Jeremy Shockey Would Welcome Trade?

Jeremy Shockey Would Welcome Trade?:  According to today’s Daily News, TE Jeremy Shockey is frustrated with the Giants and would welcome a trade to the New Orleans Saints.  The paper says Shockey is telling friends he is upset with his role in the Giants’ offense, his contract, and the perception that the Giants’ late-season success was based on his absence.  He also is apparently worried that he will be blamed if the team fails in 2008.

Team sources have told the paper that “at least two clubs” have inquired about Shockey and “the Giants have made it clear they are willing to listen.”  The Daily News says the Saints offered their second-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft for Shockey last month but the Giants wanted more.  “We’re not just going to give him away,” said one unidentified team source.  With Shockey coming off a broken leg and never being able to complete a full 16-game season, team sources told the paper that they do not believe the bidding will get high enough for the Giants to seriously consider trading Shockey.

The Daily News says Shockey could not be reached for comment and that his agent would also not comment on the situation.

General Manager Jerry Reese’s Pre-Draft Press Conference:  The transcript of yesterday’s pre-draft press conference with General Manager Jerry Reese is available at Giants.com. Main highlights from the press conference:

• DE Michael Strahan:  Reese says Strahan has not made a decision as to whether he will retire or not.  “We would like for Michael to make a decision before (the draft), but I don’t think that would happen,” said Reese.  “He has been around, he deserves to take whatever time he needs to take.  Sooner is better for us, but it is not going to weigh on any decisions on what we are going to do in the draft.  We are going to try to draft good players in the draft whether Michael is here or not.  I don’t think that weighs too much on who we are drafting…If he decides to play, how long is he going to play?  Is it one year?  Two years?  Who knows if he decides to play how long he is going to play, so we will draft again just like if he is going to be here or if he is not going to be here.  It is not going to affect us in the draft.”

• LB/DE Mathias Kiwanuka:  “Kiwi gives us flexibility,” said Reese.  “We like guys like that, guys that give you some flexibility.  Kiwi can play defensive end, he can play linebacker for us, so he gives us some flexibility.  That is a good problem to have with Kiwi.  Right now on the depth chart he is a linebacker, but that doesn’t mean he will be a linebacker when we play the Redskins on Thursday (in the regular season opener).”

• TE Jeremy Shockey:   When Reese was asked about the trade rumors, he responded, “Right now all I can say on Jeremy Shockey is that he is our starting tight end…I have not (contacted other teams about Shockey)…There have been conversations (with other teams)…Anything can happen in personnel, but right now, like I said, Jeremy Shockey is our starting tight end and we are looking forward for him to be back on the field for us this fall…I think he wants to be part of the football team.”

• Injury Report:   “From our doctors and trainers, everybody has said that (Shockey’s) leg is coming along well, so he will be ready to go…I don’t think we have any issues medically.  (WR Plaxico Burress) is going to be fine, (HB) Derrick Ward is going to be fine, Kiwi, all those guys are ready to go.  They will be ready to go…Not necessarily right now, when I say ready to go, I am talking about training camp.  They are going to be ready to go for training camp unless they have some kind of setback at some point.”
  

Change in Giants’ Preseason Schedule:  The NFL announced yesterday that the Giants-Panthers preseason game in Charlotte has been switched to a Giants-Lions preseason game in Detroit.  For the complete 2008 Giants’ preseason schedule, see the 2008 Schedule section of the website.

One More Pre-Draft Visit Revealed:  According to The Star-Ledger‘s Giants’ Blog, TE/FB John Tereshinski (Wake Forest) will meet with the Giants prior to the 2008 NFL Draft.  See yesterday’s “News and Notes” update for 27 other pre-draft visits.