May 072015
 
Kevin Ogletree, New York Giants (October 19, 2014)

Kevin Ogletree – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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New York Giants Cut Kevin Ogletree and Terrell Manning: The New York Giants terminated the contract of wide receive Kevin Ogletree and waived linebacker Terrell Manning on Thursday.

Ogletree was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2009 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cowboys (2009-12), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), and Detroit Lions (2013-14). The Lions waived Olgetree in September 2014. The Giants signed him in October 2014 and Ogletree played in seven games for New York, catching five passes for 50 yards.

Manning was originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 5th round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Manning has spent time with the Packers (2012-13), Chargers (2013), Vikings (2014), Dolphins (2014), Bears (2014), and Bengals (2014). He was with the Giants in training camp, waived, and then re-signed off of the Practice Squad of the Bengals in November. Manning was placed on Injured Reserve in December 2014 with an ankle injury after playing in only one game with the Giants in Week 13.

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Jerry Reese Interview on The NFL Network: A video of an NFL Network interview with General Manager Jerry Reese is available at NFL.com.

CB Prince Amukamara on WFAN Radio: The audio of a WFAN interview with CB Prince Amukamara on Tuesday is available at CBS New York.

Article on DT Donte Rumph: Donte Rumph, humiliated on ‘Hard Knocks’ while with Falcons, invited by Giants to rookie minicamp by Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News

Article on the New York Giants and the 2015 NFL Draft: Winners and losers from each of the Giants’ 2015 draft picks by Nick Powell for NJ.com

Feb 172015
 
Kevin Ogletree, New York Giants (October 19, 2014)

Kevin Ogletree – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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FOX Sports is reporting that the New York Giants have re-signed wide receiver Kevin Ogletree to a 1-year contract. Ogletree was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next month.

Ogletree was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2009 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cowboys (2009-12), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), and Detroit Lions (2013-14). The Lions waived Olgetree in September last year and the Giants then signed him in October.

He played in seven games with the Giants, but only caught five passes for 50 yards. In six NFL season, Olgetree has played in 69 games with four starts. He has 83 career receptions for 1,049 yards and six touchdowns – two of which he scored against the Giants in the 2012 opener as a Cowboy. Ogletree has decent size, athletic ability, and hands.

For a complete listing of New York Giants free agents, see the 2015 Free Agent Scorecard.

Giants.com Feature on Players: Video features on the following players are available at Giants.com:

Jan 272015
 
Odell Beckham, New York Giants (May 8, 2014)

Odell Beckham – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Perhaps the two biggest story lines of the 2014 season for the New York Giants were at the wide receiver position. First came the devastating knee injury to Victor Cruz in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 5. Cruz was lost for the final 11 games of the season and it remains to be seen if he will ever return to his pre-injury form.

“It is a significant injury that he has,” said General Manager Jerry Reese after the season. “You never know how he is going to come back from that. We are hoping that he is definitely going to come back and be the Victor Cruz that we know. You never know with the significant injury he had. We are hopeful that he will come back and be the Victor Cruz that we like, but you never know.”

The other major story line was the rapid emergence of Odell Beckham as an NFL superstar. The irony is that Cruz and Beckham only played one game together in 2014, and that was the game Cruz got injured. Beckham had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history, and he did so in only 12 games, and playing with significant hamstring tears. Indeed, Beckham became the only reason many Giants fans looked forward to tuning in in what otherwise was a very disappointing 6-10 season. Right or wrong, his performance may also have saved Tom Coughlin’s job as one wonders what the Giants’ record would have been without him.

Aside from these two headliners, while Rueben Randle came on strong late, he did not have the type of season expected or hoped for, and the former 2nd rounder remains frustratingly inconsistent. Jerrel Jernigan, who came on very strong at the end of the 2013 NFL season, reverted back to his old disappointing form and was placed on IR after only two games. Preston Parker not only surprisingly made the team but became the new #3 receiver after Cruz was lost. Corey Washington was a preseason star who was little-used once the real bullets started flying.

