2007 NY Giants Articles and Video

[jerseygiantfan]

Eli, top targets still miles apart

 

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Wednesday, March 28th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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Eli Manning has made previous pleas to Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress asking them to attend the Giants' offseason workout program, and they have always said "No." There's no reason for Manning to believe they have changed their minds.

 

But it never hurts to ask, so he did.

 

"Yeah, I've talked to both of them," Manning said yesterday. "I said, 'Hey, I probably won't start throwing until mid-April. That's when I'd like you here. Right now if you want to be training someplace else, that's fine with me.' I'll talk to them as that gets closer and see what everybody is planning."

 

At the moment, both Burress and Shockey are planning to spend most of the offseason training on their own in Miami, just as they have for several years.

 

The offseason workout program is voluntary, but to their coaches and quarterback, the absence of Burress and Shockey has been a big deal. With those two out, and with Amani Toomer still recovering from a torn ACL, Manning won't be able to throw to any of his top three targets until the Giants' lone mandatory minicamp in mid-June.

 

In the meantime, don't expect Manning to travel to Miami just so he can work out with Shockey and Burress - something his brother, Peyton, suggested.

 

"No. I'm up here," Manning said. "This is where I have to be. All the other players are here. It's my responsibility to be here with my teammates. This is where I work out. This is where I get my film and do everything. This is where our offseason program is."

 

STANDING FIRM: Michael Strahan was at the workouts, but declined to comment on rumors that he has asked to be traded or is planning a training camp holdout. He has two years and $8 million left on his contract and was recently rebuffed in his efforts to get more money. Strahan's agent, Tony Agnone, said reports of a summer holdout are "Total fiction."...New LB Kawika Mitchell signed his one-year, $1 million deal yesterday.

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[jerseygiantfan]

Jet, Giant fans may pay price

 

By GARY MYERS

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Wednesday, March 28th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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PHOENIX - The digging on the $1.7billion stadium the Giants and Jets are building at the Meadowlands is scheduled to begin in May with a couple of the luxury boxes expected to be priced at an incredible $1 million per year. But the average fan may be asked to dig a lot deeper, too, if one or both of the teams require them to pay personal seat licenses to retain their season tickets.

 

The Giants and Jets easily cleared the final barrier to begin construction with a 31-1 vote when only Bengals owner Mike Brown voted against the waiver yesterday that allows each team to carry $715 million in debt and carry it for 25years. The limit, without a waiver, is $150 million over 15years.

 

Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said yesterday no decision has been made whether they will make PSLs part of their pricing plan to help pay off the debt. The Jets will make their own decision, and team president Jay Cross also was noncommittal about premiums that would be charged on top of the cost of tickets.

 

There have been estimates that perhaps half the approximately 82,000 seats could come with a one-time PSL price of $5,000 per seat. A handful of the 150 luxury suites may have an annual price tag of $1 million. The good news is for that price, the suite is good for every event at the new stadium, scheduled to open in 2010.

 

The clubs were already approved for $300 million from the NFL's G-3 stadium financing plan. If either team uses the PSL program, which is common at new stadiums but never used by a New York pro sports team, it certainly would cause controversy and potential fan backlash.

 

"We have to sit down with our bankers and go through our financing plan and see where we stand and ultimately we will make a decision," Mara said. "There is a lot of debt to pay off. There is a variety of different ways to do it: club seats, naming rights, sponsorship opportunities. Nobody who has ever built a stadium has ever had to contend with this amount of debt."

 

So why build the new stadium? It will be a huge moneymaker compared to Giants Stadium.

 

The PSLs could bring in $200 million per team. Cross said PSLs can be treated as an asset by the fans because they can turn around and sell it at a profit if they give up their tickets.

 

"I think every team would like to avoid it if possible," Cross said. "On the other hand, it has become a pretty standard feature of financing at ever increasingly expensive facilities. New York has now become one of the most expensive construction centers in the world. Ever since 9/11, there has been an incredible ramp-up. I think, on the flip side, the experience with PSLs is not altogether bad. Fans generally have come to appreciate what they are and the value they bring."

 

Tisch said the Giants first want to determine how much money will be coming in from revenue streams such as naming rights and suites before deciding on PSLs. "At that point, if we need to make up any kind of difference, then we will address the PSLs," he said.

 

The naming rights are expected to be worth $20 million-$25 million per year, split by the Giants and Jets. In addition, the teams will sell naming rights to four main entrances to the stadium.

[jerseygiantfan]

Tom: My plight 2nd to Hitler's

 

BY GARY MYERS

DAILY NEWS SPORTS COLUMNIST

 

Thursday, March 29th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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Coughlin

 

Tom Coughlin

 

PHOENIX - Tom Coughlin barely hung onto his job after the Giants collapsed in the second half of last season. He tried to make it seem he was oblivious when there was so much speculation he was about to be fired. Clearly, it had an impact, because yesterday he compared the barrage of criticism to what Adolf Hitler received.

 

It was a regrettable and politically incorrect comparison, but just putting himself in the same sentence as Hitler shows the strain Coughlin was under and the degree he felt despised.

 

When he was asked at the NFC coaches breakfast by a football Web site reporter whether he paid attention to what was being said about him last season, Coughlin replied: "I hear some of it and I see it. You know (VP of communications Pat) Hanlon tells me about it, what's going on."

 

Then, he paused, and said, "Hitler and then me, in that order. Unfortunate, but it is."

 

Coughlin is on a short leash with the Giants despite making the playoffs the last two years. The Giants were 6-2 at the halfway point last season, struggled to finish 8-8, made the playoffs by a tiebreaker then lost in the wild-card round for the second year in a row.

 

The final two months of the season were filled with reports that Coughlin was coaching for his job. His daughter would call and tell him he had to read what was being said about him. The day after the season, he met with co-owners John Mara and Jonathan Tisch and was required to present a plan how he was going to make the team better.

 

Finally, three days after the playoff loss to the Eagles, the Giants announced that Coughlin was back with a one-year extension through the 2008 season. He has a must-win mandate.

 

For a proud man such as Coughlin, the speculation that he was about to lose his job bordered on humiliation. "It wasn't any fun," he said. "And to be honest with you, to go through that whole circumstance at the end of the season is embarrassing. It's embarrassing not only to me, but to my family. But I know it's part of the game. I admire ownership for the position that they took at the end of the season."

 

As far as what? "As far as me staying," he said. "It would have been easy to go the other way, according to what I understand."

 

He didn't let himself be disappointed about not being offered a long-term extension. "I think as it was explained to me, under the circumstances, that wasn't going to happen," he said.

 

Will Coughlin be the Giants coach in 2008?

 

It looks to me like Coughlin and new GM Jerry Reese could have conflicting agendas. Reese has done virtually nothing in the offseason to improve the Giants as he tries to make the team younger and healthier. This could be a two-year process, but Coughlin needs to win now. That won't be possible unless Reese gets him more players.

 

"All coaches are on the clock for winning every year," Reese said. "I don't care what is on your contract. In the NFL, every coach has to win every year. It's not only Tom. The 31 other coaches feel the same way whether they have one year or five years on their contract."

 

All GMs ultimately want their own coach. Reese inherited Coughlin. "I feel like Tom Coughlin is our head coach and if Tom is the head coach for the next 10years with us and we are winning Super Bowls, I'm happy with that," Reese said. "We're not looking for a coach. We're looking to help Tom win with this current team. That's on my agenda right now."

[jerseygiantfan]

On the Clock: New York Giants

By Matt Williamson

Scouts Inc.

 

through April 20, "SportsCenter" will put every NFL team "On The Clock." Scouts Inc. will break down each team and look at what questions still need answering.

