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New York Giants Notebook: 12.10.09

Jim Schmiedeberg — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:39:33 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Good Morning everyone, here are some of the headlines making news around the world of the New York Giants:

Brian Westbrook practiced with the Eagles yesterday, and Andy Reid has not ruled him out of playing against the Giants on Sunday. (Philly.com)
Domenik Hixon was a big hit when he made a surprise appearance at Bloomfield Middle School yesterday as part of the NFL's "Play 60" program. (Bergen Record)
In case you were wondering, Archie Manning said if the Super Bowl comes down to his undefeated former team vs. his undefeated son, there is no question who he would root for. (CNNSI) What I want to know is: when the Giants shock the world again over the next 6 weeks, and get to the Super Bowl against the Colts, who is he going to root for then?
The Giants say they aren't worried about Michael Vick as a constant Wildcat threat. The fact that they aren't worried worries me. (NJ.com)
It's been 9 weeks since TE Travis Beckum caught a pass, and the Giants think its time he catches another. (NJ.com)
Steve Smith is running a contest on his Facebook page to vote him into the Pro Bowl, and win the chance to attend the game in Miami. If you are on Facebook, make sure you are following Steve. He puts some great videos up, just candid stuff with him and other players, it's usually pretty funny, and he also interacts with the fans who follow him as best he can. Welcome to the new world.
This is only really newsworthy because of who he is, but the Giants signed DB London Fryar to their practice squad yesterday. He is the son of New England Patriots legend Irving Fryar.
Finally, Gary Myers in the Daily News talks about Tom Coughlin giving the Giants a pep talk in the pregame huddle before Sunday's game against Dallas. I was asked two weeks ago if I thought Tom Coughlin was starting to lose this team. I said absolutely not, I think these players would walk through a wall for him. They may not always like him, and he may not be the most fun guy to be around, but they know he is a coach that can help them win a championship.

Final thought from me: I'm not convinced they've turned a corner yet, because they still didn't run the ball well Sunday, and if Jay Novacek came out of retirement to play TE for the Cowboys he would have caught at least 5 passes in that game. Expect the Eagles to attack that part of the field even more than Dallas did. The Giants need to be ready for it. Weather not expected to be a factor Sunday night, it will just be chilly, with temps in the 30's.

Beat the Eagles, and it's all there: the playoffs, the division, and maybe even one last home game at Giants Stadium in the post season.

One last thing about the weather:

It's 85 degrees here today. Wind Chill of 82. How's YOUR weather?

Have a good day.

Cowboys @ Giants Injury Update

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:23:51 -0000

DeMarcus Ware has been added to the injury report - again. Evidently, Ware has a small fracture in his wrist. From Todd Archer:

Ware was already on the weekly injury report with the foot injury but the wrist was added today. He is listed as probable. Ware had X-rays today that revealed the fracture. Ware will have to wear a small cast for protection.

Make the jump.

The extra time between games has helped heal Jason Witten's sprained foot.

"I thought it was something that might be lingering, but it feels really good," Witten said. "Last week was tough with a short week. I felt good in the game and the trainers did a good job of getting me back quick. If it were a normal week there wouldn't be any question."

Both Ware and Witten practiced fully this week and will play on Sunday.

The only other surprise on the Cowboys' injury report is that Ken Hamlin (high ankle sprain) did not return to practice this week. Therefore, he will not play against the Giants. Obviously, Marc Colombo will still be out with his broken fibula.

Here is the list of the Cowboys' probables:

LB Victor Butler (knee), QB Tony Romo (back), S Gerald Sensabaugh (thumb), LB DeMarcus Ware (foot/wrist), TE Jason Witten (foot)

For the Giants, RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle/foot) had limited participation in practice today and is listed as questionable. The same goes for S Michael Johnson who is suffering from an injured groin.

Here is how their injury report shakes out:

OUT - RB D.J. Ware (concussion)

QUESTIONABLE - TE Travis Beckum (groin), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle/foot), S Michael Johnson (groin)

PROBABLE - LB Michael Boley (back), WR Derek Hagan (hamstring), QB Eli Manning (foot)

What do the Giants do now? Ideas for salvaging the season

Ed Valentine — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:19 -0000

OK, gang. We have spent the past few days commiserating about the problems our 6-5 New York Giants are having. The hated Dallas Cowboys come to East Rutherford this week, so it is time to turn the page and look forward.

