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.


12/14/11 Christmas DAC Day 14, The NYG Offense

December 14, 2011

NEW YORK – It feels very strange to talk about how good the Giants offense is. Not because I haven’t seen stellar offense from Big Blue in the past but because New York is known for it’s defense. The truth is the Giants offense is very good. The rushing game has been poor all year but the passing game has flourished. QB Eli Manning deserves to go to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. WR Victor Cruz deserves to go to the Pro Bowl. WR Hakeem Nicks deserves to go to the Pro Bowl. TE Jake Ballard deserves to go to the Pro Bowl. A couple of offensive linemen deserve to go to Hawaii. I would include WR Mario Manningham here but he missed a few games with injury (I know Nicks did too) and it effected his overall numbers. A lot of guys are stepping up in 2011 and no one is benefitting from that more then Eli Manning.

I’m not sure what happened to the Giants running game but it has been non-existent for most of 2011. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have both missed time due to injuries. The Giants offensive line got off to a shaky start but have been doing a much better job, despite all of the injuries like LT William Beatty and C David Bass missing considerable time. The Giants have shut out opposing defenses a few times and not allowed a single sack. The Giants and GM Jerry Reese should heed my warning, please draft an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2012 draft.  I was certain the G-Men would take a Center or Linebacker in round one last year but when CB Prince Amukamara fell to our pick, it was clear he was the best available at a skill position.

The Giants will need to protect franchise QB Eli Manning who has one heck of an NFL Iron Man Streak going on, third in NFL history as of today (behind only Brett Favre and Peyton Manning). Prior to the Cowboys game on Sunday night, they showed a graphic of all four NFC East teams and the QB’s they’ve started since Eli Manning was drafted. I think two teams had used seven different QB’s and one team had used eight during the time Manning has been the leader of New York’s offense. That really says something and it is about time these media guys and girls give Manning his due. Easy Eli has already eclipsed the 4,000 yard passing mark for a third consecutive year and it looks like 2011 is going to end up being a career year for him.

Rookie RB Da’Rel Scott has shown flashes of greatness and his speed is undeniable. I expect great things from this young man in the future. Rookie WR Jerrel Jernigan has also had a few opportunities to show what he can do. It is difficult to get playing time right now because the G-Men are so deep at the WR position. RB DJ Ware has helped out and done well when needed. TE Travis Beckum has been getting a little more playing time now, while TE Bear Pascoe is primarily a blocker and bulldozer up the middle. The Giants offense is the real deal and has been carrying this team all year.

DAC Fact

The Giants will play Wellington Mara’s favorite rivalry, the Washington Redskins this weekend (12/18/11 at 1:00 PM EST at MetLife stadium). The Giants lead the all-time series 91-64-4. Did you know the Giants versus Redskins rivalry is the oldest in the NFC East and one of the oldest in the NFL?

What do you think about the Giants offensive performance so far this year?

RD – nygreporter.com – Happy Holidays!

Please Support New York Giants Legend, George Martin’s “A Journey for 9/11” Charity. Never Forget!


New York Giants Final 53 Man Roster Analysis

September 4, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants have missed the playoffs for the past two years straight. Do you know what happens when an NFL team fails to make it to the playoffs in back to back seasons? Change happens. Passionate fans have been expressing their concerns or displeasure with the Roster moves that were made. I feel bad for the players that did not make the roster because I know they worked hard to shine. But I will not criticize GM Jerry Reese for having the guts to make bold changes after two down seasons in a row. There are a lot of new faces on the team this year and fans had to say goodbye to a few of their favorite players. If anyone thinks that Jerry Reese or Tom Coughlin made these moves to hurt the team, they are simply out of their minds.

The most surprising area of the team in 2011 will be the four rookies playing the linebacker position. A lot of people expected a big free agent signing to help out this young group but it did not happen. In fact, Reese kicked the table of conformity over completely and chose to keep four rookie LB’s (Herzlich, Jones, Paysinger and Williams) on the roster. I understand that player injuries forced a lot of the player moves made but the linebacker group is purely taking a shot in the dark at glory. I’m confident this young group of players have the talent to excel but they have to believe it themselves. It is going to be very exciting to see these guys flying around the field and making plays. My best advice to the rookies is simple, study the playbook as much as possible. Once your brain catches up to your body, you are going to be dangerous. The Giants have never had an Offensive Rookie of the Year and the last Defensive Rookie of the Year for Big Blue was LB Lawrence Taylor in 1981. Someone needs to fire up these youngsters to shoot for the ROY goal.

Were there some surprise moves made? Of course there were, like every single year there are. One move that wasn’t a surprise to me was P Steve Weatherford replacing P Matt Dodge. Dodge was given every chance to make improvements this year and will probably end up being a very good NFL punter, just not this year. That forced the Giants to make the hard choice of letting him go. I wish the kid well in his career and I’m sure that he will land on his feet someplace. The Giants special teams are just terrible and any roster shake up for the sake of improvement is welcome. Some were surprised by QB David Carr taking over the backup role for QB Eli Manning and QB Sage Rosenfels landing on the IR list. This is another smart move in my opinion because of the uncertainty surrounding the new offensive line. The G-Men need to be sure they have enough QB’s on the team in case the unthinkable happens. The running backs and wide receivers are two of the bright spots on the team and will be fine this season. However, the tight ends could end up being a problem. Reese will have to address this group sooner or later if Beckum or Ballard do not play well.

The cornerbacks and offensive line will need to step up the most this year. For obvious reasons we need the offensive line to gel together quickly and begin to play relaxed football. They need to feel confident that the man beside them will know their role and responsibilities. The cornerbacks were decimated by injuries this offseason and a couple of the guys will find their roles increased two-fold. If these guys can give the defensive ends enough time to reach the opposing quarterbacks, things will be fine. I’m extremely confident in the last line of defense with our safety group and their ability to deny any touchdowns if the CB’s get overwhelmed. Rookie S Tyler Sash has had an outstanding preseason and deserves his spot on the roster. DC Perry Fewell is smart enough to know how to use his guys the right way and will most likely get creative with the backfield this year.

In conclusion, I expect the Giants to make it back to the playoffs this year. It will be tough getting through that schedule but I think the injection of so much young talent will blend nicely by mid-season. Players will answer the call and step up big time in order to get Big Blue back where they belong in the postseason. The regular season starts in seven days.

What are your thoughts about the Giants final Roster? Do you think this group has the talent to return to the playoffs in 2011?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support The Wounded Warrior Project by Clicking Here, You Are Not Forgotten!!


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

Please Support The Wounded Warrior Project by Clicking Here, You Are Not Forgotten!!