BigPete

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My thoughts: AFC EAST N.E.Patriots 12-4 Miami Dolphins 9-7 N.Y.Jets 7-9 Buffalo Bills 6-10 AFC NORTH Pittsburg Steelers 12-4 Baltimore Ravens 8-8 Cleveland Browns 5-11 Cincinnati Bengals 4-10 AFC SOUTH Houston Texans 10-6 Tennessee Titans 10-6 Indianapolis Colts 9-7 Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10 AFC WEST S.D.Chargers 12-4 Denver Broncos 7-9 Oakland Raiders 6-10 K.C.Chiefs 5-11 NFC EAST N.Y.Giants 13-3 Philadelphia Eagles 10-6 Dallas Cowboys 9-7 Washington Redskins 7-9 NFC NORTH Chicago Bears 9-7 Minnesota Vikings 9-7 G.B.Packers 7-9 Detroit Lions 4-10 NFC SOUTH Atlanta Falcons 9-7 N.O.Saints 9-7 Carolina Panthers 8-8 T.B.Buccaneers 7-9 NFC WEST Arizona Cardinals 8-8 Seattle Seahawks 8-8 St.L.Rams 6-10 S.F.49ERS 5-11

This is certainly quite possible for both Clark and Matthews to stick, in fact Clark probably will. it will be very interesting to see how things will turn out

In the past we have usually gone with a roster spot breakdown something roughly like QB 3 WR 6 TE 3 RB 4 FB 1 OL 9 DL 8 LB 7 DB 10 ST 2 possible variations to create extra roster spots include one less spot at either QB, RB, OL or DB We are going to make sure we have sufficient depth at all positions; considering the depth and quality of talent, there will be some really tough calls for the front office. eg: is a 4th DE (assuming 5 DT), 4th TE, 7th WR, 4th RB, 2nd FB more important to team success than a 3rd QB, 10th DB, 9th OL? Alot of it will come down to managing depth and getting a balanced roster Take Tyree as a 7th WR for example for special teams play. Assume the Giants dress 5 WRs on game day (as has been the case in previous years); so if you give one of these 5 game day spots to Tyree, then you are going to have to sit two players, possibly Barden and Nicks (assuming Hixon, Smith, Moss and Manningham are the top 4 WRs); That doesn't make sense to me; take the best 5 WRs to contribute in the passing Bear in mind that only 45 players can be active on game day, usually the positional breakdown could be somthing like: QB 2 WR 5 TE 3 RB 3 FB 1 OL 8 DL 8 LB 6 DB 7 ST 2 naturally opinions will be understably quite varied as to how the final roster will shake down, I am curious to see how things shape us as preseason unfolds

I haven't seen that, do you have a quote? I am going to be a little conservative and see how he goes. Firstly he has to get to the point where he can start to practice, then he has to get into game shape and learn a new system. Then he has to beat out someone like Kehl who has had the beneft of a full preseason program and has done well. I hope Boley is ready to go soon, but I will wait and see. I will start getting my hopes up once he starts doing indicidual drills and that doesn't seem to be on the cards anytime soon. from Coughlin 13 August: "Q: How is Michael Boleys injury coming along? A: He's making progress but the original expectation was way out there. He's got a ways to go"

It is highly unlikley we will go with 2 FBs; Wright could get a spot, but it is more likely to be as a RB/FB hybrid I think the front office would be ok with 3 RBs; particularly if we can keep another guy in the trenches I wouldn't be overly surprised if we brought in a RB at some point either. If we do go with 4 RBs, it will could be at the expense of the 4th DE spot; Canty and Alford can play DE as can Sintim in passing downs. Henderson vs Tollefsen vs Evans - that is all about upside. I personally think Tollefsen is the least likely to make the roster; the other two have much more potential. Kets see what happens in pre season. I am not certain that Boley will be back, certainly not likely as a major impact this season. Coughlin has hinted he is a long ways of yet. Will he be ready to practice by the 6th game of the season? Even then he has a steep leaning curve in a new system before he is ready to start, particularly if Kehl/Wilkinson are doing a good job at WLB. At this stage Anderson will get the nod over Johnson. He has really stood out in camp so far and can also play safety is needed.