The Giants MUST (is there anything bigger than capital letters for emphasis?) win this game if they hope to salvage the season. So, the question is, what -- if anything -- can be done over the next five games to get this team going again?

First and foremost, say your prayers for Eli's foot. If he goes down to a stress fracture, find something else to do with your Sunday afternoons. I doubt the Giants will be watchable.

Anyway, here are my thoughts on what the Giants can do in an effort to salvage the season.

Run Brandon, run! -- As we discussed Sunday, this is an obvious one. He probably isn't running as well as he did the past couple of years. And we know the line isn't blocking as well. But, the Giants have to have balance. And they have to let Jacobs try to wear defenses down. He is the guy opposing defensive players fear, and when the Giants don't make full use of him they do the defense a favor.
Turn the kids loose, Tom -- Rookies make mistakes, and coaches of contending teams don't like to play them if they have a choice. Giants coach Tom Coughlin is hardly alone there. But the season has reached a point where it has become pretty obvious that the Giants aren't really contenders. And that there are certain veterans whose warranty has expired. So, let the kids play.

-- Activate Ramses Barden -- Sure, wide receiver isn't really an issue. But, the Green Zone still is. And, yes, that probably means de-activating Derek Hagan, an idea which I hate. But, you know what? The coverage teams stink with Hagan, who might be the team's best cover guy. For now, they can stink without him. It's time to start finding out about Barden.

-- Same for Travis Beckum -- Every snap that Darcy Johnson is on the field is really a wasted play as far as the future of the Giants. He really is not a good blocker, so if it's a blocking situation use an extra offensive lineman. If it's a passing situation, get Beckum on the field. He will never turn into a weapon standing on the sidelines, and you know by now that Johnson is pretty much just taking up roster space.

-- Start William Beatty at right tackle. Maybe he is the future left tackle, we don't know that yet. But, continuing to play Kareem McKenzie at right tackle is going to get Eli Manning killed, Or David Carr, if Eli's 'stress reaction' turns into a fracture. It's pretty obvious that McKenzie is a pass-blocking liability, so get Beatty on the field full-time and let him begin to learn. At least you know that if he gets beat he will learn and get better.

-- More Clint Sintim. I have to qualify this one. I know that the Giants started getting Sintim more action several weeks ago. I also know that Antonio Pierce's injury has made playing Sintim difficult. Sintim admitted recently that he was relying on AP to get him lined up and to make sure he understood what his responsibilities were, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me that Sintim still needed help figuring out how to line up. But, it's really obvious that Danny Clark won't be a Giant next year, and that Clark's lack of athleticism hurts this defense. Let Sintiim make his mistakes now, in a season thatr appears to be quickly going down the drain, so that he can become the play maker we all want in 2010.

-- Give Jonathan Goff a chance -- We have seen one good game and one bad one from Chase Blackburn filling in at middle linebacker for Antonio Pierce. Blackburn is smart, and I love the guy. I'm not sure he is athletic enough, or physical enough, to be the long-term answer in the middle, though. We know Pierce needs to be replaced, quite possibly next season. Get Goff on the field enough to find out if the kid can play.
More Kiwi, less Osi. A lot less Osi -- If any Giants fan out there still thinks Osi Umenyiora is a great defensive end, all I can say is this. You are thinking with your heart, not your eyes or your brain. Osi is an atrocious run defender, and at this point in his career only a so-so pass rusher. He makes one great play every couple of games, that's about it. Mathias Kiwanuka played right defensive end all of 2008, and did a better job than Osi is doing this season. Especially against the run. Every offensive coordinator in the league knows at this point that if you need a couple of yards against the Giants, running right at Osi is the way to get it.

One more thing. How about no more Chris Canty at defensive end? The Giants are paying him $42 million to clog the middle, which he can't do playing right defensive end when Osi isn't there. What the heck is he doing out there? Get him in the middle where he is supposed to be, and let Kiwanuka play defensive end.
Boot Bill Sheridan upstairs. I know many of you would have been happy if I stopped at 'Boot Bill Sheridan.' That is not going to happen during the season, though, so I'm not even going to go there. Sheridan, though, obviously is not effective from the sideline. He is undoubtedly not a motivator. And, he can't seem to get a feel for calling the game, since so many of his calls seem to wind up leaving the Giants vulnerable. So, kick him upstairs where we know he originally wanted to be and see if he can do a better job from up there. If that doesn't work, well, then I think we know what needs to be done.

