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WR Hakeem Nicks skips Giants' workout, eventually hoping to land new contract

 

By Jason Cole | Yahoo! Sports – 2 hours 30 minutes ago

 

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Getty Images/Getty Images - EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 09: Hakeem Nicks #88 of the New York Giants carries the ball as Patrick Robinson #21 of the New Orleans Saints defends on December 9, 2012 at MetLife …more 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – As if the New York Giants and Victor Cruz weren't involved in enough of a stare down, fellow wide receiver Hakeem Nicks sent the team a little message by not showing up for practice Wednesday.

Pay day is coming soon for Nicks, too.

That was the unstated goal of Nicks' not attending the Giants' organized team activity practice, a source indicated Wednesday. Strictly speaking, Nicks didn't violate any rules. OTAs are, after all, voluntary. However, in the lexicon of NFL, voluntary is a synonym for mandatory.

Even if that's an oxymoron.

 

Then again, it doesn't take a bunch of SAT words to get the point Nicks was making by not showing up. His absence left quarterback Eli Manning throwing passes to the likes of Jerrel Jernigan, Rueben Randle and Louis Murphy. That's a far cry from the group that carried the Giants to a Super Bowl victory a little more than 15 months ago.

Manning handled that situation well. He expressed only the mildest disappointment with Nicks' and Cruz's absence, saying this was an important time of  year to work on timing.

"You'd like everybody to be here so we can work on getting better, but you deal with what you have and go on," Manning said.

It's also not as if Nicks wasn't around. On Tuesday night, Nicks was at a Giants charity function for United Way. By the time Wednesday morning came for everyone to run around in shorts and t-shirts, Nicks wasn't around.

"I don't know," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said when asked about Nicks. "He should be here."

Asked if he expected Nicks to be there, the irritation was obvious in Coughlin's tone.

"Yeah, sure I did," the coach said. "I expect everybody to be here, trying to get our team better."

Nicks, who was a first-round NFL draft pick in 2009, has one year remaining on his original contract. Cruz has been tendered a one-year, $2.879 million deal as a restricted free agent. He has refused to sign the tender, hoping to get a long-term contract worth in the area of $10 million per year.

The Giants are offering a deal closer to $7 million per year and that number is important in multiple ways. First, Cruz's contract will help set the parameters for Nicks, who the Giants consider to be their primary wide receiver – not Cruz, despite what the stats might indicate.

While Cruz is a dynamic player with the speed and quickness to play either in the slot or outside, 6-foot-1 Nicks is considered more of a class matchup problem for defenses. Thus, Nicks will likely command something much closer to the range of $10 million per year, if not more.

[More Justin Tuck turns to Tony Robbins to help improve his game]

Second, the Giants have to be careful not to overpay on a player who could be replaceable. The team spent a second-round pick on Randle last season. Since being ranked the No. 2 player in the country in high school, Randle has long been considered a great athlete who is simply waiting to develop into a top-flight receiver.

On Wednesday, the absence of Cruz and Nicks allowed Randle to get extensive work with Manning.

"Last year was really just a whirlwind, trying to learn the playbook and understand everything," Randle said. "I'm really starting to understand it and have it slow down for me."

 

Likewise, Jernigan had moments when he looked really sharp on routes, catching three consecutive passes from Manning at one point. Jernigan also did a nice job on a deep pass down the left side over cornerback Prince Amukamara. Although Amukamara came back to deflect the pass, Jernigan easily could have slowed down to get better position or at least draw a pass interference call if this wasn't a practice situation.

"You're out there and you don't want guys running into each other, maybe getting hurt," Jernigan said. "If it was an actual game, yeah, I would have slowed down. But this was just about getting into the best position without anybody colliding."

Third, fitting Cruz, Nicks, defensive lineman Justin Tuck (a free agent after this season) and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (a free agent after 2014), into the team's salary cap could get dicey.

"Do I think about that?" Tuck asked. "Why would I? I just go out and do my job. I'm old enough to know better. You can't control it and if you try, it just gets worse."

That said, Nicks was thinking about the whole situation and he was sending a message in absentia.

NFL.com on top five receivers under the age of 25:

 

 

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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--wr-hakeem-nicks-skips-giants--workout--irritates-coach-tom-coughlin--234525717.html

 

WTF? I don't see either being Giants in 2014

[Dragon]

The last thing we need is a Diva-filled WR corps. Both of them need to get their whining asses in otas.

[fringe]

Receivers are a bunch of whiny ass little girls. Can't wait until the pendulum swings back to the running game.

[NeMesiS]

And so it begins!!!

[*SDMF*]

I would pay Nicks before I paid Cuz.

[Iceman_NYG]

Brace yourselves. The diva drama is unfolding. And why the fuck are we not able to decide on the contracts?

[Lughead]

Ramse Barden likely to re-sign with the Giants today. He is coming in for physical.