 

 

Even though the Giants made the playoffs, head coach Tom Coughlin nearly was let go and enters this season as the lame-duck commander of a very combustible ship. Although his talent flashes, quarterback Eli Manning remains wildly inconsistent and inaccurate. Now Manning will be without star running back and offensive leader Tiki Barber, who retired in the prime of his career. Manning absolutely has to step up in 2007 and he will be under a ton of scrutiny in the Big Apple. That being said, New York has some very talented players. The Giants have dangerous offensive weapons and are very good in the red zone. However, it remains to be seen how much the loss of Barber affects not only the offense, but the entire team. The Giants' defense could use help at just about every position besides defensive end.

 

Key additions

 

The Giants traded wide receiver Tim Carter to the Browns for running back Reuben Droughns. The trade isn't as significant as it sounds, because both players were probably going to be cut from their respective teams. Still, Droughns is a decent insurance policy behind Brandon Jacobs as the Giants try to replace Barber's production. New York did re-sign starting center Shaun O'Hara. O'Hara isn't a great player, but keeping him was important to help with the continuity of the offensive line, which has become rather thin. The signing of middle linebacker Kawika Mitchell was clearly out of necessity. Mitchell will probably be asked to play on the outside, but he was the best option the Giants had this late in free agency.

 

 

Todd McShay: Outside linebacker is a bigger need, but the smart play would be to draft a top cornerback like Ross here, and then target a linebacker such as Oklahoma's Rufus Alexander later on Day 1.

 

Key Losses

 

The Giants released outside linebackers LaVar Arrington and Carlos Emmons to create cap space. Neither player could be counted on, but their departure leaves a hole at outside linebacker. Offensively, starting left tackle Luke Petitgout also went to Tampa Bay and the Giants are going to shuffle their offensive line to compensate for his loss. Backup tight end Visanthe Shiancoe signed with Minnesota, leaving a gaping hole behind Jeremy Shockey. Kicker Jay Feely's signing with the Dolphins hasn't gotten a lot of publicity, but he did a very good job for the Giants and will surely be missed.

 

Remaining questions

 

The Giants need a lot of defensive help. They need a starting outside linebacker and will have to draft one high. New York attempted to make a trade with Denver for middle linebacker Al Wilson, but the deal was negated when Wilson couldn't pass the physical and the Giants settled for Mitchell. They haven't had a big-time cornerback in what seems like forever and clearly need an upgrade at the position. They can get by with what they have at defensive tackle, but this group is far from ideal. Another safety wouldn't hurt, either. Wide receiver Amani Toomer is getting up in age and Sinorice Moss is unproven, but has a chance to become a dynamic playmaker. Adding another wide receiver to the mix makes sense. Even though the Giants traded for Droughns, don't be surprised if they draft a shiftier running back in the middle rounds. They could also now use a backup to Shockey, who always seems to be battling one injury or another. Offensive line depth is worrisome as well and their left tackle situation is in flux.

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants get Wright

 

Saturday, April 14th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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Eli Manning will have a new backup next season.

 

Journeyman Anthony Wright, an eight-year veteran now with his fifth NFL team, agreed to terms yesterday on a two-year contact with the Giants, according to multiple league sources. He almost certainly will replace Jared Lorenzen as the No.2 quarterback on the Giants' roster, and could push either Lorenzen or veteran backup Tim Hasselbeck out of a job.

 

The Giants also signed veteran defensive tackle Marcus Bell and defensive back Michael Stone. Bell, a 6-2, 325-pounder, started seven games at nose tackle for the Detroit Lions last season before he broke his hand. Stone, a six-year veteran, figures to play mostly on special teams.

 

Before any of those signings yesterday, the Giants worked out receiver Charles Rogers, one of the NFL's all-time greatest draft busts. The No.2 pick in the 2003 draft out of Michigan State hasn't played in the NFL since 2005, and has worked out for four other teams since he was cut by the Lions in September.

 

Rogers' three-year career has been plagued by injury problems (including two broken collarbones) and multiple violations of the NFL's substance abuse policy. He was suspended for four games in 2005, admittedly for marijuana use.

 

Ralph Vacchiano

[jerseygiantfan]

Big Blue shopping for DBs

 

Wednesday, April 18th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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Three of the top defensive backs in this year's NFL draft have visited the Giants over the last three days - a possible indication of which way the team is leaning with its first pick in the April28-29 draft.

 

Miami safety Brandon Meriweather wrapped up his visit with Giants officials yesterday, just before Pittsburgh cornerback Darrelle Revis arrived. And UNLV cornerback Eric Wright was en route to New Jersey last night and will meet with the Giants today.

 

The Giants have the 20th pick in the draft.

 

Teams are allowed to bring in 30 out-of-town prospects for interviews and a physical before the draft. They are also allowed an unlimited number of interviews and workouts with players who went to high school or college near team headquarters. Among the players the Giants have either visited with or scheduled visits with are USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett, Miami linebacker Jon Beason and Florida State linebacker Lawrence Timmons.

 

PRIDE, POWER: Former Hofstra running back Arlen Harris worked out last week for the Giants, who may be interested in signing him to be their third-down back after the draft. Harris, 27, played for Detroit last year and spent the previous three seasons in St. Louis.

 

Ralph Vacchiano

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants stand pat in spiraling market

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Friday, April 20th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

 

The Giants haven't done much since Jerry Reese took over as their new general manager in January, but there was a reason for their inactivity. According to Reese, they were the victims of a spiraling free-agent market that Reese said was "out of control."

 

"The money was out of control," Reese said yesterday. "I think there were some guys some people would consider marginal players who got paid astronomical amounts. We didn't feel like we were going to do that. We didn't feel like it was smart for us to do that."

 

That's why, in Reese's first three months on the job, the Giants have done more subtracting than adding. They have cut three big-name players (left tackle Luke Petigout and linebackers LaVar Arrington and Carlos Emmons) made one trade (sending receiver Tim Carter to Cleveland for running back Reuben Droughns) and signed only a few nondescript free agents (including linebacker Kawika Mitchell and backup quarterback Anthony Wright).

 

Speaking at his first predraft press conference - in which he followed the tradition of his predecessor, Ernie Accorsi, by revealing very little about his draft plans - Reese said he was not disappointed that he couldn't do more in free agency. But it was clear the inactivity was not his original plan.

 

"We went after some guys in free agency and things just didn't work out," Reese said. "The market was out of control to a degree. We tried to be smart with our money and some situations just didn't work out for us. We did the best we could. We went after guys. It didn't work out. You move on."

 

What he moves on to now is the April 28-29 draft. The Giants hold the 20th pick and Reese is convinced "we're going to get a really good player." They seem to have focused most of their attention on linebackers, cornerbacks, safeties and receivers, though they do have needs at several other positions, too.

 

Reese said he does not necessarily expect the player the Giants take in the first round to step right in and be a starter. But he did admit that between now and the start of the season, he still needs to find the Giants - who went 8-8 last season - a little more help.

 

"I think we have some work to do still from where we are right now," Reese said. "I don't think we're that far away. We have things we can get better at. It's a never-ending process."

 

SECOND LOOK: Reese said the Giants may still have an interest in free-agent LB Al Wilson, even though he previously failed a physical with the team. "Nothing's over at this point," Reese said... The Giants will consider bringing in a veteran kicker if their young kickers "are not kicking worth a ---" during minicamps, Reese said. "But right now they're kicking pretty good." The Giants have already worked out Martin Gramatica.

Daily News Specials

 

*

[jerseygiantfan]

 

Pick's a Giant mystery

 

GM Reese not tipping his hand

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Saturday, April 28th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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* Read Ralph Vacchiano's The Blue Screen blog

 

 

Last year, the Giants went into the draft needing a receiver, a linebacker, a running back and a defensive tackle. In fact, they could've used almost anything other than a defensive end.

