A few bullets:
In the end, the Giants did the right thing. While the prospects of having Kevin Boss and Shockey in double sets is very appealing, it doesn’t really work if one of them isn’t on the same page as everyone else. And if Shockey was going to be this huge distraction during camp (with a press egging him on too), it really was the last thing the defending champs needed. Shockey was the last remaining player in that offensive huddle that looked through Eli. Now with both Tiki and Shock gone, everyone looks to the QB, not beyond him.
To steal a line from BBI, in which one of their loyal members posted: “I love Shockey, but I love Superbowls more.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
]]>I believe the Packers have handled this perfectly, so far. Favre is under contract with the team. Why release him and let another team (such as division rivals Chicago or Minnesota) reap the potential benefits? Do I think Rodgers starting and Favre as the backup can work in Green Bay? No way, not in that combination. Most everyone sees Favre winning that battle. A trade of Favre would make GM Ted Thompson public enemy number one, and would the team even get equal value for a player his age and squawking to get out? Favre has put the organization in quite a pickle. Very interesting times in Green Bay, eh?
]]>To be honest, I have been hoping that PSL’s arrived on the scene with the new stadium. The reason? To basically thin out the droves of people who hold, for example, 6-10 seats as part of their season ticket package, and in some cases, never use some or all of these tickets but rather broker them to others. Those fans will now have to make a choice on how many (if any) tickets to renew under the terms of the PSL. And ultimately this will open up opportunities for those on the ticket wait list.
But as always, you have to careful what you wish for. The Giants have already announced that every upper tier seat will come with a price of $1,000. Lower tier and mezz prices haven’t been released, but it’s quite obvious these will be more expensive (in some cases rumored to be as much as 20K per seat). It’s commonly understood right now that those in the lower/mezz levels will have three options:
It is also believed that choice to move to the upper level will be based on seniority. Once the upper level is filled, option 2 no longer applies.
So I have conservatively estimated that 15-20% of current ticket holders will not renew. In a new stadium that will hold about 82,500, I believe that the first 12,000 to 14,000 fans on the wait list will have an opportunity to get season passes. But the question becomes at what price? Those seats will certainly be the highest priced seats in regards to the PSL (and face value of the ticket). So while your number finally comes up, you may not be in a position to afford it.
The other interesting thing to point out is once the new stadium is full (meaning every PSL is assigned), the wait list as we know it becomes meaningless. If someone decides they are done going to Giant games, they will sell their PSL to the highest bidder in the open market. The first person on the waiting list doesn’t get a crack at it.Â
It also will become increasingly more difficult to get tickets at decent prices outside of the current TicketMaster ticket exhange program. Here’s why. Upper tier fans, possibly owning less seats now, will be more reluctant to sell because they want to go to the game themselves. And if they do sell, the price will be more expensive in an effort to recoup their cost of the PSL. The same thing applies to lower and mezz seat owners, and figure the cost to be even greater considering their outlay for PSL’s.
Be careful what you wish for. Hoarding of seats will be eliminated. New fans will get an opportunity to become season ticket holders. The only question becomes, at what cost?
]]>Strahan is probably the second best defensive player I have seen on the Giants (Taylor) in my fandom since 1980. What makes Strahan a Hall of Famer is his ability to play the run and the pass. Making it even more unique is the size of Strahan. Whether he was playing at 285 pounds (earlier in his career) or at 245 pounds (like this past year), he was equally effective. Amazing. Strahan just knew how to play the technique at his position, and do it at the highest level.
The one knock on Strahan, and I always said this, was he didn’t make the big play when the Giants needed it most. There were some bitter collapses during his time (1997 versus Minnesota and 2002 versus San Fran come to mind immediately) when Strahan, or his defense, didn’t come through. Don’t get me wrong, there are always going to be situations where the defense fails, it happens to the best of them. But the Giants never seemed to get that stop when it was needed in big, tight games. 2007 was different. They didn’t fold in Dallas or Green Bay, when they easily could of. Instead they got tougher. And while New England did go the length of the field for a go-ahead score late in Super Bowl XLVII, the offense came to the rescue. And that was so appropriate, because the defense, led by Strahan, played wonderfully on that February evening and deserved every ounce of praise.
