SB Nation Giants 2012 New York Giants
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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning knows better than most what it takes for an NFL team to be successful, and he believes the league's best teams waste no preparation time.
"Right now," Manning said of when he thinks the season starts, referring to the Giants' OTAs. "I think it starts in the spring, whenever you start working out. A few weeks ago, we got everybody back and started preparing for this upcoming season. Obviously, I think the on-the-field stuff is the most important thing, where you get guys back focused in on what we need to do to improve as an offense on the field."
Manning said it's especially important for new players to understand how the Giants operate.
"It's just understanding how we practice, how we prepare," he said. "When we're on that practice field, it's business. Everything's full speed, everything's preparing to get better in some way, whatever that is. Nothing's done half-speed or without some sort of mindset, going into that practice, what we're going to improve on."
More from Manning on what OTAs mean for a football club can be found on Giants.com.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is one of five people selected to receive the United States Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Award on Wednesday night during a ceremony at Whipple Field at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va.
The honor is the third-highest public service honor the Army can give a civilian. Courtesy of a press release, here's the citation that will be presented to Coughlin by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno.
For outstanding service to the United States Army, Soldiers and families. Your consistent, outward public support of the U.S. Army and the military in general have had far reaching positive impacts on the health and morale of our service members at home and deployed overseas. Your generous outreach to servicemen and women and military families through opportunities to attend New York Giants practices and games and your visits with Soldiers have been remarkable. Your trip to Iraq and participation in the USO tour in July 2009 significantly improved the morale of our deployed Soldiers. The New York Giants players and coaches visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center following the 2008 Super Bowl victory tremendously improved the morale of our wounded warriors and was a testament to your continued substantial support to our wounded warrior program. Your selfless, outstanding efforts have had dramatic, positive impacts on the health of the force, our Soldiers and the United States Army.
The ceremony begins at 6 p.m.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin will turn 66 years old in three months, but still has no plans to retire in the near future.
Coughlin told the Florida Times-Union on Monday that he doesn't even think about giving up life as an NFL coach.
"I'm not mentally, not physically, ready [to retire]," said Coughlin, who played host to his 17th annual Jay Fund golf tournament Monday to benefit cancer-stricken families on the First Coast. "I feel I have good energy. I'm excited every day. The competitiveness, the nature of the business, is something that I'm still excited about. I don't wander down that path. I don't think about retirement. I enjoy the situation I'm in. I appreciate the backing I've received from [Giants] ownership and the way the players have responded to our program.
"I really don't feel any pull or tug in another direction. I look at it on a yearly basis. In our business, no matter how many years they give you on the contract, it's a one-year deal anyway."
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
Cover your eyes, New York Jets fans! Today is the day the Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants receive their rings, and the team unveiled photos of the fourth Super Bowl championship ring in franchise history on Wednesday morning. You can see all of the photos at Big Blue View.
The ring was made by Tiffany & Co. and will be presented to the team in a private ceremony Wednesday evening at Tiffany's in Manhattan.
Giants team captains Eli Manning, Justin Tuck and Zak DeOssie were involved in the design of the ring, along with coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese.
"We took in a lot of opinions. We all came to a decision to make this ring our ring, because everyone loved it. When Tiffany brought it in the last day, there was silence because everyone was thinking, ‘Wow.' It really captured everything we wanted to capture in the ring," Tuck said. "Coach Coughlin was adamant about having ‘World Champions' on it. Plus they did a great job designing the ring to fit around our fingers and really look good on your hand - not just having a big, ostentatious ring on your hand. They worked on the balance of the ring when it's on your hand. I think Tiffany did a great job."
The New York Giants get their 2012 Super Bowl rings Wednesday evening in a ceremony at Tiffany & Co. in Manhattan. Punter Steve Weatherford apparently could not wait to share a look at the ring, tweeting a photo of the design on Tuesday. He added "She sure is pretty."
Judge for yourself after the jump.
The New York Giants announced Monday that safety Chad Jones has been waived.
Jones, a 2010 third-round NFL Draft pick who was severely injured in a car accident two months after the draft, was waived after not passing a physical.
"Chad had a severe injury to his left leg, involving a complex tibial fracture with associated injury to muscle, nerves, and vascular structures," said Dr. Scott Rodeo, a Giants associate team physician. "This type of injury is often limb threatening, and can sometimes require amputation. He has made a remarkable recovery to date, with successful salvage of the leg. However, at this time he has residual sensory loss, muscle weakness, and tenuous soft tissue coverage in the involved lower leg. The resultant functional impairment precludes his ability to perform physically at the level required for professional football."
Jones is officially listed as waived/failed physical.
"We consider Chad to be part of the Giants family, and we'll continue to work with him in his rehab," general manager Jerry Reese said. "As we've said since his accident, we're thankful he is alive and able to lead a normal life."
Jones, through his agent, thanked the Giants organization and said that he anticipates a full recovery within a few months.
-- For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
Chad Jones, the New York Giants' 2010 draft choice who has yet to play an NFL down after almost dying in a car accident, is reportedly "not close" to an NFL return despite being present during the team's offseason workout program.
The New York Post reports that Jones is still in the rehabilitation portion of his recovery and has "a long way to go."
The safety, a third-round draft choice out of LSU in 2010, has undergone 14 surgeries since a car accident on June 25, 2010 threatened his life. He is not cleared to play in this week's rookie camp, is not expected to resume activities by the time veteran camp arrives on June 12, and the Giants do not believe he's likely to return to the field this season.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
Joe Martinek, the former Rutgers University running back, will be among the contingent of hopefuls who hit the field at the Timex Performance Center Friday morning when the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants begin their three-day rookie mini-camp.
Martinek, 6-foot and 224 pounds, was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent. The New Jersey native said the "Giants were the right choice" for him to try to establish an NFL career.
"When I went to work out with them I think I proved to them that I belong on this level. I belong on their team and can definitely help their team," Martinek said. "I think I opened up their eyes -- people who don't know me I plan on opening up their eyes, too."
A complete roster of the players who will be working out for the Giants over the next three days will not be available until Friday morning.
We know, however, that Martinek will be joined by the players the Giants selected in the recently-completed NFL Draft. That list is as follows:
Round 1 (32nd) -- David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech; Round 2 (63rd) -- Rueben Randle, WR, LSU; Round 3 (94th) -- Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech; Round 4 (127th) -- Adrien Robinson, TE, Cincinnati; Round 4 (131st) -- Brandon Mosley, OL, Auburn; Round 6 (201st) -- Matt McCants, OT, UAB; Round 7 -- Markus Kuhn, DT, N.C. State.
The practices during the mini-camp are not open to the public. There will be four practices open to the media, however, two on Friday and two on Saturday. Follow SB Nation's Big Blue View on Twitter for reports from the mini-camp.
The New York Giants have reportedly agreed to terms with rookie tight end, Adrien Robinson (via NY Daily News).
Giants general manager Jerry Reese has referred to the former Cincinnati Bearcats tight end as the Jason Pierre Paul of tight ends. Reese said
"We really think this guy has a huge upside," Reese said after the draft. "He is a big, big man (with) long arms. He didn't catch a lot of balls for them, but he is kind of a late bloomer who has really come on.
"We think this guy is kind of a JPP of tight ends. We like these kind of people. We're excited about him. We think he can really come on and develop and be a terrific football player for us."
When Reese says that Robinson (who was taken 127th overall) didn't make many catches for the Bearcats, he is hardly understating the point. In four years at Cincinnati, Robinson made 29 receptions for 434 yards and five touchdowns. Robinson does have plenty of size (6-foot-4, 264) and opportunity going into training camp with all of the injuries New York has had at the position.
Robinson is the first of the Giants' 2012 NFL Draft picks to agree to a contract.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out Big Blue View.
Osi Umenyiora tweeted Tuesday that he expects to be in a wheelchair by the age of 45 because of his time in the NFL, but said during an Outside the Lines special on ESPN that the Tweet was just an exaggeration -- or, at least, he hopes.
