Pizan

I was kidding hence following up with the "In all seriousness..."

So you're assuming Emmons can stay healthy and perform at WLB as he did SLB. We have to remember Emmons made his name covering TEs not making plays, WLBs are rarely ever asked to cover TEs. We are taking him from his strength and I dont see how he is clearly better then the other backers we have at WLB mainly because we dont know much of Emmons as a WLB. If the fans who are calling for his head are "out to get him" for different reasons then I can see your point.

lol with a nickname like Puke Petitgout I dont know how you can be overrated.

I know, I read that and thats not what I meant. You asked for two weakside backers right? With Arringtons ability to play WLB that gives you 2 backers who are easily capable of playing on the weakside. Short makes it 3. Maybe its better if you look at it like this. Arrington upgrades Emmons on the strong side and Wilkinson or even Short upgrade Green and Griesen on the weakside. Also with those backers we still have great versatility and experience. Like I said Emmons is a very replaceable player. You're gonna have to do better then listing just his versatility and NFL experience to convince me he is the best option for this team at WLB. Money you're talking about an injury before we even think about replacing him, way before the offseason. The same thing you said for Emmons could be said for Green and Williams. At that time his health would obviously be a concern but at that time, the medical staff ruled him out of the Oakland game and said they didnt think he could make the 1st playoff game. Im saying it was possible for us to have Emmons for the rest playoffs if we beat the Panthers. Instead they IR'ed him and Emmons was pissed, Hell he even went public about it because he knew there was a possiblity of him returning for the playoffs.

Money, you definitely think to highly of Emmons. Why are you not including Arrington? Im not trying to place the lose on his shoulders thats why I said the other players. Yea Torbor was benched, Griesen came in at WLB and Emmons moved to SLB but that wasnt the end of Torbor. Torbor came in again and recorded a few tackles. Im not saying Emmons isnt a better asset then Green and Williams, my point was there is no connection with IRing a player to save him for next season or whatever you meant by saying that. The fact is we IR'd Emmons with in a week or so of the playoffs. Even if he couldnt make the Raiders game or the playoff game vs the Panthers he would have made the next pending a victory.

lmao. I was sabotaged. :brooding:

yea, in many ways he reminds me of myself.

Well remember before he signed there were a lot of people besides the quadruplets that didnt want him and were saying how overrated he is and all that stuff about Greg Williams, Paterno, Lewis all sayign LA is a free lancer. Now that he's signed of course many jints fans are singing a different tune.

Well if you are the great poster we all think you are, you would... Im just saying...

Money I honestly feel Emmons is replaceable. Im not saying the team is "intending" to release him but I think he can lose his roster spot this offseason and honestly I wouldnt care at all. He is not the player he once was, he hasnt even shown a glimpse of that player. Besides the little injuries he suffers here and there he continues to have trouble with his leg and now is trying to recover from a torn pec. Even then Emmons made a name for himself covering TEs and WLBs are rarely ever asked to cover. Last year we tried Emmons at WLB to start the season. During the Arizona game and the Saints game we looked very good vs the run even though they happen to be two of the worst rushing offenses last season. Week 3 San Diego. Im not going to remind you of that game, none of us should be reminded of that game or the sight of our players including Emmons making tackles 10 yards down the field. That was the last time Emmons played WLB. Griesen replaced him the following week against the Rams and Griesen wouldnt let Emmons get the spot back. Instead Torbor and Emmons would split playing time the rest of the season at SLB, while both players were battling injuries. We also placed Green and Williams on the IR even with their insistence to play and they are now no longer with us. I dont think placing Emmons on IR a week before the playoffs had much to do with wanting to protect Emmons. Especially since Emmons said he should be good to go in a few weeks, instead the Giants IR'ed him and signed a street FA to take his place with the playoffs in sight. To me that showed the importance Emmons had on our defense in itself. I think people are expecting Emmons to be the player he once was but mostly they are expecting him to be the player he was at SLB. By moving Emmons to the weakside we are taking away his greatest assest and thats his ability to cover TEs and defend the pass. To me that was the most questionable move. Emmons is not a playmaker and at WLB you want someone who will make plays. It does seem almost like we are setting him up to eventually be replaced whether its this year or next. Wilkinson brings us great versatility and how fast he develops in training camp could determine if Emmons is replaced this season. I dont think it will take much for Wilkinson to replace Emmons in the starting lineup at WLB. Ya know if the Seahawks could have two rookie backers starting we should be able to get by with one. Coughlin also mentioned Short as a possible option at WLB and Marcus Lawerence could be good depth. Maybe it helps that im high on Short as a player and since EA recently stated our WLB spot is much like a MLB. Short played very well in the Middle at PSU. Im not bankin on that or anything just saying... But mainly Emmons isnt a lock because we do have options. Ya know its hard to explain Emmons being replaced because its mainly based on how you personally feel about him as a player. I think he is very replaceable with the players we currently have on roster. When I first said that I didnt think many people would agree but now alls I see is "Emmons is a goner", so obviously I wasnt the only one feeling that way about him.

