Jul 152014
 
Jim Herrmann, New York Giants (October 28, 2012)

Jim Herrmann – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Giants.com Q&A with Linebackers Coach Jim Herrmann: The video of a Giants.com Q&A with Linebackers Coach Jim Herrmann is available at Giants.com.

Inside Football Player Q&As: Transcripts of Q&A sessions with the following New York Giants players are available at InsideFootball.com:

Article on New York Giants Training Camp Battles: Giants have plenty of jobs up for grabs as training camp nears by Ebenezer Samuel of The New York Daily News

Article on QB Eli Manning and WR Odell Beckham, Jr.: Eli Manning works with NY Giants rookie receiver Odell Beckham at Manning Passing Academy by Kevin Armstrong of The New York Daily News

Articles on the New York Giants Offensive Line:

Article on DT Mike Patterson: 10 Giants you should know when training camp begins: Mike Patterson by Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger

Articles on the New York Giants Linebackers:

Articles on the New York Giants Defensive Backs:

Article on PK Brandon McManus: North Penn grad Brandon McManus eyes opportunity to kick for Giants by Tom Layberger of The Reporter

Jul 112014
 
Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants (June 18,2014)

Jason Pierre-Paul – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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With the New York Giants reporting to camp in less than two weeks, BigBlueInteractive.com is breaking down each of the team’s positional groups from now until July 21. Today, let’s take a look at this year’s defensive line.

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Defensive Line

Mathias Kiwanuka, New York Giants (June 18, 2014)

Mathias Kiwanuka – © USA TODAY Sports Images

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW: The 2013 defensive line performed adequately, helping the New York Giants finish 8th in total defense (10th against the pass and 14th against the run). But those figures may have been inflated by the Giants facing some incredibly poor quarterbacks/passing offenses. The chief problem for the Giants was their best player up front, Jason Pierre-Paul, had his second subpar season in a row. Pierre-Paul had surgery in June 2013 to repair a herniated disc in his lower back and he never seemed to fully rebound from that procedure. He flashed some of his old form in Week 10 but also suffered a shoulder injury in that game which caused him to miss the last five games of the season. He finished 2013 with only 27 tackles and 2 sacks in 11 games. Statistically, the most productive player was Justin Tuck, who rebounded with a strong season (63 tackles, 11 sacks, 1 interception, and 2 forced fumbles) after two down seasons in a row. Mathias Kiwanuka played in all 16 games, with 10 starts at right defensive end. He finished the season with 41 tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Damontre Moore was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2013 NFL Draft. However, an early preseason shoulder injury disrupted his development, and while Moore flashed on special teams, he did not make much noise at defensive end when given a limited number of snaps.

The Giants were pretty stout inside with Linval Joseph (59 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 forced fumble) and Cullen Jenkins (31 tackles, 5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles). Backing them up were Mike Patterson (23 tackles), Shaun Rogers (9 tackles), Johnathan Hankins (16 tackles), and Markus Kuhn (1 tackle). Rogers started two games but was placed on Injured Reserve in November in a move that appeared to be designed to give Hankins more snaps as well as keep Kuhn, who had been on the PUP recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in 2012.

Overall, the slow-but-sure aging and departure of past stalwarts such as Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck – combined with two down season by JPP – has largely taken the bite out of the once-formidable outside pass rush. Tuck had 11 sacks in 2013, but six of those came against the Redskins. The other ends combined for only eight sacks on the season while the tackles chipped in with only eight as a unit.

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: The Giants did not show much interest in re-signing 31-year old Justin Tuck and he is now in Oakland. Gone too is the Giants best defensive tackle of the last couple of seasons, Linval Joseph, who signed a big contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Again, it did not appear that the Giants made much of an effort to re-sign him. The Giants also did not choose to re-sign Shaun Rogers, who remains an unrestricted free agent.