John Mara was unsure about retiring Stra’s number, only because the Giants are “running out” of numbers to use for current players. That’s okay, because no one will confuse #92 with anyone else. It’s Michael Strahan’s number forever.
]]> First, I picked up the five DVD set released by NFL Films that everyone has been waiting for: the Giants’ incredible run through the playoffs that includes Week 17’s game versus the then undefeated Pats. It’s the full network broadcasts, with the original announcers (Buck and Aikman for every playoff game). There had been a rumor that Bob Pappa and company from WFAN would be spliced in over the video, but that isn’t the case. The really cool thing: you can watch the Super Bowl with Strahan’s commentary turned on (athough Stra, like any defensive player, harps too much on the offense to just not make a mistake…still, who can get mad at the guy?). The really uncool thing: these games aren’t in HD. I have to admit, I’m spoiled and it’s really a big time blunder by the producers. All these games were broadcast orginally in HD. Talk about going cheap. It’s just not the same. Nonetheless, it will be a long time before I actually sit down and watch the entire set (if ever, as I’ve watched numerous replays already) but if you’re a Giants’ fan this is something you at least have to have in your video collection.
 The Giants got their rings last week, and man, were those things huge! Strahan wanted a “10-table ring” and Tiffany’s certainly delivered. The ceremony kicked off the start of OTA’s to be followed by a “mandatory” mini camp June 11-13. Shockey wasn’t at the ring ceremony and we’ll see what happens at the mini camp. Some minor drama, but really, after what this team has gone through over the last three years, this amounts to small potatoes despite what ESPN or any other outlet can make it out to be.
Finally, some more kudos to the front office. When the Giants came to David Diehl to rework his contract a few weeks ago to be more in line with a starting left tackle, it sends a message. To everyone. The Giants know they have a young nucleus and keeping it intact is vital to the team’s future success. Look for Chris Snee and Brandon Jacobs to be next on the list.
]]>There’s little question that the secondary needed to be built up a bit more and that’s exactly where the Giants looked first. Kenny Phillips’ stock was said to be falling, but that proved to be a good thing as he fell all the way to the Giants. Arguably the best safety in the draft, Phillips at number 31 is good value and fills a need. Originally projected to go mid-first round, the Giants will gladly take him. Look for him to see the field a lot in his rookie year.Â
Second round choice corner Terrell Thomas is a name I didn’t really recognize. But the book on him sounds perfect for the Giants: big, long arms, physical. The negative on Thomas appears to be speed, but that may be deceiving due to his size. While he may project to safety, the Giants will certainly give him reps at corner in the beginning. He comes from a passing conference, a big time school (USC), and played in big games. All things I like to hear.Â
The third rounder, WR Mario Manningham, is easily the most intriguing pick, and could turn out to be the steal of the draft. First, unbelievable value in the third round, since he was projected to be a possible first rounder. I predicted a wideout would only be taken if it was the best available player at the time, and that certainly qualifies here. We all know Manningham’s problems, but his upside was too great to pass up at this spot. Physically, there seems to be some disagreement on his speed and ability to separate. Honestly, I don’t watch a lot of college football so I don’t know, but all I have heard is “deep threat”, “polished route runner”, “ability to leap” as adjectives for Manningham. The Giants didn’t let a bad Combine workout dissuade them. Let fellow alum Amani Toomer take this guy under his wing this summer and the dividends could be huge. A great pick.Â
The Giants made me proud in rounds four and five going for linebackers. If both these guys can play, the Giants will now possess a very deep corp. Current Giant LBs Tank Daniels and Rory Johnson are marginal NFL players. Both these draft picks are an attempt to upgrade and replace those guys. Fourth rounder Bryan Kehl is described as a coach’s dream in the writeups. The highlights I saw of him displayed an ability to drop into passing lanes and catch the ball. The Giants traded up seven spots to get him, telling us they wanted to take no chances of someone else pouncing. Fifth rounder Jonathan Goff was projected as a third rounder, so the Giants again got value. Goff could be the eventual replacement to Antonio Pierce down the road, but that’s getting way ahead of ourselves. Both figure to be special team contributors immediately. Could these picks signal a potential switch back to DE for Kiwi in the near future? Right now the Giants are saying no, but that probably hinges on Strahan coming back and how these two picks develop in camp.
