Ahmad Bradshaw - Photo by USA Today Sports Images

RB Ahmad Bradshaw Voted BBI Giant of the Year: RB Ahmad Bradshaw has been voted “BBI Giant of the Year” by registered members of The Corner Forum for his performance during the 2012 NFL season.

In 14 games, Bradshaw rushed for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns on 221 carries (4.6 yards per carry). He also caught 23 passes for 245 yards. All of this despite chronic foot issues that caused him once again miss most regular-season practices. Because of the foot problems, Bradshaw was released by the Giants in February.

801 registered BBI members voted. The results of the voting were as follows:

• 265 – RB Ahmad Bradshaw
• 170 – S Stevie Brown
• 100 – Head Coach Tom Coughlin
• 57 – TE Coach Mike Pope
• 56 – QB Eli Manning
• 51 – S Antrel Rolle
• 40 – WR Victor Cruz
• 29 – PK Lawrence Tynes
• 17 – LT Will Beatty
• 8 – LG Kevin Boothe
• 8 – TE Martellus Bennett

For a listing of past winners, see the BBI Giant of the Year section of the website.

New Additions to BBI: BBI will be undergoing some new exciting changes over the course of the next few months, including a new look for the front page in the near future. But we would like to announce some changes that have already gone into effect:

• For the last few weeks, we have dramatically increased our use of social media (Twitter and Facebook) to disseminate breaking news and interact with fans. We recommend that you follow BBI on both or either of these social media sites.

• Because we are using social media sites more actively, we will start publishing and pushing out new content on BBI throughout the day, not just in our regular early morning front page updates. As new content is created, it will be announced on the BBI Twitter and Facebook pages. (This is another good reason to follow BBI on Twitter and/or Facebook). When the new BBI front page is available, the new content will also appear there immediately throughout the day as well.

• We are pleased to announce that BBI member Optimus-NY has joined the BBI team as our salary cap expert. Optimus-NY will be in charge of developing a new salary cap section on the site with a wealth of information on that important aspect of the NFL game.

BBI Article on the Salary Cap and the Giants: The Salary Cap & the Giants by Optimus-NY of BigBlueInteractive.com located in the Articles section of the website.

BBI Article on Giants’ Defensive Concerns: Defensive Concerns: The Short-Term and Medium-Term State of the Giants’ Defense by Eric from BBI of BigBlueInteractive.com located in the Articles section of the website.

Giants.com Q&A With DT Johnathan Hankins: The video of a recent Giants.com interview with DT Johnathan Hankins is available at Giants.com.

Articles on S Cooper Taylor:

• Rookie Safety Models Himself After Former Giant Sehorn by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post
• Heart of a Giant: Rare Illness Doesn’t Stop 5th-Round Pick Taylor by Ralph Vacchiano of The Daily News

DE Dwight Freeney Signs With the Chargers: Unrestricted free agent DE Dwight Freeney, who had expressed interest in playing for the Giants, has signed a 2-year contract with the San Diego Chargers. It was never reported that the Giants had mutual interest in Freeney.

May 20, 2013

Memories are often short for NFL fans. The long offseason, with excitement of numerous roster subtractions and additions, can overshadow recent failure. It’s an exciting time for fans, but it is important to remember that the ultimate goal is not to make noise in the offseason, but to make noise on the playing field when the games count.

USA Today Sports Images

Aside from a six-game stretch at the end of the 2011 season, the Giants’ defense has been putrid for the last two seasons. It was 27th in yards allowed in 2011 and 31st in yards allowed in 2012. It has had trouble stopping the run (25th in 2012) and the pass (28th in 2012). Indeed, if it were not for 35 takeaways (2nd in the NFL), the defensive stats, including scoring defense (12th in 2012), would surely have been much worse. Personally, I never think it is wise to count on being a league leader in takeaways. Too much luck is involved.

For better or worse, many of core defensive players are now gone: DE Osi Umenyiora, DT Chris Canty, LB Michael Boley, LB Chase Blackburn, and S Kenny Phillips. DT Rocky Bernard also will not be re-signed.

New faces include veteran free agents DT Cullen Jenkins, DT Mike Patterson, DT Frank Okam, LB Dan Connor, LB Aaron Curry, and S Ryan Mundy – all but Jenkins signed to only 1-year contracts. Also added to the mix were rookie draft picks DT Johnathan Hankins, DE Damontre Moore, and S Cooper Taylor.

There still may be a move or two, but the roster heading into camp is largely set. More tweaking could occur in late August and early September when teams make their final cuts.

Obviously, there has been a lot of change. But will change lead to improved results on the playing field both in the short-term and medium-term? Has the talent actually improved? Moving beyond 2013, key veteran holdovers such as DE Justin Tuck, CB Corey Webster, and S Antrel Rolle are aging and taking up too much salary cap space. DT Linval Joseph will be a free agent and DE Jason Pierre-Paul will want a new contract soon. Who will the front office and coaching staff determine to be the core defensive players to build around on this team moving forward? Who will be the defensive leaders? Can Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell restructure the various moving parts into an effective, cohesive unit in 2013 and beyond? Yes, there is change in every offseason, but there is a pretty significant changing of the guard on defense. Can it all come together quickly?

Defensive Line: Except for Pierre-Paul’s play in 2011 and late season flashes from everyone else that same season, this unit has largely lived off its reputation rather than consistent play on the football field. And because of that, gone are Umenyiora, Canty, and Bernard. Tuck could be next in 2014.

