Should the New York Giants Be Worried About Antonio Pierce?

Although Plaxico Burress is long gone from New York, his actions continue to have an effect on the Giants as they report to training camp.

At the very least, they may be affecting Antonio Pierce.

Pierce has told Tom Coughlin that the hoopla surrounding his involvement in the Burress shooting has been “frustrating,” and that he’s been looking forward to training camp to get everything behind him.

With all the talk that Pierce may face charges as an accessory in the crime—including driving the injured Burress across state lines, taking him into a hospital under an assumed name, and dropping the gun back at Burress’s New Jersey house—it might be natural for people both inside the Giants organization and outside to worry about Pierce.

Will he be able to focus on the season at hand?

Will he end up being indicted and face charges?

If he does face charges, will he miss a significant amount of playing time, and what are the Giants’ options in case he does spend time in a jail cell?

A lot of questions, yes. And the Giants can ill afford to have any off-the-field issues, as they need to put all of their effort into proving that they are still one of the NFC’s best teams.

But if history is any indication, Pierce should be fine.

First of all, if there’s anyone in the league who knows how to keep focused in difficult times, it’s Pierce.

The unquestioned heart and soul of one of the NFL’s top defenses year in and year out, Pierce knows how to get both himself and his teammates fired up when the time calls for it.

Whether it’s coining the Giants’ “no respect” motto during the their 2007 playoff run or proving to NFL scouts that they made a mistake in letting him go undrafted in 2001, Pierce has that uncanny ability to turn almost anything into bulletin board material, which is what makes him one of the most respected guys in the locker room.

Pierce will no doubt be working his hardest to show that he’s ready to put these legal issues behind him and play some football.

Nevertheless, he is still at the mercy of a Manhattan grand jury—they will ultimately decide if Pierce sits or starts this year.

If Pierce plays his cards right, he might not even face indictment—and all signs show that he has done everything right so far with the grand jury.

Pierce appears fully willing to cooperate with the grand jury, which could end up in his favor. They seem more interested in nabbing Burress than anything else, and if Pierce helps them out he could very well be completely off the hook.

In addition, the fact that he voluntarily chose to testify this past week should speak volumes with the grand jury, and that could play an important factor as to whether Pierce faces indictment or not.

And if by some bizarre reason Pierce ends up serving jail time, the Giants have enough depth at middle linebacker to soften the blow—Chase Blackburn has started in the middle in past seasons for the Giants, Jonathan Goff is ready to go following an injury in his rookie season, and Danny Clark has the versatility to start in the middle if needed.

But it most likely won’t have to come to that—as long as Pierce keeps a cool head and doesn’t do anything to draw the ire of the grand jury in Manhattan, he should be able to start all 16 games this season.

So relax, Giants fans—the aftermath of the Burress saga shouldn’t be an issue for Pierce or for the team in general.

Also featured at blogNYG.com

Why the Minnesota Vikings Should Not Go After Michael Vick

Brett Favre has finally ended the drama surrounding his potential return, announcing that he’s going to stay retired and relax at his Hattiesburg, Miss. home.

Upon hearing this announcement, many football people, now free from the incessant ESPN coverage and rumors concerning Favre’s return, are taking a deep sigh of relief.

Except for the Minnesota Vikings.

Favre was supposed to step in and be the final piece to Minnesota’s puzzle, the guy who was finally going to take the Vikings to the promised land.

Now finding themselves back at square one, Vikings brass now have to deal with the fallout of this news. Every move that quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels make will be scrutinized under the finest of microscopes, with people wondering whether No. 4 would have done any better.

Maybe they should try another former star quarterback from the NFC—old No. 7, Michael Vick.

Could the Vikings, fresh off of a Hall-of-Fame quarterback snubbing, consider signing Vick?

Yeah, Vick might be worth a look—he has a reputation as quite a playmaker.

Should they?

Not if they’re looking for an upgrade at QB.

At first glance, Vick’s name alone would be a huge draw. He was a household name with Atlanta and led the Falcons to two playoff appearances. He’s also been named to the Pro Bowl three times.

No doubt, he has an impressive resume. And something that the Vikings may consider if they want to sell tickets and make a push for that new stadium they’ve been clamoring about.

But a deeper look at his numbers show that he isn’t what the Vikings are looking for. Let’s compare Vick’s numbers to Minnesota’s incumbent QB, T-Jack.

In 74 games, Vick has completed 930 of 1,730 passes for 11,505 yards and a 53.8 completion percentage, which is tied with the great Randy Wright for 134th all-time.

Jackson, on the other hand, has had very similar numbers to Vick’s—in 25 career games, he’s completed 306 of 524 passes for a 58.4 completion percentage.

The main difference is that Jackson has yet to hit his prime, while Vick is most likely past his prime.

Not to mention that Vick probably hasn’t even touched a football since his incarceration and won’t be able to play until Week Six of the season. There’d be quite a readjustment period for Vick, one that the Vikings wouldn’t want to have to deal with.

The only thing Vick truly has going for him is his speed, which might work on a team featuring Harvin and Adrian Peterson.

But Minnesota isn’t looking for another running back. They need someone who can throw the ball down the field efficiently, someone who can manage the air attack while Peterson carries the offense.

