Who Is Travis Beckum? You’ll Know Soon Enough

Alex Trebek : This player from the University of Wisconsin was a Mackey Award semifinalist in 2006.

John Fennelly: Who is Travis Beckum?

Alex Trebek: Yes, it was his first year as an offensive player, too. Not bad.

That leads me to think…who exactly is this kid who’s name is so eerily close to that of the character played by Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver?

Here’s what we know:

He’s an exceptional athlete. He started his college career as a defensive player and then switched to tight end in his junior year.

He was named second-team All-American. As a senior, he broke his leg and fell off the radar of many pro scouts.

But not everyone’s radar screen went dark. No one seems to fall off the Giants’ radar these days.

Jerry Reese took Beckum with the second of his two third round selections (No. 100 overall). It wasn’t a total shock, but right then and there everyone from the guy who sells the peanuts to John Mara felt a shiver.

Another steal?

Perhaps. Beckum is what is commonly known as “a tweener:” a guy who is too big for one position and too small for another. In his case, Beckum is 6’3″, 240 and is too big for a WR and tad too small for a TE.

Will he be an H-back perhaps? Kevin Gilbride, the Giants’ OC says no, because the Giants normally do not use the H-back formation in their offense.

“I see him as a bigger Steve Smith,” said Gilbride in an interview with Giants.com, “He creates a problem for defenses matchup-wise.”  That’s right.  A slot receiver. Beckum will be the hinge that the Giant offense has lacked.

Defenses will need to put a safety on him (who will be too small) or a linebacker (who may be too slow).  Either scenario strengthens both the passing and running attacks.

Gilbride also alluded to the fact that Beckum has great YAC (yards after catch) potential, which would garner even more attention from defenders.

So my Saturday just got a little better after listening to Gilbride, brimming with enthusiasm over the new weapon in his arsenal.

The Fall Of Jeremy Shockey

Booze, Poor Decisions Taking Down A Potential Hero

When Jeremy Shockey was in New York, he was one of Giants’ owner Wellington Mara’s favorite players.  The wild, impressionable Shockey who grew up without a father became a surrogate son to the great man they called “The Duke”.

After the Giants made the Miami TE the 14th overall selection in the 2002 NFL Draft, Mara took the 6’5″. 250 lb manchild under his wing. He saw great things for the unbridled Shockey; and for awhile instilled a pride and work ethic that turned this misguided kid from Ada, Oklahoma into a budding NFL superstar. 

Shockey became invaluable to his new ‘family’. His demostrative, vocal style infused life into the sagging Giants.  He immediately became a favorite target of another player the Giants took a gamble on – QB Kerry Collins.  He caught 74 passes in 2002 for 894 yards – good enough to make 1st Team All Pro as a rookie.  The Giants went 10-6 and were back in the playoffs.

The next season, 2003, Shockey only played 9 games due to injury.  The Giants fell to 4-12 and Jim Fassel was fired as head coach. Somehow, Shockey was voted to the Pro Bowl.  He would be voted to the Pro Bowl twice more in his Giant career.  He had become the one star the team could hang its hat on.

The change in Jeremy Shockey began in 2004 when the Giants hired Tom Coughlin and drafted Eli Manning. He seemed to resent the attention being heaped upon the young quarterbacking scion. He felt hindered by the stringent regulations enacted by Coughlin.

More dissent came in 2005, with the death of Wellington Mara.  It was public knowledge that Shockey took Mara’s death hard.

Wellington Mara was the only father figure that Jeremy Shockey had in his life. In 2003, when the injured Shockey partied too hard in New Orleans the night before a game, Mara was not happy, and Shockey knew it.  He vowed to atone. 

At the time of Mara’s death, Shockey had just signed a $26.38 million, six-year extension to stay a Giant. With Mara gone, he would lose his mentor and protector – and his way.

In 2006, Shockey would openly criticize the coaching staff after games and scream at QB Eli Manning on the field and on the sidelines. His vow to Mara to act like a Giant and play like a Giant was suddenly a thing of the past.  He had stopped attending voluntary practices and team activities.  He had become a prima donna.

In 2007, humility would come knocking.  On his way to another trip to the Pro Bowl, Shockey broke his leg in a December game against the Redskins, ending his season. The Giants would lose only one more game without him in their stretch run to becoming Super Bowl Champions.

Shockey did not travel to the Super Bowl with the team. It was said that he needed extra space because his leg was in a cast.  He did not participate in may team meetings and activities. During the game, he sat in a luxury suite because it was deemed ‘too hazardous’ for him to be on the Giants sideline.

TV scans of the booth showed empty beer bottles and cups in front of Shockey and others in the booth. Had Mara been alive, that would not have been permitted. When the Giants won, Shockey did not attend the parade through the Canyon of Heroes.

He also opted out of the Super Bowl ring ceremony at Tiffany’s and the team celebration at The White House. He apparently was upset the team succeeded without him. His understudy, rookie Kevin Boss, filled in quite nicely – even making a key reception in the Super Bowl.

His detachment from the club had been years in the making.  Rumors circulated that the Giants wanted to trade Shockey.  Instead of looking to make peace, he fought back in the media. The last straw was a shouting match in training camp with GM Jerry Reese. The blowout made Shockey look like a spoiled child. Resse asserted his authority and traded Shockey to New Orleans for two future draft choices.

New Orleans was the worst place for Shockey, who has always shown poor impulse control. He loves to party,  in case you haven’t heard.