That's about all I have for now. I am curious to hear your ideas for the rest of the season. And, please, keep it to how to salvage the next five games. We have months to discuss the draft and what to do next season. It's not time to tackle that yet.

What others are saying about the Giants' implosion

Ed Valentine — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:00:50 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

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We know how we all feel about the pitiful state of the football team currently marauding as the once-proud New York Giants. Let's sample a little of the reaction from around the Inter-Google following Sunday's 40-17 slaughter at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Oh, Eli

In the middle of a column is which he accurately states that the Giants put on a "staggering show of ineptitude," Ian O'Connor of NorthJersey.com addresses the elephant in the room for the Giants offense. Meaning, how badly injured is Eli Manning? Eli will, and has, said he is fine. Coach Tom Coughlin won't talk about Eli's plantar fasciitis. O'Connor went to General Manager Jerry Reese for thoughts on that, and Reese did not skirt the subject.

"I think Eli’s foot is bothering him some," said Giants GM Jerry Reese, "but he’s out there and he’s giving it his best. Obviously he’s not 100 percent, but I don’t know if anybody’s 100 percent at this point of the season.

"I have confidence Eli will pull out of it."

If Manning shares Reese’s faith, his body language said otherwise. Eli had no zip on the ball, and almost no willingness to step into a throw.

SI.com's Peter King this morning named Eli his 'Goat of the Week.' King, by the way also dropped the Giants out of his 'Fine Fifteen' for the first time this season.

For the first five weeks of the year, Eli looked like Peyton. For the past three weeks, he's looked like Danny Kanell -- inaccurate, unnecessarily risky and unsure of himself. Totally bizarre. Like the throw he made to Asante Samuel on the Giants' first series; at least it appeared to be intended for Samuel, who stepped in front of tight end Travis Beckum and picked it off, leading to the second touchdown for Philly. Manning threw another one just before the half, setting up another touchdown, and by then it was over. The Giants have to hope it's just a minor slump, because if Manning keeps throwing to the other team like this, and completing balls at a rate lower than 50-percent (which he's doing the past three weeks), New York's going to be out of the pennant race by Thanksgiving weekend.

Don Banks, also of SI.com, also discussed Eli's injury.

Manning seems to be sailing a lot of his passes high over his receivers' heads, and that's probably an indication he not's real comfortable planting his feet and following through on his throws.

My take: I have to agree with the sentiment that Eli is just not right. He is tough, and he will never admit being affected. The incredibly high number of off-target throws are reminiscent of the player Eli was at the beginning of his career, not the player he is now. He is better than this, and we have to hope he finds a way to deal with the foot problem and gets back to making the throws that need to be made.

Coughlin again staring at huge challenge - - NJ.com

Coughlin is facing a crisis now, maybe his worst one since the 0-2 start in 2007. Yes, there was the Plaxico Burress mess, but that was an off-the-field disaster largely beyond his control.

This? His Giants are imploding and Coughlin doesn’t seem to have the foggiest why it is happening. They have fallen from 5-0 to 5-3, fallen from the NFC’s elite to third place in their division, and the pratfall is magnified by how poorly they are playing.

They were noncompetitive in this 40-17 loss to the Eagles yesterday, outclassed in all phases. The defense gave up plays of 66, 54 and 41 yards, all for touchdowns. The quarterback threw two killer interceptions in the first half and overthrew a half dozen open receivers.

The coach, asked for answers, had none.

"I’m just as frustrated as the next guy," Coughlin said. "We’ve found our way out of these situations in the past."

Coughlin has done some of his best coaching when the Giants are facing a crisis, and he has one on his hands now. They play four of their next five games at home, but all five are against teams with winning records.

Are the Giants arrogant? ProFootballTalk.com
The root cause could be a level of arrogance that the talent level on the team doesn't justify.