Robert Ayers, New York Giants (June 12, 2014)

Robert Ayers – © USA TODAY Sports Images

The main additions are DE Robert Ayers (UFA from Denver Broncos) and DT Jay Bromley (3rd round draft pick). The Giants also have brought in rookie free agents ends Kerry Wynn, Emmanuel Dieke, and Jordan Stanton as well as tackle Kelcy Quarles. Practice Squad DE Kendrick Adams, who has spent time with the Jaguars, Buccaneers, Lions, Browns, and Bengals, was re-signed. DT Everett Dawkins, who has spent time with the Vikings, Cowboys, and Buccaneers, was added as street free agent in June 2014.

TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES: Will Jason Pierre-Paul regain his 2011 form? Who will start opposite of him – Mathias Kiwanuka, Robert Ayers, or Damontre Moore? Who will start at defensive tackle with Cullen Jenkins? How many defensive tackles will the Giants keep?

“(Moore) made good, steady progress,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin in June. “He’s, naturally, a year later, a year more into it so he’s more comfortable with what’s going on. It’s not one of those things where you don’t notice that he’s out there because he does have a correction here or there. We like what we see. His continued development in the weight room with just some added muscle and strength, a little bit more size is something that will help a lot.”

ON THE BUBBLE: Barring injury, it would seem that JPP, Kiwanuka, Ayers, and Moore are locks to be the four defensive ends. Jenkins, Hankins, and Bromley are probably sure bets at tackle. Do the Giants keep four or five tackles? It could come down to a serious battle between Markus Kuhn and Mike Patterson.

FROM THE POSITIONAL COACH: Robert Nunn on Damontre Moore and Johnathan Hankins:  “I thought Damontre really took a step forward (this offseason) and Hankins really took off at the end of last year and has done a great job in the offseason working out, coming in in really good condition…I like where they are at now.”

Mike Patterson (93) and Kelcy Quarles (97), New York Giants (June 5, 2014)

Mike Patterson (93) and Kelcy Quarles (97) – Photo by Connor Hughes

Nunn on Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson: “They’re solid guys, solid veteran guys. And they understand where they are in this stage of their career and we’ll have to take care of them through training camp. Both of those guys have had outstanding offseasons, I thought Mike came in here in really good shape. Cullen’s always been in good shape ever since I’ve been around him. We’ll see where it goes. Again, it’s so hard to tell, we’re so limited in what we can do in the offseason now but they’re in great shape and a really good frame of mind and have done a really good job with leadership with the younger players. We’ll see where it goes.”

Nunn on Markus Kuhn: “He had an outstanding offseason, really outstanding practices. He and Hankins, they’ll definitely get more reps in training camp than Mike P and Cullen if everything goes as planned. He showed up every day. When we go out there and go in team situations Markus was, there wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t call his name out in a positive manner.”

Nunn on Jay Bromley: “You know, he’s come in very willing to learn. He’s very green, very raw but hey, he’s got to get started. Those guys are the ones that really suffer as far as how limited we are with what we can do. He needs all the work he can get but he’s shown enough that hey, he’s got to show up when the pads come on. We’ll see when that happens.”

PREDICTIONS:

Eric Kennedy – The Giants will have problems rushing the quarterback. Unless Kiwanuka, Ayers, or Moore can get to the passer on a consistent basis, Jason Pierre-Paul may be in for a rough season. Without a viable threat opposite of him, JPP will be the focal point of other teams’ blocking schemes. Kiwanuka and Ayers have flashed throughout their veteran careers, but they have yet to become (and may never become) guys who the other teams really worry about. To be frank, when Moore played DE last year, he didn’t look good. Perhaps he will show more now that he is healthier and stronger. I think Hankins has the tools to be better than Linval Joseph and if the Giants can get another good, solid season out of Jenkins, they’ll be fine inside. I’d prefer to keep only four defensive tackles, but I think 2014 will be a redshirt season for Bromley and thus the Giants will be forced to keep both Patterson and Kuhn.