The 2008 season turned out to be a waste for the hulking tight end. Reunited with former Giant OC Sean Payton, Shockey seemed to be on the verge of having a breakout season.  After a great opening game, it appeared he and QB Drew Brees hit it off.  But that changed quickly when Shockey was sidelined for 5 weeks with a sports hernia.

Of course, he looked for someone to blame, pointing fingers at the staff for not providing the proper treatment.  During his time off, he slunk back into his depression – or paranoia – whichever you prefer. When Shockey returned to the lineup, he did little to impress.

What he needed was for Mara to come along with some words of encouragement. Unfortunately for Shockey, Mara had done that years before. It apparently did not take.

Now we see him back in the news for another off-field incident. Dehydrated in Las Vegas and hospitalized.  That can only happen one way.  He drank too much in the sun.

I hate writing articles such as this one.  The type about fallen heroes. In this case, Jeremy Shockey may not have even been a hero.  Some say he never reached his potential, so his fall isn’t really that far.

I hope he succeeds. I hope he reaches back in the recesses of his memory and revisits those moments Mara spent with him.  He needs to grow up.  It turned out that he was never meant to be a lifelong Giant. 

Right now, all we can ask is that he live up to the potential that Wellington Mara had seen in him seven years ago. I hope he will.

 

 

 

 

A Day to Remember Real Heroes

The 5 Most Devastating Playoff Losses in New York Giants History

Since the NFL annexed the AFL in 1970, the New York Giants have made the playoff a total of 14 times. Three of those campaigns ended in Super Bowl victories, one ended at the Super Bowl and the rest are indelibly etched in the far horizons of my brain as events that I would like to receive a refund for.

Not included in the below list of suicidal moments are pre-1985 games plus every playoff loss in the Tom Coughlin era. Also missing is the forgettable 44-3 bodyslamming by San Francisco in January of 1994—Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor’s final game as Giants (I’m pretending it didn’t happen).

The rest are all the usual suspects, mostly games the Giants should have—or could have—won but for some reason or another, did not. Enjoy.

 

5. January 7, 1990 – Giants Stadium – Rams 19, Giants 13 (OT)

1989 was the year Phil Simms and the Giants were headed for another showdown with the other NFC power of the decade—Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants’ defense was at its peak, and the 49ers’ offense scored 442 points in racking up a 14-2 record.

Bill Parcells’ Giants were returning to the playoffs after a two-year absence. Playing in their first post-season game since they won Super Bowl XXI, the 12-4 Giants were home to face the Wild-Card winner, the Los Angeles Rams, in the NFC Divisional Playoff round.

On a typical January afternoon at the Meadowlands, the stage was set for Big Blue to dispose of the West Coast visitors. Giants fans felt the combination of the weather and Lawrence Taylor should lead to a nice 10-14 point victory.  

The Rams had already beaten the Giants once during the season, 31-10, in Anaheim two months before. Regardless, fans just had the feeling that the Giants were going to romp.

It didn’t happen. The game was a low-scoring affair that had the Giants up 6-0 with 17 seconds to go in the first half. That’s when Los Angeles QB Jim Everett caught the Giants napping and hit WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson for 30-yard touchdown strike. The Giants would regain the lead in the 3rd quarter on a two-yard TD plunge by O.J. Anderson.

The Rams would hold the Giants scoreless in the fourth quarter and tie the game at 13 with two short FGs by Mike Lansford, which sent the game into overtime.

The Rams won the toss and marched down the field on the stunned Giants. It took only 1:06 for the visitors to score the winning TD: a 30-yard touchdown reception by Flipper Anderson that ended with him running straight through the back of the end zone, through the tunnel and into the locker room.

Game over. Season over. What just happened?

 

4. January 5, 2003 – 3Com Park – 49ers 39, Giants 38

This is perhaps the most bizarre game the Giants have ever been a part of.  Two old rivals—the Giants and the 49ers—met in a Wild-Card match-up of 10-6 teams.

The Niners got out to a quick 7-0 lead on a Jeff Garcia 76-yard TD pass to Terrell Owens. Not to fret. These were not the Giants of old, they could score with anyone.

Giants QB Kerry Collins got hot and threw four TDs before the first half ended. By the time the Giants finished scoring, they had a formidable 38-14 lead with 4:37 left in the third period.

Then the tide turned. The 49ers scored 25 consecutive, unanswered points to take a 39-38 lead in the fourth quarter. Whatever plays they needed to make they made, including two 2-point conversions. Garcia, Owens and crew could do no wrong.

Whatever the Giants tried, failed miserably. Jeremy Shockey dropped a TD. The defense committed numerous stupid penalties that kept San Francisco drives alive. Kicker Matt Bryant missed a 42-yard FG with 3:01 remaining. There was even a sideline brawl that featured Giants’ safety Shaun Williams and Owens. Williams was ejected.

Even through all this, the Giants still had a chance to win the ballgame. With 6 seconds remaining, the Giants had the ball on the San Francisco 23-yard-line.  Bryant came out to try a 40-yarder that would salvage the game for New York.

During the Jim Fassel years (1997-2003), the Giants were notoriously inept on special teams. This year’s version was no different.  All the Giants needed to do was kick a 40-yard field goal to advance to the next round of the playoffs.

If it were only that easy….

Long snapper Trey Junkin’s snap to holder Matt Allen was wide and Allen could not get the ball down for the FG attempt. Allen, the Giants’ punter, got up and passed the ball downfield towards an open Giant player.  It was OT Rich Seubert.  As Seubert attempted to catch the pass, San Francisco’s Chike Okafor pulled him to the ground. A penalty was called on the Giants for having an ineligible receiver downfield, so pass interference could not be called.

