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Plaxico Burress’ trial date was pushed back to June 15, which doesn’t bode well for the Giants’ enigmatic WR. My initial thoughts on this were Plax would get probation and then deal with the bigger hurdle of convincing the Giants, and Tom Coughlin, he was ready to come back and be a team first guy. But news of this adjournment tells me both sides can’t come to an agreement on a plea.

Burress obviously wants probation, or at most three months I would think, so he can get back to playing football ASAP. The prosecution is probably looking more at six months to a year which is very consistent with similar plea bargains. Which side will blink first? I distinctly believe now if Plax doesn’t play this year with the Giants, his career in New York will be over.

This new date hurts the Giants from the perspective that the draft, and potential draft day trades, will (probably) be completed by the time Burress’ fate becomes fact. Surely the Giants had prepared for this and will act accordingly.

There have been Braylon Edwards rumors circulating, but I wonder why the Browns would deal him after already trading their other blue chip receiver, Kellen Winslow Jr. Are the Browns going into complete rebuild mode? Edwards is intriguing because he is the closest thing to a Plax clone out there. He’s got size, commands a double team, and can make catches despite being covered. But he has led the league in drops the last two years. If you were going to make a case for Edwards, it’s that a change of scenery could do him good. Edwards would be a free agent in 2010 so making a trade would require you sign him first, and the Giants are not in a position to give Edwards a decent contract considering their cap number. Edwards would be hitting his first free agency and want to cash in. An Eli Manning extension could, however, buy the Giants some more cap room this year. Rumors had the Giants giving draft choices and a player, but I hope the dangling of Dominik Hixon was untrue as I have high hopes for him as a key contributor in both the passing and return game.

Boldin is in the news it seems every other week, but I contend the Cards won’t deal him. That’s unless of course you consider the rumor of the Giants offering this year’s one and three, and next year’s number one as bait. That rumor was complete crap. Boldin hasn’t played a full season in the last four years and plays the game in too physical a way that, IMO, will shorten his career. On top of all that, the number one reason Boldin wants out is, surprise, money!! Succumbing to Boldin would mean making him one of the top three paid wideouts in the league, and as I said, his injury history to me says it’s not worth it.

I still feel the very best option, sans Plax, is getting Tony Gonzalez from the Chiefs. He’d be less costly in terms of trade value than either Edwards or Boldin, and would give the Giants that unique look of two TE’s I have been talking about for over a year now. And you could still draft a WR prospect and hope for Manningham to step up this year, resulting in a “by committee” effort at wide reciever. Alas, salary cap issues could come into play here too with Gonzo’s contract.

So what will Reese do? The good thing is the Giants as a team right now will do two things very well: run the ball and play defense. That wins football games. They’ve got plenty of draft picks, now five in the first three rounds after getting a comp pick for Gibril Wilson. I suspect that drafting is the route they are going to take.

That was my number on the Giants’ season ticket wait list, and I finally got the email a few weeks ago informing me that I was next in line to purchase season tickets. Amazingly, on the list since only 2001, I am now officially a New York Football Giants season ticket holder.

I had speculated when PSL’s were first introduced by the Giants last June, I would probably need about 15-20% of current season ticket holders to decline on a PSL to actually have a shot. That estimate has been shattered. Early sales figures had fans renewing in the 95th percentile, but as the affordable upper tier and mezz filled, sales hit a snag. Apparently, wait list members in the 20,000’s are getting the call for seats. Certainly the concept a personal seat license, and even more so the current economy, have played a large part in the Giants needing to reach deep into the wait list.

At $5K a pop, I purchased two seats. The only area left in the stadium remotely affordable is called Field 3, or endzone seating (fingers crossed for coffin corners). A bit steep in price, I’m looking at it as an investment, as selling the PSL for a profit in the future is always an alternative. But the chance to have my very own tickets and be part of a unique club, as well as helping to open a brand new stadium in 2010, was just too tempting to pass up.

I mean that in a good way. Not Dan Snyder wild. So much for my prediction that the Giants wouldn’t be big players in the free agent market. The weekend marked a bonanza as Jerry Reese made three signings, each one bigger than the last. Super Bowls aren’t won in March, but you’ve got to be smiling if you root for Big Blue.