[Sephiroth]

Ramse Barden likely to re-sign with the Giants today. He is coming in for physical.

 

Two words: Super Bowl.

[BleedinBlue]

I have a hard time believing that Nicks was unhappy and wanted his contract restructured....but didn't bother to say anything? And now the front office is figuring it out based on him being a no-show at the OTA's?

 

Has anyone seen the parallel going on in the last few years in which we have a plethora of great wide receivers and a QB that happens to have come into his own?

 

Steve Smith was phenomenal....he left and became a nobody. Manningham was phenomenal....he left and became a nobody.

 

Not saying that Nicks and Cruz can't be good on another team, but at some point they have to realize that all the time spent with Eli getting routes down and timing down, suddenly they're racking up pro-bowl type seasons.

 

Regardless....I don't think it's coincidence that we've had a superb receiving corps since Eli has matured and settled in at the pro level. Eli is so low key that he is overlooked as the other half of the passing game and he is more than happy to let the receivers take all the glory for catching the ball. He works his ass off with each receiver so he's inside their heads and ruthlessly works on his timing to make that receiver look good.

 

I saw in the news that Eli is spending a lot of time working with Murphy one-on-one. What do you want to bet that Murphy turns out to be a great receiver this year? Hopefully, he will have the insight to understand that his success is also due to the man who has set him up to succeed.

[BleedinBlue]

Great article on Super Bowl Nation (BBV) Kinda backs up my point in the previous post about Eli "making" receivers better.

 

 

The New York Giants were missing Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz on the first day of OTAs on Wednesday, but that just opened the door for the other wide receivers in blue to receive increased repetitions with the first-string offense.

 

Rueben Randle and Jerrel Jernigan replaced Nicks and Cruz as starters in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills, with newcomer Louis Murphy also seeing plenty of action. It was a chance for Murphy in particular to get acclimated with his new quarterback, Eli Manning, and while the reps were important to the replacements, Manning is going to need his starters back in camp sooner rather than later.

 

"You've still got to work on your timing," Manning said. "You've still got to work on the basics and everybody needs it. I need the basics. How many times have I thrown a hitch in my life? Or a curl route? I've still got to do it. I've still got to get those things and work them, but it is good to have other guys in there running routes and getting your timing down with other guys.

 

That's how you look at it, but you'd still like to have all your guys out there. We all need to work. We all need to practice. We all need to improve on things."

 

Cruz is still trying to work out a long-term extension with the Giants, which explains his absence. The team would love to do the same for Nicks, entering the final season of his contract. Nicks had a minor scope of his knee done in the offseason, but that didn't explain why he wasn't accounted for, according to head coach Tom Coughlin.

 

"Yeah, sure I did," Coughlin said of whether he expected Nicks to attend. "I expect everybody here. Trying to get our team better here."

 

Until the big guns arrive, Coughlin is hoping increased reps equate to greater results in the passing game. Signed as a free agent in March, Murphy, 26, caught 25 passes for 336 yards and a touchdown last season for the Carolina Panthers. Drafted in the fourth round in 2009 by the Oakland Raiders, Murphy enjoyed his best season in 2010 with the silver and black, grabbing 41 passes for 609 yards and two scores His strengths are speed and stretching the field, on full display on Monday when he caught a 50-yard bomb from Manning behind the secondary.

 

Randle enters the 2013 season with expectations of an increased role. The Giants' second-round pick in 2012 caught 19 passes for 298 yards as a rookie. With the departures of Domenik Hixon and Ramses Barden, this summer presents a golden opportunity for Randle to secure the third wide receiver's job.

 

Jernigan, the Giants' third-round pick in 2011, will be under the microscope. He has just three catches for 22 yards in two seasons. For as long as Cruz is out, Jernigan will be the team's slot guy, but with an increased role comes greater responsibility.

 

"I think it's about time that he steps up," said offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

 

It's just one day into OTAs, but Manning is already impressed with the replacements.

 

"Yeah. I hit Louis on a deep one," Manning said. "I got Rueben in there. I got Jernigan some catches. We're getting everybody in there getting them a lot of reps, getting on time with them. We're always going to get better. Whoever is on the field, we're going to expect them to go out there and play at a high level. So I think the more guys you have who are experienced and ready to play different positions, the better off we're going to be.

 

The Giants are also breaking in a new tight end. Brandon Myers was signed from Oakland to replace Martellus Bennett. Myers had issues as a blocker, but also finished in the top six among tight ends in targets, catches and receiving yards. He'll also need to develop chemistry with Manning, a signal-caller who has a knack for turning his tight ends into big-play threats.

 

"Each year, you're going to have challenges," Manning said. "Each year you're going to have new guys in there you're trying to get up to speed or you're trying to get them to perform and throw as much at them and see how quickly they can adapt and grasp things and that's what makes it exciting. That's what makes it challenging. That's what keeps me going every year.

