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• NFL.com
• The Blue Screen
• The Star-Ledger

NOTE - The Redskins just signed Jason Taylor, according to The Star-Ledger.

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Q: You retired; Jeremy Shockey’s unhappy; Plaxico Burress wants more money. Can the Giants repeat?

A: Yeah, I mean anything’s possible. It’s all about your focus and your commitment to doing what’s best for the team, and not as an individual.

Q: Shockey’s a good teammate?

A: He’s a great teammate. There’s not a guy in that locker room who would say, “I don’t like Jeremy Shockey. He’s a jerk.” If you want to learn how to work hard, if you want to learn how to be intense, if you want to learn to believe that you’re the best and work for it, if you want to learn how to always require and demand the best out of yourself, you watch Jeremy Shockey.

Q: Advice for Osi Umenyiora as he begins Life After Michael Strahan?

A: Don’t worry about it. As long as he knows he’s doing his best, that’s all he can do. And don’t get frustrated by getting double-teamed, don’t get frustrated by getting triple-teamed, ’cause I’ve gone through that stage where it had me in the dumps. But, it’s a compliment to you. Just continue to fight, continue to work through it, and eventually, you’ll learn how to defeat those things.

Q: Should Mathias Kiwanuka be moved back to defensive end?

A: I think he’s a natural end. I think he picked up linebacker pretty well for a guy who never played it in his life, but I think you can find guys who can play linebacker who always play linebacker. Kiwanuka is a natural, explosive defensive end. (Justin) Tuck is a hybrid, and I think Tuck is probably better served rushing from the inside. They can’t stop him on the inside, whereas on the outside, he’s not as natural as Kiwanuka is. I think that would just be a much better setup.

Q: Will success spoil Tom Coughlin?

A: No. He may smile a little bit more, but he’s still gonna work you.

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1. Cowboys

The ‘Boys are loaded with talent, but it would be nice if Tony Romo, the celebrity quarterback, had more on his resume than being Jessica Simpson’s boyfriend and inspiring a hilarious tear-filled defense by T.O. of Romo’s mediocre playoff performance against the Giants. Romo needs to win his first playoff game - Dallas has not won a postseason game since 1996, the longest drought in its 48-year history. Romo is 0-2 in the playoffs with major mistakes late in each game: The bobbled field goal snap in Seattle and the end zone INT vs. the Giants.

Adam Jones, the bad act formerly known as Pacman, had his suspension lifted for the preseason by Roger Goodell and will be allowed to play in the regular season as long as he stays out of trouble this summer. The ‘Boys are training in Oxnard, Calif., less than two hours from the temptations of Los Angeles. Jerry Jones should call every strip club within a 100-mile radius and institute a no-Pacman rule.

The Giants host the ‘Boys on Nov. 2 and play at Dallas Dec. 14.

2. Patriots

After going 18-0 and then not finishing the deal against the Giants, it could be a letdown year for them. But the AFC East is so weak, the Pats can win the division even if the Jets, Dolphins and Bills turn the cameras around and spy on Bill Belichick’s defense.

Sure, Asante Samuel to the Eagles is the big loss, but if he doesn’t let Eli Manning’s sideline throw sail through his hands on the last Super Bowl drive, then we’re talking about the Patriots trying to repeat. Tom Brady threw for 50 TDs last season, 23 of them caught by Randy Moss, and the Pats scored 589 points - all NFL records. But the Patriots scored only 14 points against the Giants in the Super Bowl with New England’s three Pro-Bowl offensive linemen helpless against the Giants’ pass rush. Can teams go to school on what the Giants did? They need the pieces first. Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are not available and Michael Strahan is retired and not about to pull a Brett Favre.

The Patriots won their first 10 games by an average of 25.4 points, their next eight by 10.1 when teams found ways to slow them down before they lost the Super Bowl by three. Unless there is a Super Bowl rematch, the only time the Giants and Pats play this season is the final preseason game at Giants Stadium on Aug. 28.

3. Jaguars

This is the year they jump over the Colts. They play tough defense, can run the ball with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, and David Garrard had only three INTs in 325 attempts. They have ownership questions, but Wayne Weavers insists he’s not selling. Signing free agent WR Jerry Porter gives Garrard a legitimate No. 1 wideout.

