Apr 182014
 
John Conner, New York Giants (December 22, 2013)

John Conner – © USA TODAY Sports Images

New York Giants Offseason Workout Program Begins Monday: The New York Giants offseason workout program begins Monday.

Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), each club’s official, voluntary nine-week offseason program is conducted in three phases:

  1. Phase One (April 21 – May 4):  Consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only.
  2. Phase Two (May 5 – May 26):  Consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills as well as team practice conducted on a “separates” basis. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.
  3. Phase Three (see OTA dates below): Consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of OTA workouts. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

Important dates of note:

  • April 21: Start of the offseason program.
  • May 28-30: Organized Team Activity (OTA) workouts.
  • June 2-3: OTA workouts.
  • June 5: OTA workout.
  • June 9-10: OTA workouts.
  • June 12-13: OTA workouts.
  • June 17-19: Mandatory, full-team mini-camp.

The Giants will not hold a rookie mini-camp this year because the 2014 NFL Draft is three weeks later than usual. For more on the offseason program, see Giants offseason workouts begin Monday by Dan Salomone of Giants.com.

Sidney Rice Re-Signs With Seattle Seahawks: ProFootballTalk had reported earlier this week that the New York Giants were one of several teams to be interested in unrestricted free agent wide receiver Sidney Rice. The Seattle Seahawks released him in February 2014 in a salary cap-related move. However, Rice re-signed with the Seahawks on Wednesday.

Article on QB Ryan Nassib: With Josh Freeman on roster, should Giants look to deal Ryan Nassib? by Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger

Article on WR Mario Manningham: NFL Star Mario Manningham Talks Returning to the Beast Coast by TheSource.com

Article on CB Prince Amukamara: Big Blue Morning: Amukamara’s option by Dan Graziano of ESPN.com

Articles on the New York Giants and the 2014 NFL Draft: Giants pre-draft visits and workouts by Jordan Raanan and Conor Orr for NJ.com

Apr 142014
 
Sidney Rice, Seattle Seahawks (December 23, 2012)

Sidney Rice – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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New York Giants Interested in Sidney Rice: According to ProFootballTalk, the New York Giants are one of several teams interested in unrestricted free agent wide receiver Sidney Rice. The Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers are also said to be interested in his services.

The 27-year old Rice was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. After four seasons in Minnesota, Rice signed with the Seahawks in July 2011. Last season, Rice tore the ACL in one of his knees and missed the rest of the season. The Seahawks released him in February 2014 in a salary cap-related move.

Rice – who is 6’4”, 202 pounds – had his most productive season in 2009 when he caught 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns. That was his only season cracking the 1,000-yard mark. In three seasons in Seattle, Rice started 31 regular-season games and caught 97 passes for 1,463 yards and 12 touchdowns. Rice has been injury prone throughout his career. He has missed significant time with knee, hip, and concussion issues. Coming off of the ACL injury, Rice reportedly has been cleared to resume football activities.