New York Giants Waive Safety Will Hill

 Posted by
Jun 022014
 
Will Hill, New York Giants (December 2, 2013)

Will Hill – © USA TODAY Sports Images

New York Giants Waive Safety Will Hill: In a move that was not terribly surprising, the New York Giants have waived safety Will Hill, one of the team’s best defensive players.

In April 2014, it was revealed that Hill had failed another drug test for substances of abuse (illegal drugs) and would be suspended for the third time in three seasons by the NFL. Hill appealed that ruling, but lost his appeal last Friday. The NFL announced on Friday that Hill would be suspended for the first six games of the 2014 NFL regular season.

As reported on Saturday, Hill had told friends that he was a victim of second-hand marijuana smoke and therefore innocent.

Hill was originally suspended for four games of the 2012 season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances (reportedly Adderall). Hill was suspended for four games a second time in 2013, this time for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse (reportedly marijuana).

In December 2013, Hill was arrested for being delinquent on child support payments. At the time of that arrest, the police reported that they detected the smell of marijuana in his vehicle, but no drug-related charges were filed.

When he came off of the second drug suspension, Hill played in the remaining 12 games of the 2013 season. Hill started one game at strong safety and became the new starter at free safety in the last nine games. He impressed with his play, finishing with 77 tackles, 2 pass defenses, 2 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and 2 forced fumbles. Hill was a top-ranked athlete coming out of high school in New Jersey, but off-the-field issues caused him to be undrafted and unsigned after his junior season at the University of Florida in 2011.

Because of this move, we have updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Article on the New York Giants and the 2014 NFL Salary Cap: It’s June, the Giants have money … now what? by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Article on RB David Wilson: David Wilson hopes Wednesday’s MRI will clear him for football activities by Tom Rock of Newsday

Article on TE Xavier Grimble: Giants hope for secret weapon in undrafted tight end Grimble by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post

Article on RT Justin Pugh: Pugh gained from rookie lessons by Ken Mandel of the Bucks County Courier Times

Will Beatty Won’t Be Ready Until the Fall?

 Posted by
May 292014
 
Will Beatty, New York Giants (November 10, 2013)

Will Beatty – © USA TODAY Sports Images

May 29, 2014 New York Giants Injury Report: Not practicing at Thursday’s Organized Team Activity (OTA) workout were WR Mario Manningham (knee), LT Will Beatty (leg) and OG John Jerry (knee).

When asked about Beatty and Manningham, Head Coach Tom Coughlin responded, “Supposedly they’ll be ready for the fall.”

Coughlin also revealed that Jerry had arthroscopic knee surgery. “He had a knee, he comes out here and the knee swells,” Coughlin said. “We’ll hold him inside. He had a little procedure (debridement of the knee), a scope, so he might not work this spring but he’s here…He may have a day when he’s a little bit sore and we’ll back off the snaps. Today coming after the first one, he didn’t have any issues at all. We just let him do what he can do.”

RB David Wilson (neck) also did not participate in contact drills as he has not yet been cleared for contact. Wilson said he will have another MRI taken on his neck on June 4. “He is in an area where he’s not supposed to have any contact,” said Coughlin. “He’s out there running and feels good. You’d never know that he’s having issues.”

The good news is that QB Eli Manning, who is coming off of arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle, practiced. “He’s so far ahead,” said Coughlin. “When we started out I didn’t think I would have him for anything (in the spring). We’re about two or three days into phase two (of the offseason program) and he’s running around. I’m trying to slow him down but he feels good.”

RG Chris Snee, who is coming off of offseason hip and elbow surgery, practiced. “He looks good,” said Coughlin. “He looks very good.”

S Stevie Brown, who tore the ACL in his left knee last preseason, also practiced. “Stevie’s had a good winter,” said Coughlin. “He’s been in here rehabbing the whole time. He’s gone through both the first and second phases very well. He’s running very well so we’re very happy with that. He does have some… we’re watching him, let’s put it that way. He is what we call limited but he has been able to demonstrate that he has prepared himself well.”

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

BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) was at Thursday’s OTA practice.  See New York Giants OTA Day 2: Quick Hits and Tidbits.

Giants.com also provided the following two summaries: Giants players that stood out at OTA’s and Five things we learned at OTA practice.

New York Giants OTA practices:

  • May 28-30
  • 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.

May 29, 2014 Tom Coughlin Press Conference: The transcript and video of Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s press conference on Thursday are available at Giants.com.

