BleedinBlue

From the Star Ledger Justin Pugh grew into football out of hockey Justin Pugh once dreamed of kick saves and hat tricks. Street hockey was his sport of choice while growing up in the Philadelphia suburb of Holland, Pa. Later, he graduated to playing the real thing, climbing out of bed at the crack of dawn to get ice time at the local rink. His older brothers, Shaun and Michael, steered him to the sport. Shaun played for Kutztown University. His stepfather was a former high school hockey coach. His sister, Jenna, knew her way around the rink as well. "He thought he was going to be the second coming of Wayne Gretzky," quipped Frank Gavaghan, his stepdad. But something happened to Pugh on his way to the NHL: He grew and grew and grew. He needed new equipment before his old equipment actually got old. The sport was costing his family a small fortune. "I grew out of my brother's stuff when I was in seventh grade," Pugh said, laughing. "Eventually, my parents were like, You're either going to play hockey or play football". Football was the cheaper alternative. "I always played backyard football. So I went out for the middle school team and the rest, I guess, is history." The 6-4, 301-pound Pugh began writing the next chapter to his life story Thursday night when the Giants selected the Syracuse product with the 19th pick overall in the 2013 NFL draft. The wild celebration at his home with family and friends was caught on video, posted on YouTube and has gone viral. It captures Pugh excitedly repeating: "yes sir, yes sir" as he spoke to Giants coach Tom Coughlin, and then everybody piling on him after the call ended. "I'm so happy I was home with my family and friends and not in New York City," Pugh said. "Obviously, being there is a great honor for those guys but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than with family and friends, people that I started with and always had my back." BUILDING A BOND Perhaps no one has had Pugh's best interests at heart more than his stepfather. Pugh's parents divorced when he was in kindergarten and his mother, Carolyn, remarried a few years later. Pugh was rambunctious and spoiled to the core by his mother and sister when Frank Gavaghan came into his life. Gavaghan was a law-and-order guy. He put an end to Pugh's temper tantrums. He had all his kids enter into "contracts" with him regarding their household chores. For example, an "A" grade in school would earn popcorn and a movie on the weekend. Cutting the grass netted your allowance. It was all in writing. "Justin even starting writing up his own contracts," Gavaghan recalled with a chuckle. It was the discipline and tough love Pugh needed. The pair slowly built an unbreakable bond and ultimately a close-knit blended family. "It took a little while," Carolyn Gavaghan admitted. "Frank was tough. Justin was used to getting his own way with me and his sister. He needed a male influence." Frank Gavaghan was also divorced and had two sons. They knew the drill and helped get Justin in line. "My father was very strict," said Shaun Gavaghan, who is very close to Justin. "He had a certain way of doing things and it got done that way, period. There was no democracy. I think it worked for Justin." When Pugh was 13, his biological father died of a heart attack. Pugh was devastated. Frank Gavaghan was his rock. "My stepdad helped me through it. He has been there for me," said Pugh, adding Frank Gavaghan attended all of his college games, home and away, except one. "He has been the voice that has helped me make some of the toughest decisions in my life over the past few years. He was one of the ones who raised me and made me the man I am today." FROM THE ICE TO THE GRIDIRON Pugh showed up at Council Rock High School-South as a raw 6-2, 200-pounder. He left as a 6-4, 260-pound man-child. "His athleticism was very, very good," said Vince Bedesem, Pugh's high school coach. "He was very agile. He had good feet." Hockey, Pugh said, was his athletic foundation, one that allowed him to seamlessly grow into his rapidly developing body. "In hockey, you have to be able to stop and start on both feet," he said. "A lot of guys played basketball. I played hockey. When you're kick-stepping (setting up in a pass-blocking stance) or you have to slide around, it's like you're on skates." Bedesem purposely kept Pugh off the varsity as a freshman. Pugh started his final three seasons in high school but Syracuse was the only major Division I school (Boston College make a late surge) to offer him a scholarship. Ironically, as a senior, Pugh made All-State on defense (defensive end), not offense. He played guard in a triple-option scheme. Unbeknownst to college recruiters, behind Pugh’s mild-mannered exterior was a raging competitive inferno. It fueled his separation from the pack. "He has a mean streak and I think that's why he has evolved into who he is as a player," Bedesem said. "On the field, he seeks people out from bell to bell. He loves to be involved in the action." At Syracuse, Pugh was a quick study. After redshirting his first year on campus, he earned second-team All-Big East honors and then two consecutive first-team All-Big East selections. "At first, I didn't know how good I was," said Pugh, who fulfilled a promise to his mom to get his degree in finance before declaring early for the draft. "I just went out there and played. "Then, in my second year, I went against three first-round picks. I played against (defensive ends) Bruce Irvin (Seattle) and Nick Perry (Green Bay). Then, I went against Chandler Jones (New England) everyday in practice. "He and I made a pact that we would both be first-round picks. We would call each other FRB (first-round boys). Thursday night, I finally held up my end of the bargain."