Let’s start with what happened on Thursday. The Giants signed Brandon Jacobs to a four year deal that was fair to both sides. Want to know why Jacobs is one of the players featured on this site’s home page banner? He is the ultimate team player. You can see it in the way he conducts himself on the field, and this contract also proves it. Jacobs wanted to be here and both sides made it happen.

With Friday came the rumors of OLB Michael Boley already in discussions with the Giants. The deal got done and the Giants helped themselves in the one weak spot on this roster: linebacking. Boley looked to be Pro Bowl material after 2007, but lost his job last year when he didn’t fit into Mike Smith’s new defense in Atlanta as a strong side LB. Boley is a bit undersized, but can cover, rush the passer, and play “downhill” as they say. The Giants signed him because they feel he’s a great fit in how they play defense: aggressively. He is also a fine special teams player. Boley, just 26, will play the more suitable weakside with the Giants.

Saturday revealed the Giants were now negotiating with Rocky Bernard, DT from Seattle. Then things got complicated when DE Chris Canty (Dallas) diverted from Washington to East Rutherford because of the Albert Hainsworth signing by the Skins. Would the Giants sign Bernard, who would come with a less expensive price tag, or go for Canty who is younger but would command more money? The Giants got both.

Bernard will be part of a four man rotation at DT, but look for him to pay his biggest dividends on third down, teaming with Tuck, Osi, and Kiwi for the newest fearsome foursome. Canty is a big body (6-7, 300 lbs) who played end in Dallas’ 3-4 scheme. With the Giants 4-3, Canty will move inside and team with Fred Robbins at DT with the first and second down defense. Barry Cofield is the fourth wheel in the interior, but he’ll get his share of reps as the idea is to keep everyone fresh, especially come fourth quarter when games are won and lost. Tuck, Kiwi, Cofield, and Robbins got worn down last year. Getting Osi back plus these signings ensure that won’t happen again.

So what does all this mean? Initially, my instincts told me the chips were now there for a trade, something along the lines of Kiwi for a player like Braylon Edwards. But further inspection reveals the Giants are already planning for 2010. Fred Robbins has been one of those unheralded players that was truly a great free agent signing by the Giants back in 2004. But he’ll be 32 and a free agent after this year and it’s obvious that signing Canty and Bernard are meant for the longer haul. Cofield, also a free agent in 2010, would be the more likely candidate to be resigned. Cofield is younger and also proven his worth in this league.

This also means the Giants have the best DL and OL in the league right now, and that’s a recipe for winning NFL games. I don’t think these three defensive additions necessarily dictates the Giants will draft heavily on the offensive side of the ball. An eventual successor for Antonio Pierce and a strong side backer prospect would help too. Again, they have positioned themselves for taking the best available athlete. And with as many as 11 picks, things could get very interesting come draft day.

How will the Giants play in free agency this year? Will they, like last year, stay in-house and look to make hay in the draft? Or with as many eight picks in the first five rounds, will Jerry Reese be tempted to use these available chips to play the trade game and go after what appears to be the team’s only glaring weakness: a number one receiving threat?

Clearly, the number one objective in free agency for the Giants should be to resign Brandon Jacobs, and the Giants have addressed this by franchising the big guy. Jacobs, to me, is the tone setter of this offense. While health issues are always a concern with him, I just think the combination of speed and power is too unique to let get away. I could see Jacobs being the lead dog for the next few years, followed by a career similar to how is he started: a situational, short yardage back.

David Carr was a smart resigning. He’s got starting experience, the staff obviously likes him, and could handle the job adequately if ever called upon. And it gives the Giants a chance to develop third stringer Andre Woodson.

Kevin Dockery, a restricted free agent, was tendered and it was a wise move to keep him for at least one more year. He is a very solid fourth corner and is nice insurance in case Webster, Ross, or Thomas would miss any time due to injury. Likewise, TE Darcy Johnson, DE Dave Tollefson, and DT Leger Douzable were all tendered to help provide depth at a minimum price, provided they can make the team out of training camp. Expect Danny Ware to be tendered shortly as well.

