Land of the Giants: Go ahead and waste some time today

I know how much you guys hate to work on a Friday. So, here are a few New York Giants-related stories to help you kill some time as you look forward to your weekend.

• Great piece by Tom Rock on Danny Ware, who has now volunteered to learn to return punts -- something he has never tried before.

Ware clearly is the No. 3 back, behind starter Brandon Jacobs and backup Ahmad Bradshaw. He'll certainly get his share of carries - far more than the two he's received in his year and a half on the active roster of an NFL team - but he won't be satisfied with those limited touches.

That's why Ware approached the coaching staff earlier this week - with the image of that kickoff return still rolling in everyone's heads - and asked to take on another role. The staff agreed and Thursday, for the first time in his career, Ware tried fielding punts.

"I want to try to get on the field as much as possible," he said. "If I can't get the ball in my hands on offense, I want to try to do kickoff returns and punt returns and try to be a weapon out there any way I can. I told them that and they heard me."

Ware is late to the task, so he probably won't get a chance to test his new skill in this preseason game. Coughlin said Ware was just "one of many" who rotate at the job. He didn't drop any on his first day and even stayed after practice to work with special-teams coordinator Tom Quinn.

As for the 11 guys screaming down the field toward him while he's trying to make that catch, Ware was unfazed.

"It's all good," he said. "You're going to get hit in the game anyway; you might as well try to take one to the house while you're getting hit."

• I usually love the work done by Michael Lombardi of The National Football Post. Can't say I like his list of blue-chip and almost blue-chip players for the Giants, though. C'mon, Mike, how is Brandon Jacobs not on that list?
• Gerris Wilkinson is thrilled to be fighting for a job, instead of fighting for space on the training table.
• Aaron Ross is trying to remain optimistic despite his hamstring injury. Ross, incidentally, knows he did not play well last season.

"I wasn't happy with last year," said Ross, who started all 15 games he played in and had 52 tackles, three interceptions and one touchdown. "I felt I was like a much better player than I showed last year. That wasn't me I felt like. Once I get healthy I will be all right."