MARCH 31, 2008
GIANTS AWARDED AN EXTRA PICK. The Giants have been awarded an extra 6th (199th overall) round draft pick as compensatory for their 2007 free agency losses (Jay Feely, Visanthe Shiancoe and Frank Walker) which outweighed their gains of Kawika Mitchell and Anthony Wright. They will have three sixth rounders (their own, the pick acquired from Green Bay for Ryan Grant and the compensatory pick awarded today), but will reportedly not have a seventh, which will go to Kansas City to complete the terms of the Lawrence Tynes trade.

MARCH 26, 2008

The New York Giants, who are reportedly scheduled to open the 2008 NFL season at home on Thursday, September 4, would kickoff at 7PM ET instead of the traditional 8:30 p.m. start in order to accommodate the network coverage of the Republican National Convention.

The game is scheduled to fall on the final night of the political event, so in an effort to avoid a conflict, the league agreed to push back the start of the game so that networks can devote coverage to presidential hopeful John McCain’s acceptance speech.

If it is indeed confirmed that the Giants will be the Thursday night game, their likely opponent will be either Washington, Cincinnati or Seattle.

MARCH 24, 2008
SCHEDULE TO BE RELEASED APRIL 3. The 2008 NFL schedule will be available on April 3.

SEUBERT SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION. Giants OL Rich Seubert has signed a contract extension through the 2012 season.

MARCH 21, 2008
The Giants have informed season ticket holders this week of another ticket price increase, the sixth straight year the team has raised prices. The new information is as follows:

• Sections 301-308, 314-328 and 334-340 are $80 per seat. 
• Sections 309-313, 329-333, 101-107, 115-127 and 135-140 are $85 a seat.
• Sections 108, 114, 128 and 134 are $90 per seat.
• Sections 109, 113, 129 and 133 are $95 per seat. 
• Sections 110, 111, 112, 130, 131 and 132 are $100 per seat. 
• Mezzanine seats are $105 per seat. 

MARCH 14, 2008

The Giants have re-signed UFA RB Derrick Ward. Ward, who had explored opportunities with other teams, decided to accept a reported two-year contract offer.

“I had to keep my options open, but my main goal was to stay here with the Giants,” Ward said. “The Giants gave me my start. It feels good to come back to hopefully have a good year this year and be a part of the Super Bowl champion Giants. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish my career here.”

Ward was the Giants’ second-leading rusher last season, when he ran for 602 yards on 125 carries (a 4.8-yard average) and three touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes – the fourth-highest total on the team – for 179 yards and another score. Ward helped keep the running game going when Brandon Jacobs suffered injuries to his knee in September and hamstring in November.

Ward’s season ended early, ironically in the same game in which he rushed for a career-high 154 yards, on Dec. 2 in Chicago. Midway through the fourth quarter, Ward suffered a fractured left fibula on a four-yard run on which he picked up an important first down. Two days later, Ward was placed on injured reserve. He missed the remainder of the regular season and the Giants’ four-game postseason title run.

“We are glad to have Derrick back in our stable of running backs, which will create some real competition at that position,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “He brings a lot to the table as a runner, receiver, kick returner and cover specialist.”

The 2008 season will be Ward’s fifth in the NFL and fourth with the Giants. Prior to last season, he had just 35 rushing attempts for 123 yards – all in 2005. He had played in 27 games but never started one. But in 2007, Ward started five of the eight games in which he played. He missed four games in the middle of the season with ankle and groin injuries, then the final four plus the playoffs because of his broken leg.

“It was hard sitting out,” Ward said. “It’s been my dream since I was a little kid to play in the Super Bowl. I wasn’t able to play in it because of my injury, but I felt I helped the team enough to get us there. It was a win-win situation for me.”

Ward said his leg is “100 percent.” He will be ready for the start of the off-season conditioning program on March 31.

The 5-11, 228-pound Ward joined the Giants on Oct. 13, 2004, when he was signed off the Jets’ practice squad. His biggest contribution that season was a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Washington on Dec. 5. Ward played in five games and averaged 27.3 yards on 16 kickoff returns.

MARCH 13, 2008

The Giants have officially announced the signing of linebacker Danny Clark, who has played for Jacksonville, Oakland, New Orleans and Houston. A 6-2, 245-pounder, Clark is entering his ninth NFL season.

“Danny Clark is a player I drafted a few years ago in Jacksonville,” Coughlin said. “We’re bringing him in as an outside linebacker. He is a very physical, very versatile player. Over the years, he has been a very good special teams player. Clark is a veteran guy with an outstanding work ethic. He will fit in well with our players in the locker room. He will have an opportunity to compete for a position.”

