Big Blue View

Giants Ranked #1 in Sporting News Power Poll

jrs1940 — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:25:55 -0000

I said the other day I thought Peter King was pretty accurate saying the Giants are the 5th best team in the NFL, but who am I to argue with the Sporting News if they want to put the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants (Saying that just never ever gets old) number one

Anyway, enjoy! We're number one!

SN Power Poll

One last thing: For my money, its much easier to paste a link in here than the old board

Biggest Draft Busts

TerraByte — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:22:36 -0000

Being a single-minded Giants fan, when I think of draft busts I think mostly of the color Brown. Twice, in fact. There was a Bunch of others, I'm sure. Then there was a DE and a WR we must have been blind to pick.

What I don't often think about is how much better the Giants have fared compared to other teams. USA Today has, though, and with the exception of our new backup QB David Carr, there are no Giants on the list.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/gallery/football/s080423_draftbusts/flash.htm?gid=489&aid=2418

There have been players who underperformed because of injury, because they couldn't make the transition from college to the pros, and because the GM totally misjudged their abilities. Any thoughts on who the biggest busts were for the Giants (who cares about anybody else)?

Antonio Pierce Interning On Howard Stern Show

jrs1940 — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:29:30 -0000

My wife just called to tell me that Aaron Pierce is interning on the Howard Stern Show on Sirius. Not sure for how long, I tuned in just in time to hear them finish the segment with him. I usually don't listen to Howard at my desk, for obvious reasons

Maybe Antonio can become a wack-packer

Antonio the Stutterer?

La-La-Linebacker?

Antonio the Actor?

Well, just figured I would let you know, Baba Booey to y'all!!

Nice Article On Tom Coughlin

jrs1940 — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:36:54 -0000

Is it wrong of me to admit that for a long time I couldn't stand this guy? I guess if he can change, I can too. I really do feel crappy about it, he's proven himself to be a hell of a coach, and more importantly, one hell of a man

Coughlin’s Playful Side Has Deep Roots in Florida Lawrence Green

Tom Coughlin, right, greeted each group of players on the ninth green at his charity tournament.

By JOHN BRANCH Published: May 6, 2008

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tom Coughlin stood behind the ninth green at Marsh Landing Country Club on Monday, telling the story about the golf cart that rolled into the lake at No. 2 a few years ago. He provided his own sound effects.

“So the cart goes in the water — blub, blub, blub,” he said. “The clubs go in the water — blub, blub, blub.”

The gathering onlookers, Coughlin is sure, still believe that it was his fault that the cart’s brake had not been set.

Coughlin interrupted the story to watch Giants guard Chris Snee hit an approach shot.

“Look at this shot by Snee,” Coughlin said. In front of others, at least, he usually calls his son-in-law Snee, not Chris. “It’s on the pin.”

Coughlin, 61, urged the ball to spin backward after it struck the green’s back edge. Instead, it rolled into a bunker. Coughlin animatedly tried to pantomime the result to the golfers by repeatedly arcing one hand over an outstretched arm, which might better symbolize a dolphin jumping over a bar than a ball rolling into a bunker.

“That’s the best shot I’ve actually seen him hit,” Coughlin said. “It was actually straight.”

Then he returned to the cart-in-the-lake story.

“The best thing was the bubbles,” he said, wiggling his fingers as he lifted his arms. This sign language was clear: Bubbles going to the surface. And Tom Coughlin having fun.

Most people, including his own players, rarely see Coughlin in anything less than full intensity. But those close to him have long said that the public image was only a partial reflection. To see the true Coughlin, watch him among friends and family, away from football. They said nothing of sound effects and charades.

The makeover of Coughlin’s image has been stunning. A year ago, he had a tenuous hold on his job and was trying to unwind his reputation as a soulless disciplinarian. Now that the Giants have won the Super Bowl, there is less need for Coughlin, holder of a fresh four-year contract, to be explained.

Around Jacksonville, however, Coughlin’s transformation has been deeper and more complete. Coughlin may be more popular than ever in North Florida. He is certainly more appreciated.

Coughlin was the original coach of the Jaguars, who began play in 1995. He had a home at Marsh Landing, a beach house at Atlantic Beach, and a fledgling charity that he called the Jay Fund, which raised money for the families of children with leukemia.