Connor Hughes – For all the questions concerning the Giants’ roster heading into training camp, the regular season and beyond, I don’t believe any have as many unknowns as the defensive line. Throughout the course of the offseason, the Giants put their emphasis on the secondary. Gone were the days of loading up on pass rushers. Instead, the team signed and signed again big-name and high profile defenders in the secondary. I agree with the change in philosophy, but I have very little faith in those up front.

Mathias Kiwanuka appears to be in the tail end of his career, who knows what JPP will take the field (if he even gets on it), Cullen Jenkins is older, Johnathan Hankins has yet to be an every-down player and Mike Patterson doesn’t have much ability outside stopping the run. Justin Tuck is in Oakland, Jay Bromley is a rookie. If one or two injuries hit the group…things could get ugly fast.

Granted, things could go the complete other/positive way. Robert Ayers could excel in a new location, JPP could be the Pierre-Paul of 2011, Kiwanuka could revitalize his career, Hankins could be a force and maybe Bromley steps up. I’ve thought long and hard about the positives of the defensive line, and I’ve come up with a bunch, but for every one good there are two negatives. Who knows, maybe the secondary can mask the guys up front. That philosophy certainly worked in the reciprocal fashion over the last seven years.

FINAL DEPTH CHART:

Eric Kennedy – Mathias Kiwanuka (LDE), Johnathan Hankins (LDT), Cullen Jenkins (RDT), and Jason Pierre-Paul (RDE). Reserves: Mike Patterson, Markus Kuhn, Jay Bromley, Robert Ayers, and Damontre Moore.

Connor Hughes – Mathias Kiwanuka (LDE), Johnathan Hankins (LDT), Cullen Jenkins (RDT), Jason Pierre-Paul (RDE). Reserves: Mike Patterson, Markus Kuhn, Jay Bromley, Robert Ayers, and Damontre Moore.

Mar 312014
 
Zack Bowman, Chicago Bears (October 10, 2013)

Zack Bowman – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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New York Giants Sign Zack Bowman: The New York Giants announced on Monday that they have officially signed unrestricted free agent cornerback Zack Bowman (Chicago Bears). The contract is reportedly a 1-year deal. The 29-year old Bowman, who was drafted in the 5th round of the 2008 NFL Draft, started seven games for the Bears in 2013.

The Giants have focused a lot of attention on their secondary in free agency. They re-signed CB Trumaine McBride and S Stevie Brown. And they added CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Walter Thurmond, and S Quintin Demps from other teams.

Because of this move, we have updated the New York Giants Free Agent Signings (with scouting report), New York Giants 2014 Free Agency Scorecard, and Roster sections of the website.

New York Giants Re-Sign Mike Patterson: The New York Giants announced on Monday that they have officially re-signed unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Mike Patterson. Patterson was originally signed by the Giants in April 2013 after being cut by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played in all 16 games last season with one start.

Because of this move, we have updated the New York Giants Free Agent Signings (with scouting report), New York Giants 2014 Free Agency Scorecard, and Roster sections of the website.

Articles on the 2014 New York Giants:

Article on OG Chris Snee: Chris Snee reflects on career, talks 2014 by Michael Eisen of Giants.com

Notes: According to the Giants.com roster page, offensive linemen Justin Pugh and Brandon Mosley have changed jersey numbers. Pugh now wears #67 and Mosley now wears #75.

Feb 142014
 
Dave Tollefson, Oakland Raiders (July 30, 2012)

Dave Tollefson Retires as a New York Giant – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Dave Tollefson Retires as a New York Giant: Defensive end Dave Tollefson, who played with the New York Giants for five seasons from 2007-2011, announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday as a New York Giant. Tollefson also played for the Green Bay Packers (2006) and Oakland Raiders (2012). He did not play last season.

In five seasons with the Giants, Tollefson played in 63 regular-season games with two starts. He accrued 81 tackles, 10 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was a member of both the 2007 and 2011 NFL Championship teams.