May 29, 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 Complete First OTA Practice

 Posted by
May 282014
 
Eli Manning (10) and David Wilson (22), New York Giants (August 7, 2013)

Eli Manning and David Wilson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

New York Giants Complete First OTA Practice: The New York Giants held their first of 10 Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices on Wednesday. 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 Wednesday’s practice, but the Giants released the following details through their website, Giants.com:

  • RB David Wilson, who is recovering from career-threatening offseason neck surgery, did participate in the non-contact drills. Wilson worked both at running back and returner.
  • New Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo’s offense is reportedly an up-tempo West Coast Offense-style of attack.  McAdoo was said to be very hands-on during the drills.
  • Despite undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on April 10, QB Eli Manning practiced. According to the team, “Manning took quite a few snaps on the first day of OTAs. In addition to individual drills, he took many of the first-team reps.”
  • With LT Will Beatty still recovering from a broken leg, the first-team offensive line had James Brewer at left tackle, Geoff Schwartz at left guard, J.D. Walton at center, Chris Snee at right guard, and Justin Pugh at right tackle. The second unit had Charles Brown at left tackle, Brandon Mosley at left guard, Dallas Reynolds at center, Weston Richburg at right guard, and Troy Kropog at right tackle.
  • According to the team’s press release WR Odell Beckham “showcased his quickness in and out of breaks.”

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

The media, including BigBlueInteractive.com, will be granted access to Thursday’s practice.

New York Giants OTA practices:

  • May 28-30
  • 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.

Giants.com Q&A With RB Rashad Jennings: The video of a Giants.com Q&A session with RB Rashad Jennings is available at Giants.com.

Article on Former New York Giant David Diehl: David Diehl begins new career as analyst by Michael Eisen of Giants.com

New York Giants Offseason Program Media Day: Recap and Memorable Moments

 Posted by
Apr 222014
 
Victor Cruz, New York Giants (April 22, 2014)

Victor Cruz – Photo by Connor Hughes

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Day Two of the New York Giants Offseason Program: Tuesday was day two of the New York Giants nine-week offseason workout program. The Giants are currently in “phase one” of the program (April 21 – May 4) with activities limited to voluntary strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation.

BigBlueInteractive.com will soon publish a number of feature articles based on today’s content, but here are some brief highlights:

  • Guard Chris Snee wasted no time before cracking the first joke of the day. When the 32-year-old was asked about all of the new faces, he responded, “I requested a team photo” in order familiarize himself with the team. Snee said the new offense is “different” from what he’s used to. Snee said he has been given no indication that he will be held back as he recovers from offseason hip and elbow surgery. Snee said has no limitations and is 100 percent.
  • Safety Antrel Rolle said he “loved” what has been done with the secondary this offseason and the goal during this portion of the offseason program is to build chemistry. When asked about cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Rolle said he feels that Rodgers-Cromartie, in his seventh year, has matured, and is a huge addition to the defense. With defensive end Justin Tuck in Oakland, Rolle was asked if he will take on any additional leadership roles: “I’m just go out there and play ball. I just know how to be Antrel…I think there should be 53 leaders on this team.”
  • Will Hill, who reportedly will be suspended by the NFL for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing or abusive substances, was was not made available to the media. Several players offered their support to the troubled safety.
  • Defensive end Robert Ayers said one of the main reasons that he decided to come to New York was the tradition and opportunity. Also, his late father, who passed away last year, said he used to wish Ayers would play for the New York Giants. Ayers also said that he plans on playing a bunch of different positions as it is what the management and coaches want. “They ask everyone to do everything….I look forward to doing whatever they ask me to do.”
  • Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul caught the attention of everyone when he alerted the media that he now weighed in at 270 pounds, down from the 285 pounds he played at last season. If you remember, Head Coach Tom Coughlin has made several comments in the past about Pierre-Paul being overweight. “I feel good at that weight,” said Pierre-Paul. After rehabbing his shoulder over the offseason, Pierre-Paul said he’s 100 percent right now and expects no limitations. Also, when asked if his role will change with Tuck in Oakland, Pierre-Paul said, “Not at all.” Pierre-Paul said he “didn’t get the memo” on Will Hill. Pierre-Paul said if Hill misses time, losing Hill would be a blow, but the defense would be “alright.”
  • Quarterback Eli Manning talked to the media in a walking boot. He said the surgery on his ankle went well and things are progressing very quickly. Manning told the media that with this being his first surgery, he’s being smart with it. Manning said when he started his training and running for the season he could tell something wasn’t right. He went for some additional MRI’s and developed a plan to see what was the best way to approach the injury. After consideration, he and the doctors felt surgery was best bet rather than waiting. “This will ensure I’m back at 100 percent for training camp,” said Manning. Prior to his informal workouts at Duke University, Manning had gotten a cortisone shot. He felt that once that wore off the injury and pain would return.
  • Left tackle Will Beatty said that the doctors have all given him positive reports and he’s “out here moving around.” Beatty said that he is hanging on every word from the doctors and doing whatever they say. He said that because the team has not gone full-contact, he hasn’t tested himself in that regard. Beatty said he plans on being 100 percent by the start of the season but was more non-committal about being ready for the start of training camp. Beatty talked about new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, saying he’s very “Energetic” and has “a lot of positive things to add to the team.” Beatty said that McAdoo came in the first day and told the team, “Our goal is to be a top-four offense, have an elite top-four QB, make it to the Super Bowl.”
  • Right tackle Justin Pugh talked to the media and said the new offense is similar to the one he ran in Syracuse and “I’m very comfortable in it.” He said, “It’s up-tempo and we’re going to be moving the ball.” Coughlin had told Pugh that he wanted him heavier, so he gained 10 pounds, he’s up to 315. “I’m stronger than ever,” said Pugh.
  • Cornerback Walter Thurmond III may have brought some of Richard Sherman’s personality with him to New York. The corner said he views himself as “the best slot corner in the league” and said the Giants secondary can be as good, if not better, than Seattle’s “Legion of Boom.”Thurmond says he looks forward to matching up with the Redskins now that they have Desean Jackson. He also said the difference between New York and Seattle: “Guys are a bit older here.” Thurmond got a solid laugh out of the media when asked the similarities between cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Richard Sherman saying, “They’re a little different,” before bursting into laughter.
  • Wide receiver Rueben Randle has a very, very soft voice, and it was a little tough to make out everything he was saying. What he did say is that his original plan was to attend Duke University with fellow wide receivers Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz, but “something came up.” From listening to Victor Cruz talk later in the day it seemed to be a family issue. He contacted Eli Manning to inform him once he became aware he could not participate in those workouts. Randle also went on to say that he is “ready” to step up as the starter. As far as the offense, Randle does not see much difference aside from the terminology.
  • Linebacker Jon Beason seems very comfortable with the New York media. He stated that he does feel that this is his defense as it “comes with the territory of being the signal caller and mike linebacker.” Beason said that he did his research before representing himself as his own agent in free agency. He said one of the reasons he wanted to be his own agent was he wanted to be “directly involved” and not “a little kid playing telephone.” There were other teams interested in Jon Beason’s services, but the Giants contacted Beason at 3:52 on Tuesday, only minutes before free agency began.
  • Quarterback Josh Freeman talked to the media for an extended period of time. He said he feels great coming in and last year, “Didn’t turn out how I had hoped.” He said he can’t pinpoint what has caused his career to go downhill since being considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league. “A couple things just didn’t go my way.” One of the things that drew Freeman to New York was the history and tradition, but also to learn things from Eli Manning.
  • Wide receiver Victor Cruz said he enjoys the new offense. It’s a “high-powered offense” and “high octane.” Also, Cruz said the offense in similar with the type of routes and compared it to Green Bay’s offense. Cruz was asked if he could tell at Duke University if Eli was impacted by his ankle injury. He said he could not and “it may have been something he was battling internally.”Cruz said he has taken on a stronger leadership role, including grabbing some of the younger guys, taking them off to the side, and “letting them know how valuable they are to this team and the receiving corp.” Cruz went on to say that the new offense is based less off of body language.
  • Running back David Wilson was excited and as animated as ever. In January, Wilson underwent a surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae to repair a herniated disc in his neck. Wilson said he expects to be cleared for Organized Team Activities (OTAs) but admitted it will come down to the doctors. Wilson said he feels great, and all that is holding him back “is a picture” (MRI) allowing him to resume his football career. Wilson was asked if he sees himself as a No. 1 back and he said he does, but in today’s NFL the feature back doesn’t exist. “Way the game is played today, it’s not gonna be one guy,” said Wilson.
  • Running back Rashaad Jennings said that he thinks the backfield has a lot of talent and potential. He said all are trying to “mesh into the system” and they will “spend a lot of extra time as a unit.”