"Its an awesome game and has done a lot for me, but i know when im 45 there is a strong chance il be in a wheelchair," Umenyiora tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
Long-term effects of concussions have become magnified during the years as scientists learn more about them, and last week's suicide of Junior Seau only heightened the concerns.
Umenyiora's name was included Tuesday in a trade rumor that had the Baltimore Ravens offering a third-round draft pick in exchange for New York's talented defensive end.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
The defending Super Bowl champions get back to work on May 11, when the team's first minicamp opens. The New York Giant announced the team's schedule for minicamps and organized team activities on Wednesday afternoon.
Rookies get together from May 11 through May 13 for the annual rookie minicamp. The entire team takes the practice field for a minicamp scheduled to run from June 12-14.
Organized team activities happen at several times during the offseason, the number of workout dates limited by the collective bargaining agreement hammered out in 2011 between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. The date for the Giants' OTAs are as follows:
May 23-24, May 30-June 1, June 4-5, and June 7-8
The Giants open the NFL regular season with a division matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, September 5.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
If the 24-hour sport news cycle is slowly trying to turn the New York Giants Osi Umenyiora war of words against the front-office brass, mainly general manager Jerry Reese, into something the Jets orginazation would orchestrate. Well, its not working too well.
That's because Giants' general manager Reese answered questions Tuesday regarding Umenyiora's angry comments, that basically called Reese a liar, with a shrug of the shoulders.
"I don’t carry grudges," Reese insisted. "That’s the offseason. That’s part of the job. In the offseason there’s always some controversies about contracts. It’s never personal. I don’t think it’s personal with respect to players. It’s definitely not personal with respect to me. It’s just part of the business."
Reese made in clear that the Giants would like Umenyiora to be blue uniform until his retirement.
"The New York Giants, we’re a better football team with Osi Umenyiora on our team," Reese said. "We respect him as a football player. So our goal is to have Osi play football for the New York Giants and retire as a Giant. That’s what we’d like to do first.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
Who says the offseason should be a quiet and peaceful time for the World Champions?
The New York Giants and their star defensive end Osi Umenyiora are at odds again over a contract dispute that has the two-time Super Bowl champ calling general manager Jerry Reese on the carpet.
In an email to the New York Daily News, Umenyiora had the following to say:
"Last year I was offered incentives. This year they offered me in guaranteed money, HALF of what they just gave Kiwi guaranteed. HALF," Umenyiora wrote. "I’m not making that up. Then Jerry tells the world they offered me an extension and I turned it down. And I look like a greedy pig for turning it down. Hilarious."
Umenyiora was referring to Mathias Kiwanuka, who signed a three-year contract extension worth $10.95 million in guaranteed money.
This is clearly going to be another contentious summer for these two sides, with the battle lines drawn in the sand. Umenyiora is obviously a very important piece to the puzzle, but the Giants have to be careful with their ever-present cap situation.
It would be a shame if the two can't come to a deal and Umenyiora gets dealt after he had 12 1/2 sacks in 13 games, but it is a business after all.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View along with SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
Mathias Kiwanuka, a key member of the New York Giants defensive unit, has reportedly signed a contract extension thru the 2015 season with the team.
Kiwanuka, who plays both defensive end and linebacker for the Giants, could have become a free agent following the 2012 season.
Drafted in the first round by the Giants in 2006, Kiwanuka has 27 sacks in six season for New York. In 2011 he had 3.5 sacks and 85 tackles while splitting time as a linebacker and occasional pass-rushing defensive end. Kiwanuka missed most of the 2010 season with a neck injury that was thought at the time to be career-threatening.
Where Kiwanuka will play in the Giants’ 2012 defensive scheme is not yet known. The Giants have a plethora of linebackers, and could be short of defensive ends — particularly if they trade the often-disgruntled Osi Umenyiora before the end of the ongoing NFL Draft.
In an offseason highlighted by so many positives after winning the Super Bowl in February, reality is starting to set back in if only a little.
Star defensive end Osi Umenyiora told Boomer & Carton of WFAN radio on Wednesday morning that he probably wouldn't play without a new contract.
"Man, I never want to say never. But I just doubt, I seriously doubt that that’s gonna be the case. I doubt that would happen."
When asked how Umenyiora would feel about signing a hypothetical two-year, $9 million guaranteed extension to add onto his current pact, he was non-committal to say the least.
"I don’t know how I’m supposed to (sign that deal). I don’t know how I can," he said. "Obviously, you see Trent Cole doing what he did, signing his extension. You see Robert Mathis, he’s 31 years old, who I feel like I’m just as good as. You see the numbers that they signed, I don’t see how I can sign that deal."
The Giants are in a tough spot because Umenyiora is obviously part of their biggest strength; the defensive line.
With Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck, the trio forms a dominating display. However, the salary cap does rear it's ugly head from time-to-time.
It will be a storyline to watch this weekend if a team makes a good offer for Mr. Umenyiora.
For more on the Giants, please be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
The New York Giants have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension with long snapper Zak DeOssie, which will pay the specialist $3.45 million over the duration of the extension. $900,000 of that money is guaranteed.
Without the extension, DeOssie, 28, would have become an unrestricted free agent following the 2012 season. The former linebacker decided to focus solely on long snapping in 2010 and has been a reliable snapper for the duration of his time in New York.
New York also rewarded punter Steve Weatherford this offseason, giving him a five-year, $12.5 million deal. Kicker Lawrence Tynes could become a free agent after this season. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, there are "no indications" that Tynes and the Giants are close to a deal.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for updates on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
A second Super Bowl win in the last four seasons did not quench Justin Tuck's thirst. In fact, the New York Giants' defensive end was underwhelmed with his own injury-riddled campaign and has been working out with renewed vigor to return healthy and improved in 2012.
"I really never stopped working," defensive captain Justin Tuck said today after participating in the team's offseason workouts. "This is your first day seeing me but I've been here a lot. It really isn't any different for me other than everybody else is in here."
"I'm just working harder," he said. "Last year, with all of the uncertainty around football, I might've laxed a little bit in my regimens. But I guarantee you that won't be the case this year."
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
Here's a sigh of relief for New York Giants fans: star wide receiver Victor Cruz has reportedly guaranteed he will play the 2012 season at his currently scheduled salary and will not hold out:
Victor Cruz just guaranteed to me that he would play the 2012 season at his scheduled salary and would not hold out. #NYG
— Bart Hubbuch (@NYPost_Hubbuch) April 19, 2012
It's great news for the defending Super Bowl champs, as the possibility of a Cruz holdout -- he's scheduled to make just $540,000 in 2012 -- seemed legit.
But now that such a scenario has been put to bed, or at least temporarily, it's likely the team will focus on either extending Cruz or preparing an offer for him at the conclusion of the 2012 season.
After going undrafted out of UMass in 2010, Cruz became a star for New York in 2011, finishing with 82 catches for 1,536 yards and 9 scores in 16 regular season games. He carried his strong play over into the playoffs, finishing with 269 postseason receiving yards during the Giants' march to a Super Bowl victory.
See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants.
The New York Giants have been rewarded for their Super Bowl title with what looks to be the NFL's toughest schedule. The G-Men's opponents combined for a .547 winning percentage last season, and that includes disappointing seasons from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, who should both be improved this year.
As Sports Illustrated's Don Banks asserts in his 2012 NFL schedule snap judgments, the Giants' schedule is brutal.
Good luck to the defending Super Bowl champion Giants. Lord knows they're going to need it. You can't project these things accurately, of course, but New York's schedule looks brutal at first glance.
Not only does Tom Coughlin's team have rematches with all three teams it beat in the NFC playoffs -- Week 6 at San Francisco, Week 12 at home against the Packers, Week 15 at Atlanta -- but also New York faces four other playoff clubs from a year ago: Week 9 vs. the Steelers, Week 10 at Cincinnati, Week 14 vs. the Saints, and Week 16 at the Ravens.