It is named for a scrappy safety from Brockton, Mass., named Jay McGillis, whom Coughlin coached at Boston College in 1991. A few days after McGillis started a game against Syracuse late in the season, he was found to have leukemia. He died on July 3, 1992, and Coughlin found his cause.

Coughlin eventually lost his job with the Jaguars. But he kept the beach property, and he kept the Jay Fund.

So there he was on the ninth green Monday, hosting his 13th annual dinner-and-golf event, which raised about $260,000. The charity is closing in on a $5 million goal to endow the Jay Fund in perpetuity.

About 450 people attended the steak dinner and auction Sunday night at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club. About a third of them returned for Monday’s tournament, including several Giants and former Jaguars. Jeff Fisher, the coach of Coughlin’s former rival Titans; Wade Phillips, the coach of his current rival Cowboys; and the former coaches Dan Reeves and Dick Vermeil were also there.

Coughlin waited for each group to arrive at the ninth green, then putted and chatted with them.

In between, he occasionally tapped his watch and commented on the pace of play. He talked about the retirement home that he and his wife, Judy, are building on the plot where their beach house used to be.

Coughlin riffed about hotels, and how he did not understand whether valets and bellmen should be tipped when they take the car or luggage, or when they give it back, or both. He laughed at one group that did the “Electric Slide” in the fairway. He said he had few close relationships with other head coaches because — duh — you play them.

“Even Bill Parcells, we never called each other,” Coughlin said. “What are you going to talk about?”

Before the tournament’s 8:30 a.m. start, Coughlin stood in front of the clubhouse sipping coffee and checking his watch. He wore tan shorts, a Jay Fund golf shirt, a straw hat, golf shoes and socks with the N.F.L. logo.

“Hey, Rich,” he said to Giants guard Rich Seubert. “Where’s Snee?” Players, as if testing Coughlin’s clock-watching reputation, were the last to find their places at the golf carts lining the parking lot.

Receiver Michael Jennings, who lives in Jacksonville, arrived in his customized Chevrolet Caprice at 8:27. Music pulsed out the open windows. Jennings emerged wearing a black tank top and a thick gold chain. His mouth held his grill — a row of removable gold caps that cover his teeth. He had never been on a golf course before.

Coughlin likes Jennings — “One of a kind,” he said — and found him a collared shirt to wear. On the course, Jennings admitted to not playing well.

“The sun is reflecting off my teeth,” he offered.

Jennings’s group included John McGillis, Jay’s father. Coughlin brings John and Pat McGillis to the event each year. He wants them firmly connected to the legacy being shaped in their son’s name. Coughlin calls them every July 3 and Oct. 17, Jay’s birthday. He calls at Christmas, Thanksgiving and other holidays. He will call them this week to make sure they got home O.K.

“Whenever I see something negative about Tom Coughlin, I get so upset,” Pat McGillis said. “I say: ‘You don’t know Tom Coughlin. You have no idea what Tom Coughlin is like.’ ”

The McGillis family, like many of those far away in Jacksonville, cheered the Giants in the Super Bowl. Finally, Coughlin’s legacy would center on a championship, not various interpretations of his personality.

Coughlin wants it to be more than that. In a hotel suite hours after the Super Bowl in Arizona, Coughlin hugged his good friend Ernie Bono. It was Bono, who lives in a house along Marsh Landing, who forgot to set the brake on the cart that plunged into the lake.

Coughlin kissed Bono on the cheek.

“And he said to me, ‘This has to be a forum for leukemia,’ ” Bono said on Monday.

Coughlin was out of earshot. He stood behind the green, looking in the distance for the next group to arrive.

Some Giants News On a Tuesday Night

jrs1940 — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:57:07 -0000

Giants Extend David Diehl's Contract

In a classy move for a classy guy, the Giants have handed David Diehl a six-year, $31-million contract extension less than three years after his last one. Diehl's agent, Peter Schaffer, confirmed the extension, which was first reported by ESPN.

"It's a recognition by the Giants of David's commitment to the team, his attitude and his personality," Schaffer said. "He's the ultimate team player."

That's true. Diehl has started all 80 regular-season games and six postseason games since he was drafted by the Giants in 2005. He's played through all kinds of pain and everywhere on the offensive line except center -- right guard in 2003, right tackle in '04, left guard in '05 and '06 and left tackle last season after the team cut Luke Petitgout.