In the sixth, the Giants made a choice simply by taking the best player available on the board, and it turned out to be a quarterback. Rod Woodson’s cousin, Andre Woodson, was expected to be a high pick before having a rough Senior Bowl week. The Giants simply could not let this player slide. He’ll battle Jared Lorenzen for the third spot this season, getting a lot of playing time in exhibition games. Again, this is a great low risk/high reward pick. You’re getting a projected higher round pick at the very end of the sixth round, and at a premium position. His value is two-fold. Woodson could develop into a very good backup QB, and/or possibly become a valuable trade commodity. Keep your fingers crossed.
The seventh, and last selection, secured my prediction that the Giants would take a DE. Cleary, though, Robert Henderson is a project so we’ll see what happens. He has a quick first step but needs to bulk up. The practice squad seems a likely destination for the first year. It looks to me that the Giants protected themselves by drafting linebackers, rather than a DE, in case Strahan retires. That would allow Kiwi to move to DE and give the staff more choices at LB as a replacement.
Jerry Reese followed up last season’s terrific draft with one that appears to have lots of promise. I will be interesting to see how these guys perform in their rookie mini camp scheduled for May 9th and 10th. Oh, and the Giants didn’t trade Shockey. Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make.
]]>Last year’s first pick, Aaron Ross, was really a nice selection by Jerry Reese. Not only did he take over starting duties by the fourth regular season game, but Ross played like he belonged. The Giants, I believe, would love to select a corner that could team with Ross over the next several years. That’s not to say savvy Sam Madison is out by any means, but the Giants need to think about eventually replacing 34 year old vet. While Corey Webster played extremely well in the playoffs, I am not ready to concede anything. Plus, in this age of four and five WR sets, you can never have enough cover guys. I certainly expect a corner on Day One.
Safety is an interesting position. The Giants have a player that seems more suited for a backup role (James Butler), a stop gap veteran presence (Sammy Knight), and a player (Michael Johnson) that could be ready to take over a starting spot based on what he showed last year as a rookie. Johnson is really the key here. If he can make the jump to full time starter, then being paired with either Knight or Butler would be an adequate tandem. But the Giants still need depth here, and a safety on Day One makes more and more sense.
Linebacker, a Giant tradition. Not anymore. We hear more and more that linebackers aren’t that important in Steve Spagnulo’s schemes. Poppycock. Give me an athletic linebacker that can blitz and cover and tell me Spags can’t use him? Thing is, the Giants feel they have that, namely third year man Gerris Wilkinson. The Giants let Kawika Mitchell walk in free agency because they think Wilkinson is ready to start, and shine. We’ll find out. Kiwi, Pierce, and Wilkinson is solid corp, and Steve DeOssie hopefully can take the next step and start getting snaps in a relief role. I’d still like a Day One pick to be spent on a linebacker, either inside or out.
Do the Giants shock everyone by taking a DE with their first pick? Remember how we all fell out of our seats when Kiwi was picked in ’06? Here’s the deal. While we want Strahan to come back, any good football team starts preparing before a player retires. And here is the perfect time to draft an end who can absorb Stra’s wisdom, much like Stra did when drafted back in 1993 (remember, Strahan wasn’t an instant star by any means). Plus, with the rumor of Osi potentially holding out this summer, the Giants may want to be proactive and protect themselves. I do think a DE will be picked in this draft. The Giants will also be on the watch for a DT.
See a trend here? I’ve written about nothing but defense, but then again I am old school. The Giant D was good last year, but they can be very good. While I don’t want them reaching for defensive players, that side of the ball is still the area to build upon.
