SB Nation - Gerris Wilkinson

Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:00:33 -0000

by Carolyn Kaster - AP

The Giants get a much needed bye this week, while the Eagles hope to stand tall against the Chargers.

While the Cowboys visit the Packers, the other two Beasts that play this week will take on AFC West opponents. The Redskins will host the 6-2 Broncos. Meanwhile, the Eagles will face a Chargers team that just dropped the Giants for their fourth consecutive loss. The Giants are on a bye this week and are looking to regroup.

If Dallas can manage to defeat Green Bay, Philadelphia could ill-afford to drop to 5-4. Both teams play the late game tomorrow. After this week, they both have favorable matchups over the next two weeks: Dallas has two home games against Washington and then Oakland, while Philly will fly to Chicago and then return home to face Washington.

Should Washington lose to Denver tomorrow, its playoff hopes will more than likely be over.

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Washington Redskins (2-6)

Last game: 17-31 Loss @ Atlanta

Next up: Home vs. Denver

Because of a concussion that Clinton Portis suffered last week, Ladell Betts will get the start against the Broncos. Betts, though, has been limited in practice by a foot sprain.

"It feels . . . it's a little sore when I was in there," Betts said. "I tried not to do anything too drastic because I didn't want to have any setbacks, but I was able to move around and I actually ran a couple of plays today, so that's a good start for me. I think I'll be able to go Sunday."

In last week's 31-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Betts provided a spark in the running game rarely seen in the Redskins' past 16 games.

The 'Skins lost S Chris Horton for the season.

Starting strong safety Chris Horton underwent surgery on an injured toe on Wednesday and he was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Reed Doughty will take his place as the starter.

Champ Bailey looks forward to playing against his old team.

On Sunday, when the Broncos play at the Washington Redskins, Bailey will revisit his former life for the first time since the megatrade 5 1/2 years ago that ended with Bailey (and a second-round draft pick) here and star running back Clinton Portis in Washington.

"It seems like a long time ago, honestly," Bailey said this week. "I've spent more time here than I spent there."

[snip]

Yet in all that time, Bailey has never suited up against the Redskins, the team that drafted him at No. 7 overall in 1999. The one time the two teams have played since, in 2005 in Denver, Bailey sat out with a hamstring injury.

Brian Dawkins knows all about playing the Redskins.

"I just know what to expect when I play these teams I have played them so long," he said. "I know this is going to be a ... every time that I have played the Redskins, it has been a physical battle. I come out of the game a lot sorer, if that is a word, because of those big bodies that they have.

"They pound [Clinton] Portis at you [and Ladell] Betts at you; take shots up top with these quick receivers they have. This has just been something that has been bred in me to anticipate certain things when I play the Redskins."

Lately, Denver has been giving up a ton of yardage in the second half.

For the first six games, the Broncos surpassed almost all expectations with how good they were on defense. The past two weeks, the stunner has been how quickly that magic disappeared. Denver has allowed 149 rushing yards per game after not allowing 100 to any of its first six opponents.

The Broncos allowed 321 total yards in the second half against Pittsburgh. They hadn't allowed more than 315 over an entire game before playing the Steelers.

Here's the NFL Game Center for the Broncos at Redskins.

New York Giants (5-4)

Last game: 20-21 Home Loss vs. San Diego

Next up: Bye

Yes, the Giants have lost four in a row, but they will be counting on a late season surge upon their return.

So is it time to put a fork in the Giants (5-4) with seven games remaining after their bye week? Not yet. Sure, the path to the playoffs is going to be hard with five of the remaining seven games coming against teams at least two games over .500, including three with division leaders and one against the Eagles, who crushed the Giants a couple of weeks ago.

What’s important to remember is that coach Tom Coughlin’s teams usually play their best when everybody has written them off.

Don Banks agrees that the Giants are not to be counted out. Tom Coughlin has dug his team out of this hole before and is looking to do it again.

None of it works right now, and this week, head coach Tom Coughlin, with his team's downward spiral paused but not stopped by its bye, came out and attempted to draw the bull's-eye on his own back. It's too soon to know if the attempt at deflection was successful, but it was admirable and set a nice example in terms of accountability.

"I thought it was perfectly clear, but let me express it so no longer does anyone else receive any type of blame,'' Coughlin said on Monday. "Let me start out by saying that I'm responsible for all of the decisions that are made with our football team. "The [red] zone decisions are my responsibility. They are nobody else's. No one else made a mistake. The quarterback did not make a mistake. The decision was mine.''

