Good morning fellow Giants fans, and welcome to the Friday Combine edition. I know you're all excited about this annual NFL event *cough*, and I'll be watching some of it this weekend and reporting on it. Of course, I may liken it to watching paint dry or tagging along with the wife to buy spring flowers, but I'll have something on it nonetheless. Otherwise, there isn't a ton of news about the Giants right now, but we did manage to find a few things...
Recommended Reading
-- SB Nation New York's Mike Fiammetta completes a look at Giants free agents with a player-by-player look at the potential defensive free agents
Combine watch: Giants back in Indy - Giants Blog - ESPN New York
The New York Giants are back in Indianapolis. Not long after winning the Super Bowl here, the Giants begin the process of defending their title in Indy where the NFL Scouting Combine is going on. GM Jerry Reese and his staff will be looking at draft prospects for the upcoming draft. They will pick 32nd in the first round. While the Super Bowl champs could go the usual route of drafting best player available, there are some areas the Giants can address in the draft. Also, the Giants have some issues in free agency.
The Associated Press: Rex Ryan: No Super Bowl guarantee this year
In his return to the combine on Thursday, Ryan was apologetic. Before a single question was asked, he said the guarantee was a "huge mistake," an honest attempt to push his team that backfired. "It's something that I've been thinking about a great deal," he said. "Obviously, we had a terrible season. I take full responsibility for it. Part of that guarantee really contributed to it."
New York Giants WR Victor Cruz has agreed to a deal to write a memoir that will chronicle his unique star - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN
Victor Cruz, the salsa-dancing standout wide receiver for the New York Giants, will soon be able to add author to his list of accomplishments. The Penguin USA imprint Celebra Books is said to have won a spirited auction for the post-Super Bowl memoir of Cruz, with an advance estimated to be in the mid-six-figure range.
Hey, here is your gratuitous Victor Cruz mention!
New York Giants 2012 team needs - NFL - SI.com
Enlarge font The Super Bowl Champion Giants and head coach Tom Coughlin head into the offseason with some needs at the offensive tackle position and on the interior of the defensive line. With some mid-round needs at LB and also at the RB position, let's take a look at which prospects fit in New York.
NFL clarifying rules on trading penalty yards for time - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
The NFL competition committee is expected to come up with a clarification of what game officials can do to prevent what former coach Buddy Ryan was once famously punished for doing more than 20 years ago. After the New York Giants were penalized for having 12 players on the field in the closing seconds of their Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots, many fans and critics wondered if teams would take advantage of the rule in end-game situations. Can the league prevent teams from using extra defenders with only the risk of a 5-yard penalty when clock time is more valuable than yards?
Capitals in a dangerous place but could learn from New York Giants - Hard Hits - The Washington Post
When positive belief is so strong with coaches and players the results can be mind boggling. A great example is this year’s Super Bowl champs. After struggling for much of the season and battling injuries, they were still able to find a way, much like where the Capitals are right now. They are battling injuries and struggling but like the New York Giants, if they believe enough in one another and their ability to rebound and regroup, there's no doubt in my mind that they can save their season.
This is just interesting because teams in several sports are looking to the Giants for inspiration, and also because a former Giant --LaVar Arrington--wrote the piece.
49ers' Whitner: We outplayed Giants, would have beaten Pats
"Bits and pieces of it. I was probably watching reality TV or something. I didn't really want to watch it because, you know, we felt like we outplayed the Giants. We felt like that was our trophy to lose. We came up short. We felt like we had an opportunity to beat the Giants. We felt like we matched up well with the Patriots, and the Giants go home with the trophy. ... I feel like we would have beat the Patriots."
Yeah, and if my aunt had stones, she'd be my uncle. Sour grapes, Donte.
And I will leave you with this--another hilarious clip of Brandon Jacobs the week after the Super Bowl, following dinner with some teammates and friends at Abe & Arthur's. Someone asks him about Tom Brady's, errr, private life, and Jacobs responds with a pretty funny zinger.