On top of that, you can mix in a tough trip to ascending Carolina in Week 3, two games against Robert Griffin III and a Redskins team that swept the Giants last year, and then the four annual knock-down, drag-out games New York seems to have with NFC East foes Philadelphia and Dallas.
Want more? The Giants play three of their first four games in prime time, don't get their bye until Week 11, and become the first team in NFL history to play on a Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Monday night in the same season.
Enjoy that defense of your Super Bowl title, G-men. If you go back-to-back, you're going to earn it maybe more so than any other champion in recent memory.
READ THE REST OF BANKS' SNAP JUDGMENTS.
See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants. For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation.
What, you expected the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants to have it easy when the 2012 NFL Schedule was released? Well, you should have known better. Based on team records in 2011, the Giants have the most difficult schedule in the league as their opponents combined for a .547 winning percentage last season.
Things to note about the schedule.
The games I am most looking forward to? The opener against Dallas and the Sunday night game vs. Green Bay. The Giants and Packers meet for the third straight season.
Week 1: Cowboys at Giants, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Week 2: Buccaneers at Giants, Sunday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 3: Giants at Panthers, Thursday, Sept. 20, 8:20 p.m. (NFL Network)
Week 4: Giants at Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 30, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 5: Browns at Giants, Sunday, Oct. 7, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 6: Giants at 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:15 (FOX)
Week 7: Redskins at Giants, Sunday, Oct. 21, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 8: Giants at Cowboys, Sunday, Oct. 28, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Week 9: Steelers vs. Giants, Sunday, Nov. 4, 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Week 10: Giants at Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 11 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 11: BYE, Nov. 18
Week 12: Packers vs. Giants, Sunday, Nov. 25, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 13: Giants at Redskins, Monday, Dec. 3, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Week 14: Saints vs. Giants, Sunday, Dec. 9, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Week 15: Giants at Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 16 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 16: Giants at Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 23, 1 p.m., (FOX)
Week 17: Giants vs. Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 30, 1 p.m., (FOX)
Following the NFL's release of the 2012 schedule as a whole at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, we've put together the 2012 Sunday Night Football schedule for you.
The Giants and Jets will get NBC's Sunday Night crew twice each during the 2012 season. The New York Giants will visit the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 before hosting the Green Bay Packers in Week 12 in a matchup of the last two Super Bowl champions.
The Jets get primetime treatment for Thanksgiving Day against the New England Patriots. They close out the Sunday Night schedule with a home game against the San Diego Chargers in Week 16.
Here's the complete 2012 Sunday Night Football Schedule:
Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos
Week 2: Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 3: New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 4: New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 5: San Diego Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 6: Green Bay Packers vs. Houston Texans
Week 7: Philadelphia Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 8: New Orleans Saints vs. Denver Broncos
Week 9: Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 10: Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears
Week 11: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 12: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets (Thanksgiving)
Week 12: Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants
Week 13: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 14: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 15: San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots
Week 16: San Diego Chargers vs. New York Jets
See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants. For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation.
The NFL released the 2012 schedule at 7 p.m. on Tuesday on NFL Network and NFL.com. We've blocked out just the Monday Night Football games to give you the schedule for those games.
The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants play just once on Monday night this season. They will head down the road to Washington D.C. to take on the Washington Redskins and their by-then broken in rookie starting quarterback.
The New York Jets, meanwhile earned two spots this year. They will host the Houston Texans in Week 5 before hitting the road to play the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. The Bears wound up with the most Monday night appearance with three.
Here's the full Monday Night Football schedule (all games on ESPN):
Week 4: Bears vs. Cowboys
Week 5: Texans vs. Jets
Week 6: Broncos vs. Chargers
Week 7: Lions vs. Bears
Week 11: Bears vs. 49ers
Week 12: Panthers vs. Eagles
Week 13: Giants vs. Redskins
Week 14: Texans vs. Patriots
Week 15: Jets vs. Titans
Week 16: Falcons vs. Lions (Saturday)
See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants. For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation.
The NFL released the 2012 NFL schedule on NFL Network and NFL.com at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
As every team gets a shot on Thursday night at some point both, the Giants and Jets will play on Thursday. The Giants have a Thursday night game against the Panthers in Week 3. The Jets are not part of Thursday Night Football per se, but will play on Thursday against the Patriots on Thanksgiving Day at 8:20 p.m.
The Thursday Night Football Schedule will look like this:
Week 8: Buccaneers vs. Vikings
-- See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants. For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation.
The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants released their 2012 NFL Schedule on Tuesday night after it was revealed by NFL Network and NFL.com at 7 p.m.
Here's what the Giants' 2012 schedule looks like:
Week 1: Cowboys at Giants, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Week 2: Buccaneers at Giants, Sunday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 3: Giants at Panthers, Thursday, Sept. 20, 8:20 p.m. (NFL Network)
Week 4: Giants at Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 30, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 5: Browns at Giants, Sunday, Oct. 7, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 6: Giants at 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:15 (FOX)
Week 7: Redskins at Giants, Sunday, Oct. 21, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 8: Giants at Cowboys, Sunday, Oct. 28, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Week 9: Steelers vs. Giants, Sunday, Nov. 4, 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Week 10: Giants at Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 11 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 11: BYE, Nov. 18
Week 12: Packers vs. Giants, Sunday, Nov. 25, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 13: Giants at Redskins, Monday, Dec. 3, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Week 14: Saints vs. Giants, Sunday, Dec. 9, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Week 15: Giants at Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 16 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 16: Giants at Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 23, 1 p.m., (FOX)
Week 17: Giants vs. Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 30, 1 p.m., (FOX)
The schedule makers didn't do the Giants any favors with this slate. December looks to be the worst month for New York. Four of the final six games of the season are against teams that made it to the NFL Playoffs last season.
-- See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants
The 2012-13 NFL Schedule will be released Tuesday night, and New York Giants and Jets fans are waiting anxiously for the revealing. The 256-game schedule will be released live on NFL Network at 7 p.m. ET. So far, the only regular-season game that has been announced by the NFL is the season-opening contest between the Giants and NFC East Division rival Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, Sept. 5, on 8:30 p.m.
NFL.com will be the first website to have a full team-by-team release of the schedule, which will feature a primetime contest for each of the 32 teams. A new feature this season, will be a full slate of Thursday night games on NFL Network, which will begin in Week 2 and run through the rest of the regular season.
Another thing to look forward to Tuesday, is ESPN's three-hour SportsCenter that will breakdown every aspect of the revealing of the schedule.
For a complete look at the Giants '12-13 opponents, click here. Meanwhile, the Jets opponents can be found here.
See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants. For more on the Jets, please be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
The New York Giants 2012 schedule will be released on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on NFL Network and NFL.com (via NFL Network Twitter).
The defending Super Bowl Champions already know the opponents they will face in 2012 but not when they will play each of the teams with one exception: the season kickoff in MetLife Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 5, at 8:30 p.m. (NBC).
Here's the Giants' home opponents: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers
Here's the Giants' away opponents: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers
Even with bye weeks for the Giants and their opponents falling favorably, New York could be in for a very rough schedule this season. Among the Giants' opponents is the NFC West champs (49ers), NFC North champs (Packers), NFC South champs (Saints) and AFC North champs (Ravens).
-- See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants
The New York Giants gather at the Timex Performance Center in East Rutherford, N.J. for the opening of their offseason training program on Monday. This is not the opening of training camp, or even a mini-camp. It is, however, the first time the Giants have gathered as a team since they finished celebrating their 2012 Super Bowl championship.
Thus, Monday marks the official beginning of the Giants' work toward defending the fourth Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Already some things have changed. Running back Brandon Jacobs and wide receiver Mario Manningham are gone, having signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Cornerback Aaron Ross is a Jacksonville Jaguar. The biggest names among the newcomers are tight end Martellus Bennett, acquired as a free agent, and linebacker Keith Rivers, obtained in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Perennially unhappy defensive end Osi Umenyiora is expected to be a no-show at the OTAs, which are voluntary. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, recuperating from a bone marrow injection aimed at helping his troublesome feet, is not expected to participate in OTAs or any mini-camps.