"We keep talking about 'Well, that team ain't better than us. We just didn't play good,'" defensive end Justin Tuck said. "After three weeks in a row, something is not clicking the way it needs to be. We've got to look ourselves in the mirror and get this ship right. Now."

it appears that the 5-0 start was influenced in large part by the fact that the Giants primarily played bad teams (Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs, Raiders). Their only impressive victory came at Dallas, but it arguably wasn't a game the Giants won as much as it was a game the Cowboys lost.

So the reality could be that the Giants haven't lost their magic. The reality could be that, this year, they simply don't have any -- and that they're going to be the last ones to figure it out.

My take: This is a good point. We have said it over and over, but it is pretty obvious the Giants are not as good as they think they are. It's time for them to stop talking and start playing.

New York Giants defense lays egg
The Giants have lost their way. It happens to good NFL teams sometimes during the course of a long season, and it isn't necessarily fatal when the record still says five wins and three losses at the midway point. But this peculiar form of amnesia usually doesn't afflict the Giants, who have an institutional memory for conventional power football on both sides of the ball.

Unlike the Jets, the Giants always are supposed to know who they are. But now Tom Coughlin's team has dropped three straight against strong opponents in very disturbing fashion, doing things that Giants just don't do.

They are missing tackles, giving the football away, flubbing assignments. Five different Eagles either caught passes or rushed in plays that gained 20 or more yards from scrimmage.

"We're a complete embarrassment," Antonio Pierce said, after the 40-17 loss to the Eagles. "We're just a bad defense right now. We went from a team that was very disciplined to a team not doing the right things. ... It's mind-boggling. Twenty-one days. ... Three weeks."

My take: That is about the most insightful, and accurate, thing Pierce has said to the media all season.

Examining the New York Giants green zone issues

Ed Valentine — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:20:59 -0000

The New York Giants offense needs to remember that green means 'Go.'

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If you are talking about traffic signals green means 'go' and 'red' means 'stop.' That has to be why New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin calls that area inside the opponent's 20-yard line the green zone. Everyone else, of course, calls it the red zone.

The Giants offense seems confused by this whole concept. Maybe the players have forgotten the traffic laws. Maybe they are color blind. Maybe ... ah, maybe ... ah, whatever. Point is, the Giants offense has not done a good job the past couple of seasons taking full advantage of scoring opportunities.

Ernie Palladino has the numbers, pointing out that that the Giants were just 35-of-69 (51%) in green zone situations last season. You know it's an issue. I know it. The coaches know it. The players know it.

"We have to put the ball in the end zone when it is fourth and one. We have to convert the two third and one's," said coach Tom Coughlin (full transcript). "Anytime you are 0-3 in the green zone, obviously you need to get touchdowns instead of field goals. And so we continue to make that a matter of emphasis."

Quarterback Eli Manning summed up the problem this way.

"It is not really a green zone or red zone problem, it is a third and short problem," he said.

So, what is the problem here? The Giants have a 270-pound running back, one of the game's best offensive lines and a terrific blocking fullback. You would think they would be able to jam the ball down an opposing defense's throat and get a yard when they need one.

"We just assume that on third and short we are going to be able to run and be able to get it," said Manning.

Problem with that, to me, is that as good as the Giants offensive line is it is not a power, straight-ahead line. It excels at pulling and working in space, which is not typically the way short-yardage plays are blocked. Also, Brandon Jacobs is not exactly shifty in terms of squeezing into a small crack.

What can be done?

So, I'm not a football coach and Coughlin and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride know more about this than I do. Here, though, are five suggestions for how the Giants can try to improve this situation.

1. Pass the ball more

From Tom Rock of Newsday, who is rapidly challenging Mike Garafolo and Ralph Vacchiano for the title of my favorite Giants beat writer, comes the play-by-play of the Giants three trips into the green zone against the Redskins.

First Drive
First-and-10 from the 20 -- Pass to Jacobs +8
Second-and-2 from the 12 -- Jacobs run left +1
Third-and-1 from the 11 -- Toss right Bradshaw NG

Second Drive
First-and-10 from the 12 -- Pass to Smith +7
Second-and-3 from the 5 -- Jacobs run right +2
Third-and-1 from the 3 -- Jacobs run left NG
Fourth-and-1 from the 3 -- Jacobs run middle NG

Third Drive
First-and-10 from the 13 -- Holding -10
First-and-20 from the 23 -- Pass to Bradshaw +6
Second-and-14 from the 17 -- Inc. pass to Bradshaw
Third-and-14 from the 17 -- Pass to Bradshaw +7

A penalty stalled the third drive, but the first two were halted by an inability to pick up short yardage while trying repeatedly to simply run over the Redskins' defense. Out of those three drives, the Giants got six points. They could have had 21. Obviously, that would have made a huge difference, turning a fairly close final score into a rout.