In the end, it was Beckham and not much else at the crucial wide receiver spot. Other teams knew that too and still could not stop Beckham.

THE HEADLINERS

Despite missing virtually all of training camp, the entire preseason, and the first four games of the regular season with hamstring tears, Odell Beckham, Jr. had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history in 2014. Beckham finished the season with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, all franchise rookie records. He also set a franchise record and NFL rookie record averaging 108.8 yards per game. Beckham set NFL records for most catches and yards in the first 12 games to start a career and tied an NFL record for with at least 90 receiving yards in nine consecutive games. He was voted first-alternate to the Pro Bowl and played in the game. He was also voted Pro Football Writers of America “Rookie of the Year.” Beckham was drafted in the 1st round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Giants. While Beckham lacks classic size, his long arms, big hands, and jumping ability give him a very good catch radius. Beckham is a tremendous athlete with excellent speed, quickness, and agility. Explosive. For such a young player, he can already play multiple positions and runs good routes. Beckham is very quick out of his breaks, adjusts exceptionally well to the football, and regularly makes the circus catch. He is dangerous with the football in his hand after the catch. Competitive, smart, and hard working. Beckham also was a very dangerous return man in college. He averaged 8.1 yards per punt return with the Giants in 2014.

Victor Cruz, New York Giants (October 12, 2014)

Victor Cruz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Victor Cruz was placed on Injured Reserve after tearing the patella tendon in his right knee in October 2014 and it remains to be seen if Cruz can completely regain his pre-injury physical ability. Cruz finished the 2014 season with 23 catches for 337 yards and one touchdown in six starts. Signed as a rookie free agent after the 2010 NFL Draft, the rags-to-riches Victor Cruz story is well known, culminating with his impact season in 2011, first Pro Bowl in 2012, and big offseason contract in 2013. In 2011-2012, he compiled 168 catches for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns. However, in 2013 Cruz had his least productive season since becoming a starter in 2011. He also missed the last two games of the 2013 season with concussion and knee injuries – the left knee requiring arthroscopic surgery. Cruz has ordinary size and timed speed. However, he has very good quickness and plays faster than he times. Cruz reads coverages well, runs good routes, and has a good understanding of how to get open against both zone and man coverage. Cruz has good hands and is capable of making the circus catch, though he sometimes will drop the easy reception. He is elusive after the catch and usually isn’t caught from behind. Cruz is a hard worker. He can play outside, but has really developed into one of the NFL’s better slot receivers.

THE OTHERS

Rueben Randle, New York Giants (December 14, 2014)

Rueben Randle – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Rueben Randle, a 2nd round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, remains an inconsistent performer. But he had his best season in 2014, catching 71 passes for 938 yards and three touchdowns. He played in all 16 games with 13 starts with his two best games coming at the end of the season. Randle was benched for the first quarter of two games for disciplinary reasons. Randle has a nice combination of size and athletic ability, and he has flashed play-making skills as a vertical receiver. While Randle is not a burner, he is fluid and smooth with good foot quickness and acceleration for a big receiver. He needs to improve his ability to read defenses and improve his route-running. Randle adjusts well to the football in the air and has good hands. Most of all, he needs to become a more consistently reliable performer so his quarterback can trust him. Randle can also return punts, averaging 7.8 yards per return in 2012-13.

Preston Parker, New York Giants (September 14, 2014)

Preston Parker – © USA TODAY Sports Images

An afterthought by many when the Giants signed him to a reserve/future contract in January 2014, Preston Parker became the team’s primary slot receiver after Victor Cruz was lost for the season. Parker played in all 16 games with seven starts. He finished 2014 with 36 catches for 418 yards and two touchdowns. Parker was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2010 NFL Draft. The Buccaneers waived him in September 2012. He was with the Saints in training camp in 2013 but he did not play that season. While Parker lacks ideal size and speed, he is a decent athlete with good quickness and hands. Parker needs to be a more consistent performer. He returned both punts (6.6 yard average) and kickoffs (24.2 yard average) for the Giants in 2014.