4. Chargers

They hung tough against the Pats in the AFC title game even though QB Philip Rivers went into the game with a torn ACL, and injuries limited LaDainian Tomlinson to two carries and Antonio Gates to two catches.

They won’t have a problem in the AFC West, but after beating the Titans at home in the wild-card game, then winning in Indy before losing in New England in the AFC Championship Game, they have to get some more home playoff games. And wouldn’t it be fitting if Eli Manning went up against the team he dissed in the draft and the Giants played the Chargers in the Super Bowl?

5. Colts

Tony Dungy, the most even-tempered coach in a volatile league, has to be concerned that his entire season was on the operating table last week. Peyton Manning has missed just one snap due to injury during the first 10 years of his career. He has started 160 consecutive games, the longest active quarterback streak in the NFL unless Favre keeps his going. But he had surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee and his rehab could take six weeks. That will put him perilously close to the Sept. 7 opener in the Colts’ new stadium against the Bears. If Indy’s season, even for a couple of games, is in the hands of backup Jim Sorgi, its five-year run as division champs will end.

6. Steelers

Usually players are oblivious to ownership issues, but it’s different when it involves an NFL and Pittsburgh icon like Dan Rooney. He and his four brothers each own 16% and the brothers want out. A non-family partner owns 20%. Rooney doesn’t have the money to buy out all his brothers (the team was valued at $929 million by Forbes magazine last fall), but if he can get to 30% controlling interest and find partners to buy pieces of the other 50% that his family now owns, the team will stay within the family. That is the most likely conclusion.

But if Rooney’s four brothers sell their 64% to one investor, then the Rooneys won’t have controlling interest. This could be a huge distraction as the Steelers try to bounce back from their disappointing wild-card loss at home to the Jags. Big Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a 32-TD 11-INT year.

7. Eagles

Donovan McNabb is over the shoulder tendinitis that bothered him last month during team workouts. If he’s healthy, the Eagles are going to be serious Super Bowl contenders. McNabb is now two years removed from ACL surgery and that’s when players return to where they were before the surgery. If McNabb slips, backup Kevin Kolb is in the on-deck circle.

There’s always something going on in Philly and now Brian Westbrook wants more money after his first-team All-Pro season with 2,104 yards from scrimmage. The Giants and Eagles don’t meet until Nov. 9 in Philly.

8. Browns

Derek Anderson should be looking over his shoulder from the first day of training camp because at the first sign that he’s a one-year wonder, you know the Browns will want to play Brady Quinn. Anderson threw 29 TDs, but four of his 19 INTs came in a crucial late-season loss that cost Cleveland the playoffs.

The Browns can score - 402 points last season - and have lots of firepower with Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Donte Stallworth and Jamal Lewis on offense. Trading for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams will toughen up the front four.

9. Packers

Favre has taken the Pack for a wild ride this offseason. But this is a win-now league, so there is only one issue: Does Favre, coming off one of his best seasons, give the Packers a better chance to win in 2008 than Aaron Rodgers, who has played in one meaningful game in three years? Green Bay GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy have every right to be furious with Favre, but they should take him back.

Will it happen? No way. Too many hard feelings on both sides, culminating in the Packers filing tampering charges against the Vikings. I think Favre will be traded to the Bucs.

10. Saints

Jeremy Shockey would fit in perfectly in Sean Payton’s offense - and it’s still a possibility, especially if Shockey is a no-show or starts acting up when the Giants report to camp Thursday. After their magical ride to the NFC title game in 2006, the Saints had a weird 2007: They started 0-4, got to 4-4, then won only three games in the second half of the season.

Reggie Bush proved he’s not an every-down back after Deuce McAllister was lost with a knee injury early. They got tougher on defense by drafting Sedrick Ellis to play inside and trading for ex-Jet Jonathan Vilma. They also signed ex-Pat CB Randall Gay to help fix their No. 30 pass defense.

It’s nice to hear that teams will be coming after us rather than the Giants going after some other team. Of course these 10 teams can beat the Giants and so could the other 22 teams. I definitely want to see Big Blue in the Playoffs for the 4th consecutive year. It would also be nice to see how far they can go from there. Hopefully a repeat in Giants history.

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