The Big Blue View rounds up the news out of New York. Most notably is their health watch: CB Aaron Ross and RB Danny Ware could make their return after the bye.

A healthy Ross should make a huge difference in their secondary.

"He's worked his tail off in rehab," said secondary coach Peter Giunta. "We're looking forward to having him back."

Upon his return, Ross will remain at cornerback. There has been some speculation that the Giants might move one of their corners - possibly Terrell Thomas - to safety once Ross returns to help out that beleaguered unit.

"We'll see," Tom Coughlin said. "I think that we do have to see Aaron practice a few days in a row before we make any kind of decisions."

LB Gerris Wilkinson was placed on IR this week.

Wilkinson leads the Giants in special teams tackles with 12 (seven solo), but will miss the rest of the season after suffering the injury in Sunday's loss to San Diego.

[snip]

To fill Wilkinson's roster spot, the Giants signed cornerback D.J. Johnson off Denver's practice squad. He was signed as a rookie free agent out of Jackson State in April but waived in September, then signed to the Broncos' practice squad two days later.

Lawrence Taylor was arrested.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)

Last game: 16-20 Home Loss vs. Dallas

Next up: @ San Diego

Matt Mosely thinks that Brian Westbrook could be heavily involved in the offense tomorrow.

I think the Eagles will ride Brian Westbrook in this game. Yes, I know this is a different team with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, but the Chargers did a nice job taking away the deep ball against the Giants. Westbrook appears to be healthy heading into this game, and I think he could give the Chargers' linebackers trouble in space.

While Westbrook is listed as probable, OT Jason Peters is questionable. Here are some other injured Eagles:

Linebacker Akeem Jordan (knee) was ruled out of Sunday's game, while linebacker Chris Gocong (hamstring), who sat out last week, is listed as probable. Defensive end Victor Abiamiri (knee) and safety Quintin Demps (ankle) are both questionable.

The Eagles' LBs are shuffling around again this week.

Starting weakside linebacker Akeem Jordan missed his second straight day of practice Thursday with a hyperextended knee and bone bruise and is unlikely to play Sunday. As a result, McDermott has decided to do some shuffling.

Will Witherspoon, who started the last two games at middle linebacker, will take Jordan's spot. Strongside linebacker Chris Gocong, who missed last week's loss to Dallas with a strained quadriceps and hamstring, will move into the middle. Rookie Moise Fokou, who replaced Gocong against the Cowboys, will stay there.

In passing situations, Witherspoon will be joined by Tracy White in the nickel defense.

CB Joselio Hanson has been suspended for four games for testing positive for a banned substance.

From also having lost CB/KR Ellis Hobbs for the season because of a neck injury he suffered against the Cowboys, the Eagles' secondary is thinning out.

In addition, the Eagles made a number of moves Wednesday, including signing cornerback to Ramzee Robinson and promoting cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu to the 53-man roster.

They also signed cornerback Stoney Woodson to the practice squad.

Andy Reid will be playing a game of offensive wits against Norv Turner.

The Eagles know Norv Turner from his days in Washington. Reid knows how Turner thinks, and he knows how Turner is going to try to attack the Eagles defense. Reid has to win this battle on the sidelines. As much as an NFL game is players vs. players, it is also coaches vs. coaches. The teams that make the adjustments and recognize opportunities to make plays often win games.

So this one is Reid vs. Turner. And it's Mornhinweg against Ron Rivera, the San Diego defensive coordinator. The Eagles must start fast, play physical, emotional football and execute the game plan with a minimum of errors.

Could the Bills be a fit for Michael Vick in '10?

Here's the NNFL Game Center for Philly @ San Diego.

Breaking news: Wilkinson to IR; Giants sign DB

Ed Valentine — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:35:24 -0000

The New York Giants have placed injured linebacker Gerris Wilkinson on Injured Reserve and signed rookie defensive back Dominque 'D.J. Johnson off Denver's practice squad.

Here is Patricia Traina of Inside Football on Johnson.

Johnson, who transferred from Missouri after starting four games as a redshirt sophomore in 2006, was a A 2008 first-team All-SWAC pick after having intercepted 10 passes and deflecting 27 in his first two seasons with the Tigers.

Although the Giants seem pretty much set at corner, my gut feeling is that they brought Johnson on board not only because they play Denver in two weeks, but more importantly because he is a playmakerwho also happens to have experience playing free safety. He also was a standout on special teams for Missouri State, where he played prior to transferring to Jackson State.

