Giants Camp Preview: Quarterbacks

A new NFL season is right around the corner as training camp is quickly approaching.  Leading up to the start of training camp, we will have a run down position-by-position for the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. 

The fourth position we will take a look at is quarterback.

The projected starter at quarterback for the Giants is Eli Manning, with his backup expected to be David Carr. 

There are no new editions at the quarterback position, nor any players leaving. 

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The player to watch for the Giants at quarterback is obviously Manning.  Manning is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and in the prime of his career.  He is coming off his second Super Bowl victory and Super Bowl MVP award and only getting better as a player.  You can not do much better than David Carr as backup, as he provides a veteran presence behind Manning for the Giants in case Manning ever has to miss game time.  The Giants also like third-stringer Ryan Perrilloux, but it is unlikely for him to make the roster unless he beats out Carr as the Giants tend to carry only two quarterbacks as a time.

One strength that Manning provides this team is his ability to make those around him better.  Last season, Manning was charged with working in a new third receiver and starting tight end.  Manning was a big reason for the emergences of Victor Cruz and Jake Ballard as major contributors last season.  To make matters even tougher, he had to do all this behind a revamped offensive line and no team training because of the lockout limiting training camp.  This season, again, Manning is being asked to develop a new tight end and third receiver behind an offensive line that has shuffling parts.  There is no reason to believe that Manning cannot do it again, as players like Martellus Bennett, Bear Pascoe, Rueben Randle, Domenik Hixon, Ramses Barden and Jerel Jernigan are all thought to have more talent that the group last season. 

The potential weakness for the quarterback position for the Giants is the offensive line.  Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has admitted during camp that he is concerned about the line.  He may not be overly concerned, but there are some things that raise some question marks.  Gilbride has an old face in a new place in David Diehl, who is moving to right tackle, and a left tackle in Will Beatty that is dealing with chronic back problems.  Kevin Boothe is being given the responsibilities at left guard and David Baas should improve upon a rocky first season as a Giant that was derailed by injury.  Manning needs to be protected by this line, as they surrendered 28 sacks last season and six in the NFC Championship game in San Francisco. 

The wild card for the Giants quarterbacks is the running game.  If the Giants are able to get a consistent running game, it will make Manning that much more dangerous.  Last season the Giants finished last in rushing.  Imagine the potential stats Manning could garner with a strong running game to play off of with the deep play action routes the Giants like to use.  Manning threw for 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, carrying the offense without an effective running game to rely on. With an improved running game, Manning may also have some pressure relieved in late game situations, not having to mount as many comebacks with a stronger running game. 

Giants Top 10 Moments of 2011-2012 Season

It's been five months since the Giants were in a sea of red, white, and confetti, celebrating their latest run through the NFL's elite to another Lombardi Trophy. Eli Manning collected his second Super Bowl MVP, and the Giants took down Tom Brady and the Patriots for the second time in four years.

Now it's time to re-live the Top 10 moments of a Giants season that was filled with people writing them off during their game in Dallas, and an improbable run into and through the playoffs, and ending with a Super Bowl Victory.


10. Manning, Nicks lead fourth-quarter comeback against Cardinals (Week 4)


The Arizona Cardinals looked to be in full control of the game after Beenie Wells rushed for his third touchdown of the game and gave the Cardinals a 27-17 lead. With under four minutes in the game, Manning hit Hakeem Nicks  for 26 yards, and set up a TD pass to Jake Ballard.

Less than two minutes later, the Giants were driving again. Manning hit Victor Cruz for a first down in Cardinal territory, and Cruz willingly went down and then let go of the ball. The Cardinals challenged but the play stood as Cruz willfully gave himself up. With under three minutes, Manning connected with Nicks again for the go ahead score. The Giants went on to win 31-27 and improve to 3-1, and was the first of many late fourth quarter comebacks by Manning and the Giants.