Eli is all class! From the Star Ledger (NJ.com) NEW YORK -- Eli Manning called Ryan Nassib Saturday afternoon, after the Giants traded up to select the former Syracuse quarterback in the fourth round. Manning, the Giants' two-time Super Bowl MVP, welcomed Nassib to the team and the quarterbacks' room, and told him he's looking forward to getting to work. The addition of a player like Nassib -- a young quarterback to develop behind the face of the franchise -- was something Manning had been expecting at some point soon. "I think that's pretty normal," Manning said this morning, before leading the March of Dimes' March for Babies, which is expected to raise $3 million for programs to improve the health of babies. "I think it's always good to have a good quarterback to come in and learn and be prepared. You never know what happens in this league, and you always have to have quality players on your team and quarterbacks, and so I think it's a good thing. Looking forward to working with a young guy." Manning saw the same thing the Giants did: Some talented quarterbacks still on the board when the third day of the draft started yesterday at noon. He recognized the timing was right to make a move. Manning, 32, said the team drafting a young player at his position -- even one who may never even play for the Giants -- was not a reminder that one day his NFL ride will end, because that's something of which he's always aware. "I feel like I'm playing at a high level, and this is the prime of my career, and I appreciate my job every day," Manning said. "I'm fortunate that I get to play quarterback in the NFL, and I love all the aspects of the work that goes into it, and I'm still hungry to improve my game and to get better and to win more championships for New York. And so I understand that one day it will end." Manning continued: "The thing about in this league, you never know when that day comes, and you never know what's going to happen. So you've got to take advantage of it, and work hard, and try to ensure that every year that you play that you're going to do everything you can to try to win a championship." David Carr, now a 12-year veteran, has been Manning's back-up for four of the past five years. During that span, the Giants have kept just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. At times there has been a young quarterback on the practice squad, including 2009 fifth-round pick Rhett Bomar, but Nassib's addition brings a new dynamic to the room. "It will be unique," Manning said, with a smile. "There will be some of the usual small -- not hazing, I think is a strong word -- but just some rookie earning-your-role-as-a-drafted-quarterback-in-the-NFL." Manning has started 135 consecutive regular-season games, the NFL’s longest active streak. While the Giants said it would be a good thing if they never need to use Nassib, his development and role are still critical assets, whether it be in a call-to-duty, behind-the-scenes film work or potential future trade bait. Like Manning told Nassib in his phone call yesterday, the quarterback meeting room is a place where the small group works hard and helps each other. "You try to make each other improve," Manning said. "I'm always competing and trying to be the best I can be each year, and I'll help Ryan in any way I can; trying to get him up to speed on what's going on, and I'll ask him for help also in breaking down film once everything gets started. So looking forward to that relationship." Looking at the rest of the Giants' draft, Manning liked what the Giants did, including the additions of two offensive linemen: first-rounder Justin Pugh, the former Syracuse tackle, and seventh-rounder Eric Herman, a former Ohio guard. "Quarterbacks always like when offensive linemen are drafted. You can never have too many qualified offensive linemen on the team, I don't think," Manning said. "I thought we hit a lot of areas and will put us in good position to have a strong year this year." The Giants' voluntary offseason program continues tomorrow with phase two, when players can take part in on-field instruction and drills, and the offense can work together as a unit (but not against the defense).

Let me rephrase this: The Giants have 77 players on their current roster...have 7 draft picks to sign making a total of 84, leaving us with 6 spots. Apparently, the 90 player limit that used to be mandatory after first cuts is now mandatory for training camp. There used to be a lot of teams that picked up 25 - 30 UDFA's, but that should end now. Teams should be a little more picky now than in the past. However, I can imagine that anyone on the roster that is not adored by a coach is on shaky ground if there's an undrafted player available that the head coach wants to try out and a cut must be made in order to sign him.

I was really big on Barrett Jones too and I do believe he is a good pickup. But then I got to wondering how much it helped him as an offensive lineman to be sharing the same front line with Chance Warmack and DJ Fluker on each side of him. Gotta wonder if he would have gotten as much hype if he wasn't playing alongside two guys who went no. 10 and no. 11 overall in this year's draft. Most teams are lucky to have one offensive lineman get drafted in the first round (or even drafted at all), let alone have two guys on the line get drafted in the front half of the first round. Barrett's stock might not have been helped out so much if he was the only blue chip on the line rather than having the luxury to two of the best in the country on both sides of him. Time will tell I guess.

