2008 NY Giants Articles and Video

[jerseygiantfan]

 

Ex-NY Giant Ingram captured after month on lam

 

7 hours, 8 minutes ago

 

 

NEW YORK (AP)—Former New York Giant Mark Ingram was arrested in Michigan, nearly a month after he disappeared on the day he was scheduled to begin serving a prison sentence for bank fraud and money laundering.

 

U.S. marshals tracked the retired wide receiver to a hotel room in Flint, Mich., after a manhunt that began when he failed to turn up at a federal prison in Kentucky on Dec. 5.

 

A spokesman for the Marshals Service in New York, Timothy Hogan, said Ingram was arrested Friday without incident. The hotel wasn’t far from Ingram’s home in Grand Blanc, Mich.

 

Ingram, who has been in and out of jail since his playing career ended in 1996, pleaded guilty in 2005 to cashing counterfeit checks and laundering money he believed to be proceeds from narcotics deals.

 

Before his flight, the 1991 Super Bowl standout had sought to delay the start of his nearly eight-year prison term so he could watch his son’s freshman season as a running back at the University of Alabama.

 

His arrest came just before the start of his son’s biggest game: A Sugar Bowl matchup against Utah, which Alabama lost 31-17.

 

Marshals also had been looking for Ingram in New Orleans, where the game was played, Hogan said.

 

Ingram’s attorney, Raymond Colon, did not immediately return phone and e-mail messages on Saturday.

 

Ingram spent six seasons with the Giants. He also played for Miami, Green Bay and Philadelphia in his 10-year career.

 

He is scheduled to appear in a federal court in Michigan on Monday. Ingram will travel to New York, where he was prosecuted, to face charges related to his flight.

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

Sad....leave those drugs alone. Now really would it have been such a big deal to leave him loose with an ankle bracelet until it was over? Now that we have caught him crime is down a third...right?

[jerseygiantfan]

Giant payday coming to Eli Manning after laying Eagle egg

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Wednesday, January 14th 2009, 12:51 AM

 

 

 

 

The Giants will have to pay a hefty price to keep last year's Super Bowl MVP. Eli Manning's contract is due to expire after next season, and sometime in the next year - probably the next few months - the Giants will take the first steps toward making him the next member of the $100 million quarterback club.

 

Manning might even end up being the highest-paid member, as several NFL sources said his next deal could be worth a league-high $15 million per season. That would be an average of $1 million more than his brother Peyton is making on the seven-year, $98 million deal he signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2004.

 

Based on interviews with several agents and personnel people, Eli Manning appears to be in line for a seven- or eight-year contract worth $110 million-$120 million with $40 million in guarantees.

 

That would make the 28-year-old the eighth quarterback to top the $100 million barrier, and would put him near the top with Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb (12 years, $115million), Cincinnati's Carson Palmer (nine years, $118.75 million), and former Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick (10 years, $130 million).

 

"We know," said one team source. "But that's money we're going to be happy to pay."

 

The Giants have been bracing for that mega-deal since last February when Manning led them on their surprising Super Bowl run. And nothing that happened this season has caused the Giants to waver on paying that price. Despite a season-ending slump and a terrible performance (15-for-29, 169 yards, two interceptions) in a 23-11 loss to the Eagles in the divisional playoffs on Sunday, the Giants still appear to have as much confidence in their Pro Bowl quarterback as they did before.

 

"You would like to be as good as you possibly can be all the time and Eli feels the exact same way," Tom Coughlin said the day after the end of the Giants' season. "Am I concerned? Sure. You'd like to have it be a lights-out day every time we play. But we'll take care of that. It will get better and he'll get better."

 

GM Jerry Reese declined to comment on any plans for extending Manning's contract, and neither Manning's agent, Tom Condon, nor Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch returned calls Tuesday. It is believed there have been preliminary talks, but an agreement isn't imminent. Said one NFL source: "With deals like this, it could be done in days or it could take months."

 

This likely will be a complex deal, much like the original, seven-year deal Manning signed as a rookie in 2004 that was worth $45 million to $54 million. That deal contained dozens of incentives that added bonuses and changed the values of his salaries. And it had a unique, performance-based trigger that allowed Manning to opt out of the 2008-2010 years of the deal, although the Giants had the option of buying back the 2008-09 seasons, which they did, for $5 million.

 

This deal figures to be similar since rarely are players expected to earn all of the money in a contract this size. For example, in 2001, the New England Patriots gave Drew Bledsoe a 10-year, $103 million contract, but because of options, the actual value was more like four years and $30 million. Often these deals are stretched out and inflated to help with salary-cap issues.

 

There are potential minefields, too, such as the uncertain future of the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. A new CBA could change the financial landscape of the league. And if a new deal isn't reached in time, teams could be dealing with an "uncapped year" in 2010.

 

Then there's the sinking economy. As the Daily News reported in November, the Giants are fighting bankrupt Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. for $301.8 million the team says it is owed as part of a financing deal for its new $1.6 billion stadium. Because of that and spiraling debt from the stadium project, one NFL source questioned whether the Giants had available cash to guarantee $40 million to Manning. However, one high-ranking team official insisted that neither the stadium nor the economy will prevent the Manning deal from eventually getting done.

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Ex-NFL RB Meggett facing rape charge

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Updated: January 15, 2009, 12:57 AM EST COLUMBIA, S.C.

 

 

(AP) - Several months after he was charged with raping a South Carolina woman, former NFL running back David Meggett was in jail Wednesday on allegations of another sexual assault.

 

Meggett, 42, was arrested and charged with raping a 21-year-old woman in her North Charleston home, authorities said.

 

The woman told police she woke up at 1 a.m. Tuesday and found a man she knew as "Mike" sitting on her bed, according to an incident report. The man demanded that she repay $200 she owed him and raped her when she said she didn't have the money, police said.

 

Afterward, the man told her he was sorry and that she didn't have to repay him. The woman drove herself to the hospital, where Meggett later met her and was arrested, according to police records.

 

Meggett, who is listed as living in North Charleston, had been out on bond in connection with another sexual assault charge.

 

In September, he was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct after a 17-year-old North Charleston woman told authorities she was raped by a man she knew as "Michael," according to police records.

 

Both South Carolina arrests occurred while Meggett was serving out two years probation for a 2006 sexual battery charge in North Carolina. Authorities there allowed the Charleston native to serve his sentence in South Carolina and have been notified about both of Meggett's recent arrests, said Pete O'Boyle, spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.