An “all-access” video of Monday’s activities is available at Giants.com.

New York Giants Player Media Q&As: Transcripts and video clips from Tuesday’s media Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

Article on Today’s Offseason Program Media Day: Player interviews: 10 things we learned by Dan Salomone of Giants.com

Article on the New York Giants Offense: Eli Manning, Giants envision their offense being similar to the Packers by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Article on QB Eli Manning: QB Eli Manning: I’ll be ready for camp by Michael Eisen of Giants.com

Article on RB David Wilson: David Wilson ‘expects to’ be cleared for OTA’s next month by Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger

Article on CB Walter Thurmond: Walter Thurmond: Giants secondary can be better than Seahawks ‘Legion of Boom’ by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Giants Offseason Workout Program Schedule; Tom Coughlin Q&A

 Posted by
Apr 032014
 
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants (March 26, 2014)

Tom Coughlin – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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New York Giants Offseason Workout Program Schedule Set: The dates for the New York Giants offseason program schedule have been announced:

  • 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.

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

  1. Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only.
  2. Phase Two 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 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.

Giants.com Q&A With Head Coach Tom Coughlin: A lengthy Q&A session with Head Coach Tom Coughlin is available at Giants.com. Some key points of note:

  • Coughlin on assimilating so many new faces: “Absolutely, it is (a challenge). You’ve got a big part of our football team that has not been through our routine, the way we do things, the presentation of our values and our principles, what we believe in, how we work, how we practice, how they are  to come to work. So we have a lot of basic, fundamental teaching to do. It is definitely a year of transition, no doubt.”
  • Coughlin on the impact all these new faces will have on the team’s culture: “The culture’s going to change, too. The culture will change. Now, the principles and the values will not change, but how we go about our business has to change, because we have so many new people that have to be integrated into the system.”
  • Coughlin on what WR Trindon Holliday brings to the return game: “If we can get somebody who gives us a little bit of the spectacular – I mean, when you sit down and talk about this guy’s track speeds, are you serious? He runs 100 meters in 9.98 (seconds) or whatever the heck he ran. It’s fun to think about. Go ahead, outkick the coverage, please do. Not only for kickoff returns, but for punt returns. What it would mean to us to have some field position, a short field all of a sudden, and take care of the football, play good defense, get turnovers for us on that side of the ball, not beat ourselves, how about that one for a theme? That would be a very nice thing.”
  • Coughlin on RB Rashad Jennings: “I think he’s an all-around back. Whatever question I asked when I was looking at the tape got answered. In other words, he went 80 (yards for a touchdown last season for Oakland in a game at Houston). Is he fast enough? He goes 80. Does he catch it out of the backfield? Yes. Does he run the screens well? Yes. How is he from scrimmage as a runner? Good. First and second down, can he play on third down? Yes, he can. What does he need? Well, he’s 230 pounds with a great attitude. He needs a little work on his pass protection, but I think we can get that done. I think he’s an all-purpose guy that fits us very, very well.”
  • Coughlin on RB David Wilson: “All in due time with David. Just pray, you’re praying that he has a return to excellent health and that the doctors are totally convinced that he is recovered and ready to go. When that time comes, you’ll have another contributor who, if he gets a step, he’s gone…I’m counting on him, but I am not going to put him in any circumstance until it’s an absolute that he’s 100 percent. I’m not going to mess with that one.”
  • Coughlin on WR Mario Manningham: “It was exciting and fun to talk to him, because he’s so pleased to be back. He is more mature, physically and otherwise. He wants to be here, he wants to help us win. He’s more appreciative of his first tenure here and he certainly wants to make it even more productive this next time back – even for a guy who will go down in history as having made one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.”
  • Coughlin on DE Robert Ayers: “Sure, he can (play strongside). He’s played right, he’s played left, he’s played inside on third down, he’s played in a lot of spots. He’s a powerful player. He’ll be very, very good against the run. I really, quite frankly  don’t think there are any tight ends that will block him. He’s really got exceptional hand position, does a nice job with that, and he can be used in a versatile manner and he has consistent effort. He’s got the hunger and the desire and he’ll make up for a lot with hustle.”
  • Coughlin on the impact of new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo: “I’ve been in the same system since 1988. We have incorporated whatever we can from our system that we’ve always had here, but there’s a lot of new terminology. There will be lots of new teaching just in terms of the way in which it’s presented, which will force people to study and to learn and to be anxious. When the huddle breaks you’ve got to go do it. They’re going to have to learn it to be able to do it. The plays will become familiar to them once they recognize what the responsibility is. You have to be able to talk it, discuss it and communicate. That’s different.”