The Giants signed Kevin Ogletree in October 2014. He played in seven games, but only caught five passes for 50 yards. Ogletree was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2009 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cowboys (2009-12), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), and Detroit Lions (2013-14). The Lions waived Olgetree in September. In six NFL season, Olgetree has played in 69 games with four starts. He has 83 career receptions for 1,049 yards and six touchdowns – two of which he scored against the Giants in the 2012 opener as a Cowboy. Ogletree has decent size, athletic ability, and hands.

Corey Washington, New York Giants (August 9, 2014)

Corey Washington – © USA TODAY Sports Images

The Giants claimed Corey Washington off of waivers from the Arizona Cardinals in May 2014. He was a preseason standout for the Giants, catching 10 passes for 155 yards and four touchdowns. While he played in 14 games in 2014, he seldom saw the field and finished the year with five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Washington originally signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. Washington played at Division-II Newberry College. Washington combines excellent size, overall athleticism, and speed. However, given his small-school background, he is very raw and needs a lot of development.

Jerrel Jernigan was placed on Injured Reserve in September 2014 with a mid-foot sprain. He played in two games and finished the season with only one catch for six yards. Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Giants, Jernigan had a coming out party late in the 2013 season. In his first two years with the Giants, Jernigan played in 17 games and had a grand total of three catches for 22 yards. Through Week 14 of 2013, Jernigan had “amassed” 10 catches for 92 yards. Then in Weeks 15-17, Jernigan exploded with 19 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns in addition to carrying the ball twice for 57 yards and a touchdown. However, Jernigan did not really flash during the 2014 training camp or preseason. Jernigan lacks size, but he is a quick, fluid athlete with good speed. He is better suited to the slot position than outside. Jernigan also returns kickoffs, averaging 23.4 yards per return in his first three seasons on 21 returns.

Marcus Harris was placed on Injured Reserve in August 2014 with a hip injury that required surgery on his labrum. Harris was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Detroit Lions after the 2011 NFL Draft. He spent time on Detroit’s Practice Squad in 2011, but the Lions waived him in July 2012. The Titans signed him in August 2012 but waived him a few weeks later. Before the NFL season started in 2013, Harris played in the Arena League caught 94 passes for 1,223 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Giants signed Harris as a street free agent in August 2013 and he spent most of the season on the team’s Practice Squad. Harris has a decent size-speed combination. He flashed with the Giants during training camp and the preseason in 2014, even earning time with the first-team offense, before being played on Injured Reserve.

Julian Talley was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Giants after the 2012 NFL Draft. He did not make the team, but the Giants brought him back for another go in 2013 and 2014. Talley spent most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons on the team’s Practice Squad, although he did play in two games each season. He does not yet have an NFL catch. Talley is a tall, thin receiver with good overall athletic ability. He lacks ideal speed, but is smooth and fluid with decent hands.

Juron Criner was signed to the Practice Squad in September 2014. Criner was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders waived him on August 26. In 13 games with the Raiders, Criner has caught 19 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. He is a big receiver with good overall athleticism, but he needs to develop better technique and consistency.

Chris Harper was signed to the Practice Squad in October 2014. Harper was originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Harper did not make the team but spent time with the 49ers (2013) and Packers (2013-14). Harper played in four games with the Packers in 2013 and was cut by the team in August. Harper has a nice combination of size and athletic ability. He is a tough, physical receiver with good speed and hands.

Oct 172014
 
Victor Cruz, New York Giants (November 24, 2013)

Victor Cruz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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October 17, 2014 New York Giants Injury Report: RB Rashad Jennings (knee) did not practice on Friday. Jennings has been ruled out of the game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (back/hamstring) and LB Spencer Paysinger (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis. Both are officially “questionable” for the game.

“(Rodgers-Cromartie) practiced, he got out there, and did some things, moved around, said he felt pretty good,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “We will see what it looks like, what the morning brings.”

LB Jon Beason (toe) and P Steve Weatherford (left ankle) fully practiced. Both are “probable” for the game.