 

North Carolina probation officials did not immediately return a phone message Wednesday.

 

The running back played for the New York Giants, the New York Jets and New England during his 10-year NFL career.

 

He was denied bond Tuesday night on charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree burglary, said Spencer Pryor, spokesman for the North Charleston police. He was being held Wednesday in the Charleston County jail, and it was unclear if he had an attorney.

 

Meggett has been acquitted on sex-related charges in the past. In 1990, while he was with the Giants, Meggett was found not guilty of soliciting sex from an undercover police officer in Baltimore. Eight years later, he was charged with assaulting a woman in a Toronto hotel room after she refused to continue having sex with him, but that charge was dropped.

 

The Patriots released Meggett in 1998 after the Toronto charge.

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Burress has string of debtor lawsuits

Comment Email Print Associated Press

 

NEW YORK -- To Richard Malin, Plaxico Burress wasn't a customer, he was an ordeal.

 

It was 2002 when Burress, then playing for the Steelers, hired Malin, a home inspector, to look over a house he was buying in suburban Pittsburgh.

 

Malin quoted Burress a price of just under $500 and got the job.

 

 

 

He should've turned it down, Malin now says.

 

When it came time to pay the bill, Burress disappeared. He didn't respond to phone calls or letters. Malin appealed to one of the star's handlers for help, but still no payment. Malin filed a lawsuit, Burress ignored it.

 

After a judge ruled against the no-show NFL player, he sent Malin a check for $700.

 

"I got a note from Plaxico saying, 'Sorry for the inconvenience. Please inform the court that the judgment has been paid,' " Malin said.

 

"Then the check bounced."

 

It is a familiar story for the 31-year-old New York Giants wide receiver.

 

Now facing felony gun charges after he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an .40-caliber Glock at a Manhattan nightclub, Burress has a history of being sued over debts a millionaire professional athlete seemingly could have paid.

 

The Associated Press found that, since Burress joined the NFL in 2000, he has been sued at least nine times by people who said he failed to pay a debt, damaged their car or didn't pay his taxes.

 

The people seeking payment from the football star run the gamut, from a Pennsylvania homeowners association trying to collect delinquent dues to a Florida woman whose car Burress rear-ended while driving without insurance. Why? He hadn't paid the premium.

 

The pattern of irresponsible behavior extends beyond unpaid debts, records show.

 

In his hometown of Virginia Beach, Va., Burress has been fined for reckless driving, noise and public intoxication, and threatened with arrest after he didn't show up in court. Last year in Florida, where he has a home, police twice cited Burress for speeding in the weeks before the car crash, which also earned him a ticket for careless driving.

 

 

 

Police visited his house in Totowa, N.J., twice last year on domestic dispute calls. His wife was granted temporary restraining orders both times, only to later request they be lifted, according to court records.

 

Burress faces a March 31 court date stemming from the November shooting, an incident that has jeopardized his future with the Giants, who in September gave Burress a $35 million contract extension. The Giants suspended Burress for the final four games of the season and the incident has cost him $2 million in income, though the NFL players' union has filed two grievances.

 

His defenders say the trail of legal woes does not define Burress.

 

"He happens to be a great kid. He really is a good kid," said Adam Swickle, Burress' lawyer in Florida. Swickle said any suggestion that Burress is chronically irresponsible because of his wealth and status "is 100 percent incorrect."

 

Swickle said there was nothing remarkable about the Florida car accident.

 

"It's a fender-bender," he said. "Those things happen to people. Until this New York thing, I always thought of him as a very law-abiding person."

 

Efforts to reach Burress were unsuccessful. He did not respond to an e-mail sent to him Monday. His New York attorney, Benjamin Brafman, declined to comment for this story, citing the pending weapons charges. His agent did not return several phone calls.

 

Although Burress' creditors say they don't enjoy going to court to collect, he usually pays up, even if it takes a lawsuit or judge to persuade him.

 

But the list of people left fuming after doing business with Burress is a long one.

 

"This is a history of him just doing anything he wants to do," said Brian Van Dusen, a Pittsburgh nightlife promoter who sued Burress in 2005 over a debt.

 

Van Dusen said he had a falling out with Burress midway through the 2004 season, his last in Pittsburgh before he signed with the Giants as a free agent.

 

 

 

The two men had been partners in staging a series of Monday night parties at a Pittsburgh bar featuring Steelers stars, but at some point, according to the promoter, Burress stopped paying his share of the bills. Finally, Van Dusen presented him with an invoice.

 

"He was drinking. He was talking to the girls. And he ripped it, balled it up, and threw it across the bar!" Van Dusen said. The two men nearly got in a fight, but Van Dusen said he took Burress to court instead and won a judgment when Burress didn't show up for trial. Van Dusen said he ultimately collected only a portion of his expenses.

 

In the beginning, Van Dusen said, "We were cool. We would hang out. But he just got too big, in his head. Just because you're from the NFL, it doesn't mean you can do anything every which way."

 

The amounts of the unpaid bills typically have not been large, but that has made no difference when it came time for Burress to pay. In 2002, a Virginia Beach homeowners association sued for $440 in dues. In March 2003, another homeowners association in Moon Township, Pa., sought $890. The school district there sued Burress a few months later for $2,745 in unpaid taxes.

 

In September of that year, a Tampa auto body shop, German Autohaus, filed suit over an unpaid account. A judge ruled against Burress when he again failed to appear in court.

 

Once the suits were filed, the cases were settled and paid.

 

But the pattern didn't end. In March 2005, Burress left the Steelers as a free agent and signed a $25 million contract to play for the Giants.

 

A few months later, a Pennsylvania car dealer loaned him a sport utility vehicle and said in exchange Burress promised to make publicity appearances at the dealership and sign autographs. But the dealer never got it in writing.

 

Less than a month later, the truck wound up impounded by New York police.

 

 

 

Two men were arrested, including Burress' cousin, after officers saw someone in the truck firing guns into the air. The case against the cousin was dropped. The other man pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to time served. Burress signed a statement saying he was at football practice at the time.

 

Car dealer Frederick Laurenzo spent months trying to get the vehicle back. He spent years trying to get Burress to pay for damage to the truck.

 

Not surprisingly, the matter landed in court.

 

"It was the only way I could get him to come here," Laurenzo said. "If he had called and was stand-up about it, man-to-man, it never would have happened. But he wouldn't take my calls."