“I wanted to make sure Tom (Coughlin) knew and the Maras and Tisches knew how much it meant to me,” Tollefson said. “They gave me the shot. If it wasn’t for what they did for me, who knows where I’d be now. I have three kids and a wife that I love. To be able to provide for them is something that I couldn’t even imagine in my wildest dreams as far as the way we live our lives. I’m indebted to coach and the Maras and the Tisches for doing that for me.”

“I didn’t grow up with a dad, so I was lucky enough to have some men in my life that helped shaped me into the type of man that I am now,” Tollefson said. “To say that I was already grown up when Coach Coughlin got ahold of me is not quite right. The relationship that he and I had meant a lot to me, because I felt he was always honest with you, which I really liked. I always felt like he was a father figure and I really took to heart how he felt about the way I played football and the type of person I was.”

Tollefson was asked about what he would miss about the NFL.

“The relationships,” replied Tollefson. “You hear it all the time when guys retire, that they’re not going to miss the game, they’re going to miss the locker room. I know, for sure, I’m going to miss the locker room and those guys, but the great thing is the relationships I made playing with the Giants. I talk to those guys all the time. I talk to Osi (Umenyiora) and (Justin) Tuck weekly, (Michael) Strahan still, Eli (Manning). You build relationships that I’ve built with the Giants, they become lifetime deals, you know?”

“I’m sure (the Super Bowl championships are) what the roots are to the relationships with those guys,” Tollefson said. “We went through those three seasons in-between Super Bowls, and that made the second one a little sweeter. It means a lot to me. I wasn’t that accomplished in high school like a lot of guys, I lost the national championship in college. So to finally get that elusive ring at any level, for me personally, it meant quite a bit, nonetheless two. I’m one short. Megan is pregnant with our third boy, who is due in April. I might have to go coach and get another ring so the third one doesn’t feel left out.”

“I have a couple surgeries lined up,” Tollefson said about his future. “I have to get some stuff taken care of physically, but right now, it’s kind of up in the air. I’m looking at it as a little bit of a halftime for me. I had this great game plan for the first half of my life and it worked out great, playing pro football and everything, but now the game has changed a little bit, so I have to re-adjust. I’ve taken this last year off and I’ll probably take another year off, enjoy the time with the kids. I’ve been Mr. Mom, taking them to school and picking them up and doing that. I don’t really know yet. I still have time to kind of figure that out. It’s not only a new chapter but maybe a new book in the Tollefson story.”

Giants.com Inside the Film Room: Video breakdowns of the following Giants players are available at Giants.com:

  • Defensive Tackle Linval Joseph (Video)
  • Defensive Tackle Mike Patterson (Video)
Jan 252014
 
Eli Manning (10), Curtis Painter (17), Ryan Nassib (9), David Carr (8), Sean Ryan, New York Giants (July 28, 2013)

Sean Ryan is no longer the quarterbacks coach – © USA TODAY Sports Images

New York Giants Hire Danny Langsdorf as New Quarterbacks Coach: Though not officially announced, according to multiple press reports, the Giants have hired 41-yeal old Danny Langsdorf as their new quarterbacks coach. Langsdorf has served as the University of Oregon’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 2005. In 2002-2004, Langsdorf was with the New Orleans Saints, and his career overlapped with new Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo in New Orleans in 2004.

Sean Ryan was the Giants’ quarterbacks coach in 2012-2013. According to press reports, Ryan has not been told he will be let go but will be reassigned to another position.

The Giants’ tight end coaching position is still vacant.

For Langsdorf’s complete resume, see the Coaching Staff section of the website.

Article on Defensive Tackle Mike Patterson: Giants free agent: Mike Patterson hopes to stay in Big Blue rotation by Dave Hutchinson of The Star-Ledger

Article on Former Giants Offensive Lineman David Diehl: David Diehl: An appreciation by Dan Graziano of ESPN.com

Dec 302013
 
Tom Coughlin, John Mara, New York Giants (November 24, 2013)

Tom Coughlin and John Mara – © USA TODAY Sports Images

December 30, 2013 John Mara Press Conference: The transcript and video of Giants President/CEO John Mara’s Monday press conference are available at Giants.com.