 

So of course, after trading down to the last pick of the first round, they took defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka.

 

"In the room at the time I said, 'Does anybody in this room think Mathias Kiwanuka is not going to be a Pro Bowl defensive end?'" recalled Giants GM Jerry Reese. "No hands went up. I said, 'We are going to pick this guy. I know we don't need him at this point, but at some point he is going to be a good player for us.'"

 

That was Reese's way of saying just about anything could happen for the Giants today when they make the 20th pick in the NFL draft. If the first 19 picks go as expected, the Giants are leaning toward picking either a linebacker or cornerback, with their top choices being Texas cornerback Aaron Ross or Miami linebacker Jon Beason.

 

But the draft rarely goes as expected, as last year proved, which is why the Giants have been looking at safeties, receivers and tackles as well. The plan is for the first pick of the Reese era to fill an immediate need, but it also may just depend on who is left on the Giants' board.

 

Still, Reese knows he isn't drafting in a vacuum and he knows the Giants need defensive help, which is why Ross and Beason have emerged as top targets. Ross is a speedy, playmaking cornerback who also doubles as a dynamic punt returner. Beason is a speedy, undersized (6-foot, 225-pound) outside linebacker who could be a perfect fit in new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's blitz-happy scheme.

 

Yes, the Giants will give some thought to a receiver such as USC's Dwayne Jarrett or LSU's Dwayne Bowe because of the uncertainty surrounding Amani Toomer's recovery from a torn knee ligament. And yes, when asked about the prospect of David Diehl playing left tackle, Reese said, "Would we like a better player at that position? Maybe so." So if somehow Penn State's Levi Brown still were available, they'd have to seriously consider him.

 

But Reese knows that cornerback and linebacker are obviously the Giants' biggest needs in this draft, especially after they did little to help themselves at either position in free agency. They did sign free agent linebacker Kawika Mitchell, who is expected to man the strong side for at least this season, while Gerris Wilkinson (a third-round pick last year) figures to get the first shot on the weak side.

 

They also failed to add a free agent corner or safety to help a passing defense that ranked 28th in the NFL last season. That's why Ross is so high on their list. Pitt's Darrelle Revis - who figures to be gone by 20 - could be a possibility, too.

 

"You just don't go in and say that we are going to pick the best player all of the time," Reese said. "You are conscious of your needs."

Daily News Specials

[jerseygiantfan]

Texas Blue-step as Reese goes for Ross

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Sunday, April 29th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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Ross

 

Aaron Ross will be suiting up for the Giants next season.

 

* Read Ralph Vacchiano's The Blue Screen blog

 

 

Aaron Ross didn't make a predraft visit to Giants Stadium. In fact, he didn't have much predraft contact with the Giants at all. That's why he was outside, playing catch with his nephew, when the Giants were making their pick.

 

"They didn't show any interest in me," Ross said. "If it was a poker game, they won."

 

The Giants won in more ways than that yesterday when they selected Ross, a cornerback and punt returner from Texas, with the 20th pick of the NFL draft. The 6-foot, 193-pounder is the first pick of the Jerry Reese era, and he was the player the new GM had been targeting all along.

 

In fact, the only way the Giants weren't going to take Ross, the 2006 Thorpe Award winner as the nation's top collegiate defensive back, was if the top two cornerbacks on their draft board fell into their lap. And that nearly happened when Pittsburgh's Darrelle Revis and Michigan's Leon Hall surprisingly slipped out of the Top 10.

 

Almost immediately, Reese was working the phones, trying to trade up, and kept calling even after the Jets jumped up to No.14 and took Revis off the board.

 

"We tried to move up a couple of times," Reese said. "They wanted too much."

 

Still, even after Hall went to Cincinnati at No.18, the Giants were hardly disappointed. In fact, Reese even spurned several offers to move down seven or eight spots. In the end, the Giants had the choice they expected all along - Ross or Miami linebacker Jon Beason.

 

"But where we had (Ross) ranked compared to some of the linebackers, he was the best choice for us at the time," Reese said.

 

The Giants ignored the linebackers in the second round, too - at least after they deemed the price too high to trade up for Michigan's David Harris, whom the Jets traded up to get at No.47. Instead, at No.51, the Giants took USC receiver Steve Smith - a 5-11, 197-pound possession receiver with 4.4 speed, who'll provide insurance in case Amani Toomer's recovery from a torn ACL goes slower than hoped.

 

"They're similar in a lot of ways," said Reese, who also eschewed a linebacker in the third round, taking defensive tackle Jay Alford from Penn State. "But I think this guy will probably run a little faster than Amani did when he came out. People see him as a possession receiver, but he does run fast."

 

Ross runs fast, too, boasting a 4.5 40-yard dash. He's also big and strong enough for the press coverage the Giants are expected to utilize under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. As a senior for the Longhorns, he picked off six passes and deflected 19 more. He also proved to be a dynamic punt returner - something Tom Coughlin said "was a big plus for us" - scoring three times on 76 career returns.

 

Coughlin said Ross "will have to make an impact. We expect him to come right in and compete and be in a position where he can help us."

 

Those are Ross' expectations, too.

 

"Oh yes, I'm not coming in there to sit on the bench," he said. "I'm coming in to battle for a starting position."

 

There are some negatives, though, that Ross will have to overcome. One is his age. Ross will be 25 in September, making him unusually old for a rookie - he got a late start at Texas because of an error with his high school transcript after he switched schools.

 

"That's not old," Reese said. "Twenty-five years old? We're not worried about that. That's not an issue for us. That's nitpicking."

 

Ross' size also could cause problems, making him susceptible to smaller receivers, who are all the rage lately in the league.

 

"Will he cover Terrell Owens better than he'll cover Santana Moss? Absolutely he will," Reese said. "He's a big guy, he's long-armed. Is he going to get some balls caught on him by some little guys in front of him? He probably will. But he's going to battle with those big guys that we play with in the National Football League. It's a big-receiver league."

 

The Giants undoubtedly needed help covering those receivers, considering their pass defense ranked 28th in the NFL last season. Veteran corner Sam Madison is 33 and has shown signs of slowing down, and Corey Webster, a 2005 second-round pick, has struggled through his first two NFL seasons.

 

The truth is, the last time the Giants had a playmaker in their secondary was when Jason Sehorn was still in his prime. Now they think they've got another one in Ross.

[jerseygiantfan]

New York Giants

 

Czar's breakdown: Considering their position in the draft, GM Jerry Reese had a very solid draft in his first at bat. I love Brown linebacker Zak DeOssie in the fourth round. DeOssie should be a great special teams player and he can also long snap, a very underrated talent. Texas cornerback Aaron Ross was the third-rated cornerback in this draft and he was the third corner taken. Ross, who just became a starter in his senior year, can also return punts. USC receiver Steve Smith was a quality pick in the middle of the second round and could end up starting some day. Some teams preferred Smith to Dwayne Jarrett. Penn State DT Jay Alford was a bit of reach in the third round. Arizona safety Michael Johnson was a bargain in the seventh round. Western Oregon TE Kevin Boss has a chance to make the roster with the loss of Visanthe Shiancoe.

 

Grade: B+

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants add DeOssie to family

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Monday, April 30th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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Zak DeOssie was on his visit with the Giants two weeks ago, and when he got to the team's locker room he made sure to call his dad. Fourteen years earlier, Steve DeOssie had a locker of his own in that room. Zak just wasn't sure where.

 

"He directed me towards the locker and I was looking inside of it," Zak recalled. "And he asked me (if) I could feel the greatness coming out of it. It was a nice little moment for my father and I."