Offensively, the Giants scored 30 or more points six times. The have a QB who is just hitting the cusp of his prime, playmakers at multiple positions, and very good line play. Mostly everyone is young. They are extremely deep at RB and TE (barring a trade of Shockey, a rumor that appears to be picking up steam). I don’t really see a lot of weaknesses here that need to be addressed in this draft. Two areas I could see picks being spent on: offensive line and WR. With the former, you can never have enough big bodies and a pick here seems likely, perhaps even in the first round. With the latter, I can only see taking a WR if the player on the board is simply the best player available.
Reese will have eight picks, including three in the sixth. I’ll have a recap a week after the draft. Good night, good drafting.
]]>First, from the Giants perspective, Shockey is a proven commodity in the NFL. While he may not be the dynamic player he was early in his career, he still draws the attention of defenses and as mentioned above, really is a fine blocking TE. Combined with the emerging Kevin Boss, the Giants have great depth at this position (something that proved invaluable last year). With Boss, Shockey’s role may not be that prominent anymore, but he can still be very effective. Shockey doesn’t have to be the superstar TE, just a good TE. That old adage applies: less is more. Furthermore, Shockey is signed through 2012, making him even a more attractive asset. There are of course the well known negatives. Shockey is way too animated on the field, and frankly doesn’t back it up anymore. He doesn’t appear at times to be on the same page as Eli Manning (whose fault that is debatable, but it’s Shockey who doesn’t show for voluntary workouts). He still suffers from the occasional drop, and is constantly hampered by nagging injuries. I feel these negative, however, will be squelched due to the fact that this is now a football team, and it’s Eli’s team. That mark was stamped with the performance in the playoffs. Shockey will have little option but to follow marching orders.
From the Saints perspective, this player and a high pick is too much to give up and why would you be willing to give up a young defensive player when your main weakness is on that side of the ball? Harper was a high draft choice in 2006 who has started every game when healthy (21 games total), putting up nice stats. There definitely appears to be more upside to Harper’s game. Would Shockey enhance their offense? Surely. But youâ€d have to wonder about the baggage mentioned above that he would bring. The Giants can minimize this because Kevin Boss can take some of the focus away. With the Saints, Shockey would be front and center, and you’d be giving up a second round pick for a player that you can make the argument for is on the decline. But a change of scenery could just be the tonic needed for Shockey.
So is this truth or rumor? Would Jerry Reese really pull the trigger on this deal? Remember, Reese is playing with house money – he won the Super Bowl last year doing it his way. He rid the team of constantly injured players such as Pettigout, Emmons, and Arrington. Is Shockey next? Harper solves the safety issue, but immediately opens a hole at tight end, not a very strong position in this year’ draft. In all honestly, the trade makes more sense from the Giants perspective, as they’d be trading a player they don’t get max performance out of in return for more youth. In the end, though, I’m biased. I like Shockey, despite all his faults and believe that the combination of him and Boss will be dynamite. If it were next year, I’d be more tempted to make the trade. We’ll see if it happens, but I hope Shock stays. But I am not Jerry Reese.
]]>Coming back to G-Men tells me the interest in Ward, initially embellished by his agent, wasn’t very high. His history of being injured, plus the broken leg this year certainly decreased his value. But in this age of high spending for even marginal players, I am surprised he couldn’t get a better deal somewhere else in terms of money and playing time. I definitely thought some team would pick him up as a number two back. His return to the Giants puts him third on the depth chart, behind Jacobs and Bradshaw.
That, of course, can change. Jacobs must still prove he is durable enough to pound away for 16 games. Bradshaw, who I suspect may end up being the best of the bunch, still has a small sample size of games. Ward will get touches no doubt, but who knows how it all plays out. Remember, if Ward hadn’t gotten hurt last year, would we even know what we really had in Bradshaw? It’s a great problem to have, and when you throw in Reuben Droughns, the Giants easily have the deepest backfield in the NFL. Â
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