I agree with Rock, who advocated more passes in those situations. I would particularly like to see some play-action. Some coaches consider it a sign of weakness if you have to pass to pick up a yard. I don't care, as long as the job gets done.

Manning also hinted at the possibility of passing more.

"We have to throw the ball a little bit more possibly in some of those situations," he said. "But, down there we're a team that is going to be physical, we have a big back, and we should be able to get that surge and should get a first down in those situations."

2. Spread the field

By now, I think the evidence is pretty clear that the Giants don't do their best work in the mano-a-mano 'heavy' formation situations. So, spread the field. Go three wides, even four, move Kevin Boss into the slot. Don't let the entire defense sit in the box and wait for Jacobs to come slamming up the middle. That way, you can run when you are at even strength with the defense.

3. Change the blocking personnel

On the fourth-and-one play where Jacobs got stuffed by Albert Haynesworth and the Redskins, Boss was the lead blocker. Sorry, but that's not gonna work. Boss has become a good edge blocker, but he can't be leading critical plays like that. Where is Madison Hedgecock, who gets paid to do that? Better yet, get one of the tight ends out of there if you choose to go 'heavy' and get an extra offensive lineman in the game. I really don't care which one, but an offensive lineman has a better chance of moving the pile than Boss or Darcy Johnson.

4. Run to the edges

Those kinds of plays, where maybe you can pull a guard, are the kind the Giants line seems to block the best. Maybe it takes a tad longer to develop, which is dangerous in short-yardage, but it is the kind of play the Giants run best. Play to your strength, not your weakness.

5. Ramses Barden and Travis Beckum

I know these two rookies have a ways to go before they earn the trust of the coaching staff. But, these are the types of situations Barden and Beckum were drafted for. Barden is a physical mismatch for any corner in a jump ball situation, and Beckum is a mismatch for most linebackers. As the season unfolds, the Giants need to find ways to take advantage of the talents possessed by these two young guys.

Summary

I don't think the Giants will solve this overnight, and they have proven they can win a lot of games even if they never figure it out. It sure would make things a lot easier, however, if they could take advantage of more of these situations. Hopefully, we will see some of the things I have suggested in future short-yardage situations.

Giants are a work in progress

Ed Valentine — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:00:14 -0000

Let's talk about expectations. We all expect our New York Giants to be a very good football team. There is no reason that should not be the case. We hope they end up being good enough to win their second Super Bowl in three seasons.

That, of course, is what we all want. There is no way to know whether it will happen -- there are simply too many variables to consider between now and February 2010.

Now, let's talk about the collision between expectations and reality. After Saturday night's 27-25 loss to the New York Jets the Giants are -- gasp! -- 1-2 in the pre-season. And, horror or horrors, they have not looked like a perfectly well-oiled machine in those three games.

Did you really expect the entire season to be smooth sailing? No hiccups? Did you really think the passing game would be firing on all cylinders BEFORE the regular season got under way? That there would never be miscues and that we would know exactly how everything was going to work out? That Hakeem Nicks would play like a Pro Bowler as soon as he put on the uniform? That our Steve Smith would suddenly morph into THE Steve Smith just because we wanted him to? That there would not be any adjustment period for a defense with a new coordinator, a bunch of new players and a lot of guys coming off fairly serious injuries?

If you did -- and juding from the comments in Saturday's game thread and Sunday's follow-up posts I know there are some of you out there -- then you really need to re-examine your expectations.

Let's look specifically at the expectations for the wide receivers, since there has been so much focus on that group after they spent much of Saturday night treating the football like a live grenade. You had to know coming into the season that there would be bumps in the road as Tom Coughlin and company figured out which guys could do what, and as these players learn and improve.

