APRIL 2008 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

April 29, 2008

Well I thought we had a good draft, we shored up some special team needs as well secondary and WR. We got the receiver I was hoping for and at a great spot. Let's not forget Manningham was in contention for the Heisman 2 years ago. Kenny Phillips is an upgrade to Wilson and will hopefully be able to start right away. Terrel Thomas (CB, USC) is a solid player as I watched him several times last season, nothing spectacular but solid to say the least. There wasn't much I could pull up on Henderson (7th) but all I know is he's a hard hitter, so we'll see how all that pans out. I actually had the opportunity to talk with Adam Schefter of the NFL Network Monday morning (I know I cant believe it either). I asked him if he thought the Manningham pick was a good one. He replied that it was steal for us to grab him late in the 3rd round and absolutely loved the pick. Hopefully all will go well with this young man and he can keep his head on straight. Dom M.

Thanks Dom.

Well of course no one can really know anything for sure at this point, but at first blush it appears to me that we had a pretty good draft. For what it's worth, on one of the most complete composite draft sheets I saw, the players we drafted were ranked as follows: (overall rank on left, position where we drafted them in parenthesis on right) 19 - Phillips (31) 63 - Thomas (63) 69 - Manningham (95) 73 - Woodson (198) 107 - Goff (165) 149 - Kehl (123) 404 - Henderson (199) So it looks like the only one we overreached for was Henderson, and he was our final pick anyway. Can't wait to see these guys in camp (or, more accurately, have Pat see them in camp and tell me all about them!) – John K.

That I shall do John. Might have Dr. L. chime in as well if he’s up for the task. This way we get multiple eyes on the new players.

Gary D said we've had poor success with MI players. How 'bout a guy named Amani Toomer? – Jim V.

True, Jim.

Manningham is an awesome pick up and likely chosen as Toomer will likely retire or leave the Giants in a year or so. I watched a bunch of Michigan games last year and he consistently came up with big plays and appeared to be of a different caliber than most other people on the field. Don't think his "character" issues impacted his play then and on a team of consummate professional like the Giants I'm sure they won't let him drift. – John F.

I agree with you in theory John, but remember that the veterans can’t baby-sit guys 24/7. Usually it’s what happens outside of the locker room that draws the negative press. Not saying that any rookie is going to be a problem, but I am trying to be realistic here.

About the draft...can't grade it until we see these kids in action. One thing we can claim is that Jerry picks all have one very essential trait in common. They're all leaders, are self motivated and have that internal drive and fire That trait is always important but more so now to our teak because SB champs hardly ever repeat. They get too comfortable and spend too much time staring at last year's trophy and not next year's. These kids will create serious competition and help prevent that from happening. Second point...Shockey. I am among those who would like to see him go. But I'm watching the second round and waiting for NO's pick thinking he may be traded for it. As the names of the picks leading up to it are popping up on the tube I'm thinking "I wouldn't trade JS for that guy! (Next pick) I wouldn't trade JS for that guy either!" and on and on and on...get my point? – Anthony B.

I do. And I’ll say it again. If the Giants wanted to trade Shockey, he would have been priced to move.

This is the first time I have written a post in a while and i wanted to contribute some of my thoughts. Going back to March and the rumblings about DeAngelo Hall, I remember a snag in the trade talks regarding RB Danny Ware. I cant recall who this kid is and I was wondering what us Giant fans could be expecting from him... a roster spot... practice squad? Just thought I'd throw in my two cents... Mike M.

Mike, I can’t answer that right now because I haven’t seen Ware in action. I suspect he’ll be at the rookie mini camp and if he is, I’ll have an write up on him as well as all of the other player sin camp that stand out.

love your draft coverage. it is both professional and complete, What is the limit of how many rookie free agents can be invited to free agent camp? understand i do not mean signed which would not happen until the camp is concluded. -- Steve S.

Steve, the roster limit is 80 players. Remember this year there are no exemptions. There is no limit on the number of rookies they can bring so long as they don’t exceed 80 players overall. As for how many they can bring to the mini camp on a tryout basis, I don’t believe there’s a limit. I don’t think they’ll be bringing in a lot of guys – probably just enough to run the drills.

It appears as though the Giants had a good draft. There was one need that was not addressed at DT. Any thoughts on how they may improve that position? – Chris H.

Too soon to say right now as the three options are to look at someone on the roster, pick up a veteran or hope a undrafted free agent works out. Then again, remember that both their DTs usually play two downs; on passing downs they bring in the four Aces with Kiwi lining up alongside of Justin Tuck inside, so who knows? Maybe DT isn’t as big of a need as we first though.

I would like to know what you, and your staff, think of the fact that the position of DT has not been addressed, in the draft, or really, the free-agent signings after the team released most of the players at this position from last year. With, I believe, only Robbins, Cofield, and Alford as starters, they are leaving themselves vulnerable should something happen to any of these players. I know Tuck plays there, but he is really only situational, not an every down player there. Not only does this seem risky, but rotation has to play a factor here, so that there are fresh bodies during the game. Is there a plan-b that you may be aware of, that we don't know? – Bob G.

See my response to Chris H.

Pat, with regards to your response to my recent letter, I agree, how can I assign a grade to this draft the day after? Well, if you have the time, go back to the 2007 post draft letters. My letter back then stated I LOVED Reese’s picks and I assigned it a grade of A+ the day after the draft. I judged the book by its cover positively. I liked the talent from the start. And in 2008, I really like this draft and talent as well and sticking with my B+ rating. I expect great things from Phillips, Manningham, Kehl, and Goff, and Thomas only if he can stay healthy. I am THAT confident as I was last year after the draft. Big Blue WILL defend the title. – Gary D.