December 30, 2013 Jerry Reese Press Conference: The transcript and video of General Manager Jerry Reese’s Monday press conference are available at Giants.com.

December 30, 2013 Tom Coughlin Press Conference: The transcript and video of Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s Monday press conference are available at Giants.com.

Injury Update on LT Will Beatty and RB David Wilson: General Manager Jerry Reese was asked about LT Will Beatty, who broke his leg in the game against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. “We think he’ll be back and he’ll be ready to play next season. We do think that,” said Reese. “From early reviews, we think Will will be back. We think he will be back and hopefully he will be back and he can get going and have a good offseason as well. He didn’t play as well as we hoped he’d play. I think he’d own that as well. Hopefully he can get back, get healthy and go on and have a great off-season and be a good left tackle.”

Reese was also asked about the future status of RB David Wilson, who was placed on Injured Reserve in November with a potentially career-threatening neck injury.

“Those neck things, you have to wait around,” said Reese. “Those discs they have, sometimes they can shrink and it takes time for them to shrink. They did that and we’re waiting. At the beginning of the year, we’ll have another consultation with him, to see if surgery would be a possibility for him. That could be a possibility and if he has the surgery, I think the prognosis is that he’ll be ready to play next fall, if he has his surgery.”

Reese was then asked if the injury was career-threatening. “When you talk about necks, there’s always a possibility,” responded Reese. “We’re hopeful and the earlier reports that I’ve gotten, doctors do think they can fix this and he’ll be able to play…I think we’ll have to have some contingency plans at the running back position. I don’t think you go into the next season saying David Wilson’s going to be our number one, starting running back. I don’t think you can do that. The guy is coming off of a neck surgery, if he decides to have it.”

Giants Sign Eight Players to Reserve/Future Contracts: The Giants signed the following eight players to reserve/future contracts on Monday:

  • RB Kendall Gaskins
  • WR Marcus Harris
  • OT Steven Baker
  • DE Kendrick Adams
  • CB Travis Howard
  • CB Junior Mertile
  • CB Chaz Powell
  • CB Ross Weaver

All eight players ended the season on the Giants’ practice squad.

December 30, 2013 New York Giants Player Media Q&As: Transcripts and video of Monday’s media sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

Articles on the New York Giants Coaching Staff:

Articles on New York Giants Wide Receivers:

Article on DE Justin Tuck: Stay or go, Justin Tuck always embraced New York by Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post

Oct 232013
 
Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin react to TE Larry Donnell falling down.

It’s Been a Frustrating Season

New York Giants Place Center David Baas on Injured Reserve: The New York Giants placed center David Baas on season-ending Injured Reserve on Wednesday. Baas injured the MCL in his left knee early in the game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. Baas had injured the same MCL in the preseason, which caused him to miss two preseason games and the regular-season opener. He also missed three games with a neck injury before the game against the Vikings.

“This is similar (to the preseason injury),” said Baas. “It’s worse, though. I’m just thankful my ACL is intact because I would have been really ticked off. It’s tough. As corny as it sounds, you get knocked down, but you’ve got to get back up every time.”

Baas is expected to undergo surgery to repair the MCL.

New York Giants Re-Sign LB Darin Drakeford to the Practice Squad: The Giants re-signed LB Darin Drakeford to the Practice Squad on Wednesday. The Giants originally signed Drakeford to the Practice Squad on October 8, but terminated his contract one week later. As previously reported, the Eagles signed LB Emmanuel Acho off of the Giants’ Practice Squad on Monday.

October 23, 2013 New York Giants Injury Report: The Giants held a walk-thru practice on Wednesday. Not practicing were RB Brandon Jacobs (hamstring), RB David Wilson (neck), DT Shaun Rogers (knee), and LB Spencer Paysinger (ankle).

