar was taking mostly second and third string reps at training camp. QB Eli Manning will sit this one out as he heals up from the head laceration he received on Monday night. QB Jim Sorgi is also banged up and expect to miss some playing time. Now that camp is over, I expect to see a lot of player movement.

The 2010 New York Giants training camp is officially over but that doesn’t mean that Big Blue is done practicing. I expect the coaches to ramp up the intensity to prepare the team for the new season. Tom Coughlin has his lists and OC Kevin Gilbride is drawing up plays somewhere in the facility. New DC Perry Fewell is working on strategies like a mad scientist. Special teams coach Tom Quinn is facing one of the toughest challenges of the 2010 NFL season. There isn’t much time left before the first regular season game. Fans can expect to see things moving much more rapidly now.

I’m actually surprised by how many negative comments I have seen from sports “experts” about the Giants. Maybe they can’t see what the rest of us can see or maybe they are right and yet to be vindicated. I simply have to believe that the 2010 team will be much better then the injury plagued 2009 season. There have already been a few injuries in 2010 that have had fans shaking their heads. The injury list simply can’t get out of hand this season or they will have no shot.

Let’s take a look at some of the news from this week about the New York Giants.

– QB Eli Manning was cut in the Monday night game and required 12 stitches.

– QB Eli Manning will not play in the Giants second preseason game tomorrow night versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

– The New York Giants will play their first ever home opener at the new stadium.

– Backup QB Jim Sorgi will miss 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury he got from a hit he took against the Jets.

– The Giants cut OL Cliff Louis, who they recently signed to bolster the offensive line.

– The Giants cut TE Jake Ballard to make room for QB Dominic Randolph.

– The Giants signed OL Shawn Andrews who is a former two-time pro bowler for the Philadelphia Eagles.

– Backup QB Rhett Bomar will play almost the entire game against Pittsburgh.

– WR Ramses Barden is banged up and will sit out a few practices.

– The Giants signed QB Dominic Randolph as a backup due to all of the injuries at QB.

– Rookie punter Matt Dodge seems to be having a rough time adjusting and may need more work then originally expected.

– OL William Beatty appears to be the man at left tackle, something Giants fans might see for the next eight or nine years straight.

– Rookie DE Jason Pierre-Paul has reportedly already put on 12 pounds of muscle weighing in at 282 pounds.

– Safety Kenny Phillips seems to be doing very well thus far. Fans are praying that Phillips can remain healthy all season.

– 39,875 total Giants fans attended the training camp in Albany this year. It was the fifth best year since they began fifteen years ago upstate.

– Rookie WR Victor Cruz emerged and made a name for himself Monday night. This kid has star written all over him.

– LB Keith Bulluck and S Kenny Phillips are set to make their Giants debut tomorrow night versus the Steelers.

– LB Chase Blackburn and OL Chris Snee are still banged up and sidelined. Not to mention OL Rich Seubert.

Who do you think is going to win the game between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers?

RD – nygreporter.com

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