No matter what the team has asked of him, Diehl has done it. And he's now played the most important position on the line for a Super Bowl winner.

Schaffer wouldn't discuss the financials of the deal, which was finalized about two weeks ago, but someone familiar with the terms of the contract confirmed ESPN's report of escalators that increase Diehl's contract by $750,000 to $1.1 million if he stays at left tackle.

Diehl's previous contract -- a six-year, $15.5-million extension -- would have expired after the 2011 season. He's now extended through 2013.

I'm curious to know what this does to the Giants cap situation

Congrats to Diehl

Giants announce 4 more rookie signings

The team has announced the signing of four more undrafted free agents:

*Alabama WR D.J. Hall
*Alabama DE Wallace Gilberry
*Tennessee DE Antonio Reynolds
*Michigan State S Nehemiah Warrick

That leaves Army P/K Owen Tolson, Akron DT Nate Robinson and Washburn DT Eric Butler as players who have reportedly signed but haven't been officially announced.

Thanks to Mike Garafolo at the Ledger

Our old friend John Hufnagel

queler — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:29:39 -0000

So I'm a huge Penn State friend. I actively read Black Shoe Diaries, the PSU blog at Sports Nation, which I would arguably say is the standard-bearer for PSU blogs. As you may know there is much controversy over JoePa's age and a succession plan. So being cranky and irritable on a Monday, I see someone has posted this on BSD's Diaries :

How about John Hufnagel after JoePa?
With all the talk about eventual coaching succession, Hufnagel's resume is stellar. QB at PSU 70-72, I think sixth in Heisman voting. Played pro football 15 years, then coached Doug Flutie, and Jeff Garcia in Canada. Was QB coach for Peyton Manning; then Mark Brunell at Jacksonville, then QB coach for Tom Brady at the Patriots, onto the NY Giants as Offensive Coordinator 2004-2006 credited with Eli Manning's fast development. Do you sense a strong pattern here?!?! Now head coach in Calgary, probably left the Giants because Tom Coughlin felt threatened by his exceptional coaching talent.

I think my angry comments touched off the big Coughlin debate we had in December, and I believe Ed among others said I needed to let go of Hufnagel hate. To be fair, I was never really back on the Coughlin bandwagon until it looked like we finally completely scrapped Hufnagel system after the Redskins loss. Normally, this would roll of my back due to the pleasure of a being WorldChampionNewYorkGiant's fan, but I was a little cranky this morning, and thought of having to watch him call plays for another team I love made me crack a little. So I responded with a "summary" of what I thought of his coaching ability.

Ironically, I've never seen any signal caller so universally hated the current PSU OC, Jay Paterno, Joe's son, which in addition to describing his genealogy also describes what appears to be his only qualification for the job.

Woodson's Slide

Jay Miles — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:08:27 -0000

An Preview of the Article "Woodson's Slide" from Progridironfootball.com

"Woodson was one of college football's most exciting quarterbacks. From the beginning to the end of his senior campaign, you could not go a week without hearing his name being a potential first round draft pick.

All he did was get better every year, break school and NCAA records, and performed in big games when they counted.

Fresh of his impressive bowl game against Florida State, it seemed Woodson was sure first rounder and probably the first or second QB picked in this years draft.

Then came the Senior Bowl."

The full article can be read at progridironfootball.com

Giants 2005 Draft

jrs1940 — Sat, 03 May 2008 03:18:30 -0000

I didn't realize this til I read it in an article the other day

The Giants had only 4 picks in 2005, after trading away picks for Eli the previous

2nd round: Corey Webster

3rd round: Justin Tuck

4th round: Brandon Jacobs

The other pick was Eric Moore, DE, who didn't last, but still, how many teams 4 seasons later have 3 starters in the lineup from the 2005 draft? And I don't think its unrealistic to say Tuck and Jacobs have a pretty good shot at going to Hawaii someday.

As much credit as Jerry Reese is getting these days, lets not overlook the fact that Ernie was doing some nice things along the way too, albeit with Jerry's help

A little more info on Terrell Thomas

Paragon SC — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:52:30 -0000

[NOTE: I asked out friends over at Conquest Chronicles, SB Nation's USC blog, for some background on Terrell Thomas, the Giants' second-round pick in the NFL Draft. Here is their report.]

Terrell Thomas was one of the premier lock-down cornerbacks in college football.