On paper, the defensive line is still the strongest position on defense. There are 16 bodies present and all of them have talent. The Giants will probably keep five defensive ends and the sure bets are Tuck, Pierre-Paul, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Damontre Moore. But Adrian Tracy, Adewale Ojomo, Justin Trattou, and Matt Broha have all flashed as players. Based on early impressions, it appears that Tuck is reinvigorated to have a big season, if for no other reason than his next contract with the Giants or another team. But he has been physically beat-up and quite moody in recent years. JPP also needs to rebound from a sackless second half if he wants a big-money contract. Kiwanuka should move back to his more natural position with something to prove as well. Moore has exciting potential, but he needs a lot of work in the weight room. If the Giants think Tuck is likely to depart in 2014, can they find a way to hold onto six defensive ends this year?

The Giants added a lot of new bodies at defensive tackle. Due to injuries and declining play, this was necessary. Linval Joseph returns. He has a lot of talent but he needs to be more effectively consistent on the playing field. Cullen Jenkins should add veteran leadership and a pass rush presence. Johnathan Hankins is the type of stout, double team-eating nose tackle that this team has lacked. That leaves one or two spots for Mike Patterson, Shaun Rogers, Markus Kuhn, Marvin Austin, and Frank Okam. Austin is the three-technique, pass rusher of the group. Rogers and Okam are huge nose tackle types. Patterson and Kuhn offer flexibility and can play the run. Moving forward past 2013, if the Giants can re-sign Joseph (a big if), then the Giants will be in good shape with him and Hankins. The real wild card is Austin. Is he a bust or can he become the player the Giants hoped he would when they drafted him in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft?

Linebacker: Most Giants’ fans seemed to be more concerned with this position than any other. For quite some time, the Giants have rarely addressed this spot high in the draft (with the exception of Clint Sintim). The team has been more proactive in free agency with additions such as Michael Barrow, Antonio Pierce, and Michael Boley to name a few. The same pattern continued this offseason. The Giants did not draft a linebacker but added Dan Connor and Aaron Curry in free agency. They also re-signed Keith Rivers.

This position is the most unsettled on the team despite the fact there are only eight linebackers on the current roster and it is conceivable that the Giants could only carry six heading into the regular season. There is little stability right now. Not only is there no sure starter at any of the three spots, but five of the eight players will see their contracts expire after the 2013 season. Dan Connor is probably the favorite to start in the middle, but he could be challenged there by Aaron Curry or Mark Herzlich. Curry will also vie for one of the outside spots along with Rivers, Jacquian Williams, and Spencer Paysinger. Long shots include Jake Muasau who was with the Giants in camp last year and rookie free agent Etienne Sabino.

One wonders how much the Giants will actually use three linebackers on the field. Obviously, a three-linebacker set will be their base defense. And one would think that having more linebackers on the field would be a good thing against a run-centric team like the Washington Redskins. But Perry Fewell and many other defensive coordinators are using more nickel-type defenses in today’s passing league, and Fewell, in particular, favors the three-safety look.

Rivers has talent, but he can’t seem to stay healthy. Williams can run like a deer, but is he physical enough? Paysinger has been working like a dog this offseason to get his shot. But both he and Herzlich need to prove they are more than just special teams players. The real wild cards are Connor and Curry – two highly-touted collegiate prospects who have had their ups and downs in the NFL, each with two different teams.

Defensive Back: It’s not the linebacker position that worries me the most, but cornerback. This was the position I was more shocked the Giants did not address in the draft. On paper, the Giants look deep and talented with Corey Webster, Prince Amukamara, Terrell Thomas, Jayron Hosley, and Aaron Ross. But Webster and Ross are over 30 and obviously on the downside of their respective careers. Thomas is coming off his third ACL tear on the same knee. If Webster rebounds from a bad 2012, if Thomas’ knee holds up and his overall athleticism hasn’t suffered, and if Ross can serve as a steady backup, then the Giants should be in good shape. But those are all huge “ifs”. Things could get really ugly if the answers to those questions are negative. Moreover, the Giants need Prince Amukamara to build upon a decent 2012 with a better 2013. And they desperately need Jayron Hosley to improve; he struggled quite a bit as a nickel corner in 2012.

Is there any potential gem in the other unknown cornerback candidates? Terrence Frederick, Laron Scott, Trumaine McBride, Charles James, and Junior Mertile are all vying for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Safety is more settled, but the Giants will be without Kenny Phillips. It’s hard to envision Stevie Brown duplicating his 8-interception season again in 2013, but we shall see. Rolle is steady and athletic, but he does not make many plays on the football and his cap number may become untenable in 2014. Will Hill flashed a great deal of promise and the Giants drafted Cooper Taylor. Ryan Mundy is a veteran free agent addition, but he was often viewed as a liability in coverage in Pittsburgh. Tyler Sash has not demonstrated anything more than special teams ability and may be on the hot seat. Veteran David Cardwell and rookie free agents Alonzo Tweedy and John Stevenson are the long shots.

Summary: So there has been a great deal of change. But will these changes improve their dreadful defensive rankings? There is talent on the defensive line, but it has to stop living off its reputation. Everything seems to be in a state of flux at linebacker. Are there three quality starters in that group? In the secondary, much depends on the questions surrounding the cornerback spot. Can Webster rebound? Can Thomas come back healthy and strong? Will Amukamara prove to be worthy of a #1 pick?