 

Laurenzo said he's done similar deals with other professional athletes and never had a problem.

 

"He's a very likable man, and I wish this had never happened," he said. "But when someone hangs up on you, doesn't return your calls, you get angry. If we could've just talked for two minutes on the phone ... but it was like he was pretending he didn't know me."

 

In January, a jury ordered Burress to pay $1,700.

 

In the Giants' Super Bowl victory in 2008, Burress made the game-winning catch, making him an even bigger football hero.

 

 

At the same time his team was on its playoff run in late 2007, Burress was $14,471 behind on the local taxes on his house in Virginia Beach, according to city records. That bill has since been paid, city officials said.

 

After his accident in Florida in May 2008, Burress was sued by the woman he hit after she learned he didn't have car insurance. Allstate said it let his policy lapse because he had neglected to pay his premiums. The case is pending.

 

Swickle acknowledged Burress has picked up some tickets over the years, but noted that the citations have been relatively minor.

 

"No drunk driving offenses. No drugs in the car," he said. "Even collectively, I don't see it as a problem."

 

Even some of his civil court adversaries don't view Burress as a bad person, just an irresponsible one.

 

"I think he was just an immature screwup," Malin said. The home inspector eventually collected $700 from Burress -- after three years, a bounced check and a lawsuit. The courts couldn't even close the case. Malin said he got paid after a friendly sheriff's deputy with a connection to the Steelers intervened.

 

Laurenzo is still waiting for his money, but he says he's not too worried.

 

"I hope he gets his life straightened out and he comes back and plays for the Giants. I love watching him play, he's one of the most gifted wide receivers in the league. If he gets his life straightened out, he could have it all."

 

 

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Updated: February 11, 2009, 10:11 PM ET

Report: Agent shopping Burress

Comment Email Print Share ESPN.com news services

 

The agent for Plaxico Burress reportedly is shopping the embattled New York Giants wide receiver around the league, and the team is none too pleased.

 

 

 

Citing multiple sources close to the situation, the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., reported on its Web site that Drew Rosenhaus sent e-mail to every NFL team earlier this week indicating Burress could be had via a trade.

 

According to the Star-Ledger, the sources said the e-mail contained a list of Rosenhaus' free-agent and draft-eligible clients and three clients identified as tradeable -- Burress, Anquan Boldin of the Cardinals and Chad Johnson of the Bengals.

 

A Giants spokesman told the Star-Ledger that general manager Jerry Reese had "nothing to say" about the report. Rosenhaus did not return a call or an e-mail from the newspaper.

 

The 31-year-old Burress' future with the team has been in question since he accidentally shot himself in the leg last November inside the Latin Quarter restaurant/club in midtown Manhattan. Burress was suspended for the final four games of the regular season and did not play in New York's playoff game.

 

The NFL Players' Association has filed two grievances against the Giants on behalf of Burress, claiming the team violated the collective bargaining agreement by placing him on the reserve-non-football injury list, suspending him and fining him for conduct detrimental to the team.

 

One source told the Star-Ledger that Giants assistant GM Kevin Abrams informed the rest of the league that the team had not given Rosenhaus the authority to pursue a trade on Burress' behalf. Another source told the paper that Rosenhaus sent a second e-mail Tuesday to tell teams he doesn't have permission to see a trade for Burress, Boldin or Johnson.

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants tag Jacobs as franchise player

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Updated: February 13, 2009, 5:33 PM EST

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Brandon Jacobs, the 264-pound running back who has been a mainstay of the New York Giants' offense the past two seasons, was designated by the team Friday as its franchise player.

 

The move will guarantee Jacobs, who was due to become a free agent Feb. 27, $6.6 million next season. General manager Jerry Reese said the Giants and Jacobs will continue negotiating a long-term deal. If he remains a free agent, the Giants can match any offer made by another team or allow him to sign with that team in exchange for two first-round draft picks.

 

Jacobs, who ran for 1,089 yards for a 5.0 average and a team-leading 15 touchdowns, said all fall that he wants to remain with the Giants. Reese said the team decided on the franchise tag because of the Feb. 19 deadline to hand out that designation.

 

"With the deadline approaching it was the right business thing to do at this point, although we are hopeful to get a longer term deal hammered out in the near future," Reese said. "I did speak to Brandon and we had a very good conversation today."

 

"That is the reason I am being franchised," Jacobs said. "Buying more time to get a deal done."

 

Derrick Ward, who ran for 1,025 yards to make the Giants only the fifth team ever with two 1,000-yard running backs, is also due to become a free agent. The Giants' No. 2 running back is likely to command big money to be a starter elsewhere.

 

If he leaves, he could be replaced by Ahmad Bradshaw, who rushed for 355 yards last season, and Danny Ware, who was impressive in exhibitions but had just two carries for 15 yards during the regular season.

 

"I had Derrick last year and we were a team and we did it together," Jacobs said in a statement released by the team. "I have Ahmad and Danny that are going to be back this year. I don't know what the chances are with Derrick, but I just try to make the guys around me better."

 

Head coach Tom Coughlin seemed to indicate in the statement that the team had made a clear choice between their two top backs and made Jacobs the priority.

 

"I never felt Brandon would be anything but a New York Giant," Coughlin said. "There isn't any question that when you talk about being a physical football team, he gives you that physical edge as a runner, a pass protector or catching the ball coming out of the backfield. He's a valuable, valuable part of our team and of the philosophy and the concept by which we play. It's important for our team going forward that he's a Giant."

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants GM not counting on return of Burress

Associated Press

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Updated: February 21, 2009, 1:15 PM EST

24 comments

 

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - General manager Jerry Reese wants Plaxico Burress to wear a New York Giants uniform next season. He's just not sure it will happen.

 

Reese, who attended the NFL's annual scouting combine Saturday, said he's planning for all scenarios, including keeping the suspended wide receiver who shot himself in the leg at a nightclub last season.

 

"I hope he's motivated, but the legal process is what's most important right now and his health is what's most important right now," Reese said. "But we'll prepare as if he's not going to be here, and if he is, it's a bonus."

 

Burress faces felony charges of criminal possession of a weapon relating to the shooting, which could result in a prison sentence of 3 1/2 to 15 years if he's convicted.

 

Reese would not comment on the e-mail sent last week by Drew Rosenhaus, Burress' agent, to NFL teams saying three clients wanted to be traded. Burress was one of them.