 

Yesterday's moment was even better, when Zak was drafted by his father's old team. The big (6-4, 250) linebacker from Brown was selected in the fourth round by the Giants (116th overall), 23 years and six picks after his dad was selected in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys. The elder DeOssie played five of his 12 NFL seasons for the Giants (1989-93).

 

When the younger DeOssie became a Giant, too, father and son were in tears.

 

"I broke down right when it happened," Zak said. "My old man was right next to me. Football is a big part of my family's life, and I couldn't think of a better fit for myself."

 

"The whole place went wild," Steve said from the family's home in Massachussets. "We didn't know who we were hugging, there was such excitement around here."

 

Zak, who is also a long-snapper like his father, likely will back up newly converted linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka on the strong side. He can also play the middle. The main knock on him is that he comes from the Ivy League - a fact Giants GM Jerry Reese admitted "bothers you some. But there are plenty of guys that come from low-level competition and are good players in the NFL."

 

The DeOssies would be the fourth father-son tandem to play for the Giants. The others were tackle Willie Young (1966-75) and his safety son Rodney (1995-98), safety Joe Green (1970-71) and his linebacker son Barrett (2004-05), and tight end Don Hasselbeck (1985) and his quarterback son Tim (2005-current).

 

DIEHL-BREAKER? Coughlin dropped a surprise when asked if he was ready to concede that guard David Diehl was his likely starting left tackle. "I'm not ready to say that," he said. "I have been real impressed with what's been going on with Guy Whimper (last year's fourth-rounder) during the offseason. We'll know more about that as we move along."

 

THE NEW GIANTS

 

Zak DeOssie, 4th round, No. 116

 

* COLLEGE: Brown.

* VITALS: LB, 6-4, 250

* WHY HIM? If you haven't noticed, the Giants need linebackers. DeOssie plays the strong side, which makes him the ideal candidate to take over for Kawika Mitchell when his one-year contract expires after this season.

* WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "He looks like a young colt that's just getting his legs underneath him."

 

 

- Steve DeOssie, Zak's father

 

Kevin Boss, 5th round, No. 153

 

* COLLEGE: Western Oregon

* VITALS: TE, 6-6, 252

* WHY HIM? With Visanthe Shiancoe gone, the Giants needed a No. 2 tight end, and while they would have preferred a better blocker, Boss has good size.

* WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "As a receiver, you either have natural ability or you don't. I think it's harder to develop your receiving skills than your blocking skills. The blocking skills come when you get stronger and you get pro coaching."

 

 

- Giants GM Jerry Reese

 

Adam Koets, 6th round, No. 189

 

* COLLEGE: Oregon State

* VITALS: OT, 6-5, 298

* WHY HIM? The Giants needed a prospect at left tackle. Koets needs to add some strength, but he's quick and adept at pulling.

* WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "He's a guy that has a great upside and has it all in front of him." - Tom Coughlin

[jerseygiantfan]

Kiwanuka goes from backup to starter

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Associated Press

Posted: 17 hours ago

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Mathias Kiwanuka is changing positions and moving into the New York Giants' starting lineup at linebacker.

 

Coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese confirmed Sunday that the Giants No. 1 draft pick in 2006 would move from defensive end to strongside linebacker next season.

 

Reese said the move had been planned for months and it had nothing to do with the draft, which the Giants wrapped up Sunday with four more picks.

 

"There is no question that he can make the transition to outside linebacker, that he can play SAM linebacker," Reese said, noting that the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Kiwanuka is athletic and dropped into some zone pass coverages last season while playing end.

 

Reese also said that Kiwanuka can be an every down player.

 

The linebacker spot has been a concern since Reese waived veterans Carlos Emmons and LaVar Arrington in a salary cap move earlier this year.

 

New York signed former Kansas City Chief Kawika Mitchell in the offseason. It was thought that he would be the strongside linebacker and Antonio Pierce would be the middle linebacker. The weakside position seemed up for grabs with Gerris Wilkinson, Chase Blackburn and Reggie Torbor in the mix.

 

Reese repeatedly said the Giants had enough linebackers, but he never told anyone Kiwanuka might move.

 

Kiwanuka was asked about such a move during the offseason workouts, but he indicated no one had talked to him about it. He started nine regular season games at defensive end and one in the playoffs, finishing with 55 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

 

"We have him penciled in as our SAM linebacker, so linebacker wasn't a pressing need for us," Reese said about an hour after the draft finished. "You probably thought it was, but it wasn't for us."

 

Moving Kiwanuka is an attempt to get another good player on the field. Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora both went to the Pro Bowl in 2005, but missed considerable action last season with injuries.

 

Kiwanuka played well replacing them, although he is best remembered to letting go of Tennessee quarterback Vince Young on a fourth-down, fourth-quarter play because he was afraid of being called for a roughing penalty. The mistake was magnified when the Titans rallied to win.

 

"We want our best players on the field, so we penciled the guy in a long time ago," Reese said.

 

Coughlin said the experiment with Kiwanuka will pick up steam this spring.

 

Reese said Mitchell and Wilkinson are on the depth chart on at weakside linebacker, and not necessarily in that order.

 

The Giants addressed the linebacker position Sunday in the draft, taking Zak DeOssie of Brown on the fourth round. He is the son of former Giant Steve DeOssie, who played linebacker here from 1989-93 and was a member of the 1990 Super Bowl champions.

 

Reese expects the younger DeOssie to be a backup and special teams player. He can also long snap.

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants in trade talks for Browns' tackle

 

Tuesday, May 1st 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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The Giants have two options at left tackle this season, David Diehl or Guy Whimper. But they haven't ruled out adding a third.

 

During the draft over the weekend, they had discussions with the Browns about trading for Cleveland's starting left tackle last season, Kevin Shaffer. The Browns called the Giants soon after drafting Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas with the third pick in the first round, according to a league source, but the Giants felt the price - reportedly a fourth-round pick - was way too high for a player entering just the second year of a six-year, $36.5 million deal.

 

If the Browns' asking price goes down, talks for the 27-year-old Shaffer could be revived. The Giants have been looking for a veteran left tackle since they cut Luke Petitgout in February. So far they've been reluctant to move Diehl from left guard, and on Sunday both GM Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin indicated that Whimper, last year's fourth-round pick, has had a good offseason and is now a candidate, too.

 

"There are still some things that we can do at left tackle," Reese said Sunday. "But right now if we had to go we would go with who we have."

 

Ralph Vacchiano

Daily News Specials

 

*

[jerseygiantfan]

Big Blue could grab Keyshawn

 

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Wednesday, May 2nd 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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Keyshawn Johnson

 

Keyshawn Johnson watches from the bench during a game between the Carolina Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.

 

* Read Ralph Vacchiano's The Blue Screen blog

 

 

One year after being pursued by the Giants, Keyshawn Johnson is available again. And though a return engagement in New York isn't likely, Tom Coughlin refused to rule it out.

 

"Well, let's put it this way," Coughlin said yesterday on Sirius NFL Radio. "We study every player that's available and we'll do that again in light of the fact that Keyshawn is available. We weren't necessarily thinking that he would be. Of course we made a move in the draft to help solidify that position as well, so we'll take a look at that like we do everything else."

 

Johnson, a 11-year veteran who turns 35 in July, was cut yesterday by the Panthers. He became expendable after Carolina drafted USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett in the second round on Saturday.

 

A week ago, that might have really piqued the Giants' interest. But on Saturday they drafted Jarrett's teammate, Steve Smith, six picks later (they would have taken Jarrett if he was available). One year ago, when they offered Johnson a contract worth $3 million per season, they were desperately searching for a No.3 receiver. Now they expect that role to be filled by Smith or last year's second-round pick, Sinorice Moss.

