Archive for the ‘Giants’ Category

Two time pro-bowler DT John Henderson was cut by Jacksonville on Sunday, and according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News -  has garnered interest from the New York Giants. Profootballtalk.com reports that Henderson will schedule a visit with the Giants after he visits the Chiefs tomorrow. It is interesting to note that it was Tom Coughlin who drafted John Henderson as a rookie back when he was coaching Jacksonville.

Why do the Giants need another defensive lineman? After drafting DE Jason Pierre-Paul and DT Linval Joseph with their first two selections in last weekends NFL Draft, it would seem unnecessary to bolster a defensive line that is already bursting with talent. Quite frankly, we don’t need another defensive lineman. But – if John Henderson can still perform at a level close to his pro bowl seasons of the past, I would gladly take him. Adding a proven run-stuffer such as Henderson in our interior line has Giants fans drooling at the possible domination that would take place with our stacked defensive line. Our line would have a ridiculous amount of depth – allowing pressure to opposing QB’s late into the fourth quarter as we can swap in fresh, able legs. Seeing a rested Jason Pierre-Paul, Mathias Kiwanuka or Linval Joseph coming onto the field after an exhausting battle with Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck or John Henderson is enough to give opposing offensive linemen nightmares. It is speculated if the Giants do indeed sign Henderson, Rocky Bernard would be released. It seems that the Giants are going back to what won them a Super Bowl two years ago – constant pressure of the quarterback.

Round 1 (#15) – Jason Pierre-Paul -  DE – South Florida

I already discussed this selection in an article on Friday.

Round 2 (#46) – Linval Joseph – DT – East Carolina

As much as I would have liked Penn State’s Sean Lee (Cowboys) or Florida’s Brandon Spikes (Patriots), this pick has grown on me. Joseph is nothing but a monster – 6’4 and 328 lbs. He will fit into our defensive line very nicely, and compliment our pass rushing DE’s with his behemoth size. Clogging the middle was a weak spot in the Giants defense down the stretch last year, and Linval Joseph can easily do just that. Can very well have a first year impact in our defensive rotation, and down the road can turn into a nice starter.

Round 3 (#76) – Chad Jones – S – LSU

Another weak spot (but it seemed during the final games last season the whole defense was a weak spot) in the Giants defense down the stretch last year was at safety. Losing Kenny Phillips at the start of the season proved detrimental to a secondary that would later be plagued by injury. Now, with the signing of Antrel Rolle, as well as this years third round selection out of LSU – Chad Jones, the Giants safety unit looks to have a lot of depth at the position with Phillips, Rolle, Jones and Michael Johnson. Jones is the definition of an athlete (side note: also was a member of the LSU baseball team), and is a big and fast ball-hawking safety.

Round 4 (#115) – Phillip Dillard – MLB – Nebraska

Finally! A Middle Linebacker! But, usually fourth round talent doesn’t translate into a first year starter. I hate to be pessimistic here, but as a Giants fan, I like to pride myself in my realism. Dillard will likely compete with the fifth round pick from two years ago – Jonathan Goff, for the starting MLB spot – which still remains a huge question mark heading into the season.

Round 5 (#147) – Mitch Petrus – G – Arkansas

Petrus will add some youth to the offensive line. Solidly built at 6’3, 310 lbs – the former Razorback also showed his raw strength at the Combine – as he was the highest performer on the Bench Press, with 45 reps at 225 lbs. May be a solid starter down the road as he learns from able veterans in the years to come.

Round 6 (#184) – Adrian Tracy – DE/OLB – William & Mary

Looks to be a conversion prospect, a classic “tweener” – too small to be a DE, too big for an OLB. Interestingly enough, most of these types of players end up in a 3-4 scheme as the blitzing linebacker. Obviously being a 4-3 team, the Giants are looking to convert this guy to be an every down linebacker.

Round 7 (#221) – Matt Dodge – P – East Carolina

One of the most publicized picks this year for the Giants, because it may in fact signify the end of Jeff Feagles’ long and storied career. Dodge is the second Skip Holtz product the Giants drafted from East Carolina, and will compete for the starting punting job if Feagles does in fact retire.

Note: Undrafted prospects Nate Collins (DL, Virginia) and Dom Randolph (QB, Holy Cross) signed deals with the team.

Analysis: Overall, the Giants draft was very under-the-radar. They didn’t make any big headlines, and they did not once trade draft picks. But, as previous years show, GM Jerry Reese can get excellent production from their later round selections. As much as I did not like the first round selection of JPP, and the fact that they did not adequately fill their void at MLB, I feel that Linval Joseph, Chad Jones and Mitch Petrus will be strong contributors in the years to come. But, there is still a huge hole at the MLB spot. When Antonio Pierce went down last year, our defense was simply not the same. Jonathan Goff and Phillip Dillard don’t give me confidence going into the season. Defensively, the Giants are looking at a lot of depth everywhere except at linebacker, and if Osi Umenyiora indeed remains a Giant, their ability to put pressure on the quarterback gives me hope that the defense can return to the Spagnuolo days of old.