 

Despite the trouble surrounding Burress, Reese said he would take the 31-year-old player back with some caveats.

 

"We want him to be like everyone else as far as the team structure is involved," Reese said. "Plaxico is a New York Giant right now, so I don't know what it means to 'have him back.' He hasn't gone anywhere yet."

 

The disparity between Burress' presence and absence was remarkable.

 

With Burress, the Giants were one of the league's best. He made the winning catch in the Giants' 2008 Super Bowl victory, and helped lead them to an 11-1 record last season.

 

Without him, it was easier for defensive coordinators to game plan against the Giants.

 

 

Eli Manning threw three touchdowns in the five games after Burress was suspended, and the Giants wound up losing their first game in the playoffs.

 

Reese said he and Burress have traded e-mails, but have not spoken since the season ended - though team doctors have been in touch with Burress.

 

"I'm assuming he wants to be back, I don't know why he wouldn't," Reese said. "But a lot of things have to work out before that happens. I don't know what the league will do as far as suspension stuff."

 

Burress is only one of the Giants offseason concerns.

 

Running back Derrick Ward, who ran for 1,025 yards last year and was part of the Giants 1,000-yard rushing tandem, could hit the free-agent market next week. The Giants put the franchise tag on their other 1,000-yard runner, Brandon Jacobs, on Feb. 13.

 

Reese is trying to reach deals with each of his top two runners and work on a contract extension for Eli Manning, last year's Super Bowl MVP.

 

"We've been having some conversations in respect to Eli," Reese said. "We'll get that done in time."

 

The more pressing priority is the running game.

 

Reese would like to complete a long-term deal with Jacobs, to provide salary cap room, and hopes to re-sign Ward before he hits the free agent market on Feb. 27.

 

"The tag gives us a little more time, but it has make sense for both sides," Reese said. "We've been fortunate because we've had three (running backs). With Derrick, we have some conversations going on right now."

[jerseygiantfan]

Eli Manning says it was pleasure, not business, with swindler Sir Allen Stanford

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano and Helen Kennedy

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

 

Monday, February 23rd 2009, 3:02 AM

 

A year ago, Eli Manning was palling around in Antigua with billionaire banker Sir Allen Stanford.

 

Now Stanford is accused in a massive $8 billion fraud scheme, and the Giants quarterback is thanking his lucky stars he didn't get financially involved with him.

 

"I was on vacation there and was invited to the cricket match. It was not a paid appearance, and I have no money invested with him," Manning said of his outing to a February 2008 cricket match with Stanford.

 

Stanford loved to hang out with athletes and all but supported whole cricket leagues, as well as sponsoring the PGA and LPGA golf championships.

 

His alleged racket hit investors large and small and included some top names in sports.

 

Ordinary people lined up in vain outside Stanford's banks in Antigua, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.

 

New York Yankees Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady and Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey said they couldn't pay their bills because their millions were frozen.

 

British soccer star Michael Owen is said to be another high-profile victim.

 

Stanford was reported to have gone missing again Sunday night. His father told a British paper he hasn't been able to contact him for two days.

 

The 58-year-old Texan disappeared for two days last week after news broke of his alleged misdeeds.

 

He turned up in Virginia, where he was served with civil court papers and was forced to hand over his passport.

 

He does not yet face criminal charges so he was not arrested.

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants GM: Offseason Super Bowls are for 'losers'

 

March 23, 2009 7:05 PM

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

 

DANA POINT, Calif. -- New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese was leading the pack out of a football operations meeting Monday when I flagged him down and guided him to our headquarters, located across from the hotel gift shop. As always, Reese was exceedingly gracious with his time -- especially since his wife and kids were waiting around the corner.

 

Let's roll out the first part of our interview this evening and then we'll come with more Tuesday morning:

 

How do you feel about your offseason moves so far? (always lead with the softball)

 

Jerry Reese: I'm pleased so far, but we still have some to go. We wanted to bolster our defensive front because it's well-documented that our defensive front had gotten worn down late in the season. Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield weren't themselves and Justin Tuck got banged up. We couldn't knock the quarterback down, and that's a huge thing for us. In my opinion, that's why we won the Super Bowl. In the playoff game, we couldn't get [Donovan McNabb] on the ground and he made some spectacular plays. Now our people up front look formidable. But the offseason Super Bowl stuff is for losers.

 

What was it about Chris Canty that made you think he could move inside?

 

JR: We just felt like he was a versatile guy. Tuck plays outside and then moves inside. We thought he could do a nice job with the 3-technique. We like for all our guys to be versatile, so guys end up lining up all over the place. Guys like [Mathias] Kiwanuka and Tuck.

 

Are you worried about having too many guys on the defensive line now?

 

JR: We play 16 games, and if we're fortunate, we'll end up playing 20 games. You need all the big people you can find. We need that type of quality for the tournament, and we needed more firepower. We ran out of gas last year.

 

Albert Haynesworth recently said on a Dallas radio station that you guys offered him $80 million. Is that accurate? And how much did you actually covet the player?

 

JR: No, that's not accurate. I don't want to say the exact number, but we made a good offer. We wanted to get in the game. We didn't want to take the chance of him getting up at his [Redskins] news conference and talking about how he'd really wanted to be a Giant but we didn't have an interest.

 

Since the end of the season, has anything changed in terms of how you've approached the Plaxico Burress situation?

 

JR: My No. 1 hope is that he will make changes as a person and that it will help him with his family. Hopefully, legally, things will break his way. We do try to have a game plan both ways. But again it's more about him as a person. We have a concept of what he must do to turn things around.

 

Will you attend his trial next week?

 

JR: I haven't really thought about it at this point.

 

OK, there's more where this came from. I'll post the rest of the interview tomorrow morning if that's cool with you guys.

[jerseygiantfan]

March 23, 2009

Giants get an extra draft pick

 

The Giants, who already have more draft picks than they really need, have been awarded another one.

 

The NFL announced today that the Giants were awarded a third-round compensatory pick - No. 100 overall. They earned it by virtue of a complicated and mysterious formula that takes into account free agents signed last spring, free agents lost, and the impacts those players had on their teams.

 

In the 2008 offseason the Giants lost LB Kawika Mitchell, LB Reggie Torbor and S Gibril Wilson, while signing and LB Danny Clark and S Sammy Knight (those were the major signings and losses, anyway).

 

A third round pick is the highest possible round for a comp pick. Only the Pats, Bengals and Bears got higher comp picks and will pick in three spots right ahead of Giants.