 

That's why team sources say another run at Johnson isn't likely, though they wouldn't completely rule it out.

 

The Jets, meanwhile, have ruled out pursuing the player they drafted first overall in 1996. A person familiar with their thinking said the Jets have no interest in Johnson.

 

Johnson couldn't be reached for comment yesterday, but it's likely he was blind-sided by the Panthers' decision. After the Panthers selected Jarrett - a player Johnson said was "much like me" during ESPN's telecast - he told the Daily News he thought it was "a good move" and said he told the Panthers to do it because "I'm only year to year anyway."

 

After being cut yesterday, Johnson told the St. Petersburg Times the move was "fine with me" and that he wants to play another one or two seasons.

 

"They said they wanted to get younger," Johnson said. "That's fine with me. I'd like to go somewhere and help someone win another Super Bowl."

 

Johnson caught 70 passes for 815 yards and four touchdowns last season. Contrary to reports, he was not released one week after the Panthers paid him a $3 million roster bonus. According to a league source, Johnson was recently paid $2million, which was the deferred part of the $5 million signing bonus the Panthers agreed to pay him when he signed a four-year, $14 million contract with them last year.

 

With Rich Cimini and Gary Myers

[jerseygiantfan]

Did the Giants make a mistake in not getting a left tackle?

The Giants needed help at linebacker, cornerback and left tackle. They had only one first-round pick, so three problems couldn't be solved at once. The value on the board pointed to cornerback Aaron Ross from Texas. Left tackle Joe Staley of Central Michigan was another option. By letting a first-round left tackle pass, the Giants have to go ahead with their plan to move guard David Diehl to left tackle and hope that works. The concern is the psyche of QB Eli Manning. Manning is under a lot of heat because of his November and December struggles over the past two seasons. His accuracy dips as the thermometer falls. One reason for last year's drop-off was the poor play at left tackle. If the Diehl experiment doesn't work, Manning could be in trouble early in the season.

[jerseygiantfan]

Eli, Plax will reconnect soon

 

Thursday, May 3rd 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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Eli Manning plans to begin throwing to receivers for the first time this offseason on Monday. At least one of his top two targets has promised he'll be there next week, too.

 

Plaxico Burress, who has spent past offseasons working out on his own in Miami, told the Giants' coaching staff he plans to finally join Manning and the rest of his teammates at the team's offseason program. It's unclear if tight end Jeremy Shockey will join them - offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said he was "kind of optimistic" - but getting even one of them, after several years of pleading, would be an unexpected surprise.

 

"No question if they were here it would help," Gilbride said.

[jerseygiantfan]

NEW COORDINATOR WON'T GUT SYSTEM

By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Tom Coughlin

Tom Coughlin

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May 3, 2007 -- GIANT NOTEBOOK

 

It will not strictly be a case of "out with the old and in with the new" for Steve Spagnuolo, the first-year Giants defensive coordinator.

 

He won't completely turn the Big Blue defense into a replica of the Eagles unit he was a part of the past eight years.

 

"We will certainly implement things from down there," said Spagnuolo, who yesterday spoke publicly for the first time since Tom Coughlin hired him on Jan. 22.

 

"But in watching film from the Giants last year, there were a lot of good things they did here, too, and because the guys are familiar with that, I would hate to abort those kind of things, so it will probably be a mixture of both."

 

Spagnuolo, 47, served as linebackers coach under mastermind Jim Johnson with the Eagles and he promises to import a more aggressive mentality. One obvious area that will surface is in the increased press coverage the cornerbacks will be asked to play, which is more suited to the skill sets of Sam Madison and Corey Webster.

 

"If you go back and look at the Philadelphia film, you'll see we did a lot of press, but that's not the only thing we'll do," said Spagnuolo, who admitted his system had not yet been completely defined.

 

*

 

The decision to move Mathias Kiwanuka from to LB from DE was not made in haste. Actually, the coaching staff flirted with the idea last season.

 

"I think it's probably more than an experiment," linebackers coach Bill Sheriden said. "We're counting on him being a great player. I expect fantastic things from him."

 

*

 

First-year QBs coach Chris Palmer, a veteran of 17 years in the NFL, spent 13 hours sequestered in the video room with Eli Manning, reviewing 328 plays from last season. Palmer admitted it was often unpleasant for Manning, but necessary.

 

"That's a pretty tedious assignment," Palmer said. "It was a long, drawn-out deal. We went very, very slow and tried to dissect each play. I felt at times it was difficult on him."

 

*

 

CB Corey Webster in his second season slumped badly, playing in 12 games before going on injured reserve with a hip injury that apparently bothered him longer than previously reported.

 

"He was playing injured and he didn't let anyone know how serious his injury was," defensive-backs coach Peter Giunta said.

 

"Until he had surgery on his hip I had no idea how serious it was."

 

*

 

Add newly named offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride to the chorus that strongly believes Miami workout buddies TE Jeremy Shockey and WR Plaxico Burress need to be at Giants Stadium next week when Manning starts throwing to receivers.

 

"You can't try to learn that stuff during the season," Gilbride said of the chemistry that needs to develop. Receivers coach Mike Sullivan said Burress told him he'd return to the area this month.

 

While acknowledging it's not his call, Gilbride also said the drafting of Steve Smith in the second round probably gives the Giants enough receivers - meaning Keyshawn Johnson is likely not on the Giants' radar.

 

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

[jerseygiantfan]

GIBRIL CAN'T PLAY IT SAFE

GIANTS DB ON ONE-YEAR DEAL

By PAUL SCHWARTZ

 

 

May 4, 2007 -- Considered a rising star after an eye-opening eight games as a rookie in 2004, Gibril Wilson hasn't ascended the way the Giants anticipated. That's why in many ways this is a make-or-break year for the 25-year old strong safety.

 

Wilson yesterday, as expected, signed his one-year qualifying offer of $1.3 million. The Giants opted not to present Wilson with a long-term contract, but they also wanted him back badly enough as a restricted free agent to give him the second-round tender. Any team that wanted to sign Wilson had to give up a second-round draft pick, a steep price no team was willing to pay.

 

So Wilson returns. If he has a big year, the Giants no doubt will try to lock him up before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. If he continues to struggle, the Giants will let him hit the open market and look elsewhere in the defensive backfield.

 

What the Giants want most of all is for Wilson to regain the form he flashed three years ago, when as an unheralded fifth-round pick out of Tennessee he started seven games, tied for the team lead with three interceptions, displayed a knack for blitzing with three sacks, and roamed the secondary with reckless abandon.

 

Since then, Wilson has played in 31 games and has three interceptions and three sacks, often appearing tentative.

 

"Gibril's rookie year, you are talking about a kid that was out there just playing loose, there was no thinking involved and he was just playing," said David Merritt, the Giants secondary coach who specializes in working with safeties. "The past few years, Gibril has studied more, he has seen more things on tape.

 

"He admitted that he started over-thinking the defense and plays. His rookie year there was no problem at all."

 

To help solve the problem, Merritt instructed Wilson to study tapes of two top safeties, Ed Reed of the Ravens and Brian Dawkins of the Eagles. Merritt also acknowledged that both Giants safeties, Wilson and Will Demps, were so preoccupied with not getting beat deep they lost their aggressiveness.

 

"Don't worry about making mistakes," Merritt said. "Go out there and play ball. That was one of the things I think he thought of the past few years: 'I don't want to be wrong, I want to be right every step.' You need to let it go. Go out there and play. If you are out there concerned about making a mistake, you are bound to make a mistake."