9. Manning beats Patriots in the fourth quarter (Week 9)


 After losing the lead with just under two minutes left in the game, Eli Manning orchestrated one of his many fourth quarter drives. Manning hit tight end Jake Ballard on a third down to keep the Giants alive, and after a pass interference call on New England, Manning hit Ballard in the back of the end zone with 15 seconds left. The win brought the Giants record to 6-2, and also foreshadowed a meeting between the two teams on February 5, 2012.

8. Giants stop Falcons twice on Fourth and One (NFC Wild Card)


Yes the Giants defense made one of the top moments of the season. The Giants were heavily criticized all season, and rightly so, for their poor play during the regular season, but they turned it around in the playoffs. The Atlanta Falcons were driving on the Giants, but the Giants D stuffed Michael Turner on third and one, and then stopped Matt Ryan on fourth and one to get Eli and the offense the ball.

In the third quarter, with the Giants leading 10-2, Matt Ryan connected with Roddy White for 14 yards, setting up another fourth and one for Atlanta. The Giants D stuffed Matt Ryan for the second time in the game, and gave the momentum back to the Giants who went on to win 24-2.

7. JPP, Giants stun Cowboys in Dallas


The Giants were all but finished against the Cowboys. They trailed 34-22 with four minutes to play. Manning hit Jake Ballard for a touchdown and cut the lead to 34-29.

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On a third and five, Tony Romo overthrew a wide open Miles Austin, and it forced the Cowboys to punt. Manning was at it again and he led the Giants down to the Cowboys one yard line with just over a minute left. Brandon Jacobs scored two plays later, and the Giants converted on the two-point conversion.

Romo led the Cowboys down the field, and gave the Cowboys a chance to tie the game at 37. Kicker Dan Bailey hit the 47 yard field goal attempt, but the refs blew the play dead for a timeout by Tom Coughlin and the Giants.

Bailey's next attempt would be blocked by Jason Pierre-Paul and would preserve a 37-34 victory for the Giants. The win tied the Giants with the Cowboys atop the division, and keep their playoff hopes alive.


6. Giants win the NFC East, get into playoffs (Week 17)


 It was a do or die game for the Giants and Cowboys. The winner would take the NFC East title and get into the playoffs. The Giants got off to a fast start, with the help a 74 yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz. Ahmad Bradshaw scored twice, one rushing and one receiving, and the Giants held a commanding 21-0 lead.

The Cowboys fought back to cut the lead to 21-14, but the Giants answered scoring the final 10 points and beat the Cowboys 31-14.

The Giants won the NFC East title and were set to face the Atlanta Falcons the next week at MetLife Stadium.


5. Victor Cruz, enough said

The Giants receiving core consisted of Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Domenik Hixon through the first two weeks of the season, but when Hixon went down against the Rams with a torn ACL, the Giants looked to UMass grad Victor Cruz. It did not take long for Cruz to have an impact for the Giants. The next week Cruz caught two touchdown passes from Manning in the Giants 29-16 win over the division favorite Philadelphia Eagles. The next week Cruz made a circus catch in double coverage against the Seattle Seahawks, and flashed his salsa dance for the first time in front of the home crowd.

Cruz finished the season with 82 catches for 1,536 yards, and 9 touchdowns.

4. Jaqcuian Williams strips Kyle Williams (NFC Championship)

The Giants and San Francisco 49ers were tied at 17 in overtime of the NFC Championship game. The Niners punt returner, Ted Ginn, was not available so backup Kyle Williams was the man. Earlier in the game Kyle Williams let a bouncing ball deflect off his leg, and it was recovered by the Giants, and led to a Giants touchdown.

Now in overtime, Kyle Williams caught the ball and tried to run before securing the ball. Rookie Jacquian Williams stuck his hand in and knocked the ball loose before it was secured. Devin Thomas jumped on the loose ball and the Giants were on the San Francisco 24 yard line.

Four plays later Lawrence Tynes kicked a 31 yard field goal and sent the Giants to the Super Bowl, just like he did four years ago.