The game was over, but it shouldn’t have been. The next day, the NFL office admitted the officials made a mistake. The Giants, in fact, did have an ineligible receiver downfield, but it wasn’t Seubert. Seubert had checked in before the play as eligible. The officials failed to note that.  The interference call should have stood because he was eligible. The penalties would have offset and the down would have been replayed.

The league apologized, but said in no way could there be an on-field resolution.

The way things were going there was no assurance that Bryant would have made the kick anyway. Giant fans were more upset with the collapse and the loss of composure than they were anything else.

 

3. January 5, 1986 – Soldier Field – Bears 21, Giants 0

The 10-6 Giants were fresh off a dominating 17-3 Wild-Card victory over San Francisco.  It was Big Blue’s 3rd playoff appearance of the decade.  Fans were beginning to think big.  

Standing in their way were the 15-1 Chicago Bears. The Bears has a smothering defense coached by Buddy Ryan. His “46 defense” was the league’s top ranked in 1985 and is largely considered to be the best in NFL history.

The temperature at Soldier Field that sunny Sunday was of an Arctic nature and the wind was classic Chicago. The Bears were ready to rumble. The Giants were ready to crumble, they just didn’t know it.

The Giants offensive line could not block the Chicago defense. Phil Simms, when he wasn’t getting sacked or knocked to the ground by the likes of Richard Dent, saw his passes sail wide of their targets on crucial plays. The Giant defense was also ineffective, getting fooled by play actions twice, which resulted in TD passes from Jim McMahon to Dennis McKinnon.  

The first score of the game though, was the most famous. Giant punter Sean Landeta, kicking from his own goal line, whiffed while trying to send one his booming punts into Chicago territory. The wind had apparently blown the ball off Landeta’s foot and landed on the five-yard-line where the Bears’ Shaun Gayle picked it up and ran it in for a TD.

If you live to 100 you may never see that happen again. The Mike Ditka-coached Bears went on to the Super Bowl and immortality. Landeta and the Giants went home embarrassed.

2. December 27, 1997 – Giants Stadium – Vikings 23, Giants 22

Jin Fassel’s first year as head coach was a success. The Giants went 10-5-1 and won the NFC East. They did not qualify for a bye, instead earning a home game in the Wild Card round.

Coming into the Meadowlands was an old nemesis—Randall Cunningham—who had been signed by the Vikings before the season. Cunningham had retired as an Eagle after the 1995 season, but missed the game and returned to have his best season as a pro for Minnesota in 1997.

At the season’s outset the Giants didn’t have a whole lot going for them. The Dave Brown experiment finally got old, and after a 3-3 start under Brown, Fassel switched to Danny Kanell. Kanell led to Big Blue to a 7-2-1 finish. The defense was the real star of the team in 1997, finishing 3rd in the NFL in overall defense. The Giants were smoking hot entering the playoffs, only losing twice since the third week of September.

The game against the 9-7 Vikings was supposed to be a formality. Minnesota over the years had become a dome team and had not fared well outdoors. At game time, the temperature was in the mid-40’s and it began to drizzle. The Giants jumped out to a 16-0 lead and led 19-3 by the half. The game was essentially over. The Vikings were done.

In the second half, the Giants began to become lax, a trait that would haunt them throughout Jim Fassel’s tenure as head coach. They also would fight amongst themselves, which was also commonplace under Fassel. 

CB Philippi Sparks screamed at Tiki Barber, whose fumble on the Giants 4-yard line led to a Minnesota touchdown. He also had run-ins with CB Conrad Hamilton and LB Jesse Armstead. Defensive linemen Keith Hamilton and Michael Strahan also fought.

Meanwhile, Minnesota had rattled off 10 unanswered points and was closing in on the lead midway through the fourth quarter.  

Brad Daluiso’s 22-yard FG, his fifth of the afternoon, with 7:03 left gave the Giants some breathing room, putting them up by nine points, 22-13. With less than two minutes to go, the game seemed out of reach. Then Cunningham did what he had always done to the Giants as a member of the Eagles—he flummoxed them.

The Vikings took advantage of the quarreling Giants and scored another quick TD, when Cunningham hit Jake Reed with a 30-yard scoring pass.  With the conversion, the score was now 22-20. The Vikings had only one option left—an onside kick.

Minnesota kicker Eddie Murray kicked the ball right at a sure handed Giant—WR Chris Calloway—who couldn’t handle it. The Vikings recovered. Cunningham went right to work. He hit Cris Carter for 21 yards. Then Sparks would get called for pass interference, moving the Vikings into Murray’s range with 10 seconds to go.

Murray easily converted the 24-yarder putting the Giants out their misery and sending 77,000 fans home wondering what the hell just happened.  Not since “The Fumble” had the Meadowlands crowd experienced such a deflating loss.

1. January 28, 2001 – Raymond James Stadium – Ravens 34, Giants 7

Super Bowl XXXV.  Fassel was at the helm for this fiasco as well. The Giants came into Tampa flying high, having beaten the Minnesota Vikings, 41-0, at the Meadowlands in the NFC Championship game two weeks before.

Now they would try to unleash that offense on the league’s best defense, which belonged to the embattled Ray Lewis and his Baltimore Ravens.  Baltimore, who was also 12-4 in 2000, had also coasted through the playoffs, but as a Wild Card. The bettors were not convinced the Giants were up to the task. The Ravens entered Super Bowl XXXV as three-point favorites.