Draft Grade: C+

Last night at the first round of the NFL Draft, the New York Giants and GM Jerry Reese went in looking to solidify their defense, and make up for losses and general shortcomings in the linebacking corps. All around the league and in Giants fan nation, nearly every Giants fan was either hoping for, or expecting – MLB Rolando McClain from the University of Alabama to fall to pick #15. But, hopes were crushed and hearts sank as commissioner Roger Goodell announced McClain’s drafting by the Oakland Raiders. I watched as CJ Spiller and Anthony Davis were drafted (by Buffalo and San Francisco) – who although are not linebackers, would have satiated my Giants draft needs. When the Giants were finally on the board, I figured it would be a choice between two top DE prospects: Derrick Morgan out of Georgia Tech, and Jason Pierre-Paul out of South Florida. Read the rest of this entry »

With the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected DE Jason Pierre-Paul out of USF.

Week 1 Sept. 12 CAROLINA 1:00 PM (FOX)

Week 2 Sept. 19 at Indianapolis 8:20 PM (NBC)

Week 3 Sept. 26 TENNESSEE 1:00 PM (CBS)

Week 4 Oct. 3 CHICAGO 8:20 PM (NBC)

Week 5 Oct. 10 at Houston 1:00 PM (FOX)

Week 6 Oct. 17 DETROIT 1:00 PM (FOX)

Week 7 Oct. 25 (Mon.) at Dallas 8:30 PM (ESPN)

Week 8 Oct. 31 BYE

Week 9 Nov. 7 at Seattle 4:05 PM (FOX)

Week 10 Nov. 14 DALLAS 4:15PM (FOX)

Week 11 Nov. 21 at Philadelphia 8:20PM* (NBC)

Week 12 Nov. 28 JACKSONVILLE 1:00PM* (CBS)

Week 13 Dec. 5 WASHINGTON 1:00PM* (FOX)

Week 14 Dec. 12 at Minnesota 1:00 PM* (FOX)

Week 15 Dec. 19 PHILADELPHIA 1:00 PM* (FOX)

Week 16 Dec. 26 at Green Bay 4:15 PM* (FOX)

Week 17 Jan. 2 at Washington 1:00PM* (FOX)

*Time subject to change because of flex scheduling

In 2009, some of New York’s best athletes went down with injuries and some of them missed significant time. Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees, Kenny Phillips of the Giants, Leon Washington and Kris Jenkins of the Jets, and Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and Johan Santana of the Mets, were a few of the big names that sat out portions of the 2009 season with injuries.  

Physical rehab and a strong work ethic is standard practice for recuperating from injury, but there is a mental side to dealing with an injury as well. Just ask Donald MacNaughton, director of Zoned in Performance and Sports Psychology 2, who works with some of the top athletes in the world. His work helps athletes become mentally strong in order to take their performance to the next level. 

“At any level of involvement, a sports injury that prevents you from doing what you normally do is extremely frustrating,” MacNaughton says. “An injury takes away your ability to play, to get some exercise, and to socialize in the process – it affects your life in many ways.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Santana Moss, Jonathan Vilma, Chad Pennington and Kerry Rhodes. Those are the names on the backs of the four Jets jerseys hanging in my closet. None of those players are currently on the Jets roster, therefore, I will have to spend another $80 on a Jets jersey before their season opener on September 13th. 

Which player’s jersey does my $80 deserve to go toward? Well, have you ever heard of the saying there’s “no such thing as a sure bet?” In the landscape of sports today, it’s not often a player spends his entire career with one team. Here one year and gone the next. There are, however, a number of players that do spend their entire careers with one team, but it is a small percentage of the total number of athletes in each sport. There are a number of reasons for this, but that’s neither here nor there. The intention of this article is to address the jerseys that you can count on being able to wear for the next five years and hopefully beyond. You could always buy a Lawrence Taylor, Willis Reed or Mickey Mantle jersey to be extremely safe, but I’m talking about the jerseys of more current and active players.

Read the rest of this entry »

The NFL has resolved the issue of which New York team would be the first to christen the new stadium at the Meadowlands. As reported by Newsday’s Bob Glauber, both teams will play home during the first weekend of the season.

Glauber tweeted, “Giants and Jets to play at home on opening weekend. Giants on Sunday, Jets on Monday.”

Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News went further in an article;

“The NFL just issued a press release on the controversy. Here it is:

The New York Jets and New York Giants both will play at home in their new Meadowlands Stadium on the opening weekend of the 2010 regular season, the NFL announced today.

The Giants will play on Sunday afternoon, September 12, and the Jets will play in the first nationally televised Monday Night Football game of the season on September 13. The NFL is completing the final stages of the 2010 schedule. The opponents for the Jets and Giants Kickoff Weekend home openers will be announced soon.

In addition, the NFL announced that the Jets will host the first NFL game at the new stadium during the preseason in August.”

Earlier in the day, it was reported by several media outlets that the Giants won a coin toss that gave them the rights to host the first game at the new stadium. This move should appease the Jets, having their game in prime-time a day later. Having both teams play home games on back-to-back days during opening weekend makes complete sense and the NFL did a very good job making this work.