Gary, gut feelings are all well and good but in this case we need a little more than a first impression, especially since we haven’t seen these kids compete at this higher level yet.. I think it might be unrealistic to expect Reese to pull this off every year. All I’m saying is it’s okay to be optimistic, but make sure you don’t go overboard with it.

It seems that just about everyone in the sports media mountaintop of the all knowing has been able to look into their souls and have applied grades to how well each NFL team did in this past weekend's draft. What a waste of time and effort! But then again, nature abhors a vacuum and the talking heads that make up the sports media elite have seen fit to rush in and fill it with hot air exhaust! It takes three years to really assess how a team did in drafting. Case in point, the Giants. Their 2005 draft was missing #1 and #5 choices courtesy of the Eli Manning deal with the Chargers the year before. The Giants had only four picks and ESPN, in its most infinite wisdom, assigned the Giants a grade of C+ for their draft day efforts ... a grade that only higher than four other clubs. Such football stalwarts as Arizona, Atlanta, and Miami ... the crème de la crème of professional football excellence ... received higher marks in the 2005 than the Giants for their draft efforts. And what was the result? Three years later, these three stalwart clubs of excellence are still selecting in the draft's upper echelons while the Giants have sunk to the very basement of each of its rounds! Three of those 2005 Giant draft choices bear a great deal of the responsibility for this draft position mediocrity ... CB Corey Webster (Round 2), DL Justin Tuck (Round 3), and RB Brandon Jacobs (Round 4). Last year, Yahoo Sports assigned a grade of C for the Giants 2007 draft efforts ... Ross, Smith, Alford, Boss, Johnson, Bradshaw ... all share the "blame" for putting the Giants at the very bottom rung of the 2008 draft! Hmmmmmmmm. May history continue! – Nick H.

This is why I don’t believe in assigning a draft class a grade until they’ve put in three years. Seriously grading a draft class now is as big of a waste of time as doing a mock draft, in my opinion.

April 28, 2008

Pat, give me a break! How many workers, employees in ANY company sign a multi year contract? The upper management of major corporations sign multi year deals (just like NFL coaches) and you better believe each party is held to the contract terms. However, IF the CEO of Home Depot commits a crime, the contract is void; if Home Depot starts losing $, he might be fired, but his contract is still honored, just like a losing NFL coach.

Employees of practically all companies in the US are hired on a day to day basis. They can leave at any time for any reason if they wish, and usually can be dismissed (with cause) by their employee at any time - that’s the way business is done in a free market. NFL owners want to ensure their productive players (employees) remain with their team and not shop themselves around to the highest bidder so they offer them a multi year contract to ensure the player remains with the team for the duration of the contract – fair enough.

But if the player gets injured and or his production falls off – through no fault of his – why should his contract be ignored? Fire him, sure, but pay his contracted fee – just like his coach. If you don’t want to pay a player not producing, put incentive pay in his contract or sign him to a 1 or 2 year deal with a 2 or 3 year option, but don’t have him sign a 5 year deal and cut (fire) him the next year or two without paying him. How can you justify honoring a coach’s contract and not a player’s? -- Barry S.

UPDATED RESPONSE TO BARRY S. Here is the document I promised. Also for what it's worth, in the NFL, there is no such thing as a "multiyear contract;" rrather it's a series of one-year contracts that may be exercised at the will of the team unless specifically guaranteed up front.

From a salary cap perspective, if the series of contracts is abrogated prematurely by the team, the entire remaining bonus money, which had previously been allocated equally across the life of the series of contracts is now rolled up and is assessed against the cap for the year in which the series is terminated. As a result, if a team had signed someone for 6 years and paid a $6M bonus up front, the bonus would be allocated against the cap at a rate of $1M per year but if the contract was terminated after three years (with no outstanding guarantees), the remaining $3M would be allocated against that year.

I love the phillips pick. he will be absolutely outstanding. I'm not too happy with the 2nd rnd pick (thomas). Tremendous potential, but way too injury prone. Giants had poor results from injury prone players. Could have picked so many others instead at that point. Hopefully he can prove me wrong and stay healthy. Manningham was a great pick; however, only as long as he keeps the head on straight. Also, Giants have had poor success with Michigan players historically. But, I feel good about him. I really like the Kehl and Goff picks. They are very solid and smart LB's with a ton of upside. I don't agree with both 6th rnd's Woodson or project Henderson. Sorry, these two were totally wasted picks in my book. ...And, very, very sorry that Shockey wasn't traded. Giants should have taken every step to unload that overrated, locker room disruptive, confidence destroying crybaby. Overall draft grade B+ -- Gary D.

Gary, how on earth can you assign a grade to this class? Seriously, we haven’t seen these kids play at the pro level  yet. Did we not learn anything from last year’s class to not judge a book by its cover?

I agree with you in not having much interest in the pre-draft. Especially when I have faith in Reese & Company to make good selections. For those of us who are not into an intensive pre-draft, I was hoping that next year you might add a feature to the pre-draft issue looking back at drafts from 2, 3. 4 years ago and evaluate. Grade each pick and comment that the reasoning for the choice during that draft. Evaluating the Giants 3 year draft verses NFC East opponents might also be interesting. My hope that this would interest both you and readers like me instead of placing such a heavy emphasis on the pre-draft. I miss that interviews that you use to have with Ernie A. It seems that Reese dis not as accessible as GM's past, perhaps someone like Ross, Coughlin, or one of the coordinators could fill that empty space? Today I feel like a kid on Christmas morning with Phillips and Thomas in the fold. Looking forward to your post-draft issue. Steve S.

Thanks for the suggestions, Steve.

I have to say I really like the streamlined draft process this year! The first round seemed to fly by at just about the right pace. – Joe K.

Amen!