The Giants attitude going into the game was typical Fassel.  Relax and enjoy. The Ravens were like Clubber Lang to their Rocky in the film Rocky III. They wanted to decimate the Giants, even though Ravens’ coach Brian Billick and Jim Fassel were longtime friends. The Giants trained lightly, went to movies and took in the sun.

The Ravens moved to Lewis’ beat. He had been in serious legal jeopardy before the season. He was present at the murder of two men, who were stabbed by two of his associates. He ended up pleading no contest and his friends were eventually found not guilty. The court of public opinion was not as lenient. Even though Lewis was free, many still saw him as an accomplice to murder. As a result, he knew to keep his nose clean, concentrating on football, becoming the league’s most feared defender.

When the game began, the Giants’ first play from scrimmage was a short pass to TE Pete Mitchell.  Lewis stepped in and broke it up, sending the Ravens into frenzy. The Ravens were intent on picking on Giant CB Jason Sehorn. QB Trent Dilfer threw pas-after-pass in Sehorn’s direction finally hitting pay dirt on a 38-yard pass to Brandon Stokely. Stokely would burn Sehorn twice more in the game, but the erratic Dilfer could not get the ball to him the other times.

With the Ravens leading 7-0, Jesse Armstead picked off a Dilfer pass and retuned it 43 yards for a touchdown, apparently tying the score at seven. The officials called a phantom holding call on lineman Keith Hamilton, who brushed his hand against Jamal Lewis as he left the backfield. The play was called back, taking all momentun with it. The Ravens would go into the half with a 10-0 lead.

The second half was all Baltimore. The Giants did not score a point on offense.  Their only touchdown in the 34-7 drubbing was a 97-yard kickoff return by Ron Dixon.

When the game was over, Giant fans were leveled. Their team had suffered the most painful post-season loss in post-merger history. Fassel admitted he would have changed his approach had he had to play the game again. Really?

 

2009 NY Giants Special Teams Preview

A Model Of Consistency

Special Teams Coach: Tom Quinn (third year)
Assistant Special Teams Coach: Thomas McGaughey (second year)

Kicker—Lawrence Tynes
Punter—Jeff Feagles
Kick Returner—Ahmad Bradshaw
Punt Returner—Domenik Hixon
Long Snapper—Zak DeOssie
Holder—Jeff Feagles
Others: Chase Blackburn, Terrell Thomas, Michael Matthews

Overview

Lawrence Tynes returns as the full-time kicker, taking over for 44-year-old John Carney who made the Pro Bowl with an NFL third best 143 points. The Giants are also looking to build on a successful season both returning kicks and defending punts.

Kicker

It’s a shame that John Carney had to go. He had a Pro-Bowl season after the Giants made him the starter, hitting 35 of 38 FG attempts, plus all 38 extra points.

The downside to Carney was that he had only one touchback in 79 kickoff attempts. Lawrence Tynes had one in 14 attempts, but averages 64 yards on his kickoffs to Carney’s 60.

Mysteriously, Carney’s kicks were returned for an average of 21.8 yards while Tynes’ kicks averaged 26.8 yards per return.

Bottom line: The Giants had to bring back postseason hero Tynes, who is healthy and is in only the second year of a five year, $7 million deal.

 

Punter

You can go on forever praising Jeff Feagles, who is entering his 22nd season in the league and seventh with the Giants. Feagles went to the Pro Bowl in February and is still the master of placing punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Last season he netted 40.2 yards per punt, which was good enough for fourth in the NFL, plus only allowed 24 of his 64 punts to be returned. His prowess gives the Giants a huge advantage in the field-position aspect of the game.

Kickoff Returns

Ahmad Bradshaw is the primary kickoff returner. Last year, he was paired with either Reuben Droughns or Domenik Hixon and ocaasionally Sinorice Moss. Droughns is gone and Hixon has been used more as the punt returner, even though he racked up 180 yards in his only three kickoff returns last year, including an 83-yarder.

Bradshaw averaged 22.2 yards per return in 39 attempts, good enough for 16th in the NFL. The Giants want Bradshaw to take more reps at running back this season and Hixon is temporarily listed as a starter at WR, so it remains to be seen if they will keep both players in these roles.

Punt Returns

This is Hixon’s job unless one of the three young receivers unseats him as a starter at WR. The Giants believe that will happen, so Hixon will have a backup role on offense and a major role as a returner. That’s good news for the Giants who are a better team with Hixon as a special teamer.

Hixon averaged 10.1 yards per return in 24 attempts with nine fair catches last season.

Outlook

The Giants never look to hit it big on special teams. The philosophy is to win the field-position war. The returners will be affected by the lack of the wedge, which has been outlawed.

The other specialists are all professionals with proven track records. Long snapper Zak DeOssie was also a Pro Bowler last year. He will be back, along with veteran Chase Blackburn to lead a very capable group.

2009 New York Giants’ Wide Receivers Preview

No Plaxico? No Problem, Say The Giants

Wide Receivers Coach: Mike Sullivan
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Gilbride

Wide Receivers: Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith (Starters). Sinorice Moss, David Tyree, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden

Overview

The fallout of the Plaxico Burress incident was greater than any could have imagined and affected the team more than anyone wanted to admit.

The period of denial is over and the club has moved on.

In addition to releasing Burress, the Giants cut ties with their all-time leading receiver, 13-year veteran Amani Toomer, choosing not to re-sign him. GM Jerry Reese acted quickly and with precision to bring in replacements.

