New York Giants GM Jerry Reese Enjoying Quiet Start To Camp

A year ago at this time New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese was under fire from all angles. Osi Umenyiora was carping about his contract. Steve Smith and Kevin Boss bolted the team unexpectedly as free agents at the beginning of training camp. For the first time in Reese's tenure as GM some were wondering if Reese really had a plan, if he had lost his seemingly magic touch.

A year later the Giants are defending Super Bowl champs, the second title in Reese's tenure as GM. All is quiet in Albany. There are no players holding out. No one is complaining about money. There are no signs of complacency. "All's quiet," Reese said when meeting with the media Saturday morning.

[Complete Reese Transcript]

And the quiet, to be honest, is what is making Reese nervous.

"Quiet is okay. But it doesn’t bother me to have a little chatter going into training camp. I actually kind of like it a little bit when there’s a little bit of chatter," Reese said. "It keeps everybody on edge a little bit. Actually I’ve got a little bit of nervous energy because it’s too quiet. But I’m sure something will pop up sooner or later."

Here are some of Reese's thoughts on the team he has constructed as the Giants prepare to defend their Super Bowl title.

On any Super Bowl hangover ...

"I think we have some veteran players on this team that understand that last year is last year. So it’s time to move on. We moved on from that. There are huge challenges for us this season. There are challenges every season."

On Prince Amukamara, last year's first-round pick ...

" I expect Prince to play like a first round draft pick. That’s pretty cut and dry for me. ... He should challenge for a starting job and play like a first round draft pick. When you pick a guy that high, in the first round, you expect him to play and play well and be a strong contributor to your team."

On the word 'dynasty' ...

"I just think that’s a nice word for you guys to play around, one you could stretch a lot of different ways. What is a dynasty? What constitutes? I’m not even sure what that means. I think the teams are so evenly matched these days that it’s hard for a team to quote ‘be a dynasty.’ It’s good to be able to talk about the d-word, but you gotta get out there and play. I’m really not sure what the dynasty thing even means."

On the current roster ...

"Well, I think it’s a good roster. I think it’s a really good roster. It remains to be seen as to how good we can be. I think we can be strong, and we can be good again. But you have to do it, you can’t talk about it, you have to go out there and do it. That’s what’s important to us, is to go out there and prove that we are a good football team, that we’ve got a challenge and have a chance to win a lot of games this season. Hopefully, we can qualify for the tournament. Then, if you get in the tournament, like always, anything can happen."

On whether winning the Super Bowl validates his philosophy ...

"We just try to make good football decisions for the New York Giants. If it’s a splashy move, that’s great. But if you sign a center and a punter, you know, that’s what you need to do to make your team a better football team. That’s what we do as well. ... I’m not trying to validate anything. I’m just trying to make the Giants the best football team that we can be. It’s all about team for us, we’re all a unit and that’s what’s important. It’s not about validating myself."