Giants.com Interview with DE Robert Ayers: The video of Wednesday’s Giants.com interview with defensive end Robert Ayers is available at Giants.com.

Articles on the New York Giants and 2014 NFL Free Agency:

Tom Coughlin at the NFL Owners Meeting

 Posted by
Mar 262014
 
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants (August 29, 2013)

Tom Coughlin – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Tom Coughlin at the NFL Owners Meeting: New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin addressed the media at the NFL Owners Meeting in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday morning. Some tidbits from Coughlin:

  • On installing the offense under new Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo: “We’re moving. We’re better than halfway through the completion of where we want it to be. I’ll say this and the word goes forth to our players. It’s obvious. This is a whole new undertaking from an offensive standpoint because you will have some of the old and a tremendous amount of the new. I think it’s stimulating. I think it’s good for everybody. Hopefully it’s going to provide a little fire for everybody. I know it will for Eli (Manning). I know he’ll be excited about this…In the beginning, there is a lot to learn. There is a lot of be able to comprehend. I don’t care how you do it. It’s apples and oranges. It’s Chinese vs. another language. But you have to get to where you’re communicating with each other. In order to do that, he’s really going to have to focus. Now, with his intelligence, it’s not going to be real difficult.”
  • On offensive goals: “Offensively we have to get back to Giants football. When I say that, I mean (Geoff) Schwartz and (John) Jerry, big human beings in the NFC East. We weren’t very big up front last year. It’s further to run around those big guys. We’re going to have balance…Everyone wants to know what the difference is going to be? Whatever we do is going to be designed around our personnel. I mean, we have the Encyclopedia Brittanica between the systems that you are familiar with and the system that you are soon going to be familiar with. You can put your finger on anything you want.”
  • On QB Ryan Nassib: “I think he’s going to be a good player. This is going to be an important year for him and for the Giants.”
  • On RB Rashad Jennings: “He’s a great athlete and in tremendous shape. He’s a solid 230 (pounds). The more you look, the better you like. I think he’s a good football player who will be a very solid, solid, impactful guy in our offense.”
  • On RB David Wilson, who is recovering from career-threatening neck surgery:  “I’m planning that he’s there. Until they tell me differently, he’s there. Now, to what extent is he there? Does his presence mean that you have to have another number going into camp at that spot? All of those things are possible…He’s making outstanding progress. Whenever I see him I tell David, ‘Slow down now, stay with whatever they are telling you that you can or can’t do.’ He’s been working on his legs for a month or more…Let’s get him back, let’s see. I wouldn’t rush him into anything.”
  • On Rueben Randle: “Rueben has to continue to develop, be a better pro…We have very high expectations for him. He’s got to continue to be a better pro and show consistency.”
  • On WR Mario Manningham:  “Mario is really excited to be a Giant again. He can hardly contain himself. He’s physically and mentally matured.”
  • On the tight end position: “Right now, it’s a question mark.”
  • On OT John Jerry, who was implicated in the Jonathan Martin bullying scandal: “I think he was authentic in terms of his presentation and (General Manager) Jerry (Reese) really did believe everything that he said. The investigation took place, calls were made to the league office…There was remorse, sincere remorse, and we still feel very strongly about our locker room and the players that are there for us. I don’t see anything of that nature happening with us…There is no suspension in the air or anything of that nature.”
  • On CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: “We have a young man who really wants to be coached. We studied and we saw some areas that we can really help him in and we were very specific about how that would happen and he was very receptive to it. Our coaches worked their tails off on him, spent a lot of time. A lot of time…It seemed as if he was going to continue to visit (teams) until he found what he wanted. When he came to see us, we knew we would have our chance…He was looking for a place to sink his roots and become a guy who represented a team and stayed there and worked his way through things and wanted to be a part of something other than a one-year-here, one-year-there kind of thing. He responded to that. He jumped on that. He wanted to be a guy who is associated with a team.”
  • On DE Justin Tuck, who signed with the Oakland Raiders: “We’re going to miss Justin Tuck, period. The body of work last year was very solid. He’s an outstanding young man…Justin has had two outstanding Super Bowls and playoff runs and played very, very well even as a young man playing with Osi (Umenyiora) and (Michael) Strahan, what he learned and how he performed, so, there’s no doubt…You always hold out hope that nobody goes, you don’t want to see anybody leave. But it’s part of our game. When Justin, as an outstanding defensive end who had numbers to back it up in terms of the way he played, I’m not surprised by it…It was always realistic (to keep him). It was realistic for sure, but it didn’t work. There are 31 other teams. The Raiders have a tremendous amount of money to spend.”’
  • On WR Hakeem Nicks, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts: “I don’t know if it went awry. The entire process of production continued to be not what it was a couple of years ago…I want everybody to know we wish Hakeem nothing but success, to return to the player that we really do believe and know that he is with consistency. Maybe this is something that had to take place for Hakeem. Maybe he will deal with exactly where he is and once again return to the quality of player that he is. I wish him nothing but the best.”
  • On continuing to coach: “What else am I going to do?..I feel good, I’m healthy, (my wife) Judy is really good towards it, the family is positive and supporting. As long as I feel good, productive, energetic, and of course the players respond, I’d like to think I can keep going…I’d like to think that the seasons are all good and at some point in time the decision (when to retire) becomes mine and not somebody else’s. It’s not the paramount thought. Being the best we can be is what I’m all about … I want to coach and I want to get it right and I want to see us start to play like I think we’re capable of.”