Let me comment on a few players I would obviously want back, but from a financial standpoint, probably wont’ be possible.

James Butler could be this year’s Gibril Wilson (who coincidently became available on Saturday). Will another team over value him and throw more money than the Giants are willing to match? Considering Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson have both shown they can start in this league, I think Butler only comes back at a number the Giants feel is fair. That number won’t be attractive to Butler, surely.

Derrick Ward is a very good back. Ward would like to go to a team where he can be the number one back. Problem is, in today’s NFL, how many teams could Ward go to where he would be the clear cut number one? Not many, and when you consider many teams do or would like to implement the two back rotational system that has become popular in the NFL, Ward faces the same situation here as anywhere else: splitting time. The big difference, however, is what a team would pay Ward. With Jacobs and Ward both free agents, the Giants can’t be expected to afford both. So while Ward might end up getting the same amount of carries elsewhere as he did here, he surely will get a bigger payout.

Then there’s Amani Toomer, and what can we say about him? What an outstanding and clutch player he has been for the Giants, but at 35 it is time for this receiving corp to move on. Dominik Hixon and Steve Smith are ready to hold down the number two and three slots.

So where do the Giants look in free agency? This year’s crop as a whole again doesn’t appear that strong, and with many teams having lots of free cap space in comparison to the Giants (estimated between $10-$20 million) and a record number of players being franchised, I don’t see a lot of movement here from a Giant perspective. But on the flip side, we are talking about a 12-4 team and I also don’t see any major weaknesses either, so that balances things out. Getting a deal ironed out for Jacobs and extending Eli Manning are both high priorities this offseason.

However, without a doubt, the number one question for this team is who will be the number one wide receiver in 2009? Plaxico Burress’ plight has been dissected ad nausea. There doesn’t appear to be any WR on the free agent market that the Giants would be interested in anyway, IMO. As far as a trade, the names of Anquan Boldin, Braylon Edwards, and Chad Johnson have all been mentioned at some point, but none seem to really be available. The one intriguing name would be Tony Gonzalez, but it’s not a certainty he’ll be on the market with all the changes in KC. Furthermore, how highly do the Giants believe in Kevin Boss’ ceiling? Bringing in Gonzo would certainly affect Boss’ playing time and development. Gonzalez has also said he plans on playing only two more years. On the positive side, Gonzalez is never hurt, is a total team guy, and catches passes regardless who has QB’d the Chiefs. Would he be worth that Giants’ second pick in round two (#61 overall)? I say yes, and then some. Remember last offseason I talked about a double TE offense featuring Shockey and Boss in the passing game. It never happened.

What does all this mean? While the Giants have the chips to play trade, the Giants could be in a real bind. There aren’t many players with Plax’s unique ability in the league. I can’t see them rectifying this situation unless they A) bring back Plax for one last go-around (which I am beginning to believe will happen) or B) take their chances on finding a playmaking offensive player in the draft or via trade. Plan B will probably be taken to some degree notwithstanding. Remember, Plax will be 32 and has fought foot issues, besides everything else going on. After March 31, when Burress’ trial is scheduled, we’ll get closer to an answer.

The areas the Giants will concentrate on come draft time will be adding depth to both lines, hopefully getting a strong side linebacking prospect, and as mentioned above coming up with some sort of playmaker (WR, RB, or TE) on offense to compliment what the Giants already have. I’ll write more on this as free agency progresses and before the draft on April 25.

When I first became a Giants fan in 1979, the Giants were basically known for two things: a fantastic linebacking corp and their punter, Dave Jennings. That was it. And at the forefront of that linebacking unit was Brad Van Pelt, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 57. It was Van Pelt, Harry Carson, and Brian Kelley that formed the heart of those Giant defenses that were pretty darn good, but couldn’t make up for the ineptitude of the offense. When LT came along in 1981, those four became the best linebacking unit in football. And till this day the four of them held a bond, getting together every year in Hawaii.