3. Victor Cruz 99 yard TD catch (Week 16)


The Giants were facing off with the rival New York Jets, who they share the stadium with, and the game had an impact on both teams playoff hopes.

The Giants were trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, and were facing a third and long on their own one yard line. Eli Manning found Victor Cruz for a ten yard completion, but Cruz wasn't done. Cruz changed direction on Jets corner back Antonio Cromartie, and was off to the races. Cruz took it to the house for a 99 yard touchdown that gave the Giants the lead for good, and the Giants won 29-14.

From that play on, the Giants began a run that would take them all the way through the playoffs, and into the Superbowl.

2. "The Catch II" Manning to Manningham (Super Bowl XLVI) 

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With the Giants trailing the Patriots 17-15 with under four minutes in the fourth quarter, it was up to Eli Manning to lead another game-winning drive. The Giants were backed up on their own 10 yard line when Manning dropped back to pass. He looked right, saw nothing, came back left and let one go down the sideline for Mario Manningham. The ball was thrown where only Manningham could catch it, and Manningham did while keeping both feet in bounds.

The 38 yard pass set the Giants up for the eventual game-winning score in Super Bowl XLVI, and will now be known by Giants fans as "The Catch II".

The Manningham catch came four years after Manning hit Tyree in Super Bowl XLII for one of the greatest catches in Superbowl history.

1. Giants win their fourth Lombardi Trophy


The Giants completed their improbable run by winning their fourth Super Bowl in team history. The Giants defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for the second time in four years, and Eli Manning left no doubt that he is an elite quarterback with his second Super Bowl MVP trophy.

The Giants scored with just under a minute left to take 21-17 lead over the Patriots. Tom Brady led the Patriots out to the 50 yard line with enough time for one more play. Brady hoisted the ball towards the end zone, and the Giants knocked the ball down and sealed the victory.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin preached one word to his team all year "finish", and thats what the Giants did. The Giants ended the season, including playoffs, on a six game win streak and won seven of their last eight to capture the Lombardi Trophy.

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New York Giants Off-Season Update

With the NFL Draft now in the rear-view mirror, teams are starting their off-season programs.  With OTA’s already done, soon enough mini-camps will begin and before you know it the pre-season and regular season will be upon us.  For the Giants, the defending on their Super Bowl title is being kicked into top gear.

The Giants have been making some roster and personnel moves recently.  The biggest moves are the contracts situations of defensive end Osi Umenyiora and head coach Tom Coughlin.

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Osi Umenyiora’s displeasure over his contract has been publicized plenty over the last few off-seasons.  He has wanted a re-structuring of his contract for multiple off-seasons.  Last season, it resulted in Umenyiora missing practice time, holding out over the contract dispute.  This season, there will be no such problems.  

Umenyiora and the Giants agreed to a restructured contract June 1^st.  Umenyiora was entering the last year of a seven year contract in which he would receive $3.975 million.  Umenyiora has outplayed the contract he signed and had every reason to want more money. 

 This resolution is a win for everyone because both sides are happy and get what they want.  Umenyiora gets the extra money he has been looking for and the Giants get to keep one of the best defensive linemen on their team for at least another season.

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   As for Tom Coughlin, he also received a contract extension.  The extension will keep Coughlin on the Giants sideline through the 2014 season.  The contract will kick in this year, meaning that total is for three years and $20 million as Coughlin’s original contract was set to expire after this season.  The new contract makes Coughlin one of the highest paid coaches in the league; deservedly so.  Coughlin should be able to come back for as long as he wants to coach, leading the Giants to two Super Bowl victories since the 2007 season. 

The Giants have also made a few roster moves, re-signing defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and cutting tight end Jake Ballard.  Ballard tore his ACL in addition to needing microfracture surgery, suffering the injury in the Super Bowl against the Patriots.  Ballard had failed his physical and was subsequently released.  The thought is that the Giants will bring Ballard back once he clears waivers.  Ballard went onto Twitter to show his appreciation for the Giants and his feelings on the future, “Thanks for the love everyone but don’t worry, it’s a business, I’m on the road to recovery, and I believe I’ll be in a Giants uniform in ’13.”