Mike Garafolo offered a similar opinion.

Johnson is a corner by trade but played some safety in college. Plus, scouting reports before the draft indicated he might be better suited to play safety. The Giants need safety help, so perhaps that's where he's destined to play.

My take: Now don't go and think this kid will suddenly solve all of the Giants problems at safety, especially immediately. GM Jerry Reese has a history of plucking useful players off other teams during the season, though (think Dave Tollefson, Domenik Hixon, Madison Hedgecock among others). Maybe Johnson turns out to be the next one.

New York Giants news & notes: Gerris Wilkinson surgery, and more

Ed Valentine — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:00:40 -0000

Here are some of the stories making the rounds of the Inter-Google today about our New York Giants.

In case you missed this one, New York Giants reserve linebacker Gerris Wilkinson had wrist surgery Monday and might end up on Injured Reserve.

My take: Wilkinson is a guy who the Giants had high hopes for a couple of seasons ago. He just can't seem to put together a full season, though. Personally, I didn't understand why Wilkinson was active and Bryan Kehl didn't dress Sunday against the Chargers. I guess that won't be an issue anymore.
In a rather long-winded way, Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News said the only difference between this Giants team and the 2007 championship team is that this team has not made the big play at the right time.

Suddenly the Giants can't even win when they are doing nearly everything they should be doing.

You can rip Coughlin for taking the three points a couple of times, when he might have tried for seven. You can argue that Eli Manning might have looked downfield a bit more, instead of always accepting what was left for him underneath. But really, for the most part, this is how the Giants marched all the way to a Super Bowl title not so long ago. They outgained the Chargers by nearly 80 yards, owned possession of the ball for nearly 38 minutes.

This is what we wanted from them.

That 2007 championship team also took what was given. The difference was that those Giants made the big defensive stop, or that one big play on offense. David Tyree caught a football on his helmet. This team doesn't do that. This one gives up the decisive touchdown drive, leaves the receiver wide open in the end zone in the final minute. It misses the sack that Michael Strahan might have finished.
Vinny DiTrani of NorthJersey.com ponders the long and pothole-filled road the Giants have to traverse to get the playoffs.

Monday Transcripts

The Giants are broken ... Now, how can they be fixed?

Ed Valentine — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:20 -0000

by Michael Perez - AP

Philadelphia Eagles' LeSean McCoy (29) rushes past New York Giants' Aaron Rouse (26) in the second half during an NFL football game Sunday. This type of thing has been happening to the Giants defense on a regular basis.

View full size photo »

We spent Monday complaining about all of the things that have gone wrong with our long-ago 5-0 New York Giants. Today, let's turn the page and think about what Tom Coughlin and Co. can do fix some of the things that have gone wrong the past three weeks.

I am starting with this premise. The biggest problem on this football team -- without any doubt in my mind -- is the underwhelming defense. This team was built to dominate defensively while the offense found its way as the young group of wide receivers grew into its responsibilities.

There have been weeks when the offense has not played well, which he realistically had to expect entering the season. Or when various aspects of the special teams have not played well. The one constant, though, has been that against good teams the defense has been completely overmatched.

When we weren't talking about Plaxico Burress during the off-season, we were talking about the devastating defense we thought General Manager Jerry Reese had assembled. So far this season, the only things the defense is devastating is the Giants' chance to be a good football team.

In the last three weeks the Giants have given up 112 points (37.3 per game) and been riddled by too many huge plays for me to even think about. Forget being a dominant defense. Bill Sheridan's unit is not even close to being a competent one right now.

So, what can be done to improve the situation? I am going to break this down into four categories -- defensive line, linebackers, secondary and philosophy.

via i391.photobucket.com

The defensive line

Remember back in the pre-season when we were wondering how defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was going to find roster space -- and snaps -- for all the talented defensive linemen the Giants had collected?

Well, now the question is can anyone on that front four make a play?

The Giants are tied for seventh in the league with 18 sacks, but it is obvious that the front four cannot consistently pressure quarterbacks by itself -- which was the plan with this group. Osi is not the dominant force of yesteryear. Justin Tuck must still be nursing the Week 2 shoulder injury. Mathias Kiwanuka has been mostly a non-factor in recent weeks. The defensive tackles are non-existent in the pass rush.

