Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Would have loved a LB but the board wasn't there to the front office. I have to trust them at this point given their last few drafts. This kid is a freak though.
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*** Official 2010 New York Giants Thread *** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter RC94
- Start date
Koya
Footballguy
The NFL has seen a number of great athletes that find their way into good (or better) careers. Especially those with a former basketball background - provides great lateral quickness and overall coordination as opposed to just brute numbers strength.Plus, this gives flexibility re: trading Osi is necessary. While I don't love the positional choice, if indeed he can come close to living up to the exceptional raw ability he demonstrated in limited playing time, it will be a successful pick for us for some time to come.
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Yeah. I'm not high on trading Osi. I'm loving the vision of the D-line rotation they have right now, but I get the business part of this. In the 5 trades that need to happen thread, it was brought up that the Giants should trade for Morrison in Oakland. They should. And Merriman as well and with Osi out there, maybe they can do both?
Koya
Footballguy
If the chemistry isnt there, trade the malcontent. Team is what matters here (talkin to you, Osi)
RC94
Footballguy
Morrison for a 4th would be great IMO as well.I am hoping they get one of the good OT still available or maybe Price at DT in the 2nd round. Trade a 4th for Morrison and get good value for Osi and this draft will start to really take shape. At this point, however, it's still very much a TBD in my opinion. JPP has nice upside, but other things need to happen before it starts to really look good IMO (like getting a good MLB which is a huge need and getting good value for Osi).
Yenrub
Footballguy
As far as the DT’s go who do you think is the better fit for the Giants Price (UCLA) or Joseph (ECU) I agree with adding some OL help tooThinking outside the box a bit what do you guys think of McCluster from Ole Miss?
RC94
Footballguy
I don't know much about Joseph, but Price is supposed to be a very good fit sceme-wise. The knock on him is apparently his work ethic, but IMO the Giants have the coaching staff to get the most out of him.IMO McCluster would be a wasted pick. They already have good KR/PR with Hixon and now that Ware is healthy he is good too. The Giants still have big holes to fill at DT, OT and MLB in particular. McCluster could wind up being a playmaking special teams player, but I am really concerned about the defense and o-line and IMO the rest of the NFC East has improved more then the Giants so far this offseason so unless they fix those problems we could be facing a last place finish next year.
Yenrub
Footballguy
Sure looks that way
netnalp
Footballguy
I don't think Rolle was brought in to replace Phillips, I believe he's recovering from the surgery, I'm just not sure he'll stay healthy. Seems the team is gathering depth in case Phillips just can't stay healthy. LB is still a need and OL. If Osi stays, maybe the plan is to have Tuck play DT on passing downs like he did when we had Strahan or Kiwi is back to LB. I don't think we'll see a 5-2-4 base def.
Agreed.
netnalp
Footballguy
After McClain, the drop off at ILB was huge. The team may have felt that none of those on the board were any better than the guys on the team already. I hope to see the Giants working to get an ILB in FA and to bring in a bunch of undrafted rookie LBs.
The Def coach said that the Safety taken in round 3 would be tried out at nickel LB.
The Def coach said that the Safety taken in round 3 would be tried out at nickel LB.
Last edited by a moderator:
netnalp
Footballguy
Director of College Scouting Marc Ross Post-Draft Presser Eric from BBI : 7:16 pm Q: Talk about Dillard…
A: Phillip is a high energy, fast kind of player. He is a little on the short side but the guy is 245 pounds. He’s thick, and we expect him to play in the middle and compete for that job there. He’s a smart kid and he’s really been a tough worker there at Nebraska so we are excited about him.
Q: Did he play middle, weakside?
A: He played middle and WIL. He played both.
Q: He’s an interesting guy. We asked him how much he was helped by having Suh in front of him and he said that his coach was telling scouts that he helped Suh out as well.
A: Any time you have Suh in front, you know. He did, he did help the kid. I’m glad Phil tried to take some but he was lining things up and made a lot of the calls. I’m sure that’s what he was really referring to because he set the defense, called the fronts, and all that stuff.
Q: If he has to step in, is he capable of doing that here?
A: We have spoken to the defensive coordinator and everything. He’s another kid we had on the visit and we put on the board. He did a great job with that.
Q: The punter…strong leg, weak leg? Obviously you guys think he has a strong leg:
A: Yeah, strong leg. When you see him, he’s not a typical punter looking guy. He’s muscular and 224 pounds. You’ll think he’s a safety when you see him walk up because he’s real jacked up. He loves to lift with his other teammates and stuff, and he’s an intense kid. He has a strong leg and we like those big guys. We don’t want those scrawny punters that can’t last a whole season so he has a lot of developmental qualities to him.
Q: Those reports that say he didn’t have a strong leg?
A: He didn’t have any of those. We didn’t have any, maybe some other ones in the league. We thought the kid had a strong leg.
Q: It also said he doesn’t mind going downfield and trying to make a tackle…
A: Yes. That’s what I’m saying. It’s the way the kid looks. He wants to be a football player. He kicks off and punts. So we love that. He wants to be a football player as either a kicker or punter.
Q: Where are you on this Tracy kid as far as how quickly you think he can adjust?
A: We are real excited because he is a smart kid, obviously, going to William and Mary. Another guy we had in here. We researched extensively down there and he was probably the best note taker we had when we put him on the board of all the guys we had up in our visit. Very conscientious kid. When we interviewed him, the guy shows he is very bright and we have no problems with that whatsoever. We think he’ll pick it up really fast.
Q: How many of these guys would you say are more upside and raw than ready to come in right now? I hate to use the word project…
A: A lot of the guys who we took are very good players who still have upside. I think sometimes that gets misconstrued when we say people have upside is that they aren’t very good players and we are hoping that they have good players with upside. These are guys we think are good or even outstanding players who still are going to get better where there is a different kind of player where they are going to be what they are, which could be very good still in the NFL. Take a guy like Petrus who, I think, is going to be the same guy now as he is 10 years from now: a tough, nasty, feisty, competitive guy. That’s who he is going to be and that is going to be his calling card whereas a person like Tracy, who we are expecting a whole lot more, him moving positions and growing and learning and developing. So there is a difference there.
Q: Regarding Petrus jumping around – tight end, fullback – how much did that hurt his development?
A: It may have helped some, just having some versatility and having a different mindset with the different positions on the field. But he is a guy that is going to attack it from day one. When we called him he was excited. He is ready to go right now. If we told him to walk up here right now, he would be here ready to practice. So that is the kind of guy that he is.
Q: You mentioned yesterday that there is a gap from the top linebackers from the next group, was Dillard in the next group?
A: Yeah, we had him in that next group. We actually talked about him at three (third round) and there was some good discussion about it. We thought there was a chance that he’d be available and that Chad wouldn’t be, so we decided to go that route and hold our breath, and we got him. It was a restless night’s sleep but it was worth it.
Q: Was there then another guy? You were getting to the point where everyone thought you needed to take a middle linebacker at some point:
A: We had some other guys later, but not really at that range where we took him. We weren’t going to force anything. We don’t do that and I know we come down here and say it, but we’re not going to force it. When you force players and you think it’s a need and then you get burned, and then don’t play anyway, then you have a bad pick. We were going to wait for the right person at the right time and we feel strongly that Phillip is that guy.
Q: Do you think that was the plan if you didn’t get McClain, that Dillard was the next plan?
A: Yeah, he was in that group when we would meet and talk about those things and set up scenarios. He was part of that scenario where if we don’t get a guy here in the top tier group then this guy will look good in that third and fourth round range.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not reaching for a LB, sounds alot like what we do with tiering in FF and looking for value.
A: Phillip is a high energy, fast kind of player. He is a little on the short side but the guy is 245 pounds. He’s thick, and we expect him to play in the middle and compete for that job there. He’s a smart kid and he’s really been a tough worker there at Nebraska so we are excited about him.
Q: Did he play middle, weakside?
A: He played middle and WIL. He played both.
Q: He’s an interesting guy. We asked him how much he was helped by having Suh in front of him and he said that his coach was telling scouts that he helped Suh out as well.
A: Any time you have Suh in front, you know. He did, he did help the kid. I’m glad Phil tried to take some but he was lining things up and made a lot of the calls. I’m sure that’s what he was really referring to because he set the defense, called the fronts, and all that stuff.
Q: If he has to step in, is he capable of doing that here?
A: We have spoken to the defensive coordinator and everything. He’s another kid we had on the visit and we put on the board. He did a great job with that.
Q: The punter…strong leg, weak leg? Obviously you guys think he has a strong leg:
A: Yeah, strong leg. When you see him, he’s not a typical punter looking guy. He’s muscular and 224 pounds. You’ll think he’s a safety when you see him walk up because he’s real jacked up. He loves to lift with his other teammates and stuff, and he’s an intense kid. He has a strong leg and we like those big guys. We don’t want those scrawny punters that can’t last a whole season so he has a lot of developmental qualities to him.
Q: Those reports that say he didn’t have a strong leg?
