The Giants claimed G Kurt Quarterman off waivers from the Falcons, according to Rotoworld.com. Quarterman will probably be just a body the Jints carry to camp, then cut. Kurt doesn’t have any stats in the NFL yet, but he graduated from Louisville in ‘05 so you can check out his Player Bio.
The NorthJersey.com Giants Blog called True Blue found out that New Orleans Saints are no longer in pursuit of Jeremy Shockey, and the Saints GM Mickey Loomis told Sirius NFL Radio:
It’s no secret we had some discussions with them and we just couldn’t come to a conclusion on the right compensation. I understand that. He’s a very good player and the Giants don’t want to just give him away - unless they feel like they’re getting really good value.
But for the most part that’s dead … I don’t anticipate that being rekindled.
Newsday:
NBC to broadcast preseason Giants games - The AP also covered this story that Giants.com released yesterday, ”The New York Giants and WNBC-TV have reached a multiyear agreement for the network to broadcast preseason games for the Super Bowl champions.”
New York Daily News:
Michael Strahan: $8M or goodbye - Ralph Vacchiano wrote an article about how Michael Strahan wants $8 million to come back in 2008. You know that I don’t want him back for $1 million, but it’s not my decision. With that said, Vacchiano rarely includes any quotes from the actual player or source so I don’t always know how credible his sources are. If you read the article then you won’t come across a threat of an $8 million contract. What you will read is that Strahan says that money isn’t an issue so I don’t understand the title.
New York Post:
WYNN VISITS WITH BIG BLUE - Paul Schwartz also covered this story about Renaldo Wynn visiting the Giants which The Star-Ledger reported yesterday.
The offseason is so much better when the media refers to Big Blue as World Champions or Champs or something similar. If this was a Jets blog then we could just go on-and-on about all of the problems they had in ‘07 and offer suggestions about how they need to fix it during the offseason. We would be able to break down every free agent they added to try to fix their situation as fast as possible. As World Champions, we don’t have to do that. We need to talk about being on Cloud 9 until Week 1 of the 2008 Season, and about repeating.
New York Daily News:
Four NFL coaches look back on flops against Giants in playoffs - Gary Meyers wrote a great article today. Meyers pointed out who the four coaches that lost to the Giants in the 2007 Playoffs were: Jon Gruden, Wade Phillips, Mike McCarthy, and Bill Belichick. Meyers reminds us of what was going on at the time prior to the game as well as what happened during the game. Then, Meyers asked each of these four coaches what they thought about losing to the Road Warriors. This is the first time that I got to hear the thoughts of the opposing teams a while after the Giants won Super Bowl XLII.
New York Post:
CHAMPION SPARKPLUG - Paul Schwartz points out that Eli Manning is all fired up about 2008. Eli believes that the Giants have a lot to improve on, and he is working hard at that.
Every time there was any speculation about Jeremy Shockey getting traded to the New Orleans Saints, Jerry Reese said that Shockey is the Giants Tight End in 2008. These rumors began in February, and they have resurfaced a few times. The last time was about a month ago. ProFootballTalk.com found out that:
Renewed talk of a possible trade is emerging, from an unlikely source. Several readers have pointed out to us that WWE announcer Jim Ross has posted the following entry on his blog: “Reggie Bush was also at [WrestleMania] 24 and was hanging around Snoop Dogg’s trailer most of the afternoon on Sunday. My sources tell me that the New York Giants are going to trade outstanding TE Jeremy Shockey to Bush’s Saints, prior to the NFL draft. Shockey is an Oklahoma kid from Ada who told me last week he was looking forward to playing for the Saints.”
From a Giants fan perspective, Shockey is a touchy subject because we love his offensive smashmouth style of play yet we don’t know if he really is disruptive to the team. Or more importantly, is he disruptive to Eli as some suggest? Should he stay or should he go is the question? Everybody has made up their minds about that topic already. Above, Jim Ross describes how Reggie Bush was hanging around Snoop Dogg’s trailor at Wrestlemania 24, but he didn’t write anything about Jeremy until the final sentence where he claimed that Shockey told him that he “is looking forward to playing for the Saints”. It seems like the source is Jeremy himself, and the NFL Draft is only two weeks away. So if this goes down as rumored, we’ll know about it by the end of the month.
