Jul 312014
 
Jay Bromely, New York Giants (June 18, 2014)

Jay Bromley – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) Updates: In case you missed it, original-content articles from BBI today and yesterday:

July 31, 2014 New York Giants Injury Report: On Wednesday, the Giants publicly released an update on RB David Wilson, who suffered a neck burner at practice on Tuesday. Wilson underwent a battery of medical tests Tuesday night at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The Giants say he will not practice the remainder of the week, nor will he play in the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

Wilson will be examined and evaluated by Dr. Frank Cammisa at HSS on Monday. Cammisa, chief of spine services at HSS, is the specialist who performed the vertebrae fusion surgery on Wilson on January 16, 2014.

However, while Wilson himself tweeted on Wednesday that “everything is fine,” NJ.com and The Star-Ledger are reporting that sources say Wilson’s football career is likely over. ESPN is reporting the same.

“Until we here what the doctors say, I am just praying that the kid is okay,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin after practice on Thursday. “When he was cleared to play he came out and exhibited no fear, no nothing. I was really excited about that coming out. We are obviously concerned, but we will have to wait and see what the doctors say.”

Wilson originally injured the neck in October 2013 in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was cleared to resume football contact on July 21.

In addition to Wilson, not practicing on Thursday were WR Odell Beckham (hamstring), WR Trindon Holliday (hamstring), TE Xavier Grimble (hamstring), OG John Jerry (knee), DT Mike Patterson (shoulder), LB Jon Beason (PUP – foot), LB Spencer Paysinger (concussion), LB Spencer Adkins (groin), and CB Travis Howard (knee).

LT Will Beatty (illness), DE Robert Ayers (ankle), CB Bennett Jackson (ankle), and WR Corey Washington (heel) all left practice early. Bennett will undergo x-rays on his ankle.

July 31, 2014 Tom Coughlin Press Conference: The transcript and video from Thursday’s press conference with Head Coach Tom Coughlin are available at Giants.com.

July 31, 2014 New York Giants Player Media Q&As: Transcripts and video of Thursday’s media Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

New York Giants on ESPN Radio: Audio clips of Tuesday’s ESPN Radio interviews with the following team officials and players are available at ESPN.com:

  • President/CEO John Mara (Audio)
  • General Manager Jerry Reese (Audio)
  • Head Coach Tom Coughlin (Audio)
  • QB Eli Manning (Audio)
  • WR Victor Cruz (Audio)
  • LB Jon Beason (Audio)
  • CB Prince Amukamara (Audio)
  • S Antrel Rolle (Audio)

NJ.com Q&A with OG/OC Weston Richburg: Weston Richburg rookie check-in: Playing more guard or center for Giants? by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Article on New York Giants Training Camp: Giants training camp Week 2: Stock Up/Stock Down by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Articles on the New York Giants Offensive Talent:

Article on Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo: 10 observations about Ben McAdoo’s offense by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Article on QB Ryan Nassib: Four practices with Ryan Nassib: A breakdown of the Giants backup by Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger

Articles on New York Giants Running Backs:

Articles on New York Giants Tight Ends:

Articles on New York Giants Defensive Line:

Articles on New York Giants Defensive Backs:

Articles on Former Giant DE Michael Strahan:

Full pads for #Giants practice today

Jul 292014
 
David Wilson, New York Giants (August 24, 2013)

The Giants are worried about David Wilson’s neck – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) Updates: In case you missed it, original-content articles from BBI today:

July 29, 2014 New York Giants Injury Report: LB Jon Beason (foot – PUP), WR Rueben Randle (hamstring), WR Trindon Holliday (leg), WR Odell Beckham (hamstring), TE Xavier Grimble (hamstring), DT Everett Dawkins (unknown), CB Ross Weaver (unknown), and CB Travis Howard (unknown) did not practice on Tuesday. The Giants said Grimble practiced, but the reporters said he did not.

Most troubling is that RB David Wilson left practice early with what is being called a “burner” to his neck. According to the Giants, the injury occurred when Wilson caught a shovel pass, turned upfield with his head down, and ran into the back of offensive lineman Eric Herman.

Wilson was only cleared for football contact on July 21 after suffering a career-threatening neck injury against the Eagles in October 2013. Wilson had surgery on January 16, 2014 to fuse vertebrae in his neck.

Wilson was sent to the Hospital for Special Surgery for a full battery of tests to determine the severity of the injury he suffered on Tuesday.

After practice, Head Coach Tom Coughlin was visibly concerned.

“He got a burner. So we’ll see,” said Coughlin. “We’ll hear what they have to say first. We were all praying that he wouldn’t have an issue and come back to work. He was cleared, as you know. We’ll see. I’m not going to speculate what it is and see what the doctors say.”