A: He didn’t have any of those. We didn’t have any, maybe some other ones in the league. We thought the kid had a strong leg.
Q: It also said he doesn’t mind going downfield and trying to make a tackle…
A: Yes. That’s what I’m saying. It’s the way the kid looks. He wants to be a football player. He kicks off and punts. So we love that. He wants to be a football player as either a kicker or punter.
Q: Where are you on this Tracy kid as far as how quickly you think he can adjust?
A: We are real excited because he is a smart kid, obviously, going to William and Mary. Another guy we had in here. We researched extensively down there and he was probably the best note taker we had when we put him on the board of all the guys we had up in our visit. Very conscientious kid. When we interviewed him, the guy shows he is very bright and we have no problems with that whatsoever. We think he’ll pick it up really fast.
Q: How many of these guys would you say are more upside and raw than ready to come in right now? I hate to use the word project…
A: A lot of the guys who we took are very good players who still have upside. I think sometimes that gets misconstrued when we say people have upside is that they aren’t very good players and we are hoping that they have good players with upside. These are guys we think are good or even outstanding players who still are going to get better where there is a different kind of player where they are going to be what they are, which could be very good still in the NFL. Take a guy like Petrus who, I think, is going to be the same guy now as he is 10 years from now: a tough, nasty, feisty, competitive guy. That’s who he is going to be and that is going to be his calling card whereas a person like Tracy, who we are expecting a whole lot more, him moving positions and growing and learning and developing. So there is a difference there.
Q: Regarding Petrus jumping around – tight end, fullback – how much did that hurt his development?
A: It may have helped some, just having some versatility and having a different mindset with the different positions on the field. But he is a guy that is going to attack it from day one. When we called him he was excited. He is ready to go right now. If we told him to walk up here right now, he would be here ready to practice. So that is the kind of guy that he is.
Q: You mentioned yesterday that there is a gap from the top linebackers from the next group, was Dillard in the next group?
A: Yeah, we had him in that next group. We actually talked about him at three (third round) and there was some good discussion about it. We thought there was a chance that he’d be available and that Chad wouldn’t be, so we decided to go that route and hold our breath, and we got him. It was a restless night’s sleep but it was worth it.
Q: Was there then another guy? You were getting to the point where everyone thought you needed to take a middle linebacker at some point:
A: We had some other guys later, but not really at that range where we took him. We weren’t going to force anything. We don’t do that and I know we come down here and say it, but we’re not going to force it. When you force players and you think it’s a need and then you get burned, and then don’t play anyway, then you have a bad pick. We were going to wait for the right person at the right time and we feel strongly that Phillip is that guy.
Q: Do you think that was the plan if you didn’t get McClain, that Dillard was the next plan?
A: Yeah, he was in that group when we would meet and talk about those things and set up scenarios. He was part of that scenario where if we don’t get a guy here in the top tier group then this guy will look good in that third and fourth round range.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not reaching for a LB, sounds alot like what we do with tiering in FF and looking for value.
netnalp
Footballguy
Head Coach Tom Coughlin's Post-Draft Press Conference
Eric from BBI : 6:00 pm
Jerry has been in and obviously we went defense with most of the picks. And I can tell you that some years when you are obviously interested in solving some issues, it doesn't work out that way. You don't get the match between the quality, the way the player is evaluated and his grade, what you needs are; it just doesn't work out. This year, for the most part, it did work out and that is kind of the way our draft went. Jerry has indicated to you a little bit about my conversations with Jeff Feagles. And that let us make the pick in the seventh round. Jeff is going to come in and we are going to continue to talk further. Jeff called me last week, came in to see me and then called me again and we talked about where he was in terms of what his thinking was and his considerations about perhaps retiring. So we felt like that we would go ahead and not pass on this punter who was one of the two people that we felt were draft-worthy in this particular draft.
(Mitch) Petrus, the offensive guard – powerful, the guy that set the stage with the outstanding number of reps out at Indianapolis; a strong, physical player; a guy who gives us some added depth inside. He was the right pick at that time for us as well. And Adrian Tracy – we just had people that continued to speak about how highly they felt about his ability. Even though he played with his hand on the ground a great deal of the time, the projection was to linebacker. He played linebacker in the all star games and there wasn't any question on the part of the scouts that had seen him play that he could play from a standup position and be a linebacker at this level. So that is how that came about.
Phillip Dillard is a linebacker that really fit a need and had the grade at that particular time in the fourth round for us to take him. The scouts were very impressed. There were some outstanding conversations. Jim Herrmann talked to the coaches at Nebraska. The scouts had an opportunity to watch the career of Dillard there and the way that he performed in his last year in terms of being an outstanding special teams player – a guy who had the ability to play coverage but also was physical, has the size, weighs about 245 pounds. So we feel like he can stand in there against the run. So we look forward to bringing him in as well.
Q: Were you surprised by Feagles approaching you to discuss that?
A: I was surprised. I wouldn't tell you any different. Jeff was trying to do the right thing, okay. By letting us know with the draft in front of us rather than behind us. So he did the honorable thing, as he always would do, having the best interest of our team at heart. Whether we were going to do anything about it or not, that obviously was up to us. So he is coming in this week and we will see what the final status of this is. But obviously we felt it was important enough to act.
Q: Is he hurt at all or is he just tired from working out?
A: No, he is 44 years old. He worked very hard for approximately a month right after the season just to try to tell himself again that he could do this and wanted to be able to do it. And then ran into some – as we went on and started the offseason program – ran into some of the physical tests that you have to go through as you continue to advance almost on a weekly basis. He has a program which is unique to himself, but he is having some physical issues. And so he has decided to deal with them.
Q: Is going to punt at all when he comes in next week?
A: No.
Q: Is this a hard deadline that you wanted a yes or a no?
A: No, it is coming from him. This is coming from Jeff. It is not coming from us.
Q: Has he said he would give you a definite yes or no?
A: Oh, I think he will, yeah.
Q: If he says, "I think I can do it," will you see how it works out with other guys in the summer?
A: If that is the case, yes.
Q: One of the things that Jerry mentioned was the holder. Have either Bomar or Sorgi done it before?
A: Sorgi has done it.
Q: So he would be ---
A: He is the guy that is starting – as of last week – to do that.
Q: Adding Dillard to the mix, are you pretty comfortable with the guys that you have in the mix for middle linebacker?
A: I don't think that is a very good word as we have discussed before. That word ("comfortable") - I don't really like that word. We are going to go forward to find out. This is why we drafted Dillard. We do have some guys that you know have played in there and they are going to get themselves back in there again. So we will start there to determine who is going to have that job – at least at the very beginning – and how successful we are after that.
Q: Jerry said that he wouldn't rule out bringing in another veteran.
A: I don't think you rule anything out right now. Because there is time here to test some things out. But obviously we are not going to be banging into anybody for awhile. So until that takes place and the ability to do that on a daily basis that will come in camp. But whether we add or subtract or whatever, we will see. A lot will depend on the player that is available.
Q: Is there any frustration or disappointment – because obviously there is a need at that position for linebacker – you want value and need to match – was this the best match possible or was it the best match you could get – that was available but not quite what you wanted?
A: Well, you have asked a lot of questions. I think that – you have to deal with the circumstances as they are. And that is exactly what it was. Did we have our eye on this guy? Yes. Did we have our eye on this guy at this point in the draft? Yes. Did we think that if there was any other move before that it would have been the right thing to do? Obviously not. We didn't think he would go any further, either.
Q: Based on what you and Jeff have said to each other, would you be surprised if he came in next week and said he wanted to continue?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you think by drafting another punter it might influence that decision?
A: No. Jeff Feagles – if he decided that he wanted to do this and could – I think the question is 'could do this,' okay. I think it is at that point for him. (If he) could continue at the highest level to do this, it wouldn't matter who he had to compete against. That wouldn't be a factor. He has done this before.
Q: What have you seen from Jy Bond in the couple of weeks that he has been here?
A: "Mate." "Mate." "How are you doing, Mate?" He has been involved in the program. There has been no getting outside. He has worked with Tom (Quinn) and Thomas (McGaughey) but I haven't made an appearance in those things just yet. I am his 'mate.' I passed that test.
Q: When you look at your team now after this draft how do you feel about what you guys have? What is your overall outlook for your team this year?
A: I feel good. I feel good about the players that were selected and the way that they will add to our team, what we have done in the offseason. I didn't mention (Deon) Grant a few minutes ago, but Grant is there as a veteran safety as well. So I do feel good about this. I think that this is exactly what is necessary for us. It gives us competitiveness at a lot of spots. And some depth at the same time and reinforces our numbers at some positions where there are some questions. So I feel good about that and let's get going – let's get it going.