According to the draft sheets, John Lotulelei didn't get drafted and is still available. With his skill set, he's probably working teams against each other to get as much as he can and where he has the greatest opportunity to stick. In a way, he's in a far better position than if he was drafted in the 7th because now he gets to pick the team he wants. The Giants would have been wise to pick him instead of Cox IMO.

Yes. According to Ralph Vacchiano, new rules limit teams to 77 players, plus 7 draft picks. Hence, the Giants can only sign 6 UDFA's this year. I imagine they are being fairly picky and probably will be quick to cut fodder if an opportunity arises to pluck someone with more upside.

TE Chase Clement (LSU) 6'5" 265 / 4.95 40 time / also plays DE and OT CB Charles James (Charleston Southern) 5'10" 184 / 4.42 40 time / also returns kicks (1st team All Big South Defense) OLB Alonzo Tweedy (Virginia Tech) 6'1" 197 / 4.40 40 time (ranked 17th out of 176 linebackers in the draft - stock rising in past month) OLB Etienne Sabino (Ohio State) 6'2" 247 / 4.71 40 time / bench 24 reps (strong sucker) / broken fibula in senior year limiting action and causing stock to drop) MLB Charles Dieuseul (Mount Union) 6'0" 245 / 4.48 40 time (D3 Football.com All-America First Team; has won Conference MVP at two positions DE and LB) WR Marcus Davus (Virginia Tech) 6'3.5", 233 / 4.47 40 time (led Virginia Tech with 51 catches for 953 receiving yards and five touchdowns last year) RB Jeremy Wright (Louisville) 5'11" / 205 lbs / 4.53 40 time (young - don't know much about him other than he was Louisville's primary RB last season)

Round 1: Justin Pugh OT Syracuse (B+) If taken in the 2nd round, would be A+, but in reality, he would never have been there the next time we came up to pick. Round 2: Johnathan Hankins DT Ohio State (B+) Should go a long way to helping stop the run Round 3: Domantre Moore DE Texas A&M (A-) Would be an A+ if not for the character worries and at this stage of the game, a steal IMO Round 4: Ryan Nassib QB Syracuse (A+) There is no way on earth the Giants should have been able to get him in the 4th and it adds insurance to a team that has spent a long time living on the edge without an adequate backup QB - history might prove this to be the steal of the 2013 draft Round 5: Cooper Taylor S Richmond (A) I give this an "A" because this is a steal at this point in the draft and I think he's going to become a fan favorite in time Round 7: Eric Herman OG Ohio (A) Getting a bulldozer OG in round 7 is another steal - I love this pick at this stage of the game Comp: Michael Cox RB Massachusetts (D) there were better players we could have gone for and we don't really need a running back that is slower than the guys we already have. Who knows, maybe he's a short yardage wonder, but I doubt it. Overall I give the team somewhere between a B+ and an A-