Outside of Kenny Philips I have to believe that the Giants were thinking long term projects and special teams. After Phillips I see most of these guys as special team roster slots and not position players who will challenge this year. However many of them can compete and make the team as upgrades to the special teams. I, like you, never though that the Giants would trade Shockey. At the number 40 pick in this year's draft I did not see enough value at that pick to give up on a player with Shockey's talent - baggage and all. – Kevin M.

I thought the same thing, though you never know. Again, did any of us think that the 2007 class would contribute as much as it did.

April 27, 2008
We won the Super Bowl last year, and JR brought us one of the best drafts in recent memory, so we should not complain, but is anyone else scratching their head over the second round pick? Connor, Gooden, Doucet, Manningham were all available??? —Chris H.

Not really Chris because you have to figure that Sam Madison and/or R.W. McQuarters probably don’t have a lot of years left – my guess is McQuarters is more in danger of losing his roster spot, especially if a viable option emerges as a punt returner this summer.

Well Pat, you were right. Much ado about nothing regarding Shockey. Thank you for responsible reporting, or I guess in this case, non-reporting? – Tom V.

Tom, not to crow, but knowing what the Giants wanted and knowing that they were not going to back down, I knew that the trade wasn’t going to happen. As so many internet reports were claiming That’s not to say they won’t try to move him at some point if some team comes up with an amazing offer, but I really, truly believe, based on everything I have heard a witnessed, that Shockey will be with this team in 2008. Yeah, I know about his alleged complaints and all, but you know what? He’s been complaining since he got here and come game time, he’s always turned the power up to 200%. So it was really much ado about nothing.

All in all, Day 1 went pretty well. We got the safety we wanted and a pretty good CB. Dan Connor has slipped a long way. Is there something new about him that isn't yet public -- a health problem or some other issue? –  George Z.

I have no idea why he’s slipping, but based on what I’ve been told, a good number of people don’t feel he’d be an exact fit in the Giants’ defense. And for what it’s worth, Spags, I’m told, has a “heavy” say in the selection of the defensive players.

While watching the draft I could not help but be irked by Mel Kiper's comments. He was surprised that the Giants did not take Tyrell Johnson instead of Kenny Philips. Later on he and his colleagues said that the Giants made a mistake and were too greedy in the Shockey deal. Have you or anyone ever looked into Mel Kiper and try to evaluate his evaluations. As a start here is an old article. Next year I will turn off the sound. -- Kevin M.

I don’t know Kevin. I don’t really pay attention to the draft analysts. I suppose everyone has an opinion – doesn’t make them right or wrong, mind you, but they are entitled to their opinions.

April 26, 2008

I Keep hearing a little more and more about the potential Shockey trade and loving every bit of it... and waiting anxiously for the news to break. Finally, my prayers may be answered. But instead of a second round pick plus a safety in 2008, why not deal for obtaining another 1st round pick in 2009 instead? I think it may be wiser to have two 1st round picks in '09 rather than another 2nd rnd pick plus a Defensive back in 2008. – Gary D.

Gary, my advice is to stop worrying about something that might not happen if what I’m hearing is still true and instead focus on what positions they might choose in the draft and what it means for the long term. Seriously, at this point, given all I’m hearing, I would be floored if they actually do finagle a trade Shockey.

Okay, let me see if I understand the NFL contract situation correctly: apparently a contract is only worth 30% of the paper it’s printed on! What Philadelphia twisted lawyer came up with this nonsense? And the players’ union agreed to this travesty! Better to be a coach, that way a contract is a contract. I used to think that players who demanded to ‘renegotiate’ their contract were dishonorable and whose word and signature weren’t worth a damn. Not anymore! It takes 2 to tango; why should a player be committed 100% when management is only committed 30%?! Let’s all put our hands on the Bible and promise to tell the truth 30% of the time!! -- Barry S.

Barry, what is there to understand here? Come on man, you’re a business owner. If you hire an employee for a $250K per year job and that person takes every other week off, does the minimum amount of work and just doesn’t produce $250K worth of contributions, are you going to keep them or move them? So why should a NFL team keep a guy who can’t produce at a level commiserate with his contract? All things considering, the fact that any portion of the contract is guaranteed is pretty damn good in my opinion considering more than 95% of the jobs out there are “at will” positions (meaning that either side can end the business relationship at any time with really no further obligation to the other.

April 25, 2008

My 2008 draft picks are in: First, trade Shockey for an earlier pick deal. Then as follows: 1st: ILB Jerod Mayo 2nd: DT Trevor Laws 3rd: OT Brandon Keith 4th: WR Eddie Royal 5th: next best Safety available In lieu of the above if any are already selected earlier, consider DT Kentwan Balmer at No.1, or S Kenny phillips, S Mike Jenkins, ILB Dan Connor; Later rounds consider OLB Shawn Crable, WR Malcolm Kelly, WR Donnie Avery, CB Charles Godfrey. – Gary D.

Thanks Gary.

All the talk about contracts and renegotiating has me confused. If a player has a contract, lets say forr 5 years, doesn’t the team have to pay him each year for 5 years at the amount specified? If a player is injured or doesn’t perform well, can the team simply cut him after year 2, 3, or 5. Aren’t they obligated to honor the 5 year deal? Also, when I hear about the big money spent on these free agents, for example they talk about a 5 year deal for $40 million dollars with $ 20 million ‘guaranteed’. What’s with the ‘guaranteed’? Why isn’t a 5 year contract guarantee enough?! Can teams also cut these players before the 5 year contract? If an NFL coach is signed for a 5 year deal and management decides to get rid of him early, don't they have to honor the 5 year deal and pay him for the duration of the contract even though they fired him? Thanks in advance for clearing this up. -- Barry S.

Excellent questions Barry. Thank you. A certain percentage of every player contract – I want to say 30% but I’d have to look it up --  must be guaranteed to be paid. The reason why players like guarantees is because if he gets injured, he will still draw his full salary. And this is why you rarely see any contracts guaranteed in their entirety and in act, why most teams prefer to backload contracts as far as base salaries go. To counter this, more and more players want higher signing bonuses.