Your friends who liked other teams knew Van Pelt because he wore the unusual #10. But they also knew him because he was a fine LB. Van Pelt was a complete defender who could play the run and the pass equally well. He made five Pro Bowls during his tenure with the Giants. Sadly, he played on only one winning team, the 1981 squad which went 9-7. Ironically, Van Pelt nursed an injury during that playoff run and, if I vaguely remember correctly, did manage to get himself into the San Francisco divisional playoff loss.

A great Giant and fan favorite, Van Pelt will be missed.

RIP, BVP.

I finally was able to NFL Films’ America’s Game on the 2007 Football Giants last night. It was originally broadcast on NFL Network last September before opening day, but I missed it while on vacation and foolishly didn’t DVR because they tend to play this stuff over and over. Surprisingly, I hadn’t seen it aired since then but was finally was able to catch it. I was not disappointed. As always, NFL Films tells a story, and this one hour documentary follows a familiar script. Establish the main characters in dire straits, then show them overcoming obstacles to achieve their ultimate goal.

The concept behind America’s Game is not the typical highlight film, but rather to chronicle the season of the Super Bowl champion as seen through the eyes of three key persons. In the Giants’ case, these three individuals were a no-brainer: Michael Strahan, Tom Coughlin, and Eli Manning. Strahan was his usual entertaining self. The funniest moment was his imitation of Tom Brady, who spoke in disbelief about Plaxico Burress’ prediction of the Pats scoring only 17 points. Manning had a smile on his face the entire time, and showed his more comical and lighthearted side. One particular snip had Manning describing half time of the Packers playoff game, in which he didn’t hear a word his coach said because he was focusing on whether Coughlin’s cherry red face had frost bite. Coughlin also presented a side that, until that 2007 season, many Giants’ fans didn’t know he had. All three beamed of victory throughout the show.

The thing I probably liked best about it was some non-NFL Films clips, which I am sure were rarely seen. The first which really hit me was Coughlin’s first speech to his team in 2004, and if his tone and directness didn’t get your attention, you didn’t have a pulse. Wow! During the 2007 training camp, they show a changed Coughlin taking the Giants out for bowling night rather than having meetings. During Super Bowl week in Arizona, there is a shot of the Giants’ team bus stopping at In-N-Out Burger to grab a team meal. They also give a 30 second shot of Coughlin’s Saturday night pregame speech to the team before the epic game. And seeing David Tyree dropping ball after ball during the last practice before the game added an interesting twist of things to come.

I’ve seen all three America’s Games on the Giants, and the 1986 version remains my favorite, and the only one I’ve watched multiple times. The 2007 team is probably 1A and the 1990 team 1B. I think a lot of the allure with the ‘86 story is the three participants (Parcells, Taylor, and Simms) were talking about their season some 20 years later. While watching the 2007 version, we find ourselves only a year removed from the moment which I won’t say takes away from it, but it would be more nostalgic to see these three talk about it in about 10 years. Alas, there is an roundabout solution to this: wait 10 years and view it on DVD (or whatever medium we have then) and enjoy it all over again.

But I guess I first have to review the big game from Sunday. I thought it was a pretty boring first three quarters, with the only exciting play being the long interception return by the Steelers which looked like it was going to be the real difference in the game. But the Cardinals, who could never get any rhythm going throughout the entire game, finally made a game changing decision in the fourth quarter and went no-huddle. That move proved very effective. The Cards got a score to Fitzgerald to pull within six, and would eventually take a one point lead with a little more than two minutes left on a second Fitzgerald TD that was lightening quick. Both scores exemplified Fitz’s assets: size, strength, and speed. The Steelers, led by MVP Santonio Holmes and Ben Roethlisberger, then literally snatched the game away from the upstart Cards with a text book two minute drive in a dramatic fourth quarter.