Should we be alarmed that Smith dropped that long touchdown pass? Disappointed, sure. Alarmed, maybe not. Maybe what Smith was showing you is that he really is what we have seen the past two years -- a classic possession receiver who runs great routes, catches balls in traffic and can always be counted on for key third-down conversions. If that's what he is, what's wrong with that?

Maybe Domenik Hixon is showing us that what he really is is a third wide receiver who can be a useful part of the passing game, and a quality return man, but not a dominating receiver. Nothing wrong with that, unless you are expecting the second coming of Jerry Rice.

Hakeem Nicks is beginning to show us that selecting him with the 29th pick of the first round was a good idea. He runs the correct routes, catches the ball, can make the spectacular play, and is savvy enough to make the right read when he has options in his route. Is he as good, and as consistent, as he will be in Week 12 -- or next season? Probably not. But the more he plays -- and he will play a lot -- the better he will get. Coughlin is already hinting at an expanded role for Nicks.

Mario Manningham is also flashing oodles of potential -- and making his share of mistakes. Manningham, though, is a glorified rookie. He is a wild stallion who hasn't been broken yet -- and when the Giants finally do break him they might have one helluva horse on their hands. Again, he should be better at the end than he will be at the beginning.

Ramses Barden and Travis Beckum have shown potential, but the Giants really haven't figured out ways to utilize them yet. In Barden's case, especially, I think Tom Coughlin and Kevin Gilbride will find ways to get him on the field as the season progresses.

These young players will develop, and in the end the Giants could well have an exceptionally dangerous group. But, to expect perfection from the beginning is simply not realistic.

Also, while there will be mistakes -- especially at the start -- I am hardly ready to panic. Smith is a reliable possession guy. I have to assume more balls will be thrown toward Kevin Boss once the games begin to count. He has been under-utilized as the Giants try to assess their wide receivers. The Giants also still have that top-notch line and one of the best running attacks anywhere.

As for the defense, we expect it to be dominant. I have little doubt that it will be, even if that has not been the case yet. Reality is, like the receiving corps this group should be carrying around an 'under construction' sign.

There is the new coordinator. And the players can say what they want, but there is still an adjustment going on for both Bill Sheridan and for them. There are a lot of new faces on defense to assimilate. Antonio Pierce has barely played. Michael Boley hasn't practiced yet. Chris Canty and Aaron Ross are hurting. The Giants have made some defensive mistakes -- which we all should have expected at this point. The good news is many of those mistakes have been made by guys we should expect to make them -- guys who either won't play much or won't make the team at all. So, no use worrying about those.

Honestly, the Giants need their defense to come together quicker than their offense. Giving the offense a cushion to develop is why GM Jerry Reese spent $83 million to bulk up the defense.

For me, I will worry more about how quickly the defense finds itself than I will about the receivers. The Giants built this team thinking that group would be dominant from the beginning as the offense worked to find its footing. Right now, it's really Sheridan & Co. that should be feeling the weight of expectations, not quarterback Eli Manning and his stable of young receivers.

Things will be fine. Remember, with a Super Bowl championship and an NFC East crown the past two seasons, Giants fans have been spoiled. This group is immensely talented, but it is a different group than that of the past two seasons. It will take time to fit all the pieces. Just expect a few bumps, and have the patience to let the situation develop. I think the end result is going to be a good one.

Fantasy Football Friday

cjmulrain — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:00:14 -0000

A quick update on the BBV Fantasy League before getting to some fantasy-related links: right now there are 8 players in the league, so we have room for 2-4 more people, if anyone else is interested. I'm going to lock the league on Sunday, so if I don't get a few more responses by then, it will just be an 8-team league. If anyone else is interested, e-mail me at cjmulrain@yahoo.com.

Starting next week, I'm going to give my own fantasy preview of the AFC & the NFC (with a special focus on the NFC East, since it's the division I know the best). For now, though, here's some fantasy related links:

In it's "32 Questions" series, ESPN's Tristan Cockroft looks at whether Brandon Jacobs is a true "#1 fantasy running back." His answer is yes. I'm torn on Jacobs as a fantasy back - when he's healthy he gives you monster numbers, but he always gets banged up and will probably miss a few games. Add to that the emergence of Ahmad Bradhsaw (who I believe will replace Derek Ward and then some), plus the Giants having a number of shiny red zone toys (Kevin Boss, Ramses Barden, maybe even Travis Beckum), and I question whether Jacobs will put up the type of numbers to justify picking him as high as he's likely to be picked. I'll discuss this more in my NFC East fantasy preview, but I'll say I'd be cautious about taking Jacobs in the first round.
KFFL's William Pillar provides a fantasy preview of a guy we're all very familiar with: Jeremy Shockey. His take is that Shockey is worth the risk to take with a late-round pick, and I agree completely. We all have our opinions on Shockey, but despite everything he's a very talented player on a pass-happy team with possibly the best statistical passer in the game today. If he stays healthy (and wears some stickum), he could have a big season. And let's face it: beyond a few big names there's not much fantasy depth at tight end, so if Shockey is still sitting there in the last few rounds, you could really get a steal with him.
Yahoo! Sports has an article about "safe" wide receivers (guys who had 100+ balls thrown their way last year, at least 1 red zone attempt per game, and have the same QB returning this year), and then analyzes some other aspects of drafting WR's. One interesting tidbit that goes against some conventional wisdom is that a top receiver with a bad QB is possibly more valuable than one with a good QB, b/c a bad QB will lock onto his top guy, while a good QB will read through his progressions and spread the ball around. With that in mind, someone like Calvin Johnson becomes even more valuable than he already was. The article also lists DeSean Jackson as a WR to avoid, which is fine by me.

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.

Nicks, Barden, Beckum are finding their way

Ed Valentine — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:31:06 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

Hakeem Nicks listens to instructions from Eli Manning at New York Giants training camp. Let's hope theset two get on the same page, and stay there for years to come.

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We spent much of the off-season debating the New York Giants' wide receiver situation. Did General Manager Jerry Reese do the right thing by using the draft to plug the need at that position, or will the Giants pay for not bringing in Anquan Boldin, Braylon Edwards, Torry Holt or Marvin Harrison?

After one week of training camp there can be no definitive answer to that question. The answer likely won't come until this season is done, and maybe even for several seasons after that.

What can be said is that all three rookie receivers drafted by Reese have shown flashes of why the Giants believed they did not need to go out and get veteran replacements for Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.

During the first few days of camp, first-round pick Hakeem Nicks, and third-round picks Ramses Barden and Travis Beckum have all provided glimpses of their potential.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Barden has probably been the most consistently impressive of the trio of young pass-catchers. Again and again during the week, Barden used that huge body to his advantage, getting position to make catches in traffic. Even when tightly covered, Barden seems able to use his size and strength to take the ball away from smaller defenders.

While he might be impressing the people around him, Barden is not impressing himself at this point.

"I like to think that I'm a fairly big critic of myself," Barden said Friday afternoon. "There's certain things that I'm happy about, but there's not one thing that I can't do better ... much better."

Asked again about his progress over the weekend, Barden reiterated the point.

"I’m pleased with my effort," he said. "It’ll be a long, long time before I’m ever pleased with my performance. I have a lot to learn and a lot to accomplish and I just want to make sure that each day I can look back and say I got better"

Barden said the veteran Giants have been helpful.

"The thing that I love about this team is that you don’t even have to ask for advice," he said. "Somebody’s already going to be there to reach their hand out and provide that information to help us with that adjustment, whether it is on a route or just adjusting to the NFL life."

Nicks spent some time on the bicycle this weekend nursing a sore hamstring. After starting slowly the first couple of days, Nicks did make some nice catches -- including a couple of deep balls -- as the week progressed.

"There's stuff I still need to improve on, so I just gotta keep working hard on that," Nicks said.

Last week Nicks' college coach, Butch Davis, was quoted saying that the biggest adjustment for a wide receiver coming out of college is learning to handle NFL press coverage. Nicks concurred.

"I would agree with that," Nicks said. "It's honestly something that we see every day. It's not something that I had seen every day in college.

It's not something that I can't overcome. I've just got to get my shoulder pads low coming off the line of scrimmage and just do what I do."

Like Barden, it seems Nicks can be tough on himself. He missed a long ball Thursday night that was badly underthrown, causing him to lose his balance as he tried to adjust to it. Yet, Nicks figured he should have hauled it in.

"If it comes my way I feel like I should catch it," Nicks said. "I don't know if that's just me being hard on myself. ... I was supposed to have that one."

