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The Super Bowl Champion New York Giants (God, I just love saying that!) will be honored by President Bush at the White House today.
In an interesting footnote, Jeremy Shockey will not be in attendance. Very poor decision Jeremy.
The last time Coach Coughlin met with a politician he had an interesting exchange:
Look coach, pretty soon I'll be making these
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Listed below are the 2008 Rookie free agent signings to date for the New York Giants. In case you say...undrafted college players, who cares? Remember, Antonio Pierce was an undrafted rookie free agent signed by the Washington Redskins not too long ago. Last time I checked he turned into a pretty good player. So here they are:
S Nehemiah Warrick, Michigan State
DE Wallace Gilberry, Alabama
OL Glenn Bujnoch, Cincinnati
DE Antonio Reynolds, Tennessee
OL Andrew Bain, Miami
OL Carnell Stewart, LSU
OL Dylan Thiry, Northwestern
DT Nate Robinson, Akron
WR D.J. Hall, Alabama
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As I sit here a day after the conclusion of the 2008 NFL draft and look at the New York Giants team, with the significant portion of free agency signings complete, I feel we could actually be better then last season. I know, I know, it is very difficult to repeat, every team is after us, blah, blah blah...I get it.By the way, it is very possible for us to be better and still not repeat given all the things that must go right to win a Super Bowl. But I honestly believe this team can (and must) be better...here's why:
First, Eli Manning seems to have turned into the franchise Quarterback the Giants traded for.He is 27 years old, this will be his 5th year in the NFL, and he is just entering his prime years. The confidence and credibility he gained during the Giants Super Bowl run can't be ignored...it will help him.
Second, Coach Coughlin now has tons of credibility as well..and the players seem to love him . This is his team with his guys and that means a lot. The players have his back....if a guy like Shockey pulled his "we were out coached" crap, players would put him in his place.
Third, it is the second year for the offensive and defensive coordinators, Kevin Gilbride and Steve Spagnolo now have guys with a year under their belts as far as the system. A lot of the early season confusion we saw, especially on defense, should be gone.Also, both coordinators know what guys can do and how much they can trust them.Basically, they should have more stability.
Fourth, last seasons amazing crop of rookies...Aaron Ross, Steve Smith,Jay Alford, Kevin Boss, Ahmed Bradshaw,ect, now have some significant NFL experience. Because of injuries and the Super Bowl run, these guys had to grow up fast and they all responded. That should pay dividends this season.
Fifth, new personnel. The Giants replaced off season losses through free agency with line backer Danny Clark and veteran safety Sammy Knight. But, I believe Jerry Reese might just have done it again in the draft. The Giants pass rush will again be solid but they have now added play makers in the secondary in Kenny Phillips and Terrill Thomas. We now could have tremendous depth at line backer with the additions of Bryan Kehl and Jonathon Goff. We added a big time player at wide out in Mario Manningham (even if he might score more touchdowns this season then questions he answered correctly on the Wonderlic test...6...ouch!). And Reese even procured a former Heisman candidate, Andre Woodson, to back up Eli Manningham..I mean Eli Manning.And what Giants draft would be complete without a pass rushing defensive end, Robert Henderson.
Finally, there are two key players returning who did not participate in the Super Bowl run. Mathias Kiwanuka was just really starting to come on at his new position before the season ending injury he suffered. He is an outstanding pass rusher and will cause fits for opposing QB's.Then there is our old friend Jeremy Shockey...yes I felt he would be traded, and for the right offer should have been. But the right offer never came along. Shockey is a pro bowl tight end who can change the course of a game. If he comes in with the right attitude...meaning keep your mouth shut and put team first...not a given, I admit, but if he does this offense could be dangerous. Imagine having Shockey, Burress, Bradshaw, Toomer and Manningham all on the field together.
Call me crazy...lots of people do, but what the hell do they know?? I am VERY optimistic. Giants fans, remember...you actually can comment on this site, we encourage it, let us know what you think.
If I am correct, we may have another one of these very soon:
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Well Giants fans, GM Jerry Reese has his second draft as the head man in the books, and with any luck he did as brilliant a job as last year. Here is a brief look:
Round One: Safety, Kenny Phillips, Miami:
Kenny Phillips is a hard hitting safety with good speed, excellent coverage skills and a ton of upside. He also has the ability to play the cornerback position if needed. He might very well be the play maker the Giants have long sought at the safety position.
Round two: cornerback, Terrill Thomas, USC:
Thomas is a very fast, hard hitting CB who can also play safety if needed (Reese seems to like versatile players). He is very athletic and a play maker. The only possible knock is that he has shown an inclination towards injury. If he can stay on the field, he will have an impact.
Round three: wide receiver, Mario Manningham, Michigan:
Mario Manningham is an outstanding wide receiver who will give opposing defenses fits when paired up with the other talent the Giants have on that side of the ball. He has good speed, sure hands and big play ability. He was considered a mid-first round pick until some off the field concerns surfaced. The Giants aren't concerned.