-- See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants
The New York Giants have reportedly locked up the services of linebacker Chase Blackburn for another season (via NJ.com). While full details about his contract aren't known, Blackburn could be signing for the veteran's minimum salary for the 2012 season.
Blackburn was picked up by New York at the midpoint of the 2011 season and didn't disappoint for the eventual Super Bowl champions. Blackburn played in five games (four starts) during the regular season for the Giants. He made 26 tackles (20 solo) and intercepted one pass.
In the playoffs, Blackburn was also a key contributor. He started all four games and made 26 tackles (17 solo) and had a crucial interception in the Super Bowl. With New England clinging to a 17-15 lead in the fourth quarter, Blackburn intercepted a deep Tom Brady pass intended for Rob Gronkowski at the Giants' 8-yard line.
For more coverage of the Giants, see Big Blue View
Osi Umenyiora issued a reminder Thursday that turmoil is never far away when it comes to the veteran defensive end and his relationship with his employer, the New York Giants.
Umenyiora spent last season primarily as the Giants third defensive end behind Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck. Never shy about expressing what he thinks of his own ability, the two-time Pro Bowler said he is "not OK" with being the third wheel in the rotation.
"I don't like being a backup, I can tell you that," he said. "It worked for us last year, but I was coming off an injury or whatever. But I see myself as a starter in the NFL. I see myself as a Pro Bowl type player. That's the way I see myself."
Umenyiora said he was "not complaining," but that "I don't like being on the bench."
The Giants open OTAs on Monday and reports are that Umenyiora is unlikely to be in attendance.
All of this is a reminder that Umenyiora's contentious time with the Giants may soon be coming to an end. He has long been unhappy about the seven-year, $41.3-million contract he has been playing under, and the Giants have refused to re-negotiate the deal. Umenyiora asked for a trade during 2011 training camp and did not get one.
Umenyiora has 40.5 sacks in his last four seasons, including nine in nine regular-season games in 2011. It would seem unlikely the Giants would give Umenyiora the rich deal he desires with Tuck and Pierre-Paul in the fold. Considering his mindset it would also seem unlikely Umenyiora would stay with the Giants beyond 2012.
The New York Giants announced Thursday that the team has officially acquired Keith Rivers in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Rivers, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker who spent four seasons with the Bengals, was acquired in exchange for an undisclosed pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
A former first-round pick out of USC, Rivers missed the entire 2011 season while rehabilitating from wrist surgery, but registered 77 tackles and one sack in 2010.
The 25-year-old said he is happy for an opportunity to wipe the slate clean.
"I'm excited to get a fresh start and brand new beginning," Rivers said. "You can't ask for more than to be playing for the defending world champions and be in New York."
"This is an excellent opportunity for him to have a fresh start," coach Tom Coughlin said. "Keith is versatile enough to play the outside on first and second down and he can play on third down because he runs well. And he's fast enough to rush the passer."
For more coverage of the Giants, see Big Blue View
Former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs has never been afraid to open his mouth in front of a microphone, and he was up to his old tricks once again during a Wednesday radio interview with KNBR-AM in San Francisco, when he made noteworthy remarks about some former Giants teammates of his.
"No one's perfect -- somebody's gonna get a step on you at some point somewhere and you're not gonna be perfect. Because we had issues. When I was with the Giants, we had issues down the line. Of course, I took the blame for those (because I was) holding the ball. But ultimately, at the end of the day it is my fault because I do have the ball and that's what people see. But there's a lot more than that going on."
So it's not exactly a low-blow, but it's yet another example of an athlete willing to absolve himself of at least some of his shortcomings by displacing blame on others.
Surely the Giants aren't a team that needs motivation to prime themselves for a big game, but if they and San Francisco meet down the line on another monumental stage (they squared off in last year's NFC Championship game, you may remember), rest assured Jacobs' comments will be re-posted somewhere near the New York offensive line meeting room.
For more on Giants free agency, be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
The New York Giants swung a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday to acquire linebacker Keith Rivers. The news was reported by Ralph Vacciano of the New York Daily News.
Rumors swirled throughout the day Wednesday before the deal was announced later in the afternoon. The Giants sent a fifth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to the Bengals in exchange for Rivers. Terms of the deal are still unknown. Rivers' contract is set to expire, making him a free agent, after the 2012 NFL season.
A wrist injury kept Rivers on the sidelines for the entire 2011 season. If he can stay healthy, Rivers should answer the Giants' need on the weakside. The move might allow the Giants to move Michael Boley to the middle. Throughout his career, Rivers has proven to be a solid run defender, but has never played in all 16 games in a season.
-- For more on Giants free agency, be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants are in talks about the possibility of Big Blue acquiring linebacker Keith Rivers.
The Bengals also came to terms with ex-Cowboy corner Terence Newman this morning, so money could also factor into this decision.
Rivers has been underwhelming after being drafted in the first round out of USC in 2008. Rivers was supposed to come in and be a force as an inside linebacker, but that hasn't materialized.
However, he has been somewhat productive and could be very useful to a team like the Giants who could make his life easier with such a great front four to play behind.
The 25-year-old did miss all of last season with a serious wrist injury.
His best season came in 2010, when Rivers amassed 77 tackles in 15 games after making 72 tackles the year before, albeit in just 13 contests.
New York wouldn't have to give up much, most likely just a mid-to-late-round draft pick.
For more on Giants free agency, be sure to check out our blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.
The NFL released its 2012 preseason schedule on Wednesday, and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants will open their preseason at the Jacksonville Jaguars during Week 1.
The Giants will make their first national television appearance on Aug. 24 at home against the Chicago Bears. The game will be shown on CBS.
The Giants' preseason also includes a meeting with the New York Jets during Week 2 and concludes with a Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots.
The entire New York Giants Preseason schedule 2012 follows:
Week 1 (Aug 9-13): at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 2 (Aug. 16-20): at New York Jets
Week 3 (Aug. 23-26): vs. Chicago Bears at 8 p.m. on Aug. 24
Week 4 (Aug. 29-30): vs. New England Patriots
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for updates on the Giants offseason, view our StoryStream.
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is entering the final season of a contract that makes him one of the NFL's most underpaid players, but he says he won't consider a contract holdout.
"That's not in my vocabulary," the Giants' wide receiver said when asked flatly by NBC 4's Bruce Beck at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. "I don't even know what that means."
"I'm not frustrated at all. I'm just trying to go in there and play football," he said of his current contract. "When I was young it wasn't about money, it wasn't about fame and fortune. It was just about playing football. So regardless of how short-term this career can be, I just want to go out there and play. All of that stuff will take care of itself."
Earlier, he said, "You just gotta remain humble and remain yourself and understand that all the good things are going to come to you in time. So you just have to keep doing what you're doing, remain positive at all times and the good things will come."
Cruz is set to make $540,000 of base salary in the upcoming season, even after establishing a franchise record with 1,536 receiving yards in a single season.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is aiming to return in time for training camp as he recovers from a fractured foot.
Bradshaw expects to miss all of minicamp and other team activities during the offseason, but told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk that he is feeling better following a procedure during which bone marrow was drawn from his hip and injected into his injured foot in an attempt to speed the healing process.
"I feel great," Bradshaw said at the opening of the NFL's pop-up store in Manhattan. "I got the injection in February. I feel tremendous after a month. Right now I have a lot of confidence that I will be able to just be a pound-for-pound back and just hold my own.
"I probably can (run now) but I am not going to try for two or three months more," he added. "I just want to rest as much as I can. By the time training camp comes, I want to practice every week and start the season off right."
For more on the Giants, head to Big Blue View and for more offseason updates, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio's latest numbers, the New York Giants are near the bottom of the league when it comes to space left under the salary cap. According to Florio, the Giants have $3.4 million, which ties them with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders and puts them just ahead of only six teams, including division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.