From WeAreSC.com

Overall in 2007 while starting all 13 games, he had 45 tackles, including 4.5 for losses of 29 yards (with a 15-yard sack), plus a team-best 4 interceptions that he returned 44 yards (11.0 avg.), a team-high 7 deflections, 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. He was named to the 2007 All-Pac-10 second team (for the second consecutive year), ESPN.com All-Pac-10 first team, Rivals.com All-Pac-10 second team and Phil Steele's All-Pac-10 second team. He was an East-West Shrine Game invitee.

Known for his lock-down skills on receivers, he is also versatile enough to play free safety. His ability and penchant for making big tackles inside the box has shown he has more than lived up to the challenge of covering the opposition's main receiving target and has allowed just two touchdown catches over the last two seasons at USC.

Because of his ability to dominate vs. the run, he has also seen some action with the linebacker unit. He shows little regard for his own safety, willingly hurling himself into the pile to make the play. Can be effective in man and zone coverage but at his best playing press-man. Is physical and aggressive, using long arms and strong upper body to take receivers out of their routes at the line. He is instinctive in coverage and knows when to turn and look for the ball. He takes solid angles and is a reliable open-field tackler. In zone, he does a good job of keeping everything in front of him and reading the QB's eyes. Gives a good effort and is very productive in run support.

He's instinctive but he also tends to freelance at times and can get in trouble by being out of position. He's fast for his size but he does lack elite fluidity in his hips and will have some trouble keeping up with smaller, quicker WR's on double moves in the NFL. Struggles to find the ball over his shoulder and is much more effective when the play is in front of him.

He will be a great addition to the Giant secondary, and with me living 5 minutes away from Giants Stadium I will get the added benefit of seeing both Thomas and Steve Smith play this season.

G-Men at the White House

kendynamo — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:16:53 -0000

The SUPER BOWL CHAMPION New York Giants were honored at the white house by the President today. Here is a link to the transcript of the event. And here is the best zinger from Bush, a nice little dig on Romo and 'Boys.

And it clearly gave your team some self-confidence, because you stormed through Tampa Bay and then went into Dallas -- I'm a good sport. (Laughter.) We're going to send Jessica Simpson to the Democrat National Convention. (Laughter.)

Couldn't find any video but I'm sure it will be up at some point, though it really wasn't that exciting to watch on CNBC today.

Welcome to the new Big Blue View and SB Nation

clockwerks — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:52:19 -0000

Hey Big Blue View,

Today is the big day. We've switched your community over to the new SB Nation sports blog platform. My name is Trei, and I'm here to help you get adjusted to the new home we've built for you. If you have questions or trouble with the new system, post a comment in this thread and myself or one of the team (lovitt, sixfoot6 or odacrem) will try to point you in the right direction.

Before we begin, I want to let you know we still consider this a beta platform, so don't be surprised if you find a few bugs or if everything isn't exactly right yet. We hope you'll take the time to report any problems you encounter at bugreport@sbnation.com. We'll be continuing to make changes and improving things.

Please take a few minutes to read about what's new below. But if you just can't wait to jump in, here are some quick things to check out:

Sign up for your SB Nation network account and claim your old blog accounts
Once you're logged in, press your Z key in any thread with new comments
Explore your dashboard and setup your profile
Read the guide to the new FanPost editor
Install the FanShot bookmarklet and post videos to Big Blue View from YouTube or images from Flickr
Click the "Rec" button on posts and comments to help other people find the good stuff.
Customize display options on your Edit Settings page

What Has Changed

SB Nation Network Accounts - the Big Change

Readers across all of our blogs told us they wanted one account to use on every SB Nation blog. To make this work, we're requiring that everyone create a new SB Nation network account. In most cases you should be able to keep your old username, but a few of you may have to choose something new, since every other community in SB Nation will be going through this same transition. We tried to be as fair as possible in deciding who gets to keep which name, using a formula that takes into account length of membership and frequency of activity.

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To get started, click here to claim your old blog accounts and create a new SB Nation network account.

FanPosts (the Section Formerly Known as Diaries)

We changed their name. Why? Because we took this major upgrade as an opportunity to leave behind some vocabulary that never made much sense for a sports blog. SB Nation is the network of, by and for fans, and these are the blog posts we make. So we call them FanPosts. When you're at a bar telling someone to check out your online sports opinions, you don't have to suggest they read your diary.