The NFL announced the opponents that the G-MEN will face in the 2008 Preseason which gets me a little giddy because it’s a sign that football is coming. Even though we know the opponents that the Jints will face in 2008 already, the Regular Season schedule will be released in a few weeks. Once we see the order of the teams that they have to face, we can start breaking it down.
Giants.com:
Preseason Opponents Announced - Michael Eisen listed the Giants 2008 Preseason opponents:
The Week 2 game against the Browns will be nationally televised at 8:00 pm on August 18, and the game will be televised on ESPN. Regarding the other three games, the dates and times are yet to be determined.
New York Daily News:
Tom Coughlin’s changes fit for a title - Gary Meyers discusses the changes Tom Coughlin made prior to a season where Big Blue won the Super Bowl. I was watching the Jets show on SNY last night, and I heard Eric Mangini say that he needed to make changes too. In the copy-cat league known as the NFL, it seems like the Jets may win the Super Bowl if Mangini makes the necessary changes. LOL.
New York Times:
Redskins Are the New Adventure for Zorn - If you want to know more about the enemy, Greg Bishop talked to Jim Zorn about becoming the Head Coach of the Washington Redskins.
The Star-Ledger:
Are you ready for some (preseason) football? - Mike Garafolo discusses the Giants 2008 Preseason opponents.
Following up on the Saints interest in Jeremy Shockey, ProFootballTalk.com stated that the Giants wanted a second round pick and Safety Roman Harper back in February. The Saints were not willing to give that up to get Shockey at the time. Since then, the Giants have signed Sammy Knight which means they don’t need a Safety as much as they did a month ago. ProFootballTalk.com goes on to point out that it seems like the Giants are willing to trade Shockey if the deal is right because they were the ones that set the price. Since rumors resurfaced yesterday, this makes me wonder what the Saints are willing to give up this time. Will it be enough for Jerry Reese to give Shockey away?
The Star-Ledger:
Seubert extended through 2012 - Left Guard Rich Seubert had two years remaining on his contract, but Mike Garafolo reported that the Giants signed Seubert to a contract extention that will keep him wearing blue through the 2011 season. Due to the source, the money was not disclosed yet. Rich, 29, spent his entire career as a Giant, and the Giants offered him a contract extension to finish his career in New York. Down the stretch, the O-Line seemed like it was clicking on all cylindars so there is no need to change it. Also, I love the loyalty here…on both sides. The Giants historically have kept many of their players their entire careers, and many of the players want to play for the New York Football Giants their entire careers.
As you’ll read below, there is a rumor that the Saints want to try to trade for Shockey again. I loved Jeremy since we got him. I loved how he played offense like a defender. Then, just like Tiki, Shockey called out the coaching staff and his teammates in that Playoff loss up in Seattle. Since then, Tiki continued to talk smack which wore out his welcome. Shockey may have said something once more, but it didn’t go on and on. Somebody made him shut his mouth in 2007 because he said nothing and his teammates and coaches were the same for the most part. Besides his mouth, I don’t like the fact that Jeremy thinks he’s still a Hurricane rather than a Giant and continues to work out in Miami during the offseason. Also, Shockey brings other Giants to train with him in Miami but none of them include Eli Manning. Then there is the whinning on the field if he doesn’t get the ball.
I really don’t know what the Giants should do with Shockey even though Jerry Reese insists that he will be their Tight End next season. Shockey has become less of a receiving threat on the Giants, but he’s become a more well rounded TE. Jeremy is still a threat that opposing teams need to focus on, but not as much. He’s a play maker so he gets double teamed often as well. If all of that whinning really affects Eli then they should let him go. I’m not on the field to know exactly what’s taking place, but on television it doesn’t look good. Jerry Reese has to put the best team on the field. As of right now, he stated that Shockey is the Tight End.