The Giants haven't made a big splash in free agency so far this offseason. In fact, they have allowed more players to leave than they have brought back. Among the free agents that they did re-sign, are quarterback David Carr and cornerbacks Michael Coe, Terrell Thomas and Justin Tyron.
The players that they've allowed to leave include wide receiver Mario Manningham, cornerback Aaron Ross and running back Brandon Jacobs, who was released. The low salary cap number will pretty much handcuff the Giants from this point on, but since they're coming off a Super Bowl victory, their second in four years, I doubt that they mind that much.
-- For more on the Giants, head to Big Blue View and for more offseason updates, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.
Andre Brown, who spent the 2011 season on the New York Giants practice squad, has been suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances. Brown will not be eligible for the Giants’ first four games of the 2012.
The Giants drafted Brown out of North Carolina State in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. He ruptured his Achilles’ tendon that August and spent the season on injured reserve. He was waived in September 2010.
He then spent the 2010 season with four different teams — with the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins — and appeared in four games.
The Giants re-signed him last August.
Brown might have had an opportunity to work his way into the backfield rotation in 2012 with Brandon Jacobs having signed with the San Francisco 49ers. It would now seem unlikely, however, that Brown will ever play a significant role for the Giants.
Brandon Jacobs has officially left the New York Giants to join the San Francisco 49ers.
According to Adam Schefter via Twitter, the power back has taken his ability across the country and into the Bay Area.
Details haven't been made available yet for the contract.
This leaves the Giants unprotected now if Ahmad Bradshaw gets hurt. Bradshaw has had more than 175 carries just once in his career, and has suffered several foot and ankle injuries.
Jacobs also brought a toughness down near the goal line that will be sorely missed. His attitude sometimes outweighed his production, but Jacobs was definitely an asset at times.
With the name running backs mostly signed at this point, New York may be looking at the draft to replenish the position. The Giants also have D.J. Ware and Da'Rel Scott as potential replacements for Jacobs.
-- For more on the Giants, be sure to check out Big Blue View.
Since the New York Giants won their second Super Bowl with Tom Coughlin as head coach last month there has been no question that Coughlin would be receiving a new long-term contract from the organization. The questions have been when that would happen, and how long the contract would be for.
Giants co-owner John Mara answered one of those questions on Tuesday, saying that Coughlin and the Giants would likely have a deal in the next 4-6 weeks.
Coughlin, 66, has been operating on one-year contract extensions in recent seasons. No word on how long this one will be, but it will undoubtedly be a multi-year deal.
The Giants coach, incidentally, took some time to poke the New York Jets from the NFL owners' meetings on Tuesday.
Asked if Tebow trade was a Jets plea for attention, Coughlin says: "New Yorkers know who won the world championship." For TC, that's a zing.
— Bart Hubbuch (@NYPost_Hubbuch) March 28, 2012
Re: Jets. Coughlin says New Yorkers "don't need the back pages to tell them who won" the Super Bowl. TC is on a roll!
— Bart Hubbuch (@NYPost_Hubbuch) March 28, 2012
The Super Bowl champions will open the 2012 season at home against an NFC East rival, the NFL announced on Tuesday.
The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys are scheduled to kick off the 2012 NFL season on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at MetLife Stadium. The NFL adopted a tradition in 2004 that the defending Super Bowl champion hosts the NFL season opener in the following season, and since that time the defending champions are 8-0 in the game.
Though the odds will be on their side during opening night, the Giants will be looking to accomplish a feat this season that hasn't been completed since 2005. No NFL team has repeated as Super Bowl champion since the New England Patriots ousted the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 6, 2005 for their second straight crown.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
If Jerry Reese hadn't been here before, the New York Giants' offseason would appear significantly more daunting.
Fresh off a Super Bowl XLII victory in 2008, the Giants entered the following offseason with key contributors such as Kawika Mitchell, Gibril Wilson and Derrick Ward entering free agency. Only Ward returned to the team the following season, and that was his final season in New York.
This offseason, Reese faces questions regarding 24 players headed for free agency. Chief among those names are wide receiver Mario Manningham, tight end Jake Ballard, right tackle Kareem McKenzie and cornerbacks Terrell Thomas and Aaron Ross. Reese has preached patience and balance as principals for his offseason approach, and Giants fans would be hard pressed to argue with his results. Of course, that didn't prevent any of the uproar that ensued once Reese let the likes of Shaun O'Hara, Rich Seubert, Steve Smith and Kevin Boss walk prior to this season.
Fortunately for the Giants and their fans, it all seemed to work out.
Free agency period: March 13, 4 p.m. ET - July 22 (the first scheduled day of NFL training camps)
Salary cap: $120,600,000 per team
Giants cap situation: According to ProFootballTalk.com, $3.8 million over at 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday, March 9. After cutting running back Brandon Jacobs (reportedly saving the team $5 million) and collecting the $1.6 million the NFL is distributing to most teams after the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins were penalized a combined $46 million in cap space after piling money into last season's uncapped year, that number could be lowered.
Exclusive Rights Free Agents (2):
TE Jake Ballard - Signed one-year contract
TE Bear Pascoe
Restricted Free Agents (1):
CB Bruce Johnson - Signed one-year contract
Unrestricted Free Agents (21)
QB David Carr
WR Michael Clayton
WR Mario Manningham
WR Devin Thomas
OT Kareem McKenzie
OT Tony Ugoh
CB Michael Coe
CB Aaron Ross
CB Terrell Thomas
CB Justin Tryon
S Derrick Martin - reportedly unlikely to be re-signed
P Steve Weatherford - franchise tagged for approximately $2.5 million
After failing to come to an agreement to restructure Brandon Jacobs' contract, Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger reportsthe New York Giants will release the running back on Friday.
A source who requested anonymity because the team had not yet made the move public told Garafolo that the Giants wanted Jacobs to significantly reduce his $4.9 million salary for the 2012 season. But Jacobs was not amenable to taking as large a pay cut as New York wanted.
Jacobs previously said that he would like to return to the Giants, but that his fate was ultimately in New York's hands. One of the biggest running backs in NFL history, Jacobs rushed for 4,849 yards and 56 touchdowns during seven seasons with the Giants.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw has reportedly undergone a non-surgical procedure aimed at promoting the healing of a stress fracture in his right foot. Bradshaw missed four games in 2011 due to the injury.
This might just be more evidence of why the Giants need to think about supplementing the running back position via free agency or the draft before the 2012 season.
Bradshaw has undergone several surgeries on his feet and ankles in recent seasons, and his long-term durability has to be a question mark. In addition, there is still speculation that the Giants will release Bradshaw’s running mate, Brandon Jacobs, if the two sides cannot agree to a re-structured contact that would clear salary cap room for New York.
Bradshaw, who turns 26 on March 19, is entering the second season of a four-year, $17 million contract that includes $2.5 million guaranteedfor the 2012 season.
— See Big Blue View for more about the Giants
In an effort to help the Giants get underneath the salary cap by the start of the new league year (which begins next Tuesday), the team has restructured quarterback Eli Manning's deal, according to a report in The Star-Ledger.
The Giants were roughly $8 million dollars over the cap, but by guaranteeing $9 million of Manning's $10.75 million base salary of 2012, they were able to spread that cap hit over the next four years and save $6.75 million on Manning's 2012 cap hit. Manning was originally scheduled to have a hit of $16.35 million, but the new deal decreases it to (just) $9.6 million.
The deal doesn't sacrifice any money for Manning, it just guarantees the $9 million to be paid now and increases his cap hit for each of the three seasons after 2012. Here are his future cap hits, each of which has increased by $2.25 million with his new deal: 2013: $20.85 million , 2014: $20.4 million , 2015: $19.75 million.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
Right tackle Kareem McKenzie, who has started 105 games since joining the Giants in 2005, will not be back with the team in 2012, according to a report in the North Jersey Record.
McKenzie, 33, will become an unrestricted free agent on March 13th (the start of the new league year), and will have to look for work elsewhere, as the Giants are prepared to move forward with promising youngsters - including Mitch Petrus and James Brewer - on the roster.