Contracts for coaches are different animals in that to my understanding, they’re not governed by union rules. So if a team dumps a coach two years into his three-year deal, the team is still obligated to pay the coach for the third year unless there is a buy-out or the coach gets another job with a different team for a higher pay – and even that’s not a given as some coaches have it written in their contract that they are to get the full amount regardless of what happens. 

Ok, example time. Let’s say a player sign a four-year contract worth $1M per year plus he gets a $1M signing bonus (four years, $5M total). Now remember a portion of that contract needs to be guaranteed, so let’s say I agree to guarantee 30% of the base salaries (the signing bonus doesn’t count toward the guarantee in this case because this is what I paid the guy to sign his name – wish someone would pay me to sign my name!).

If I have done my math correctly, I am on the hook for $1.5M total in guaranteed base salary for that player. This translates to a two-year commitment minimum (again, to keep it simple, I’m basing this on $1M per year in base salary).

If after two seasons, I decide the player not in my team’s plans anymore, I can terminate the contract and not owe him the remaining two years’ of base salary ($2M). Thus my total cap savings if I make that move pre-June 1, is $2M minus $500K (the $500K is the prorated portion of your signing bonus for which I am still on the hook) equals $1.5M cap savings for my team. If I designate that as a post June 1 move, I save another $250K on the transaction.

If I keep the player on my books at $1M per year base salary, his cap value is actually $1.25M (the $250K represents the prorated portion of the $1M signing bonus).

Did I confuse you further or does this help?

When is the Super Bowl book going to be ready? – Randolph W.

It should be ready (fingers crossed) by the time we have our May issue available, if not sooner. We’re really putting a lot of extra effort into quality control and apologize it’s taking a bit longer than we anticipated but we hope it will have been worth the wait.

April 23, 2008

once again the media have had an influence on sports decisions.with all the hype about jeremy shockey,his stay in n.y. will be difficult.i gather that there are at least 3 teams interested, and that n.o. has done the giants a favor by getting a rejection in with an offer of a round 2 player.seattle will have to offer a round player but that would be no.25 and lastly atlaNTA WOULD HAVE TO OFFER ALL 3 OF THEIR SECOND ROUND CHOICES FOR SHOCKEY AND THE GIANTS FOURTH.WHAT ALL THIS IS SAYING IS THAT J.R CAN COME TO JEREMY AND SAY;WE LISTENED BUT WE REJECTED VERY HIGH PICKS FOR YOU BECAUSE WE ESTEEM YOUR VALUE TO US.SUCH A TACK WOULD BE NECCESARY TO SUCH AN EMOTIONAL VOLATILE YOUNG MAN IN OTHER WORD SOMEBODY LOVES ME.I PERSONALLY HOPE HE IS RETAINED BUT I AM AFRAID IT WILL HAPPEN -- STEVE S.

Steve, I really don’t think Shockey is going to be traded, not for what the Giants are allegedly seeking. 

I know Craig Dahl was cut. He showed a lot of promise> Will the Giants re-sign him?  -- Al N.

Possibly, if he can pass a physical.

I understand your perspective specific to someone signing a contract and living up to it. That said, how would you like to be Sean Alexander today, or the many others that signed contracts, only to be cut by the team that only recently offered and agreed to the contract? Again, I understand the terms agreed to by the NFLPA, but saying that players need to live up to their contracts, while not holding the teams to the same standards, is not consistent.  – Mark S.

Mark, this is all about managing a business. While loyalty is great, sadly companies that rely on loyalty don’t last too long. Let’s pretend you are managing a business. If you have two employees who are each making a million dollars a year and one is giving you top production while the other one is not living up to his salary, would you keep the second one out of loyalty? Probably not. So really what is so hard to understand here?  This isn’t about a player who signed a contract and now wants to renegotiate after a year because he sees other people getting more money. This is about PRODUCTION equating the salary earned.

Did you see what the Vikings traded for Jared Allen to KC? A 1st and 2 3rds. This for a guy who was a 4th round supplemental pick. I mention this because the Saints want Shockey for Harper and a 3rd round pick. Can you spell ridiculous? If the Giants trade Shockey they better get at least as good a deal or tell teams to forget it. We'll keep him and he'll be a great asset to the Giant's offense as he always has.  – Bill S.

Hence more support as to why I don’t believe Shockey gets traded this weekend.

Regarding your draft preview, why would the Giants be so darn intent on keeping Danny Ware (along with our other stable of RB's) if we planned on drafting one? Also, it's not like a team needs to groom a RB for very long. Most of them either have "it" from day one or they don't. If we need one next year, then we get one next year. Furthermore, the need would only conceivably be for a complementary back, because this kid Bradshaw is the real deal.  – Jeff H.

Jeff, think long term.  You remember how it took Brandon Jacobs nearly a full year to learn how to pick up the blitz? Yes, the learning curve is generally sort for NFL RBs, but there is still a learning curve involved. And I don’t think Ward and Droughns are in the plans long term, plus we don’t know if Jacobs, who will be a UFA after this year, will be back.

April 22, 2008

what about the giants and saints swapping 1st round picks and shockey goes to the big easy? some other draft picks might need to be moved. if either keith rivers or sedrick ellis are available at #10 this would be great for the g-men while the saints with multiple needs don't lose that much going down to #31. – Steve M.

What Gail Bahr said. :)

I think this is a year where the Giants trade down. I believe that some of the qb's will slide and those clubs wanting one will trade up from the second round to beat the Fins(or Falcons) to Flacco. Second, I think the Giants will trade Shockey and take the Saints second pick and a conditional pick in 09. I just think Reese has shown a willingness to trade/cut older guys who have injury problems. Shockey is great but the injury problems probably grow with age. Lastly, this scouting crew is good in the second and third round(Uminorya, Smith, Snee, Tuck)...also, the defensive players from small schools tend to slip to rounds two and three.