 

All the picks come at end of third round.

 

(And thanks again to Gary Myers to calling this in from the owners meetings).

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Umenyiora says knee is 99 percent

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Associated Press

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If Justin Tuck had concerns about Osi Umenyiora coming back from knee surgery, they ended the first day the two entered the weight room for the New York Giants' voluntary offseason program.

 

Umenyiora promptly declared he was the stronger man.

 

 

Tuck laughs telling the story, knowing that's how the defensive linemen push themselves, by challenging each other.

 

When asked who really was stronger, Tuck admitted it was Umenyiora, at least for now.

 

"He calls himself the king right now, and me the prince," Tuck said Tuesday after the Giants held another voluntary practice at Giants Stadium. "But he has had six months of training and I had six months of being beat up."

 

Looking at Umenyiora, there is no doubt that he's happy to be back at work.

 

The defensive end tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee in a preseason game against the Jets, sidelining him for the year. He said Tuesday his knee is at 99 percent and he will be ready for the start of training camp in July.

 

Surprisingly, Umenyiora said the injury was not something new. It had been bothering him for two years and finally gave out in the exhibition game in August.

 

"I haven't been in a situation like that my whole life," Umenyiora said. "To see the way it unfolded and the pain and rehabilitation process, how grueling and how hard it was, I think that added an extra motivation [for this season]."

 

The 27-year-old, who earned Pro Bowl berths in 2005 and '07, said the Giants didn't take any chances with his injury.

 

Doctors could have "burned" out the torn cartilage, giving Umenyiora the chance to play again later in the season. However, that could have shortened his career substantially.

 

"That shows you what type of organization the Giants are," Umenyiora said. "If they would've said I should do that, I would've actually thought about it, like maybe I can go out there and help them. But it wasn't even a part of the discussion. They were like 'Fix it. Get it over with and come back next year.'"

 

Umenyiora said his recovery went so well that his knee was at about 80 to 85 percent late in the season and he would have considered returning had the Giants not put him on injured reserve.

 

Now, Umenyiora is focusing on the coming season.

 

"I haven't put on pads or nothing yet, but I've been out there doing the exact same things everybody else has been doing with no problems," Umenyiora said. "As long as I'm able to do that, then I think it's where it needs to be."

 

The only obstacle in his recovery is getting back on the field, which he said is more a mental thing.

 

After his injury and surgery, Umenyiora stayed away from the team, saying it would have bothered him if he remained. He added that it was tough watching, noting the Giants' loss to the Eagles in the playoffs was hard to accept.

 

"It was very frustrating for me," he said. "I wasn't able to help the team. I was able to call them and give them support, but that was the extent of my help. To see the way it ended, it was very frustrating. It was a team they should have beat and would have beaten if everything was in order, and it wasn't. We'll reload next year and go at them."

 

With the signing of defensive end Chris Canty and tackle Rocky Bernard and the return of Umenyiora, the Giants are deep on the defensive line. They also have Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield and Jay Alford.

 

Umenyiora doesn't mind splitting time as long as he can get into a rhythm when he's on the field.

 

"We still have to play," Umenyiora said. "Everything looks real good on paper, but we still have to go out and perform."

 

 

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

[jerseygiantfan]

Ride Receiver

Even with help from IRL star Danica Patrick, Giants wideout Amani Toomer finds out that racing cars (even little bitty ones) is a lot tougher than it looks

by Tim Struby

 

The big man sits in the tiny car, his 6'3", 200-pound frame folded enough that he could almost gnaw on his knees. Amani Toomer wants to race. That's why he's here today at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., tucked a bit too tightly into a five-foot-long shifter kart. Ever since he went to his first F1 race in Montreal last year, Toomer's had the driving bug. "You have no idea," says the Giants wideout, grinning like a 5-year-old.

 

"There, live, PAP! PAP! PAP! The engines going through their gears. You can feel it in your chest."

 

On this chilly morning, when Toomer will find out if he has the heart to take the wheel, he's cool, if not overconfident. "I'm a good driver with a limited knowledge of performance driving," he says. "And I've been practicing on Gran Turismo 4."

 

But Toomer is no fool. He knows that videogame reps won't help him go from snagging passes in traffic to passing stragglers in traffic. So he's accepted The Mag's offer to learn from the best driver's ed teacher at ESPN's Russell Racing Schools …then get schooled in a friendly headto-head with a slightly more seasoned pro.

 

The tiny woman in the big car is Danica Patrick, the 5'2", 100-pound raven-haired Indy Racing League rookie. For two days, she's been testing her regular ride, the No.16 Rahal Letterman car, at Infineon's road course. The 23-year-old has been track-happy since she started racing shifter karts at age 10 in her home state of Wisconsin.

 

Unlike an Indy ride, a shifter kart doesn't boast 650 horsepower or top out at 230 mph. But the 42-hp sled isn't—pardon the pun—a day at the races. "Nothing's more physical than shifter karts," says Patrick's boss, 1986 Indy 500 champ Bobby Rahal. "A few laps beats you to death."

 

Is Toomer worried? Not especially. You don't become the Giants' all-time receiving-yards leader without good timing, quick reflexes and heaps of fearlessness. But karts don't just knock you around, they knock you around really quickly, as Buddy Rice, Patrick's teammate and last year's Indy 500 winner, tells Toomer. "In those shifter karts, you feel like you're going 200 mph," says Rice, in Sonoma to test his No.15 Rahal Letterman Honda. "You'll feel out of your element." Toomer can relate. "When I first got into the NFL, it was so fast," he says. "Totally different game. I remember thinking, I have never played football before."

 

TOOMER'S DAY at the track starts at 7 a.m. in a classroom trailer next to the kart course. Patrick joins him to listen as Russell's chief instructor, Mark Wolocatiuk, covers the basics. The kart has six gears and tops out at around 90 mph. There's no suspension, and with seats just one inch off the ground, the ride feels like … well, you're just one inch off the ground. "Driving a shifter kart is as close to the Indy Car experience as an average person will get," Wolocatiuk says.

 

Pointing to a diagram of the track on the wall, Wolocatiuk outlines a strategy for the 3/4-mile course. Brake hard into this turn. At this straightaway, be in fifth gear. Whatever you do, don't look right in front of you—look down the track. Toomer absorbs the info as if preparing for the Eagles' secondary. Nods. Shakes his head. Asks questions. What do you mean by understeer? Downshift when? I accelerate right out of the turn?