Here is my roster predictions/thoughts as at before the Pathers game players in italics are outside chances, but likely are on the outside looking in Offense (25) QB (3): Eli Manning, David Carr, Rhett Bomar - Andre Woodson WR (6): Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, Hakeem Nicks, Ramsees Barden, Mario Manningham - Derek Hagan, David Tyree TE (3): Kevin Boss, Travis Beckum, Darcy Johnson - Michael Matthews, Lawrence Vickers RB (3): Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Danny Ware - Dwayne Wright, Patrick Allen FB (1): Madison Hedgecock OT (4) Kareem McKenzie, David Diehl, William Beatty, Guy Whimper OG (3): Chris Snee, Rich Seubert, Kevin Boothe - Tutan Reyes OC (2): Shaun O'Hara, Adam Koets* Defense (26) DE (4): Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Matthias Kiwanuka, Robert Henderson - Maurice Evans, Dave Tollefsen, Tommy Hill DT (5): Barry Cofield, FRed Robbins, Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard, Jay Alford - Anthony Bryant, Jeremy Clark SLB (2): Clint Sintim, Zak DeOssie - Danny Clark** MLB (3): Antonio Pierce, Jonathan Goff, Chase Blackburn WLB (2): Bryan Kehl, Gerris Wilkinson CB (6): Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Terrell Thomas, Kevin Dockery, Vince Anderson, Stoney Woodson - DeAndre Wright, Bruce Johnson SS (2): Michael Johnson, CC Brown FS (2): Kenny Phillips, Sha'Reff Rashad Special Teams (2) P: Jeff Feagles K: Lawrence Tynes Physically Unable to Perform (1) WLB Michael Boley Injured Reserve (1) RB Andre Brown Notes * 1. I think there is a strong chance a backup center will be brought in either as a trade or as other teams trim their rosters. In which case Koets, Boothe or Whimper is gone; if not Seubert will be our primary backup at center. ** 2. I think the fact that Sintim is already getting time with the first team does not look good for Clark in a very crowded group; particularly if Kehl, Goff and Blackburn can fill in at SLB. This will be compounded when/if Boley returns.

I don't mind a little niggle as long as it doesn't get out of hand. It shows that there is a high level of intensity in the scrimmages at training camp, and the competitiveness of the players involved; which is a something you want with the physical style of football the giants play. The key is to keep that balanced with discipline and not let things go too far. All in all i think this was handled really well by all involved All in all this has been blown way of of proportion for what is a relatiely minor event

I am not sure Crabtree has a huge attitude problem, and he is a top talent. The 49ers have had a few issues getting their top picks into camp in recent years. He seems to be a hard worker, very physical and very competitive; with the right coaching he should be fine. But at the same time, we do have pretty good talent at WR already, whilst it is always good to upgrade, you can't always have the talent you want at every position. The speed element at WR seems to be the biggest change in the team; it seems to have added a whole new dimension to our offense. Eli seems to be adjusting really well and we could have a genuinely explosive passing game to team with our power running game. I could honestly go either way on this one. I would be fine if there was a deal for Crabtree (provided the price was reasonable), it would give us a very dangerous receiving group for the forseeable future. But at the same time, I would be fine if we didn't make the deal. I think as we are we have a potentially very good passing attack, if we could aquire Crabtree it would be a potentially great passing attack.

There has been alot of positives coming out of camp There are a few surprises so far (admittedly early in camp) The secondary and LBs seem to be getting alot more interceptions than in previous years - is this due to inexperience in the passing game or a big improvement in the secondary (or both) Chase Blackburn doesn't seem to be getting much mention in reports - he doesn't seem to be in the mix as a starting WLB anymore The speed element at WR seems to be the biggest change in the team. Eli seems to have adjusted really well. David Carr is alot more inconsistent that I would expect considering his talent and experience in the system.