Eric from BBI : 6:00 pm
Jerry has been in and obviously we went defense with most of the picks. And I can tell you that some years when you are obviously interested in solving some issues, it doesn't work out that way. You don't get the match between the quality, the way the player is evaluated and his grade, what you needs are; it just doesn't work out. This year, for the most part, it did work out and that is kind of the way our draft went. Jerry has indicated to you a little bit about my conversations with Jeff Feagles. And that let us make the pick in the seventh round. Jeff is going to come in and we are going to continue to talk further. Jeff called me last week, came in to see me and then called me again and we talked about where he was in terms of what his thinking was and his considerations about perhaps retiring. So we felt like that we would go ahead and not pass on this punter who was one of the two people that we felt were draft-worthy in this particular draft.
(Mitch) Petrus, the offensive guard – powerful, the guy that set the stage with the outstanding number of reps out at Indianapolis; a strong, physical player; a guy who gives us some added depth inside. He was the right pick at that time for us as well. And Adrian Tracy – we just had people that continued to speak about how highly they felt about his ability. Even though he played with his hand on the ground a great deal of the time, the projection was to linebacker. He played linebacker in the all star games and there wasn't any question on the part of the scouts that had seen him play that he could play from a standup position and be a linebacker at this level. So that is how that came about.
Phillip Dillard is a linebacker that really fit a need and had the grade at that particular time in the fourth round for us to take him. The scouts were very impressed. There were some outstanding conversations. Jim Herrmann talked to the coaches at Nebraska. The scouts had an opportunity to watch the career of Dillard there and the way that he performed in his last year in terms of being an outstanding special teams player – a guy who had the ability to play coverage but also was physical, has the size, weighs about 245 pounds. So we feel like he can stand in there against the run. So we look forward to bringing him in as well.
Q: Were you surprised by Feagles approaching you to discuss that?
A: I was surprised. I wouldn't tell you any different. Jeff was trying to do the right thing, okay. By letting us know with the draft in front of us rather than behind us. So he did the honorable thing, as he always would do, having the best interest of our team at heart. Whether we were going to do anything about it or not, that obviously was up to us. So he is coming in this week and we will see what the final status of this is. But obviously we felt it was important enough to act.
Q: Is he hurt at all or is he just tired from working out?
A: No, he is 44 years old. He worked very hard for approximately a month right after the season just to try to tell himself again that he could do this and wanted to be able to do it. And then ran into some – as we went on and started the offseason program – ran into some of the physical tests that you have to go through as you continue to advance almost on a weekly basis. He has a program which is unique to himself, but he is having some physical issues. And so he has decided to deal with them.
Q: Is going to punt at all when he comes in next week?
A: No.
Q: Is this a hard deadline that you wanted a yes or a no?
A: No, it is coming from him. This is coming from Jeff. It is not coming from us.
Q: Has he said he would give you a definite yes or no?
A: Oh, I think he will, yeah.
Q: If he says, "I think I can do it," will you see how it works out with other guys in the summer?
A: If that is the case, yes.
Q: One of the things that Jerry mentioned was the holder. Have either Bomar or Sorgi done it before?
A: Sorgi has done it.
Q: So he would be ---
A: He is the guy that is starting – as of last week – to do that.
Q: Adding Dillard to the mix, are you pretty comfortable with the guys that you have in the mix for middle linebacker?
A: I don't think that is a very good word as we have discussed before. That word ("comfortable") - I don't really like that word. We are going to go forward to find out. This is why we drafted Dillard. We do have some guys that you know have played in there and they are going to get themselves back in there again. So we will start there to determine who is going to have that job – at least at the very beginning – and how successful we are after that.
Q: Jerry said that he wouldn't rule out bringing in another veteran.
A: I don't think you rule anything out right now. Because there is time here to test some things out. But obviously we are not going to be banging into anybody for awhile. So until that takes place and the ability to do that on a daily basis that will come in camp. But whether we add or subtract or whatever, we will see. A lot will depend on the player that is available.
Q: Is there any frustration or disappointment – because obviously there is a need at that position for linebacker – you want value and need to match – was this the best match possible or was it the best match you could get – that was available but not quite what you wanted?
A: Well, you have asked a lot of questions. I think that – you have to deal with the circumstances as they are. And that is exactly what it was. Did we have our eye on this guy? Yes. Did we have our eye on this guy at this point in the draft? Yes. Did we think that if there was any other move before that it would have been the right thing to do? Obviously not. We didn't think he would go any further, either.
Q: Based on what you and Jeff have said to each other, would you be surprised if he came in next week and said he wanted to continue?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you think by drafting another punter it might influence that decision?
A: No. Jeff Feagles – if he decided that he wanted to do this and could – I think the question is 'could do this,' okay. I think it is at that point for him. (If he) could continue at the highest level to do this, it wouldn't matter who he had to compete against. That wouldn't be a factor. He has done this before.
Q: What have you seen from Jy Bond in the couple of weeks that he has been here?
A: "Mate." "Mate." "How are you doing, Mate?" He has been involved in the program. There has been no getting outside. He has worked with Tom (Quinn) and Thomas (McGaughey) but I haven't made an appearance in those things just yet. I am his 'mate.' I passed that test.
Q: When you look at your team now after this draft how do you feel about what you guys have? What is your overall outlook for your team this year?
A: I feel good. I feel good about the players that were selected and the way that they will add to our team, what we have done in the offseason. I didn't mention (Deon) Grant a few minutes ago, but Grant is there as a veteran safety as well. So I do feel good about this. I think that this is exactly what is necessary for us. It gives us competitiveness at a lot of spots. And some depth at the same time and reinforces our numbers at some positions where there are some questions. So I feel good about that and let's get going – let's get it going.
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netnalp
Footballguy
GM Jerry Reese's Post-Draft Press Conference Eric from BBI : 5:52 pm
I’ll just run through the list with you really quick. Jason Pierre-Paul, we talked about him. We think he can be a dynamic defensive end for us. Huge upside and we think he can be a really good player. Linval Joseph is a big, powerful, point of attack defensive tackle. He gives us a big anchor inside and we talked about him. I think Marc Ross talked to you guys about Chad Jones. Athletic, big safety who gives us some depth at the safety position. He has some special teams ability. We think he has a big upside as well. The new guy is Phillip Dillard, middle linebacker from Nebraska. Phillip is a rugged inside linebacker, tough, instinctive, smart, hard-hitting inside middle linebacker. We had him targeted for a while and we are happy he was still up there in the fourth round for us. We talked about him a little bit earlier but there were some more guys up there who we thought had the value that, at the time, was better. So, we rolled the dice and we came out with the guy we wanted at middle linebacker. We feel like he can come in and start competing right away for that job with some of the guys we already have. Mitch Petrus is the guard from Arkansas: tough, rugged, in-your-face guard. That’s what this guy is. He is hardnosed, aggressive. He can pull and do all the things we ask our guards to do. This guy has a vicious nature about him, and we like his skill set for what we do with our guards. Adrian Tracy is from William & Mary, we are going to play him at outside linebacker on the strong side. He’s a projection. He was a defensive end and he had a bunch of sacks out there. We worked him out as a SAM linebacker and we think he can project to a SAM. He is a really good athlete, really smart kid and big kid. We think he has upside to project to a SAM linebacker and give us some depth at that position as well. The last guy we just drafted was Matt Dodge, a punter from East Carolina. Big legged, powerful, I mean this guy can hit some moon shots. There are some inconsistencies which most young punters have that we feel like he can come in and our special teams coaches can get him on the right track. I think he can be a good punter for us. He will be in the mix competing for that job, and I think the first question that you guys will have is that ‘you guys just signed Feagles.’ Jeff’s really not sure, he had a conversation with Tom last week I believe it was, and he’s not sure that physically he is going to be able to do it. He has been working out really hard in the offseason trying to get himself ready to go because I think in his mind he really wants to do it but I don’t think he’s sure that his body can do it. We are trying to protect ourselves in that respect. We will address that middle of next week sometime, so we will see which way that’s going to go. I’m open for questions.
Q: Did something happen with Jeff, like a setback or something?
A: Well, he had a conversation with Tom, and you can speak to Tom about the conversation. Physically, he wasn’t sure that he would be able to give us what we need at that position. We’re trying to protect ourselves in that respect. We have Jy Bond, who is the Aussie kicker, who we have in as well. We will try to grow two guys, and if Jeff is not in the mix, we will try to groom these guys to get us ready for our season. I think, New Orleans I think, had a young punter punting for them so it can be done. We need to get going right away with these guys, that’s very important to me. We need to get going right away.
Q: When you say “by next week” is Jeff going to make a decision next week?
A: Hopefully he will make a decision by then. Hopefully Jeff will come in and let us know one way or another what is going to happen. I think he’ll make a decision by then.
Q: How close were you to taking Dillard in the third round?
A: Well, we considered him but there are a couple of guys we considered in that spot. We talked about him, so we were close enough to talk about him.
Q: Was it ultimately because you liked Jones more or you thought Dillard would drop into the next round?
A: Probably a combination of both of what you just said there. Probably a combination of both of that. We try to weigh what can happen and who needs what. It’s kind of crazy what you try and do in there but it’s a combination of everything you said.