On the cap front, I think letting Shockey go may free up some cash(long term) to deal with Snee, Jacobs and maybe some of the vets who have outperformed their current deals. In sum, I think Reese will get extra picks for 08 and maybe some for 09....go for the value as it arises and surely get some lb or db on day one. I hope all fans appreciate the fact that this front office is first rate. In the 70's we couldn't pick any players. It is a group of scouts that warms my heart. -- Best, Bill A.

Bill, I don’t think Shockey is going to be traded. I know there’s been a lot of talk, but it’s going to blow over. The Giants are not going to get what they want for him right now, so why even bother having pipe dreams about it? It’s much ado about nothing, I think.  Even they were to trade Shockey, they wouldn’t save as much against the cap as you think as they’re on the hook for his signing bonus.

Trade down? The Giants are at #31. That’s the last slot in round one. They can’t “trade down” (did you mean “trade out” of round one?) Truthfully, I’d be surprise if Reese does any trades. But then again he just might… you never know.

April 21, 2008

I enjoyed your Draft Preview commentary. I couldn’t agree with you more on the need for quality depth at the tackle position on both sides of the ball. And, I especially enjoyed your "borrowed time" aside about James Butler given my well-known antipathy towards his play last year. Safety must be a day 1 priority for sure!

I do quibble with you however in your assessment of a Receiver as a high priority. To me a high priority indicates a round 1-3 pick; that is, a player who can see some meaningful playing time in their first year. I am thinking back to the experience of Ross, Smith, and Alford last year. Beyond the first three rounds of this draft, I cant envision a draftee that would see the field this year ahead of players like Hixon, Jennings, and perhaps London; not to mention our top three or four receivers.

Lastly, re: your comments about the running back situation: it will be interesting to see how the Jacobs situation plays out. He is a good and improving back but not a great back at this time. (In fact, the argument might be made that the Giants success in the running game is more a function of the schemes employed or even the offensive line play given the play of all of the recent backs including Barber, Ward, Bradshaw, etc.) One needs only to look back to the Gibril Wilson and Kawika Mitchell situations to realize that Reese is not going to pay elite money to non-elite players. I agree with the Giants; Lets wait until after the 2008 season to make disposition on Jacobs. -- Mike A.

Mike, I think you have to look at the future when it comes to receiver. There might not be a need this year, but that need will come sooner than later, and wouldn’t it be nice to get your new receiver some playing time at some point down the line, especially if, oh let’s say Sinorice Moss or Steve Smith get hurt again? Of course I’m banking on Domenik Hixon developing – I really like what that kid brings to the table and he could be the dark horse in the equation.

RE: the RB situation, I’ve been a Jacobs supporter since day one. I still am. However, he’s not quite there yet in terms of being an elite back, and to be fair, I think injuries might have held him back a bit. I think with another year of seasoning (and assuming he doesn’t get hurt again to where he ends up missing chunks of playing time), we should know whether he is going to be a big time back worthy of a big time contract.  I think the Giants will wait on Jacobs.

After last year I decided that possibly the people who are paid to make draft decisions might know more than I do. But -- I have heard that Phillips is probably our number 1 pick. I just watched a highlight video and in one play he had a wide open interception and dropped the ball. Obviously, you all know more about talent and such, but if this is his highlight film ? I guess my pick if available would be Connor from Penn State. I love Pierce, but he is older. Connor played against good talent week in and week out, would allow Pierce some time off, and would be a good future. If the Safety available is not a sure fire thing, maybe this would be a good look? As always I am very interested in what you think. -- Thanks Ed C.

Ed, I don’t know what rumors you’re citing regarding Phillips, but I beg of you to not buy into them. Anything and everything happens during the draft and there are so many rumors out there right now it’s just not worth tracking half of them down.

April 18, 2008

I have to disagree with saying that the schedule is soft. I think it is brutal!! We have a six to eight week stretch that is insane. Starting Oct. 26th we are away at Pitt. then Dallas at home, Philly away and Baltimore at home. Then fly across the country to play Arizona, then three straight division games. Two of them away. If that's a soft schedule then I couldn't handle a tough one. To be honest with you I already am stacking up the tums!!  -- Carlos R.

I personally love the schedule Carlos. But not for the same reasons as others. :)

since this is the season for draft hysteria, and since i have never done this before, i am submitting a mock draft that is a consensus of 6 old giant fans(still some what delirious from the super bowl; here goes)this draft includes a trade PICK 31 IS TYREL JOHNSON S. THEN A TRADE OF JEREMY SHOCKEY TO N.O. TOGETHER WITH MOSS FOR THE SECOND PICK NON 40 WHO IS C.B MOLDEN FROM E.KY. THIRS IS NO 63 IN THE DRAFT AND THAT IS D.E. JONES FROM E.M.U.FOURTH ISRUBIN D.T FROM I.S.U. DRAFT PICK 130 4TH ROUND 5TH ISW.R DEXTER JACKSON W.R FROM A.S.U,3 PICKS IN 6 TH ROUND 194 199 AND 200.THEY EILL BE ROACH SAFETY T.CU,KEHR OLB FROM B.Y.U AND BAUMAN C.B FROM NEBR.I KNOW THAT YOU SAID SHOCKEY WOULD NOT BE TRADED BUT OPPORTUNITY TO REINFORCE THE ROSTER COULD DICTATE OTHERWISE.ANYWAY HERE IS OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS DELIGHTFUL INSANITY -- STEVE S.

Thanks Steve. 

Frank Coyle posted this on Yahoo..."They (the Giants) are considering moving Antonio Pierce to the outside, but only if they get a premier middle man." Have you heard anything like this? – Burt D.

