BleedinBlue

As pointed out in another thread, I didn't know if Rivers was a WILL or a SAM and always thought he was a SAM. But the Giants have an upside down defense scheme in which the traditional SAM position is played by a WILL and vice versa. Anyway...for anyone trying to figure out Fewell's defensive scheme, this video is really helpful.

From BBI this morning: Giants Hoping WR Jerrel Jernigan Steps It Up: The Giants have made it clear that it is time for WR Jerrel Jernigan to begin making plays. Jernigan was drafted by the Giants in the 3rd round of the 2011 NFL Draft, but he has only caught three passes for 22 yards in his first two years in the NFL. The Giants envision Jernigan as a weapon out of the slot position. "I'm looking forward to seeing Jerrel Jernigan and what he can do inside," said Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride last Friday. "I think it's about time that he steps up and I think we feel he has enough ability and he's been here long enough now. Until Victor (Cruz) gets back, he'll be the main guy inside at the slot position. It's a chance for him to shine and step forward and do the things that we believe he can do…really it's JJ inside…It's going to be a great opportunity for him." "Hopefully Victor is back very soon and will play at a high level," said QB Eli Manning yesterday. "Jerrel's also got to be able to help us. He has speed, he has skills, been in the system now a number of years so hopefully he can step up and fill a role for us. The more talented guys you have on the team able to make plays for you the better off you'll be." I have to believe Jernigan has to make a pretty sizable splash in camp and in preseason or he's gone.

According to scout.com's football transaction page, the Giants signed four of our UFDA's to 3-year contracts. I have to believe the front office sees something in these guys to give them an extended contract, seeing that there's no need to sign them at all at this stage and a 1-year would be adequate to hold them when cuts are due. anyway - here they are: RB Jeremy Wright - 3 years LB Etienne Sabino - 3 years CB Charles James - 3 years S Alonzo Tweedy - 3 years Of the four, I personally like Tweedy the best because of his ability to be a gunner on special teams...which I'm sure is where they have him slotted to play. I see Sabino as a project and will have to up his game to ever get past the practice squad.

Good call. I had read an article in BBV that stated that. But when I look at his stat page, he only ran 221 yards against us on 6 kickoff returns. I remember like it was yesterday throwing things and screaming for someone to take him down - break his legs - do something. He ran through us like we were a high school football team.

I'm certainly not against giving the rookies a shot at returning kicks...during preseason. But I can't believe they'd come close to putting up the stats that Cribbs has put up. In 8 years in the NFL, Cribbs has returned kickoffs for 10,015 yds (1252yds a season) and that doesn't include returned punts for 2154 yds. That's a grand total of 12,169 yds gained in 8 years doing nothing but returning a football after a kickoff or a punt - an average of 1,521 yds per season. That's incredible. And to top it off, he has led his team in special team tackles 7 out of 8 years. As far as cost goes...they're saying he's going for league minimum or a little over that, but is looking for a long term contract. That could be the sticking point for some teams. At 29 years old, he might be good for only a couple more years. Regardless...I remember how we scrambled trying to find someone, anyone, who could return a football. We went out and traded away a 2011 draft pick and conditional 2012 draft pick and overpaid for Darius Reynaud as a punt returner because we sucked soooo bad at returning kicks. Turned out, Reynaud wasn't the answer either. It wasn't until Wilson came along that we finally found someone who could turn it on after the catch. But like has been pointed out...now that Wilson will be the number 1 running back, TC won't want him returning kickoffs. I've watched the Giants suck at Special Teams for years and it pisses me off. Last year I screamed and threw things at the TV because no one could stop none other than friggin Joshua Cribbs who returned 6 Giants kickoffs for 221 yards including a touchdown against my Giants. I'm tired of hoping someone steps up on Special Teams. I was delighted with Wilson last year, but I don't want to go through another season holding my breath whenever we receive a kicked football.

I don't know....we must have seen two different Jernigans because if he was averaging 30 yards a return...he'd be the best in the NFL. Here's a clip from analyst Ed Valentine: "We know how good David Wilson was in 2012, averaging 26.9 yards per return while giving the Giants the most dangerous kickoff return game they have had since Willie Ponder averaged more than 25 yards per return in 2004 and 2005. With Ahmad Bradshaw gone, however, Wilson is slated for a full load of carries in the backfield. We also know from history that as players roles increase on offense or defense, head coach Tom Coughlin exposes them less and less often in the return game. Special teams coordinator Tom Quinn would undoubtedly like to have Wilson returning every kickoff, but that seems extremely unlikely to happen, with Quinn admitting over the weekend "that's not my decision." Quinn will likely have to settle for someone other than Wilson, whether it be Jerrel Jernigan, Da'Rel Scott or another player who emerges, returning more often than he would hope. Adding a player like Cribbs, who was actually better than Wilson a season (27.4 yards per return) and has averaged 25.9 yards on 387 career returns, would make losing Wilson's return ability palatable. The Giants have also struggled in recent seasons returning punts. In 2012 they were 30th in the league, averaging 7.2 yards per return. In 2011, the Giants' average of 6.1 yards per return was 29th overall. In 2010 that same 6.1 yards per return average was 31st. The Giants have not been good in the punt return game since Domenik Hixon was healthy in 2009, when they averaged 10.9 yards per return, sixth in the league.

