Well, Day 2 of rookie mini-camp didn't exactly go the way the Giants had hoped.

Quarterback Andre Woodson (sixth-round pick) and wide receiver Mario Manningham were both injured during the morning practice.

It doesn't look like either injury was serious. Still, though, having two of your draft picks carted off the field during rookie mini-camp is not  something you really want to see.

Here are some other stories of not coming from mini-camp.

• Undrafted free-agent wide receiver DJ Hall (Alabama) was reportedly the star of Day 1 .

• Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride apparently had a heart-to-heart talk recently with unhappy tight end  Jeremy Shockey. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Gilbride called Shockey's status "nebulous," -- now there is a word you don't hear a football coach use every day -- and said he had "no idea what’s going to happen."

• First-round draft pick Kenny Phillips said his mission is clear. "I just want to prove to them that they made the right decision by drafting me."

NOTE: Happy Mother's Day, everybody!

The short answer to that question is, I have no idea.

Henderson, a defensive end from Southern Mississippi, was the Giants' final draft pick -- taken in the sixth round (199th overall).

By most accounts, the 6-foot-3, 280-pound Henderson is a marginal NFL prospect.

We also know, of course, that the Giants are loaded at defensive end. With Michael Strahan (we count him until/unless he says he will retire -- and I don't think he will), Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Dave Tollefson and the ability to use Mathias Kiwanuka at end if they need to, I have no idea what Henderson can do for this team.

I guess we will just have to wait until training camp and find out.

By George Cronin

[NOTE: This is the final installment of George Cronin's off-season series about old-time Giants' teams. I have to give George my thanks. It's been great reading. I hope you guys have enjoyed -- and learned as much from it -- as I have.]

The Giants won the Eastern division yet again, finishing with an 11-3 record. They had the best offense, leading the league by averaging 32 pts/game and YA set a record for TD passes with 36. Two of his receivers, Shofner and Giff were Pro Bowlers.

The Bears won the West with an 11-1-2 mark. They featured three players (Mike Ditka, Bill George, Doug Atkins). Their head coach was Hall of Famer George Halas. According to Ditka, “he threw nickels around like manhole covers.” Their Defensive Coordinator George Allen was another HOFer.

As HC, Allen is the 3^rd winningest HC in history (behind Lombardi and Madden), and his coaching transformed what had been a mediocre defense the year before into an awesome force, allowingg an average of only 10 points/game. In 2 games vs GB it allowed no TDs; in 2 games vs. Unitas and the Colts, no passing TDs. CB Rosey Taylor led the league with 9 interceptions

The teams played in 9 degree weather, once again far from ideal conditions for Tittle and the passing game. Many of the Bears later complained that it was the coldest weather they’d ever played in. Nevertheless, in the first quarter, YA led an 83 yard drive culminating in a TD strike to Giff. On that first series, the Bears played their usual defense. After that, they blitzed, hitting YA as often as possible.

Later in the first, the Giants recovered a fumble at the Bears 31. YA hit a wide open Shofner in end zone, but glue-fingered Del dropped it. DE Doug Atkins said, “…I could have caught it. If he had caught that pass, the Giants would have been in command, and I think they would have won. But, that was the kind of season it was for us. We got just about every break.”

The blitzing strategy work when LB Larry Morris smashed his helmet into YA’s knee, tearing ligaments. Tittle’s bad leg slowed his set ups and forced him to throw off his back foot. Morris intercepted a screen and rambled 61 yards to the Giants 5. Wade QB sneaked for a TD.

In the second quarter, the Giants kicked an FG to go ahead, 10-7. On the next series, YA got hit again and knocked out of the game. On the next two series, with Glynn Griffing QBing the Giants gained minus yards and kicked once on 3rd down.

Despite Sam Huff’s pleas to stay off the field, knee shot full of pain killer and anti-inflammatory drugs, YA returned after the half. The Bears gave him a brutal beating for the rest of the game. After another interception, Wade snuck in again to put the Bears up 14-10 at the end of the third.

The fourth quarter was scoreless, although the Giants still had a chance with 10 seconds left when YA threw a pass intercepted in the end zone. Morris was the game’s MVP. The Bears awarded the game ball to Allen. YA won the league’s MVP as he had in ’61.

A hobbled YA was picked 5 times, but the Giants defense played superbly, never letting the Bears offense past the 50. Apparently, that wasn’t enough for Allie. In the off season, having already packed Grier off to LA, he traded away Huff, Modzelewski and Barnes. The Giants went 2-10-2, beginning an 18-year slide before turning things around in a wild-card game vs Philly in 1981.