He used two of the Giants first five picks in April’s draft to backfill the open receiver positions. In the first round, Reese took UNC’s Hakeem Nicks and in the third round he nabbed Cal Poly’s 6’6″ Ramses Barden.

Domenik Hixon 

Hixon is penciled in as a starter because he finished the season as one. He was the temporary replacement for Plaxico. He is a fine player, but the team was obviously putting too large a burden on his shoulders.

Hixon is better suited as a special teams player. His strength is returning kicks, and if all goes well he will return to that role and revert back to being a third down option on offense.

Steve Smith 

The former USC star has worked out well for the Giants, making many a big play in key moments. He is a heady player with good field sense and excellent hands.

That being said, Smith is more of a third receiving option—a guy who gets into the gaps—than he is as a vertical threat. Smith will get his reps because he is reliable and smart. QB Eli Manning has made a habit of seeking Smith out when a play becomes broken.

Sinorice Moss

The younger brother of All-Pro wide receiver Santana Moss has been largely a disappointment as a Giant.

He has ability, speed and all the tools, but he has had to overcome injuries suffered early on in his career which has hindered his progress. He can spread the field, but Gilbride rarely calls his number, so we still don’t know a whole lot about what Moss can do.

His size is his biggest disadvantage. At 5’8″, 185 he is not what the team prefers at wideout. He will become a free agent after this year, and will most likely move on.

David Tyree

Forgot about him, didn’t you? The Giants haven’t.

After reaching football immortality with the greatest catch in Super Bowl history, Tyree missed all of 2008 with a knee injury. Out of sight and out of mind, Tyree has made his way back to the Giants active roster, where he will resume his role as the clubs’ top special teamer.

Tyree is a playmaker by trade no matter where you place him. In the 4th quarter of a tight game, you will find Tyree subtlety inserted into the Giants’ offensive huddle. We all now know why.

The question is—why do the Giants wait so long to use him?

Mario Manningham

The former Michigan star has the ability to be as electrifying in the pros as he was in college, where he averaged almost 17 yards per catch. He chose to fore go his final year of eligibility at Michigan to enter the 2008 NFL Draft where the Giants snatched him up in the third round.

Injuries sidetracked his progress last season and he was not fully prepared to play until very late in the season. Manningham will be given the opportunity to develop both physically and professionally by the Giants. He’s only 22.

Hakeem Nicks 

Butch Davis, Nicks’ college coach, has compared Nicks to another one of his former pupils—Hall-of-Fame WR Michael Irvin. That’s high praise coming from such an accomplished coach.

Nicks fell to the Giants at pick No. 29 of the first round because his 40 times were not as fast as some of the others. The Giants don’t put too much stock in receivers’ 40 times. Playing in the The Meadowlands is like playing on the moon. Receiver speed means nothing.

Over time, the Giants have learned this and value players with good football sense and soft hands. Nicks has both of those.

Ramses Barden 

This pick has piqued the curiosity of every Giant fan from Montauk to Moonachie. Barden is a 6’6″, 230 lb NBA power forward in a football uniform.

Watching him run routes and snatch balls away from helplessly smaller defenders echoes the exploits of one Plaxico Burress. Barden may not be as fast as Burress, but he appears to be more athletic and muscular. The Giants may have hit the jackpot with this guy.

Outlook 

Jerry Reese said not to worry too much about the apparent dearth at the WR position. Perhaps we should have listened. The seven players listed above are all capable and should be able to more than offset the loss of Burress and Toomer.

The Giants will no longer have to deal with receivers not attending camps or sitting out practices. The divas are all gone.

Eli is the boss—and if these seven want to play they better familiarize themselves with him. Burress and Shockey spent too much time away from Manning to establish kinetic relationships.

The Giants may actually be better than ever at WR. After all that’s happened that’s hard to believe, isn’t it?

NY Giants: 2009 Offensive Line Preview

Offensive Line Coach: Pat Flaherty
Asst. Offensive Line Coach: Jack Bicknell, Jr.

• Centers: Shaun O’Hara (Starter)
• Guards: Chris Snee (S), Rich Seubert (S), Kevin Boothe
• Tackles: Kareem McKenzie (S), David Diehl (S), Adam Koets, Guy Whimper, William Beatty, Andrew Carnahan, Cliff Louis, Mike Fladell, Terrance Pennington (G/T), Orrin Thompson (G/T)

Pat Flaherty is one of the league’s most respected OL coaches. He is entering his 30th year of coaching (fifth with he Giants) and has formed this unit into one of the NFL’s best. Since hiring Flaherty in 2004, the Giants running game has flourished, producing a 1000-yard rusher each season. Last year, the Giants had two 1000-yard rushers—Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward—only the fifth team in NFL history to achieve that feat.

This year, Flaherty has brought in Jack Bicknell, Jr. as an assistant. Bicknell is the son of former Boston College coaching legend Jack Bicknell but has an impressive resume of his own. He has been both an assistant and a head coach in the college ranks, most recently at BC, where he guided the high-powered offense led by QB Matt Ryan.

Center

Rutgers’ Shaun O’Hara is in his 10th season as a pro and made the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2008. O’Hara has been a stalwart in the middle of the Giants’ line and has an excellent rapport with QB Eli Manning.

 

Flexibilty/Depth

O’Hara is listed as the only center on the roster, but Seubert could play there as well. The team is grooming another Rutgers product, Mike Fladell, as a potential backup. Grey Ruegamer was the backup center the past few seasons but he has been declared a free agent. Should he not catch on with another club, the Giants may sign him back.

