Hey there, just wanted to take some time out and look at our salary cap situation. Understanding the salary cap can give us fans a more realistic idea about how much we can spend and who we can go after. I think it also gives us a greater appreciation for Jerry Reese and the rest of the front office financial wizards that can twist and manipulate the dollar like the best of them.

I did a post just like this for last year. It's here if you'd like to check it out: Salary Cap Game 2011

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I have been thinking about this for a couple years actually, and most recently

after our beloved G-Men made it to the SuperBlow with a 9-7 record.

If you folks recall, so did Kurt's Cardinals, they lost we didn't!

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There is this constant demand to trade Osi, or even just get rid of him in anyway possible. If anybody defends him then they get blasted for wanting to waste money or whatever. I don't think people realize just how good the guy has been for the Giants. I hope to shoot down some of the arguments as to why this guy should be given up for just about nothing.

All stats obtained from:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/

1. Durability

Supposedly Osi is injury prone. The numbers just don't reflect that. Osi has played in 8 seasons, which means he has been eligible for 128 regular season games. He has played in 113 of those games, which is 88% of the total games. He only missed significant time in 2006 and 2011, and missed the 2008 season. Justin Tuck has played for 7 seasons that is 112 games. He has played in 96 of those games or 86%. Strahan played in 90% of the games in the seasons he played. Yup Osi has a durability issue doesn't he.

2. Giants career numbers.

Have any of you check Osi's numbers? Well I have.

Sacks - Osi is 4th on the Giants career sack list behind Strahan, LT, and Leonard Marshall. He has 69 Sacks. Tuck has 45.5 and is 7th on the Giants all time list.

Fumbles - Osi has 30 forced fumbles, #1 all time for the Giants. Granted those numbers have only been recorded for a little while, but that is still awesome.

3. Numbers vs his peers

Osi is 13th on the active list for sacks. I couldn't find a place to figure out how he ranks in sacks from 2003-2011.

Those numbers show he deserves to be payed. I know people will say, "he is the 3rd DE on this team". WHO CARES!! He is a top flight, close to elite DE that the Giants need to find a way to keep. Why would you ever show this guy the door when he is still at or very near the top of his game?

Disclaimer: This is going to be a long article and while I would love it if you guys read it, my thoughts on who we should draft will be at the end.

We have a pretty solid bead on what the Giants look for out of prospects at the various positions, and what qualities they demand on a round-by-round basis. The question is which prospects fit what the Giants want to DO on the field. Let's start with the offense.

In 2007 and 2008, the Giants featured an absolutely dominant run-blocking offensive line, a couple of excellent run blocking tight ends, an array of running backs with a wide variety of skills and a few good-but-not-great wide receivers with SIZE. Most importantly, we had a quarterback that was still developing as a passer. It made sense that we were a power running team, leveraged our strengths and to an extent, hid our weaknesses.

It's 2012. Our offensive line was piss-poor in the run game, and only slightly better in the passing game (and a lot of that is on Eli Manning). We have (had?) a couple of serviceable tight ends. We have two dominant wide receivers under contract, both of whom can make plays in the deep, intermediate and short parts of the field. Most importantly, our 2-time Superbowl MVP quarterback has become excellent under pressure, and astoundingly accurate. As an economist would say, big plays are our comparative advantage. This isn't the Eagles though; we don't rely on just talent to find the big play. As long as Tom Coughlin is the coach, we'll use the run to draw those safeties in and get our outside threats the single coverage that they just eat up.

What does that mean? What kind of players are we looking for?

RB: The Giants don't want a guy whose presence indicates to the defense what the play is going to be. Any running back we draft better be a solid runner AND an asset in the passing game, both as a receiver and a blocker. Unless the value is there, I don't see us dropping a first-round pick on a RB. You get a first-round running back to be the focal point of your offense and we don't need/want that.

WR: HAS to be able to make that big, field stretching play. I disagree that we need a third down outlet. Cruz and Nicks are excellent on third down. Cruz is everything that SS12 was and so much more.

TE: A lot of people on this website love to say that the Giants shouldn't draft a tight end high because they'd fall into the black hole of the Gilbride offense. I agree and disagree with that statement. Unless the next Rob Gronkowski falls into our laps, tight end will not be a focal point of our offense. We do need tight ends though, and whoever we pick should be able to run block AND receive. Basically, we're looking for a guy that is versatile, but is going to be a red zone threat for us. What does that mean? Size, reliable hands and short area quickness are more important than straight line speed.

OL: We need to run the ball well, but these guys can't be one dimensional. We need dominant run blockers with the ability to pass block. The Giants have had success with guys who have been less than dominant pass blockers and they can continue to do so going forward.

So who are some guys that I like (2 players per position)?