And can Perry Fewell and his defensive staff successfully mold together all of these changing and evolving parts into a cohesive, aggressive, and physical defense?

The Giants’ 2013 season probably depends on it.

USA TODAY Sports

by Optimus-NY for BigBlueInteractive.com

May 20, 2013

In today’s NFL, the salary cap rules all. The salary cap is an opponent that many front offices have simply dealt with on an intermediate level, a few have mastered, and a few more have fallen to ruin against as a result of mismanagement. It has risen $88.392 million over the course of 19 years from $34.608 million back in 1994 to $123 million in 2013. Over that time, we’ve seen the Giants deal with it to varying degrees. George Young clearly had issues dealing with it, when a bloodletting took place in its first year, when in the Spring of 1994 Giants fans experienced their first casualty of the cap era: the release of Phil Simms, who incidentally was coming off of the second Pro Bowl year of his career in 1993, which turned out to be the final season in his distinguished career (This Day in Football: Giants cut Phil Simms). Reality quickly sunk in for Giants fans with respect to the cap: “if Phil Simms could get cut, then anybody can.” The cap’s influence on free agency was a reason why players like Dave Meggett, Myron Guyton, and Mark Collins walked in free agency as well despite the Giants still wanting to retain them.

Once Ernie Accorsi took over as GM, things started to clear up cap-wise. That then carried over to this regime headed by GM Jerry Reese and Assistant GM (formerly titled cap analyst) Kevin Abrams. We now see a team that is shrewdly managed, with solid drafting and wisely signed free agent additions. What we also see as a result of the cap is the know-how that is required to keep a team with a franchise QB in his prime years competitively balanced when it comes to knowing when to let certain veteran players walk in free agency. The Giants did that this offseason with Kenny Phillips and Osi Umenyiora. The ins and outs of navigating the NFL salary cap are numerous though. The best thing to keep in mind when it comes to understanding the underlying motivation for people in NFL front offices is younger and cheaper. That is why it is important to find talent via the draft, rookie free agency, and through prudent veteran free agent acquisitions (something which is often overlooked by many fans). Keeping track of these ins and outs is something that is also key. Following these moves as they are made is not difficult. However, what can be difficult at times is understanding how these decisions are arrived at. This brings us to mapping out roster distribution and cap numbers.

There are several rules that teams – specifically cap analysts – must adhere to when it comes to assisting in team building and roster management. They revolve around the Top 51 rule, when it is in effect during the off-season (which is 7 to 8 months of a calendar year), and the regular season salary cap rules from a team’s first regular season game to its last regular season or post-season game of a given year. Here is an article for it that explains it well, along with some other basics:  Explaining The NFL’s Salary Cap” by Dan Durkin.

What is also important to understand, but from a fan’s standpoint, is the fact that cap numbers are not the same as salary. A cap number is calculation of how the money that a player earns counts towards the salary cap, and includes within it a portion of any number of bonuses, along with whatever guaranteed base salary a given player receives (a.k.a. “cap spending dollars” as opposed to “cash spending dollars”). A player’s salary has nothing to do with the calculations that are taken into account to come up with a given player’s cap number. Instead it has to do with a player’s “Paragraph 5” salary. I refer readers to this excellently written article by Jason Fitzgerlad from overthecap.com regarding the matter: A Guide to the NFL Salary Cap.

I’ll also provide a direct link to the Collective Bargaining Agreement agreed upon by the players and owners: 2011 NFL CBA (agreed upon on August 4, 2011). This latest CBA has been the source of much discussion since its ratification almost two years ago, and there has been a lot analysis regarding what the players gained (mostly lost) since it has been in effect. I’ll table an article on that though for some time in the future. What needs to be mentioned regarding the understanding of the cap itself is that it is not covered enough in the mainstream media. What we see regarding its implications is only touched upon very briefly at best. There’s nothing sexy about it to those who cover the team. It is indeed a shame that this is the case because in actuality there is no single more important factor in play when it comes to understanding how a team is built both in the short-term as well as the long-term, and what factors go into determining a team’s decision making regarding its personnel. It is for this reason that you see specialized websites specifically for the discussion and analysis of the salary cap with respect to the league as a whole and for specific teams.

One such website that stands out for the overall discussion of the league as a whole is overthecap.com. It includes both quantitative as well as qualitative analysis of the salary cap as it pertains to the entire league. I have a personal salary cap blog that I started up this month titled New York Giants Salary Cap Central which is my recent attempt to replicate this quantitative and qualitative approach that Jason Fitzgerald has done with his website, except it’s for a specific team, the Giants. There is also spotrac.com, but it lacks in any kind of qualitative discussion (at the least the free part anyway). It also directly lifted the numbers from overthecap.com, as per this article: Site News: Explaining my issues with another website.

Hopefully, a cap section on BBI can function to serve the purpose of gathering information from different places that serve to facilitate the increased understanding of how the cap works and its effect on the Giants’ overall decision making with respect to putting together their roster as whole. It’s one thing to list the order of the cap numbers on the team in such a section – which I intend to do – but it’s another thing to qualitatively break down and analyze patterns that are related to each player’s overall cap situation with respect to the Giants and their long-term and short-term plans for each player. Each year situations change, but teams try their best to control how players fit into the overall scheme of their plans. Hopefully, a cap section on BBI can serve to accumulate a decent enough amount of information so Giants fans who frequent the website can understand how the Giants’ cap situation reflects and determines the moves they make.

