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Rookie Mini-Camp Begins; Josh Cribbs and Aaron Curry Visit But Leave Without Deals

May 10, 2013 – 6:45 am

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:

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

By Eric From BBI | Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off Print This Post Print This Post

Mara Confident Cruz Deal Will Get Done

May 8, 2013 – 6:27 am

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.”

By Eric From BBI | Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off Print This Post Print This Post

LB Aaron Curry to Visit Giants; Giants Issue Jersey Numbers to Rookie Draft Class

May 7, 2013 – 6:23 am

Aaron Curry – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

LB Aaron Curry to Visit Giants: The Daily News is reporting that unrestricted free agent LB Aaron Curry will visit the Giants on Thursday. Curry was the fourth player selected in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. He was traded to the Raiders in 2011, but the Raiders cut him in November 2012. To date, not only has Curry been a bust on the playing field, but he has had knee issues.

Former Giants LB Clint Sintim Announces Retirement: Former Giants LB Clint Sintim announced his retirement on Monday. Sintim tore the ACL in his right knee in 2010 and 2011. The Giants waived him in August 2012. Sintim, who was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Giants, finished his NFL career with just 33 tackles and one sack.

Giants Issue Jersey Numbers to Rookie Draft Class: Although the numbers are subject to change before the start of the 2013 regular season, the Giants have issued their 2013 NFL Draft class with the following jersey numbers:

  • OL Justin Pugh – #72
  • DT Johnathan Hankins – #74
  • DE Damontre Moore – #79
  • QB Ryan Nassib – #9
  • S Cooper Taylor – #30
  • OG Eric Herman – #78
  • RB Michael Cox- #29

Article on OL Justin Pugh: ‘Back in the First Round!’: Selling an NFL Future by Brendan Porath of SBNation.com

By Eric From BBI | Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off Print This Post Print This Post

Seeking Nominations for BBI Giant of the Year; Rookie Mini-Camp Begins This Week

May 6, 2013 – 8:04 am

TE Chase Clement – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Seeking Nominations for BBI Giant of the Year: We are seeking input from fans on who the candidates should be for this year’s “BBI Giant of the Year” voting. Feedback should be provided in this thread in The Corner Forum.

The “BBI Giant of the Year” 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 list of previous winners, see the BBI Giant of the Year section of the website.

Rookie Mini-Camp Begins This Week: The Giants will hold a rookie mini-camp at the end of this week (May 10-12). Not only will the Giants’ 2013 rookie class be in attendance, but also signed undrafted rookie free agents, rookie free agent tryouts, and veteran free agent tryouts.

Article on LB Charles Dieuseul: Mount Union Linebacker Fulfilling Two Dreams by Zac Jackson of FoxSportsOhio.com

By Eric From BBI | Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off Print This Post Print This Post

BBI-YES Network Giants Draft Review Podcast

May 3, 2013 – 6:16 am

LB Charles Dieuseul – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

BBI-YES Network Giants Draft Review Podcast: A BBI-YES Network podcast reviewing the Giants 2013 NFL Draft class is now available at YESNetwork.com. Co-hosts Eric Kennedy and Joe Calo discuss the Giants’ seven draft picks and analyze what the Giants accomplished and did not accomplish in the draft.

Hightower Wraps Up Visit: As previously reported, unrestricted free agent RB Tim Hightower (ex-Redskins) visited the Giants yesterday. The Daily News is reporting that Hightower took a physical and wrapped up his visit with the team, but there is no word on whether he will sign with the Giants.

Giants.com Review of the Giants Draft: The following is a three-part review of the Giants 2013 NFL Draft class:

  • Giants 2013 Draft Review: Part 1 (Video)
  • Giants 2013 Draft Review: Part 2 (Video)
  • Giants 2013 Draft Review: Part 3 (Video)

OL Justin Pugh Media Q&A: A video of OL Justin Pugh answering questions at the Big City Classic in MetLife Stadium is available on YouTube.com.

By Eric From BBI | Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off Print This Post Print This Post

Giants Meeting with RB Tim Hightower Today

May 2, 2013 – 6:36 am

Michael Cox – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Giants Meeting with RB Tim Hightower Today: Following up on yesterday’s story about unrestricted free agent RB Tim Hightower visiting the Giants this week, The New York Post and The Star-Ledger are reporting that Hightower will visit the Giants today. The Daily News, which originally reported the story, said Hightower would visit yesterday.

Article on the Giants and Linebackers: Fan Pleas for LB Met with Silence by Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record

Article on QB Ryan Nassib: Former Syracuse Quarterback Ryan Nassib ‘So Happy’ to Join the New York Giants by Michael Cohen of The Post-Standard

Article on TE Chase Clement: Clement Signs with New York Giants by Teddy Renois of Houmatoday.com

Article on Former Giants OT Roman Oben: NFL Retirement 101 by Jeff Roberts of The Bergen Record

By Eric From BBI | Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off Print This Post Print This Post

BBI’s Take on the Giants and the 2013 NFL Draft; Hightower Visiting the Giants Today

May 1, 2013 – 6:37 am

Eric Herman – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

BBI’s Take on the Giants and the 2013 NFL Draft: Our post-draft analysis of how the Giants did in the 2013 NFL Draft is now available in the BBI 2013 NFL Draft Review section of the website.