Not all news this off-season for the Giants has been positive though, as offensive lineman David Diehl was arrested on suspicion of DWI after his car hit multiple parked cars in Queens.  There were no passengers, and Diehl was not injured during the process.  If he is indeed charged, Diehl could be facing a suspension from the NFL. 

New York Giants Select TE Adrien Robinson in 4th Round

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With the 127^th pick, 32^nd pick of the 4^th round in the 2012 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Tight End, Adrian Robinson out of Cincinnati University.  This pick helps fill a need that the Giants have while adding another weapon to an already impressive passing attack.  With starting tight end Jake Ballard and backup Travis Beckum both getting hurt in the Super Bowl adding a tight end was a good move even with the addition of Martellus Bennett in free agency.

Robinson is 6’4” tall and weighs 267 pounds.  Robinson, unlike the last three picks made by the Giants, does not have much of a track record in his four years at Cincinnati.  He had 12 receptions for 183 yards and three touchdowns last season, and totaled only 29 catches in hi four seasons.  What really has intrigued the Giants is athleticism and “untapped” potential.  Robinson is being likened as the “JPP of tight ends.”  There is no better team that Robinson could have ended up on, as the Giants and Tight End coach Mike Pope are some of the best in the business at developing tight ends.  The track record of Pope has been good, developing undrafted free agents Jake Ballard and Bear Pascoe into starters recently. 

Marc Ross, director of college scouting for the Giants, said that Robinson is a former high school basketball player.  That is the new thing for teams to look for in tight ends, as Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez and Jimmy Graham to name a few all had basketball backgrounds before picking football. 

One scouts take on Robinson is, “Above-average athlete but needs polish with routes.  Possesses the top-end speed to run away from defenders with flag, seam and crossing routes.  Has the experience and is effective lining up flexed out.  Possesses long arms and a big frame that provides him with a wide catching radius.”

Another scout says, “Soft hands and catch the ball naturally away from his body.  Underrated athlete that has above-average body control to adjust to throws outside of strike zone.  Possesses the initial burst and top-end speed to stretch the middle of the field and factor in down the deep seams.  Flashes a competitive edge and not afraid to mix it up.  Could do a better job of sustaining blocks but effort is not the issue.”

This was a great addition for the Giants.  It gives them another healthy body at tight end, which they needed, and a potential problem for other teams.  Robinson will have an opportunity to show what he is made of with Beckum possibly not being ready to start the season and Ballard not returning until maybe half-way through the season if he returns at all. 

Pope is the best in the business in developing tight ends and should have a blast working with someone dripping with potential such as Robinson.  Ballard is obviously less gifted athletically than Robinson and Pope along with Eli Manning and the coaching staff made it work.  At the very least, Robinson adds depth for this season with potential to have an impact the more work he has. 

“We really think this guy has a huge upside,” GM Jerry Reese said.  “He is a big, big man [with] long arms.  He didn’t catch a lot of balls for them.  But he is kind of a late bloomer who has really come on.  And we think this guy is kind of a ‘JPP’ of tight ends.  We like these kind of people.”

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 “He is just a big, gigantic man with long arms,” Reese explained in comparing Robinson to JPP (Jason Pierre-Paul).  “He has got those freakish athletic numbers.  When we got Jason [Pierre-Paul] we said, ‘This guy hasn’t scratched the surface.’  And Jason still has a lot of learning to do [and] continuing to grow.  This kid [Robinson] hasn’t scratched the surface yet.  He has a chance to be really something, we think.”

New York Giants Draft Preview: Tight End

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This is the fourth installment in the series of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The next position up is Tight End.