Round four: linebacker, Bryan Kehl, BYU
Bryan Kehl is a fast player who always seems to be around the ball. He has good size at 6'2" 242, is smart...4.0 GPA, and very hardworking. He had a reputation at BYU for spending lots of extra time looking at game film. He can play either weakside or the middle.
Round five:linebacker,Jonathon Goff,Vnderbilt:
Jonathon Goff is an intense player who always gives maximum effort. He has a knack for being around the ball, is excellent at shedding blockers, very intelligent and hardworking. The only real knock is that he is not great in the open field.
Round six:Quarterback, Andre Woodson, Kentucky:
Andre Woodson is a big QB at 6'4" 230 and has very good scrambling ability. He has a strong, accurate arm and nice touch on the deep ball. His negatives are a penchant to throw off the wrong foot and to sometimes "lock in" on one receiver. He has a lot of up side.
Round six:defensive end, Robert Henderson, USM:
Robert Henderson is a pass rushing end who has talent but is considered a work in progress.
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With the 31st pick of the third round of the 2008 NFL draft, the New York Giants select wide receiver Mario Manningham from Michigan.
My initial reaction to the pick....NICE! I love it, another talented target for Eli Manningham...(just kidding). This kid has all the talent in the world, he has speed, great hands, he is tough and very elusive...in short, the Giants have added another play maker.
There are some off the field questions, but I am confident the Giants don't touch players that have significant problems.
This will make for a potentially explosive offense coupled with Burress, Toomer, Smith, Shockey, etc...
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With a very successful day one of the 2008 NFL draft in the books, what will the New York Giants do on day two?
By selecting safety Kenny Phillips and corner back Terrell Tomas, the Giants have dramatically upgraded the speed and play making ability in their greatest area of need, secondary.
They have now put themselves in a position to draft the most talented players available, regardless of position. While they might like to add depth at linebacker, wide receiver and offensive line, none of these are urgent needs. There are however still some quality players left at these spots, including Dan Connor and Mario Manningham.
Giants fans above all others should know what kind of players can be found on day two, just look at our current roster; Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Kevin Boss, Ahmed Bradshaw, etc.I am every bit as excited to watch today as I was yesterday!
Remember, we have a secret weapon:
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The New York Giants selected cornerback Terrill Thomas from USC in round two. For the second straight season, Big Blue has gone to USC in the second round. It worked out well last year with Steve Smith.
Thomas has size at 6'0" and 200lbs. He is a big time hitter who actually could play Safety if needed. He also has excellent speed and coverage skills.
This appears to be another brilliant move by Giants General Manager Jerry Reese.
What exactly this means for Corey Webster is another question. We will find out soon enough.
Check back for rounds 3-7.
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The Super Bowl Champion New York Giants select safety Kenny Phillips from Miami.
I love this pick! Phillips has it all; speed, strength, good hands, a mean streak and good coverage skills. This significantly improves the secondary..can Jerry Reese duplicate last years stunning draft?? Check back.
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Well Giants fans, draft day is upon us...thank God. As we await the hysteria to begin, I wanted to take a quick look back at the historic Giants draft of 2007. Lets hope this wasn't a rookie fluke for General Manager Jerry Reese, because he did excellent!!
ROUND ONE: He selected Corner back Aaron Ross from Texas. Ross had some trouble early on adjusting to the pro game, but became our best corner as the season wore on.
ROUND TWO: Steve Smith, wide receiver from USC. Smith solidified himself as the Giants # three receiver and was clutch during the Super Bowl run.
ROUND THREE: Jay Alford, defensive tackle. Who could forget him body slamming Tom Brady during that last, desperate attempt by the Patriots to win the Super Bowl...by the win, it didn't work.
ROUND FOUR: Linebacker Zak DeOssie. Steve's kid was an exceptional special teams player who provides quality depth at the linebacker spot.
ROUND FIVE: Tight end Kevin Boss. The man who might make it possible for the Giants to trade Jeremy Shockey for multiple draft picks. Boss had the longest play from scrimmage in the Super Bowl...43 yards.
ROUND SEVEN: this round bought us two key players, safety Michael Johnson who saw significant playing time and did very well. Also running back Ahmed Bradshaw who I feel will be a star in this league.
can Jerry Reese possibly duplicate that success this year? Probably not, but if he can get us three or four players who contribute, we will be just fine.
Check with us through out draft day.
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The rumors are flying fast and furious regarding New York Giants controversial tight end Jeremy Shockey. The latest one is that the New Orleans Saints have offered the Giants a two and a five. However, at the moment the Giants and Jerry Reese want more.
My guess is that Shockey will be a regular partier in the French Quarter this season. I think Reese and the Giants are playing this one right; hold out for the best possible deal, worst case scenario Shockey comes back. While their are certainly issues with Shockey, they haven't reached the point of no return and you just don't want to give away a pro bowl tight end in his prime.
If the Giants can walk away from this however with a number two and either an established player, or say a third round pick, they will have done very well.
This is not all that far fetched by the way as the word is that Saints coach Sean Peyton is desperate to land Shockey and build his offense around him.
Stay tunes, it will be an interesting day!
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