 

*

 

With no kicker on the roster with NFL experience, the Giants yesterday brought in Billy Cundiff for a visit. Cundiff, a five-year veteran, has played for the Cowboys and Saints.

[jerseygiantfan]

Giant switch

 

G-Men say Kiwanuka going to be 'great' linebacker

 

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Sunday, May 6th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

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The idea was born out of desperation in the middle of last season when the Giants linebackers were falling apart. It was dismissed at first as too big a project to tackle in midseason. But as the weeks went on, it made more and more sense.

 

At season's end, it had been essentially decided. Mathias Kiwanuka, a defensive end the Giants drafted in the first round a year ago and who Michael Strahan dubbed a worthy heir apparent, would be switching to linebacker. The Giants don't consider it a project or an experiment, nor do they expect the 6-5, 262-pound Kiwanuka to be an average strong-side starter: They expect him to be "great."

 

"It would be a failed experiment if it doesn't work out, but I don't anticipate that at all," linebackers coach Bill Sheridan says. "I think he's going to be a great NFL linebacker. I really do. I'm putting pressure on him by saying that. And I told him that, too. I don't think he'll just be good enough to be a starter. I think potentially he's going to be a very, very good NFL linebacker."

 

The transition began weeks ago for the 24-year-old Kiwanuka, who had never played linebacker in high school or college. He was a prolific end at Boston College, setting the career sack record with 37½. Before that, at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, he was an all-state defensive end and a pretty good tight end, too.

 

Occasionally, during his rookie season last year, Kiwanuka would play like a linebacker when former defensive coordinator Tim Lewis would drop him into coverage as part of his hybrid 4-3/3-4 defense. He proved he has the body type, speed and skills to make it as a linebacker, but the transition isn't likely to be smooth.

 

"I told Steve (Spagnuolo, the Giants' new defensive coordinator), 'Be prepared that early in spring he's going to look a little out of whack,'" Sheridan says. "He could do (drills) for an hour a day and that wouldn't be enough because he hasn't been doing it. He'll probably look a little out of sorts, at first. But because he is a good athlete and smart, he'll look better every day he:goes out there, and by the end of camp he'll look dramatically different."

 

The hope is that Kiwanuka will look a lot like Carlos Emmons, who played three injury-filled seasons at both strong-side and weak-side linebacker for the Giants before retiring in February. Emmons was the starting strong-side linebacker in Philadelphia for four seasons (2000-03) and was so effective in 2003 that the 6-5, 250-pounder was named the Eagles' defensive MVP.

 

"(They both have) long arms, they're athletic, good tacklers," says Spagnuolo, who was the Eagles' defensive backs coach during those years. "Carlos was a very productive linebacker for us in Philadelphia. Hopefully Mathias will do the same."

 

The Giants are so convinced he will be that they considered the switch midway through last season, after they lost LaVar Arrington to a torn Achilles tendon, Emmons to a torn pectoral muscle and Brandon Short to a strained quad. Long-term, they also knew Kiwanuka was stuck behind Strahan and their other Pro Bowl defensive end, Osi Umenyiora. But in the short term, Strahan (foot) and Umenyiora (hip) were having their own injury issues, too.

 

So the Giants left Kiwanuka at end, where he started nine games, recorded four sacks, and even picked off two passes and deflected two others. His pass coverage skills excited the coaching staff even more. By the time Tom Coughlin was interviewing Spagnuolo in January to replace fired defensive coordinator Tim Lewis, he was talking as if the change was already done.

 

Now that it is, will it last? Some of that depends on how well Kiwanuka performs against offenses that will surely be trying to test him. "I know I certainly would if I were somebody else," Sheridan says. It may also depend on the defensive ends he's leaving behind. Strahan will be 36 in November, is coming off a foot injury that some doctors have said takes a full year to heal and has only two years left on his contract. His new heir apparent, Justin Tuck, is coming off a more severe Lisfranc foot sprain that required surgery.

 

So the Giants may be forced to pull the plug on this experiment before Kiwanuka becomes the "great" linebacker they're expecting. They're just hoping they don't have to do that at all.

 

"I don't view it as, 'Well, this is temporary and he'll go back there as soon as Mike hangs it up,'" adds Sheridan. "I don't envision it that way and I don't think we've talked about it that way."

 

Ki hardly knew DE

 

The highs & lows of Mathias Kiwanuka's one year as an NFL defensive end:

 

HIGHS

Oct. 29: Makes first NFL start, records six tackles, sacks Tampa Bay QB Bruce Gradkowski and forces a fumble.

Nov. 12: Picks off Super Bowl-bound Bears QB Rex Grossman and returns it 32 yards to the Bears 1, setting up a TD.

Dec. 3: Sacks Dallas QB Tony Romo and forces another fumble.

 

LOWS

Nov. 26: Has Tennessee QB Vince Young wrapped up for a game-ending, fourth-down sack, but inexplicably lets go before Young is down. The Titans go on to tie the game, completing a comeback from a 21-0 deficit in a game they win 24-21.

Dec. 3: Picks off a pass from Dallas QB Tony Romo and returns it 12 yards … but then fumbles it away when he tries to switch hands. The Cowboys recover and end up tying the game at 7-7.

[jerseygiantfan]

Burress Arrives for Offseason Workouts

Giants wideout joins teammates at Giants Stadium.

By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

 

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May 8, 2007

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In his first two years with the Giants, Plaxico Burress made as many May appearances in New Jersey as snow.

 

But Burress made his first public Giants Stadium appearance of the spring today and like the accompanying warm weather, he promises to stay. Burress has spent the majority of his previous offseasons working out in Florida. But several conversations with quarterback Eli Manning, who has urged him to join the team for informal workouts, helped convince him to participate.

 

WR Plaxico Burress has arrived at Giants Stadium and is preparing for the 2007 season with his Giants teammates.

“I’m here because I want us to be better and I want him to reach his full potential, which I think can be great,” Burress said. “We can do nothing but help him and myself out. I’m here, willing to work, and we just have to go out and get it out done. Me and him - all of us - hopefully can get on the same page and be successful, just have fun on Sundays and make plays.”

 

Asked how long he planned to stay in town this offseason, Burress said, “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

This is a pivotal season for Manning and the Giants. Although they reached the playoffs each of the last two years, their season ended with first-round losses. They are eager to advance in 2007. To do so, Manning will almost certainly have to play better than he did in the latter half of the 2006 season, when the Giants went 2-6. With Burress, a healthy Amani Toomer and Sinorice Moss, plus second-round draft choice Steve Smith and tight end Jeremy Shockey, the Giants seem to have enough weapons in the passing game to help compensate for the loss of retired running back Tiki Barber.

 

“Man, we’ve got so many weapons as far as getting people the ball on the outside,” Burress said. “We’ve got guys that specialize in just about every category. It’s just a fact of us getting the guys the ball and letting them play to their strengths. I think that’s going to be key, just getting guys the ball and letting them play football. Not worrying so much about who’s getting the ball and what play’s called. Just getting them the ball in the right situation and letting them play football.”

 

Head coach Tom Coughlin, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and Manning have stressed the importance of having the quarterback and his receivers work together as often as possible. Because participation in a team’s offseason conditioning program cannot be mandatory, Burress and Shockey have traditionally worked out in Miami and ventured to Giants Stadium for rare visits and mini-camps.

 

Burress now seems to be taking the company line that familiarity developed in the spring will lead to success in the fall.

 

“Going into my eighth season, I pretty much have just about seen all the defenses that I can possibly see,” Burress said. “Right now, pretty much it’s one of those things where we’re just trying to get in the right place at the right time. I think that’s what’s important for us because we understand the game, how to play the game, it’s just us all being on the same page and hitting more than missing. I think that will be a big difference and it will show up."