 

Guard

Chris Snee has been a real block of granite for the Blue since being drafted out of BC in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He also was a Pro Bowler in 2008 for the first time. Rich Seubert has been a Giant since 2001 and has been one of those ‘lunch pail’ types that Bill Parcells always loved.

 

Flexibility/Depth

Adam Koets and Kevin Boothe are listed as tackles but both could play both guard if needed. Fladell could also fill in at guard.

 

Tackle

Kareem McKenzie, who was signed as a free agent from the Jets in 2005, is entering his 9th season. McKenzie has been a steady performer. David Diehl, the other tackle, was not a tackle at all until two years ago when the Giants moved him from the guard position. There were concerns about whether that ‘experiment’ would work. It has.

 

Flexibilty/Depth

Tthe team used one of its two second round draft choices on UConn’s William Beatty, a player with great size and potential. Guy Whimper is still hanging around, but with there may no longer be room for him. The club was awarded Andrew Carnahan, who was waived by Kansas City.

 

Performance

This unit has basically stayed healthy the past few seasons and as a result has been able to gain and maintain consistency. They run block better than any group in the league and have protected Manning admirably—he has not missed a game in his five year career.

 

Outlook

The team will probably only carry eight or nine of these players into season with them. Outside of the starters, you can count Beatty being one of them. Koets, Fladell and Boothe may end up being the others.

 

The Best In the Business. Published from blognyg.com

A Disturbing New NFL Trend: Insider Trading

Pats, Falcons, and Chiefs Have Cottage Industry Going

You would think with all of the fiscal shenanigans we’ve seen over the past years or so that no one would even attempt any moves that would appear inappropriate.

Think again.  In the cover of light, the New England Patriots and their two new “satellite” operations—the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons—are conducting business in such fashion that should draw a legion of red flags. What these three teams are doing can only be considered to be collusionary conduct.

Take it from me, I have been around the block a few times in my long career in the financial industry.  I have seen ponzi schemes, stock scams, junk bond improprieties, and yes—insider trading.  The latter is what is happening here.

The origin of this mess comes directly from the offices of the New England Patriots (surprise), and normally I wouldn’t care. But I have been trained to spot red flags, and I am seeing them waving brightly in the sunlight in this case. 

Thomas Dimitroff is the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. He has long relationships with both Kansas City GM, Scott Pioli, and New England coach Bill Belichick that go back to when all three were employed by the Cleveland Browns.  Since then, the three have gone their separate ways, but it appears their business relationship is still intact.

The NFL doesn’t seem to mind, and fans may not know what to think when they see a Tony Gonzalez go from “untouchable” status in Kansas City to the Atlanta Falcons’ roster for practically nothing. It wouldn’t surprise me if that 2010 second round pick the Chiefs got in return for Gonzalez somehow ends up in New England.

Both the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants were heavily in the mix for Gonzalez—or so we thought.  Both teams have loads of draft picks and players to offer the Chiefs, but yet no trade was made.  The Falcons offer a future pick to Kansas City and a deal is struck. Go figure. Am I nuts, or does this seem a little fishy?

When Matt Cassel was traded from New England to Kansas City, many were shocked. Really?  That he was traded, or traded to Kansas City?  I wasn’t.  Pioli needed a QB in KC, and the Patriots were not about to pay Matt Cassel $14 million. 

The deal left many teams feeling shunned.  The Denver Broncos, whose new head coach (Josh McDaniels) comes from the Patriots’ coaching tree, thought they had a legitimate shot at landing Cassel in a three-way deal that would have included Jay Cutler being moved to Tampa. He should have known better.

It will be interesting to see how these three teams interact as time goes on.  I have seen the red flags, and now I urge you to follow them.

 

New York Giants Draft History – Pt. 2: The George Young Years (1979-98)

In 1979, the Commissioner of the NFL, Alvin “Pete” Rozelle, seeing that the New York Football Giants, one of the league’s flagship franchises, needed some outside guidance to become competitive again, decided to lend a hand.

Rozelle mediated a truce between the two owners of the Giants, Wellington Mara and his nephew, Tim. The outcome was that they would hire George Young to run their football operations. Young was seasoned front office man who held many positions with the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins.

He had the demeanor of a college dean and perhaps the best eye for talent in the business.

Young took the reins in 1979, hired a no-nonsense coach in former Colts player and Patriots’ offensive coordinator Ray Perkins. Perkins assembled a talented staff that included Bill Parcells and a young Bill Belichick.

The Giants went 6-10 in 1979, but the structure and the outlook of the club changed dramatically. You could smell something good was about to happen, and it did.

Year-by-Year Drafts

1979 –

With the whole Giant community watching, Young chose Moorehead State QB Phil Simms with the 7th overall pick. No one knew too much about Simms at the time, except that he was highly regarded.

Even Bill Walsh admitted that he wanted Simms and thought he could get him in the 3rd round, but Young had snapped him up. Walsh “ended up” with Joe Montana in the 3rd round, instead.

That aside, Simms became all the Giants thought he could be after a few injury-tainted seasons, winning them a Super Bowl on his way to breaking almost all of the team’s passing records. In the second round, the Giants chose Memphis State WR Earnest Gray, who would be one of Simms’ favorite targets in the early 1980’s.

1980 –

Young chose Colorado CB Mark Haynes with the 8th pick in the 1st round. Haynes was a solid player and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1982, ’83 and ’84.

The rest of the draft was not a very productive one. In the 6th round, Young selected Delaware QB Scott Brunner, who would came in handy during the seasons where Simms got injured. In 1981, Brunner would lead the Giants to their first playoff appearance and victory in 18 years.

