Good morning fellow Giants fans. It's Friday, and if you are a diehard sports fan, the NCAA basketball tournament will be a nice distraction the next few weeks as we move closer to the 2012 NFL season. Yeah, I know--it's still a LONG ways away. But as always, there are things to discuss. And the fact that Eli Manning has restructured his deal in order to give the Giants more room under the cap is a fairly interesting topic. Who knows how this will help the Giants in real dollars to bring in or keep free agents, but it sure is a pretty cool move by a guy who now seems worth every penny he is paid. Anyway, here are some Big Blue news items, starting with the Manning contract....
Eli Restructures Deal and Gives Giants More Maneuverability - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
While the glow of the victory has not worn off, Reese is once again trying to do what his best for the roster. The first move came when quarterback Eli Manning restructured his contract March 8. Manning's cap figure will go from $16.35 million to $9.6 million according to CBS Sports. This will give Reese more maneuverability as he tries to solidify his roster for the 2012 season. The Manning restructured contract will allow Reese to work on new deals for 21 Giants free agents. Included in that group is Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham, who has said that he does not expect to return to the defending champions next year. However, the Manning move may now give the two sides something to talk about.
Okay, scratch what I said about real dollars. Seven million is not chump change and that should really help land or keep a few players. Stay tuned!
The Manning brothers in New York? - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN
Like Eli, I have no idea if Peyton Manning will end up with the Jets or the Redskins or in any other situation that might put the two brothers in more direct competition with each other. But I feel pretty confident saying that, if it did happen, it wouldn't bother Eli one bit. After all, nothing else seems to.
Tuck: Giants star says Manning, the older one, makes any team instant powerhouse - The Washington Post
"There’s gonna be a lot of teams bidding for the services of Peyton Manning. Even with the injury, I think he’s still gonna come back strong and he’s going make whichever team he goes to an instant powerhouse," Tuck told The Associated Press while at Barcelona’s Global Sports Forum on Thursday. "Hopefully he doesn’t come to the NFC East where I’ll have to play him twice a year."
Yeah, amen to that. Because for all the great things Eli has done, he still hasn't beaten his brother in an NFL game.
Super Fly | New York Post - NYPOST.com
Clad in camouflage cargos inside a Chelsea photo studio is Big Blue's unlikely hero in this unbelievable romp, Victor Cruz. "This time last year, I was watching the Super Bowl with Green Bay [and Pittsburgh] and upset that we didn't even make the playoffs," says the 25-year-old wide receiver, who sat out most of last season with a hamstring pull. "The only people calling me was maybe my mom and girlfriend," he says. Flash forward 12 months, and Cruz has catapulted from an undrafted and unknown player to a salsa-dancing scoring sensation with a Super Bowl ring in the mail.
Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning to speak at Press-Radio Club dinner | Democrat and Chronicle | democratandchronicle.com
New York Giants quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning will be the featured speaker for the 63rd annual Rochester Press-Radio Club Day of Champions Children’s Charity Dinner on Wednesday, May 23, at the Riverside Convention Center. Manning, who guided the Giants to their second Super Bowl title in four years on Feb. 5, will be the recipient of the Coca-Cola Sports Personality of the Year Award. He will be seated at the head table along with other sports figures and local award winners who will be announced in the next few weeks.
Giants' Rolle Signs Super Bowl DVDs at Nearby Store - Wantagh-Seaford, NY Patch
Rolle was at fye in Levittown on Tuesday to sign copies of a DVD and Blu-Ray commemorating the team's Super Bowl victory. Both were released Tuesday. At fye, Rolle talked about how his life changed after winning the Super Bowl. "Things have been a little bit more hectic, as far as appearances and autographs and things of that nature, getting recognized everywhere you go and just being that outstanding role model figure," he said.