The run defense has been horrible. Philadelphia ran for 180 yards, including 66 and 41-yard touchdown runs. Arizona, which is a bad running team, consistently got solid runs. New Orleans did what it wanted on the ground as well as in the air. All the way back to the Dallas game the run defense was a problem. In that game the Giants gave up runs of 56, 35 and 20 yards.

Way too often, running backs are hitting the second and third level of the Giants defense without being touched.

Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are not holding up inside. Neither is Rocky Bernard, brought in from Seattle specifically to help the run defense. Jay Alford is gone for the year.

The solution? Inside I think all the Giants can hope for is that Chris Canty can make some plays if he ever comes back healthy. That is no guarantee, though, even if the Giants are paying him $42 million. He has never been a defensive tackle, and he has missed so much time there is no way of knowing how effective he can be. In all honesty, I have never been a big Cofield fan. As for Robbins and Bernard, I am wondering if both of these mammoth guys have just gotten old.

Outside, I think the only change the Giants can make is to start getting second-round pick Clint Sintim on the line in passing situations. Sintim and Osi at the ends, with Tuck and Kiwi at the tackles is the best pass-rush group the Giants can put on the field.

Other than that, all we can hope for is that Tuck and Umenyiora get healthier, and start making the plays they are being counted on to make.

via i268.photobucket.com

The linebackers

Ah, the linebackers. Ugh! There isn't much nice to say here. Without the injured Michael Boley this is an un-athletic, un-inspiring, un-imposing group.

Danny Clark? Nice guy, great character, Tom Coughlin loves him and DC will do great things off the field once his playing days are done. On the field, though, Clark should not be a starting linebacker in the NFL. The guy is old, slow and hardly ever makes a play. Pretty much, he is just out there.

Chase Blackburn? Again, great character guy. Great special teams player. Smart, can play multiple positions and is a good tackler. But, slow, not and doesn't get off his blocks very well. Not a play-making, starting caliber linebacker.

Antonio Pierce? We knew he is smart. We know he is the 'quarterback' of the defense. We also know he is slow in pass coverage, not very imposing in the middle of the defense and has been getting abused by offenses for the past two seasons. Who do you think teams are running at over and over and over when they gash the Giants up the middle? Sorry, but AP's best football is clearly behind him.

The solution? Clearly, some personnel changes are needed here. And this is an area of the defense where the Giants DO have some options. Those begin, again, with Sintim. I know the second-round pick from Virginia has clearly missed a lot of time on the practice field due to his leg injury earlier this season. He showed in the pre-season that he is an athlete, and a playmaker. It might be time to let Sintim learn on the field, replacing Clark. Sintim will make some mistakes, but he will also make some plays against the run simply with his athleticism. Against the pass? Put him at defensive end let him do what he does best -- get after quarterbacks.

On the other side, the Giants obviously miss Boley. In the couple of games he played before going down with a knee injury, he showed athleticism and cover skills the Giants have not had in an outside linebacker for a while. He will, of course, help when he returns. Until then? Sorry, Chase, but let's get Bryan Kehl on the field and see if he can help. Again, he is more athletic and maybe he can make a difference. Maybe he can't, but it's worth a shot to find out.

In the middle? The Giants are not moving Pierce out of there, as much as some of us might like them to. Blackburn is not the answer long-term in the middle, either. If the season spirals out of control (and Lord knows I am not wishing for that) I would like to see Jonathan Goff get a chance in the middle. He was impressive in pre-season and I want to know what he can do.

By the way, Clark, Blackburn and Gerris Wilkinson are free agents after this season. This group is headed for an off-season makeover.

The secondary

We have been over the issues with this group so many times I won't belabor them. The Giants miss Kenny Phillips so much I hate to even think about it. They miss Aaron Ross because at least he would provide them with some options. Have you noticed how often the Giants are playing 'nickel' with Michael Johnson, 'Bad, Bad C.C. Brown' and 'Just as Bad Aaron Rouse' on the field together? That's three safeties on the field in obvious passing situations -- none of whom can cover. A recipe for disaster.

There are no easy solutions here, though getting Ross back in some semblance of playing condition is probably the best the Giants can hope for. At least then in some of those passing situations they can get Brown off the field.

We would all love to see Brown get his pink slip. Yesterday. There is, truthfully, no help out there right now, however. If Reese could have done better than Rouse when KP went down he would have. But, teams don't jettison players mid-season without a good reason.

Maybe the Giants bring Sha'reef Rashad or Vince Anderson off the practice squad. It sure can't hurt, but it is no guarantee to help. Those guys are on the practice squad because the Giants didn't think they were ready to play at the NFL level yet.