Nicks has also been impressed by Barden.

"I think Ramses is doing a good job right now," he said. "He's picking up very well, getting off the jam in the slot. I think he's doing real well"

As promised when Reese drafted him, the Giants have used Beckum primarily in the slot as an H-back during camp.He has shown excellent hands during the early part of camp, and has shown that he can be a handful for a linebacker trying to shadow him in the middle of the field.

"I didn't expect to just come in here and be able to make all the plays," Beckum said. "It's a learning process that I'm definitely excited to go through."

Beckum said the more comfortable he gets with the playbook the more comfortable he is on the field.

"When you go out there and play hesitant you're not running as fast as you can or being as precise," Beckum said. "So when you know it well it'll be a lot easier, and I think I'm really starting to get the playbook. That enables me to go out there and perform at a higher level."

So, be optimistic about this trio of rookie receivers, Giants' fans. Through one week, they haven't given you any reason not to be.

New York Giants training camp: Thursday morning practice report

Ed Valentine — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:00:07 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree (85) blocks teammate DeAndre Wright during NFL football training camp in Albany Thursday.

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The intensity was turned up -- way up -- during Thursday morning's practice session at New York Giants training camp.

The Giants went with shoulder pads for the first time, and there was some intense hitting.

Coach Tom Coughlin was still not happy with his offense, even though it looked a little better.

"The defense played well this morning. The quickness of our front was obvious ... saw some strong penetrating moves on the part of three or four different guys.

I'm disappointed in the fact that when we put the pads on it's time to put the pads on and you don't expect people to come clean ... but, it'll pick up. It's always that way early. Defense has been playing well, and the offense has gotta get in tune with it and catch up."

Here are some highlights.

Linebacker Kenny Ingram laid the first big hit of camp on rookie running back Andre Brown, most definitely signaling that things were getting serious. Ingram introduced himself to Brown again later in the camp with another nasty open-field hit.
Brown had a nice practice, popping through a couple of holes, including a nice bounce outside on one run. Not to be outdone, Danny Ware also ran the ball well this morning, including a nifty cut back run on a pitch out. NIce little competition between the two of them developing.

Here are some other defensive highlights.

Kenny Phillips made a couple of excellent run stops.
Chris Canty stuffed Ahmad Bradshaw on a run up the middle.
Aaron Ross came clean on a corner blitz and would have destroyed Eli Manning in live action.
Zak DeOssie had a couple of nice plays, including a highlight stop when he straightened up tackle Cliff Louis, and stopped Brown in the backfield.

Here are a few other offensive highlights.

Sinorice Moss caught the one long ball of the day from Manning, getting behind Aaron Ross. The Giants also ran a reverse to Moss that looked like it could have gained a good chunk of yardage. Someone on the sidelines yelled 'Mr. August' when Moss hauled in the ball.
Pretty good morning for Hakeem Nicks, who made a couple of good catches over the middle in traffic. Nicks missed a chance for a couple of big plays downfield, though. On one, he was behind his defender and Andre Woodson overthrew him. On another, Woodson badly underthrew him and Nicks attempted to adjust but could not haul in the ball. That one was in the end zone.
The other rookie receivers -- Ramses Barden and Travis Beckum -- each caught a handful of balls this morning.

Couple of lowlights.

These would, of course, involved center to quarterback exchanges. Kevin Boothe and Andre Woodson messed up one, it looked like Adam Koets and David Carr messed up another. There was also a third, but I couldn't see who snapped it. Veteran Tutan Reyes ended up taking a few turns at center. Who woulda thought Grey Reugamer would be the biggest off-season loss on this team? My guess is the backup center is someone who is not currently on the roster because right now if Shaun O'Hara is injured the Giants are in a world of hurt.
The other lowlight was a dropped pass by Brandon Jacobs. Please, please Kevin Gilbride -- do not call plays where Jacobs has to catch the ball.

An off-beat note.

Ever wonder what a placekicker does to keep himself busy during practice? Well, both Tuesday and today Lawrence Tynes took turns running pass routes during some defensive positioning drills. Tynes also took some turns playing quarterback during another set of cornerback drills. He can throw a little bit, by the way. Oh, the one disconcerting thing? The assistant coaches call Tynes 'LT.' Umm ... fellas, that's wrong.