Q: Dillard’s not the biggest linebacker, but is he big side-to-side?
A: Well yeah, he’s rangy and he’s smart. He can play in coverage. He is 6 foot 245 pounds. He’s not tall but he’s 245 pounds so right now he is probably the biggest linebacker on the team besides Sintim, just trying to think of our linebackers here. Maybe Jon Goff, he’s probably a little bit bigger. Heavier, I should say.
Q: I heard he played weakside…
A: He played in the middle. Middle linebacker.
Q: I thought he started at weakside…
A: He might have played some weakside but most of the time, he played in the middle.
Q: What makes you think this fourth rounder can come in and compete for the starting job as a rookie?
A: Well, we are going to put him in there and give him a chance with the rest of the guys. That’s what makes me think that. He’s going to have to earn the job just like the other guys we have here. We have some unproven guys so we are going to throw them all in the till and see who gives us the best shot to win games.
Q: Did you talk to the Pelini’s and his linebacker coach? Did he give you some type of advice or frame of reference?
A: We talk to all of their coaches. Our scouts have good relationships and they go in there in the fall all the time. They endorsed this guy and they think he is going to be a really good player. We brought him in for one of the visits we had with them and our linebackers coach really liked on the board what he saw and brought to the table. He thought that he could be a smart, tough inside linebacker that we’ve been looking for, and we’ll see.
Q: He butted heads with some of the staff there, do you have concerns about that?
A: Well, we researched all that as well. Again, that happens sometimes with players and staffs, and he did everything to get back in their good graces. They endorse him to the fullest right now, so we don’t have any problems with that.
Q: At middle linebacker, obviously Goff and you mentioned Wilkinson, Blackburn; are any other guys in the mix like Kehl, Boley or Sintim?
A: All of our guys are in the mix as far as I’m concerned. We just look for the best combination of guys. We think Sintim is a SAM linebacker and the kid we just drafted is a SAM linebacker. We think Wilkinson could do some things in the middle because he has played there before. Phillip Dillard, he’s in the middle. Of course Goff, Chase can play all three, Mike on the WILL, Kehl will probably be used on the WILL but he can probably play some middle as well so everyone is in the mix as far as I’m concerned. We just want three linebackers on the field that can help us win a game.
Q: Do you think this group is it for the competition in training camp or might you add another one in between now and then?
A: I wouldn’t count that out that we might add somebody else to the mix. I wouldn’t discount that.
Q: Any thought about trading for Morrison?
A: Isn’t Morrison signed on somebody’s team right now? I’m not going to talk about someone else’s player.
Q: Was there any talk of trading for anybody?
A: There is always talk of trading and drafting. There is always some talk about that still. Always.
Q: With Dodge, can he kick off, too?
: Dodge can kick off, but I wouldn’t call him a kickoff guy now. Our coaches think he can get better as a kickoff guy so we end up having some versatility in that way. He is not a holder though, so that’s something he would have to learn. He does not hold for his college team. He does have some experience as a kickoff man.
Q: If you lose Jeff, who are your holder options?
A: I think we have some options between the quarterbacks. Bomar and Sorgi, yes. Those two guys would probably be the holders.
Q: With Tracy, wondering if he adjusted well to linebacker drills, did you see that?
A: Yeah, that’s one of the things that was, because they are guys who are projections. He had his hand on the ground most of the time when he was at school there. At his workout, there were a lot of people at his workout. One of our scouts was there and he really worked out well at his workout as a linebacker. The movement skills that you have to have at that position. He did a good job and we think he can project. If you think back, he kind of has a body type like Reggie Torbor, who we had here for a few years back. We think he is a little bit better athlete than Reggie Torbor was. Reggie was a defensive end at Auburn, too.
Q: What do you think and/or hope you’ve accomplished with this draft?
A: Well, we think we have drafted good players to add to our team. We hope to accomplish that these guys, with our first two or three picks, that you can get some contributions from them right away. Hopefully, you might get a starter or two out of those picks. We think we have added some depth to this team, number one. We have some athletes who can help us on special teams. We have some versatile people. So, we think we have helped our defense. Obviously, we have drafted a lot of defensive guys. Offensively, we think that the guard can go in and compete right away because he has a vicious nature about him. He wants to come in and compete right away. He’s a strong, strong kid. We think we have improved defensively, and the guard will create competition at the guard spot.
Q: How is the field of undrafted free agents?
A: Really, we’re up there doing that right now. Obviously, the draft is still going on but we are getting our ducks in a row to try and target some undrafted free agents. We think there are some good players that we can target as free agents and get some bodies in here to look at.
Congratulations Vinny. Thanks guys.
I’ll just run through the list with you really quick. Jason Pierre-Paul, we talked about him. We think he can be a dynamic defensive end for us. Huge upside and we think he can be a really good player. Linval Joseph is a big, powerful, point of attack defensive tackle. He gives us a big anchor inside and we talked about him. I think Marc Ross talked to you guys about Chad Jones. Athletic, big safety who gives us some depth at the safety position. He has some special teams ability. We think he has a big upside as well. The new guy is Phillip Dillard, middle linebacker from Nebraska. Phillip is a rugged inside linebacker, tough, instinctive, smart, hard-hitting inside middle linebacker. We had him targeted for a while and we are happy he was still up there in the fourth round for us. We talked about him a little bit earlier but there were some more guys up there who we thought had the value that, at the time, was better. So, we rolled the dice and we came out with the guy we wanted at middle linebacker. We feel like he can come in and start competing right away for that job with some of the guys we already have. Mitch Petrus is the guard from Arkansas: tough, rugged, in-your-face guard. That’s what this guy is. He is hardnosed, aggressive. He can pull and do all the things we ask our guards to do. This guy has a vicious nature about him, and we like his skill set for what we do with our guards. Adrian Tracy is from William & Mary, we are going to play him at outside linebacker on the strong side. He’s a projection. He was a defensive end and he had a bunch of sacks out there. We worked him out as a SAM linebacker and we think he can project to a SAM. He is a really good athlete, really smart kid and big kid. We think he has upside to project to a SAM linebacker and give us some depth at that position as well. The last guy we just drafted was Matt Dodge, a punter from East Carolina. Big legged, powerful, I mean this guy can hit some moon shots. There are some inconsistencies which most young punters have that we feel like he can come in and our special teams coaches can get him on the right track. I think he can be a good punter for us. He will be in the mix competing for that job, and I think the first question that you guys will have is that ‘you guys just signed Feagles.’ Jeff’s really not sure, he had a conversation with Tom last week I believe it was, and he’s not sure that physically he is going to be able to do it. He has been working out really hard in the offseason trying to get himself ready to go because I think in his mind he really wants to do it but I don’t think he’s sure that his body can do it. We are trying to protect ourselves in that respect. We will address that middle of next week sometime, so we will see which way that’s going to go. I’m open for questions.
Q: Did something happen with Jeff, like a setback or something?
A: Well, he had a conversation with Tom, and you can speak to Tom about the conversation. Physically, he wasn’t sure that he would be able to give us what we need at that position. We’re trying to protect ourselves in that respect. We have Jy Bond, who is the Aussie kicker, who we have in as well. We will try to grow two guys, and if Jeff is not in the mix, we will try to groom these guys to get us ready for our season. I think, New Orleans I think, had a young punter punting for them so it can be done. We need to get going right away with these guys, that’s very important to me. We need to get going right away.
Q: When you say “by next week” is Jeff going to make a decision next week?
A: Hopefully he will make a decision by then. Hopefully Jeff will come in and let us know one way or another what is going to happen. I think he’ll make a decision by then.
Q: How close were you to taking Dillard in the third round?
A: Well, we considered him but there are a couple of guys we considered in that spot. We talked about him, so we were close enough to talk about him.
Q: Was it ultimately because you liked Jones more or you thought Dillard would drop into the next round?
A: Probably a combination of both of what you just said there. Probably a combination of both of that. We try to weigh what can happen and who needs what. It’s kind of crazy what you try and do in there but it’s a combination of everything you said.
Q: Dillard’s not the biggest linebacker, but is he big side-to-side?
A: Well yeah, he’s rangy and he’s smart. He can play in coverage. He is 6 foot 245 pounds. He’s not tall but he’s 245 pounds so right now he is probably the biggest linebacker on the team besides Sintim, just trying to think of our linebackers here. Maybe Jon Goff, he’s probably a little bit bigger. Heavier, I should say.
Q: I heard he played weakside…
A: He played in the middle. Middle linebacker.
Q: I thought he started at weakside…
A: He might have played some weakside but most of the time, he played in the middle.
Q: What makes you think this fourth rounder can come in and compete for the starting job as a rookie?
A: Well, we are going to put him in there and give him a chance with the rest of the guys. That’s what makes me think that. He’s going to have to earn the job just like the other guys we have here. We have some unproven guys so we are going to throw them all in the till and see who gives us the best shot to win games.