1963 was another in a series of heartbreaking defeats in championship games, the fifth in six years.

Somewhere around the Tampa game last year, I was overcome by a serene feeling that maybe our bad luck over the long haul was about to turn. After all, but for the Fickle Finger of Fate, four of those games between ’58-’63 could have been Giants wins.

I could cite other misfortunes, not the least of which was the strike season when we had a damn good chance of repeating as SBG champs. That’s why I’ve said on this site more than once that I believe Lady Luck owes us. Tyree’s miracle catch doesn’t make up for the bad luck we experienced from ’58-’63.

My calm certainty about our future remains and I expect a past of habitual frowns from Lady Luck to turn to smiles for years to come.

We have reached the sixth round in our look at how the various Giants' draft picks will fit into the 2008 roster.

That means it's time to discuss Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson.

Here at Big Blue View, we have probably already talked about Woodson more than any other Giants' draft pick, including first-rounder Kenny Phillips and controversial third-rounder Mario Manningham.

Quarterbacks generate interest -- even ones we hope we never have to watch play in a regular-season game.

So, where does Woodson fit with the Giants?

With Woodson and free-agent signee David Carr added this off-season the Giants now have five quarterbacks on the roster.

Eli Manning, of course, is going nowhere . As long as he stays healthy, the Super Bowl MVP is the Giants' quarterback for the next decade.

Backing him up is where Woodson comes in. Off-season moves by GM Jerry Reese (picking up Carr and Woodson) tell you that the team was not happy with Anthony Wright and Jared Lorenzen behind Eli.

We have discussed it some, but you have to think there is no way Lorenzen makes this team. I wouldn't be surprised if he is cut long before training camp.

Wright will probably be kept as a veteran presence in the event that the Giants don't like what they see from Carr once camp opens. If Carr works out, though, you would think he will be No. 2 and Woodson will be carrying a clipboard as No. 3.

The hope, of course, is that within a couple of years Woodson can develop into a quality backup the Giants wouldn't be nervous about actually having to use.

Meet Kenny Phillips. No. 1 on your Giants' draft board. No. 1 at the University of Miami. No. 1 in my heart ... for taking uniform number 21.

Yep, when rookie mini-camp opens today Phillips will be wearing 21, the number formerly worn by some former Giant running back. What was his name? Tiki something. Blabber? Blubber? Berber?

Seriously, it is interesting to me how quickly the Giants have put No. 21 back into circulation. I doubt there will be an outcry like the one that happened this spring when the Yankees tried to put their own No. 21, formerly worn by Paul O'Neill, back in circulation.

In fact, I doubt anyone will really care at all.

Why is it that, in baseball, we get all worked up about uniform numbers and which ones should no longer be worn? In football, though, we don't seem to give a hoot.

The Giants have retired only 11 numbers in their history. They are as follows:

• 1 -- Ray Flaherty
• 4 -- Tuffy Leemans
• 7 -- Mel Hein
  
• 11 -- Phil Simms
• 14 -- Y.A. Tittle
• 16 -- Frank Gifford
• 32 -- Al Blozis
• 40 -- Joe Morrison
• 42 -- Charlie Conerly
• 50 -- Ken Strong
• 56 -- Lawrence Taylor

Oh, and one more thing. Bryan Kehl, the rookie linebacker from BYU, will be wearing No. 53 when he hits the field this morning. Harry Carson's 53.

How is it that Simms has his number retired, but Carson doesn't? Isn't Carson the one in the Hall of Fame?

Honestly, it doesn't bother that 21 is already in circulation for the Giants. It does bother me, though, that the Giants haven't retired Carson's number.

Your thoughts?

In our ongoing look at where the Giants' draft choices fit in, we have reached fifth-round selection Jonathan Goff.

Let's put it bluntly. The selection of the middle linebacker from Vanderbilt is very bad news for fan favorite Chase Blackburn, a good special teams guy who has never gotten a full chance to play.

Antonio Pierce is entering his eighth NFL season, and is still a rock against the run in the middle of the Giants' defense -- as well as one of the team's emotional leaders.

Pierce will play as long as he is healthy. Down the road, though, Goff could be the guy who replaces him.

SI.com had projected Goff as a mid-second round choice, so he was great value in the fifth round.

Here is some video.

So, again, Goff is a guy who could end up knocking Blackburn off this team. If I was Blackburn, I would try to show the coaching staff I could also play outside.

I mentioned last week that I was intrigued by Bryan Kehl, the linebacker from BYU for whom Jerry Reese traded up to choose in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

Continuing our look at where all the draft choices could fit on the roster, it's time to look at Kehl.