The depth chart for the Giants at tight end currently includes Martellus Bennett, Jake Ballard, Bear Pascoe, Travis Beckum, Christian Hopkins, Ryan Purvis, and Larry Donnell.

Heading into the off-season, tight end was definitely a position of concern for the Giants, quite possibly the biggest concern for the team.  Ballard and Beckum both suffered serious knee injuries in the Super Bowl, leaving the Giants deathly thin at the position entering free agency.  Beckum says his rehab is going extremely well; so well he could be ready to go by opening night after tearing his ACL.  Ballard had to have micro-fracture surgery in addition to ACL surgery on his knee.  He will be lucky to return after mid-season, if at all this year. 

The Giants took a flier on Bennett, the former second round pick of the Dallas Cowboys.  The Giants are holding out hope that Bennett can finally have that breakout season he seems capable of. This will be the first opportunity Bennett has to be the starting tight end and primary pass catcher in his career now that he is out of the shadow of Jason Witten in Dallas.  Bennett brings all the tools you could ask for out of a tight end as he has size, good hands and is an above average blocker. They gave Bennett a one year 2.5 million dollar contract, a sort of lets see what your made of contract.  If he does well, the Giants got great production at a great rate and if he fails and flames out the Giants are not on the hook for anything past this season. 

Pascoe is another player the Giants are high on.  He is capable of playing multiple roles for the Giants, being a jack of all trades playing tight end, fullback and being put on the field as an extra blocker.  Hopkins has also received his fair share of hype from the Giants brass after spending last season on the teams practice squad.  It is not out of the realm of possibilities for the Giants to have one of these tight ends develop into a capable pass catcher.  Eli Manning did it last season with Ballard and there is no reason to believe he cannot do it again this year.  The Giants have one of the best Tight End coaches in the NFL in Mike Pope, who is highly respected around the NFL by his peers. 

The last time the Giants used a selection in the draft on a tight end was when they drafted Beckum in the third round in 2009 out of Wisconsin.  No one ever knows what GM Jerry Reese is thinking in respect to the draft, so it remains to be seen if he is willing to use such a high pick on a tight end after signing Bennett this off-season. 

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Many draft experts still have the Giants still selecting Coby Fleener out of Stanford.  Fleener is rated as the best tight end in the draft, and would definitely be a great addition to a Giants squad who likes using two tight end sets.  If Reese is not comfortable using a first round pick on Fleener, look for the Giants to entertain the idea of drafting Dwayne Allen of Clemson in the second round or Orson Charles a little later in the draft.

The Giants have hit it big with undrafted free agent tight ends the last few seasons, so developing one is not a problem for them if they do not feel comfortable drafting one.  Because of this, I would rate the necessity of adding a tight end in the draft as a 6 on a scale of 1-10. 

New York Giants Draft Preview: Quarterback

This is the first in a series of posts where I will discuss the Giants current outlook and needs for the upcoming NFL Draft position by position.

The first position I will be taking a look at is Quarterback.

At quarterback, the depth chart for the Giants goes Eli Manning, David Carr and Ryan Perrilloux. 

Eli Manning is coming off his best season as an NFL quarterback and no longer has to answer questions about his standing amongst other QB’s in the league or how elite he is.  Manning is coming off his second Super Bowl MVP award and is in the prime of his career.  Manning cut down his career high 25 interceptions from 2010 to only 16 in 2011, not only improving his ball control but making everyone around him better; a sign of a great leader and quarterback.  New pieces were all over the offense, and Manning still managed to put up career numbers and keep everything clicking.  From undrafted players Victor Cruz and Jake Ballard becoming major contributors to playing behind what was a makeshift offensive line at time, Manning never broke stride and kept the team moving. 