Q: Did you talk to the Pelini’s and his linebacker coach? Did he give you some type of advice or frame of reference?
A: We talk to all of their coaches. Our scouts have good relationships and they go in there in the fall all the time. They endorsed this guy and they think he is going to be a really good player. We brought him in for one of the visits we had with them and our linebackers coach really liked on the board what he saw and brought to the table. He thought that he could be a smart, tough inside linebacker that we’ve been looking for, and we’ll see.
Q: He butted heads with some of the staff there, do you have concerns about that?
A: Well, we researched all that as well. Again, that happens sometimes with players and staffs, and he did everything to get back in their good graces. They endorse him to the fullest right now, so we don’t have any problems with that.
Q: At middle linebacker, obviously Goff and you mentioned Wilkinson, Blackburn; are any other guys in the mix like Kehl, Boley or Sintim?
A: All of our guys are in the mix as far as I’m concerned. We just look for the best combination of guys. We think Sintim is a SAM linebacker and the kid we just drafted is a SAM linebacker. We think Wilkinson could do some things in the middle because he has played there before. Phillip Dillard, he’s in the middle. Of course Goff, Chase can play all three, Mike on the WILL, Kehl will probably be used on the WILL but he can probably play some middle as well so everyone is in the mix as far as I’m concerned. We just want three linebackers on the field that can help us win a game.
Q: Do you think this group is it for the competition in training camp or might you add another one in between now and then?
A: I wouldn’t count that out that we might add somebody else to the mix. I wouldn’t discount that.
Q: Any thought about trading for Morrison?
A: Isn’t Morrison signed on somebody’s team right now? I’m not going to talk about someone else’s player.
Q: Was there any talk of trading for anybody?
A: There is always talk of trading and drafting. There is always some talk about that still. Always.
Q: With Dodge, can he kick off, too?
: Dodge can kick off, but I wouldn’t call him a kickoff guy now. Our coaches think he can get better as a kickoff guy so we end up having some versatility in that way. He is not a holder though, so that’s something he would have to learn. He does not hold for his college team. He does have some experience as a kickoff man.
Q: If you lose Jeff, who are your holder options?
A: I think we have some options between the quarterbacks. Bomar and Sorgi, yes. Those two guys would probably be the holders.
Q: With Tracy, wondering if he adjusted well to linebacker drills, did you see that?
A: Yeah, that’s one of the things that was, because they are guys who are projections. He had his hand on the ground most of the time when he was at school there. At his workout, there were a lot of people at his workout. One of our scouts was there and he really worked out well at his workout as a linebacker. The movement skills that you have to have at that position. He did a good job and we think he can project. If you think back, he kind of has a body type like Reggie Torbor, who we had here for a few years back. We think he is a little bit better athlete than Reggie Torbor was. Reggie was a defensive end at Auburn, too.
Q: What do you think and/or hope you’ve accomplished with this draft?
A: Well, we think we have drafted good players to add to our team. We hope to accomplish that these guys, with our first two or three picks, that you can get some contributions from them right away. Hopefully, you might get a starter or two out of those picks. We think we have added some depth to this team, number one. We have some athletes who can help us on special teams. We have some versatile people. So, we think we have helped our defense. Obviously, we have drafted a lot of defensive guys. Offensively, we think that the guard can go in and compete right away because he has a vicious nature about him. He wants to come in and compete right away. He’s a strong, strong kid. We think we have improved defensively, and the guard will create competition at the guard spot.
Q: How is the field of undrafted free agents?
A: Really, we’re up there doing that right now. Obviously, the draft is still going on but we are getting our ducks in a row to try and target some undrafted free agents. We think there are some good players that we can target as free agents and get some bodies in here to look at.
Congratulations Vinny. Thanks guys.
netnalp
Footballguy
Absolutely, Coughlin especially doesn't say anything negative about his guys, even Plax when he was causing problems.
Balco
Footballguy
Not speaking to the players drafted, but if the Giants D Line was a strength last year, that isn't saying much. They played horribly. I know they have big names, but they didn't play up to their reps at all.
netnalp
Footballguy
Pics of the new stadium and a few of the old from a poster on BBI. One of the pics of a seat right behind a column, DOH! And I gave cowboy fans crap about having seats facing a concrete wall.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=47702...8802aa7a06f64ad
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=47702...8802aa7a06f64ad
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netnalp
Footballguy
From BBI
Unofficial Rookie Free Agent Signings: Though not confirmed, according to press reports or internet sources, the Giants have signed the following undrafted rookie free agents. However, please keep in mind that some of these “signings” could merely be mini-camp invitees with no official contract offer.
[*]QB Dominic Randolph (Holy Cross)
[*]WR Duke Calhoun (Memphis)
[*]OC/OG Jimmy Cordle (Ohio State)
[*]DE Ayanga Okpokowuruk (Duke)
[*]DT Nate Collins (Virginia)
[*]CB Leon Wright (Duke)
The Giants apparently offered CB Chris Hawkins (LSU) a contract, but he signed with the Jaguars.
Scouting reports for the “signed” players are available in the 2010 Draft Review section of the website.
Unofficial Rookie Free Agent Signings: Though not confirmed, according to press reports or internet sources, the Giants have signed the following undrafted rookie free agents. However, please keep in mind that some of these “signings” could merely be mini-camp invitees with no official contract offer.
[*]QB Dominic Randolph (Holy Cross)
[*]WR Duke Calhoun (Memphis)
[*]OC/OG Jimmy Cordle (Ohio State)
[*]DE Ayanga Okpokowuruk (Duke)
[*]DT Nate Collins (Virginia)
[*]CB Leon Wright (Duke)
The Giants apparently offered CB Chris Hawkins (LSU) a contract, but he signed with the Jaguars.
Scouting reports for the “signed” players are available in the 2010 Draft Review section of the website.
RC94
Footballguy
I am looking forward to the new stadium. Thanks for the pics.
Balco
Footballguy
Their D Tackles didn't help matters at all. THey were getting driven into the linebackers on some plays.
Here ar ethe Giant LBs abd DLinemen ... Which group would you rather have?LB'sBoley, Blackburn, Kehl, Bryan Goff, Jonathan Ingram, Kenny Sintim, Clint DL Kiwanuka, Tuck, Umenyiora, Bernard, Rocky Canty, Chris Tollefson
I'm surprised ... Brandon Jacobs no longer likes contact, and for good reason, he gets hurt every time he is tackled. Bradshaw is the best they got right now ... that doesn' t say much for their RBs
Balco
Footballguy
Isn't that like, pick your poison? They should be fine at D End, assuming Umenyiora comes back alot better than last year. But those D tackles are atrocious. They need someone to step up in a big way at LB.
netnalp
Footballguy
It's possible that Tuck plays more at DT, he did often when Strahan was around and Kiwi and/or the rookie play at DE.
I'm guessing the value at RB wasn't there, and really other than Spiller there wasn't anyone that will likely beat out who we have.
It's hard to say for certain who you should own. My opinion is that odds are it's Bradshaw unless Jacobs can get back to what he was, but I think he's so worried that he'll lose the starting gig to injury that he doesn't play his game, which is just plowing into defenders. If Jacobs is putting up yards and score he's probably going to miss around 5 games to injury and if he stays healthy all season, he probably didn't do much. It'd actually be better for Jacobs if Bradshaw were to take over the lead role and Jacobs was mixed in like when Tiki was on the roster. That'd prolong Jacobs career and he might go back to being a wrecking ball to try and get the job back or keep his role than playing scared like he did last season.
Brown, I think it will take a season before he's completely recovered from that injury, and who knows if he can recover without any loss of ability.
Danny Ware value is only when Jacobs and Bradshaw are hurt. Same with Gartrell, but I think Ware will go in before Gartrell.
I'm guessing the value at RB wasn't there, and really other than Spiller there wasn't anyone that will likely beat out who we have.
It's hard to say for certain who you should own. My opinion is that odds are it's Bradshaw unless Jacobs can get back to what he was, but I think he's so worried that he'll lose the starting gig to injury that he doesn't play his game, which is just plowing into defenders. If Jacobs is putting up yards and score he's probably going to miss around 5 games to injury and if he stays healthy all season, he probably didn't do much. It'd actually be better for Jacobs if Bradshaw were to take over the lead role and Jacobs was mixed in like when Tiki was on the roster. That'd prolong Jacobs career and he might go back to being a wrecking ball to try and get the job back or keep his role than playing scared like he did last season.
Brown, I think it will take a season before he's completely recovered from that injury, and who knows if he can recover without any loss of ability.
Danny Ware value is only when Jacobs and Bradshaw are hurt. Same with Gartrell, but I think Ware will go in before Gartrell.
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netnalp
Footballguy
From BBI
Giants Almost Traded Cofield to the Saints?: The NFL Network is reporting that the Giants almost traded DT Barry Cofield to the New Orleans Saints during the 2010 NFL Draft for a second-day selection (2nd or 3rd round pick).