A few bullets:

• This was not the best Super Bowl ever, even though Don Banks from SI.com and Mike Wilbon from ESPN’s PTI both said so. I can think of one, two, three, four games that were better without blinking. This game plodded along, with a host of penalties, for three quarters. One of the better fourth quarters, surely. Not the best game ever. Al Micheals probably said it best, in the heat of the moment, and I’m paraphrasing: “This might not be up there with last year’s game, but it is in the neighborhood.” Michaels stayed calm, cool, and collect while Banks went off the deep end.
• Holmes catch was the best ever play, per ESPN’s SportsCenter? Are you kidding me? It was an excellent play which will go down as one of the best clutch catches in SB history, but it can’t be considered the best. How quickly we forget. It just doesn’t top Manning to Tyree from last year. That play had two parts: the escape and then the catch. And the Tyree grab was just flat out a tougher reception, a one-hander against his helmet as he was being mugged by Rodney Harrison. To settle the debate, ask yourself this: how often to you see a catch like Holmes’? Then how often do you see a play like Tyree/Manning? In fact, ESPN had three plays from last night in the Top 10 of all time. They actually put Fitzgerald’s second TD catch in there. Really? A super play, but a Top 10? We’re talking all plays in SB history here. ESPN needs to calm down already.
• Mike Pereira, head of NFL officiating, probably can’t wait to officially transition his position to the new guy. I didn’t notice it during the game, but post game analysis showed Holmes clearly using the ball as a prop, which should have resulted in a 15 yard penalty on the kickoff which could have dramatically changed the way the game ended. Sure the Cards probably still lose, but they might get a few shots in the endzone to make it much more interesting. I heard Craig Carton on WFAN who basically said, “It’s the Super Bowl, let the guy celebrate the game winning score.” There are plenty of ways to celebrate: with your teammates, spiking the ball, or even jumping into the stands. Pereira has said on more than one occasion he wants the Super Bowl officiated the same way Week One is. Based on that, his crew missed this one.
• Why do posters on Giant message boards/blogs get so worked up on comparing Eli Manning to Big Ben (and Phillip Rivers for that matter). It’s like bragging rights for who is the best quarterback and justifying that Eli should have been the number one pick. Personally, I have no problem saying Roethlisberger is the better QB. He’s won the most games by any QB ever after five years and has two SB rings. They’re both Top 10 QB’s, but Ben is ahead of Eli. I certainly wasn’t rooting against Pittsburgh because of any imaginary competition between Roethlisberger and Manning.

I felt compelled to write about this because of my huge affinity towards NFL Films. By the end of today, employees of the NFL in New York, NFL Network in Los Angeles, and also at NFL Films in Mt Laurel, NJ must decided on accepting layoff packages offered to them. I’m no accountant, but by the amount of money the NFL takes in its hard to fathom this mega-entity needing to do this. Alas, I know, it’s a business in a capitalistic society and they are allowed to do what they want. But I must say it’s a direct reflection on the economic times we live in.

Also connected with all of this is the growing rumor that NFL Films is being phased out. All I can say is, “wow.” Growing up, watching NFL Films tell a football story along with that great music was sometimes better than the actual games. In fact, I think I looked forward to the highlights more. The music, the footage, Harry Kalas.

So what exactly does this mean? My instincts tell me NFL will simply absorb NFL Films and still produce the same type of work only on a smaller scale, in an obvious attempt to save money and make profit margins larger. But that’s only my guess. Rumor has it that NFL Films President Steve Sabol was offered one of those package deals. Could it mean the complete demise of NFL Films? Part of the allure the NFL has is courtesy of Sabol’s group. I can tell you, if there is one certainty, an overwhelming percentage of fans would feel part of their NFL is being taken away from them if NFL Films is dissolved. Include me for sure.

Steve Spagnuolo left the Giants to become head coach of the St Louis Rams. Any true Giant fan wishes this guy the best of success. He took a talented group of players and showed them how to play defense. Spags was a big part in the Super Bowl run last year, and while it would have been great to see him succeed Coughlin one day as the head coach, the truth is you have to jump when given this type of chance. Many people are skeptical of the Rams, but as we’ve seen it doesn’t take a lot to turn a franchise around (see Miami and Atlanta). He’s seen first hand with the Eagles and Giants that building your teams from the inside-out is the way to succeed. He’s got talent at QB, RB, and WR. Spags will make it a priority to build the trenches first.

With Spags gone, the Giants made a smart move in promoting Bill Sheridan from linebacker’s coach to defensive coordinator. Staying in-house was the way to go. The players know him and he knows the system, having worked closely with Spags. I don’t see the Giants defense taking a hit with this change because this defense has young talent across the board. Three good corners. Three blue chip defensive ends. I’m hoping that Sheridan, having coached the LB’s, now will have a say in the team finally spending a high pick at that position in April.