Odell Beckham, who aggravated an offseason hamstring injury at the beginning of camp and has not practiced since, talked about his injury and the tests he underwent on Monday to determine the status of the injury.

“(The tests revealed) just heavy inflammation and blood in the hamstring,” said Beckham. “The trainers are just taking it day-by-day to see. Whatever happens is what happens. It’s up to them right now on the length, however long it’s going to be…they just said it’s still day-by-day.”

“Yeah (I’m frustrated),” said Beckham. “I talked to Coach Coughlin and like he said, it’s frustrating on both ends. He wants me out there as bad as I want to be out there. It’s just kind of like you work so hard to get to where you’re at now and it’s like you can’t go out there and do the one thing that you love to do. It’s hard to just take that all the time and then have your coach, at the same time, be frustrated.”

July 29, 2014 Tom Coughlin Press Conference: The transcript and video from Tuesday’s press conference with Head Coach Tom Coughlin are available at Giants.com.

July 29, 2014 New York Giants Player Media Q&As: Transcripts and video of Tuesday’s media Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

What we found out during media hour by Dan Salomone of Giants.com

New York Giants on WFAN Radio: Audio clips of Tuesday’s WFAN Radio interviews with the following team officials and players are available at CBS New York:

  • President/CEO John Mara (Audio)
  • General Manager Jerry Reese (Audio)
  • Head Coach Tom Coughlin (Audio)
  • QB Eli Manning (Audio)
  • WR Victor Cruz (Audio)
  • S Antrel Rolle (Audio)

New York Giants Practice Reports:

Article on Head Coach Tom Coughlin and QB Eli Manning: Eli Manning on what makes Tom Coughlin a Hall-worthy coach by Steve Serby of The New York Post

Article on Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo: New Coach Has Giants Huddling in Hurry, or Not at All by Bill Pennington of The New York Times

Article on QB Eli Manning: NY Giants QB Eli Manning wants a career like Yankees’ Derek Jeter, playing with one team into his 40s by Gary Myers of The New York Daily News

Articles on WR Mario Manningham:

Article on TE Daniel Fells: Daniel Fells a most unlikely comeback story by Kieran Darcy of ESPNNewYork.com

Article on New York Giants Defensive Tackles:

Article on Head Coach Tom Coughlin and Former Giants DE Michael Strahan: Strahan, Coughlin weren’t always these Hall of Fame allies by Steve Serby of The New York Post

Jul 072014
 
Larry Donnell, New York Giants (June 18, 2014)

Larry Donnell – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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With the New York Giants reporting to camp in less than a month, BigBlueInteractive.com is breaking down each of the team’s positional groups from now until July 21.

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Tight Ends

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW: During the 2013 offseason, the New York Giants decided not to pay big bucks in order to retain Martellus Bennett who signed with the Chicago Bears. To replace Bennett, the Giants signed free agent Brandon Myers from the Oakland Raiders. The undersized, slow, and not overly athletic Myers was a significant step down as a blocker and receiver. He finished 2013 with 47 catches for 522 yards and four touchdowns. The #2 tight end was again the hard-working, but physically unimpressive, Bear Pascoe, who had a grand total of 12 catches for 81 yards and no touchdowns. Much was expected of the physically-talented duo of Adrien Robinson and Larry Donnell. Neither developed and long-time tight end coach Mike Pope was fired at the end of the season. Robinson, who was drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft, was only active for two games as a rookie. He missed virtually all of the 2013 season with a foot injury he suffered in the preseason. When he did return in Week 16, he immediately sprained his knee. In two seasons, Robinson has played in three games and he has no career receptions. Donnell went undrafted and unsigned in 2011. The Giants signed him as a street free agent in March 2012 and Donnell spent 2012 on the team’s Practice Squad. Donnell made the 53-man roster in 2013 and was active for all 16 games, starting one contest. He finished the season with only three catches for 31 yards.

Xavier Grimble, USC Trojans (November 3, 2012)

Xavier Grimble – © USA TODAY Sports Images

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: The Giants had no interest in bringing back Brandon Myers (now with Tampa Bay) and Bear Pascoe (now with Atlanta). Robinson and Donnell return. Publicly, the Giants said they wanted to add a tight end in the draft but there were only so many tight ends who they liked and they regarded Weston Richburg a better value in the second round. In the offseason, the Giants added free agent journeymen Daniel Fells (who has spent time with six other teams but didn’t play in 2013) and Kellen Davis (two other teams; 50 catches in six seasons), as well as undrafted rookie free agent Xavier Grimble (USC).

TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES: Is there a legitimate starting-caliber tight end currently on this roster? If so, who is it? The pressure is on new tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride, Jr., who failed as a wide receivers coach in 2012-13 and whose last and only previous tight end coaching experience was with Georgetown University in 2006. Can he help do what Mike Pope was unable to do and that is get Robinson and Donnell to play better?

General Manager Jerry Reese hasn’t given up on the two youngsters. “We expect those two young guys (Robinson and Donnell) to come on, and they can be dynamic if we can get them going,” said Reese in June.

“I think we have a nice group there,” said new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo about the five tight ends currently on the roster. “We have big men in the room, I like the way they think about the game, I like the way they’re moving around on the field. When we get the pads on that’s when we’ll really know where we are.”

ON THE BUBBLE: Everyone. Anyone can become the starter and anyone can be cut.

Adrien Robinson, New York Giants (July 27, 2013)

Adrien Robinson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

FROM THE POSITIONAL COACH: Kevin Gilbride, Jr. on Adrien Robinson:  “He’s working incredibly hard to learn. That’s something that, going in, just knowing him as a personality not as someone I’ve taught before, I didn’t know. He’s in there, he’s taking copious notes, he’s answering questions very well. What we need to do is we need to get him to be able to transition that onto the field. He’s made strides, there’s no doubt that he’s made strides but there needs to be a lot more. The more in detail we get with him, sometimes he loses some of the basics as far as the techniques are concerned and we’ve got to get some carry-over with it.”

PREDICTIONS:

Eric Kennedy – There isn’t anyone on this roster who currently will scare an opposing defense. But is there even another Jake Ballard type here?

Adrien Robinson has been a major disappointment, but some of that was outside of his control. A very green rookie on college team that rarely threw the football to the tight end, he was forced to miss OTAs his rookie season because of an NFL requirement prohibiting players from universities using trimesters from participating in those activities. Mike Pope said that really set him back. He flashed some last offseason before being sidelined for the entire season with injuries. But both Robinson and Donnell do have intriguing physical tools. They are both big, athletic, and can catch the football. If they have the necessary toughness and desire, and if they can be coached up with the proper technique (all big “ifs”), at the very least, they should become good blockers. Don’t discount Larry Donnell. He could really surprise.

Connor Hughes – Baring an injury, Adrien Robinson is set to have a big, big season in 2014. From what we’ve seen in the early goings from the Giants offense, the days of the tight end being a “safety valve” are far in the past. New coordinator Ben McAdoo wants to use them often and as a focal point of the offense, not an after thought. With that being said, Robinson’s skill set is one I believe perfectly suits what the team is attempting to accomplish. Robinson has size (6-4), speed and the athletic ability to stretch the field. Countless times throughout the Giants’ offseason conditioning program, the tight end flashed what he can do…he just needs to stay healthy. If he can’t? Larry Donnell will be waiting in the wings.

FINAL DEPTH CHART:

Eric KennedyAdrien Robinson (1), Larry Donnell (2), and Xavier Grimble (3), Kellen Davis (Cut), Daniel Fells (Cut)

Connor Hughes – Adrien Robinson (1), Larry Donnell (2), Kellen Davis (3), Xavier Grimble (PS), Daniel Fells (Cut)

Jul 042014
 
Geoff Schwartz, Kansas City Chiefs (August 9, 2013)

Geoff Schwartz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Giants.com Player Q&As: Video clips of Giants.com Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

  • TE Larry Donnell (Video)
  • TE Daniel Fells (Video)
  • TE Kellen Davis (Video)

Inside Football Player Q&As:

Articles on QB Eli Manning:

Jun 162014
 
Larry Donnell, New York Giants (September 15, 2013)

Larry Donnell – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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For the first time this season, we introduce the Big Blue Breakdown. Throughout the course of the year, BBI’s Connor Hughes will be joined by Art Stapleton, Jordan Raanan, Patricia Traina and others tackling the hottest topics surrounding the New York Giants.

BBI is dedicated to giving you the best coverage of the Giants on the web. What better way to do that than bringing some of the team’s best beat writers together in one spot? With OTAs officially wrapped up, we asked the round table how they felt the Giants stand at the tight end position.

Have something you want discussed? Email your open-ended question to Connor Hughes ([email protected]) and it could be featured on the next Big Blue Breakdown.

QUESTION: While hyped quite a bit as a “position of need,” the Giants have done very little to address the tight end position. With a new offensive coordinator that appears to like to feature the position, do you believe the Giants made the correct decision not drafting or signing a tight end? Why?