Jernigan has had several chances. The ball goes through his hands and onto the ground and between his legs. It's happened a few times and that's why they finally stopped letting him try to return kicks. Got nothing against Jernigan other than he's not done much with the chances he's gotten. But as far as the returning game, he's shown nothing except a knack for not catching the ball. We haven't had a good returner until Wilson showed us how it's done. But TC doesn't like to have his starters returning and with Bradshaw gone, Wilson is our starting RB. We need a return guy.

Good point. You can buy a house in downtown Detroit for one dollar. You can buy a whole block of houses for 10 dollars.

I thought Rivers was a WILL, but wasn't 100% sure. Paysinger has added bulk in the offseason and hasn't lost any speed...something like 15 lbs of muscle. He could be being groomed for the SAM. Having Curry (a natural SAM) is a good thing. And I agree...I think they have all kinds of plans for Cooper Taylor to play both Safety and LB. He's going to be interesting to watch. I got a hunch in 2 years when the dust settles, Taylor will have been the steal of the draft! That'd be sweet.

I imagine that he's being offered league minimum or slightly above that. He can't command huge dollars as a return specialist. I agree with Jim that he probably wants to get more playing time as a receiver and after Murphy, it's a wide open field. I can say one thing pretty much for sure. If the Giants do sign him, bye bye Jernigan...whose career at returning kicks has been anything but stellar. And if Cribbs was thrown into the slot position, he couldn't do any worse than Jernigan. Cribbs was a QB for years...he could on rare occasions, play the wildcat and screw with opposing defenses.

Tynes is gone. We have a competition between Josh Brown and David Buehler ("Buehler, Buehler...Buehler...") Brown is a 10 year vet having played for 4 teams, the last was Cincinnati. He was the highest paid kicker in history. Hit a 60 yd field goal in preseason game against the Dolts. Buehler is a 4 year vet having played all 4 years for Dallas. Big (make that HUGE) leg...not very accurate (ranked 30th out of 34 for accuracy). Used only for kickoffs at Dallas after several key missed field goals. My bet is Brown will win the job.

I think his career stats prove that he can't catch a ball when it's thrown at him. He's a special teams master. Not only leading the league in returns, but also been outstanding on kick coverage team throughout his career. He has led his team in tackles as well as return yards multiple times. If he was on our Special Teams, he'd be great. Hopefully...we get ourselves a kicker that puts the ball through the goal post when we need it! That could be a bigger concern for our ST over the long haul if we don't get that settled before October rolls around.

After hitting a whole lot of teams, Josh Cribbs has settled on 4 teams he is willing to play for: Raiders, Giants, Jets, or Lions! I can't think of a reason he'd narrow the list to the Raiders unless he thinks he can get twice as much money. And the Jets and Lions....well, they're the Jets and Lions. Who knows...maybe he'll be wearing a Giants uniform before long. From ProFootballTalk "Free-agent Browns receiver Josh Cribbs eventually will be former Browns receiver Josh Cribbs. His potential next destination has been limited to four suitors, barring an unexpected development. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Cribbs, an eight-year veteran, will sign with the Raiders, Giants, Jets, or Lions. Cribbs visited the Raiders, Giants, and Jets last week. He has arrived on Monday in Detroit. A potent return specialist, Cribbs has never fully blossomed as a receiver. The former college quarterback at Kent State has, from time to time, contributed via the Wildcat formation". I'd be all for having a return specialist on the team and let Wilson concentrate on the running game while saving his body for the job he was hired to do.

Okay Naz...I agree. Deihl has been a stellar Giant. But like all offensive lineman, they don't get a lot of glory and the better they are, the less attention they get. Once he retires, he'll be missed, but will always be in the hearts of many fans.

With that much beef up front, it wouldn't surprise me if we occasionally lined up in the 3-4 and sent LB's after the QB. I've read that they are planning on using Demantre Moore as a hybrid the way Kiwi has been used. He's played LB and DE, and with his speed, he could throw a lot of monkey wrenches into the opposing team's offensive strategy if lined up at the LB position.