Personally, I look forward to spearheading the creation of such a section here on BBI. Currently, there is no other website on the internet which focuses on such a specific topic. In the coming weeks and months that will change for the better. Websites that focus on the cap for the other teams in the NFC East will be linked here, so that fans understand how the inter-divisional competition fares with respect to their respective cap situations. I encourage people to read and ask questions about the information contained herein; questions will serve to help to drive the content that is put out in this section, and make it a truly interactive experience for readers, rather than one which driven by individual whims alone (that’s what my cap blog linked above is for). It will be fun to integrate this new section on the cap here on BBI. My hope is that readers will find it equally fun and interesting to read.

Charles Woodson – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Giants Make Three Roster Moves: The Giants made three roster moves yesterday. They waived/injured TE Michael Palmer and CB Antonio Dennard. They also signed TE Morgan Newton.

Palmer, an unrestricted free agent from the Falcons, was signed last week after impressing at the rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis. Dennard was signed to a reserve/future deal in January after spending most of 2012 on the Jaguars’ practice squad. Newton, a rookie from Kentucky, was at the mini-camp on a tryout basis.

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions, Roster Analysis, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Giants Still Interested in CB/S Charles Woodson?: The agent for unrestricted free agent CB/S Charles Woodson said yesterday that the Giants are still interested in his client. “The Giants have just put their toe in the water again for Charles Woodson,” said Woodson’s agent.

In early March, ESPN reported that the Giants, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Jets were interested in Woodson. The Daily News is reporting that back in March, Woodson’s asking price was too high for the Giants. The paper is also now reporting that a Giants’ team source says that there is nothing imminent with Woodson and that no visit has been scheduled.

The 36-year old Woodson was released by the Green Bay Packers in February. He has played 15 seasons in the NFL, including eight with the Raiders and seven with the Packers. Recent reports say the 49ers, Broncos, Panthers, and Raiders have expressed some interest in Woodson.

Giants Still Interested in RB Tim Hightower?: The Washington Post is reporting that the Giants remain in the mix for unrestricted free agent RB Tim Hightower. The Giants have been flirting with Hightower since March and he reportedly visited the team in early May. The Post says the Giants are expected to meet with Hightower again “in a couple weeks.”

Hightower has not played in a regular-season game since tearing an ACL in his left knee in October 2011. The Redskins, who released Hightower in August 2012, are also still interested in him.

Freeney Still Interested in the Giants, But…: Back in late February, unrestricted free agent DE Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis Colts) expressed interest in playing for the Giants. “I grew up a Giants fan, actually,” said Freeney. “All my life. So that would be a dream.”

Freeney’s father indicated yesterday that Freeney would still like to play for the Giants. “Talking to him, he would love to be with the Giants,” said Freeney’s dad. “The Giants unfortunately don’t have the money for it. They’re broke.”

It is not known if the Giants are interested in Freeney.

Cribbs Signs with the Raiders: Unrestricted free agent WR/Returner Josh Cribbs has signed a 1-year contract with the Oakland Raiders. Per an earlier ProFootball.com report, Cribbs’ decision was down to the Raiders, Giants, Jets, or Lions. Cribbs visited the Giants last week.

After he visited Detroit and before he signed with the Raiders, Cribbs said, “I want a team that’s stable and a team that’s on the verge and missing a piece to become a Super Bowl-caliber team. I want to be with the a team that’s missing (a kick returner); that’s missing a piece of the puzzle to be great.”

Giants.com Q&A With S Cooper Taylor: The transcript of a recent Giants.com interview with S Cooper Taylor is available at Giants.com.

Article on LB Aaron Curry: Aaron Curry Optimistic About Giants Career by Michael Eisen of Giants.com

Article on DE Damontre Moore: Moore Ready to Heed Tuck’s Message by Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com

OG Michael Jasper – USA Today Sports Images

Conflicting Reports: Are the Giants and Cruz Close to a Deal?: According to The New York Post, a source informed the paper that restricted free agent WR Victor Cruz and the Giants “are on the 2-yard line” in their efforts to come to an agreement on a long-term deal. “Both sides just need to give a little bit,” said the source. “But it’s going to happen.”

Cruz has remained silent on the contract talks from the beginning, but he did talk to The Post yesterday.

“In a perfect world I want to finish my career here,” Cruz said. “I’m from here, born and raised in New Jersey. I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. But I understand it’s a business and all of that. In a perfect world, this is there I’d like to be.”

The Post asked Cruz if a new deal is close. Cruz responded, “I’d rather not answer any type of questions now but it’s moving.”

On the other hand, USA Today, The Daily News, The Bergen Record, and ESPN New York, responding to rumors that a deal may be close, all reported yesterday that their sources say a Giants-Cruz deal is not imminent. However, The Daily News does say that progress between both sides has been made and that Cruz has lowered his demands to closer to what the Giants are offering, believed to be in the $8 million per season range.

Instead of signing a long-term deal, Cruz could simply sign the Giants’ 1-year, $2.879 million tender offer. But if he does not sign that soon, the Giants have the option to lower that tender to $630,000 on June 17. Cruz has missed almost five weeks of the Giants’ 9-week voluntary offseason workout program.