Practicing on a limited basis were TE Adrien Robinson (foot), CB Corey Webster (groin), CB Terrell Thomas (knee), and CB Jayron Hosley (hamstring).

S Cooper Taylor (shoulder) fully practiced.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s Press Conference: The transcript and video of Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s Wednesday press conference are available at BigBlueInteractive.com and Giants.com, respectively.

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

Article on the Giants’ Run Defense: The Giants’ Iron-Clad ‘Fence’ by Jonathan Clegg of The Wall Street Journal

Article on WR Hakeem Nicks: Coughlin calls out Nicks: ‘He’s got to get better’ by John DeMarzo of The New York Post

Sep 022013
 
Linval Joseph, New York Giants (August 29, 2013)

DT Linval Joseph – © USA TODAY Sports Images

September 2, 2013 New York Giants Injury Report – Cruz and Hosley Return to Practice: Not practicing on Monday were RB Andre Brown (leg), OC David Baas (knee), OT David Diehl (thumb), TE Adrien Robinson (foot), and DT Markus Kuhn (PUP – knee).

Head Coach Tom Coughlin was asked about Brown. “I don’t know,” said Coughlin. “We’ll see. I don’t know what I can tell you. The guy is hurt. He’s got a serious injury. What’s his status going to be? I can’t tell you that. How long? I don’t know. I really don’t. I can repeat what you hear out there, but I don’t know that’s the way it’s going to be. I know this: he has a great attitude about it and he really believes that he’ll come back faster than whatever number anybody puts on it. I’m rooting for him.”

“(Robinson’s) going to be a while,” said Coughlin. “I’m not giving you (a time table). He’s got a sore foot, so we’ll see. Those things usually are very unpredictable anyways. Hopefully he’ll get back as fast as he can because he needs to.”

WR Victor Cruz (heel) and CB Jayron Hosley (ankle) returned to practice.

“(Cruz) felt good,” said Coughlin. “He took as many reps as was planned for him to take…Limited, but it looked to me like he took probably half, maybe more.”

“Yeah, as of right now (I will play on Sunday), if everything continues to feel good in the morning and doesn’t swell up on me or anything crazy, I’ll be good to go,” said Cruz. “I’m a little ahead (of schedule). They were predicting a couple more weeks, but I was diligent in the treatment room and at home, doing the things I needed to do. Icing it and getting ready and things like that. I’m pretty much ahead of schedule and I’m happy about that.”

DE Jason Pierre-Paul (back), DE Damontre Moore (shoulder), S Antrel Rolle (ankle), and FB Henry Hynoski (knee) all practiced.

“(Pierre-Paul) practiced pretty well,” said Coughlin. “We’ll see. They obviously have a ways to go there…He’s got to practice…Practice every day. Put the uniform on. Play in the pads. See how he feels the next morning. Those are the things that he has to go through…There’s no pads on (today) and he’s coming like he’s got them on. So that’s a good sign.”

“I feel great,” said Pierre-Paul. “I feel good, (but) we’re not there. Ran off tired. I was completely tired.”

“I don’t know (if I will play Sunday),” said Pierre-Paul. “It all depends if I can take on a double team, if I’m ready for that. It’s only been the first day so we’ll see how it goes. We have a whole week ahead of us…Right now I’m doing the smart thing and just taking it day-by-day. So when I come back, I’ll be fully ready to play.”

Coughlin was asked about Hynoski. “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” said Coughlin. “I mean, this guy is all heart and he won’t miss a beat. As soon as they gave him the opportunity to get back out there, he was trying to jump in on every snap. He can come back from these things. It takes a while.”

“I’m doing good,” said Hynoski. “I practiced full today, I’m feeling good. If you want to know about Sunday, I can’t give you an answer now. That’s going to be decided later in the week, I’m assuming, by the doctors. I practiced full, no issues…I feel good out there, haven’t had any issues or setbacks. It’s just a matter of getting the go-ahead or not and we’ll see what happens at the end of this week. Every day I progress, but I think I have to progress just a little bit more to give them that go-ahead.”