Victor Cruz Vows to Return: WR Victor Cruz, who suffered a devastating season-ending and potentially career-threatening knee injury last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, addressed the media on Friday for the first time since the injury. Cruz underwent surgery on Monday to repair the torn patella tendon in his right knee.

“I will be back,” said Cruz. “I don’t have any doubt that my rehab process will be successful. I will be in tip-top shape and ready to go when the time is right. I don’t have any doubt in my mind, I have never been bred that way, I never just believed in doubt. I always believed in whatever I can put my mind to, whatever God has enabled me to do, or whatever He has planned for me is going to happen. I think that is what fuels me, I don’t have any doubt that I will come back from this injury in a positive way.

“I’m excited about the rehab process and getting back to my old self, my normal self. The next couple days I just want to continue to go in there and get my rehab, continue to be a voice in the locker room with my peers, with my teammates and just continue to be a good teammate. Even though I’m not physically out on the field, I still want to be able to talk to those guys and make sure I continue to be a voice. I’m headed in the right direction.

“The (doctors) said my chances of coming back are very high. They just told me I’d be in a brace for about six weeks and then just to begin the rehab process. It could go from anywhere from four to eight months for a full recovery. I’m just excited for the process, excited to challenge every day, challenge myself every day to get better and do things better until I’m 100 percent again.”

Cruz said that fellow teammates CB Zack Bowman and WR Marcus Harris had the same injury.

“They just told me to be patient,” Cruz said. “It’s something that you can come back from, it’s something that if you strengthen it properly and you do the due diligence as far as the rehab is concerned, you can come back strong, you can come back faster and you won’t even think about it come a couple months down the road. You’ll be playing and not even thinking about anything below your kneecap. I’m excited for that and they just reassured me that this is something that I can come back from and it’s something that won’t hinder my abilities moving forward as well.

“That is my goal (to be ready by training camp). Even before that, I want to be able to start training properly, start training my body properly for training camp, and I will think I will definitely be ready by then. I think I will be ready to do all of the good things to continue to be my old self come training camp next year.

“A lot of the guys (on the Giants) are telling me when they get in the end zone, they’re going to do the salsa for me and stuff like that. It’s pretty humbling, for sure. It’s just something that shows me what type of impact I’ve had on my teammates on the team. It just feels good, man, it feels good to know that those guys are on my side and they’re rooting for me to come back stronger and in the meantime, they’re going to hold down the fort.”

Cruz also revealed that he taped a video message for his teammates that will be played on Saturday night in the team’s hotel.

“They will be getting a message from me on Saturday night about motivation and staying strong and continuing to move forward with the season and with the things they have to do as a team,” Cruz said. “Accomplishing team goals, even with some setbacks and the injuries on our team and just little things like that. They will be getting a message from me. Throughout the week, being in the facility, I have spoken to a lot of them and showed them that I am smiling and am in good spirits and that I am continuing to be the same person I am even though I am fighting through this rehab period right now.”

Cruz said he plans to continue to help his teammates despite the injury.

“There are definitely things that I can do individually that I’m going to do, like pop up in the locker room, pop up in the receiver meeting rooms,” Cruz said. “I’m on text message with all of my receivers and a lot of my teammates already, so just continuing to do that, continuing to be a voice for them. Good, bad, whatever they feel, they can talk to me about it and just continuing that trend.”

October 17, 2014 Tom Coughlin Press Conference: The video from Friday’s press conference with Head Coach Tom Coughlin is available at Giants.com.

Giants.com Q&A with Head Coach Tom Coughlin: The Coughlin Corner: How to Bounce Back by Michael Eisen of Giants.com

October 17, 2014 New York Giants Player Media Q&As: Video clips of Friday’s media Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

  • WR Rueben Randle (Video)
  • WR Kevin Ogletree (Video)
  • DE Jason Pierre-Paul (Video)
  • S Antrel Rolle (Video)

Article on Head Coach Tom Coughlin: Tom Coughlin uses Patriots as example of how NY Giants can bounce back from blowout loss by Ebenezer Samuel of The New York Daily News

Articles on New York Giants Wide Receivers:

Articles on WR Victor Cruz:

Oct 152014
 
Eli Manning, New York Giants (September 25, 2014)

Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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October 15, 2014 New York Giants Injury Report: CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (back/hamstring) and RB Rashad Jennings (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Head Coach Tom Coughlin said Jennings will not play this weekend against the Dallas Cowboys.