Next week, the 4-week “Phase Three” of the program begins, which includes non-contact offense vs. defense practices. The Giants also hold Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices in late May/early June and a mandatory mini-camp on June 11.

“I hope he’s able to get something done where he can get into these OTAs and get into minicamp and have a few weeks of getting some live work and have some times and reps and things and just put some thoughts in his head on things we need to improve on for next season,” said QB Eli Manning yesterday.

Two Giants Claimed Off of Waivers: Two Giants who were waived on Saturday have been claimed by other teams. The Kansas City Chiefs claimed CB Buddy Jackson and the New York Jets claimed WR Marcus Davis. The Giants waived both when they decided to keep tryout players CB Junior Mertile (Florida International) and WR Jeremy Horne (ex-Kansas City Chiefs).

Giants.com Q&A With S Cooper Taylor: The video of a recent Giants.com interview with S Cooper Taylor is available at Giants.com.

Giants.com Q&A With RB Michael Cox: The transcript of a recent Giants.com interview with RB Michael Cox is available at Giants.com.

Quotes: DE Justin Tuck on LB Aaron Curry: “The only thing I know about him is what he did in college. The NFL hasn’t been as kind to him as I’m sure he would like it to be, but sometimes you need a fresh start and hopefully this will be a match made in heaven for him. He can play the game. He wouldn’t have been the fourth overall pick if he couldn’t play the game. I know health has been an issue for him…I think Aaron has just a good of a chance of making a huge impact on this football team as any of us.”

BBI Giant of the Year Voting Continues: Registered BBI members can cast their vote for the 2012 BBI Giant of the Year here.

The annual award is given to the Giants’ player, coach or member of the front office who most contributed to the team’s success on the field in a given year. The vote is held at the end of each season by members of the BBI community and the award is presented at a ceremony on the practice fields during training camp. For a listing of past winners, see the BBI Giant of the Year section of the website.

TE Michael Palmer (now #85) – USA Today Sports Images

BBI Giant of the Year Voting Continues: Registered BBI members can cast their vote for the 2012 BBI Giant of the Year here.

The annual award is given to the Giants’ player, coach or member of the front office who most contributed to the team’s success on the field in a given year. The vote is held at the end of each season by members of the BBI community and the award is presented at a ceremony on the practice fields during training camp. For a listing of past winners, see the BBI Giant of the Year section of the website.

Josh Cribbs Could Sign with Giants?: According to ProFootballTalk.com, unrestricted free agent WR/Returner Josh Cribbs will likely sign with one of four teams: the Giants, Jets, Raiders, or Lions. Cribbs visited the Giants last week.

The Month of May for the Giants: The Giants are currently in the last week of “Phase Two” of the offseason workout program. This portion of the program includes on-field workouts that involve individual player instruction and drills as well as limited team drills (i.e., no offensive vs. defense). No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.

“Phase Three” begins next week and will last four weeks. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permissible. The Giants will also hold Organized Team Activity (OTA) workouts on May 22-23 and May 29-31 this month.

QB Eli Manning hopes restricted free agent WR Victor Cruz will return to work very soon. “We get into some real practices next week,” said Manning yesterday. “So hopefully as we get kind of into those live going-against-a-defense practices, he will get back in so we can get back to work.”

Giants Hoping WR Jerrel Jernigan Steps It Up: The Giants have made it clear that it is time for WR Jerrel Jernigan to begin making plays. Jernigan was drafted by the Giants in the 3rd round of the 2011 NFL Draft, but he has only caught three passes for 22 yards in his first two years in the NFL.

The Giants envision Jernigan as a weapon out of the slot position.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Jerrel Jernigan and what he can do inside,” said Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride last Friday. “I think it’s about time that he steps up and I think we feel he has enough ability and he’s been here now long enough. Until Victor (Cruz) gets back, he’ll be the main guy inside at the slot position. It’s a chance for him to shine and step forward and do the things that we believe he can do…really it’s JJ inside…It’s going to be a great opportunity for him.”

“Hopefully Victor is back very soon and will play at a high level,” said QB Eli Manning yesterday. “Jerrel’s also got to be able to help us. He has speed, he has skills, been in the system now a number of years so hopefully he can step up and fill a role for us. The more talented guys you have on the team able to make plays for you the better off you’ll be.”

Jersey Number Changes: Per Giants.com, the following players have new jersey uniform numbers:

• WR Jeremy Horne – #13 (Ramses Barden’s old #)
• TE Jamie Childers – #87 (Domenik Hixon’s old #)
• TE Michael Palmer – #85 (Martellus Bennett’s old #)
• OG Eric Herman – #62
• DT Shaun Rogers – #95 (Rocky Bernard’s old #)
• DT Frank Okam – #70
• LB Aaron Curry – #59 (Michael Boley’s old #)
• CB Junior Mertile – #49
• S John Stevenson- #48

For all a listing of all jersey numbers, see the Roster section of the website.

Giants.com Q&A With OL Justin Pugh: The video of a recent Giants.com interview with OL Justin Pugh is available at Giants.com.

Giants.com Q&A With QB Ryan Nassib: The transcript of a recent Giants.com interview with QB Ryan Nassib is available at Giants.com.