CONNOR HUGHES/ Big Blue Interactive

Adrien Robinson, New York Giants (July 27, 2013)

Adrien Robinson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

The tight end position in the Giants’ offense is the great unknown. Since Jim Fassel was shown the door so many years ago, the TE for Big Blue has been little more than a safety valve for quarterback Eli Manning. There was no need for a Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Grahahm or even Jeremy Shockey, just someone who could block, had average hands and could get to position ‘A’ on field.

With new coordinator Ben McAdoo calling plays for the first time, it’s still up in the air to this point on how the Giants plan to use the tight end. Will it be a focal point of the offense? Will it be a blocker? If the goal is to utilize the position, I hardly feel confident in those presently on the roster.

Adrien Robinson has flashed, Larry Donnell too, but neither strike “fear” into the heart of a defender. Could Robinson develop? Sure. Could he end of getting injured again? Sure. Personally, I was and still am a fan of bringing Jermichael Finley in for at least a visit. After all, what do you have to lose?

ART STAPLETON/The Record

The tight end situation is a bit more complicated than just projecting the depth chart for 2014 and feeling good about where the Giants are at the position. The bottom line: tight end will not be what sinks this offense in 2014.

If two of the group including Robinson, Donnell, Davis, Fells or yes, Grimble, can be serviceable, the rebuilding done elsewhere on the offense (OL, WR with Beckham Jr., RB) should make up the slack. If not, they’ll mix and match with TEs to get the job done. I truly believe they would have upgraded TE with a draft pick – perhaps the second round – if things had played out differently.

When assessing center and TE, though, it’s pretty clear center is of greater importance – so instead of going with, say, Jace Amaro or Troy Niklas in that spot, they went with Weston Richburg, to whom I believe they are committed for the future. Once the Giants got into the fourth round and beyond, they’d decided to stick with the fourth-round pick that has already been in the building (Adrien Robinson) instead of drafting someone for the sake of having a new face. Under these circumstances, I think the Giants have done the right thing at tight end.

There are no quick fixes that have presented themselves at the position. We know the issues surrounding Jermichael Finley and Dustin Keller. Just look at the $ Finley will get from his insurance policy if he never plays again and realize he’ll likely be looking for more than a minimum-type deal. TE remains a position of need, but the impact has been overrated compared to upgrades that were needed elsewhere.

PATRICIA TRAINA/ Inside Football & Bleacher Report

Xavier Grimble, USC Trojans (September 21, 2013)

Xavier Grimble – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Obviously, time will tell if the decision to pass on a tight end was the right one to make, but I can certainly understand their thought process.

Let me start first with the veteran free agent part. Other than Dennis Pitta (Ravens) and Jimmy Graham (Saints), both of whom were never realistic possibilities in free agency, who from the 2014 group of veteran free agents was really worth a look?

As for the tight ends already on the roster, particularly Adrien Robinson and Larry Donnell, the Giants know what they have in both of those guys, having seen them in practices. Yes, Robinson hasn’t shown much, but I’ll point out that last summer in camp, he was making progress to the point where he was supposed to have a big role in that final preseason game which of course had to be scrapped when he suffered the foot injury. Donnell? People forget that he missed all of last spring due to a broken foot, a factor that he recently told me put him way behind the curve.

Yes there is the classroom work, but as Tom Coughlin has said in the past (many times), you have to go out and practice what you’re learning in the classroom. So now you have two young tight ends with impressive physical tools and who now have a chance to learn a new offense from scratch. Both say they have a better understanding of what needs to be done as far as the little things (watching film, taking better care of their bodies, etc.) and who are HEALTHY.

In some ways, it’s like having rookies on the squad, except Donnell and Robinson have gone through NFL seasons and have a better idea of what to expect at this level.

Last point (apologies for the lengthy response, by the way). I researched just how frequently the tight ends have been used in the Packers’ offense over the last two seasons, using data from Pro Football Reference.

Last year, the Packers tight ends combined for 57 out of the 366 passes completed or 15.5%. In 2012, they combined for 76 receptions out of the 374 pass completions or 20.3 percent.

These stats suggest that the Packers tight ends haven’t been as predominantly featured in the passing game as some might believe. I suspect that with the Giants, McAdoo is going to place a heavier emphasis on getting the ball to the receivers in the passing game.

Obviously, injuries can alter those plans, but as I noted before the draft whenever I was asked about the possibility of them drafting tight end Eric Ebron, the last time the Giants had a tight end lead the team in receptions was Jeremy Shockey in 2006, when he had three more receptions (66) than Plaxico Burress (63) did.