Giants May Be Interested in DT John Henderson?: According to The Star-Ledger and The Daily News, the Giants are interested in DT John Henderson, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday. ESPN is reporting that the Giants had some interest in Henderson before the draft.
Giants Almost Traded Cofield to the Saints?: The NFL Network is reporting that the Giants almost traded DT Barry Cofield to the New Orleans Saints during the 2010 NFL Draft for a second-day selection (2nd or 3rd round pick).
Giants May Be Interested in DT John Henderson?: According to The Star-Ledger and The Daily News, the Giants are interested in DT John Henderson, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday. ESPN is reporting that the Giants had some interest in Henderson before the draft.
netnalp
Footballguy
More from that great site Big Blue Interactive (BBI)
Eric's Take on the 2010 Draft
Overall, I am pleased with this draft. However, in the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that I am usually very pleased after each Giants' draft. If you read my draft preview article for the Giants, you saw that I listed my number one need for the team being defensive line (both defensive tackle and defensive end), followed by linebacker. My focus was completely on the front seven of the defense. And the Giants addressed the front seven with more than half their selections (4 of 7).
Jason Pierre-Paul, or
of Pierre-Paul, I see a tall, long-limbed, incredibly athletic player who disrupts – even on those plays where he did not finish because he missed the tackle because he did not break down completely, bringing himself under control. The latter should come with improved technique and experience. He can play on the right or left side and he is going to give tackles fits with his first step. He also seems to be a good kid and a hard worker. Some scouting reports say he struggles against the run. "He can play the run," says General Manager Jerry Reese. "He can play the run, the pass; he has the whole package. We think that he has the entire package as a defensive end."But a defensive end? The Giants don't need a defensive end you say. Again, as I said in my draft preview, I disagree. Justin Tuck has been injury prone. Osi Umenyiora was benched last year and we still don't really know where his head is at. Mathias Kiwanuka is a nice player, but he has not proved to be a difference maker. And it is VERY likely that Kiwanuka (free agent) or Umenyiora (unhappy) will be ex-Giants in 2011. In addition, while it is certainly possible that all of these guys MAY have stellar seasons in 2010, it is also certainly possible that all will not (again). Or perhaps only one or two will. The Giants' defensive scheme is predicated on having three or four excellent pass-rushing defensive linemen. In a 4-3, your best players need to be on the defensive line. It's why many 4-3 teams, including the Giants and Eagles, do not tend to spend a lot of high draft picks on linebackers. Now if the Giants ran a 3-4, then you focus more on the linebackers. It would be great to do both, but you can't.
So what to expect from Pierre-Paul in 2010? The odds are that he will be a very valuable reserve who sees a lot of playing time in the Giants' "four aces" pass-rushing package that became so famous during the 2007 NFL Championship season. Pierre-Paul, Tuck, Kiwanuka, and Umenyiora all on the field together? Offensive lines are going to have problems with that if everyone is focused and healthy. Keep this in mind too when evaluating Pierre-Paul's rookie season: former NFL team personnel man Mike Lombardi said on The NFL Network that defensive linemen usually take a year to adjust to the pro game. His comments were in reference to the two top defensive tackles in the draft (Suh and McCoy). So the odds are that Pierre-Paul won't seriously contend for a starting job his rookie year. But I would not count out the possibility. With proper coaching, he may quickly become the best defensive end on the team.
OK, second-rounder Linval Joseph. This is easily my favorite pick. As long as I have been watching the Giants, they have not had this type of 325+ pound mountain inside. Sure, the Giants have had good tackles – Jim Burt, Erik Howard, Keith Hamilton, Fred Robbins, etc., but no one with this kind of combination of size, power, and athleticism. It's why I was pushing hard for Dan Williams in the first round. I wanted a HUGE nose-tackle type to plug inside along with Chris Canty, potentially forming a massive wall to keep opposing linemen off the Giants' linebackers. Reese seems to concur: "This guy is a big anchor. He is a load inside and it's hard to push this man back. He is kind of like one of those guys who is a presence and is like a human post. He'll give the linebackers a chance to run to the ball and he will block the inside…If you have some big, good space-eaters and block-eaters up front, the linebackers can make a lot more plays. It sure helps if you have some guys who can pick up a lot more blocks."
Now why not someone like Terrence Cody (Alabama) instead? Well Cody is limited athletically. He's really only a 3-4 nose-tackle type while Joseph can play nose or 3-technique in a 4-3. Why? Because Joseph has better movement skills. He's a better athlete. Joseph's pass rush is really only the bull rush, but he can disrupt and penetrate too with good quickness for his size. Honestly, I can see Joseph starting as a rookie.
I do not have a good feel for third-round safety Chad Jones. Most fans expected the Giants to take a safety at some point as (1) insurance for Kenny Phillips, (2) someone to groom for 2011 since Deon Grant was signed for only one season, and (3) possibly force Michael Johnson off the roster. Jones is a guy with a lot of upside. He has a super combination of size and athleticism. The big question with him is instincts. Is he a player? Some are more optimistic than others. We shall see. But he is now easily the biggest safety on the team – almost linebacker-like in size. And based on comments from Ross after the draft, it is clear that the Giants thought he was a better prospect than Taylor Mays (USC).
The Giants finally addressed the middle linebacker spot in the fourth round. Phillip Dillard, who the Giants also considered in the third round, is a very interesting prospect. First of all, he has ability. Dillard has a nice combination of size and athleticism. He can play the run and, while not a strong suit, can cover. Just as importantly, he appears Antonio Pierce-like in being a big part of the Nebraska defense in making defensive calls, diagnosing plays, and getting fellow defenders set properly before the snap. "I am great between the tackles," says Dillard. "I always stay square…I just love contact. I love being physical and aggressive. And my mental aspect is that I love to be in control of the checks and make the checks. And if you look at our defense, I made all of the checks from blitzes to checking high coverages, to checking man coverages, and telling our corners or safeties or dimes what they are going to do and what check to make. That is just something that I love to do. I love to lead and have that on my shoulders, the quarterback of the defense. And if I get that responsibility, I am going to handle it with care." If Dillard pans out to be a younger, bigger, more athletic Antonio Pierce, what a coup that would be! Dillard has a decent shot to start as rookie.
There is a lot of confusion by fans regarding OG Mitch Petrus, a great value pick for the Giants in the fifth round. Because Petrus benched the most reps at the Combine (225 pounds 45 times), many think he is a mauling, root-them-out run blocker. He is not. That strength of his does not translate to the playing field. He is more of a position blocker than mauler. It is because of his build and lack of natural power in his lower body. But Petrus is very good guard who fits the Giants' system. He may be the best pulling guard in the entire draft. And Jerry Reese described him as "vicious" a couple of times. This guy loves the game and will likely become a fan favorite. There is a good chance that he the Giants' new starting left guard in year or two. But don't count out Rich Seubert, one of my favorite Giants, just yet.
The Giants took Adrian Tracy in the 6th round – a small school, DE-to-LB conversion project. Those are two big obstacles to overcome to make it in the NFL. The good news is that Tracy is big, athletic, and very smart and hardworking. "He kind of has a body type like Reggie Torbor," said Reese. "We think he is a little bit better athlete than Reggie Torbor was."
In the seventh round, the Giants selected a punter who many felt was the second best punter available. This decision to do this became obvious immediately after the draft when it was revealed that Jeff Feagles is probably retiring. Matt Dodge has a strong leg and apparently has some decent directional punting skills. He will compete with Jy Bond for the punting job in training camp. One would figure that Dodge has a good chance to earn the starting job as a rookie.
Summary: Much obviously depends on Pierre-Paul. But if he pans out, there is a reasonable chance that the Giants came out of this draft with five eventual starters: Pierre-Paul, Joseph, Dilliard, Petrus, and Dodge. Unless Phillips' knee is permanently screwed up, Jones will be stuck behind him and Antrel Rolle, but provide excellent depth. Tracy is insurance/depth behind Clint Sintim.
Eric's Take on the 2010 Draft
Overall, I am pleased with this draft. However, in the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that I am usually very pleased after each Giants' draft. If you read my draft preview article for the Giants, you saw that I listed my number one need for the team being defensive line (both defensive tackle and defensive end), followed by linebacker. My focus was completely on the front seven of the defense. And the Giants addressed the front seven with more than half their selections (4 of 7).