This is largely hypothetical, being a somewhat slow day in training camp,,,, Michael Crabtree is holding out and is reportedly willing to re-enter the draft next year if need be. One things is definate; for whatever reason many NFL teams seem very reluctant to pay WRs the big money contracts. Much like vets, this is pretty much the only bargaining chip they have. OF course all players want to be on the field. But at the same time this is a business as well. IF Crabtree is willing to follow through on his holdout threats, is it worth the 49ers trading his rights to another team? Assuming a trade was a possibility, should Reese should make a bid for him? It would certainly cost our 2010 first round pick, which will likely be late in the round. It could likely also include a decent young player or two (we do have guys like Manningham, Moss, Tyree, Hagan, Whimper, Blackburn, Wilkinson etc who could potentially be included on any deal) and/or a conditional future draft pick. Any thoughts

Reading between the lines, there are some things I got out of it There is a chance we add another player at certain positions (eg: maybe backup Center) depending on who shakes loose. Clark and Blackburn were is not being listed among the LBs he has confidence in - are they both considered pure backup/stop gap players? Interestingly the 6 guys he did mention: Pierce, Wilkinson, Goff, Kehl and Sintim plus Boley and DeOssie (Special Teams) are the same number as the likely roster spots Diehl seems to be the future RT after McKenzie and once Beatty has developed enough to play LT and Beatty will be given plenty of time to develop. A block buster trade could still happen if the asking price comes down significantly.

I think it has to DeMarcus Ware is nice for sure, but we our passrush is already very very good (and would likely play DE). I guess I would go with Joe Thomas (Browns) and move Diehl back to LG. I think that would be the biggest long term, impact on the team.

Julius Peppers is on a bigger deal: 6/24/2009: Signed a one-year, $16.683 million contract. The deal is guaranteed. Another $1.5 million is available if Peppers makes his fifth Pro Bowl, and he can earn $250,000 more per Panthers playoff win, including the Super Bowl. This is alot of money now, but not in a few years time. Contracts have been spiraling up in recent years, top WRs regularly demand $9million a year If there is a salary cap next year, it will likely be alot higher due to a new CBA; otherwise the top money will be huge due to an uncapped year. Either way there will be a serious increase in contracts again next year. To put things in perspective: Matt Stafford's deal is a six-year, $72 million contract with $41.75 million guaranteed. Thats $12mil per year and more guaranteed money for a guy who has never stepped on the field in the NFL. The Cardinals gave 38 year old Kurt Warner a 2 year $23 million deal Against that Eli's deal seems reasonable for a young, proven, superbowl winning, probowl QB.

Actually this deal is a little less that what I was expecting, considering the kind of deal the top guys are getting at the moment. it averages around $16.2 million a season and under $6 million guaranteed, very reasonable particularly when you consider Eli has a cap number of around $14.3 million this season It also means Eli is locked up through 2015 The deal also happened quite quickly, great work by all involved. Consider what has been happening with the contract extensions of players like DeMarcus Ware, Anquan Boldin, Roddy White etc.

Eli has his contract extension from kffl.com

Perhaps, but I don't think he will be ready this season to protect Eli's blindside against the top pass rushers in the NFL (which is what you want in an athletic LT after all). At the moment he is pure liability; yes he will get better this offseason but probably no better than at adequate stop gap at best - the kind of guy top pass rushers like DeMarcus Ware eat for breakfast. Just ask McNabb what happened when the Eagles fielded developmental rookie, Winston Justice, at LT against us due to need. This is no real surprise, we all knew Beatty was very raw when we drafted him and would need time to develop. Let him develop at his own pace, when he is ready he will earn his playing time. But don't rely on him to be the primary backup at LT. I had thought that Whimper would be the primary backup at LT, but it seems that is not the case; he certainly doesn't seem in the long term planning (and is a FA after the season anyway). I suspect the front office are hoping that Kevin Boothe can get the job done at LT if need be. As far as roster numbers, I wouldn't be surprised if we went with 9 OL again, particularly as Beatty is likely more of a developmental guy this season - at this stage thats probably Boothe, Koets and Whimper/Reyes. Both Koets and Boothe can play multiple positions inside, so a vet would probably have to beat out Whimper and Reyes. An experienced vet seems to make the most sense to me. Heck why not bring in a vet to camp as insurance. If Beatty develops more than I expect then great, if he doesn't we have a solid guy to get the job done.