Giants Add S Jawanza Starling to Practice Squad: The Giants have added S Jawanza Starling to the Practice Squad.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s Press Conference: The transcript and video of Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s Monday press conference are available at Giants.com.

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

Article on RB Michael Cox: Cox, After Struggling at Michigan, Follows Cruz’s Path to Giants by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post

Article on DT Mike Patterson: DT Mike Patterson Ready to Continue Rivalry by Dan Salomone of Giants.com

Article on S Taylor Cooper: Depleted at Safety, Giants Hold on to Rookie Cooper Taylor by Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger

Notes: Twenty-three (43 percent) players from the 2012 New York Giants’ roster are not on the current 53-man roster.

Aug 292013
 
Jerry Reese, New York Giants (December 30, 2012)

Jerry Reese – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Jerry Reese on ESPN Radio: The audio of Wednesday’s ESPN Radio interview with General Manager Jerry Reese is available at ESPN.com.

Aaron Curry Retires: LB Aaron Curry, who was released by the Giants on Sunday, announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday.

Article on QB Ryan Nassib: If Nassib is Solid, Will Giants Gamble? by Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record

Article on DT Mike Patterson: Giants’ Mike Patterson Showing He Can Still Play After Undergoing Brain Surgery by Dave Hutchinson of The Star-Ledger

Article on CB Charles James: Giants’ Charles James Shares Victor Cruz’s Dream by Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record

Article on the Giants’ Uniform: Giants Announce Dates for Alternate Pants by Dan Salomone of Giants.com

Aug 222013
 
Henry Hynoski, New York Giants (July 28, 2013)

Henry Hynoski – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Injury Update – Henry Hynoski Activated Off of the PUP: Not practicing on Thursday were WR Victor Cruz (heel), WR Louis Murphy (leg), WR Ramses Barden (knee), OC David Baas (knee), OT David Diehl (thumb), DE Damontre Moore (shoulder), CB Corey Webster (knee/groin), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (PUP – back), and DT Markus Kuhn (PUP – knee).

FB Henry Hynoski (knee) was activated from the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) list that he had been on since the start of training camp. Hynoski underwent knee surgery in late May after injuring the medial collateral ligament and fracturing the lateral plateau in his knee during an Organized Team Activity (OTA) practice.

Hynoski was limited to individual drills.

“I’m very happy to be out here with my teammates and just get out here moving around and doing some things,” said Hynoski. “Obviously, we’re starting off slow just doing individuals for a little while and then building up from there on out…I did everything…just to get back at the earliest possible date and now it’s paying off. I’m very excited to be in the position I am today.”

Hynoski was doubtful whether he would play in the remaining two preseason games, but he is hoping he will be ready by the season opener against the Cowboys. “That’s my goal, but if it takes to Week 2 or 3, that’s fine,” said Hynoski. “We have a very smart medical staff and trainers and they’re going to put me in the right position when they know I’m physically fit to be out there and performing at the best that I can.”

Head Coach Tom Coughlin was asked if Pierre-Paul or Kuhn were close to coming off of the PUP. “They’re getting close, according to what I hear,” replied Coughlin. “I’m just listening.”

Coughlin was also asked if there was any concern about Webster being ready for the opener. “I hope not,” said Coughlin. “I hope that’s long gone by then. We should get two good weeks, I think. Next week and the week after, we should be in good shape.”

S Antrel Rolle (ankle) returned to practice on a very limited basis, taking part in a few team drills but mostly doing individual drills.

DE Adrian Tracy (dehydration) returned to practice.

New York Giants Add Offensive Tackle: The Giants signed OT Austin Holtz on Thursday.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s Press Conference: The transcript and video of Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s press conference on Thursday are available at Giants.com.

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

Articles on the Offensive Line:

Articles on the Defensive Line:

Article on CB Terrell Thomas: CB Terrell Thomas Ready for Game Action by Michael Eisen of Giants.com