Good morning, New York Giants fans! There is, of course, lots of Plaxico Burress speculation floating around today. I am not going to ignore it, I will have something on all of that later today. For now, though, let's look at what else is going on.
5. What is the first call Reese must make when the lockout ends?
Reese must land a veteran offensive lineman, either through free agency or a trade, who can play guard or center. Starting center Shaun O'Hara, whose best days are well behind him, was plagued by foot problems throughout last season.
Guard-center Rich Seubert, described by Reese as the team MVP because he filled in so capably for O'Hara during a key seven-game stretch, displaced his right kneecap in the season finale and is undergoing extensive rehabilitation. Seubert fractured his right leg so severely in 2003 that he missed all of the following season, so there is plenty of wear and tear on that tire.
Well, no doubt that I subscribe to the 'signing a veteran offensive lineman is a must' school of thought. Not sure, though, that I agree with the O'Hara's "best days are well behind him" statement. Prior to being injured last season the guy was coming off probably the best couple of seasons of his career. If he's healthy he can still play.
By the way, there is also some Eli Manning discussion in this post. It's an excellent offseason read for Giants fans.
Giants holding larger workouts
Rookie draft picks Prince Amukamara, Jerell Jernigan, Greg Jones, Tyler Sash and Da’Rel Scott were on the scene at Bergen Catholic -- so was Manning. It was mostly an offensive players workout but more defensive players could attend in the coming days.
Players are, obviously, getting antsy. Good news that many of the rookies were in attendance. I think everyone can stop worrying about when or if the Giants will organize full-squad workouts. Indications are that those are coming -- soon.
Jerrel Jernigan, Giants' third-round pick, could heat up team's offense | NJ.com
"Fabulous young man, number one, and a dynamite player for four years for us," Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. "He can do everything you want a skill guy to do. He can play inside or outside, run back punts and kickoffs. He’s a fearless guy, makes a lot of plays. After he catches it or put his hands on it, it’s not over at that time because he’ll make you miss. "According to where they got him, it was a steal in my estimation."
Let's hope all of this turns out to be more than just talk.
Around The NFL
NFL has plans for 8-game schedule: report - NYPOST.com
Despite recent developments in the labor battle that are seen as positive by some, the NFL is planning for a regular season as short as eight games, Sports Business Journal reported Monday.
The reported plan essentially means that in order to have a 2011 season, a new collective bargaining agreement would need to be reached no later than early November.
Under the reported plan, the eight-game season would start in late November and culminate with the Super Bowl in Indianapolis Feb. 12. The NFL has previously cleared the way for the Super Bowl to be played as late as then.
League says season-ticket sales are now down | ProFootballTalk
Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal recently reported NFL owners were informed at a meeting in Indianapolis that season-ticket sales surprisingly were ahead of the 2010 pace, despite the lockout. Per Kaplan, the league now claims that the sales are behind last year's numbers.
NFL's best series: The top 10 cornerbacks of 2011 - USATODAY.com
And now in a new autobiography -- Michael Vick: Finally Free -- the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback is unveiling his own memories of the bad choices that turned him from a Pro Bowler into a prison inmate.
Said Vick of the humiliation of prison, "You're nobody. You don't have no existence to the world at all. You're just a guy with a name and a number."
Some of you -- no, many of you -- won't go anywhere near this book simply because of the team Vick plays for. Others won't touch it because of the dog-fighting. I will confess that I actually would like to read the book.
Marv Albert joins CBS as NFL play-by-play announcer - ESPN
Marv Albert will join CBS Sports as a play-by-play announcer for coverage of the NFL.