Back to keeping thngs in perspective The Basics: - 254 college players were drafted in this year's draft - more than 300 UDFA's will be brought into camp - nearly half the kids drafted this past week will be cut or put on the practice squad - only a handful of UDFA's will be offered a job - only about half of first round draft picks are still in the NFL after 5 years - the percentage of those drafted players falling out of the NFL within 5 years goes up exponentially after those chosen in the first round - only about 10% of the players drafted in the fourth round are still in the NFL within 5 years and their value is that of a role player sharing duties - From Medical News Today, "For 1,889 players listed on 32 NFL team rosters in 2008, the average longevity was 4.6 years, with only 7 percent of players having experience in the league beyond 10 years. Four of five players with the greatest longevity (more than 18 years) were punters or kickers (the other, a few quarterbacks). - NFL longevity by position on average: Shortest careers - RB (avg 2.57 years) WR (2.81 yrs) CB (2.94 years) S (3.02 years), LB (3.07 years) etc...longest - p / k (12.24 years) QB (9.18 years) OL (7.46 years). Note: this is based on the average of all players at those positions and obviously, some players exceed that by a lot while the career of others is over before it starts. - on average, 25% of all NFL players get injured during the season requiring some kind of medical attention (again - there is a correlation between position played and the number of injuries sustained) In short...the draft is a friggin crap shoot! 1st rounders are a flip of a coin on what you are going to get, 2nd and 3rd is like flipping a coin 2 or 3 times hoping for "heads" or "tails" twice in a row, by the fourth round you are rolling a dice needing it land on "1", by the seventh round, your rolling a handful of dice needing a yahtzee. So when you are a GM drafting in the fourth round and see a player ranked as a 1st rounder and at worst, a second rounder who is clean as a whistle, high character, never had an injury...and he hasn't fallen because of drugs or legal troubles or has severe character issues...you simply HAVE TO TAKE HIM if you have a brain in your head!!! Now considering the Giants situation, we've been lucky to have a solid and very durable QB...with an emphasis on the word "lucky". Eli is 32 years old, Ryan Nassib is nearly 10 years younger. Carr will turn 34 in July. Carr has also proven that he has a mental condition called the "sack jitters" that has caused him to become a backup QB that will lose more games for the team than wins. This is a problem if anything at all happens to Eli - even if Eli has an emergency appendectomy or has hernia surgery or suddenly starts passing kidney stones....all maladies that are common with aging and require several weeks of recovery. And of course, there is always the possibility of Eli actually getting hurt from a monster hit - in which case, we are screwed if we are expecting Carr to step in and carry the team into the playoffs. Nassib is a great player in the mold of Eli - extremely confident, quiet leader that encourages everyone else, strong arm with pin point accuracy, student of the game, interprets defenses and knows what to do, has timing down to an art, and never panics. In fact, the two areas in which I think Nassib is actually better than Eli (I can hear the moans all the way through my computer) is that he knows when to throw the ball away rather than throwing the ball into heavy traffic where an interception could cost you the game and also will pass up a throwing play when it's obvious that coverage of his target is too solid. Of course, Nassib doesn't have the NFL experience under his belt as Eli does so there's no comparison at this point, but he's going to be a good QB and will soak up everything he can from Eli and will learn everything he can. I believe Nassib is a better QB than Barkley considering the complimenting players each one had in college. Personally, I think the Giants have no intention of trading Nassib away and plan on grooming him into an Eli-type QB who can assure us that the season is not over if Eli can't play for awhile. I believe the team has always been worried about having to rely on Carr in that situation. And in the 4th round....that is an utter and complete steal where a different player taken at that point would more than likely be out of football in 5 years or at best, be a role player that takes up space on the roster.

They use both IMO. I've seen the Giants run zone blocks...such as Snee dropping off his man and going all the way to the left side of the line to block an oncoming LB while the RB does a sweep around to the left. But I don't think it's that common with the Giants. It's used more when you don't have a line capable of pushing the opponents back and making a hole. I think what they are saying about Herman is that he is not a fancy fleet of foot guy, but rather a wickedly strong bulldozer who will push you a hole in the middle of the line for a run straight up the middle. Great to have that kind of guy when it's "first and goal" inside the 5 yard line or a 3rd or 4th and one.

Earlier in the week, the paper reported that the Giants were talking with Boley and possibly bringing him back. Boley went for the big bucks and couldn't find any takers. Now a one-year minimum salary contract probably looks pretty good to him. I honestly don't worry about the LB's. I've been a lot more worried about both sides of the line. I really believe that if the Defensive line gets their shit together, our current crop of LB's will be just fine.

Most I can find out is that he ran the 40 in 4.56, 4.58, and 4.61. A bit of a bruiser type RB is the only adjective I can find.

I know you were hoping for a kicker Naz. Rumor has it, the Giants have signed UDFA kicker Lauren Silberman

Michael Cox - 6'0", 214 lbs running back from Massachusetts. Apparantly a four year starter at Michigan and somehow transferred for one more year to Massachusetts. Bigger than most RB's. Don't know much about him.

Okay....this guy set the high mark for bench reps with 36 (1 more than Jonathan Cooper) He's 6'4, 320 lbs and has been a RT, but Giants want to slate in the guard spot. From 2 different sources (all sites are saying he's one of the best guards in the draft for the run game) "Eric Herman will be one of those under-the-radar offensive guards that might sneak past most eyes, but as a MAC talent there is definitely a lot to watch out for. Herman proved to be a pancake machine in the MAC, putting defenders on their back with increasing regularity. Herman also was good at knockdowns and decleats and was the most productive players on the team". "While the top guards will go in the top 50, there's going to be tremendous mid-round value if someone does their homework. A lot of the prospects have to be in the right scheme and the right fit; Ohio's Eric Herman can not work in a zone-blocking offense, but could kill people in a power run game"

I say "dance with the girl you brought to the prom". Turn Wilson loose and see what he can do over the length of a season. Brown will spell him now and then, but I say give Wilson the chance to find out what we really got in him. Personally, I think Scott is pretty good if he ever got the chance to have more than a couple touches a year. In reality, I think RB position is pretty much a plug and play thing anymore...and has a lot more to do with the team's front line than individual effort...although, that high energy effort is certainly nice.