 

In his first two seasons with the Giants, Burress became Manning’s favorite target. In 2005-06 he led the team in receptions (139), receiving yards (2,202) and touchdown catches (17). Burress, who played five seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Giants as a free agent, has 400 career receptions for 6,366 yards and 39 touchdowns. He has caught at least 60 passes in a season five times and has three 1,000-yard seasons. Burress has a career average of 15.9 yards per receptions, which is first among the 51 active players with at least 300 catches.

 

Despite those gaudy numbers, Burress has never been selected to the Pro Bowl. Might his chances improve now that he is working with his team and his quarterback regularly before training camp for the first time?

 

“Who can say?” Burress said. “I know that me being here now will help me get to where I want to be as a player and will help my team. You never know what may happen. Football is a funny game and I’ve seen some crazy things happen. If we want to get where we want to go, we’ve got to work at it.”

 

Is his willingness to work with Manning and his teammates an indication that Burress is more dedicated this year?

 

“I’ve been dedicated since I’ve been playing,” he said. “I consider myself to be a hard worker. In the past I’ve always stood up for what I believe in. I feel I’m one of the best players in the world in my position. If it takes me to come back and workout with my quarterback right now to get to that level, then I’m more than willing to do that, because, like I said, I believe I can be that person. I just want to help my team get to where we want to be and that’s a world championship. … We all want to get to that level, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”

 

Burress said he does not question his decision to work out in Florida prior to his first two Giants seasons.

 

“I don’t look back and have any regrets of anything I’ve done in the past,” he said. “What you’ve done in the past, you live with it, you learn. Everything that you do has a consequence. I’m here now, willing to work, let everybody see it. We’ll go from there.”

 

So now that Burress is here, will Shockey follow? Manning continues to lobby for the tight end’s appearance. And Burress thinks he can influence the four-time Pro Bowler.

 

“I’ll give him a call, see where he is and see what happens,” Burress said. “But pretty much, if I’m here, I think he’ll show up.

 

“I saw him a couple times (in south Florida). We worked out a few days. You know, running on the beach, things like that, working down at U of M. He’s been in and out. I’ll get him on the phone, see how he’s feeling, see if he’s ready to get back in the groove. I know one thing, he’s a great competitor, he loves to go out and play. I’ll just get him on the phone and see what’s going on.”

 

Aside from football, this has been a big offseason for Burress. On Jan. 13, his wife, Tiffany, gave birth to the couple’s first child, a son they named Elijah.

 

“She’s doing pretty good,” he said of Tiffany. “She’s getting back to her old self, so that’s working out good for me. It’s been a great offseason for me with the addition of him. I’m just taking it all in stride.”

 

In and out of uniform.

[jerseygiantfan]

Burress takes part in Giants workouts

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Associated Press

Posted: 10 hours ago

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Giants quarterback Eli Manning got one of his offseason wishes — receiver Plaxico Burress showed up for voluntary conditioning.FL off-season

 

"I'm not trying to make a statement," Burress said Tuesday after catching passes from Manning. "I want us to be better, and I want him to reach his full potential, which I think would be great. I want to help him out. We're here, we're willing to work."

 

Tight end Jeremy Shockey, however, is doing his conditioning in Florida. Burress worked out in Florida with Shockey the past two offseasons despite pleas from Manning to attend the voluntary workouts at Giants Stadium.

 

Burress, who caught 63 passes for a career-high 10 touchdowns last season. He intends to remain for the rest of the workouts.

 

"We're just trying to get better on the football field," he said. "This is something that can help us. Talk on the phone two, three times a week, go out and get something to eat. Those are some of the things that can help us get things going. And if we're working, we can get on the football field also."

 

Burress plans to phone Shockey in the next few days. The two worked out recently in Florida, running on the beach.

 

"Jeremy's his own guy," Burress said. "I love him to death as a person and a football player. I talked to him, and I'm pretty sure he's looking forward to being back."

 

It's uncertain whether Shockey, who caught a team-high 66 passes last season, will attend the voluntary workouts. The Giants have a mandatory minicamp next month.

 

"Right now, it's pretty much one of those things where I'm trying to get in the right place at the right time," said Burress, who is entering his eighth season. "That's what's important for us. We understand the game. We know how to play the game. It's just a matter of us all being on the same page."

 

There have been times when Burress and Shockey seemed at odds with Manning. Both players have flapped their arms in frustration when Manning has thrown in another direction.

 

Burress now says he is willing to do anything to help both Manning and the Giants get better after an 8-8 season in which New York was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

 

"If it means coming back to work with my quarterback to get to the next level, I'm willing to do that," Burress said. "I believe I can be that person. And I want to help my team. We all want to reach that level, but it's going to take an awful lot of hard work."

[jerseygiantfan]

Team Report: Inside Slant

 

Inside Slant | Notes and Quotes | Strategy and Personnel

Pat Flaherty, like nearly every other Giants assistant coach, is a virtual unknown to the media. That's because head coach Tom Coughlin has adopted the "one voice" theory, and only he can speak with the media -- and not that often, either.

 

But the other day marked one of the two or three rare days during the year when there was access to the assistants and coordinators, and Flaherty smiled when he saw a small village descend on him.

 

The first question set the tone: "Are you one of those coaches who believes that a guard can play tackle, that a center can play guard, that a tackle can play guard?"

 

He smiled patiently. Then he said: "No."

 

So the stage was set. "How then," he was asked, "do you think David Diehl (the starting left guard) is going to do at left tackle?" Since the surprising release of veteran Luke Petitgout through the team's failure to secure a left tackle in the off-season free agency period or in the draft, it has become more and more obvious that Diehl is going to have to make the switch.

 

"I am not going to say I don't think he can make the move," Flaherty said, diplomatically. "But I don't think that's the only choice. (Guy) Whimper has been working hard, making progress, getting strong and getting bigger (muscle bulk) during our off-season program," he said. "I am encouraged."

 

He said, however, that the two games Diehl played at left tackle -- the final one of the season in Washington and the playoff game in Philadelphia -- showed him progress. "He was much better in the second half of the Philadelphia game than he was in the first half of the Washington game," he said. "That's important."

 

It would be nice to get a veteran left tackle, and there are rumors that the Giants were talking with Cleveland with regard to veteran Kevin Shaffer, who might be expendable now that the Browns drafted Joe Thomas.

 

And young Eli Manning, the quarterback of the present and the future, might feel a lot more secure with a veteran in front of him at that all-important position, too.

[jerseygiantfan]

Eli connects with Plaxico

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Tuesday, May 8th 2007, 7:30 PM

 

 

 

 

 

One down, one to go.

 

It took two years, dozens of phone calls and plenty of begging, but Giants quarterback Eli Manning finally convinced Plaxico Burress to join him for some offseason workouts yesterday at Giants Stadium. Burress even planned to stay. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.

 

Meanwhile, tight end Jeremy Shockey was still absent, presumably working out in Miami on his own.

 

"I'm going to give him a call and see where he's at and see what happens," Burress said. "But you know, if I'm here I think he'll show up."

 

That remains to be seen, but it was a big enough victory for Manning and the Giants that the 29-year-old Burress finally decided to join their offseason program after two years of working out in Miami, too. In recent weeks, Manning, GM Jerry Reese and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride all stressed the importance of having all the receivers working with Manning during the voluntary program.

 

Finally, Burress agrees.

 

"I'm just here because I want us to be better," Burress said. "I want (Manning) to reach his full potential, which I think can be great. I want to help myself and him out."