Hightower Visiting the Giants Today: The Daily News is reporting that HB Tim Hightower, who was released by the Washington Redskins in August 2012, will visit the Giants today. The paper had reported back in late March and early April that Hightower was to visit the Giants, but that visit was apparently postponed. Hightower has not played in a regular-season game since tearing an ACL in his left knee in October 2011.

BBI Roster Section Updated: Since Giants.com has updated jersey numbers for all current players except the recently drafted players, we have updated the Roster section of the website. (Note: the heights and weights for the drafted players are what Giants are officially listing right now).

Article on WR Victor Cruz: Coughlin: NYG Want Cruz Back “Badly” by Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record

Article on LB Spencer Paysinger: Spencer Paysinger: The New York Giants’ Forgotten Linebacker by Patricia Traina for Yahoo! Sports

Article on Justin Pugh and the Giants Offensive Line: O-Line Preps Justin Pugh for Initiation by Michael Eisen of Giants.com

Article on DT Johnathan Hankins: Giants Hope 2nd-Rounder Hankins Can Be a ‘Big’ Factor by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post

Article on DE Damontre Moore: ‘Underdog’ Moore Slides to Giants, Ready to Prove Himself in Camp by David Harris of AggieSports.com

By Eric From BBI | Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off Print This Post Print This Post

Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese Talk Draft and Victor Cruz

April 30, 2013 – 6:17 am

Cooper Taylor – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Tom Coughlin on WFAN Discussing the Giants Draft: The audio of yesterday’s WFAN interview with Head Coach Tom Coughlin is available on CBSNewYork.com. Coughlin not only talked about the Giants’ 2013 draft class but also the contract situation of restricted free agent WR Victor Cruz.

Jerry Reese on ESPN Radio Discussing the Giants Draft: The audio of yesterday’s ESPN Radio interview with General Manager Jerry Reese is available at ESPN.com. Reese not only talked about the Giants’ 2013 draft class but also the contract situation of restricted free agent WR Victor Cruz.

NFL Network Interview with OL Justin Pugh: The video of yesterday’s NFL Network interview with OL Justin Pugh is available at Giants.com.

Articles on QB Ryan Nassib:

Giants Draft Picks at NFL Combine: Giants.com put together a video compilation of OB Justin Pugh, DT Jonathan Hankins, DE Damontre Moore, and QB Ryan Nassib at the NFL Combine.

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Unofficial Reports on Undrafted Rookie Free Agent Signings

April 29, 2013 – 6:15 am

Ryan Nassib – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Unofficial Reports on Undrafted Rookie Free Agent Signings: According to unofficial sources, the Giants have signed two more undrafted rookie free agents, bringing the total to seven:

  • RB Jeremy Wright, Louisville
  • WR Marcus Davis, Virginia Tech
  • TE Chase Clement, LSU
  • LB Etienne Sabino, Ohio State
  • LB Charles Dieuseul, Mount Union
  • CB Charles James, Charleston Southern
  • S Alonzo Tweedy, Virginia Tech

For scouting reports and video on these players, check out the BBI 2013 Draft Review section of the website.

Article on OL Justin Pugh: Giants Pick Justin Pugh Grew Into Football Out of Hockey by Dave Hutchinson of The Star-Ledger

Articles on QB Ryan Nassib:

By Eric From BBI | Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off Print This Post Print This Post

Giants Select Four More Players on Final Day of the Draft

April 27, 2013 – 10:44 pm

Damontre Moore – Photo by USA Today Sports Images

Giants Select Four More Players on Final Day of the Draft: On the final day of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Giants selected the following players:

  • QB Ryan Nassib, Syracuse (4th round, #110 overall)
  • S Cooper Taylor, Richmond (5th round, #152 overall)
  • OG Eric Herman, Ohio (7th round, #225 overall)
  • RB Michael Cox, Massachusetts (7th round, #253 overall)

To select Nassib, the Giants traded away their 6th round selection to the Arizona Cardinals in order to move up six spots.

For a scouting reports and video on on each of these players, as well as reaction from General Manager Jerry Reese, Head Coach Tom Coughlin, and Director of College Scouting Marc Ross, see our 2013 NFL Draft Review section of the website.

Giants Begin to Sign Undrafted Rookie Free Agents: Various sources are reporting that the Giants have signed the following undrafted rookie free agents. However, keep in mind that sometimes these reports are erroneous in that the player is merely being invited for a tryout at the rookie mini-camp rather than officially signed.

  • TE Chase Clement, LSU
  • LB Etienne Sabino, Ohio State
  • LB Charles Dieuseul, Mount Union
  • CB Charles James, Charleston Southern
  • S Alonzo Tweedy, Virginia Tech

Articles on OL Justin Pugh:

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