What makes Manning’s season that much more impressive was the performance of the Giants running game, or a lack there of.  This season Manning will be relied upon heavily again, as the Giants are in the midst of a changing of the guard on the offensive line and new players will need to be worked into the offense.  Much like last season, Manning will need to develop chemistry with new receivers.  With Mario Manningham leaving via free agency, the Giants are looking for a new third receiver.  Also, the Giants signed new Tight End Martellus Bennett to solidify the position after injuries ravaged the Giants during the Super Bowl when Ballard and Travis Beckum both went down with knee injuries.  Thankfully for Manning and the Giants, they will have a full off-season to work everything out unlike last year because of the lockout.

God forbid if Manning was ever injured, the Giants could do worse than David Carr.  The former number one pick out of Fresno State has starting experience and is a seasoned veteran.  Carr also plays an important role during practice and on the scout team.  Perrilloux has something the Giants must like because they signed him back to the practice squad numerous times this past season.

The last time the Giants drafted a quarterback was Rhett Bomar out of Sam Houston State in 2009 in the 5^th round.  If the Giants are to take another quarterback this year, it will not be more than a developmental pick.  It is safe to say the Giants are pretty set at QB currently.  If they were to look at a QB in this year’s draft, Darron Thomas of Oregon and Jordan Jefferson from LSU are two names to keep an eye on.  They are both great athletes, but could use some time to learn the position and who better to learn from than two former number 1 overall picks? 

The necessity of a quarterback on a scale of 1-10 for the Giants I would put at a 1.  Manning isn’t going anywhere and is here for the long run. 

New York Giants Start to Free Agency

There was a ton of euphoria surrounding the Giants following their rousing Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots for the 2nd time in 4 years. Eventually you have to move on and start focusing on next season. That time is now for the New York Giants. 


Tuesday, March 13, the free agency period will open up in the NFL and players will begin flooding the waiver wire and open market. But for certain teams, like the Giants, tough decisions and hard work are already being put in before free agency begins. 


The Giants have over 20 free agents, and it will be impossible to retain all of them, so they will have to pick and choose smartly which players are worthy of keeping, and which they will need to let go and eventually replace. The Giants have already re-signed Wide Receiver Domenick Hixon, who is coming off his second ACL tear in back-to-back years, Cornerback Bruce Johnson, who is coming off an ACL tear suffered in the pre-season, and Tight End Jake Ballard, who suffered an ACL tear during the Super Bowl. 


One player who may not be lucky enough to return is Wide Receiver Mario Manningham. After having a so-so season, dealing with multiple injuries, Manningham may have priced himself out of the Giants price range because of his performance in the Super Bowl and throughout the playoffs. There have been conflicting reports as to the percent chances that Manningham is leaving, but general consensus is that Manningham will leave because he believes he is worth top receiver money, and the Giants will need to find a way to pay Wide Receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz in the next two off-seasons. 


To free up some cap space, the Giants and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning agreed to a restructuring of his contract. They were $9 million over the cap at one point, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. But Reese the restructuring of Eli Manning's contract has given them some relief; approximately $6.75 million in cap space according to reports. Manning's base salary is now $1.75 million, down from $10.75 million, according to the NFL Players Association. The franchise quarterback will still get all of that money with $9 million of that $10.75 million being paid up front and guaranteed according to the Newark Star-Ledger. Manning's 2012 cap number counts for $9.6 million now, down from $16.35 million according to the New York Daily News. 


Restructuring Eli’s contract alone will not get the Giants the cap relief they need, so other tough decisions needed to be done. Some high profile moves the Giants made were releasing long-time Giants Brandon Jacobs and Kareem McKenzie. The Giants and Jacobs could not agree to a restructured contract, ending his seven year tenure with the team. The Giants were going to be on the hook for a 4.9 million dollar base salary and $500,000 roster bonus, so releasing Jacobs saved the Giants $5million in cap. Just like in years past, the Giants are taking the approach to add younger talent to the offensive line, telling Kareem McKenzie that he can go shopping to find a new team. McKenzie joined the Giants after 4 years with the New York Jets, and was a very important piece to both Super Bowl victories. Giant fans will miss McKenzie, who was both a warrior and mentor on the field for eight seasons.