Originally a 2001 third round pick by the Jets, McKenzie has played his entire professional career for the two New York franchises. A Penn State grad and Trenton, NJ native, McKenzie started in each of the Giants recent Super Bowl victories, and has 149 career starts to his name.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
Plaxico Burress said Thursday on the Dan Patrick Show that he rejected a chance to return to the New York Giants a year ago, choosing the New York Jets instead. Burress insists that the Giants "wanted" him to return.
"I made the decision personally not to go back. I didn't have any animosity towards them because they wanted to bring me back. I made a decision not to go. ... It was just a situation where I just wanted to go somewhere and start over fresh," Burress said.
Is Burress right here, or is this revisionist history? The Giants and Burress did meet, but after signing with the Jets Burress admitted at the time that a return to the Giants was never in his plans.
Burress caught 45 passes for the Jets in 2011 and appears ready to move on once again. On the DP Show he once again talked about the possibility of joining the Philadelphia Eagles.
"It would be a beautiful place to play, no doubt about it. With all the players that they already have in place, I just see myself going to where I could help that team win a championship. If I go to that team and score some touchdowns in the red zone I really believe they have the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl and win it."
All Giants' fans can do is shake their collective heads. After spending much of the 2011 offseason talking about Burress, then having him ultimately sign with the Jets, now they might be looking at having him sign with the NFC East rival Eagles.
Burress is long gone from the Giants. That, however, does not seem to means the Giants and their fans are done having to deal with him.
Tom Coughlin has made two promotions to his coaching staff, shuffling wide receivers coach Sean Ryan to quarterbacks coach and moving offensive assistant Kevin Gilbride, Jr. into the wide receivers coach role, according to a report in The Star-Ledger.
The move will likely mitigate some of the uproar created after Coughlin denied Gilbride, Jr. the opportunity to interview for an assistant coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this offseason.
Gilbride, Jr. is the son of Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, and is considered a bright young mind in the NFL coaching ranks. He previously coached wide receivers during his time on the Temple football staff.
Ryan assumes the vacancy created by Mike Sullivan's departure to become Greg Schiano's offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, and he too has coaching experience with quarterbacks at the collegiate level. 2012 will be his sixth season with the Giants.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
Running back Brandon Jacobs says he wants to remain with the New York Giants, but the ball is in the front office's court.
During a public appearance Wednesday at Madison High School, Jacobs told WNBC-TV sports anchor Bruce Beck that he would like to return to New York in 2012, but does not know whether the Giants will choose to keep him.
"I want to stay in NY a whole lot. But I"m not willing to sell my soul," Jacobs said, according to Beck's Twitter feed.
"If the Giants want it to work out - it will. If they don't, it won't!"
Jacobs, set to make $4.9 million in 2012 after a disappointing 2011 season, would likely have to take a pay cut to remain with the Giants. It's possible the Giants would rather cut him for salary cap purposes.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
During a press conference Friday at the NFL Combine, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he expects defensive end Osi Umenyiora to remain a Giant during the upcoming season.
Umenyiora, who has clashed with Giants management over contract issues in the past and considers himself underpaid entering the final season of his contract, recently told ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" that he did not know whether he would be traded prior to the 2012 season.
The 30-year old was bothered by injuries in 2011 and played only nine regular-season games, but still managed to record 9.0 sacks. It was Umenyiora's clean slate of health later in the season that helped propel the Giants into the playoffs and ultimately to the Super Bowl title, as he notched 5.5 sacks (including playoffs) after returning to the lineup for the regular season finale.
The Giants blog Big Blue View cautions that the Giants should only consider a Umenyiora trade if it would net a big return: With one year remaining on his contract at $3.975 million, Umenyiora is still a force on the defensive line, and keeping him could be New York's best option.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for updates on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
Defensive end Justin Tuck (shoulder) headlined a group of three New York Giants who quietly underwent surgery following the team's Super Bowl run, coach Tom Coughlin revealed Friday at the NFL Combine.
Defensive tackles Chris Canty (knee) and Linval Joseph (ankle) also had surgery, according to Coughlin. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who was hindered by a broken foot during the second half of the season, is not expected to require any offseason procedures.
None of the three Giants Coughlin named are expected to miss time at the beginning of 2012.
Tuck was held out of a practice prior to New York's NFC Wild-Card round game against the Atlanta Falcons due to his ailing shoulder, but both he and the team were quiet about the specifics of the injury. The defensive end battled through a number of injury-related issues during the regular season, missing four games.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for updates on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
Well, Super Bowl rings certainly do change perspectives, don't they? New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, who sounded at times during the 2011 NFL season as if he couldn't wait to get away from the Giants, now says he expects to return to Big Blue for the 2012 season.
Here is Jacobs in an interview on Sirius XM NFL Radio, via the Daily News:
"Well, I have spoken to my agent and I do expect to be fully back with the New York Giants next season," Jacobs said. "These guys in the front office, they've been doing this for years. They know what they've got to do. I want to be back. But they actually know what has to be done if they want me back. If they don't want me back then that's another story in itself, then nothing has to be done. But I got a feeling that they do.
"So, you know, things get worked out. I definitely plan on being Big Blue for the 2012 season."
This is what Jacobs said back in October, when he wasn't playing well -- or playing much -- and no one could have foreseen a Super Bowl title.
"I'm just here, doing the best that I can do to help my team," Jacobs said. "I come out to win; it's up to them whether or not they want to use me.
"I just can't wait to get a true opportunity to get out there and show myself again, you know? Next year, hopefully. This is a business and you have to look at it that way. I just want to get out there and show myself. It's going to have to be for another team, but it is what it is. It comes with the territory."
Now, Jacobs, 30 next season, has been part of the second Super Bowl-winning team in his seven-year career and sounds like he wants to stick around. He will, however, have to forsake much of the $4.9 million he is owed for 2012 in order to make that happen. Whatever the exact number is, the Giants have work to do to get under the cap before free agency opens on March 13. Cutting Jacobs is one way to help solve their cap crunch, and despite Jacobs' remarks it is still possible.
Jacobs gained 571 yards last season, his lowest total since taking over for Tiki Barber as the primary back in 2007 -- a role he now shares with Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs averaged 3.8 yards per carry, below the 4.5 yards per carry he averages for his career.
After experiencing spats with the New York Giants organization in the past, including one which resulted in a trade demand a year ago, Osi Umenyiora enters the offseason unsure whether he will remain with the Giants into next season.
During a spot on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" program, the defensive end said he does not know whether he'll be traded. (via ProFootballTalk)
"We're just going to have to wait and see," Umenyiora said. "I can see it going either way. I can see where they would keep me, I can see where they would trade me, because it makes sense both ways. So hopefully things will work out in my interest. I know the team is going to do what's best for them. They've always made the right decisions for that organization. Whether that's keeping me or trading me, I'd love to stay, but at the end of the day I understand it's a business and hopefully things will work out."
As for his history with the Giants, Umenyiora does not seem to hold any grudges.
"Me and Jerry Reese, me and the owners, Mr. Mara and Mr. Tisch, we're all cool," Umenyiora said. "Even when all that stuff was going on, it wasn't really as contentious as people would have thought. We just sat down and had a lot of conversations. We went back and forth as to what was going on. They understand it's a business just like I understand it's a business. If anything happens, in the event that I am traded or released, it's not going to be bad. They would probably be doing it for my own good, in actuality, so I'll be happy with anything that happens."
As the Giants blog Big Blue View discusses, retaining Umenyiora might be New York's best move.
He is only due $3.975 million for 2012, and unless the Giants are overwhelmed by a trade offer that would include a couple of high draft picks I don't know why they would trade him. He remains a difference-maker as a pass-rusher, and the plethora of defensive ends the Giants possess is part of what sets the Giants defense apart.
For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for updates on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
Brandon Jacobs as a member of the New York Jets? The New York Giants running back says he would consider it if he is not retained by the Giants next season.