Mostly, we just have to hope that Brown and Rouse learn from their mistakes, and get on the same page with the rest of the secondary. Oh, and that somebody back there remembers tackling is part of the job.

The philosophy

New defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is under fire from every direction. Blitz more, Bill!. Don't blitz so much, Bill! How come your team can't play the run, Bill? Your guys can't cover, Bill! You can't carry Steve Spagnuolo's jock strap, Bill! Hey, Bill, we would have re-hired Tim Lewis or Johnnie Lynn if we wanted to watch this crap!

I have said it before -- I won't kill Sheridan over how much he blitzes or doesn't blitz. This team was built to pressure with four. It's not happening. They aren't getting home with the blitz, either. Because they just don't have the athletes.

That, really, is the crux of it. Right now the Giants simply don't have the athletes to be a dominant defense.

That said, it would be nice if Sheridan would remind his defensive backs that making a tackle once in a while would be nice.

Final word

I truly believe that better defense would solve a lot of the other problems the Giants are having. Inconsistent offense (which we expected entering the season), erratic special teams (which seems like a Giants trademark), the occasional incomprehensible Kevin Gilbride play call (yes, they do happen) would all be much less of an issue if the Giants could simply stop somebody once in a while.

We will see if Coughlin, Sheridan and Co. can figure out a way to make that happen. If they can't, the last eight games will be torture to watch.

It's Friday, so Ernie P. is in the house

Ed Valentine — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:09:13 -0000

Time for my weekly Q&A with long-time New York Giants beat writer and current fellow blogger Ernie Palladino. As always, we are answering the same set of questions. You will find my answers over at Ernie's Giants Beat.

1. If Eli Manning does play against Oakland, how effective will he be on that injured right heel?

Ernie's Answer: "As tough as Eli has shown in the past, having an injured heel is an entirely different situation than, say, a shoulder. Most people think a passer's strength comes from his arm. But in reality, those deep throws are a function of a solid base to throw off of. Without that, the passes either float or lose distance. So unless an anti-inflammatory injection indeed relieves the pain enough for him to move unfettered, expect a shortening up of the game plan to accommodate the injury. Also, the offensive line will have to hold their blocks a lot longer since he won't be able to move around in the pocket very well. Still, having Manning in there at 75 percent efficiency is, to me, still better than the alternative in David Carr. I think if the running game can get going and Steve Smith can get open in the middle zones, Manning can still have an effective passing game. You just won't see as many long shots as you've seen in previous games."

2. With Michael Boley sidelined for approximately four weeks following Tuesday's arthoscopic knee surgery, is Chase Blackburn or Bryan Kehl the best option to replace him at weakside linebacker?

Ernie's Answer: "Thanks to Kehl's broken finger, which he has had repaired surgically, Blackburn will be starting. That's not a bad thing because the kid's got a great motor and he can get into the backfield. Though he's not the great cover linebacker around, you have to love his intensity. But Kehl's status bears watching. He was in the process of driving the trainers crazy, trying to convince them that a mere two screws surgically implanted in a left index finger is no reason to miss a game or two. If his argument is successful, I wouldn't be adverse to seeing him at WLB for a couple of series. He's earned the time with his special teams play, having gotten the special teams game ball two games in a row now. He proved he can be around the ball with his fumble recovery of the opening kickoff, and his recovery of the on-side kick that opened the second half showed he has good hands. On top of that, he, too, has had experience at WSL, having started two games there after original starter Gerris Wilkinson went down injured. And like he said this week, "I've got another hand." I think there's a good possibility that he'll be active, despite predictions that he'll miss two games.

3. With a quarter of the season gone, what is your assessment of the Giants. Are they truly an elite team, or can't we tell because they've been beating up on inferior competiton?

Ernie's Answer: "Oh, I think we can tell. The phrase "beating up" is key here because, in past seasons, the Giants would often play down to the level of their competition. In fact, had this recent road stretch against two of the NFL's have-nots come, say, two years ago, the Giants might have dropped one, if not two of those contests. Remember the life-and-death game against a bad Bears' team in Chicago in 2007, where only a circus catch by Amani Toomer in the end zone won it? Or the last-minute goal line stand in FedEx Field that same year that saved their season against a decidedly mediocre Redskins squad. Those occurrences aren't happening this year. They're blowing bad teams out now, which is the hallmark of an elite team. You expect them to go down to the wire in Dallas. But the easy victories over Tampa and KC show the real strength of this team. Now, a lot depends on the health of Eli Manning, but if they can get through the Oakland game and then head to the Superdome for even a tight, hard-fought loss to the Saints, the Giants must be considered a legitimate power. I already consider them one. A few more injuries, though, and you might see this power sink to also-ran status quickly."