I can't believe you guys are still banging back and forth on Nassib. Meanwhile, an hour ago we drafted another offensive lineman and nary a single view or comment on Eric Herman. The more I read up on him, the more I like him. Small school guy, but seems to have the tools. We have Nassib guys....get used to it and let it go!

Well...we are still stockpiling Offensive lineman. I'm happy with that. This kid is from a small school so don't know much about him

Provided one doesn't seek medical care or bothered to have it corrected. According to reports, he had corrective surgery and has been given a complete medical clearance to play ball. It would have been a problem if he ignored it and didn't bother receiving help. The Giants medical staff must have been okay with him to have given the team the green light to go get him. The front office is not an office of fools throwing money away at players they think might die on them.

Don't leave yet Joe...we have two more picks and there's still some QB's on the board! Grab another beer and some popcorn - this is a draft you'll be able to talk about for years.

I've watched him play and yes I do believe he could handle the job. His throws are uncanningly accurate and his timing is precise. He doesn't panic in the pocket (ala Carr) and he reads the defense and can change plays befre the snap when he sees a flaw in the defensive scheme. He spends every spare minute watching tapes and studying the game. He's very football cerebral. His greatest weakness is that he can't run a 4.30 40 and take off with the ball every other snap when the defense pulls off a surprise play.

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, same thing my ex-wife ended up getting. Instead of one little "cell" (for lack of a better word) that sends signals to your heart and causes it to beat, there are two. Therefore, sometimes when they get out of sync, you get twice as fast a heart beat. You can have it fixed by going in surgically and burning and killing off one of the little triggers and hope the hell you don't kill off both (because they are close together). In my ex's case, she uses medication and it controls it just fine. She's afraid to take the chance to have one of the sensors burned and killed off because she thinks she won't survive...even though success rate is really high. I'm sure the Giants medical staff have done their due diligence and know exactly what they are dealing with. If they gave it the green light, there should be nothing to worry about. He would've never fallen this late should he not had that condition.

Tools Taylor has massive size for the safety position being 6'5" 228. He ran an impressive 4.55 40 considering the fact that he has almost 30 pounds on the average defensive back. However, Taylor has been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome because of his fast heartbeat, which caused him to miss significant time at Georgia Tech and eventually led to his transfer. NFL teams will certainly do their due-diligence and give him a thorough medical evaluation before investing in Taylor on draft day. Strengths The first thing to notice with Taylor is just how big he is, especially for a small school safety. He is large enough to potentially make a move to linebacker. He is reminiscent of Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor with his great size and explosiveness. Taylor was one of the most impressive players during the East-West Shrine Game practices, as coaches commented on his great footwork and decisiveness. He also showed better-than-expected athleticism, showing great natural movement in his large frame. (via Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com). He also has the production to go along with his physical tools, with four interceptions in limited time in his senior season at Richmond. His size and underrated speed gives him the ability to cover tight ends. There are two primary reasons as to why Taylor is not getting nearly as much publicity as his skills may indicate, with his heart condition chief among them. While he was eventually given a clean bill of health, any kind of medical issue this serious is going to cause plenty of concern for NFL teams. He will also have to fight the small-school label during the draft process, but the fact that he did play on a more well-known program at Georgia Tech should help his cause. Future Role/Scheme Versatility While his medical concerns are going to limit how high he will be drafted, Taylor has potential to play a variety of positions and roles for any team that is willing to take a chance on him. His size suggests that he would be best-suited as a strong safety who can be aggressive against the run while playing in a deeper zone, reading and reacting to the ball;a very similar role to the player he is often compared to, Kam Chancellor of the Seattle Seahawks. He has the makings of an excellent rookie special teams player. There is also the possibility that with by adding an extra 10 pounds, he would make a terrific weak-side linebacker chasing down plays and flowing to the ball. In either case, as long as he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for what Cooper can do for an NFL team.

We're blessed at WR and RB's......until there's an injury or two of course (knock on wood). The only offensive position I can think of would be TE, but he'd probably not get that much playing time behind Myers and Robinson. I'd have no problem if we grabbed another offensive lineman or a big time blocking TE.

Wow...you really are a sour puss today Joe. We've picked up 3 players, 2 of which will probably start this year and have put a couple of new studs on our defensive line....which (outside of our aging o-line) was our biggest problem last year. Have a little faith man! Now...if we pick another QB with our 5th pick...I'll join you