It seems that Kevin Boothe is mostly playing at LT so far in camp, perhaps he is seen as Diehl's primary backup this season

William Beatty is certainly the future as an athletic Left Tackle, but it is very clear already in training camp that he has alot of development ahead before he is ready to protect Eli's blind side on sundays. Guy Whimper is being viewed as a Right Tacklem rather than Left and Kevin Boothe seems to be our #3 LT Should the Giants consider bringing in a solid veteran LT to sit behind Diehl and tutor/mentor William Beatty? Perhaps Levi Jones if he checks out ok or maybe some other Vet who shakes loose as teams trim their rosters

another players that could become a trade option is Tamba Hali who is struggling to adapt to OLB in the Chiefs 3-4

Terrrell Thomas has been solid for us at CB in his limited role so far, I just think he lacks a little speed and quickness to be a good corner and would be a great fit at FS I am in no way giving up on Kehl, to be honesty I really like him, but (barring injury) some players that we like will be squeezed out at LB, there just isn't enough roster spots. Ideally I would like to see Kehl supplant Clark at SLB until Sintim is ready, but I am not sure the front office will go that way. I disagree with you about the trade value Moss, Manningham and Tyree. All have ability and you can guarantee there are a few teams that would really like these guys on the roster. And there is no way we go with 7 WRs, there is just not enough roster spots available. The way I see it the roster spots will be something like 3 QB, 4 RB, 1 RB, 6 WR, 3 TE, 8 OL, 8 DL, 7 LB, 10 DB, 1 K, 1 P and the last roster spot coming down to OL, DL or LB depending on how training camp and preseason shakes up. If any players do start the season on the PUP list, I think it will more likely be Robbins and/or Boley; but hopefully everyone will be healthy I think Reese would make a trade for a player, but only for the price he is willing to pay.; It is certainly a long shot but could happen. Interestingly the willingness for teams to pay these good players has dropped right off, presumably their trade value is as well.

I have been looking at the Giants situation I think there are some trades that will happen this preseason. There is a log jam of talent at both WR and LB. I think Reese will trade guys to get value (much like we did with Ryan Grant), he isn't likely to let talent get away without some value. I think we will trade one out of Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss or David Tyree, most likely for draft picks similarly at LB there is too much talent for the roster spots available. We know Sintim is the heir apparent at SLB. Clark is the solid stop gap until he is ready. Pierce is there largely due to his leadership and Goff is likely the heir apparant inside. DeOssie will keep his roster spot for special teams in lieu of a traditional long snapper. Boley will likely be the eventual starter at WLB, meaning Kehl, Blackburn and Wilkinson are likely competing for a single roster spot, we could well trade Kehl, Blackburn or Wilkinson. as far as players to trade for, we aren't going to trade for players unless we get a really good deal, but I wouldn't completely rule them out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As far as players that could be available: Braylon Edwards isn't that far off the trade block and seems on the outer Roddy White and Dunta Robinson are holding out and Brandon Marshall, Anquan Boldin, DeMeco Ryans, D'Qwell Jackson and Vince Wilfork are very unhappy with their deals (but at camp); All of these have reasonable justification for a pay rise having outplayed their current contracts I could certainly see some trades happening soon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wouldn't mind Reese making a play for Dunta Robinson I think we ideally need one more good DB for our secondary. It also means that Webster, Ross and Robinson all can rotate in at CB with Dockery and Smith. Robinson compliments Webster and Ross well. Terrell Thomas could shift to FS where I think he is much better suited (in addition to continuing to play in sub packages) our secondary could look like: CB: Corey Webster, Dunta Robinson, Aaron Ross, Kevin Dockery, DeAndre Smith/Stoney Woodsen SS: Michael Johnson, CC Brown FS: Kenny Phillips, Terrell Thomas, Shareff Rashaad/Vince Anderson

It is very sad that Jim Johnson passed away thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends here is an article http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true

You are somewhat right about FA wide recievers assuming the CBA issues are sorted out. I doubt Marshall is the kind of guy Reese want after the Burress saga, Lee Evans isnt a FA (last year he signed a four-year, $37.25 million contract extension through 2012). I think Edwards is more likely to get tagged than be an UFA. I think it is unlikely we will pursue a big name free agent WR next year, largely due to the huge contract that will cost; I think the front office will consider it better value to extend Hixon and/or Moss (depending on performance). I think if we add a reciever it will more likely be through the draft.