Martin, I honestly cant recall him ever be unblockable and if he was im sure we would have all been lobbying for his roster spot. lol you're right, the legend of Seawright does continue and if he's as good as half the hype then we got ourselves a future all-pro.

I agree completely but Im still worried about our secondary. Hopefully we can hide the flaws of our dbacks with an unstoppable pass rush. We have plenty of talent to get to the QB during any week, there definitely isnt any excuses anymore.

I dont know it seems now more people are 'hatin' on Lavar then overrating him. Especially with what has happened with in the last year or so. I wouldnt call him overrated anymore because of that.

If Seawright was "virtually unblockable" last season he would have made the roster as the 5th DT instead of Duckett or even Allen. I like Seawright and his potential but it seems he is being way to hyped up. I mean he's easily the most hyped up practice squad player we have ever had.

"William Joseph on the nose, Strahan and Umenyiora at the DEs, and Arrington, Tuck and BC94 standing up just off the line of scrimmage" If Lewis can work something like that out, man thats going to be fun to watch. I also liked the preview of next year. I know our chances of getting Joe Thomas are slim but many think he's going to be a great LT in the pros.

Some personnel adjustments after minicamp By Pat Kirwan NFL.com Senior Analyst (May 8, 2006) -- The draft is over and the 300-plus wave of undrafted rookie free agents have been secured by the 32 teams around the league. Now the GMs, personnel directors and coaches will sit down after the post-draft minicamp and decide if they still need veteran help heading into the 2006 season. With teams averaging $9 million in salary-cap space and only needing $4-5 million of that space for their rookie pool, this is a year that the teams can actually go out and sign a veteran on the street if they so desire. In years past, the annual meeting that followed the post-draft minicamps were usually squashed by the people who manage the salary cap for teams. It really became a chorus of "we can't afford anymore players." The new CBA means teams can afford to pick up a player or two, but are there any decent players left to sign? I went through all the veterans still out on the street with an eye on team needs, and it appears there still are a few guys who could make a difference if they understand that even though the market might be there for their services, teams appear ready to control their spending. A key difference in this spring from any spring in recent history is the June 1 cut rules. In every year since the CBA was first agreed upon, a fairly decent number of veteran players were cut after June 1 for salary-cap management reasons. For example, the Chargers once released safety Rodney Harrison after June 1 and he quickly became a New England Patriot. I don't believe there will be many players released after June 1 this season. In fact, there's a good chance there will not be any notable names on the street. There are two reasons why this may be the leanest year for June talent. One, because the league got a late start with the new CBA, the teams were given the opportunity to release players prior to June 1 and get the cap management benefit by declaring them June 1 cuts. Second, the added cap space has not pressured clubs' need to release players. An indication that this is true is just how few veterans have been asked to stay away from minicamp sessions. In years past, if a team was intending to release a player after June 1, they simply asked him not to attend minicamp so not to incur an injury and become a liability to the team's salary cap. As one GM said to me this week when we discussed the differences in 2006 business with years past, he said, "What's left out on the street is probably all that's going to be available, so if you need someone, go get him next week." With those words in mind, I found the following numbers of decent veterans per position still available. Some might need to be persuaded out of retirement, others can't pass a physical, some are simply just not good enough anymore -- but all were on an active rosters at some point last season. After the numerical breakdown, I'll get into the top 20 still out