Article on the New York Giants and 2014 Free Agency and Draft: Giants’ signings give Reese free reign in draft by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post

Article on the New Free Agent Giants: Coaches dish on ex-players signed by the Giants as free agents by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

General Manager Jerry Reese NFL Combine Media Sessions

 Posted by
Feb 222014
 
Jerry Reese, New York Giants (February 22, 2014)

Jerry Reese at the NFL Combine – © USA TODAY Sports Images

General Manager Jerry Reese NFL Combine Media Sessions: Video clips of General Manager Jerry Reese’s media sessions at the NFL Combine on Saturday are available at Giants.com:

  • Main Press Conference (Video)
  • Media Session (Video)

Some tidbits of note:

  • Reese on picking at #12 in the first round: “We’ll try and get the best player available on the board. We’ll keep our options open there. If someone wants to come up to 12 and entertain us moving back, we’ll consider that as well.”
  • Reese on the salary cap being raised from $123 million to reportedly $130-132 million: “Anything is better than flat. It makes a difference to me…It’s been pretty flat for the last few years. It’s hard to maintain a high-caliber roster with a flat salary cap, especially when you’re picking late and last some of the times you’re picking. It’s not a lot higher, but it’s better than nothing.”
  • Reese on approaching the free agent market: “The last couple of years it’s been a pretty saturated market. If there are guys you like and you have the money, you can go get them. But if you can hold your water there will probably be some guys available in the second and third wave (of free agency)…If you have the funds available to extend (your own) guys and tie them up, we’ve done that a lot in the past. We think right now it’s best to see what the market is and make our move from there.”
  • Reese on WR Hakeem Nicks, DE Justin Tuck, and LB Jon Beason, all who will be free agents on March 11: “I have talks with all of those guys and free agency means free agency. It means you go out and try to get as much money as you can. I’m always in favor of guys getting as much money as they can. Justin deserves to see what the market is. We’d love to have him back, but we’ll see where it goes. Beason as well. We’ve had some talks with him and hopefully we’ll be able to get him back as well. Who knows? If we can get something done maybe neither one of those guys will go, but we’ll leave our options open and I’m sure they’ll do the same.”
  • Reese on RB David Wilson, who is recovering from offseason neck surgery: “Obviously, we can’t put all our eggs in that basket. We will continue to look for running backs in free agency and the draft as well.”
  • Reese on fixing the offensive line: “You start in-house with your offensive line. We (have) drafted a few young players and hopefully they can grow into a role for us. Obviously, you look at free agency and we have a couple guys that ended on (Injured Reserve) for us last year. We’ll see what their status is moving forward and, of course, the draft there seems to be some good offensive linemen in this draft…Obviously we’ll go out in free agency and we’ll see where we can find some guys that can fill some holes for us…The No. 1 factor is who is going to be healthy. We’ve got to see Chris (Snee) and David Baas – those guys went down for us early in the season – if they are going to be healthy, if they’re going to come back and be contributors. Everything else will take care of itself after that…Both (Snee and Baas) want to play. I’ve talked to them and they want to play. They had significant injuries and right now they seem to be on a good track to recovery and we’ll see where it goes.”
  • More from Reese on OG Chris Snee: “Is he going to be healthy? That’s the number one thing. Obviously he’s got a big contract. That’s an issue as well. All of that will get hashed out when we figure out if he’s going to be healthy or not…I talked to Chris Snee and he definitely wants to play. He has significant injuries and he’s not a baby at this point in his career. That always factors in, your age.”
  • Reese on what he looks for in an offensive lineman: “You just want some big nasty guys up front who can keep our quarterback upright. We always look for versatile guys on the offensive line. The more you can do, the better you are for us. If a guy can play some guard, some tackle, some center, the more versatile, we like it.”
  • Reese on changing offensive coordinators: “It was time to make a change…(new coordinator Ben McAdoo is) a bright guy, well-prepared. I think he’s going to bring some new life. Obviously Coach (Kevin) Gilbride did a terrific job for us, but the change is going to energize our offense a little bit and get some new learning for our quarterback and our offensive staff. He’s an interesting guy. He’s very bright…It was time to make a change. I think everybody is excited about what’s going on.”