Remember why the Vikes wanted Favre in the first place—Jackson has been frustratingly inconsistent during his three years in the league, and Rosenfels has never played a full season under center. In theory, Favre would have been the ideal person to sling the ball to Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, and Bobby Wade.

That may be asking too much of Vick, who has always struggled with making accurate passes throughout his career.

For Minnesota, it would be better to either continue developing the 26-year-old Jackson or turn the reins over to Rosenfels, who showed flashes of success while subbing for an injured Matt Schaub last year in Texas.

One thing is certain, though: making a run at Vick would be a big mistake for the Minnesota Vikings.

 

The New York Giants Should Not Trade for Broncos WR Brandon Marshall

As soon as news broke that Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall wanted out of the Mile High City, speculation began swirling as to where he would end up.

All but gone after posting a farewell message on his personal blog, Marshall has been linked to several receiver-starved teams. The Baltimore Ravens, the New York Jets, and even the Chicago Bears—where he would be reunited with ex-Broncos QB Jay Cutler—are rumored to be potential landing places.

Notice how the New York Giants, once regarded throughout the league as a team that severely needed a top-flight wideout, are absent from that list.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

While it may seem at first glance that the Giants could use a top receiver with experience in the league, there’s no need to make a trade for Marshall.

First of all, the Giants have already stockpiled a ton of young talent at wide receiver. Rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden have clicked quite well with Eli Manning throughout the Giants’ OTAs.

Steve Smith is primed for a breakout season, Domenik Hixon will be a threat on the offensive side of the ball as well as in the return game, and Mario Manningham and Sinorice Moss will see more playing time as they finally recover from their injuries.

Adding someone such as Brandon Marshall would inevitably create a logjam at wideout. With Eli and the current crop of receivers in sync early, it would be too much of a hassle to quickly get him on the same page as Eli.

Second, the Giants just got rid of a tall, physical wide receiver with tons of legal troubles in Plaxico Burress.

Do they really need to acquire another potential headache in Marshall?

Marshall has already felt the wrath of the all-powerful Roger Goodell in his young career, having been suspended for one game for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

He has also been arrested four times in three years, most notably on suspicion of domestic violence in March 2007. His most recent arrest on March 1, 2009 may result in a longer, more severe suspension.

To bring Marshall in would mean bringing in his troubled persona as well. After releasing Burress because of his off-field drama, it wouldn’t make much sense to trade for someone who is just a drama queen, if not more of one.

Let’s say Jerry Reese overlooked Marshall’s flaws and wants to cram him into a crowded receiver depth chart. There would still be the tiny matter of what to give up to Denver in exchange.

The Broncos would almost certainly set a starting price similar to what Detroit got for Roy Williams—a first-round, third-round, and sixth round pick in this year’s draft.

That may be too much for the Giants, who scoffed at giving up their first-round pick in April for Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin—two of the top receivers in the NFL today.

So while it may seem at first that the Giants need a proven wideout, Brandon Marshall is not what they’d be looking for if they were open to adding to their receiving corps.

 

Also featured at blogNYG.com

In the Results-Driven NFL, Vince Young Feels a Sense Of Entitlement

In a classic episode of the hit TV show Scrubs—an excellent show for those who have never seen it—Dr. Robert Kelso imparts some valuable words of wisdom onto a difficult patient: Nothing in this world that’s worth having comes easy.

Now if only Vince Young watched Scrubs.

VY created another media firestorm the other day by declaring that he wanted to play elsewhere if he did not start with the Titans.

In an interview with WMAR-TV in Baltimore, Young stated his ultimatum to the Titans organization: I’m willing to compete for the job, but if I don’t get it then I want out, because if you guys don’t want me on your team then some other team will.

He feels entitled to have his job back because he thinks he’s ready. After Kerry Collins’s revival last season, however, he’s going to have to work for the job.

Not a problem, says Young. If I don’t get the job then I’ll demand a trade. Someone else will want me to play for them.

Problem is, nobody else would want Vince on their team.

His NFL resume is not very impressive: in 33 games, he has completed 444 of 775 passes for 4,964 yards with 22 TDs, 32 INTs, and an overall 68.8 QB rating.

Oh yeah, don’t forget about his emotional baggage too.

In his three years in the NFL, VY has considered retiring after his rookie year, went missing after his two-interception performance against Jacksonville and had to have Nashville police search for him. He was “hurting inside and out” (according to his mother), and even was contemplating suicide.

And now he’s asking for his starting job back.

Young is in absolutely no position to make trade demands or threats with the way he’s carried himself both on and off the field.

If he wasn’t as emotionally unstable, then maybe some teams might look at him as a development project. If he had the track record of success in the NFL, then some teams might be able to deal with Vince’s episodes.

Unfortunately, Vince has neither of these going for him right now.

If Young is going to develop into a true team leader, what he should have said was, “It’s going to be a great battle for the starting role, and I’m going to go out there, give it my all, and hopefully everyone will see that I’m ready to take my game to the next level.”

He shouldn’t be asking for his starting job back or for a trade. That’s taking the easy way out.

Nothing in this world that’s worth having comes easy. Even for Vince Young.

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010