Giants.com:
Positional Breakdown: QB’s - John Schmeelk takes a closer look at the depth at the QB position.
Fans Take - A Giants fan expresses his thoughts about the 2007 season.
The Star-Ledger:
More Shockey rumblings - Mike Garafolo read something that Peter King, of Sports Illustrated, wrote today. According to Peter King, the New Orleans Saints still want to trade for Jeremy Shockey. Garafolo checked it out and couldn’t find any signs of Shockey being traded. Mike felt like the Saints’ first offer was way to low so he believes that if the Saints are serious then they need to come to the table more prepared.
Garafolo also pointed out that the Oakland Raiders are only so close to the cap that they might need to make more room. One of the things Oakland can do is trade Nnamdi Asomugha to the Giants since this has been rumored before.
Based on the accuracy of this ESPN report, Mike Garafolo of The Star-Ledger passed on this trade rumor: the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to trade DeAngelo Hall to the Oakland Raiders for a second round draft pick. Garafolo believes that Hall will get a six-year contract close to the six-year, $57 million deal that Assante Samuel recently signed. The Giants weren’t going to come near that number. Mike reminded us that the Giants are still interested in other big-time corners like Nnamdi Asomugha of the Raiders and Marcus Trufant of the Seahawks.
I was a fan of Hall’s skills on the field, but not all of the crap that comes with him - and a contract around six-years, $57 million to boot. I didn’t want the Jints to trade for him so it can’t happen now if that report is accurate. I’m happy. It seems like Oakland is really shelling out the cash this year. Now we have to wait and see what moves the Giants make…
Last night, I watched Super Bowl XLII for like the 20th time, and then I turned on the NFC Championship game for like the 20th time. I fell asleep around halftime or the beginning of the 3rd Quarter. I have watched the Cowboys, Packers, and Patriots games so many times since there is nothing else on television right now. I am fortunate enough to have DVR through my cable company so I saved all of the Playoff games permantly. I was wondering if any of you have done the same thing through DVR or TIVO. I can’t get enough of those Road Warriors… I just tried to track down some Giants pictures by looking for ‘Road Warrios’ and check out what I got…The original Road Warriors. Hawk and Animal baby. Google rocks!
Giants.com:
Fans Take - Fans talk about their emotions throughout the 2007 Giants season.
New York Times:
Reese Enjoys the Fruits of His Role in Scouting
The Star-Ledger:
RU’s Rice fulfills need for speed - Mike Garafolo covered how Ray Rice, of Rutgers, performed at the Scouting Combine. Garafolo provided the latest on Gibril Wilson which is that the Giants still haven’t resigned him. Previously, there were reports that the Eagles were interested in Wilson. Yesterday, there was a report that the Jaguars were interested in Gibril. Garafolo reminded us that both of those teams expressed interest in Wilson. Mike also pointed out that Reggie Torbor will become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, and the Dolphins are interested in Torbor. Garafolo also stated that Kawika Mitchell will become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, but the rumors are that Giants will sign Mitchell to a three-year deal.
Giants have Plan B if Hall slips by - Mike Garafolo revealed Plan B. If the Giants are unable to get DeAngelo Hall, then they will look into drafting another corner. Garafolo included some names in his article like Antoine Cason of Arizona, Leodis McKelvin of Troy, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of Tennessee State, and Aqib Talib of Kansas. Mike also provided some details about each of these players.
Rotoworld.com:
Rotoworld.com - “NFL Network’s Adam Schefter reports those close to Michael Strahan expect him to play football again in 2008.”
Yesterday, I was wrong about why Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese were holding those press conferences. They were holding them to discuss the Combine, not Tom Coughlin’s contract extension. There is plenty of Giants news today which is surprising because it’s the offseason. Most of it is revolving around the ongoing rumors about New England videotaping opposing defenses. Now a story was written about the Giants being videotaped during a Preseason game in 2006, and another story was written on how the Patriots have been doing it since 2000. Also, there is a rumor that the Giants are interested in trading for DeAngelo Hall of the Falcons.