 

Burress, whose wife Tiffany gave birth to a son (Elijah) in early January, has been Manning's No.1 receiver since he signed with the Giants in March, 2005. In two seasons together, they've connected on 139 passes for 2,202 yards and 17 touchdowns in 31 games. But many believe they haven't reached their full potential in part because the only offseason work they did together was at a three-day mandatory minicamp every June.

 

As a result, Burress and Shockey have often been criticized for their lack of dedication. Burress, however, doesn't think dedication had anything to do with his change of heart.

 

"I've been dedicated since I've been playing," he said. "I consider myself to be a hard worker. I feel I'm one of the best players in the world at my position. If it takes me to come back and work out with my quarterback right now to get to that level then I'm more than willing to do that."

 

NOT HOLDING HIS BREATH: Newly converted LB Mathias Kiwanuka said he's "happy" about the switch from DE, but he doesn't believe it's permanent. He expects to go back to DE if injuries make it necessary, or when DE Michael Strahan eventually retires....Reading from a prepared statement, DE (Chief) Osi Umenyiora declared himself to be "the best defensive end in the NFL," and promised to prove it. "If not, I will jump off the George Washington Bridge," he said. "I do not want to jump off the George Washington Bridge because it will be detrimental to my health."

Daily News Specials

[jerseygiantfan]

Team Report: Inside Slant

 

Inside Slant | Notes and Quotes | Strategy and Personnel

The Giants welcomed two unexpected guests in time for their first minicamp of the summer -- tight end Jeremy Shockey and wide receiver Plaxico Burress. The pair of invaluable starters had shunned the off-season workout program in previous seasons -- three off-seasons for Shockey, two for Burress.

 

Instead, they worked out in south Florida at the camp administered by former and current University of Miami athletes plus a few invited guests (such as Burress), and while the team workout program is not mandatory, it was a slap in the face to head coach Tom Coughlin and his staff.

 

Shockey explained his actions by insisting that he got a better workout in Florida with more intensity and competition, since there were several current Hurricane players still vying for positions once the college season began. He convinced Burress that it would be beneficial for him, too, and so both of them became holdouts, in a manner of speaking.

 

But now it appears they have relented, at least partially. Burress was at the team's Giants Stadium headquarters earlier this week and Shockey will be there for the first minicamp (for rookies and free agents) over Mother's Day weekend.

 

Of course, the recalcitrant pair already missed the bulk of the program since it began in mid-March.

 

Quarterback Eli Manning has often said that he tried to convince the players to report, claiming that the chance to work out with them on a daily basis could only improve the team's passing game and the on-field communication between his two favorite receivers and himself.

 

When it was suggested that he might split his time (remember, the program is optional) between New Jersey and Florida, Manning quickly shook his head. "My team is here, this is where I work out and the rest of the players are here," he said.

 

Now it would appear that the team is all together. Perhaps those public displays of frustration on the part of the two receivers after an errant pass will cease. It was never clear whether Manning threw the ball badly or the receivers didn't run the proper routes. More "togetherness" might make that embarrassing situation less common.

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants' pick making up for lost time

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Sunday, May 13th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

 

It seems like a lifetime ago now, but back in the summer of 2001, Aaron Ross was wowing everyone at the University of Texas. He was so fast and his hands were so smooth, his coaches thought he could have been the best receiver in his freshman class - if he wasn't already the best cornerback.

 

By the end of two-a-days, the 18-year-old Ross had secured a job backing up Quentin Jammer, who eight months later would become the fifth pick in the NFL draft. It was a dream come true for a kid who grew up in nearby San Antonio.

 

Then, one week before the season opener, his dream was inexplicably taken away.

 

Ross still remembers the crushing moment. He was summoned to the imposing office of Longhorns coach Mack Brown, where Brown sat at his desk, flanked by his wife, the associate athletic director, his defensive backs coach, and a lawyer.

 

"Can you sit down?" Brown said.

 

"From then on," Ross says, "I knew it was something bad."

 

Six years later there is no reasonable explanation for the action the NCAA took that day, when it declared Ross - who was drafted in the first round by the Giants two weeks ago - ineligible for his freshman season and set in motion events that would postpone his collegiate career two years. The NCAA's clearinghouse discovered a transcript error stemming from an English honors course he took (and passed with an A) at the first of two high schools he attended. The course wasn't on his final transcript, and without those credits the NCAA said he couldn't play.

 

The decision was bad enough, but the NCAA's agonizingly slow movement on it cost him a second year, too, which is why he is now a soon-to-be 25-year-old rookie who should be entering his third NFL season. The memory of it all is painful for Ross, though he somehow considers it "a blessing in disguise.

 

"In the first year I thought it didn't make any sense at all," Ross says. "In the second year when I started getting down and frustrated I had to tell myself, 'Well, God's got a plan for me. It's all going to work out in the long run.' I really believed that.

 

"Now it's coming true. I won the Thorpe Award (in 2006 for the nation's top defensive back). I found my lady (track star Sanya Richards, who won a gold medal in the 4x400 meter relay at the 2004 Olympics). The list goes on."

 

Of course, it wasn't always a "blessing" for Ross, who went through his first NFL practice yesterday as part of the Giants' four-day rookie minicamp. At times, he admits, he was "depressed.

 

"It was hard. Really, really hard," Ross says. "It's not like I didn't do everything I had to do to get into Texas. I got my ACT scores, I got my SAT scores, I graduated, I signed my letter of intent, I went through two-a-days. Then when I'm already on the roster, already have my jersey number, all of a sudden, boom, I have to go home because of a transcript issue that wasn't my fault."

 

Worse, the issue was four years old, dating back to an English II honors course he took as a freshman at Fox Tech High School in San Antonio, before he transferred to John Tyler High in Tyler, Tex., to live with his mother and stepfather. Tyler refused to accept honors credits from other schools, so that course was dropped from Ross' transcript and without those credits he was ineligible. No one knew until the NCAA informed Brown, who broke the bad news, then watched as Ross made a painful call home to his mom.

 

"Honestly, I was crying like a baby," Ross says. "My mom started crying. It was a bad moment."

 

It would get even worse. It was already too late for Ross to retake that high school course in the fall, and it wasn't offered in the spring. His teacher testified before the NCAA that Ross took and passed the course, but his appeal was denied. He finally retook the course in the fall of 2002, but that meant he wasn't eligible to start practicing until August 2003.

 

"I actually told him a number of times, 'Maybe this isn't going to work. You should look somewhere else,'" Brown says. "In every case he said, 'Absolutely not, Coach.' Honestly, I wasn't sure he would ever get here because when you ask a 20-year-old to go back and take high school classes with students that are two years younger than him, it's a tough thing. Not many young men would do that."

 

Ross would've done anything to play for Texas, which is also what led to his only brush with the law. In the early morning hours of Dec. 21, 2006, he was picked up by police at a Mexican restaurant in a "disoriented" state, according to reports. He had apparently driven off the road and was so out of it the waitress thought he was attempting to rob them. No charges were filed and Ross says he was just "exhausted" from an all-night drive from his home in San Antonio, trying to get to practice on time.

 

"I had my priorities mixed up," Ross says. "I was trying to spend time with my family, make it to 6 a.m. workouts, then go spend time with my girl, then go spend time with my friends - every day for like a month. It finally caught up with me."

 

In the end, that was just another minor bump in Ross' long road. He got in his four years at Texas and emerged from a defensive backfield loaded with NFL prospects - Michael Huff, Nathan Vasher, Cedric Griffin, Michael Griffin, Tarell Brown. The Giants drafted him in the first round (20th overall). He has a great chance to make an immediate mark as a cornerback and a punt returner.

 

It took a little longer for Ross to get here but he's convinced it was worth the wait.

 

"It's really been a long road," Ross says, "but it's almost finally paid off."