4. Now that the Giants are sticking with Lawrence Tynes, how long can Tom Coughlin put up with him missing makeable field goals?

Ernie's Answer: "Not long, apparently. Although Matt Bryant was not deemed an answer in his tryout Tuesday, it was obvious that Coughlin has just about had enough. Perhaps the tryouts were simply a way of sending a message to Tynes that he'd better get himself straightened out quickly. But the fact is, Tynes still hasn't cost the Giants a game with his misses. As annoying as those misses are, Tynes still leads NFL kickers with 41 points. And let's face it, the only kick he missed when it was still a game was the one in Dallas as the Giants led 20-17. His miss in Tampa came at 14-0, and the one against KC came at 20-3. Annoying, yes. But not a big deal. Had last year's robot, John Carney, hit the market this week, it might have been a different story. But until he comes free from New Orleans, I wouldn't expect any panic moves from Coughlin. Another miss, though, and that might change."

Land of the Giants: Go ahead and waste some time today

Ed Valentine — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:00:34 -0000

More photos » by John Smierciak - AP

New York Giants running back Danny Ware returns a kickoff 34 yards last weekend against the Bears. Ware has now volunteered to try punt returning.

Browse more photos »

I know how much you guys hate to work on a Friday. So, here are a few New York Giants-related stories to help you kill some time as you look forward to your weekend.

Great piece by Tom Rock on Danny Ware, who has now volunteered to learn to return punts -- something he has never tried before.

Ware clearly is the No. 3 back, behind starter Brandon Jacobs and backup Ahmad Bradshaw. He'll certainly get his share of carries - far more than the two he's received in his year and a half on the active roster of an NFL team - but he won't be satisfied with those limited touches.

That's why Ware approached the coaching staff earlier this week - with the image of that kickoff return still rolling in everyone's heads - and asked to take on another role. The staff agreed and Thursday, for the first time in his career, Ware tried fielding punts.

"I want to try to get on the field as much as possible," he said. "If I can't get the ball in my hands on offense, I want to try to do kickoff returns and punt returns and try to be a weapon out there any way I can. I told them that and they heard me."

Ware is late to the task, so he probably won't get a chance to test his new skill in this preseason game. Coughlin said Ware was just "one of many" who rotate at the job. He didn't drop any on his first day and even stayed after practice to work with special-teams coordinator Tom Quinn.

As for the 11 guys screaming down the field toward him while he's trying to make that catch, Ware was unfazed.

"It's all good," he said. "You're going to get hit in the game anyway; you might as well try to take one to the house while you're getting hit."

I usually love the work done by Michael Lombardi of The National Football Post. Can't say I like his list of blue-chip and almost blue-chip players for the Giants, though. C'mon, Mike, how is Brandon Jacobs not on that list?
Gerris Wilkinson is thrilled to be fighting for a job, instead of fighting for space on the training table.
Aaron Ross is trying to remain optimistic despite his hamstring injury. Ross, incidentally, knows he did not play well last season.

"I wasn't happy with last year," said Ross, who started all 15 games he played in and had 52 tackles, three interceptions and one touchdown. "I felt I was like a much better player than I showed last year. That wasn't me I felt like. Once I get healthy I will be all right."

Barry Cofield doesn't get much recognition, but he is aiming to prove his value to the Giants defensive line this season.

Land of the Giants: End of Training Camp Edition

cjmulrain — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:00:24 -0000

Every time a New York Giant gets injured this preseason, I have awful flashbacks to the Mets' lost season. Hopefully this doesn't become an epidemic for the Giants like it did for the Mets - I can't handle the prospect of watching 3rd and 4th stringers playing a majority of the season as starters. So get better Aaron, and stay healthy everyone else! Here's a few links for your reading (and viewing) pleasure:

Here's a pretty cool video from ESPN featuring the Giants nutritionist talking about the dietary needs of various players. Brandon Jacobs is a large man, and based on his milkshake preference, it's no surprise. Rich Seubert mostly jokes around, but David Diehl seems like he really knows what he's talking about and takes his nutrition seriously. And Eli is the resident healthy eater, which doesn't surprise me too much.
Chris Canty is receiveing Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy for his torn hamstring, the same procedure which got Hines Ward onto the field for Super Bowl XLIII. I don't know the science behind it, but hopefully it works, the Giants could really use a healthy Canty.
Ralph Vachianno looks back on training camp and answers his 5 biggest questions that he posed back in July. 3 of the 5 answers don't look too great right now, but at least there's been good news about Ahmad Bradshaw, Sinorice Moss, and Gerris Wilkinson. Ralph also gives out his training camp awards, which all sound about right if you've been following Ed's reports. All in all, I'd say this training camp wasn't a smashing success, but it also wasn't a total bust - the Eagles have had a tougher camp than the Giants for sure. When it's all said and done, however, nobody will care much about training camp a month from now, so I can't get too worked up over it one way or the other.
Finally, some news about the Giants future at the University of Albany.

Blogger journal: Chronicling the experience

Ed Valentine — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:00:12 -0000

I have not done a 'blogger journal' since early in New York Giants training camp. Well, Monday afternoon I took my 13-year-old son to camp and let him shoot pictures with my digital camera.

He was shooting from the bleachers with a small digital camera, but he got some good shots. And, more importantly, he enjoyed himself. Despite the fact that he is a Patriots' fan (yeah, I know, but I love him anyway).

So, indulge me this morning while I share with you some of the photos from the more than 200 that he shot.

Eli Manning enters practice via 'Autograph Alley' as fans look on.

Just to prove I actually have been at camp, that is me to the right overseeing the pre-practice stretching routine.

A view of practice from the bleacher area just behind the fence.

An overview of the proceedings from up in the bleachers. Can you find me in this photo?

My son has great admiration for the members of our Armed Forces, as do the Giants.

A view of the hill behind the first practice field. 'Bigbluethruandthru' is probably up there somewhere.

I believe these are Giants' players milling around after the skirmish between Darcy Johnson and Bruce Johnson.

Eli Manning calls signals during a Red Zone drill. Yes, I know Tom Coughlin calls it the 'Green Zone.'

Justin Tuck (91) prepares to rush the passer as Eli barks signals.

Derek Hagan (80) scampers away from Gerris Wilkinson (59) after a catch.

As you can see, not everyone was riveted to the action on the practice field.

Rhett Bomar prepares to take a snap.

Defensive linemen ready to take off.

(All photos by Ryan Valentine)

New York Giants training camp: Friday morning practice report

Ed Valentine — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:56:51 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning talks to reporters during NFL football training camp in Albany on Friday. Manning finally signed the six-year extension that will make him the NFL's highest paid player with an average salary of roughly $15.3 million. The Giants announced the signing on Friday morning after spending more than a week completing the deal that will keep Manning with the team through the 2015 season.

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Here is your Friday morning practice report from New York Giants training camp. Sorry it is a little late, but it has been a busy morning here in Albany.

The 'Wildcat' offense made an appearance this morning, mostly with rookie running back Andre Brown running it. Never fear, though, the Giants don't plan on using it. They were simply working on defending it, using second and third-team offensive players against the first team defense. Coach Tom Coughlin said, incidentally, that the timing of the work against the Wildcat had nothing to do with the Eagles signing Michael Vick.

We’ve been planning this all spring," Coughlin said. "It’s just (a matter of) when you introduce this because you know you’re going to see it this year. We really didn’t see it last year. We planned to do this and it just so happens that it was inserted for this morning. We’ll continue to do it as we can. As we go along here, we do have reduced practice time once we start playing. But we’ll continue to do that to try to make sure that our guys are ready for it when it occurs.

Brown, incidentally, threw an interception that got drew a very funny comment from Coughlin.

I saw him out here throwing the ball one day, but I’ll give you the rest of that. He said "I’m going to throw the ball" and I said, "Yeah, throw it to the guy in the flat." Did you see where he threw it? Down field and got it picked. Who’s he working for? He could be colorblind, I don’t know.

Eli Manning did finally sign his contract extension this morning. I will have more on that later if the Giants issue a release.
Discussing the Vick signing by Philadelphia, safeties coach Dave Merritt called Vick "the ultimate Wildcat quarterback."