Article on the New York Giants and the 2014 NFL Draft: Ebron draws interest from Jets, Giants by Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com

Tom Coughlin and Giants Agree to One-Year Contract Extension

 Posted by
Feb 212014
 
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants (February 21 2014)

Tom Coughlin at the NFL Combine – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Tom Coughlin and Giants Agree to One-Year Contract Extension: Head Coach Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants have agreed to a 1-year contract extension reported to be around $7 million. Coughlin’s contract had been set to expire after the 2014 NFL season. Coughlin last agreed to a 3-year, $20 million contract extension after winning Super Bowl XLVI. He is now signed through the 2015 NFL season.

“I had great confidence that it would happen,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin on Friday. “And it did.”

Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s NFL Combine Media Sessions: Video clips of Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s media sessions at the NFL Combine on Friday are available at Giants.com:

Some tidbits of note:

  • Coughlin on the impact and role of new Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo: “I’m involved very much in (the offense). As are all our coaches. It’s a very good exchange right now because we’re doing the best we can to meld a couple of systems, to discuss those types of things. Everyone has responsibilities and makes strong contributions. We’re certainly listening to the entire system and Ben will have the final say on that and of course play-calling, but I’ll be very much involved…(McAdoo) interesting enough does not describe himself as West Coast (Offense guy). He thinks more in terms of the ball going vertical and down the field…I would say that you will notice some differences for sure. Anytime you have different people, personalities, play callers, you’ll see some differences. I think definitely we would maintain a commitment to the run, and that will be a factor no matter what. And that’s been agreed upon by all. But as far as changes, they may be subtle; there may be some drastic ones. But the number one thing will be the players, the team, the opportunity to again get ourselves back on track the way we need to be, the ball security issues being first and foremost. The obvious questions being made about the offensive line, we’ll see where that goes. Who knows what that would have been like last year had a couple of our guys been able to stay on the field. “
  • More on McAdoo: “I like Ben because he did a superb job in terms of his preparation. He’s very fundamentally sound. He started out with that aspect of it, not necessarily starting to talk about Xs and Os, but just about fundamentals. He had some very detailed video of the way in which he teaches. The way in which he presents, the way in which he teaches, he did an outstanding job with that. And great knowledge of the system he believes in and also knowledge of our team. The critical games that we had played against the Packers the last few years and the fact that we’ve had a little success there. That combination was a good one for both of us in terms of attracting him and being a franchise that he very much respected and wanted to be a part of if the opportunity came his way.”
  • Coughlin on QB Eli Manning: “We’re very confident that Eli will, with the help of others around him, with the help of his coaches and the help of his teammates, will return to the high stature that we hold him in. I feel very good about that.”
  • Coughlin on RB David Wilson, who recovering from career-threatening neck surgery: “Do I think he’ll be ready for training camp? I really don’t know the answer to that. A lot has to do with his attitude, the way he feels and the way the doctors and trainers obviously feel…I saw him about four or five days ago and he’s that same bouncy personality. He’s very pleased with where he’s at right now. He’s able to do work with his legs for example, not as a heavy-duty thing but in a lighter capacity. He’s excited about that. He looks good, he feels good. He doesn’t have a lot of pain. I’m excited about that…Forget about that he could be a difference-maker on the team, it’s the idea that is he going to be healthy enough to be able to withstand (hits). That will be the doctors’ and our main concern. We’re not going to put him out there unless he really, really believes in himself again and the doctors believe he’ll be ready to go. He’s not going to be put out there unless he’s ready for that. I’m not even sure how he’s going to be limited in the spring.”
    Coughin on OG Chris Snee, who is recovering from elbow and hip injuries. “I think there’s no question (he intends to play in 2014)…I think certainly there’s a natural, built-in timetable as far as progress goes along here. He’s in the rehab aspect of it. For anyone that has been injured, the rehab and all of those things come into play as you start to formulate where you are. Right now, I’m optimistic about it. He’s progressing well, he’s working, he’s building himself up. He’s feeling good and he’s looking forward to feeling better. So all I can tell you is that he’s made very good progress.”