There’s been plenty of debate about Kurt Warner being a Hall of Famer. I’ve gone on record as saying he isn’t. But after Warner’s great day in the NFC Championship game versus Philadelphia (and the entire playoffs for that matter), I think he may have just stamped his ticket to Canton. Three Super Bowl appearances and two NFL MVP’s is an impressive resume. The thing with Warner is, his career has been so disjoint. He literally came out of no where to lead what I believe is the best offense I ever saw for a single season in the 1999 Rams. A second Super Bowl berth seemingly had Warner destined for greatness, but then a thumb injury caused him to become erratic throwing and handling the ball and he eventually lose his starting job 2002. From there, he was unable to secure a starting role in the NFL until just last year. And here he is again, leading this time a underdog Cardinals team to their first Super Bowl appearance ever. Some will make the case he’s played with two of the best receiving corps of all time in an era where the rules favor the passing game. Still, there’s no denying what he has accomplished. A win versus the Steelers and any debate of his belonging ends.

I’ll be writing about free agency when it gets started on February 27. Before then a few thoughts about what’s happened since the loss in the playoffs.

There was instant reaction to Plaxico Burress after the loss. GM Jerry Reese chimed in, saying in no uncertain terms that not having the lanky wideout was a factor in the Giants performance, or lack there of and he’d be willing to have Plax back. Multiple players also spoke out on Monday that they would be willing to have Plax too, most notably Eli and Justin Tuck. Tom Coughlin, however, on an interview with WFAN, wasn’t so quick to forgive and forget. He admitted he’s still part of the team, but he has 52 other guys to think about. This was Coughlin protecting his own turf, as he has to deal with the guy more than anyone. And Reese’s admittance is a bit trickier. Would he really consider having Burress back, or is he just protecting the Giants’ interest in a potential future trade if Plax doesn’t land in jail?

Here’s an interesting juxtaposition between Lawrence Taylor and Plax. LT has had his problems, too, as we all know. But the similarity between Plax and LT is not far off. Take a look:

• LT suspended in 1988 for the first four regular season games (Giants started 2-2). Then the next offseason, was caught on the side of the Garden State Parkway, parked and asleep after drinking all night.
• Plax suspended for last five games and playoffs in 2008 (Giants went 1-4). Also had police called to his house multiple times for domestic disputes earlier in the summer.
• Both players missed meetings (or in LT’s case, slept in meetings), and marched to their own beat. Both players perform very well on the field, particularly LT. (I also did not mention LT’s problems between 1985 and 1986 which were his first go around).

So why is that people assume the Giants wouldn’t reinstate Burress, when they have a precedence of tolerating this type of difference maker? They certainly did with LT. And could you make the case that Plax is almost as important to this team as LT was to those Giant teams? Maybe a stretch. If you presented this before judge and jury and had them rule on whether Plax should be reinstated by the Giants or not, I think the decision would be made in Burress’ favor. Mind you this is after all the dust settles concerning his gun charge which could make everything moot if he goes to jail. And I do realize that these are different times, with franchises and leagues keeping a closer eye on how their players are perceived in the public eye. In this age of ESPN News, the Internet, and camera phones, nothing seems to go unreported. In that sense, LT probably had an advantage.

Eli versus the wind. Now all we are hearing is how Manning does not throw a suitable ball for the conditions presented by Giants Stadium. I call bullshit. Remember when Eli couldn’t win on the road in his second year? Then it was he wasn’t strong enough to sustain a 16 game season, referring to late season swoons. Then it was Eli can’t win a playoff game. Then Eli can’t play QB in cold weather. Now it’s wind. Manning simply played poorly last Sunday, and complicating matters was his receivers really weren’t getting open against a good defense. Throw in an offensive coordinator who wasn’t processing this and you have an ugly offensive effort. I’m not sure how much wind there was. It certainly was there in the first half, and affected both offenses. By the time the Giants went into the wind, if any, in the fourth quarter the Eagles had already sucked the life out of a Giant team that blew opportunities. That game was already over.