New York Giants notes: A little Sunday reading

Here are a few stories of interest to New York Giants fans on an off-season Sunday morning.

• Fred Robbins recently posted some thoughts on his blog about leaving the Giants and getting a second opportunity to play for Steve Spagnuolo.
  
  "It will be good to play for Spags again, I had some of my best years when he was the Giants defensive coordinator. He’s a coach the players can relate to, they always know what to expect from him. I have a lot of respect for him so it’s a great fit for me in St. Louis.
  
  "I had some great years in New York, played with a lot of great players, but things like this happen all the time in this game. You don’t always finish with the team that you started with. I do want to thank the fans, the coaches and everybody else who helped me with my career when I was with the Giants. I would have liked to have finished my career in New York, but things happen."
  
  I have to believe Robbins' presence in St. Louis means the Rams will be taking quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 pick, rather than Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy. I understand the Rams feeling they need a franchise quarterback, but it says here Bradford will be a mistake that will set the franchise back and get Spags fired.

• Clark Judge of CBS Sports examined the Giants roster and came to two stunning conclusions. The Giants were 'deadful' on defense and they need help at linebacker.
  
  Umm, geez, Clark you could have just asked us. But, you know, thanks for noticing.

• Cornerback Bruce Johnson leads Giants in performance-based pay
  
  Really, that's just a fancy way of saying that Johnson, an undrafted free agent, played a whole lot more football for the Giants in 2009 than he was supposed to. By the way, don't you wish your job offered a bonus structure like that?
• Sometimes, you simply have to give credit where it is due. So, do yourself a favor and head over to UltimateNYG to read the outstanding piece by Glenn Warciski on hidden yardage in the NFL.
• The story at Yahoo! Sports regarding judging middle linebackers based on workout numbers was linked to recently in the comments. It deserves more attention, though. Here are some excerpts:
  
  If there’s one position where so-called "workout warriors" become irrelevant, it’s middle linebacker.
  
  

  When evaluating the middle linebacker position, the first and most important aspect to note is a prospect’s ability to read and react quickly and correctly. I would much rather have a middle linebacker who runs a 4.8 and consistently reads the action quickly than a linebacker who can run a 4.4 but has a tendency to take a false step when asked to find the football. The MLB spot in the NFL is all about instincts and possessing the ability to quickly change directions and get after the ball.

  At times, an MLB is asked to run sideline to sideline or drop into coverage down the middle of the field. However, for the most part, inside linebackers are expected to read and react to their run/pass keys between the tackles and redirect toward the football. So when evaluating the position, it makes sense to put more weight on a linebacker’s short-shuttle time than his 40 time since he’s more often asked to redirect quickly in tight spaces than run 40 yards across the field.
  
  This makes a ton of sense, and it add to my reasons for hating the over-reliance on Combine numbers. The story also goes on to discuss some of the guys who might be lesser-known MLB options in the upcoming draft. Well worth a read.
• Sounds like Aaron Ross is finally healthy, and happy.
  
  Ross is healthy enough that he’s been running and training with his track-star wife nearly every day during their honeymoon in the Middle East.

  He also says his troublesome hamstring is back to 100 percent and he’s eager to join the Giants’ off-season workout program when it opens on Monday. "With guns blazing," he said. "I’m ready."

  "I just wanted (the hamstring) to heal on its own and get back to 100 percent, and I feel like that’s where I’m at right now," Ross told the Daily News from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, where he and his new wife were attending the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony. "I’ve been running on the beach. The sand is a true test for the hamstring because your leg is sinking in the dirt. I feel like I’m 100 percent and ready to go again."

  Ross played in only four games for the Giants last season after first tearing his hamstring in early August. Three times he tried to come back from the injury, only to end up making it worse. The Giants finally placed him on injured reserve on Dec. 31, though the last game he played was on Dec. 13.

  He said the experience "was horrible. I hated every minute of it going to meetings every day knowing that I’m not going to play. Going to practice, seeing the guys having fun and not being able to do what you love and do what you’re making your living at. It was like torture."

  This is good news. It has been a rough couple of seasons for Ross, who did not play well in 2008 and then was hurt most of 2009. If he can put together a healthy season in 2010, that would be a huge upgrade for the Giants defensive backfield.