Outside linebackers who could play prominent roles on this team include Mathias Kiwanuka (he's a linebacker until Jerry Reese or Tom Coughlin says otherwise), Gerris Wilkinson, free-agent signee Danny Clark and Zak DeOssie.

Unless Kiwanuka moves back to defensive end, I don't see playing time for Kehl in front of anyone is this group -- at least not right away.

Sports Illustrated was very complementary toward Kehl in it's profile, though.

Kehl is an active linebacker who has watched his game improve the past two seasons. Tough against the run, he also displays skill in coverage and could develop into a starter on the weak side by his second season in the league.

Here's some video, from the SI.com film room.

Kehl seems like a high upside guy a team like the Giants, with some quality players in front of him, can afford to develop.

In terms of the roster, his presence is probably bad news for end of the roster guys like Tank Daniels or Rory Johnson.

"There are days I wake up and I want to play football, and there are days where I wake up and I don't want to play. Right now there are probably more days where I don't want to play than I do."

-- Michael Strahan

What do you guys think? Is the big fella in for a 16th season in his Hall of Fame career? Or will he ride off into the sunset with his Super Bowl ring?

I think he plays.

Let's continue our look at where the various Giants' draft choices fit in. Today, let's look at the very intriguing third-round selection, wide receiver Mario Manningham.

For the sake of this discussion, we aren't going to get into all of the various issues with Manningham that caused him to fall to the Giants in the third round. Let's assume that he comes to training camp with his head screwed on right, stays out of trouble and shows that he can be a productive NFL player. And yes, I know those are all big assumptions.

We also have to assume, for this discussion, that all of the other Giants' receivers are healthy.

So, in that scenario, what can the Giants expect to get from Manningham?

This guy could eventually be a star, but with Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and the emerging Steve Smith already ahead of him I only see Manningham getting on the field in four wide receiver sets.

What a group of weapons that is for Eli Manning. Those four wide receivers and either Jeremy Shockey or Kevin Boss. Or, forget the tight end and you can have a five wide receiver set that includes Sinorice Moss or Super Bowl hero David Tyree.

That's a pretty darn impressive group of weapons.

I remember saying last off-season that the group of receivers the Giants had assembled looked like the best they had ever had. Injuries and a poor season from Moss made that an overstatement.

If, however, all of these guys are healthy we are again looking at the deepest, most talented group of receivers the Giants have ever put together.

The question will be, if everyone is healthy who doesn't make the team? The Giants won't be quick to cuts Moss, the second-round pick a couple of years ago who has been disappointing so far.

Yet, Tyree is going nowhere. He's a Super Bowl hero, and a terrific special teams guy. Domenic Hixon is also a wide receiver and became the primary kickoff return guy. My guess is he stays this season and returns both kickoffs and punts.

Without injuries, it is going to be very, very difficult for Moss to make this team. If he doesn't, I'm betting he goes on to be the next ex-Giants wideout to have a productive career elswhere (like Ed McCaffrey and Joe Jurevicious).

[NOTE: Taking advantage of some of the new capabilities of SBN 2.0, there are some Manningham details and stats below.]

Peter King came out with his off-season team rankings yesterday in his weekly 'Monday Morning Quarterback ' column.

He placed the defending Super Bowl champion Giants sixth on his list behind New England, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Dallas (ugh!!) and San Diego.

The only one on the list that really bugs me is Dallas. Talent-wise, I get it. The Cowboys haven't proven they can win when it counts, though. The Giants, obviously, have.

Here is what King said about your defending champions.

This is a team that caught fire at the right time and rode the wave to a title. Was it the best team in football in 2007? For the last two games of the year, yes. For the rest of the season, not even close. But the last two games of the season are the biggest.

Funny how a season progresses: In Weeks 9-14, the Giants went 3-3, losing three times by double digits and winning by six, five and three points. Then, ka-boom.

Moving forward, the Giants will be fortunate if Michael Strahan plays. I think he'll retire because he always said he was playing for a ring, and now he's got it, and a cushy Fox job awaits. But the Giants will still be able to kill the passer if he does because Mathias Kiwanuka will be back healthy.

Eli Manning had a charmed postseason, but he's got to be more accurate than 56.1 percent for the Giants to be better than 14th in scoring offense, which they were a year ago. The encouraging thing about Manning is that the day after the Super Bowl, he was already talking about the things he needed to do to get better. Smart, because he knows he has to be more consistent to be a top quarterback. This should be a maturing offensive team and a threatening team on D.

Your thoughts?