Article on OL Justin Pugh: Giants’ Justin Pugh Ready, Willing and Able to Slide to the Right Side by Dave Hutchinson of The Star-Ledger

Article on S Cooper Taylor: Giants Safety Beats Heart Issue by Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record

Quotes: Giants’ Chairman/Executive VP Steve Tisch on LB Aaron Curry: “He’s got such an athletic talent. I know he is going to be very focused in these (OTAs) through training camp. I’m glad we got him. I think he can be a real game-changer.”

QB Eli Manning on QB Ryan Nassib: “Seems like a good kid and talented. Got to see just a few games of film while he was at Syracuse. He is working hard and doing everything he can to learn the system and get up to speed on everything. Look forward to having him in the meeting room and getting to know him.”

Frank Okam – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Rookie Mini-Camp Practices End: Although the Giants’ mini-camp officially ends on Sunday, press access to the team during the mini-camp ended on Saturday with two more practices. A sights and sounds video from Day 2 of the rookie mini-camp and a rookie mini-camp wrap-up report video are available at Giants.com. In addition, here are some camp reports from the media:

• Bergen Record (Day 1)
• Inside Football (Day 2 – Morning)
• Inside Football (Day 2 – Post Script)

Coach Media Q&As: Transcripts and video clips of Saturday’s media sessions with the following coaches are available at Giants.com:

• Head Coach Tom Coughlin (Video)
• Special Teams Coordinator Tom Quinn (Video)

Player Media Q&As: Transcripts and video clips of Saturday’s media Q&As with the following players are available at Giants.com:

• DT Johnathan Hankins (Video)
• QB Ryan Nassib (Video)
• OG Eric Herman (Video)

Giants Make 11 Roster Moves: The Giants officially announced on Saturday that they have signed five player players who attended the rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis: TE Michael Palmer (Atlanta Falcons), DT Frank Okam (ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers), WR Jeremy Horne (ex-Kansas City Chiefs), CB Junior Mertile (rookie – Florida International), and S John Stevenson (rookie – Georgia Southern). In addition, as previously reported, the Giants signed LB Aaron Curry (ex-Oakland Raiders) on Friday.

To make room for these players, the Giants waived six players: WR Marcus Davis, OG Levy Adcock, DT Bobby Skinner, LB Charles Dieuseul, CB Buddy Jackson, and PK Jake Rogers.

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions, 2013 Free Agent Scorecard, Roster Analysis (includes scouting report), Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Articles on DE Damontre Moore:

• Giants Hope There’s Plenty Moore in Store by Ebenezer Samuel of The Daily News
• Damontre Moore Being Groomed to Be Hybrid Linebacker/Defensive End by Dave Hutchinson of The Star-Ledger

Article on DT Johnathan Hankins: Giants Believe Rookie DT Johnathan Hankins Will Bolster Their Run Defense by Dave Hutchinson of The Star-Ledger

Article on the Giants’ Return Game: New York Giants Search for New Return Men by Patricia Traina for Yahoo! Sports

Justin Pugh – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

First Day of Rookie Mini-Camp: The first day of rookie mini-camp is in the books. The Giants held two practices on Friday and will hold two more on Saturday.

The following 63 players were in attendance on the first day:

Giants 2013 NFL Draft Class:

• OL Justin Pugh (Syracuse)
• DT Johnathan Hankins (Ohio State)
• DE Damontre Moore (Texas A&M)
• QB Ryan Nassib (Syracuse)
• S Cooper Taylor (Richmond)
• OG Eric Herman (Ohio)
• RB Michael Cox (Massachusetts)

Officially Signed Rookie Free Agents:

• RB Jeremy Wright (Louisville)
• WR Marcus Davis (Virginia Tech)
• LB Charles Dieuseul (Mount Union)
• LB Etienne Sabino (Ohio State)
• CB Charles James (Charleston Southern)
• S Alonzo Tweedy (Virginia Tech)

“Veteran” Giants Eligible to Participate (Practice Squad and Reserve/Future Contracts):

• WR Brandon Collins
• WR Kevin Hardy
• TE Jamie Childers
• OG Levy Adcock
• OG Michael Jasper
• OG Stephen Goodin
• OT Matt McCants
• DE Matt Broha
• DT Bobby Skinner
• LB Jake Muasau
• CB Laron Scott
• CB Terrence Frederick
• CB Antonio Dennard
• CB Buddy Jackson
• PK Jake Rogers

Veteran Tryouts:

• RB Johnny White (North Carolina)
• FB Ben Guidugli (Cincinnati)
• WR Jeremy Ebert (Northwestern)
• WR Devon Brown (West Virginia)
• WR Shaky Smithson (Utah)
• WR Jeremy Horne (Massachusetts)
• TE Nick Provo (Syracuse)
• TE Michael Palmer (Clemson)
• DE George Selvie (South Florida)
• DT/DE Trevor Guyton (California)
• DT Frank Okam (Texas)
• LB Korey Williams (Southern Mississippi)
• LB Mister Alexander (Florida State)
• LB Fred Plesius (Laval)
• CB Syd’Quan Thompson (California)
• S/CB Malcolm Williams (Texas Christian)
• PK John Potter (Western Michigan)

Undrafted Rookie Free Agent Tryouts:

• QB Derek Carr (Tennessee-Martin)
• QB Wilson Masoud (Bethel-TN)
• WR Marcus Sales (Syracuse)
• TE Morgan Newton (Kentucky)
• OC Jordan Mosely (Johnson C. Smith)
• OG Lavon McCoy (Bethune-Cookman)
• OG Kitt O’Brien (Ball State)
• OT Kirby Fabien (Calgary)
• OT Terry McDaniel (Texas Tech)
• DE/LB Jordan Morgan (Ferris State)
• LB Isaiah Keyes (Kentucky Christian)
• LB Reggie Bowens (South Carolina)
• CB Junior Mertile (Florida International)
• S Darren Thellen (Massachusetts)
• S John Stevenson (Georgia Southern)
• LS Brandon Gabbard (Southeast Missouri)
• P Dylan Breeding (Arkansas)
• P Cass Couey (Citadel)

Undrafted rookie free agent TE Chase Clement, who the Giants reportedly signed after the draft, was seen at the Giants’ facility on Thursday but he was not on the mini-camp roster on Friday. The Daily News is reporting that he failed his physical and was sent home.