No New Deal Currently in the Works for Eli Manning: According to The Star-Ledger, there have been no discussions between the New York Giants and quarterback Eli Manning to re-structure his current contract. Manning has two years left on his current contract. He will count $20.4 million against the estimated $130 million 2014 NFL salary cap – the fourth highest cap number in the NFL.

In order to re-structure a contract, the contract is usually extended with more guaranteed money. The Giants do not appear willing to do that at this time according to The Ledger.

Hakeem Nicks Changes Agents, Not Likely to Re-Sign with Giants: Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11, has changed agents. Like wide receiver Victor Cruz, Nicks will have his contract negotiations handled by the agency CAA while his marketing affairs will be handled by Jay-Z’s RocNation. Nicks was formerly represented by agent Peter Schaffer.

A number of current Giants have relationships with CAA, including Cruz, quarterback Eli Manning, and defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka.

According to NJ.com, an unidentified source says the chances of Nicks re-signing with the Giants are “close to zero.”

Head Coach Tom Coughlin did not sound overly optimistic on Friday when asked about Nicks.

“He’s a free agent,” Coughlin said. “Who knows? You’d basically like to have all of your free agents back. That doesn’t happen. You have guys that are injured, you have limitations on salary. I’m sure that the (free-agent) market will be where Hakeem will go and we’ll see what happens.”

Article on the New York Giants and the 2014 NFL Draft: NY Giants focused on helping Eli Manning through NFL draft this offseason by Ebenezer Samuel of The New York Daily News

Articles on the New York Giants and the NFL Combine:

More on David Wilson’s Status

 Posted by
Feb 202014
 
Taylor Lewan, University of Michigan (December 28 2013)

Taylor Lewan – © USA TODAY Sports Images

More on David Wilson’s Status: Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that an unidentified source has said that running back David Wilson is ahead of schedule on his rehab from offseason neck surgery and he is expected to be ready for training camp. Wilson had a procedure to fuse neck vertebrae to repair a herniated disc on January 16.

However, The New York Daily News is reporting that Wilson’s early return is the optimistic view from Wilson’s side and that while the New York Giants remain “hopeful”, his availability for the 2014 NFL season remains unknown.

Article on Defensive End Justin Tuck: Justin Tuck’s agent: Giants star is best DE in strong free-agent class by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com

Articles on the New York Giants and the NFL Free Agency Franchise and Transition Tags:

Articles on the New York Giants and the NFL Combine:

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

  • Center Jim Cordle (Video)
  • Cornerback Trumaine McBride (Video)

David Wilson Reportedly Recovering Well; Linval Joseph Wants to Re-Sign

 Posted by
Feb 162014
 
David Wilson, New York Giants (December 9, 2012)

David Wilson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

David Wilson Reportedly Recovering Well: ESPN.com reported on Friday that running back David Wilson is recovering well from offseason neck surgery. Wilson had a procedure to fuse neck vertebrae to repair a herniated disc on January 16.

According to ESPN.com, an unidentified source said that Wilson is already lifting weights and working out and there is “no reason to believe he won’t be playing” in 2014.

Linval Joseph Wants to Re-Sign With New York Giants: Defensive tackle Linval Joseph, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent on March 11, tweeted on Friday that he would like to re-sign with the New York Giants.

“I want to be back with the Giants next year! This where it all started just want to take care of my family and put on that BLUE every Sunday,” read Linval’s tweet.

For a complete list of the Giants’ free agents, see the New York Gians 2014 Free Agency Scorecard.

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