No I haven’t, but then again we’ve only had one real media access day so far, with two more coming up. I’ll keep my ears open though.

What are your thoughts on Chad Johnson- who wants out from the Bengals, I believe we need a WR? Is he a problem in a Giant Uniform? Also,with the few safeties that are high on the various draft lists, I see where Lamont Thompson was just released. Is he a better fit for the Gmen than Sammy Knight? Again,if we pick up a safety or wide out, we can focus on other areas such a WR, left tackle, DB, LB, ETC? Your Thoughts? – Keith J.

Pass on Chad Johnson. Not even an option worth considering in my opinion. Sammy Knight will be a starting safety this year unless injury strikes him down.  

Why the animosity toward Strahan for waffling on a return, or his possibly holding things up because he wants more money? Teams can cut anyone at any time, regardless of the contract that they, the team, offered and signed. They can also "ask" a player to renegotiate a lower salary to remain with the team, then cut them if the player refuses. The only leverage a player has, the player who risks his health every time he steps on the field, is to hold-out. Even then, it's from a position of weakness, as the team can fine them into submission and eventually, if they choose, cut the player or put them on the inactive list. So - the team can cut ties and move on (yes, with salary cap ramifications), and "reneg" on the contract that they agreed to, but a player can't do the same? Yeah, I know that the NFLPA agreed to all this, but I don't blame Strahan, or any other player, for trying to get as much as they can while they can. – Mark S.

Mark, you see absolutely nothing wrong with a man not honoring a contract he signed? Negotiating a new contract is quote a different animal than seeking to renegotiate one you already agreed to. Maybe I’m old school, but the way I see it, no one forces you to sign a contract so if you sign it, honor it. I didn’t see the Giants asking for money back when Strahan was injured or had an off-year. This isn’t like the corporate world where you get a raise based on merit.

For those salivating at the idea of trading Shockey for a first rounder, don't give up your hopes. Nobody is going to dish out a #1, for a very good, not great tight end with a history of injuries, "dropsies", penalties and a hot temper. Having said that, he is enough of a mismatch in the middle of the field, that we'd be better off with him than a 2nd round pick. Put those two factors together and it's a no-trade. – Jeff H.

Jeff, I’m not so sure a #1 is part of the Giants’ demands. That said, I don’t think he’s moved this year either.

I'd like to offer up a new perspective on the "mock draft" subject. First, let's assume our "need" positions are Safety, Corner, OLB, DT, WR and DE. Now let's take a look at how many players in each of those positions are likely to be drafted in each round. That will give us a better idea of who might still be available when our time to pick arrives. In reading over the more highly rated mock drafts, I come to these numbers: By the time we make our pick in Round 1, there will have been this many players already picked at these positions: Safety = 1 Corner = 5 OLB = 1 DT = 3 WR = 4 DE = 5 When our second round pick comes up, the following number will be gone: Safety = 2 Corner = 14 OLB = 2 DT = 6 WR = 6 DE = 9 By the time we get to our third round pick: Safety = 7 Corner = 20 OLB = 5 DT = 9 WR = 11 DE = 10 By using these estimated numbers and then looking at player ratings, we should have a fairly good idea of who might still be around when we make each of our first three picks. It seems like a lot of teams are looking for cornerbacks. I always wonder if there's really any way of knowing which ones are likely to make it once you get past the top two or three prospects. After the CB position, it looks like the biggest runs will be on OT, DE and WR. No big surprises there, but actually good news for us as those aren't are most pressing needs. While other teams are going after the players we don't need as much, we should have a good shot at some quality prospects at those positions we are most anxious to fill. I think it's going to be a fun and rewarding draft for us! – John K.

Thanks John.

April 17, 2008
The Just for Fun mock draft: Rd 1) DE - Phillip Merling, he will fall because of his hernia and the G-men will have their basket ready like they did for Kiwanuka! Rd 2) S – Tyrell Johnson, need meets value. Rd 3) WR – Jordy Nelson, he’ll probably go earlier, but would be a great fit for the Giants. Maybe a trade up? Rd 4) DT – Red Bryant, run stuffer, we need a big DT since Wright got cut. Rd 5) G – Robert Felton, good depth with upside. Rd 6) QB – Kevin O’Connell, Carr & O’Connell replace Wright & Lorenzen and the G-men are the better for it. Rd 6) LB – Gary Guyton, depth. Rd 6) S – Joe Fields, probably a 7th rounder or FA, he is still learning the position, but is a great athlete. Athleticism might be worth a reach with our last pick. I only think the Giants will take a Safety or LB in the first round if they have one rated as clearly better than what else is available. They just don’t value the positions that highly. Actually I hope the Giants are able to trade down out of the 1st round. I’m hoping Brohm and/or Henne are on the board and a QB poor team wants them. I think the Giants will stick with their Corners for another year. I’m leaning towards thinking they’ll keep Shockey, but I won’t be surprised if he’s traded. But then the Giants will probably spend a top 100 pick on a TE. Take your best shot people! – Steve C.

What say you readers? Care to submit your mock drafts?

At first glance our 2008 schedule doesn’t look bad at all. Of course, anytime you have to play Dallas, Philly, Washington twice is no picnic but the rest of the schedule looks relatively soft. This could be the first time in recent memory that we win after the bye week! Seattle is not at all tough away from their home and we don’t look to have weather problems outdoors in November and December. If the football gods have any sense of humor we could go 18-0 and loose the Superbowl!!! But of course, that’s just my opinion, I’m sure I am definitely wrong. -- Barry S

Barry, from  a travel and production standpoint, I LOVE this schedule. Beyond that,. Let’s see how personnel shapes up before we go making any predictions.