 

"I enjoy the challenges. I enjoy teaching our offense to new guys and getting them to when it finally starts to kick in and get them understanding and you start making plays. They kind of learn one part of it and then you kind of go into the next part and you get more advanced. Those are things I enjoy doing."

[NightFire]

It's called OTAs so they have the right to skip and look at what happened to Crabtree. I wouldn't take the chance either and I think Nicks is still not 110%.

[Nas]

I would pay Nicks before I paid Cuz.

 

Why? The #s alone say Cruz has been the better WR... Cruz was on the field while Nicks was on the bench... I'm not saying Cruz is #1 but you know what... PLAY first then get paid...

[BleedinBlue]

It's called OTAs so they have the right to skip and look at what happened to Crabtree. I wouldn't take the chance either and I think Nicks is still not 110%.

 

True...but anyone who works for Coughlin knows the word "optional" is bogus if you want to stay on TC's good side. It's like, you can show up late for a meeting - but do you really want to go there with TC watching what decisions you make about being a team player?

 

Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports is claiming it's "about the money". Hopefully he's dead wrong. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--wr-hakeem-nicks-skips-giants--workout--irritates-coach-tom-coughlin--234525717.html

[Nas]

It's called OTAs so they have the right to skip and look at what happened to Crabtree. I wouldn't take the chance either and I think Nicks is still not 110%.

 

Eh, what's there not to be 100% in May? The season was over 5 months ago. Besides the silence is telling.... he could have easily told the Coach... some kind of an excuse but this is gamesmanship at its worst.

[Nas]

Ramses Barden is set to return to the Giants months after announcing his departure from the team

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/barden-close-re-upping-giants-article-1.1352143#ixzz2U7Y4nyUt

[Nas]

Nicks skips Giants OTAs because he’s not happy with contract: report

 

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/no_show_nicks_JznAxk5VksBNIVVkmDi4FK

[Mr. P]

at this point dont offer long term to nicks or cruz, whoever is the better player this season gets the offer and the other can fuckin walk.

[BleedinBlue]

What do you want to bet that Randle and Murphy get a lot of playing time this season? The Giants could give them a ton of playing time marginalizing Nicks and Cruz's touches and taking away their big numbers.

 

Nicks and Cruz would be in a lot better shape to hold the Giants hostage if the Giants didn't have Randle and Murphy waiting in the wings for their shot.

 

If Cruz had a brain in his head, he'd take whatever offer the Giants gave him. He's a celebrity in NYC where he will make more money off-field than on the field. Once he lands in St. Louis or Jacksonville or wherever...he'll just be another WR with a shitty QB and the limelight of NY will be long gone. Cruz is a fool if he leaves the Giants.

[MikeGL]

Here we go again, another one? This is getting absurd!

[Nas]

What do you want to bet that Randle and Murphy get a lot of playing time this season? The Giants could give them a ton of playing time marginalizing Nicks and Cruz's touches and taking away their big numbers.

 

Nicks and Cruz would be in a lot better shape to hold the Giants hostage if the Giants didn't have Randle and Murphy waiting in the wings for their shot.

 

If Cruz had a brain in his head, he'd take whatever offer the Giants gave him. He's a celebrity in NYC where he will make more money off-field than on the field. Once he lands in St. Louis or Jacksonville or wherever...he'll just be another WR with a shitty QB and the limelight of NY will be long gone. Cruz is a fool if he leaves the Giants.

 

What ticks me off about this shit is... it's uncalled for. You have another year on your contract for one... and then you're supposed to start talking... and you see Cruz is waiting his deal... shouldn't you be a good sport and leave a good impression on the organization that they actually give you a great deal?

[fringe]

Two words: Super Bowl.

lol

[Herc]

Why? The #s alone say Cruz has been the better WR... Cruz was on the field while Nicks was on the bench... I'm not saying Cruz is #1 but you know what... PLAY first then get paid...

 

[Herc]

i didn't hold this against strahan or osi and im not holding it against either of these guys. they'll be in giants uniform this season unless they get traded and that's all i care about. the truth is it's time to give at least one of these guys a deal

[Allstarjim]

What pdouble said. Nicks has to prove he's more durable than he's been. He's a tremendous player when healthy, but we can't have a 75% healthy Nicks earning $11 mil per season. But when he was playing last year, that was about what we were getting from him. There's only a couple of receivers in the NFL I'd take over Nicks at 100%. Guys like Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitz, AJ Green and Julio Jones. It's a very short list. I think it would be easier to replace Cruz's production and what he brings to the game, but he's been the healthy one that has produced.

 

Said it before and I'll say it one more time. I'd rather Cruz play for his tender this year than lock him up right now. See what you have out of Nicks this year, then you can make a decision on who to give the money to.

[Herc]

dp