there looking for work. QB: 13 RB: 10 FB: 5 WR: 11 TE: 6 K: 3 P: 3 DT: 14 DE: 10 OLB: 13 ILB: 10 S: 11 CB: 10 If your team needs a starting quarterback, the only place to turn is Kerry Collins. He threw 3,759 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2006 whether you like him or not. He threw more TD passes than Jake Plummer, Ben Roethlisberger, Trent Green, Byron Leftwich, Michael Vick and Aaron Brooks. After Collins come backups like Jay Fiedler, Tommy Maddox and Tony Banks. Of course, New England would like to see Doug Flutie come back, but Fiedler is going to look pretty good to a few teams by next week. Running backs are even harder to find, and there's no telling if Stephen Davis can ever go again. But if a team is looking for a guy who did some things on game tape last year, then they will bring in Jonathan Wells (90 carries, 325 yards, four TDs), Antowain Smith (166 carries, 659 yards, three TDs) or Lamar Gordon (54 carries, 182 yards, one TD) at least to check out their health and fitness level. If a team needs a fullback, good luck. Try calling Paul Smith who had a couple of starts for Detroit last year. There are a few wide receivers out there that could come in and handle the forth or fifth spot on a roster and actually contribute. A team with a young starting QB and young wide receivers might conclude it needs some veteran influence in the huddle and on the practice field. Ricky Proehl (25 catches, 441 yards, ,four TDs), Johnnie Morton (21 catches, 288 yards), Kevin Johnson (17 catches, 133 yards) and Randy Hymes (11 catches, 132 yards, two TDs) are your choices at this point. If a tight end is the need after minicamp, then see if Chad Lewis wants to play, or work out Marcellus Rivers ,Shad Meier, Cam Cleeland or Zeron Flemister. If the offensive line coach comes off the practice field and says his line can't protect the quarterback, then Ross Verba is my first call to see how serious he is about "un-retiring." After that, the list falls off to Victor Riley, Kurt Vollers and Ethan Brooks at tackle, and Matt Stinchcomb, Tupe Peko and Ron Stone at guard, which might lead most GMs to say go back out and keep working with the younger guys. On the other hand, if center is an issue, then bringing in Cory Raymer, Kendyl Jacox or even Jeff Mitchell is an idea. The defense isn't a much brighter picture. Need to clog up the middle and help the run defense? Better hurry up and ink Grady Jackson or Brentson Buckner. If a backup "wave defensive end" is a necessity, then maybe Brady Smith, Eric Ogbogu or Kemp Rasmussen could have some gas left in the tank. There were a lot of linebackers drafted this year and the demand may be off a bit but, Tommy Polley had 15 starts, 72 tackles and four sacks last year, which makes him really stand out. Barrett Green is in Miami for a tryout as I write this article, and Peter Boulware and Chad Brown are stop-gap guys at this point in their careers. The most action might occur at cornerback this week with Ty Law and Ahmed Plummer still out of work. Law had a career-high 10 interceptions last season and things will heat up for him very shortly. If a team is looking for a less expensive veteran, then Dexter McCleon and Kevin Thomas will be in for a workout. The safety list has a lot of recognizable names, but how much range they have left and how healthy they are still questions to be answered. Lance Schulters, Keion Carpenter and Brent Alexander are guys to talk about in the personnel meeting. If they don't get any interest from the staff, then maybe Ronnie Heard, Jerry Wilson or Antuan Edwards needs to be brought in for a look see. As for kickers and punters, I would recommend getting an extra one signed for camp just in case the preseason doesn't go well for the incumbent. Paul Edinger is the best kicker on the street, and Bryan Barker (50 punts, 42.7 average) and Kyle Richardson (78 punts, 40.8 average) are the punters to call. As one personnel director said about the talent available, "Not a lot to write home about, but a few guys who can make a difference for the short term." By the time you read this pro personnel report, a few of the above-mentioned players may have signed with a team, but at least you have a starting point to think about a few players who might help your favorite team.