Jacobs had an on-field confrontation with Jets coach Rex Ryan after the Giants defeated the Jets during the regular season. Yet, he now says “I like the way Rex handles his business.”
What to make of that? This is just Jacobs doing damage control because he knows that despite his stated desire to stay with the Giants he knows that might not happen.
Jacobs is owed $4.4 million in salary next season, plus a $500,000 roster bonus in March. If the Giants decide $4.9 million is too much for a 30-year-old backup running back with knee issues and a sometimes surly attitude then Jacobs will be looking for a new employer.
Conciliatory words or not, I can’t imagine Jacobs ending up with the Jets. Even Jacobs’ pal Plaxico Burress, who spent last season with the Jets, seems ready to bail on Gang Green. Strangely, though, his power-running style is one that might fit the ground-and-pound approach the Jets will likely to trying to re-establish.
The New York Giants announced on Monday the signings of three players to reserve/future contracts: defensive end Craig Marshall, tight end Ryan Purvis and offensive lineman Chris White.
Marshall, 6-foot-4 and 279 pounds, is a former teammate of Jason Pierre-Paul at South Florida. He originally signed with the Giants on July 28, 2011 and was waived on Sept. 3. Marshall did two short stints on the Giants’ practice squad in November.
Purvis, 6-4 and 261 pounds, was signed by Tampa Bay as a rookie from Boston College in 2009. He spent most of that year on the Buccaneers’ practice squad. Purvis began the following season on the practice squad before he was signed to Tampa Bay’s active roster on Oct. 25. He played in 10 games and had five catches for 28 yards, with a long reception of 12 yards. Purvis started three preseason games for the Bucs last summer, but was waived on Sept. 3 and did not sign with another team.
White, 6-2, 303, is a seven-year veteran guard who was signed by the Giants on July 30, 2011 and released on Sept. 3. He has played in 33 NFL games with eight starts, all with the Houston Texans in 2009. The following year, White played in six games for the Seattle Seahawks. A product of Southern Mississippi, White entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 2005. He played in one game that year and none in 2006, when he was waived by Green Bay and signed by Houston. He spent parts of three seasons with the Texans before joining the Seahawks on Nov. 3, 2010.
Mike Sullivan, who served as the New York Giants quarterback coach during 2010 and 2011 and coached the team's receivers from 2006 to 2009, was recently hired as the Tampa Bay Bucaneers Offensive Coordinator. Giants offensive coordinator, Kevin Gilbride, gave Sullivan some credit for Eli Manning's career year:
"I don't know if he's gotten any credit but ... he's certainly been a catalyst in the good year Eli's had," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said last month.
Giants backup quarterback, David Carr, also had an endorsement for Sullivan.
Manning also threw much better while moving in the pocket and on the run, which backup quarterback David Carr attributed to Sullivan's unconventional drills.
"He has some different drills where it's uncomfortable movements," Carr said of Sullivan last month. "You're not just dropping back, moving to the left and right, stepping up and throwing the ball, which never happens in the game.
For reaction from Bucs fan on the Sullivan hiring, visit Bucs Nation. For more coverage of the Giants, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. If you're looking for update on the Giants offseason, continue visiting this StoryStream.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hired New York Giants quarterback's coach Mike Sullivan as their new offensive coordinator for the 2012 season.
Rebuffed on multiple occasions by teams who did to the Bucs what the Bucs historically have done to other teams (i.e., refuse to let position coaches who are under contract interview for coordinator jobs), new coach Greg Schiano finally has found someone to run his offense.
Before Sullivan coached Eli Manning to lead the team to a Super Bowl XLVI victory over the Patriots, he coached the Giants wide receivers from 2006 to 2010 when he switched to the team's quarterback's coach. The Buccaneers are looking for Sullivan to help young quarterback Josh Freeman, who struggled in 2011 compared to how he played in the 2010 season, in the same ways that he helped Manning over the last two seasons.
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His work with Eli Manning has not gone unnoticed. New York Giants quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan is interviewing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' vacant offensive coordinator position, reports ESPN's Rachel Nichols.
Sullivan was promoted to Giants quarterbacks coach in 2010 after previously serving as the team's wide receivers coach. Under Sullivan's tutelage, Manning posted his best season in 2011, with 4,933 passing yards and 29 touchdowns compared to 16 interceptions. During the Giants' Super Bowl run, Manning was even better, throwing for 1,219 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception during New York's four consecutive postseason wins.
Tampa Bay fired head coach Raheem Morris and replaced him with former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, hoping to build the franchise back to respectability after fading to 4-12 this season.
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New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz emerged from a relative spot known as nowhere to become one of the NFL's most feared wideouts and help lead the Giants to a Super Bowl title. Now, Cruz wants to be paid accordingly.
The NFL King of Salsa said he does not want to ruffle feathers within the organization, but admitted that he would like a contract extension. He wants a deal more lucrative than the current one that paid him $450,000 this season, or roughly $5.05 million less than Chad Ochocinco made with the New England Patriots.
"I think I was paid, you know, relative to where I came in this year and, you know, I came in as a free agent so that's the salary I was on, so I don't feel like I was underpaid," Cruz said on Pro Football Talk Live. "I mean, I feel like after my performance this year, you know, I feel like I deserve to be paid more money at this point. But that's something I'll let my agents and those people take care of and I'll just go out there and play the game."
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New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese held a conference call Thursday to wrap up what was a Super Bowl winning season for his team, and to begin looking forward to the 2012 NFL season. Below are some of the excerpts from Reese's conference call.
Q: Is that the biggest challenge you face during the offseason? Are you expecting a line to form at the door for people looking for more money?
A: That’s a good problem to have. You win the Super Bowl and if everybody thinks they’re the reason we won – that’s a good problem to have. That means you won it. It’s just part of the offseason. There are always contract issues in the offseason. That’s what the offseason is. You have to deal with contracts and things with your roster – who’s going to stay, who’s going to go. Again, we’re in the very early stages of the evaluation process. The coaches are evaluating the players from their perspective. Our personnel staff, we’re evaluating our players from our perspective. Obviously we’re looking at the UFAs and RFAs from the other teams, along with starting our draft meetings, our pre-draft meetings before we go to the combine in a couple of weeks.
Related: Read The Full Transcript At Big Blue View
Q: How far behind the other teams do you feel you are?
A: We’ve obviously been working as we went along through the playoffs, but it’s a lot different when you’re still playing than when you have nothing else to do except concentrate on what you’re trying to do in the offseason. We’re a little bit behind. Again, like you said, it’s a good problem to have. But we can catch up quickly. We’ve done it before. We have a tremendous staff with Dave Gettleman in the Pro [Personnel] Department, Marc Ross in the College [Scouting] Department. Those guys are real pros and we can catch up pretty quickly.
Q: Was there anything during the season that said to yourself, ‘We’re doing things the right way’?
A: We always try to do what’s right for the New York Giants. We try to make good football decisions. It would be great to look like you’re really smart in the offseason and go out and make a lot of splashy moves so you guys can write nice-going things about our personnel staff, but our goal is to make good football decisions and that’s what we try to do every year. We don’t just think about our personnel for the current year. We think a couple of years down the line and that’s important. I think fans think about the here and now, what our team looks like now. We think about that as well, obviously, because you want to win every year, but we definitely think a couple of years down the road a little bit in respect to personnel.
Q: Do you look at the team more as 9-7 or as a 6-0, Super Bowl team?
A: It doesn’t matter how you look at it. The result at the end is really what matters the most. We were able to get hot at the right time. At times we didn’t play very well, but we played well at the right times. It’s not like we played against Jefferson Township High School. We played against some good players in the tournament. We earned the right to be World Champs. I look at it like that way.
New York Giants co-owner John Mara joined ESPN Radio New York with Mike Lupica earlier this week to discuss the team's Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots. Sports Radio Interviews has the full transcript. Excerpts below:
What was your reaction to the Giants final touchdown when Ahmad Bradshaw stopped before he fell into the end zone?