 

Surprisingly, Patrick also pays close attention. It's been seven years since she's climbed into a kart, and she asks questions in her clipped, concise manner. Can't you just crack off the throttle for shifting? When downshifting, do I have to blip the gas? Why are we in shifter karts? They're so hard.

 

Toomer laughs nervously. If Patrick thinks karts are hard, he might be in for a rough trip. Toomer peppers his racing mate with questions. The crucial one: what separates a speed demon from a speed bump? Concentration, she tells him, plus bravado, reflexes, instinct, preparation, coordination, intuition and perseverance. But mostly, feel. When you're feeling it, 220 mph seems effortless, like you're watching the race instead of driving in it. Toomer understands feel, at least in football.

 

"When you're in a groove," he says, "it's like no one's around and you're just pitching and catching. You don't get tired. You feel indestructible."

 

By 9 a.m., the two drivers are ready. No more questions. No more strategy. Toomer and Patrick grab their helmets and gloves and step outside. "It'll be a bit nerve-racking," Toomer says with a playful smile. "My only problem will probably be to push it harder than my skill level."

 

The big man takes off. Everything's perfect: dazzling sunshine, San Francisco Bay in the distance, an empty race track. Even the big man's father, Donald (a big man himself), has driven from Berkeley to watch. And as Toomer steers into Turn 1, he's finally driving a race car. Slowly. Very slowly.

 

"He's driving conservatively," says Wolocatiuk diplomatically. "He's respecting the potential."

 

Sure. "I'm going home to tell my wife that when he was driving, I was jogging next to the car," says Donald, howling with laughter. "It's not gonna hurt his ego, is it? I bet in his mind he's going 80."

 

He just might be, because inside the kart the wind blows, the landscape flies past and Toomer absorbs every tiny bump on the winding track. Turns seem like the banked monsters at Daytona, the throttle feels as powerful as Patrick's 16 car. Toomer can imagine he's Mario Andretti.

 

Then Patrick gets rolling. After granting Toomer a few warm-up laps, she tears onto the asphalt. Patrick floors it into every straightaway, slams the brakes into every curve, downshifts, upshifts. Her engine is maxed, wailing like a cat in a blender. She passes him. He slows. She passes him again, he spins out. She passes him again, he stalls.

 

Ten minutes later, Wolocatiuk waves the checkered flag and the two pros pull into pit lane. Toomer slides off his helmet, looking as if he's just been blindsided by a strong safety. Patrick laughs, shakes out her hair and slips on her shades.

 

What she doesn't do is give him a hard time. "Everyone's got to start somewhere," Patrick says, aware that she'll have her own hands full with her first Indy 500. "All I can say is, if I were doing his job, I'd want one of those ancient suits of armor."

 

The big man nods and eyes the track. "It's so much harder than it looks," he says. "I mean, it felt like I had never even driven before."

 

With that, the big man puts his helmet on, squeezes into the car and steers back onto the asphalt, knowing that all great racers are athletes, but all great athletes are not necessarily racers.

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[jerseygiantfan]

John Mara says Giants had to ax Plaxico Burress

 

BY Ohm Youngmisuk

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Friday, April 10th 2009, 12:40 AM

 

 

Speaking for the first time since the Giants released Plaxico Burress, John Mara said the team had had enough of the troubled wide receiver.

 

Mara revealed Thursday that the Giants had attempted to reach Burress repeatedly with no success, which angered the team president and CEO.

 

"I know (general manager) Jerry Reese had attempted to contact him on a number of occasions and was not able to get a hold of him, which to be honest with you irritated me quite a bit," Mara said as a guest on Chris Russo's "Mad Dog Unleashed" show on Sirius XM Radio. "I was fairly certain, to be honest with you, that at the end of the '08 season that he was probably not coming back to us. But we felt like there was no reason to make that decision until we got all the facts and circumstances, which we hoped to have by this hearing date that recently took place, but when that got postponed, we felt enough was enough, we can't keep waiting on this."

 

Mara also made it clear he was not happy with Mayor Bloomberg's initial criticism of the Giants and how the mayor thought they should have been more proactive in calling and informing New York City police after Burress accidentally shot himself last Nov. 29.

 

"I told (Bloomberg) that I took real exception to those (comments)," Mara said. "We reported that incident as soon as we found out (to) NFL security, and NFL security did notify NYPD. Any notion that there was any kind of attempt to cover this up is just ridiculous, and I told the mayor that I didn't appreciate his comments on that and he had his facts wrong. But that is in the past."

 

Even though Mara did not expect Burress to return for the coming season, he said the Giants wanted to see how Burress' legal case would progress before making a decision. Mara said that if the Giants had identified a wide receiver they wanted in free agency, they would have gone after that receiver despite not having made a decision on Burress. Shortly after Burress' court case was delayed on March31, the Giants released the wide receiver, who is facing two felony counts of criminal possession of a loaded and unlicensed weapon. The Giants and Burress were also involved in an arbitration battle over the terms of his contract and the punishment he received from the team in November. Burress, who told friends at last weekend's Final Four that he expects everything to work out, won the final $1 million payment of a $4.25 million signing bonus that the Giants withheld back in December.

[jerseygiantfan]

Sources: Giants, Browns at impasse

Comment Email Print Share

By Sal Paolantonio

ESPN.com

Archive

 

The New York Giants still have an interest in Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards as Plaxico Burress' replacement, but the two teams are at an impasse in trade talks, according to league sources.

 

Browns WR Braylon Edwards wrestles the ball from Ravens CB Frank Walker for a TD.

The Giants are now treating the Edwards trade as dead and are focusing on taking a wide receiver with the 29th pick, perhaps Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina, or jumping ahead of the Jets at No. 17 to take Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland.

 

In various discussions, the Browns have asked for defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and a first-round pick. Giants general manager Jerry Reese has told Cleveland that Kiwanuka is a deal-breaker.

 

In his last discussion with the Browns, Reese said the Giants might be willing to part with a second- and a fifth-round pick, league sources said. But nothing has come of it.

 

The Giants cut Burress on April 3, about four months after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a New York City nightclub.

 

Burress' status has been uncertain since the accidental shooting with an unlicensed gun he had stuffed into his waistband. He faces a felony weapons charge that could put him in prison for at least 3½ years if convicted. His next court date is June 15, but his attorneys and Manhattan prosecutors are still working on a possible plea agreement.