LB Spencer Paysinger (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis.

LB Jon Beason (toe) and P Steve Weatherford (left ankle) fully practiced.

October 15, 2014 Tom Coughlin Press Conference: The transcript and video from Wednesday’s press conference with Head Coach Tom Coughlin are available at Giants.com.

October 15, 2014 New York Giants Player Media Q&As: Transcripts and video of Wednesday’s media Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

7 takeaways from Giants Media Hour by Dan Salomone of Giants.com

Articles on the New York Giants Offensive Line:

Article on WR Victor Cruz: Victor Cruz ‘in good spirits’ during brief stop at Giants facility by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post

Oct 142014
 
Kevin Ogletree, Dallas Cowboys (December 30, 2012)

Kevin Ogletree – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Victor Cruz and Trumaine McBride to IR; Kevin Ogletree and Chandler Fenner Signed: The Giants placed WR Victor Cruz (knee) and CB Trumaine McBride (thumb) on season-ending Injured Reserve on Tuesday.

To fill these two roster vacancies, the Giants signed veteran WR Kevin Ogletree off the street and signed CB Chandler Fenner from the team’s Practice Squad.

Ogletree was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2009 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cowboys (2009-12), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), and Detroit Lions (2013-14). The Lions waived Olgetree in September. In six NFL season, Olgetree has played in 62 games with four starts. He has 78 career receptions for 999 yards and six touchdowns – two of which he scored against the Giants in the 2012 opener as a Cowboy. Ogletree has decent size, athletic ability, and hands.

Fenner was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2012 NFL Draft. He did not make the team but the Seattle Seahawks signed him to their Practice Squad in December 2012. He missed all of 2013 with a knee injury that landed him on Seattle’s Injured Reserve. The Giants signed Chandler Fenner in August 2014. Fenner has a nice combination of size and athleticism and he plays a physical game.

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Practice Squad Moves: Aside from signing CB Chandler Fenner to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad, the team released WR Travis Harvey from the Practice Squad and placed CB Bennett Jackson (knee) on the Practice Squad/Injured list.

To fill these three vacancies, the Giants signed WR Chris Harper, LB Carlos Fields, and CB Victor Hampton to the Practice Squad.

Harper was originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Harper did not make the team and has since spent time with the 49ers (2013) and Packers (2013-14). Harper played in four games with the Packers in 2013 and was cut by the team in August. Harper has a nice combination of size (6’1”, 230lbs) and athletic ability. He is a tough, physical receiver with good speed and hands.

Fields was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Oakland Raiders after the 2014 NFL Draft. He was released from the Raiders’ Practice Squad in September. Fields is a raw player with decent size and athletic ability. He was a very instinctive player in college.

Hampton was originally signed signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals after the 2014 NFL Draft. The Bengals waived him in August. He is a short but well-built, physical, confident corner with good agility. He lacks ideal speed. Hampton has had some off-the-field issues.

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions and Roster sections of the website.

WR Victor Cruz and CB Trumaine McBride Undergo Surgery: The New York Giants announced that WR Victor Cruz underwent successful surgery on Monday to repair the torn patellar tendon in his right knee. The surgery was performed by team physician Dr. Russell Warren at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

CB Trumaine McBride also underwent surgery to repair a fractured thumb. The operation was performed by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Giants on WFAN Radio: The audio of Tuesday’s WFAN interviews with the following players is available at CBS New York:

Article on S Antrel Rolle: Antrel Rolle: Can’t get Victor Cruz screams ‘out of my head’ by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post

Article on WR Victor Cruz: Inside view from Victor Cruz’s trainer: ‘He’ll scrap his way back’ by Steve Serby of The New York Post

Article on QB Eli Manning: When Eli Manning speaks his mind, Giants listen by Tom Rock of Newsday