I'm so sick of Strahan and his money grab. JR should give him until 4/21 to decide if he will honor his contract. This is all about money and "Stray" is still upset the team didn't give in last year, so he is going to make life miserable for JR. I hope the Giants put Strahan on the retirement list because he has no honor. – Al S.

I agree Al. It’s really quite simple. Your heart either is in it or out of it. Period. There should be no waffling over money. Quite frankly,. I’m surprised that certain people have tried to convince the public that it’s not about money. Bullspit! It’s ALWAYS about money. 

April 15, 2008
Your housekeeping notes in the blog are interesting but incomplete. Most of us have no idea where anyone's locker is because we don't get to go into the locker room. Instead of telling us who moved how about providing us a schematic with the layout of the locker room and who dresses where. It would be kind of interesting to see which players hang out with each other.  – Jeff S.

Jeff, it’s interesting, but I thought that to myself after I posted it. I know sometimes TV cameras capture the interior of the locker room and I also know that some fans have had the chance to go into the locker room during special events (such as the upcoming draft party hosted by the team). As far as the actual locker room dynamics, while I have a pretty good idea of who hangs out with who, it’s probably not something I can build a story on. (figure though that most of the positions hang with each other, e.g. offensive line, defensive line, etc.)  

I was never much of a Draftnik; always felt the draft was more art than science. Do the experts REALLY know their arse from their elbow or is it at best an educated guess and hope for the best? I think its really a crap shoot. Look at the great draft we had in 2007.

Now I know its too early to really know and you’re supposed to wait 4/5 years to see how your draft really panned out but look at the #7 draft pick – 249 picks go by before the geniuses think Ahmad Bradshaw is worthy! (If memory serves I think Tom Brady was a #7 pick back in the day!.) In 2006, we got it right with #1 Kiwanuka, but fell off the cliff with #2 Sinorice Moss. 2005 was a short but very sweet draft, but we got the order mixed up: Tuck is the real #1 and probably Jacobs #2 before the fast improving Webster. So, I will be taking a ‘wait and see’ attitude before I start getting excited over our draft picks. I’m glad we have Jerry Reese making the picks but even he picked Alford, DeOssie, Boss, Koets, and Johnson ahead of Bradshaw. – Barry S.

Barry, remember that Reese has final say, but it will be Marc Ross running the draft room this year. Big difference in my mind.

Due to a power-failure while I was in Glendale, my DVR didn't record anything. Does anybody have the GAME and the Pre- and Post-game FOX stuff on tape or DVD? I'll pay anything reasonable or maybe not so reasonable. Thanks. – Harvey F.

Harvey, NFL films is putting out a complete DVD set in June with all of the post season games. We’re going to be offering it for sale starting next month, so if you can sit tight, that is one option you might want to consider.

Happy birthday Pat. (Yes I know I’m early but I hope you don’t mind.) I hope you’re going to take the day off. – Peter S.

Thanks Peter. This year it falls on a weekend so yeah, I think I will take the day off assuming I get all my work done before that.

April 14, 2008

Hi Pat! Yesterday in response to a letter from Phil G you wrote: "I would think my lack of interest in the pre-draft is why LTTE has been light of late, but then again maybe you guys stopped loving me … I don’t know." I wanted to assure you that your theory is 100% correct. We do still love you, and we all know you have no real desire to engage in pre-draft discussions...so we're giving you a pass. Personally, I love this time of year and find all the pre-draft frenzy to be extremely interested. After all, what's the alternative...watching baseball? <snooze> -- John K.

Thanks John. It’s nice to know someone out there still loves me (other than my family, of course). For the record, I will start getting into the draft once I start putting the April issue together, so it’s not like I’m going in blind.  

Regarding the LTTE about Spagnuolo "yelling in the ears" of the defense: The wireless communications for the defense will be shut off at the same time that the offensive helmets are shut off (I think it is with 15 seconds left on the play clock.) As a result, when the offensive team comes out of the huddle, the defense will have to rely on the old-fashioned method (i.e., yelling from the sidelines). – The Ref

Thanks Ref.

Its a shame that many young players don't have the mind-set or the dedication for what it takes to make it in the NFL. I was disappointed that M. Wright was let go because of personal issues and an inability to keep himself focused on a goal. He had the size to play in the middle and with the proper coaching could have turned into a decent player. So many talented players have very short careers because of the lack of discipline. -- Frank A.

That’s why you never judge a book by its cover, Frank.  

Some writers have wondered where we all are and why the in basket at "Letters to the Editor" isn't full every day. Most of us are still basking in the glow of the Super Bowl win. In addition, most of us now have a high level of confidence in the personnel of our team, from the top down. That leaves us patiently waiting for the Draft and what we're sure will be another good crop of rookies and undrafted free agents. The only problem which might happen is a rash of "sophomore" slumps since so many of our rookies contributed, especially in the postseason. In looking at this I realized that most of these occur when a rookie has a spectacular year, i.e., leads the league in tackles, receiving or rushing yards, etc. Since none of our rookies (save Ross) neither played significant minutes nor ran up significant statistics during the regular season, I don't think that's going to happen. Your thoughts? – Burt D.

It’s really too soon to tell, Burt. Based on what I know of last year’s rookies, I don’t think that will happen, but then again, remember most of them had very specific roles which are going to be expanded this year, so we’ll have to see how they handle the increased workload. As for LTTE,  I firmly believe, based on the number of submissions for Ask Gail vs. LTTE, my lack of interest in the pr-draft stuff is the reason for the dip. But I’m happy for Gail – she works so hard at putting this stuff together, so I’m totally fine with the shift, which has allowed me to FINALLY finish the Super Bowl commemorative book.

April 11, 2008

Hey Pat, just a quick question regarding the Giants draft day party. It is scheduled from 12-4, however the draft starts at 3. So if we attend we will not see the Giants pick. Is that correct, and if so, that doesn’t make sense to me. Any insight? – Vick S.