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The new system does not work like the old diary editor. For example, in HTML mode the new editor doesn't auto-create a new paragraph from two line breaks. But it does offer a whole array of new features. Look for the blinking help button on the right side of the FanPost editor for quick tips, and take a look at our full guide to writing FanPosts on the new platform.

IMPORTANT - if you write your posts in Microsoft Word or some other off-line editor, you will get the most reliable behavior if you cut & paste your post into the HTML view of the FanPost editor. And if you do that, remember to wrap <p></p> tags around each paragraph so your text doesn't run together.

Visual Redesign

This one is probably the most obvious change of all. Like other major websites working to improve readability for their audience, we've adopted a fixed-width layout optimized for the 1024 x 768 resolution used by the majority of Big Blue View and SB Nation network users. Use the switcher below the user menu if you prefer the wider layout designed for 1280 monitors. We've introduced a top navigation bar with quick links into old and new sections of the site. We also polished a few edges, made some things larger, others smaller and moved a few boxes here and there. More changes and adjustments to come.

Search

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What's New

Schedule, Scores, Stats and Roster

Big Blue View now has all the basic information about the New York Giants and hundreds of other teams. During games you'll see a regularly updated line score, and as the season progresses we'll track team stat totals and leaders. This is just our first step, so look for us to publish more detailed and archival stats in the future. The best part about all this sports data is that we've integrated it directly into the blog so. We now have special pages that aggregate all blog posts written about games, players and teams.

Recommending FanPosts

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There are plenty more small changes and additions we've made, so please take a careful look around and explore this new system. We appreciate your patience and hope you'll help us improve the new platform for this and all the other SB Nation blogs.

And in case you missed it, you'll want to start by claiming your old blog accounts and creating a new SB Nation network account.

Free Agents

LosGiantes08 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:30:59 -0000

Does anybody know the list of Free Agents we signed after this years draft was over? Every year teams sign players that didn't get drafted after the seventh round comes to a close. I saw that the Jets signed Danny Woodhead RB from Chadron St. and Kiper and the rest of the Draft Day Crew didn't shut up about him. I was wondering if we had any interesting free agent signings.

Grade Jerry Reese and Giants staff 08' picks!

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:45:49 -0000

I have no idea if Jerry Reese and the Giant organization made the right decisions for the draft selections. I've been viewing Espn lately (Not to crazy about that.. No NFL Ch.). I was just wondering what everyone else feels from this blog because I have no clue about college football players.... I just started following football(Yes I'm ashamed l0l- Just got bored of baseball)

Andre Woodson

cjmulrain — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:17:16 -0000

The Giants drafted Kentucky QB Andre Woodson in the 6th round. I think this could end up being the steal of the draft. There was a time during the college football season when there was a debate about who would be the top QB taken, Matt Ryan or Woodson. Now obviously Woodson had some flaws exposed over the course of the season, but the fact that we got him in the 6th round is incredible. He has all the physical tools, his main problem stems from a hitch in his delivery, although it didn't effect him much this year as he set an NCAA record for most consecutive passes thrown without an interception. He could turn into the long-term backup for Eli with potential to be a starter someday (either for us if something happens to Eli, or for someone else after we swindle a boatload of picks from some QB desperate team in a few years)

Overall I'm really happy with this draft. Manningham could be the deep threat we've been waiting for, Woodson could be the next Tom Brady (what? They were both drafted in the 6th round!), and Phillips is gonna be our starting safety. Don't know much about the other guys, but hopefully they'll be good too.

3rd round pick

NYERinSF — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:44:33 -0000

from espn

Mario Manningham WR MICHIGAN
Concerns about his character caused Manningham's stock to drop. He also lacks ideal size. However, Manningham simply knows how to get open; he's a smooth route-runner and does a good job reading defenses. He also has the ability to make spectacular catches.

Not sure what the character issues were - always a red flag to me. He is 5'11" and doesn't sound like a burner.

I get the impression he is a possession receiver.

With Plax, Toomer, Smith pretty set as 1, 2, and 3 - chance Smith may challenge Toomer for number 2 this year - looks like at best he'll be competing with Moss and Tyree for number 4

For you Madden Players

jrs1940 — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:43:46 -0000

The Cover Boy was announced for the 20th Anniversary (that makes me feel old) of the John Madden Football Video Game, and the unlucky cover boy is......