With both Steve Smith (knee) and Sinorice Moss (hamstring) not practicing, Mario Manningham had a nice morning. His best catch was a leaping grab over Terrell Thomas, who had excellent coverage, on a lob from Manning.
I mentioned Andre Brown before. He seems to have moved ahead of Danny Ware for the third running back slot. He is getting many more reps.
Best throw of the day was a gorgeous floater from Andre Woodson to Travis Beckum, which dropped beautifully out of the sky into Beckum's arms in between a linebacker and a safety. Might be the best throw I have seen in the entire camp.
Interesting stuff going on with the linebackers. Coughlin says not to read anything into it, but Danny Clark has been working with the second team, Clint Sintim with the first group, Gerris Wilkinson has been taking some snaps at middle linebacker and Chase Blackburn has been outside lately.
One interception today, by Bruce Johnson on a ball Manning tried to squeeze inside to Manningham. Also, one bad snap -- zipped a mile over Brown's head by Adam Koets during the 'Wildcat' work.
Ramses Barden got to take a few snaps today matched up against Terrell Thomas, the biggest and most physical of the Giants' corners. He could not hang on to a beautifully thrown corner route on one play with Thomas draped all over him. On the second play, Thomas jammed him and he never really got into a pass route.
Domenik Hixon made a tremendous leaping catch on a back shoulder throw by Manning at one point.
NOTE: Check the 'Transcripts' page. A bit later I will have Coughlin's daily press briefing, a perhaps some other interviews for you.

New York Giants Training Camp: Afternoon practice report

Ed Valentine — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:27:17 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

New York Giants fans watch practice at the University at Albany during NFL football training camp in Albany Tuesday.

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When I tell you who I thought was the most impressive player on the field during Tuesday afternoon's workout during New York Giants training camp, you might rub your eyes, read it a couple of times and wonder, 'who the heck is that and what is Ed talking about? Maybe the sun has fried his brain.'

The best player on the field was safety Vince Anderson. Yes, Vince Anderson. Yes, the Vince Anderson who was signed as an undrafted free agent cornerback out of tiny Webber International, a school I had never heard of.

Anderson, 6-foot-2, 205 pounds has been moved to safety by the Giants. Anderson made a pair of interceptions Tuesday afternoon on poorly thrown balls by Rhett Bomar (yes, my fav Rhett). He also tipped away a long ball from David Carr that seemed destined to become Hakeem Nicks' first huge play of camp.

The Giants have three safeties they know they can depend on. Michael Johnson, Kenny Phillips and C.C. Brown will see most of the playing time.

There is a nice little battle shaping up for the fourth safety slot between Travonti Johnson, undrafted free agent Sha'reef Rashad and Anderson. Who knows? Anderson might not do a thing the rest of camp, but Tuesday afternoon he stamped himself as a contender for that last safety spot.

The other most notable thing about Tuesday afternoon's session was Tom Coughlin's foul mood. After expressing plenty of unhappiness with his offense in his morning press briefing, TC let his offense have it most of the afternoon. During the first set of 11-on-11 drills there were quite a few unprintable TC explosions when mistakes were made. To say the least the head coach is not happy with what he is seeing from his offense thus far.
Steve Smith rebounded from a sub-par morning with an excellent afternoon. Smith's highlight play was the first pass of the day, when he beat Aaron Ross deep and hauled in what would have been an 80-yard touchdown catch.
By the way, before I forget to mention it, the wind conditions at UAlbany this afternoon were good practice for Eli when it comes to handling Giants Stadium winds in December. It was very blustery, and Eli tossed a couple of wobblers. For the most part, though, he delivered the ball well.
Rookie receivers Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden both made a couple of nice grabs. The more I watch Barden the more I wonder how he got all the way to the tail end of the third round. With his size and strength he looks like one of those guys you can complete passes to even when you know he isn't open.
Bryan Kehl had an interception for the second straight day. He picked off Eli on a pass intended for Kevin Boss. Pretty obvious Eli never saw him. It's also pretty obvious to these eyes that Kehl is a better player than Gerris Wilkinson. Which leads to the question -- why is Wilkinson working with the first unit and Kehl the second?
Watched Lawrence Tynes kick off four times and nail three into the end zone. Of course, he did have the wind at his back. Tynes did not miss a field goal toward the end of practice, making something like 8-10 in a row (I stupidly didn't bother to count).
By the way, both Jay Alford and Zak DeOssie snapped during field goal drills. Every Alford snap was high, and Jeff Feagles had to pull it down. Every DeOssie snap was perfect. I am going to continue to ask. Why isn't DeOssie handling ALL of the snapping during games?
By the way, what does it tell you that Eli was the first non-kicker or snapper on the field this afternoon? By a wide margin. And yes, that means yours truly was the first reporter there -- early enough to notice.