"My feeling was that they were going to let us score. I remember turning to my brother Chris and saying I think they are going to let us score. I just assumed take a knee right here because I’d rather take a chance on Lawrence Tynes hitting what would basically be an extra point rather than give the ball back to Tom Brady with too much time left. I thought Bradshaw would go through the line and go to the the end zone. You can’t blame the guy for doing that. That is just an instinctive play and at least by doing that it made him [Tom Brady] have to come down the field and score a touchdown as opposed to a field goal, but if you look at it and ask 10 NFL coaches you probably would have a split opinion on what they should have done in that situation so I was happy to get the points, but I was scared to death with 50 seconds left to put the ball in Brady’s hands. The last play of the game the ball was in the end zone being batted around anything could have happened."
Is it still this season or when you showed up today to work is it next season?
"I think we’ve already started to turn the page. We got two tight ends that both unfortunately tore their ACL’s in that game, so we got some work to do now. We got a bunch of guys who are going to be free agents, so we have some tough decisions we are going to have to make. We’re already starting to turn the page. I don’t know if those memories will ever be far away from me because that experience of being at that parade and then coming back here to that stadium. That is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life."
The New York Giants Wednesday announced the signings of eight players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2012 NFL season.
Defensive back Brandon Bing, running back Andre Brown, offensive lineman Selvish Capers, wide receiver Dan DePalma, defensive tackle Dwayne Hendricks (who played in one game this season), tight end Christian Hopkins, quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, wide receiver Isaiah Stanback and defensive end Adrian Tracy were the eight players signed
Each player spent part or all of the 2011 season on the Giants’ practice squad. Perrilloux was cut and re-signed numerous times throughout the season. Tracy was a sixth-round draft choice by the Giants in 2010. Bing played collegiately at Rutgers. Brown was a fourth-round pick in 2009 who missed all of that season due to injury, was cut in 2010 and played for several teams, then returned to the Giants for the 2011 season.
The contracts guarantee only that the players will be with the Giants when the team’s offseason training activities begin.
We are just three days removed from the New York Giants 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in the 2012 Super Bowl. The excitement rom the victory, and the celebrations, has yet to wear off. Still, for the Giants it is time to stop looking at how they won the just-completed Super Bowl and begin focusing on what they need to do to get ready for the 2012 season.
Let's look at some of the decisions the Giants need to make.
Free Agents
The Giants have a number of key players hitting the free-agent market this offseason. The biggest will probably be wide receiver Mario Manningham, who made the critical 38-yard catch that began the Giants' winning drive against New England in the Super Bowl. Manningham is an explosive receiver and the Giants would love to keep him, but he is No. 3 on the depth chart behind Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, and someone might pay him big money to start. Thus, the Giants could lose him.
Kareem McKenzie is an 11-year veteran who will be 33 next season. The right tackle did not play well in 2011, and the Giants could look elsewhere. Cornerback Aaron Ross is also a free agent, and with several players -- including Terrell Thomas -- returning from IR, as well as 2011 No. 1 pick Prince Amukamara being groomed for a larger role, Ross's days with the Giants might be numbered.
Punter Steve Weatherford is a free agent. Coming off a career season it is hard to imagine the Giants letting Weatherford slip away.
Thomas, a cornerback, and middle linebacker Jonathan Goff both missed the entire season with injuries, but are unrestricted free agents. Best guess is the Giants bring Thomas back. Goff's status might be murkier with the young talent the Giants have assembled at linebacker.
The Malcontents
Basically, that means we are talking about defensive end Osi Umenyiora and Brandon Jacobs. Whether or not these two veterans have played their final games with the Giants will be among the interesting things to watch playt out this offseason.
Umenyiora, the pass-rushing specialist, will be in the final year of a seven-year, $41 million contract that he has been unhappy with for years. Before the 2011 season he accused general manager Jerry Reese of lying to him, held out for a day to protest his contract, and demanded a raise and a trade -- neither of which he got.
When he returned from injury for the playoff run Umenyiora played the good soldier. He was the No. 3 defensive end in a rotation with Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck, and moved from one side to the other without complaint. There is no way, however, that Umenyiora accepts that kind of role next season and beyond. He sees himself as a premier player, and he wants to be treated -- and paid -- as such.
He is still an excellent pass rusher and you have to wonder if this offseason the Giants might be more amenable to trading Umenyiora rather than going through the annual distractions with him.
Jacobs took a pay cut to stay with the Giants in 2011, a move made so the team could re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw. He was unhappy with his role much of the season, but came around late. He now says he would like to stay with the Giants, something that seemed highly unlikely a couple of months ago. Question is, do the Giants want to keep him around?
The big back is valuable to the Giants in tandem with Bradshaw, but carries a $4.4 million base salary and a $6.8 million cap hit into next season. That is a lot of money for a backup running back who never plays a full 16 games. The Giants might want to move on, giving Da'Rel Scott an opportunity or drafting another back.
Tight End
Both Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum went down during the Super Bowl with torn ACLs, putting their status for the 2012 season in doubt. Upgrading this position was a possibility before those injuries. Now, drafting a young tight end or scouring the free-agent market for a capable veteran (maybe both) is an absolute necessity.
Offensive Line
We have already discussed McKenzie, and know that the Giants have a decision to make there. The changes in the line could go even further, however. David Diehl moved from left tackle to left guard to make room for Will Beatty in 2011, then moved back when Beatty was lost for the season. Diehl, in reality, did not play all that well at either spot. A nine-year veteran, Diehl could find himself at right tackle replacing McKenzie next season. He could find himself at left guard. He could find himself on the unemployment line if the Giants decide that his performance does not warrant the two years and $8 million he still has on his contract.
Could Mitch Petrus move into the starting lineup? Will the Giants use a high draft pick on an offensive lineman? Lots of questions here.
Middle Linebacker
Chase Blackburn did a nice job solidifying the defense after the Giants re-signed him mid-season. Likely, though, they don't see him as a long-term answer. The question will be whether they think they have the answer in Goff, Mark Herzlich or Greg Jones. If not, the use of a high draft pick on a potential starting middle linebacker is a possibility.
Overview
There are other questions. How long of a contract extension will they give head coach Tom Coughlin? How much will they have to fork over to satisfy Victor Cruz? Will offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride retire? Can they get a little more speed at safety? Can they find an explosive kickoff and punt returner?
It should be an interesting offseason for the defending Super Bowl champs.
New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard has a torn ACL in his left knee, the team confirmed (via Giants Twitter).
Ballard injured his knee during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl against the Patriots after making a cut during a play. Ballard tried to test his knee and realized he couldn't play anymore.
Before the ACL tear, Ballard battled back from a partially torn PCL in his other knee. Ballard missed the last two games of the regular season with the injury but explained his mindset about his injury.
"Unless it comes down to the point where you can't run and you're hurting the team, you've got to get yourself on the field even if your leg is barely hanging on." (via Dayton Daily News)
Ballard had 43 receptions for 647 yards and 4 touchdowns for New York during the 2011 season, including the playoffs.
Ballard was not the only tight end injured during the Super Bowl. Travis Beckum tore his ACL in the first half of the game. With the two injuries, the Giants are now down to just one tight end on the active roster, Bear Pascoe. The length of time that Ballard and Beckum will be out could give the Giants something to think about in the upcoming NFL Draft.
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New York Giants OTA 2012: Brian Witherspoon Carted Off Field, Torn ACL Possibility
New York Giants cornerback Brian Witherspoon, who tore his ACL last August and missed the entire 2011 season, fell to the ground Wednesday during the first OTA of the offseason and might have repeated his nightmare.
Tom Coughlin said he fears that Witherspoon tore his ACL again. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Witherspoon was "carted off the field after writhing in pain as trainers worked on him and his teammates knelt in prayer nearby."
Witherspoon wasn't the only Giant carted off the field. Antwaun Molden was likewise removed by the training staff after tweaking his hamstring in coverage.
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May 23 3:23p by Jay King