Brett Favre

Yup, John Madden's favorite spanking material made the cover. Rumors were floating that it would be Eli, I'm glad it wasn't

Frank Caliendo is going to have a FIELD DAY with this.......

Wide receivers : WHEN?

GAgiantfan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:01:54 -0000

Just a few facts regarding receivers and the slot at which they were drafted:

Over the last 10 years, NFL teams have drafted 43 wide receivers in the first round.

TWO (yes, 2) of those 43 had 1,000-yard seasons as rookies, which is the same number of 1,000-yard seasons produced by receivers drafted after the first round.

26 of the 43 first-round receivers never, never,never have had a 1,000-yard season. Of the 17 remaining, only 8 have had a single (A SINGLE) season in which they gained 1,000 yards.

Because of the wide range of defensive styles that the NFL incorporates, it's just too difficult to predict how any wide receiver will fare in the NFL. There is a drastic defensive jump when coming from college and going to the NFL.

With that said, we need to draft a wide receiver. It's just that we don't need to worry about it in the first few rounds. While we could sit here and debate for the next year about when we should draft a wide receiver, it doesn't change the fact that it is nothing better than a crapshoot.

Go with history on this one, guys. Take a receiver or two late in the draft.

Draft Interview with Jerry Reese

jrs1940 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:41:29 -0000

Just not sure why the article was done by one of The Three Stooges

Giants say draft means fresh start for Super Bowl champs

By Larry Fine

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese said he expects to improve his Super Bowl-winning team despite having last pick in each round of the NFL draft.

"We prepare like we're going to pick first," Reese told reporters at the Giants stadium on Thursday. "You don't make any mistakes that way."

Marquee names expect to go to teams with the top choices, with Miami Dolphins slated to pick first, followed by St Louis, Atlanta, Oakland, Kansas City and New York Jets.

Among the early picks are expected to be offensive tackle Jake Long from Michigan, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey of LSU, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, defensive end Chris Long from Virginia and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.

The Giants have the 31st pick in the first round since the New England Patriots forfeited theirs as part of a punishment for videotaping other team's signals.

The Patriots, however, have the seventh overall pick through a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.

Reese, whose side beat the Patriots to win the Super Bowl in his first season in charge, was confident he and his staff will find seven players that can improve the team.

"You can find good players anywhere in the draft," said former scout, who won praise for last year's selections who played key roles in the Giants' march to the NFL title in February.

Rookie contributors included first-round cornerback Aaron Ross, second-round wide receiver Steve Smith, third-round defensive tackle Jay Alford, fifth-round tight end Kevin Boss and seventh-round running back Ahmad Bradshaw.

"Guys we drafted last year did a nice job. But can they do it three years in a row? You can't Cantonize these guys that played last year," Reese said, referring to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

"Let's see them do it again."

Reese was cagey about what positions he was keen to fortify.

"We look for value and need. We are always trying to get a combination of both," he said. "Value can be the tiebreaker sometimes, need can be a tiebreaker."

Linebacker and safety are two positions weakened in the off-season with the loss of free agent linebacker Reggie Torbor and safety Gibril Wilson.

Reese said his phone has been ringing with feelers on possible trades of players and draft picks.

"We've gotten calls, lots of calls," the GM said. "There's a lot of chatter going on now with the draft."

Reese said the team was riding high but he was aware how fast the tide can turn.

"This league is what have you done for me lately. You just have to lose a couple of games and we'll all be dumb. I'll be dumb, the coach will be dumb, the quarterback will be a bust.

"Last year's over with and we have to start over and build this team to another championship."

Good Draft Breakdown

jrs1940 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:23:53 -0000

From Rivals.com

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Redskins

Dallas (13-3 in 2007)

Head coach: Wade Phillips (Second year)
Key needs: 1. Wide receiver 2. Cornerback 3. Running back