 “He is a veteran linebacker who can play all three spots,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “He has been an outstanding special teams player. He is going to create competition in both areas, special teams and at linebacker. He fits the New York Giant mold.”

Clark has played in 122 games with 66 starts. He played in all 16 games six times in his first eight seasons and started every game twice – with the 2002 Jaguars and the 2004 Raiders. Clark has 576 tackles (384 solo), 5.0 sacks, two interceptions, 16 passes defensed, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

“I have a passion for all three linebacker spots,” Clark said. “I am a middle linebacker by trade and I am darn good at outside linebacker as well. I think when you go downhill my emphasis is on making big hits and disconnecting the ball from the ball carrier. It doesn’t matter where you line up as long as you go and make plays doing it.” 

In 2007, Clark joined the Houston Texans and won the starting strong side linebacker job in training camp. Clark played in 13 games with eight starts, but was slowed by a groin injury that forced him to the inactive list for three games late in the season. He finished with 43 tackles (34 solo) and intercepted Josh McCown in Oakland on Nov. 4.

Clark said Coughlin put him on the right path early in his career.

“He made me do the right things,” Clark said. “He ultimately teaches you how to be a professional.  He teaches you to be accountable to your teammates and be on time and dressed appropriately.  All of that stuff molds a young guy into an upstanding citizen in this league, which is hard to find sometimes. You knew what you were going to get day-in and day-out and that stuck with me throughout my career in the NFL. I spoke with him the other day and I made him aware of that.”

MARCH 12, 2008

The Giants have signed QB David Carr, the first overall selection in the 2002 NFL Draft, as a backup quarterback to Eli Manning.

Carr, a seven-year veteran, played five years for the Houston Texans before moving to the Carolina Panthers in 2007. He has played in 82 career games with 79 starts. He started all 16 games four times in his five seasons with the Texans, including the last three. Last year with the Panthers, he played in six games with four starts.

Carr’s offensive coordinator his first four years in Houston was Chris Palmer, who is entering his second season as the Giants’ quarterbacks coach.

“David Carr is a talented player who came out as the number one pick in the draft,” Coach Tom Coughlin said. “He is a smart and athletic player who has put up some big passing game numbers. We look forward to working with him on the fundamentals of the game. We do have some technical things to work on, but we are anxious to work with him in our program. If we can place him in a positive environment, perhaps he can reclaim some of the things that people saw to draft him in the first round.”

“He has a strong skill set for the position and he has a history with Chris Palmer,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “He is here to compete for a job, and I am looking forward to seeing him compete.”

Carr was the first-ever draft choice of the expansion Texans in 2002 after an outstanding career at Fresno State. Despite facing constant pressure as a rookie, he completed 233 of 444 passes for 2,592 yards (the second-most for a rookie quarterback on an expansion team), nine touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

The Giants have also reportedly reached an agreement with free agent linebacker Danny Clark. The deal is expected to be formally announced tomorrow.

MARCH 10, 2008
REPORT: QB DAVID CARR TO VISIT. Recently released Carolina backup quarterback David Carr will be paying a visit to the Giants on Tuesday.

MARCH 8, 2008
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has signed a new four-year contract with the team.

The 2008 season will be Coughlin’s fifth with the Giants. He is 35-29 in the regular season and 4-2 in the postseason. Coughlin has led the Giants to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, including a 2007 Wild Card berth that kicked off one of the most remarkable and memorable postseason runs in NFL history. The Giants won four consecutive games away from Giants Stadium, including a 17-14 triumph in Super Bowl XLII over the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Along the way, the Giants defeated the NFC’s top two seeds (Dallas and Green Bay).

“Tom Coughlin has done a great job for us and we think this contract recognizes his outstanding achievements here,” said John Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive officer. “This is a message to him and to our fans that we want him to be our coach for many years to come.”

“For Tom Coughlin, ‘coach’ is not just a title, it's a responsibility,” said Steve Tisch, the team’s chairman and executive vice president. “He took a group of football players and molded them into the best team in the world. We are honored he will lead the New York Giants for many more years and know that the team and its fans are better for his amazing contributions.”