 

Burress, who was fined by the Giants and suspended after the shooting for the final four weeks of last season for conduct detrimental to the team, also faces possible NFL sanctions for violating its personal conduct policy.

 

Sal Paolantonio is an NFL reporter for ESPN. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[jerseygiantfan]

FOX SPORTS GRADES EVERY TEAM'S DRAFT

[jerseygiantfan]

2009 NFL Draft Superlatives

Andre Smith (AP/David Kohl)

 

 

By Chris Steuber

Scout.com NFL Draft Analyst

Posted Apr 27, 2009

 

 

 

With the NFL Draft behind us, Scout.com's NFL Draft Analyst Chris Steuber identifies the best and the worst from this past weekend. Find out this year's Draft Superlatives inside...

 

Best Draft

 

New York Giants

 

 

 

The New York Giants had a great weekend; they really improved their team. In the first round, they took North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks, who I believe will be the best WR from this year's draft class. Nicks is a consistent pass catcher who has reliable hands. He lacks elite speed, but is quick and makes plays downfield. He’s a tough runner after the catch and doesn’t go down easily. He’s a complete receiver. Nicks will give Eli Manning the receiver he needs now that Plaxico Burress is no longer with the Giants. The Giants selected Virginia LB Clint Sintim in the second round. The selection of Sintim will bolster the Giants linebacker core, however, he’s a classic 3-4 linebacker; he played the “elephant” position in Virginia’s 3-4 defense. At the Senior Bowl, Sintim got a taste of a 4-3 defense and played well under the Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff. Also in the second frame, the Giants drafted Connecticut OT William Beatty. An athletic left tackle who has to get stronger, Beatty has a chance to develop into a front-line starter. In a draft that featured premier talent at the OT position, Beatty was mentioned as a possible first round pick, so it was a great value for the Giants to get him with the 60th pick.

 

On Day Two, the Giants continued to add the best value on the board and, at the same time, address needs on their team. Cal Poly WR Ramses Barden had great value in the third round, and with his 6-foot-6, 229-pound frame, he could ease the loss of Burress, as he possesses similar characteristics. An intriguing selection also occurred in the third round in the form of 6-foot-3, 243-pound Travis Beckum. As a junior, Beckum caught 75 passes for 982 yards and six touchdowns, but he battled injuries this past season and only played in six games. If he were at full health this past season, Beckum would have received first round consideration. In the fourth round, the Giants stole NC State RB Andre Brown. Brown had a tremendous offseason and displayed outstanding speed, strength and blocking technique. The biggest concern surrounding Brown is his durability. He had a second round grade coming into this weekend, but teams were concerned about his left foot, which he had surgery on twice. In the fifth round, the Giants added Sam Houston State QB Rhett Bomar. A former Oklahoma recruit and a gunslinger with a lot of potential, Bomar had some off the field issues that caused his stock to drop. He’s a solid developmental quarterback that will create depth, and, if he progresses over the next couple of years, the Giants could parlay him for a quality draft pick.

 

The Giants rounded out their draft by selecting two cornerbacks: New Mexico CB DeAndre Wright in the sixth round and South Carolina Stoney Woodson in the seventh round.

 

GRADE: A+

 

 

 

Best Third Round Pick

 

Ramses Barden, WR, Cal Poly (New York Giants)

 

The selection of Ramses Barden is great for the Giants because it gives them a big, physical receiver who could eventually play a similar role to the one Plaxico Burress had in the offense. At 6-foot-6, 229 pounds, Barden has great measurables and the ability to be an outstanding redzone threat. Barden is the type of receiver who will be successful in the NFC East, and Eli Manning will have a lot of fun throwing his signature fade route to him.

 

 

Best Fourth Round Pick

 

Andre Brown, RB, NC State (New York Giants)

 

Again, the Giants did an excellent job in the draft. They got value in every round and the selection of Andre Brown in the fourth round was a great move. The Giants didn’t resign Derrick Ward, and they needed a tough runner to fill the vacancy. Brown has had injury problems in the past, but when healthy, he’s a productive runner. At the Senior Bowl, Brown was the best running back on the field and was consistent all week at practice and during the game. He’s a strong runner between the tackles, catches the ball nicely out of the backfield and demonstrates solid blocking technique. The Giants stole Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPLETE LIST

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants rookie WRs Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden hope to avoid injury

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Tuesday, April 28th 2009, 8:15 PM

 

 

The excitement over the offensive weapons the Giants added last weekend didn't quite filter down to Eli Manning. It's not that the Giants quarterback doesn't like his new targets. It's just that he's been down this rookie receiver road before.

 

"After being here five years and seeing how rookies come in, it is a learning curve," Manning said Tuesday. "It is a process. So we'll try to get them as much as they can and see what they can do and how they can help us next year."

 

Just how much they can help remains to be seen, but Manning didn't sound like he was expecting Hakeem Nicks (first round) or Ramses Barden (third) to step in and make the quarterback immediately forget about Plaxico Burress. In Manning's five seasons with the Giants, rookie receivers have often been more hype than substance. And they've seemed to get injured almost always before the regular season begins.

 

Steve Smith, a second-round pick in 2007, ended up missing most of his rookie year before becoming a factor in the playoffs. It happened to Sinorice Moss (second round, 2006), too, and he still hasn't recovered. And it happened last year to Mario Manningham (third round), who ended up hardly playing at all.

 

"Guys have been getting injured in training camp, and if you miss time as a rookie it's just hard to catch back up," Manning said. "You've got to keep going, and often they fall behind, and then you're into the season. So we've just got to get them in and see how quickly they can learn everything. That's what it's going to come down to. A lot is thrown at them. It is a learning curve. They're going to make mistakes. But if they're getting in there, getting reps and staying healthy, they'll learn a lot faster."

 

Meanwhile, Manning said he's "confident" in his veteran receivers, including Smith, Domenik Hixon and even the now-healthy David Tyree. And that trio didn't seem bothered at all that they were getting some competition.

 

"We have a good corps of guys and players on this team that can go out and compete every day and play well for us," Manning said. "Looking at the receivers we have right now, I'm very confident with the guys that we can go out there and play at a high level."

 

"It's all about competition and we've got a lot of at this position," added Tyree. "If you're not hungry enough - especially with the way things have shaken out at our position with last year's starters being gone - to just come in and compete and give it your all, then you don't have the right mind-set."