Wide receiver - Starting receivers Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn will be entering their 13th seasons this fall. There is little depth and experience behind them, other than the recently re-signed Patrick Crayton. The best value could be Texas' Limas Sweed, Michigan State's Devin Thomas or California's DeSean Jackson with one of their two No. 1 picks. They like Houston's Donnie Avery and Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett in the second round.
Cornerback - The Cowboys like starting corners Terrence Newman and Anthony Henry, but there is no depth. Newman is a shutdown defender, but the Cowboys' nickel and dime packages struggled. Thus, another good cover corner makes sense. There are several reports that the Cowboys are in trade talks with the Tennessee Titans to acquire Adam "Pacman" Jones. In the draft, they are looking at Arizona's Antoine Cason, Kansas' Aqib Talib and Virginia Tech's Brandon Flowers late in the first round and Auburn's Pat Lee and Indiana's Tracy Porter with their second-round pick. They hope corners such as Colorado's Terrence Wheatley and USC's Terrell Thomas will be available in the middle rounds.
Running back - Julius Jones was lost in free agency and there is little behind Marion Barber. It is an area the Cowboys most likely will address with one of their top four picks. They are still attempting to trade up and land Arkansas' Darren McFadden in the top 10. They could shock fans and select Oregon's Jonathan Stewart with one of their first-round picks. They also like Arkansas' Felix Jones, Rutgers' Ray Rice, Texas' Jamaal Charles and East Carolina's Chris Johnson with their late first-round pick or with their second-round pick.
Guard/tackle - The Cowboys improved in protecting Tony Romo last season, but every starter will be at least 30 by midseason. They most likely will address this area fairly early in the draft. They like Nebraska's Carl Nicks and UTEP's Oniel Cousins, and both are ideal candidates with experience at both guard and tackle. They probably would be able to land them in the second or third rounds. They like Auburn's King Dunlap and Kansas' Anthony Collins in the third round.
Safety - The Cowboys need depth and hope to address this area - possibly early. Starters Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin generally play well. Williams is a force in run support but a liability in coverage, and Hamlin has been injury-prone. They like UTEP's Quintin Demps and Arkansas State's Tyrell Johnson in the third round, and at least one should be available.

New York Giants (10-6 in 2007)

Head coach: Tom Coughlin (13th year)
Key needs: 1. Safety 2. Linebacker 3. Wide receiver

Safety - The Giants added several defensive backs last season, with good results. They saw young cornerback Corey Webster finally produce over the second half of the season. Rookie corner Aaron Ross was a fine addition as their No. 1 pick. But they lost free safety Gibril Wilson in free agency and strong safety James Butler is barely adequate. They could address both spots early this year, with safety the higher priority. They like safeties DaJuan Morgan (North Carolina State) and Kenny Phillips (Miami) with their first pick. They also like corners Antoine Cason (Arizona) and Brandon Flowers (Virginia Tech) late in the first round. They will consider safeties Tyvon Branch (Connecticut) and Tyrell Johnson (Arkansas State) in the third round. They like corners Justin King (Penn State), Jack Williams (Kent State) and Terrence Wheatley (Colorado) in the third and fourth rounds.
Linebacker - The Giants suffered two losses in free agency and added veteran Danny Clark as a stop-gap addition. They have little depth. They need a middle `backer and should get a chance at Oklahoma's Curtis Lofton and Penn State's Dan Connor in the first round. They are hoping weakside `backers Erin Henderson (Maryland) and Xavier Adibi (Virginia Tech) are on the board in the second round. They are considering moving Antonio Pierce to the outside, but only if they get a premier middle man.
Wide receiver - The Giants hope veteran Amani Toomer returns for one more season, though he may be hard-pressed to hold off young Steve Smith for the starting job. Sinorice Moss has been a huge disappointment and could be available in trade talks. Plaxico Burress is a fine No. 1 receiver but there is little depth. They will consider Michigan State's Devin Thomas as a surprise No. 1 pick. They like Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal in the second round, and his return skills are a bonus. They also like Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett in the third round.
Offensive line - The Giants' front did a fine job last season but there is marginal depth. They also have some age on the inside and could address this unit with a top-100 selection. They like Toledo's John Greco and Pitt's Mike McGlynn in the third and fourth rounds. Both are tough, versatile linemen who are capable of playing a few positions.
Defensive line - The Giants' front four has been the staple of the team's entire defense. Depth is an issue here, though LB Mathias Kiwanuka could move back to end fairly easy. That would make the tackle spot the higher priority.