RB: Chris Polk (2nd Round); Isaiah Pead (3nd Round)

WR: Mohammed Sanu (2nd Round); A.J. Jenkins (3rd-5th Round)

TE: Dwayne Allen (1st Round); Coby Fleener (2nd Round)

OL: Kelechi Osemele (1st round) Cordy Glenn (1st Round)

Final Note: This is my ideal draft. Not what will happen, but what I WANT to happen.

1. Kelechi Osemele, OG/OT, Iowa State

2. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford University

3. Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame

4. (via Trade) A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois

4. Nigel Bradham, LB, Florida State

5. (Traded)

6. (Traded)

7. Might need to be traded to get that 4, but BPA otherwise.

This started in the 2007 in what seems to be (and will hopefully be) the legacy of Eli Manning and his road to the Hall of Fame.

Poll

What is Eli's legacy?

• Sure-fire HOF
• If he keeps it up, HOFer
• Great QB, not HOF yet
• OVERRATED, decent QB
• Throw him off a blimp
• I fear Eli Manning like I fear the lowercase ny (in a good way)

  64 votes | Results

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As Lawrence Tynes’ kick sailed through the uprights in San Francisco sending the Giants to Super Bowl XLVI to face the Patriots–again!–I knew, I had to be home to see it. I couldn’t be there for Super Bowl XLII, and really, how many more times could this match-up possibly happen–well let’s not think about that now–so I had to go.

As I walked through security at LAX on Saturday, dressed proudly in Giants gear, I was greeted with smiles, kind words of encouragement and even a fist bump; my reception at Logan, well let’s just say, it wasn’t quite as friendly.

Before I left, I didn’t worry too much about the money, the 6,000 miles of traveling I’d have to do in less than 72 hours or how I would feel if we lost. I just knew I couldn’t miss it and it was all worth it to see my father’s face when I walked in the door.

There are few moments in life that are perfect; this was one of them. Here is another.


Watch the video portion: http://afandivided.com/2012/02/09/perfection/

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Well done G-Men! Two Super Bowls in the last 4 seasons is truly amazing. But what would be even better is to repeat as champs. But we all know how hard that can be. Just ask the 2008-09 Giants, and the 2011-12 Packers. For the last couple of years, with parity becoming more and more prevalent, free agency, and 6 out of every 12 playoff teams not even making it to the playoffs the following year, trying to repeat as champs has become almost impossible.

The Giants have 24 free agents on the current roster. Here's the list, and my opinion on what to do with them:

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Each NFL club is allowed to carry 53 players on their roster during the regular season. Leading up to training camp, rosters are expanded to 80 players to allow teams to evaluate rookies and free agents.

After each team has trimmed their roster to 53 players, they can begin signing players to their 8-man practice squad. However, before teams can sign these non-roster players to their practice squad, they must first go through waivers.

There's also what's called a PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) List that can be used by NFL clubs to protect injured players from being signed by other clubs. Roster cuts and practice squad rules Each club is allowed 80 players on their offseason roster heading into training camp. In the third week of the preseason, teams are required to trim their roster to 75 players. Prior to the beginning of the regular season, a second and final cut establishes teams' 53-man roster.

Teams are allowed to make changes to their 53-man roster throughout the season.

The NFL allows teams to keep up to eight players on their practice squad (sometimes referred to as a taxi squad or scout team) throughout the season. The players on the practice squad are usually rookies or players that have been unable to make an NFL roster.

Before a team can sign a player that was in their training camp to their practice squad, he must first clear waivers. Every player who didn't make the 53-man roster must be given the opportunity to sign with another team.

To be eligible for the practice squad, a player must have less than one year of accrued playing time in the NFL or was on a 53-man roster for 9 games or less. A player can be placed on the practice squad for two seasons. A third season is allowed if the player's team has a full 53-man roster throughout the time he spent on the practice squad.

Practice squad players practice with the 53-man roster players during the week but are not allowed to participate in games.

The minimum salary for a practice squad player is $5,700 per week or $96,900 for a 17-week season. Teams are allowed to pay their practice squad players more than the minimum and have done so frequently.

However, this practice may come to an abrupt end now that practice squad salaries count toward the salary cap.

Practice squad players are free to negotiate contracts with any other NFL club as long as that team places him on their 53-man roster. Once signed, the player will receive a guaranteed minimum salary for three weeks even if he is released. PUP List There are two "PUP" or "Physically Unable to Perform" lists that NFL clubs have at their disposal: Active PUP and Reserve PUP.

The Active PUP list is for players that are unable to practice during training camp due to injury. A player must be placed on the Active Pup list prior to the start of training camp.

Players placed on the Active PUP list cannot practice with the team but are allowed to rehabilitate their injury and participate in team meetings. They also count toward the 80-man roster limit.

Any player on the Active PUP list can be transferred to the active roster at any time.

If a player is still unable to practice at the conclusion of preseason, he can be moved to the Reserve PUP list where he will remain ineligible for six weeks.

Players on Reserve PUP do not count toward the 53-man roster.