“I was thrilled to become the head coach of the New York Giants in 2004, after my interviews with John Mara, Ernie Accorsi and Mr. (Wellington) Mara and Mr. (Bob) Tisch,” Coughlin said. “It would be difficult for me to capture the emotions for the opportunity I was given back in 1988 to be an assistant coach with the Giants. And then to have the opportunity to be the head coach was the fulfillment of a dream of a lifetime. And now to be able to continue in that capacity – with this organization, with this leadership, with this football team and with my coaching staff in place – is something my family and I are extremely excited about.”

“I am looking forward to working with Tom for the next four years and beyond,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “Our players feed off his energy, and his dedication to winning is unprecedented.”

NFL SCHEDULE RELEASE DATE. According to the programming for the NFL Network, the 2008 NFL schedule is due to be released on April 3.

MARCH 6, 2008
KELLY TO VISIT. Free agent cornerback Brian Kelly, a ten-year veteran formerly with Tampa Bay, visited with the Giants on thursday. However, he did not reach an agreement with the team and appears likely to sign with Detroit, with whom he visited prior to visiting with the Giants.

LANDETA OFFICIALLY RETIRES. Former Giants punter Sean Landeta, 46, has officially retired from the NFL after 25 years. not coincidentally, Landeta's retirement comes on the 25th anniversary of the first game played in the United States Football League (USFL) between the Philadelphia Stars and the Denver Gold -- a game in which Landeta made his professional debut.

In addition to the Giants, which was Landeta's first NFL team, he put in service for the Rams (twice, once while in LA and once when they moved to St. Louis) , Tampa, Green Bay, and Philadelphia.

MARCH 3, 2008
The Giants signed veteran safety Sammy Knight, who is tied for third in career interceptions among active players.

Knight, who recently completed his 11^th NFL season, led the Jacksonville Jaguars with a career-high 132 tackles in 2007. He also intercepted four passes, increasing his career total to 42, the same number as Denver’s Champ Bailey. Only Darren Sharper (53) and Ty Law (52) have more picks among players who played last year.

He takes the place on the Giants roster of Gibril Wilson, the starting free safety who joined the Oakland Raiders on the first day of the free agency signing period last week. Knight has played mostly strong safety, which means he or James Butler could move to free safety.

“We’re excited to have a veteran of Sammy’s caliber joining our secondary,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “We were attracted to how smart he plays and how productive and physical he plays. We think he will thrive in our defensive schemes. He brings a lot of leadership to the team, especially to the secondary, and he is a real pro.”

“Sammy Knight is a durable, physical player with 42 career interceptions,” Coach Tom Coughlin said. “He comes to the line of scrimmage extremely well. He’s a smart player who gets everybody lined up. He played in Kansas City for (secondary/cornerbacks coach) Peter Giunta, so we know all about the quality of the man. We feel like with his love of the game and his attitude about the idea of team that he’ll be a real nice fit for us. Sammy gives us another quality veteran who will definitely help our young guys in their development.”

The 6-1, 215-pound Knight has played for New Orleans, Miami, Kansas City and Jacksonville. He has started 168 of the 174 regular season games in which he’s played and all five postseason games in which he’s appeared. Knight has played in 156 consecutive regular season games, the NFL’s 14^th-longest current streak. He has missed only two games in his career, both in 1998.

“I think this is a great situation for me,” Knight said. “This is a great staff, first and foremost, and a great organization. They won the Super Bowl, and they have a lot of people coming back, so the opportunity to win again was definitely one of the determining factors in me coming here.”

MARCH 1, 2008
Recapping yesterday's opening day of free agency, the Giants lost three of their four major UFAs. Safety Gibril Wilson signed with the Oakland Raiders for a six-year deal worth $39M with a $16M signing bonus. LB Reggie Torbor signed with the Miami Dolphins. And LB Kawika Mitchell signed a multi-year deal, worth a reported $3.5M per season, with Buffalo.

Other news to emerge from Day one of free agency...

• It looks like the Deangelo Hall trade talks are dead for the time being as Hall reportedly wants more money than the Giants are willing to spend.
• The Giants also terminated the contract of DT William Joseph, a former first round draft pick. Joseph becomes a UFA.
• Various news reports claim the Giants have interest in WR Devard Darling (Ravens), RB/KR Alvin Pearman (Seahawks), safeties Sammy Knight (Jaguars) and  Eugene Wilson (Patriots).
• It's not looking good for the Giants to get Derrick Ward back. Ward apparently has drawn some interest from  couple of teams despite the fact that he's recovering from a broken leg.
• The Giants apparently are on the lookout for a new veteran backup quarterback. They had reportedly been interested in Todd Collins (Redskins) and Cleo Lemon (Jaguars).