Newsday:
WFAN’s Boomer, Carton ‘having a blast’ - The G-MEN are not mentioned in this article, but Newsday categorized it as a Giants article.
New York Daily News:
Giants: We’re open to new Strahan deal - Ralph Vacchiano provided us with a few notes about Big Blue.
New York Post:
GIANTS TAKING CARE OF THEIR OWN - Paul Schwartz lets us know how the Giants are taking care of their own:
REPORT: PATRIOTS* TAPED GIANTS IN 2006 - The NY Post continues to use an asterisk next to anything related to the Patriots. The Post Staff Report wrote this “The Patriots were caught videotaping Giants assistant defensive coaches in the final preseason game of 2006, according to a new report.” Nowhere does it say ‘allegedly’. But seriously, nobody cares about the Preseason. Following that, the Post Staff Report went on to say “The incident led the NFL to send out a letter to teams detailing interpretations of the rule against taping an opposing team’s signals, the New York Times reported today.” It’s funny though. You never heard of any of this stuff until the Jets allegedly tipped off the NFL about the Patriots stealing signals in Week 1. Since then, other teams keep adding their two cents.
New York Times:
New Claim of Taping Emerges Against Patriots - When you open up the article, the picture is of Bill Belichick and Drew Bledsoe so you know it’s old. John Branch and Greg Bishop wrote that this videotaping of opposing teams supposedly began in the preseason of 2000 (which is when Belichick became the Head Coach of the Pats), and those are the words of a “former Patriots player”. I find that interesting because in 2007, supposedly none of the players knew what the coaches were doing…hmmm, makes me wonder. Belichick told Commissioner Goodell that he misinterpreted the rules. Many people have been questioning how much of an advantage this gives the Pats, so Branch and Bishop included on-the-field examples of how the Patriots would execute play calling by recognizing the formation of the defense. I wrote it when the New York Football Giants won Super Bowl XLII, and I’ll write it again…God set things straight in the Super Bowl because the Patriots cheated. The same thing happened in the World Series when the Tigers cheated and lost to the underdog Cardinals.
Giants Set to Reward Coughlin With Multiyear Deal
The Star-Ledger:
Coughlin’s press conference - Mike Garafolo provided the transcript of Tom Coughlin’s press conference.
DeAngelo is in Indy - Mike Garafolo lets you know the rumors why Hall is in Indianapolis.
NY Giants pursuing Falcons’ CB Hall - I already included the rumor about DeAngelo Hall, but he went on to discuss the topic more in depth. The Giants originally were interested in Marcus Trufant (Seattle) and N’namdi Asomugha (Raiders), but both of them were franchised by their respective team. Good thing we didn’t end up with Trufant because he was part of that Seattle team that quit once it started snowing in the Divisional Playoffs in Green Bay. Trufant looked soft and did nothing. Another player that the Giants were interested in was Asante Samuel (Patriots), but the Giants believe that most of his success has been due to the scheme rather than his individual talent. Now back to Hall, he’s the real deal as far as Cornerbacks are concerned. With that said, Hall comes with a whole lot of baggage. He was fined $100 thousand last season for shouting at the Coach of the Falcons, Bobby Petrino. Personally, I don’t want any part of DeAngelo Hall. I don’t want the clowns of the NFL on the Giants. We have Strahan and that is more than enough for me to handle. The Giants are expected to cut R.W. McQuarters very soon, and they would cut Sam Madison as well if they work out this deal with Hall.
Coughlin’s deal a matter of time - We already covered the status of Coach Coughlin, but here’s a sidenote at the bottom of the article that I found interesting, “The Giants coaches and scouts had dinner last night at Shula’s Steakhouse in the Westin Hotel that’s connected to the RCA Dome. The irony of dining in a restaurant owned by the coach of the 1972 Dolphins a few weeks after preserving their spot as the only perfect Super Bowl champ in history wasn’t lost on Mara. “I was a little disappointed to find out Coach Shula wasn’t picking up the tab,” Mara joked.”
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