After Week 6, players on Reserve PUP have a 3-week window to begin practicing with the team. During this time, the team must either place the player on the 53-man roster or move him to injured reserve (IR).

If the player is moved to IR, he is ineligible for the remainder of the season and cannot practice. He can however travel with the team and participate in team meetings. Waivers Once a player is released by an NFL club, he enters the waiver wire and is eligible to sign with the first team to select him.

The team with the first right of refusal follows the draft selection order, which means the team with the worst regular season record has the first chance to sign the player and the Super Bowl winner the last.

If a team claims a player off the waiver wire, he must be placed on the 53-man roster. Teams cannot sign players off the waiver wire and place them on their practice squad.

Only players with four years or less of NFL experience enter the waiver wire. Players with more than four accrued years become unrestricted free agents and can sign with any club without compensation to their former team.

Teams have 24 hours during the season (several days during the offseason) to claim a player on waivers.

If a player is not claimed by any team, he immediately becomes a free agent and can sign with any club. When you hear or read a report that states a player has "cleared" waivers, it means no NFL team decided to claim him after he was released.

As you guys know I'm an Eagles fan and before my long vacation away from life and the internet I was pretty much "allowed" to comment here and many of you (thankfully) treated me well. I am not here to troll, I realize I will be trolled by many of you, I figured I'd come take it now rather than deal with it later.

If you all remember a few months ago (well like 4) I posted this which was the first outsiders fanpost to get front paged. I also spent time telling you guys that you'd be fine after all the injuries and troubles but I never expected you to win the Superbowl. Now after I wipe my tears away I'll continue with this fanpost.

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Several times throughout this season, I evaluated Eli Manning's performance as a quarterback. This will be the final note for the year. I am tired of hearing the word elite. The guy is a Hall of Fame lock. Reggie Jackson is Mr. October and Eli Manning is, as Kenny Powers might put it, just a "man with a mind for victory and an arm like a fucking cannon". I can't say it better than that.

The first area of interest to me is Mr. Manning registered seven 4th quarter comebacks, along with eight game-winning drives. Six of these game-winning drives took place in the regular season, two in the postseason. Six of these took place on the road. His numbers?

(204 / 324) for 2,478 yards

Completion percentage: 63%

Yards per attempt: 7.65

Yards per game: 310

TD passes: 15

Interceptions: 2

In tight games, Eli came up big in every way. For those who use the argument that certain quarterbacks simply play well from the start of the game, I point to the interception count and completion percentage. This is not a case of Eli playing poorly in three quarters and bailing himself out in the fourth. Eight games is a pretty good sample size too.

He's tied for 15th all-time in fourth quarter comebacks with 21 in his career. Many people say this is a garbage stat. I don't. No matter what circumstances put a team in a bad spot late in the game, a fourth quarter comeback indicates that you got the job done knowing your team had one, maybe two chances left. It's also a timeless stat. The game changes with every era, but the significance of winning the game in the final seconds does not.

Eli Manning is now tied with Randall Cunningham and Kerry Collins, and he is ahead of Drew Brees, Terry Bradshaw, Ken Stabler, Bart Starr, Troy Aikman, Joe Namath, and Roger Staubach, to name a few.

Postseason play often defines a quarterback. This is a list of greats and how they played in the postseason.

Joe Montana (16-7) 45 TD / 21 INT / 251 YPG / 7.9 YPA

Tom Brady (16-6) 38 TD / 20 INT / 240 YPG / 6.7 YPA

John Elway (14-8) 27 TD / 21 INT / 226 YPG / 7.6 YPA

Peyton Manning (9-10) 29 TD / 19 INT / 284 YPG / 7.5 YPA

Dan Marino (8-10) 32 TD / 24 INT / 251 YPG / 6.6 YPA

Troy Aikman (11-5) 23 TD / 17 INT / 241 YPG / 7.7 YPA

Kurt Warner (9-4) 31 TD / 14 INT / 304 YPG / 8.6 YPA

It's a bit strange how similar the numbers are up and down the board. The only one who really jumps out statistically is Kurt Warner, with over 300 yards per game and 8 yards per attempt, along with more touchdown passes than Aikman, Elway, and Manning in much fewer games.

So, to put it in perspective:

Eli Manning (8-3) 17 TD / 8 INT / 229 YPG / 7.1 YPA

Three quarterbacks on the list have a TD/INT ratio greater than 2.0. They are:

Kurt Warner: 2.21

Joe Montana: 2.14

Eli Manning: 2.13

So, for Eli Manning, the body of work speaks for itself. The regular season numbers will catch up. Brady's didn't until the second half of his career. Eli is in the midst of building a legacy. And it's a great thing for us as fans to get to sit back and watch it unfold, especially given the dark ages between franchise quarterbacks (Simms retirement after the 1993 season sending us into a brutal period of nothingness at the position).

He's one hell of an interception machine, probably the greatest of all time.