JULY 2007 NEWS ARCHIVE

The Giants have placed reserve safety Jason Bell on injured reserve with a back injury that he aggravated during the offseason conditioning program.

Bell joined the Giants as an unrestricted free agent on March 14, 2006 after one season with the Dallas Cowboys and one with the Houston Texans. In his first Giants season he played in 15 regular season games with one start, plus the NFC Wild Card game at Philadelphia. He had a career-high 17 tackles (14 solo), 1 interception, 1 pass defensed and 8 special teams tackles.

Bell intercepted the first pass of his career in the third quarter at Washington on Dec. 30 when he picked off a Jason Campbell pass intended for Santana Moss. In the postseason game, Bell saw action as the nickel corner and finished with 6 solo tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 special teams tackle in his first career postseason action.

According to the NFLPA figures, TE Kevin Boss' contract numbers are as follows: $285K for 2007; $370K for 2008; $460K for 2009; and $550K for 2010. Boss is also reported to have received a $180K signing bonus. Offensive lineman Chris Patrick's contract numbers are $285K for 2007 and $370K for 2008. 

According to the New York Post, the respective agents for first rounder CB Aaron Ross and second rounder WR Steve Smith are expected to meet today with GM Jerry Reese in hopes of finalizing contracts for their clients. Ross and Smith remain the only two draft picks not signed.

The Giants have reportedly agreed to terms with three more of their draft picks: OL Adam Koets (sixth round), and seventh rounders RB Ahmad Bradshaw and S Michael Johnson. Still unsigned as of this writing are first rounder Aaron Ross and second rounder WR Steve Smith. However, barring any breakdowns in communication, both players are expected to be in camp on time when the players report on Friday.

• " Zak DeOssie: The New Kid in Town," by Bob Ekstrom

Training Camp Fact:
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, all players receive a weekly stipend each week they are on a team's active training camp roster. Current figures are not available for 2007, but according to the NFLPA, in 2004, rookies received $750 per week while veterans received $1,000 per week and an additional $200 per week during the pre‑season. All monies paid to players in training camp count against a team's salary cap.

The Giants announced that they have signed tight end Kevin Boss, their fifth-round selection in this year’s NFL Draft.

Boss, a 6-6, 253-pounder, was the 153rd player chosen in the draft. At Western Oregon, he played in 33 games with 31 starts and caught 134 passes for 1,590 yards (an 11.9-yard avg.) and 19 touchdowns.

As a senior in 2006, Boss started the team’s first six games before missing the final four with a left shoulder labrum tear. He still finished second among Western Oregon receivers with 33 receptions for 403 yards (a 12.2-yard avg.) and five touchdowns.

Boss is the third of the Giants’ eight draft choices to agree to terms. Defensive tackle Jay Alford, a third-round selection, and linebacker Zak DeOssie, a fourth-round pick, previously signed contracts.

The Giants also announced they have waived wide receiver Darius Watts, who joined the team last Dec. 26 and was inactive for the regular season finale and the NFC Wild Card Game. Watts caught 33 passes for the Denver Broncos in 2004-05.

The Giants have agreed to terms with fifth round draft pick TE Kevin Boss out of  Western Oregon. Boss will sign his new four-year contract by the end of this week.

Boss is the third Giants draft pick to sign with the club, joining LB Zak DeOssie (fourth round) and DT Jay Alford (third round).

The team also waived rookie free agent guard Matt Maddox, a move made to accomodate the addition of OL Chris Patrick, who was signed on July 18. Once Boss signs his contract, the team will make another roster move.

The Giants have signed rookie free agent offensive lineman Chris Patrick.

The 6-4, 280-pound Patrick was not selected in last week’s Supplemental Draft. Patrick was granted eligibility to the 2007 Supplemental Draft after his junior season at Nebraska when he started 12 games at left tackle to help the Huskers finish third in total offense in the Big 12 Conference. As a sophomore, he emerged on the Husker offensive line late in the 2005 season and played a key role in a season-ending three-game winning streak. Patrick started the final two games at left tackle, aiding Nebraska to wins over Colorado and Michigan. He served as a reserve tackle as a red shirt freshman in 2004 after spending his red shirt year practicing at defensive end.

Patrick is a native of Ithaca, Michigan, where he was Ithaca's second-leading tackler as a senior, making 102 stops as a defensive end, while adding eight sacks, four fumbles caused, two blocked kicks and six hurries. He also played offensive tackle.

Patrick majored in criminal justice and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in the spring of 2005.

Patrick was born on August 22, 1984.

The Giants have signed wide receiver Kevin McMahan.

The 6-2, 200-pound McMahan was a seventh-round draft choice by the Oakland Raiders in 2006. Indeed, he was "Mr. Irrelevant" as the 255th and final player selected him in the draft. McMahan is the third recent Mr. Irrelevant to join the Giants. Fullback Jim Finn, the last player chosen in the 1999 draft, has been with the Giants since 2003. He will miss the 2007 season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Wide receiver Ryan Hoag, taken by the Raiders with the final selection in 2003, was on the Giants' roster for four months in the winter and spring of 2004.

McMahan was waived by the Raiders in last year's final cut on Sept. 6. He had several tryouts last season before signing a reserve/future contract with Indianapolis on Jan. 11. McMahan was waived by the Colts on June 22.

At the University of Maine, McMahan played in 44 games and caught 130 passes for 1,995 yards and 25 touchdowns. As a senior in 2005, McMahan had career-high totals of 59 catches for 893 yards (a 15.1-yard average) and 13 of the team's 17 touchdown receptions.

McMahan is a native of Rochester, N.Y., where he was an All-State player at Aquinas Institute. He caught 37 passes for 748 yards and 13 touchdowns and was named MVP of the state championship game, which Aquinas won.

McMahan was born on March 2, 1983.