The only thing I can think of is that by the Giants make their selection, it will probably be around 7PM which might be too late to have the party for some of the younger fans being targeted. Just my guess.

Do you think the GMEN will bring in a punter to eventually take Mr Feagles place? Do you think they will bring in competition for Lawrence Tynes? -- Scott R.

Mr. Feagles? <grin> Okay, I guess he deserves that level of respect. To answer your question, no and no. What will happen, same as any other year, is they’ll bring in another kicker and punter to share the workload during the summer, but considering both Mr. Feagles and Mr. Tynes (yes, he’s earned that respect) both signed new contracts in the off-season, I think it’s safe to say neither has anything to worry about.

April 8, 2008

I as many of you had the pleasure of watching the NFC Championship game between the Giants and Packers on Saturday night and then the following day watching the Giants/Jets game on NFL replay. One thing that stuck out time and time again was how bad James Butler is. I mean that guy really really stinks. I’m really praying that next seasons starters will be Johnson/Knight, unless we draft Kenny Phillips from Miami. I just can’t see Butler starting for anybody next year. On another note I think our defense will rise to the next level next season with the addition of the microphone in Pierce’s helmet. It’s one thing to have Spaggz shouting to you from the sidelines but to have him in your ear right there on the field is a whole different ballgame. It will be very interesting. Lastly I think the Giants will win the division and it won’t be close. Spaggz now has a full year under his belt and has had the opportunity to get a good look at how Romo operates. I’m going out on a limb here and say we destroy Dallas next season and have the best defense that the NFL has ever laid eyes on. Dom M.

Dom, sadly I don’t get the NFL Network – my cable company doesn’t offer it. That being said, I do have the game still on DVR (though I haven’t watched it recently). I have to wonder how much of Butler’s problems were a result of a season-long injury he played with. Might be worth looking into for an upcoming feature, wouldn’t you think?

Jerry Reese not selected as the the GM of the year!?! Did I read that right??? And he lost to the Packer GM...who the Giants beat to get into the Super Bowl? Whadda wanna tell me now?? 2 + 2 = 5.5??? WOW!!!!! What an injustice...but we all know that no one was more deserving that Reese. On behalf of all Giant fans....he certainly is GM of the Year on our book! – Phil G.

Phil the voting was done BEFORE the season ended.

Randolph, I think it's time for you to be joining the Tailgate Club. We talk Giants ALL year long. Right now, there's a lot of "Draft Talk" going on along with other comments about our Giants. We even have a "Trivia" thread going, talking about Giants' history. Tailgate is a lot of fun with a lot of great guys posting. "Try it; you'll like it!" Just another plug. Pat. – Jim V.

A subscription might not hurt either Jim (Hey, I’m entitled to a plug once in a while too, right? <grin>)

In response to Randolph, we are here. My question is what are the probabilities for the first pick to be a LB, DB, or OL? – Phil H,

Phil, when it comes to the draft, if I’m being completely honest, it’s the one area I have very little interest until draft weekend comes. Seriously, I don’t have the time or resources to do scouting reports (which is why we have Gail Bahr, who does an outstanding job). I would think my lack of interest in the pre-draft is why LTTE has been light of late, but then again maybe you guys stopped loving me … I don’t know.

Seriously, I have just found it a better use of my time and resources to analyze what they do AFTER the picks are made. I know hindsight is 20/20 and yes, I will put forth a prediction as we get a little closer to the draft. What I’m trying to say in a round-about way is I know where my strengths lie, and one area where I’m not strong is the pre-draft stuff. 

April 7, 2008

What are your thoughts on the potential Umenyiora holdout? What do you think the G-men should do, and how do you view Osi's stance? – Mike M.

I think we should wait and see what happens. Training camp isn’t until late July – a lot can happen between now and then. As for how I view Osi’s stance, I’m of the opinion that no one forces you to sign a contract and once you do, you should honor it instead of looking for ways to screw they who gave it to you. But what do I know?

Interest in the Giants is or should be 24/7. Giant fans-Wake-up, please. My question is: Aren't you still being inundated with requests for information. We're the Super Bowl champs of the entire world. Why aren't Giant fans coming out of the closet all day and all year long? Specifically, who is in great shape and who isn't at the "voluntary" workouts? And who are the "sleeper" players for 2008-2009? – Randolph W.

You can read all about it in the upcoming issues and subscribers content that's still to come. J

April 4, 2008

I guess I should let a sleeping dog just lay there (and he covers like one) but I just can't let this news flash pass: did I read you correctly when you said James Butler has NOT as yet signed his 1.47 million dollar offer!! Is he in a coma or getting some real bad advice from the Village Idiot?!! James, you should fall to your knees and kiss the hand of the man who made the offer....of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong (NOT).-- Barry S

Barry my dear, you are most definitely making a mountain out of a molehill. Butler will sign his tender. Relax. He’s not going anywhere. I sincerely doubt any team out there is willing to part with a second rounder in exchange for Butler.  

APRIL 1, 2008

Fate was good to us this year and it's well deserved. I'm watching a replay of the Giants-49ers playoff game in 2003 and I'm shaking my head because I can recall that team sprouting into a lethal force, much like our team this year. I'm not a "would've-could've" type of person, but if the ‘03 team held on that week, I believe they would've slammed Tampa Bay the next week (the Super Bowl Champs that year)...

Also reminds me of how the 96' or 97' melted down in a playoff game against the Vikings and were victimized due to an old rule that allowed an off-sides on-side kick to be re-kicked. Minnesota kicked again, recovered and went on to beat us. Then there was the Miracle in the Meadowlands, which I was way too young to see!...I guess this years' team was just more resilient than those other squads. This team has comforted those ill memories. Thank you Giants! – Jeff H.

Amen Jeff.