I agree, Sam Madison is one of the most overrated. A lot of Giants fans figure him to be our savior when he is on the downside of his career. You'll have to explain Carlos Emmons being underrated and try to stay away from the fact that he is a vet. Personally I think Ryan Kuehl is the most overrated Giant. In all seriousness Damane Duckett and Jonas Seawright as of late have been overrated by quite a few Giants fans. (not necessarily at this board)

lol and here's the rest of that little article on Vick

I agree, I really cant wait to see him on the field this season. I think going into his 2nd season we will see tons of improvement over last year. I think Jacobs is going to be a player that will be pushing for time onto the field and should get a lot more carries this season especially in regular situations, not just goal line work.

I have to be honest I was a bit baffled when they said Lavar is going to be our strong side backer. I would really like to hear what Tim Lewis has to say about this LB situation. Anyways, most of the time teams carry just 6 backers on roster, we can maybe carry 7 but thats unlikely and IMO just 4 are locks. Arrington, Pierce, Torbor, and Wilkinson. All the others, including Emmons and Blackburn can be let go. 1. Pierce 2. Arrington 3. Torbor 4. Wilkinson 5. Brandon Short 6. ??? The final spot comes down to 4 guys IMO. Emmons, Blackburn, Moore, and a undrafted rookie Kevis Coley. As of right now im going with the underdog and thats not Blackburn. I really think Coley has a chance to make our final roster and surprise quite a few. The reason Emmons is gone is because he cant play WLB. We seen that at the start of this past season. He also has slipped off quite a bit since being here and never showed a glimpse of the player he was before the injury. IMO they can easily show him the door, and it wont effect us one bit. If it helps make you sleep better think of it like this. Arrington was the upgrade over Emmons, Wilkinson the upgrade over Green, and Short the upgrade over Griesen. That may be a bit of a shocker, but others will be more surprised when they here Chase Blackburn didnt make the squad. Lets face it, Chase is not the player many put him out to be. He is a dime a dozen type player. The only reason he made roster was because of special teams and lack of depth at backer. He played well this past season but nothing that would make him a lock. Also his neck injury will factor into this equation. If Balckburn makes it, it will be as the 7th backer, primarily special teams. It comes down to him, Eric Moore, Quinten Harris, and Jason Bell as the defensive guy who gets the special teams tag. I wouldnt rule out Moore. We kept this guy on this entire season while he was injuried, he made the roster as the 5th DE while hardly practicing or playing in preseason. The coaches see something in Moore and I think that might have something to do with special teams.

I never said the Giants were going to draft him. I posted this because they were showing interest and a lot of the draft sites didnt have any info on him or even ranked when he should have been. Now he's signed with us and I believe has a good shot at making the roster.

I would still prefer the Giants sign a vet FA DT, and I would still like Grady Jackson, failed physical and all, to be that FA. I think Joseph, Robbins, Jackson, Cofield. Would be a very strong rotation. Also remember last season we took 5 DTs onto the final roster. Its likely we do that again considering the way we rotate our interrior lineman. If we do Duckett, Seawright, Green, and Anderson could possibly fight for that final roster spot. As of right now the edge would have to go to Duckett but I wouldnt rule any of them out. If it was Duckett I would be much happier with that scenario then Jackson replaced by Seawright. Even with that said, if we dont sign Jackson I wouldnt be upset. We just need players who can come in, occupy blockers and get the job done, we dont need all-pro DTs. The reason I still wouldnt mind Jackson even if he did fail a physical is because we are asking him to take up space and occupy blockers not to run a marathon. He has plenty of time to get into playing shape and with our rotation we dont need him to be in the best shape of his life.

Yea I was thinking maybe we should sign Ronnie Coleman. Majority of the post in this thread had me shaking my head. I cant believe they started comparing arm size.

I seen some pretty shitty threads in my day and this one is a solid topper and strong candidate for the annual Dumbest Thread Ever Award.