Philadelphia (8-8 in 2007)

Head coach: Andy Reid (10th year)
Key needs: 1. Wide receiver 2. Offensive tackle 3. Defensive end

Wide receiver - The Eagles signed Kevin Curtis before the 2007 season and he was a fine addition. But they still lack a true No. 1 receiver and like Texas' Limas Sweed and California's DeSean Jackson in the first round. Jackson's return skills could tip the scale in his favor. They also like Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett and Houston's Donnie Avery in the second round.
Offensive tackle - Starting tackles William Thomas and Jon Runyan are both 33 and each has had injury problems. Tackle is one of the strongest positions in this draft, and Pitt's Jeff Otah and Boston College's Gosder Cherilus are the most likely to be available at No. 19 in the first round.
Defensive end - The Eagles will consider drafting an end early; there is a deep group of ends in this draft. At No. 19 overall, they may have a chance at Miami's Calais Campbell, Auburn's Quentin Groves or Clemson's Phillip Merling. They like USC's Lawrence Jackson and Virginia Tech's Chris Ellis in the second round. These are defenders with the versatility to fill a few roles in different schemes.
Defensive back - This area has become a problem despite the signing of free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel. Veteran corner Lito Shepherd is on the trading block and could be involved in a draft-day deal. The Eagles have little depth at corner or safety and could take cornerbacks Antoine Cason (Arizona) or Aqib Talib (Kansas) at No. 19. They like safeties DaJuan Morgan (North Carolina State) and Kenny Phillips (Miami), though not at the No. 19 spot. Expect a fairly high selection at both positions, and the talent level available falls fairly quickly at safety.
Linebacker - The Eagles have young talent in Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong and free-agent signees Chris Clemons and Rocky Boiman. That may not stop them from using an early selection here if the value is good in the first round, such as with Oklahoma's Curtis Lofton and Tennessee's Jerod Mayo. They also like Georgia Tech's Philip Wheeler and Purdue's Stanford Keglar and will consider them in the second and/or third rounds.

Washington (9-7 in 2007)

Head coach: Jim Zorn (First year)
Key needs: 1. Offensive line 2. Safety 3. Linebacker

Offensive line - The Redskins lost guard Derrick Dockery in free agency and replaced him with Pete Kendall. But they have little depth, especially at tackle, where both starters are over 30. They may attempt to address the tackle spot in the first round, though it's unlikely they will have a chance at the top three prospects. They like Pitt's Jeff Otah and Boston College's Gosder Cherilus in the first round. They also like Nebraska's Carl Nicks, Kansas' Anthony Collins and Auburn's King Dunlap in the second and third rounds.
Safety - The death of Sean Taylor left this area thin, though the emergence of last year's top pick, LaRon Landry, gives them a stud defender. They are considering top-rated safeties Kenny Phillips (Miami) and DaJuan Morgan (North Carolina State) with the 21st overall pick, though it's not their highest-need area. They are considering trading down in the first round to add another top-100 selection. They like Arkansas State's Tyrell Johnson and Arizona State's Josh Barrett in the third round area. On the second day, they have Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski and LSU's Craig Steltz on their short list.
Linebacker - The Redskins saw Rocky McIntosh get injured late in the `07 season, which could affect his playing time this fall. They have little depth behind the starters. He was emerging as a fine playmaker on the weakside. They like Virginia Tech's Xavier Adibi, Maryland's Erin Henderson and Penn State's Dan Connor in the second round. In the middle rounds, they hope to have a chance at Florida State's Geno Hayes and LSU's Ali Highsmith.
Defensive end - The Redskins' front four did an average job last season and will need to add talent for this unit to be successful. They have little depth and would like to add a quality prospect for their line rotation. They like Clemson's Phillip Merling, Virginia Tech's Chris Ellis and USC's Lawrence Jackson in the second round. They also like Hampton's Kendall Langford and Wake Forest's Jeremy Thompson in the middle rounds.
Wide receiver - The Redskins will look to improve their receiving corps, likely with a top-100 selection. They like Texas' Limas Sweed and LSU's Early Doucet in the first round and Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett, Kansas State's Jordy Nelson and Houston's Donnie Avery in the second round.

Although this has nothing to do with football

jrs1940 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:06:31 -0000

I would just like to take a moment to say:

LETS GO RAAAAAAAAANGGGGGGEERRRRRSSSS!!!!!!

Its been a great series, a couple of bounces and its 2-2 or possibly 3-1 Devils

Brodeur has not looked sharp the entrie series. A few spectacular saves, but overall not the Brodeur from playoffs past

Hopefully tomorrow night they close it out and get ready for the Pens