Because the Giants have confirmed the signings of six undrafted rookie free agents, we have updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

A sights and sounds video from Day 1 of the rookie mini-camp is available at Giants.com. InsideFootball.com also provided a good overview of the first day of action.

Coach Media Q&As: Transcripts and video clips of Friday’s media sessions with the following coaches are available at Giants.com:

• Head Coach Tom Coughlin (Video)
• Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride (Video)

Player Media Q&As: Transcripts and video clips of media Q&As with the following players are available at Giants.com:

• OL Justin Pugh (Video)
• DT Johnathan Hankins (Video)
• DE Damontre Moore (Video)
• QB Ryan Nassib (Video)
• S Cooper Taylor (Video)
• OG Eric Herman (Video)
• RB Michael Cox (Video)

Giants Sign LB Aaron Curry: The Giants announced that they have officially signed unrestricted free agent LB Aaron Curry (ex-Oakland Raiders). The deal is reportedly a 1-year contract. Before his signing became official, Curry spent a second day with the Giants on Friday, including watching the morning rookie mini-camp practice from the sidelines.

“He was the fourth pick in the draft a few years ago, so obviously we think he has some talent,” General Manager Jerry Reese said. “We had him graded high back then. We’ll see what happens this spring with him. We’re always looking for players and we like giving guys second opportunities. He’s worked hard to get back and he worked out well for us. If he didn’t work out well for us, we wouldn’t be fooling around with this.”

Reese said Curry can compete for a job at either middle or strongside linebacker.

“He passed the physical for us and had a pretty good workout,” Reese said. “We think we have a good opportunity for him here to see if he can reinvent himself a little bit and bring something to this linebacking corps. He needs to drop some weight. He’s about 265. When he came out he was about 255. He needs to drop some weight, he hasn’t done a lot of cardio, he’s been rehabbing from a knee injury. But he’s in pretty good shape, he did a nice workout for us and hopefully he can step in and create some competition at that position.”

“Of course, it’s a low risk, it’s an opportunity for him,” Reese said. “If he comes on and looks like the player he was when he was the fourth pick in the draft, it’s a win-win for everybody. You don’t see a lot because he hasn’t played a lot. We had him graded high. Sometimes guys can go to a new environment and reinvent themselves and we’re hoping that’s what happens with him.”

A video of Reese talking about the signing is available at Giants.com.

Because of this move, we have updated the Transactions, 2013 Free Agent Scorecard, Free Agents Signings (includes scouting report), Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Four Draft Picks Officially Sign: The Giants officially announced that they have signed four of their seven picks in the 2013 NFL Draft: DT Johnathan Hankins (2nd round), DE Damontre Moore (3rd round), S Cooper Taylor (5th round), and RB Michael Cox (7th round). The deals are likely to be 4-year contracts.

The only unsigned draft picks are OL Justin Pugh (1st round), QB Ryan Nassib (4th round), and OG Eric Herman (7th round).

Giants Announce Non-Player Personnel Moves: The Giants officially announced the following on Friday:

• Joe Danos has been added to the coaching staff as a strength and conditioning assistant. For more on his resume, see the Coaching Staff section of the website.

• Matt Shauger has been promoted from pro scout to assistant director of pro personnel. Shauger assists Director of Pro Personnel Ken Sternfeld in the film study of NFL players and free agents, evaluation of current Giants players, scouting upcoming opponents, and management of the team’s pro scouting database. During the season, he assists the Giants’ coaching staff with advance scouting of opponents, including their personnel and tendencies.

• To fill the vacancy created by Shauger’s promotion, the Giants have hired Tim McDonnell as a pro scout. For the last eight years, McDonnell worked at Notre Dame, the last two serving as the football program’s director of player personnel. McDonnell is a grandson of Wellington Mara. For a complete listing of the Giants’ personnel department, see the Team Administration section of the website.

LB Etienne Sabino – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

BBI Giant of the Year Voting Now Open: Registered BBI members can now cast their vote for the 2012 BBI Giant of the Year here.

The annual award is given to the Giants’ player, coach or member of the front office who most contributed to the team’s success on the field in a given year. The vote is held at the end of each season by members of the BBI community and the award is presented at a ceremony on the practice fields during training camp. For a listing of past winners, see the BBI Giant of the Year section of the website.

Rookie Mini-Camp Begins: Rookie draft picks, signed rookie free agents, rookie free agent tryout players, and veteran tryout players all reported to the Timex Performance Center yesterday for the start of the Giants’ 3-day rookie mini-camp (May 10-12).