A must read article on Kiwanuka Kiwanuka has higher goals than the NFL Chadd Cripe The Idaho Statesman | Edition Date: 12-26-2005 Email This ArticlePrinter Friendly Page Mathias Kiwanuka has big plans for his fame and almost-certain fortune. He's not thinking about sports cars and mansions, either. He's thinking about hungry children and the AIDS epidemic. Kiwanuka, whose paternal grandfather Benedicto Kiwanuka was the first prime minister of Uganda, wants to help the East African country any way he can — even if that means joining the very political system that led to his grandfather's torture and execution. He will wrap up his college football career Wednesday against Boise State in the MPC Computers Bowl. He's a likely first-round pick in April's NFL Draft. "I want to leave that open until I go back to Uganda and see what exactly the country needs the most, what way I can help," Kiwanuka said of possible political aspirations. "... I've gotten a lot of attention. There's got to be a bigger reason God put me in the position I am in. If I can help bring attention to a good cause, that's absolutely the least I could do." Kiwanuka (pronounced Kee-wah-NOO-kuh) was raised in Indianapolis and has visited Uganda just once, as a third-grader. It was a life-altering trip that started with a mother's lesson. His mother, Deodata, gave each of her three children $100 to spend at a candy store before they left. Kiwanuka called it "heaven," until his mother confiscated the stash. The next time he saw the candy his mother was passing it out to children in Uganda. Kiwanuka's parents fled Uganda separately after Benedicto's death, then married here, but the majority of their family remains in Uganda. "You hear a lot about poverty on TV," Kiwanuka said earlier this year at an Atlantic Coast Conference media gathering. "But when it's our cousin or uncle living in those conditions, it takes you back." The other lesson Kiwanuka learned on that trip was the power of one motivated, compassionate man. His grandfather was known as a champion of education, women's rights and the common man. Strangers in Uganda and the United States have told him what a great man Benedicto was. "If you can change one person's life so dramatically," Kiwanuka told the ACC media, "that a couple decades later they still remember you as his grandchild and come up and shake your hand, that's something that is unmatched." Kiwanuka shows loyalty to his parents' homeland with a Ugandan flag that hangs in his Boston residence, and honors his grandfather with a 5-inch tattoo of the Ugandan presidential seal on his back. He already has started to raise awareness about the problems that plague Uganda by telling his story to the media the past couple years. He hopes to begin helping the country after he completes his first season in the NFL. Already, companies and small groups have offered to help him. "It's improving," Kiwanuka said of Uganda, "but there's still a lot of turmoil going on. The biggest thing right now is the AIDS epidemic and how far it's gone ravaging the country." Kiwanuka credits his mother for putting him in position to help the country. His parents divorced when he was in sixth grade, and his mother raised him by herself. Deodata worked up to 20 hours a day and up to three jobs at a time to put her children through private Catholic schools. She owns a professional cleaning business now and still sends money to family in Uganda. Deodata and her other two children will be in Boise for the MPC Bowl. "The example she set definitely was instrumental in my life," Kiwanuka said. "She had that standpoint that nothing is more important than education." That background made Kiwanuka a perfect fit for Boston College, even though he was barely recruited out of high school. He was 6-foot-61/2 and a twiggy 195 pounds. The Eagles only noticed him because they were recruiting Kiwanuka's good friend, offensive tackle Jeremy Trueblood. Four-plus years later, Kiwanuka is the team's star player and already has earned his bachelor's degree in psychology. He took master's classes this semester. "If ever you were going to take a chance on an individual," BC coach Tom O'Brien said, "he's the type of guy you'd want to take a chance on." Kiwanuka and Trueblood ended up at BC together, so they've been teammates for nine years — all of high school and college. Trueblood, like everyone else at BC, lauds Kiwanuka for his personality as much as his talent. "If you want a friend, he's the man you'd want your friend to be," Trueblood said. "The best thing is how he cares about everyone." Except opposing quarterbacks. Kiwanuka bulked up to 6-foot-7, 262 pounds and turned into one of those rare terrors in football — a tall, powerful, fast, tenacious pass rusher. That's why he soon will earn millions. Kiwanuka made 111/2 sacks each in 2003 and 2004 and was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year last season. He passed on the NFL a year ago because he didn't want to miss one more season of training from BC defensive line coach Keith Willis. "From Day One, he saw something in me that maybe I didn't even see in myself," Kiwanuka said. His production slipped to 91/2 sacks this year because of a knee injury caused by a cheap shot. He missed one game and was hampered briefly in his return. Kiwanuka dominated again in the last two games, recording a total of six sacks and 17 tackles against North Carolina State and Maryland. "I'm excited to see him play right now, because I know he'll be ready to go," senior center Patrick Ross said. "... When you see some of the plays he makes, it's like, 'Wow.' " His background elicits a similar reaction.