1981 –

The gods were looking down on the Giants. The New Orleans Saints chose the Heisman Trophy winner, RB George Rogers of South Carolina, with the top selection.

That brought a sigh of relief from Young, who held the second selection. He quickly snapped up North Carolina OLB Lawrence Taylor, changing the fortunes of the franchise forever. LT would become one of the game’s most feared defenders and revolutionized linebacker play at the professional level.

The Giants had now drafted 3 straight Pro-Bowl caliber players in three consecutive drafts. Later in this draft, they would select G Billy Ard, NT Bill Neill of Pitt and LB Byron Hunt. Cha-ching.

1982 –

This was a modest season for the Big Blue. After the season, Ray Perkins decided to leave to coach at Alabama, his alma mater.

Young toyed with many names to replace him, but settled on defensive coordinator Bill Parcells. In the draft the Giants took RBs back-to-back to augment their running game, which consisted solely of Rob Carpenter: Michigan’s Butch Woolfolk and Syracuse’s Joe Morris.

Woolfolk would never really hit his stride as a pro, leading the Giants to turn to Morris who delivered big-time. In 1985 and 1986 Little Joe rushed for a total of 2852 yards and 35 TDs—not including his monster post-seasons.

1983 –

Seeking a hard-hitting presence in their secondary, Young chose Clemson safety Terry Kinard with the 10th overall selection. Kinard was a solid player and was an integral part of the Giants’ Super Bowl XXI run in 1986.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say that this was perhaps the most talented draft in NFL history. The Giants ended up with Kinard, Leonard Marshall, Karl Nelson, Ali Haji-Sheikh, Perry Williams and Andy Headen.

Not bad, but could it have been better? Six 1st rounders are in the Hall of Fame: John Elway, Eric Dickerson, Jim Kelly, Bruce Matthews, Dan Marino and Darrell Green. Also in this draft: Roger Craig, Chris Hinton, Jimbo Covert, Joey Browner, Curt Warner, Gill Byrd, Gary Anderson, Henry Ellard, Darryl Talley, Keith Bostic, Wes Hopkins, Ken O’Brien and Dan Mosebar. Wow.

1984 –

Another solid draft. The Giants had the third pick overall by nature of their 3-12-1 record the previous year—Parcells’ first.

They chose Michigan State LB Carl Banks. Later on in the first round, they selected OL William Roberts of Ohio State.

Both players would become Pro Bowlers. Also selected in this draft: QB Jeff Hostetler (3rd), LB Gary Reasons (4th) and WR Lionel Manuel (7th).

Hostetler led the Giants to a victory in Super Bowl XXV. Reasons was a stalwart playing in-between Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor on that vaunted Giants D. Manuel was Simms’ main wideout for several seasons in the mid-’80’s.

1985 –

Young missed with first-rounder George Adams, a RB from Kentucky. Adams couldn’t stay healthy, opening the door for Joe Morris to become a star.

The Giants had 5 picks in the first 100, but only came away with one impact player—TE Mark Bavaro of Notre Dame. For those of you who never saw Bavaro play, I feel sorry for you.

What a warrior. He was one of the best TE’s me or anyone else has ever seen.

1986 –

The Giants were knocking on the door of the Super Bowl. Having lost to the eventual SB champion Bears, they knew exactly what they needed to do.

Feeling good about players from Notre Dame, Young selected DE Eric Dorsey in the first round. Dorsey was a gigantic man but failed to dominate the way the Giants had hoped, even though he stuck around for seven years.

Other than that, the rest of the draft was a success. They had four picks in the second round: CB Mark Collins, DT Erik Howard, LB Pepper Johnson and S Greg Lasker. They all would contribute to the team’s first NFL Championship in 30 years.

1987 –

This was not a good season for the Giants. A work-stoppage would derail their attempt at a repeat.

The draft yielded several useful players, who would end up as starters: WRs Mark Ingram and Steven Baker and T Doug Riesenberg.

1988 –

The Giants rebounded as a playoff team. The draft was not a good one overall, but the Blue did get two starters for their OL: Eric Moore of Indiana and Jumbo Elliott of Michigan.

Moore did not pan out as well as the Giants thought he might, but Elliott was a beast. He ended up playing 14 seasons in the NFL.

1989 –

The Giants had a monster draft, considering they went 10-6 in 1988. The first round choice was a center—Brian Williams of Minnesota. Williams gave the club everything he had for the better part of the 1990’s.

Bob Kratch, the second round pick, was just as good before leaving for New England via free agency in 1994. The rest of the draft would re-stock the Giants for their second Super Bowl run: S Greg Jackson of LSU, RBs Lewis Tillman and David Meggett, TE Howard Cross and DB Myron Guyton.

1990 –

The Giants were ready to challenge for the title again after four years. Young grabbed Georgia RB Rodney Hampton with the 24th pick in the first round.

Hampton became the steady ball carrier the club had been craving. After an injury ended his rookie season, Rodney went on to become the Giants’ all-time leading rusher until Tiki Barber passed him in 2004.

Mike Fox, the second round pick, was a 6’8″ defensive lineman that was a solid performer for both the Giants and the Carolina Panthers. After the season, Parcells left the club. He was replaced by RB coach Ray Handley instead of Bill Belichick, who also left rather than work under the inferior Handley.

1991 –

The SB champs, in an attempt to augment their running game, drafted FB Jarrod Bunch of Michigan in the first round. Bunch did not have the speed nor the ability to compliment either Hampton or Meggett.

