Last week I linked to a story from Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger in which Barry Cofield sounded resigned to his time as a New York Giants probably being over. Well, ESPN New York's Ohm Youngmisuk caught up with the defensive tackle Wednesday, and his tune had not changed.
Ohm asked Cofield about the Giants' drafting of Marvin Austin, and Cofield's answer makes it obvious he sees the writing on the wall. Meaning, he is not likely to get the long-term deal he seeks from the Giants.
"It definitely does make you think that maybe they are preparing for life without me and if that is the case, then so be it," said Cofield, who attended teammate Shaun O'Hara's foundation charity golf outing at the Trump National Golf Club to help benefit awareness for cystic fibrosis.
"I would love to be back with the Giants. Hopefully we can work out a long-term deal. That would definitely be my first choice but you don't always get to script it. You don't always get that fairy tale Michael Strahan ending."
"It gave me kind of a sense of closure," Cofield added. "It gave me a sense that maybe it is time for me to move on. And if that is the case, the Giants will be in great shape and I think I have done the right things for my career to be in good shape."
Cofield does not sound bitter, and I'm glad for that. This is really just the harsh business of the NFL. The 27-year-old wants the one payday that will set him up for the rest of his life. The Giants just don't seem inclined to write that check.