By the way, that season, despite being the team leader in receptions, Shockey finished with 623 yards and was second in receiving touchdowns with seven (behind team leader Plaxico Burress who finished with 63 catches for 988 yards and 10 touchdowns.

JORDAN RAANAN/ NJ.com 

If it were me, I’d have done anything possible to try and get a dynamic receiving tight end on this roster. Who cares if they can block? Does anyone care that Jimmy Graham can’t block? With the way the rules are nowadays, linebackers and safeties have no chance against big, athletic TEs. They are bigger weapons than ever. Three TEs finished in the Top 10 in TD receptions last season. Six finished with over 70 receptions. This Giants offense needs that type of weapon. They don’t have anything close right now. Maybe next year.

May 302014
 
Cullen Jenkins, New York Giants (May 29, 2014)

Cullen Jenkins – Photo by Connor Hughes

New York Giants Complete Third OTA Practice: The New York Giants held their third of 10 Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices on Friday. No live contact is allowed in OTA practices, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

The media was not allowed to view Friday’s practice, but the Giants released the following details through their website, Giants.com:

  • The tight ends were noticeably active at today’s OTA. Kellen Davis and Daniel Fells caught QB Eli Manning’s first two passes in the opening team period. Adrien Robinson, Larry Donnell, and Daniel Fells all made nice grabs.
  • QB Eli Manning provided further proof that his left ankle is not hindering him. On one play he evaded a rush by easily rolling to his left before stopping and throwing.
  • RB Rashad Jennings demonstrated quickness and speed when he ran the ball to the outside. Jennings was also effective in the screen game by getting upfield behind his blockers.
  • WR Rueben Randle was active all day on short and intermediate routes and caught a long Manning pass down the left sideline.
  • CB Ross Weaver had the lone interception, picking off a Curtis Painter pass intended for WR Marcus Harris late in the workout.

Giants.com also singled out the following players:

  • CB Ross Weaver: The first-year cornerback out of Michigan State showed great instincts early in practice, stepping in front of a receiver and knocking down a pass near the sideline. At the end of practice, he sat patiently in his zone and intercepted a pass on a roll out.
  • TE Adrien Robinson: Robinson made a nice catch over the middle as he ran down the seam. He extended his arms and used his long frame to pluck the ball out of the air. It was a brief display of what his size and straight-ahead speed can mean from the tight end spot.
  • TE Daniel Fells: The vet tight end showed his skills off during seven on seven drills, catching a high pass over his shoulder as he moved toward the sideline. He stayed with the play and ran a good route, resulting in a 20-yard catch.

Video and photos from today’s OTA practice are available from Giants.com.

Remaining New York Giants OTA practices:

  • June 2-3
  • June 5
  • June 9-10
  • June 12-13

The offseason program will culminate on June 17-19 with a mandatory, full-team mini-camp.

Article on the May 29, 2014 New York Giants OTA Practice: Giants OTAs: 5 takeaways include initial impression of the new offense by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Article on QB Eli Manning: Having Eli Manning for OTAs and minicamp is ‘huge’ for Giants by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Jan 072014
 
Dowell Loggains, Tennessee Titans (October 7, 2012)

Dowell Loggains (right) – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Dowell Loggains to Interview for Giants Offensive Coordinator Position on Wednesday: According to press reports, Dowell Loggains will interview for the New York Giants vacant offensive coordinator position on Wednesday. The 33-year old Loggains was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans the past two seasons.

Mike Sullivan, the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012-13), interviewed with the Giants on Tuesday, and meetings with him will reportedly continue on Wednesday. Sullivan was on  Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants staff from 2004-11, first as wide receivers coach then quarterbacks coach.

Giants Sign Four More Street Free Agents: The New York Giants announced on Tuesday that they have signed the following four street free agents:

  • WR Preston Parker
  • TE Daniel Fells
  • OT/OG Troy Kropog
  • LB Spencer Adkins

The team also confirmed that it signed PK Brandon McManus, which we reported on Saturday.

Because of these moves, we have updated the TransactionsFree Agent Signings (with scouting reports), 2014 Free Agency Scorecard, and Roster sections of the website.

Giants.com Q&A with DE Damontre Moore: The video of a recent Giants.com Q&A with DE Damontre Moore is available at Giants.com.

Article on the New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Position: Perry Fewell’s potential replacements if Giants’ DC lands Redskins coaching job by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Articles on WR Hakeem Nicks: Hakeem Nicks:

Article on LB Jon Beason: Giants free agents: Jon Beason’s case to stay is strong by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Article on Super Bowl XXI: Super Bowl XXI: NY Giants beat John Elway’s Broncos behind red-hot Phil Simms by Joe Belock of The Daily News