He was a bust. The second rounder, LB Kanavis McGhee of Colorado, was also not up to snuff. There were, however, some keepers from this draft: WR Ed McCaffrey, T Clarence Jones and LB Corey Miller.

1992 –

Another big miss for Young—in the first round, anyway. TE Derek Brown of Notre Dame was taken #14 overall by the Giants, and simply just could not put it together.

The Giants ended up placing 3rd rounder Aaron Pierce ahead of him on the depth chart. The second round pick was CB Phillppi Sparks, who became a starter for the better part of his eight year Giants’ career.

In the 4th round, the club chose DL Keith Hamilton of Pitt. Hammer became a mainstay on the Giants’ DL for 12 seasons. Other players taken were LB Corey Widmer, DT Stacy Dillard and QB Kent Graham.

After drafting steals in the mid-to-late rounds in the previous draft, Young went back to reaching. In June of 1992, he used the team’s 1993 #1 to draft Duke QB Dave Brown in a supplementary draft.

This turned out to be a huge mistake. Brown was not any better than Graham, who Young got in the 8th round in April.

It was true that Phil Simms was getting old and the incoming coach—Dan Reeves—wanted a young QB to develop a la John Elway. He released Jeff Hostetler (one of many poor choices Reeves would make as coach) which led to Young’s drafting of Brown.

In defense of Young and Reeves, the 1993 draft was not a great one for QBs, but they miscalculated Brown’s ability altogether. After New England and Seattle drafted Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer 1-2 in the first round, the pickings were slim with the exception of Mark Brunell (who went to Green Bay in the 7th) and Elvis Grbac (taken by SF in the 8th).

1993 –

With no first round selection on draft day, the team did not pick until #40 overall. Young made this one count.

He selected DE Michael Strahan with 40th overall pick. No need to elaborate on how this one turned out.

Third round pick LB Marcus Buckley would play 7 seasons for the Giants. The rest of the draft was basically a forgettable one until the last round when Young chose Miami’s Jesse Armstead.

Armstead was considered a ‘tweener’, which meant he was too small to play LB and too big for the defensive backfield. He fooled everyone by playing linebacker for 12 years in the NFL (9 for the Giants) and was named to the Pro Bowl five times.

1994 –

Young was still determined to add a quality wideout through the draft. In the first round, he chose Indiana’s Thomas Lewis, passing on such offensive players as Issac Bruce, Charlie Garner, Darnay Scott, Kevin Mawae and Larry Allen.

Lewis was rarely healthy in his four years with the club, making little impact. The second round choice was CB Thomas Randolph who briefly became a starter in the mid-’90’s.

The jewel of the draft was their other 2nd round selection that year, USC’s Jason Sehorn. Sehorn would play 9 seasons for the Giants.

He was a spectacular athlete that made memorable plays both in the secondary and on special teams. This draft also brought DE Chad Bratzke to the Meadowlands. He was a tough player for both the Giants and Colts in his 10-year NFL career.

1995 –

Looking to bolster the running game with an explosive player, Young jumped on Michigan’s Tyrone Wheatley in Round 1. Wheatley, in fact, was explosive and had size, but not much durability.

He played four disappointing seasons for the Giants before becoming a star in Oakland for the Raiders. Second round pick Scott Gragg was a mountain of a man (6’8″, 320) who started every game at OT from 1996-99 for the Giants before leaving for SF via free agency, where he also started for five seasons.

The late-round steal of this draft ended up being FB Charles Way of Virginia. Way was a devastating blocker and ball carrier for the Blur until his career was cut short by a knee injury in 1999.

1996 –

The Giants were in the 5th slot in the first round hoping that either LB Kevin Hardy, DE Simeon Rice or OT Johnathan Ogden would fall to them. They didn’t.

Instead of trading out of the pick, Young used it on Oklahoma DE Cedric Jones. Big mistake.

Jones wasn’t a bad player, but he was a bit of a dropoff from the other players in the top five. The team’s next three picks would be WR Amani Toomer, T Roman Oben and QB Danny Kanell.

Toomer went on to become the Giants’ all-time leading receiver. Oben left New York after only four seasons, but played for several other teams over a 12-year career. Kanell would unseat the shaky Dave Brown as the starter under both Dan Reeves and Jim Fassel.

1997 –

Dan Reeves was replaced by Jim Fassel as head coach. The Giants had the 7th pick overall and chose Florida WR Ike Hilliard to compliment Chris Calloway and Amani Toomer in the passing game.

Hilliard had eight very productive years with the Giants before leaving for Tampa, where he plans to line up for his 13th season this fall. Second round pick, RB Tiki Barber of Virginia was a smallish back who the Giants did not know how to use for the first few years of his career.

He was effective both rushing and receiving the ball out of the backfield. In 2000, he became an elite back, but he was also was prone to turnovers.

When Tom Coughlin took over the team in 2004, Barber responded with the best 3 years of his career before walking away from the Giants as the team’s all-time leading rusher in 2006. Other players taken in this draft were punter Brad Maynard and S Sam Garnes.

1998 –

Young’s final draft was not a very good one. He chose UCLA safety Shaun Williams in the first round, Penn State WR Joe Jurevicius in Round 2 and WR Brian Alford of Purdue in Round 3.

Alford was a complete bust. Jurevicius’ Giant career was unimpressive until his final year with the club (he left for Tampa via free agency in 2002).

Williams was a solid performer over his 8 seasons in New York. He was not the intimidator the Giants thought he would be, but he was still an above-average playmaker.

From blogNYG.com

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