 

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants rookies Hakeem Nicks & Ramses Barden impress in 1st practice

 

By Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Saturday, May 9th 2009, 11:35 AM

 

 

They have a long way to go before they make anyone forget about Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, but Tom Coughlin did have something nice to say about his two newest receivers after their first NFL practice Friday morning.

 

"They caught the ball," the coach said. "They caught the ball well."

 

At least that's a step in the right direction for Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, the two promising receivers the Giants took in the first and third rounds of the NFL draft. They made no obvious mistakes during their first day of the weekend rookie minicamp at Giants Stadium.

 

And they didn't drop many balls, either.

 

The 6-foot, 212-pound Nicks looked particularly impressive, burning several overmatched corners with inside moves and deep speed. He even made one juggling catch on a deep route down the sideline. He impressed Coughlin with both his attitude and his ability to quickly pick up the offense.

 

"He worked well and he was humble," Coughlin said. "He seemed to do well coming out of his meeting. The information that we have on him is that he learns all the positions and he can line everybody up in the receiving corps. So that was a good plus for us. He carries himself well."

 

Nicks came off as all that in his first in-person session with the New York media. He skillfully deflected questions about replacing Burress and even downplayed his intial performance.

 

"That is what's in my job description - a wide receiver has to catch the ball," Nicks said. "And that is what I do."

 

Barden, the 6-6, 227-pounder out of Cal Poly, was only slightly less impressive. If he was having any trouble making the adjustment from Division I-AA to the pros it wasn't obvious, though he knows that could change when he reports to the full-team minicamp in mid-June.

 

"It's an adjustment period and everybody's going to have some different adjustments," Barden said. "It's about how hard I can work."

 

KEEP 'EM AWAY: Brandon Jacobs predicted a 13-win season for the Giants in an appearance on ESPN Radio yesterday. He also made it clear he doesn't want his team to trade for veteran WR Braylon Edwards. "I don't want him," Jacobs said. "I just think the chemistry between the teammates that I have now is great. I'm glad that we didn't go forward and get him or (Anquan) Boldin."

 

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Nicks not worried about filling Plax's shoes

 

May 14, 2009 12:00 PM

 

 

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

 

Even though the New York Giants finally cut ties with wide receiver Plaxico Burress, he still casts a pretty large shadow. His accidental shooting and subsequent suspension coincided with the team's late-season slide, which bordered on an all-out collapse.

 

And that's why we spent a large part of our offseason tracking every report/rumor that had the Giants acquiring either Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards in a trade. At one point, the Edwards trade seemed like a foregone conclusion. But in the end, general manager Jerry Reese and coach Tom Coughlin refused to let Burress' absence hold them hostage. The Cardinals and Browns were asking too much, and that's why the Giants kept their draft picks and selected North Carolina's Hakeem Nicks late in the first round.

 

 

Nicks was a superstar at Charlotte (N.C.) Independent High School before becoming the Tar Heels' all-time leading receiver. He always seemed to save his best performances for the biggest games, which sort of reminded the Giants of a receiver who'd made the game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLII.

 

And no matter how much you hear from the Giants about their talented -- if not raw -- group of receivers, Nicks is supposed to eventually replace Burress as the team's big-play receiver. Don't get distracted by all those Ramses Barden features you're reading. He may be built more like Burress, but it's not fair to mention them in the same sentence.

 

Nicks, though, drew comparisons to Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin while playing for one of Irvin's old coaches at North Carolina. Butch Davis was on Jimmy Johnson's University of Miami staff in the late '80s and then followed him to the Cowboys, where Irvin was waiting. Davis told Nicks that his fearless style reminded him of Irvin.

 

Several scouts have told me, though, that Nicks reminds them most of Boldin, a player the Giants have coveted for years. You would think all the expectations might wear on Nicks, but he doesn't seem fazed.

 

"I really don't feel any pressure," Nicks told me via phone Tuesday. "I just have to keep doing what I did all through college. Actually, it's a lot of the same stuff. We had the same style of offense at North Carolina, so it doesn't feel like a big leap."

 

And that's where the Giants think Nicks has a built-in advantage. In addition to having excellent speed and freakishly large hands (4XL gloves), Nicks spent hours watching film of Eli Manning and his receivers during college. Apparently offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach John Shoop was a big fan of the Giants' offense, which might explain why everything seemed easy for Nicks at the Giants' rookie minicamp last weekend.

 

As we discussed earlier, Davis knows a thing or two about explosive receivers. In 2000, he had future NFL stars Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson and Santana Moss on the same team at Miami. He felt like the combination of Nicks, Brandon Tate and Brooks Foster at North Carolina was at least in the same neighborhood as his Hurricanes' group. And he agrees that Nicks may have a head start on other rookie receivers in the league.

 

"We run what everybody in the NFL runs," Davis told Dallas Morning News draft expert Rick Gosselin in March. "So every kid here has run every route, every route adjustment you can run. Every kid here knows how to move a defender and change the leverage of the corner or safety because of his release. They're going to come out of here and be a lot more polished than most college receivers."

 

Publicly, the Giants will talk about how Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith are projected to start in '09. But in reality, they're hoping Nicks forces his way into the starting lineup during training camp. Everyone always talks about how it takes awhile for receivers to make an impact in this league. Well, the Giants watched Eagles rookie DeSean Jackson make a large impact in '08 and they remember what Boldin did his first couple of seasons with the Cardinals. At some positions, the Giants can afford to have three-year plans. Receiver is not one of those.

 

 

For his part, Nicks doesn't run from the Burress comparison. He lists his favorite receivers in the league as the Panthers' Steve Smith and Burress -- in that order. Growing up in Charlotte, Nicks had a bird's-eye-view of Smith's prolific career.

 

"He used to come up to my high school," Nicks said of Smith. "But we didn't meet until I was playing in a bowl game my last year at UNC. He called me about two weeks after that game, and said he'd been watching me and that he wanted me to keep working hard. That meant the world to me."

 

But what does he think about Burress?

 

"He was the rare athlete," Nicks said. "His height. His eyes. The speed. He was just a really interesting guy to watch, and that's the biggest reason I always watched Giants games. I loved watching Eli throw him the deep post down the middle and the speed routes were great to watch. He'll always make something happen, and that's sort of my approach."

 

The Giants will continue to insist that Nicks doesn't need to become Plaxico Burress. At least not until December.

[Lubeck]

Pssst....it's 2009

 

 

 

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