Jason Pierre-Paul, or
of Pierre-Paul, I see a tall, long-limbed, incredibly athletic player who disrupts – even on those plays where he did not finish because he missed the tackle because he did not break down completely, bringing himself under control. The latter should come with improved technique and experience. He can play on the right or left side and he is going to give tackles fits with his first step. He also seems to be a good kid and a hard worker. Some scouting reports say he struggles against the run. "He can play the run," says General Manager Jerry Reese. "He can play the run, the pass; he has the whole package. We think that he has the entire package as a defensive end."But a defensive end? The Giants don't need a defensive end you say. Again, as I said in my draft preview, I disagree. Justin Tuck has been injury prone. Osi Umenyiora was benched last year and we still don't really know where his head is at. Mathias Kiwanuka is a nice player, but he has not proved to be a difference maker. And it is VERY likely that Kiwanuka (free agent) or Umenyiora (unhappy) will be ex-Giants in 2011. In addition, while it is certainly possible that all of these guys MAY have stellar seasons in 2010, it is also certainly possible that all will not (again). Or perhaps only one or two will. The Giants' defensive scheme is predicated on having three or four excellent pass-rushing defensive linemen. In a 4-3, your best players need to be on the defensive line. It's why many 4-3 teams, including the Giants and Eagles, do not tend to spend a lot of high draft picks on linebackers. Now if the Giants ran a 3-4, then you focus more on the linebackers. It would be great to do both, but you can't.
So what to expect from Pierre-Paul in 2010? The odds are that he will be a very valuable reserve who sees a lot of playing time in the Giants' "four aces" pass-rushing package that became so famous during the 2007 NFL Championship season. Pierre-Paul, Tuck, Kiwanuka, and Umenyiora all on the field together? Offensive lines are going to have problems with that if everyone is focused and healthy. Keep this in mind too when evaluating Pierre-Paul's rookie season: former NFL team personnel man Mike Lombardi said on The NFL Network that defensive linemen usually take a year to adjust to the pro game. His comments were in reference to the two top defensive tackles in the draft (Suh and McCoy). So the odds are that Pierre-Paul won't seriously contend for a starting job his rookie year. But I would not count out the possibility. With proper coaching, he may quickly become the best defensive end on the team.
OK, second-rounder Linval Joseph. This is easily my favorite pick. As long as I have been watching the Giants, they have not had this type of 325+ pound mountain inside. Sure, the Giants have had good tackles – Jim Burt, Erik Howard, Keith Hamilton, Fred Robbins, etc., but no one with this kind of combination of size, power, and athleticism. It's why I was pushing hard for Dan Williams in the first round. I wanted a HUGE nose-tackle type to plug inside along with Chris Canty, potentially forming a massive wall to keep opposing linemen off the Giants' linebackers. Reese seems to concur: "This guy is a big anchor. He is a load inside and it's hard to push this man back. He is kind of like one of those guys who is a presence and is like a human post. He'll give the linebackers a chance to run to the ball and he will block the inside…If you have some big, good space-eaters and block-eaters up front, the linebackers can make a lot more plays. It sure helps if you have some guys who can pick up a lot more blocks."
Now why not someone like Terrence Cody (Alabama) instead? Well Cody is limited athletically. He's really only a 3-4 nose-tackle type while Joseph can play nose or 3-technique in a 4-3. Why? Because Joseph has better movement skills. He's a better athlete. Joseph's pass rush is really only the bull rush, but he can disrupt and penetrate too with good quickness for his size. Honestly, I can see Joseph starting as a rookie.
I do not have a good feel for third-round safety Chad Jones. Most fans expected the Giants to take a safety at some point as (1) insurance for Kenny Phillips, (2) someone to groom for 2011 since Deon Grant was signed for only one season, and (3) possibly force Michael Johnson off the roster. Jones is a guy with a lot of upside. He has a super combination of size and athleticism. The big question with him is instincts. Is he a player? Some are more optimistic than others. We shall see. But he is now easily the biggest safety on the team – almost linebacker-like in size. And based on comments from Ross after the draft, it is clear that the Giants thought he was a better prospect than Taylor Mays (USC).
The Giants finally addressed the middle linebacker spot in the fourth round. Phillip Dillard, who the Giants also considered in the third round, is a very interesting prospect. First of all, he has ability. Dillard has a nice combination of size and athleticism. He can play the run and, while not a strong suit, can cover. Just as importantly, he appears Antonio Pierce-like in being a big part of the Nebraska defense in making defensive calls, diagnosing plays, and getting fellow defenders set properly before the snap. "I am great between the tackles," says Dillard. "I always stay square…I just love contact. I love being physical and aggressive. And my mental aspect is that I love to be in control of the checks and make the checks. And if you look at our defense, I made all of the checks from blitzes to checking high coverages, to checking man coverages, and telling our corners or safeties or dimes what they are going to do and what check to make. That is just something that I love to do. I love to lead and have that on my shoulders, the quarterback of the defense. And if I get that responsibility, I am going to handle it with care." If Dillard pans out to be a younger, bigger, more athletic Antonio Pierce, what a coup that would be! Dillard has a decent shot to start as rookie.
There is a lot of confusion by fans regarding OG Mitch Petrus, a great value pick for the Giants in the fifth round. Because Petrus benched the most reps at the Combine (225 pounds 45 times), many think he is a mauling, root-them-out run blocker. He is not. That strength of his does not translate to the playing field. He is more of a position blocker than mauler. It is because of his build and lack of natural power in his lower body. But Petrus is very good guard who fits the Giants' system. He may be the best pulling guard in the entire draft. And Jerry Reese described him as "vicious" a couple of times. This guy loves the game and will likely become a fan favorite. There is a good chance that he the Giants' new starting left guard in year or two. But don't count out Rich Seubert, one of my favorite Giants, just yet.
The Giants took Adrian Tracy in the 6th round – a small school, DE-to-LB conversion project. Those are two big obstacles to overcome to make it in the NFL. The good news is that Tracy is big, athletic, and very smart and hardworking. "He kind of has a body type like Reggie Torbor," said Reese. "We think he is a little bit better athlete than Reggie Torbor was."
In the seventh round, the Giants selected a punter who many felt was the second best punter available. This decision to do this became obvious immediately after the draft when it was revealed that Jeff Feagles is probably retiring. Matt Dodge has a strong leg and apparently has some decent directional punting skills. He will compete with Jy Bond for the punting job in training camp. One would figure that Dodge has a good chance to earn the starting job as a rookie.
Summary: Much obviously depends on Pierre-Paul. But if he pans out, there is a reasonable chance that the Giants came out of this draft with five eventual starters: Pierre-Paul, Joseph, Dilliard, Petrus, and Dodge. Unless Phillips' knee is permanently screwed up, Jones will be stuck behind him and Antrel Rolle, but provide excellent depth. Tracy is insurance/depth behind Clint Sintim.
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netnalp
Footballguy
netnalp
Footballguy
From Big Blue Interactive:
Boss and Boothe To Undergo Surgery; Team Injury Update: We are not even out of May yet and it appears the injury bug is already stinging the Giants again. The team revealed yesterday that TE Kevin Boss (right ankle) and OG/OC Kevin Boothe (pectoral muscle) are scheduled to undergo surgery early next week.
The Giants said Boss will undergo arthroscopic surgery and that the recovery time is expected to be 4-6 weeks. Boss originally injured the ankle in week four of the 2009 season. Boss had hoped to avoid offseason surgery but he aggravated the ankle injury earlier this week during an OTA practice. “I was maybe a little too optimistic thinking I could get through another season,” Boss said. “We did a few things to try to help alleviate some of the pain and it didn’t help as much as I was hoping. So we’re just going to go in and clean it out. I’ll be more than ready for training camp.”
Boothe tore his pectoral muscle earlier this week while working out. He is expected to miss approximately four months, including all of training camp.
A number of other Giants have been sidelined during the Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices as they continue to rehabilitate from injuries suffered last year. The players include: S Kenny Phillips (knee), HB Ahmad Bradshaw (both feet, one ankle), WR Hakeem Nicks (wrist, toe), and DT Rocky Bernard (shoulder). The Giants say Bradshaw and Nicks are expected to return to the practice field within the next two weeks.
“The goal is for (me to return by) training camp,” Phillips said. “We’re just going to take our time. There’s no reason to rush it. I feel good, I feel proud of my progress so far. I could probably go out there right now but it’s more realistic for me to wait until training camp…I’m running full-speed straight ahead, and doing some cutting. I have no swelling, no pain at all, no anything. I really can’t wait to get out there and start playing with these guys, and contributing to the team.”
The good news is that the following players – all of whom were injured last year – did practice: HB Brandon Jacobs (knee), HB Andre Brown (Achilles), FB Madison Hedgecock (shoulder), WR Mario Manningham (shoulder), OC Shaun O’Hara (elbow), LG Rich Seubert (shoulder), DE Justin Tuck (shoulder), DT Jay Alford (knee), and LB Gerris Wilkinson (wrist).
Giants and Steve Smith Talking Contract: WR Steve Smith yesterday revealed that his agent and the Giants are in discussions regarding a long-term contract extension for Smith. Smith is currently under contract through the 2010 season.
I'm really glad to read that Andre Brown is practicing already and bummed that Phillips isn't, but from what I've read on his injury, though nobody for the Giants has said it, it sounds like surgery doesn't fix completely and the knee will need surgeries to clean the joint up every few years. Perhaps his staying out of OTAs is to limit wear on the knee.
Boss and Boothe To Undergo Surgery; Team Injury Update: We are not even out of May yet and it appears the injury bug is already stinging the Giants again. The team revealed yesterday that TE Kevin Boss (right ankle) and OG/OC Kevin Boothe (pectoral muscle) are scheduled to undergo surgery early next week.