Good point - at 27 yrs old...there's a few years left in him if his knees hold up. Giants are at a tipping point and are reloading because so many players we depend on are either near the end of their careers or are coming up for free agency and will cost a fortune. Nicks is in his last year and I believe it's more important to resign him than Cruz. Rolle is 31 and making ridiculous money, and it gets more each year as his contract is back loaded. Webster is in his last year and if he has a comeback year, he's going to want a ton of cash to stay. Snee is also 31 and has been banged up and less effective the last couple of years and he's going to earn 7.5 million if he's still on the team next year. When I look at this year's draft, it almost makes perfect sense what's going through Reese's mind. The Giants are getting older, broken down, and eat up a lot of cap space. So we're reloading with rookie youngsters or vets for league minimum. Probably a smart move. As fans, we seldom look at the bigger picture in which the cap is a huge barrier to keeping all the players we want...and age is also a big factor in the NFL where the careers of athletes is relatively short. With all that said, Curry is an ideal project at the league minimum and a 1-year contract. Very smart move by the front office.

Hey Pdub...did you notice in the article that Nick Provo is at camp? I didn't see anything anywhere mentioning him. He was to Nassib a year ago, what Whitten is to Romo. Doubt he'll make the team though even though he was a terrific TE at the Cuse. 6'3" doesn't cut it for TE's in the NFL.

Giants must be really serious about stopping the run. Freakin Okam is 6'5" 350 lbs and is known for his stuffing runners. Between Big Hank and Okam...they've picked up some serious beef to plug that middle. The signing of Okam (to me anyway) is an unspoken pink slip for Austin...even if he was a 2nd rd draft pick. It's time to cut our losses with high draft picks that aren't contributing...especially after 2 years of collecting nice paychecks watching from the sidelines.

It seems quite a few of the kids in camp are very strong Christians. Center Jordan Mosely is very religious and continually talks about God's will and thanking all the folks back at his home church for praying for his success. Then there's LB John Stevenson who was asked, "What would you do with your money if you make it to the NFL" and he responded, "I would take the first 10 percent and put it in church then I would give my parents and siblings a nice piece of change to do what they want with. I would also put a good bit of it away to start the football camp I always wanted to have for high school students". Nice to see high character guys in the mix of players.

I guess Nassib had a shakey start on the first day. Tom Rock (Giants reporter for Newsday) laughed and said, "it wasn't good, but all I can say is he did better than Eli on his first day". Apparantly, he looked really good on the second day: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2013/05/ryan_nassib_overcomes_first-da.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Yeah...a little surprised Davis is cut so soon. I thought he was a sleeper with big things to come. Also surprised Charleus Dieseul got cut. That's also a surprise. Looks like the Giants are mixing in some veteran depth in there with the kiddie corp. Good strategy.

I use "Ourlads" to look at our depth chart and sometimes BBI's. Ourlads (which is a very top notch site) lists Rivers as a SAM and both Williams and Paysinger as WILLS. BBI switches Paysinger and Rivers in theirs. I always thought Rivers played the SAM, but to be honest I don't pay that close attention to the LB's in the game. Ourlads' Depth Chart: http://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/pfdepthchart/NYG BBI Depth Chart: http://www.bigblueinteractive.com/information-pages/depth-chart/

Good read. Interesting that TE Michael Palmer stood out above all others. They call him a "tryout" out of Clemson, but he's been on the Atlanta Falcons roster for the last 3 years. Shouldn't he be a FA? And I thought you couldn't tryout in mini-camp if you were a free agent. Just wondering. I looked at his stats with Atlanta and looks like he didn't get used a lot...probably kept for blocking purposes. Big kid, 6'5" 260 lbs. Sounds just like the kind of kid Pope takes and molds into a Boss/Ballard type. It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

Is it too early to start calling him "CT"? The Giants' history with Taylors is pretty good, especially when their name is abbreviated with their initials!

Well I'm glad we signed him...maybe the only one who is, judging by the pallid responses here. He's at that stage in his life where he's looking at his last chance to be what he was born to be. Hopefully, self-pride and good coaching will bring out the best of what's in him. I know his knees are bad, but he won't be expected to carry the team on his back like they needed in Seattle and will probably rotate with Rivers on the strong side. That should keep his legs fresh and put a fire under Rivers' ass. Competition is a great thing and two guys who were college superstars have the chance to push each other. Curry's only 27 years old and sports data show (as well as physiological science) that males peak in their testosterone production and athletic ability at 29 years of age. Of course, there are those who continue to do well after 30, but it has more to do with their mental maturity and being able to outthink younger, faster guys who are still relying solely on their athleticism. Regardless....this is a near zero risk for the Giants and could pay huge dividends if he can keep his knees in shape...which they should be with the Giants' medical staff and getting to play in limited action. If he doesn't pan out, or his knees are just too far gone...there's really lost by the Giants as they are always developing youngsters to fill the role. The weakside is solid with Williams and Paysinger (who has added 25 lbs), the middle is solid with Connor and Herzlich, but the strongside had only Rivers, with Kiwi as a backup if he's not on the front line. This allows Kiwi to finally be the DE he always wanted to be and should excel at.