The Giants will hold two non-contact practices today (10:05-11:45AM and 3:05-4:40PM) and two on Saturday (10:05-11:45AM and 3:05-4:40PM). Head Coach Tom Coughlin and his assistant coaches, as well as many of the players, will respond to media questions.

For more on the rookie mini-camp, see the following videos from Giants.com:

• Rookie Mini-Camp Preview Report (Video)
• Papa’s Perspectives: Rookie Mini-Camp Expectations (Video)
• Sights and Sounds: Rookies Arrive (Video)

WR/Returner Josh Cribbs Visits Giants: According to multiple reports, unrestricted free agent WR/Returner Josh Cribbs (Cleveland Browns) visited the Giants yesterday. Cribbs visited with the Jets on Wednesday and also met with the Raiders earlier in the week.

The Giants had originally expressed interest in Cribbs when free agency first started in March. However, before he was tentatively scheduled to meet with the Giants, Cribbs agreed to contract terms with the Cardinals. That deal fell through when Cribbs failed his physical with Arizona (Cribbs had a torn meniscus in his knee surgically repaired after the season).

Cribbs apparently left the Giants yesterday without a deal. It is not known if Cribbs passed the Giants’ physical or was offered a contract by the team. He is now off to meet with the Detroit Lions.

LB Aaron Curry Visits Giants: As previously reported, unrestricted free agent LB Aaron Curry (ex-Oakland Raiders) visited the Giants yesterday. According to press reports, after taking a physical and working out with the team, Curry left without a deal. It is not known if the Giants offered him a contract or intend to do so. The Daily News is reporting that Curry has received interest from seven other teams and will likely be considering his options.

S Chad Jones Retires from Football: S Chad Jones, who was drafted by the Giants in the 3rd round of the 2010 NFL Draft, has retired from football. Jones suffered catastrophic leg injuries in a car crash shortly after he was drafted. He had multiple surgeries and the Giants waived him in May 2012. Jones will now attempt to pursue a career in baseball.

Giants and WFAN Extend Contract: Broadcast Agreement Extended with WFAN by Giants.com

Articles on OL Justin Pugh:

• Giants’ Top Pick Justin Pugh Driven by Pride by Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record
• NY Giants Top Pick Justin Pugh Set to Show Off Mean Streak by Ralph Vacchiano of The Daily News

Article on LB Charles Dieuseul: Free Agent Charles Dieuseul Wants to Make a Name for Himself with Giants by Tom Rock of Newsday

Article on the Giants and Undrafted Rookie Free Agents: Undrafted Free Agents Under Tom Coughlin by Dan Salomone of Giants.com

Article on Giants on the Hot Seat: Tuck One of Several ‘Make or Break’ Giants by Dan Graziano of ESPN.com

Article on Former Giants RB Tiki Barber: Tiki Asks Twin Brother Ronde: Why Don’t People Like Me by Bernie Augustine of The Daily News

WR Marcus Davis – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Mara Confident Cruz Deal Will Get Done: Giants’ President/CEO John Mara was interviewed on the NFL Network yesterday. Mara was asked about the ongoing contract discussions between the Giants and restricted free agent WR Victor Cruz. While Cruz is not officially holding out, he has not attended the Giants’ voluntary offseason program since it started on April 15th. The Giants will hold a mandatory veteran mini-camp on June 11-13.

“I’m pretty confident that we’ll end up reaching a deal with (Cruz),” said Mara. “This is not that atypical a situation. Player contracts, particularly with star players like Victor, can tend to drag on from time to time. I think we’ll get it done.”

“This is the right place for him to play,” said Mara. “He’s a star in this area, he’s an important part of our team. I think we’ll eventually get a deal done, but it’s just a process that you have to go through. And we’re going through it right now. There’s communication, and it’s slow but steady, and I think at some point we’ll reach a deal.”

A video of the full interview with Mara is available at Giants.com.

Later in the day, Mara was asked about Cruz again.

“It’s May,” Mara said. “You have so many contract negotiations every year. They eventually get resolved most of the time. I think this one will get resolved. It’s not something I’m losing sleep over right now. We certainly want him back. We want him to finish his career as a Giant. We want to do it at the right price. Hopefully, eventually the agent and our team will agree on what the right price is.”

“You’d like to have him there (for the voluntary offseason program), but I don’t blame him for that,” Mara said. “I certainly would like him there in training camp. And hopefully this will be resolved before that. Again, it’s a contract negotiation. Sometimes they drag on longer than you’d like. But most of the time, they eventually get resolved.”

The Daily News continues to report that the Giants have offered Cruz a long-term deal worth close to $8 million per season that includes $15-18 million in guaranteed money. Cruz could also sign the 1-year, $2.879 million tender and become an unrestricted free agent in 2014.

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that talks are ongoing and “the next 7-10 days are regarded as important to the objective of getting Cruz signed to a long-term deal with the Giants.”

Gazette (Iowa) Podcast with TE Brandon Myers: A podcast interview with TE Brandon Myers by The Gazette (Iowa) from Monday is available at TheGazette.com.

Quotes: Giants’ President/CEO John Mara on QB Ryan Nassib: “We’ve been very, very fortunate that Eli has been healthy for so long, has not missed a snap in I don’t know how long, but you have to get ready to groom somebody just in case. The guy was a quality player in college. We think he has what it takes to be a quality player in the NFL. To me, it was an obvious choice for us. He was so high on our board that we expected him to be gone on the first or second day, and we were shocked that he was still there on the third day.”