The Giants said Boss will undergo arthroscopic surgery and that the recovery time is expected to be 4-6 weeks. Boss originally injured the ankle in week four of the 2009 season. Boss had hoped to avoid offseason surgery but he aggravated the ankle injury earlier this week during an OTA practice. “I was maybe a little too optimistic thinking I could get through another season,” Boss said. “We did a few things to try to help alleviate some of the pain and it didn’t help as much as I was hoping. So we’re just going to go in and clean it out. I’ll be more than ready for training camp.”
Boothe tore his pectoral muscle earlier this week while working out. He is expected to miss approximately four months, including all of training camp.
A number of other Giants have been sidelined during the Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices as they continue to rehabilitate from injuries suffered last year. The players include: S Kenny Phillips (knee), HB Ahmad Bradshaw (both feet, one ankle), WR Hakeem Nicks (wrist, toe), and DT Rocky Bernard (shoulder). The Giants say Bradshaw and Nicks are expected to return to the practice field within the next two weeks.
“The goal is for (me to return by) training camp,” Phillips said. “We’re just going to take our time. There’s no reason to rush it. I feel good, I feel proud of my progress so far. I could probably go out there right now but it’s more realistic for me to wait until training camp…I’m running full-speed straight ahead, and doing some cutting. I have no swelling, no pain at all, no anything. I really can’t wait to get out there and start playing with these guys, and contributing to the team.”
The good news is that the following players – all of whom were injured last year – did practice: HB Brandon Jacobs (knee), HB Andre Brown (Achilles), FB Madison Hedgecock (shoulder), WR Mario Manningham (shoulder), OC Shaun O’Hara (elbow), LG Rich Seubert (shoulder), DE Justin Tuck (shoulder), DT Jay Alford (knee), and LB Gerris Wilkinson (wrist).
Giants and Steve Smith Talking Contract: WR Steve Smith yesterday revealed that his agent and the Giants are in discussions regarding a long-term contract extension for Smith. Smith is currently under contract through the 2010 season.
I'm really glad to read that Andre Brown is practicing already and bummed that Phillips isn't, but from what I've read on his injury, though nobody for the Giants has said it, it sounds like surgery doesn't fix completely and the knee will need surgeries to clean the joint up every few years. Perhaps his staying out of OTAs is to limit wear on the knee.
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The Big Donkey
Footballguy
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/23712700/detail.html
Kiwi's brother in critical condition, Kiwi 'not seriously hurt'. Guys are crazy to get on these bikes.
Best wishes.
Kiwi's brother in critical condition, Kiwi 'not seriously hurt'. Guys are crazy to get on these bikes.
Best wishes.
bigern1000
Footballguy
Yeah, I guess if there is one thing you can learn from Roethlisberger, this is it...Best wishes as well...
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Hixon apparently suffered a leg injury today -- no word on seriousness yet. Cleat got caught up in turf.
http://twitter.com/NJ_Giants
http://twitter.com/NJ_Giants
netnalp
Footballguy
From Tuck's comment today, it looks like the winds at the new stadium are still gonna be strange, he says the field goal flags showed the wind blowing in on both ends.
Is there any way, even in late June, you can tell something about the way the field will play or the wind conditions - about what it is going to be like?
A: You can tell. Sometimes when you look up at the goal post and one goal post is blowing in and the other one was blowing in, too. So the wind is going to play a factor. But we like that. We will be used to it by the time we play in here, so opposing teams are going to have something to deal with - especially come late fall.
http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=44073
Is there any way, even in late June, you can tell something about the way the field will play or the wind conditions - about what it is going to be like?
A: You can tell. Sometimes when you look up at the goal post and one goal post is blowing in and the other one was blowing in, too. So the wind is going to play a factor. But we like that. We will be used to it by the time we play in here, so opposing teams are going to have something to deal with - especially come late fall.
http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=44073
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Hixon tore his ACL. Done for the year.http://twitter.com/TheBlueScreen/status/16324026757Don Quixote said:
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A few more details on the Hixon injury
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2010/06...r_2010_sea.html
Domenik Hixon out for 2010 season with torn knee ligament
Published: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 2:00 PM Updated: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 2:17 PM
The Giants are often very careful about passing out good news on a player's injury before all the tests are completed.
For evidence why, see the case of Domenik Hixon.
The Giants' wide receiver and returner will miss the upcoming season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a practice in the New Meadowlands Stadium on Tuesday. The news was revealed Wednesday after Hixon was examined by team physician Russ Warren. Hixon will undergo surgery in 2-3 weeks.
Hixon's cleat got caught in the FieldTurf as he was returning a punt. He took one step then fell to the ground and placed his hands on his helmet in disgust. Hixon then walked off the field under his own power, applied ice to his knee and watched the rest of practice from the bench.
Afterward, as he walked to the team bus, Hixon said he believed the injury was minor and that his initial reaction was because his knee "felt weird ... I didn't like that." The Giants echoed Hixon's sentiments Wednesday, as general manager Jerry Reese said during an interview with Sirius NFL Radio Hixon merely hyperextended his knee while coach Tom Coughlin told reporters Hixon the injury appeared to be minor.
"No," Coughlin said when asked if the situation looked grim. "I knew he would be sore today. He's sore, he's tight. But hopefully, that's all it is."
It wasn't. And now the Giants are missing a key contributor, who last season caught 15 passes for 187 yards and a 61-yard catch-and-run touchdown against the Eagles. For the loss of Hixon, who averaged 15.1 yards on punt returns last year and had a 79-yard touchdown on a return against the Cowboys, the Giants can thank the turf that a few players said is soft and needs to be broken in.
"Well, listen, you have to go over there and go on it before you can make some judgments about it," Coughlin said. "We'll be better served now because of the shoes we recommend and so on."
Coughlin said all the players were wearing cleats the team endorsed.
"We're aware of it, we're continuing to work with it, we're asking the turf people to take another look at the field and some of the thoughts we had about shoes and such," Coughlin said, adding: "I think it's pretty much new, just because it's new."
Hixon was a restricted free agent this season and was forced to sign a one-year, $1.759-million tender the team extended him.
Without him, the Giants will turn to a group of potential punt returners that includes Aaron Ross, Sinorice Moss and Antrel Rolle. The team might also look for help from the outside but there's no guarantee they'll make a roster move, as they'll soon have to create room for the signing of draft picks. Putting Hixon on injured reserve would provide them with a roster spot for a signing.
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2010/06...r_2010_sea.html
Domenik Hixon out for 2010 season with torn knee ligament
Published: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 2:00 PM Updated: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 2:17 PM
The Giants are often very careful about passing out good news on a player's injury before all the tests are completed.
For evidence why, see the case of Domenik Hixon.
The Giants' wide receiver and returner will miss the upcoming season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a practice in the New Meadowlands Stadium on Tuesday. The news was revealed Wednesday after Hixon was examined by team physician Russ Warren. Hixon will undergo surgery in 2-3 weeks.
Hixon's cleat got caught in the FieldTurf as he was returning a punt. He took one step then fell to the ground and placed his hands on his helmet in disgust. Hixon then walked off the field under his own power, applied ice to his knee and watched the rest of practice from the bench.
Afterward, as he walked to the team bus, Hixon said he believed the injury was minor and that his initial reaction was because his knee "felt weird ... I didn't like that." The Giants echoed Hixon's sentiments Wednesday, as general manager Jerry Reese said during an interview with Sirius NFL Radio Hixon merely hyperextended his knee while coach Tom Coughlin told reporters Hixon the injury appeared to be minor.
"No," Coughlin said when asked if the situation looked grim. "I knew he would be sore today. He's sore, he's tight. But hopefully, that's all it is."
It wasn't. And now the Giants are missing a key contributor, who last season caught 15 passes for 187 yards and a 61-yard catch-and-run touchdown against the Eagles. For the loss of Hixon, who averaged 15.1 yards on punt returns last year and had a 79-yard touchdown on a return against the Cowboys, the Giants can thank the turf that a few players said is soft and needs to be broken in.
"Well, listen, you have to go over there and go on it before you can make some judgments about it," Coughlin said. "We'll be better served now because of the shoes we recommend and so on."
Coughlin said all the players were wearing cleats the team endorsed.
"We're aware of it, we're continuing to work with it, we're asking the turf people to take another look at the field and some of the thoughts we had about shoes and such," Coughlin said, adding: "I think it's pretty much new, just because it's new."
Hixon was a restricted free agent this season and was forced to sign a one-year, $1.759-million tender the team extended him.
Without him, the Giants will turn to a group of potential punt returners that includes Aaron Ross, Sinorice Moss and Antrel Rolle. The team might also look for help from the outside but there's no guarantee they'll make a roster move, as they'll soon have to create room for the signing of draft picks. Putting Hixon on injured reserve would provide them with a roster spot for a signing.
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