New York Giants' news, 4/28: Eli Manning sheds the boot

Good morning, New York Giants' fans! Here are your Monday headlines as we continue the interminable wait for the 2014 NFL Draft.

Giants' quarterback Eli Manning shed the walking boot protecting his surgically-repaired ankle Sunday during a charity event. Manning talked about learning the team's new offense:

"[THE CHANGES] bring a sense of urgency to this time of year, to the offseason," Manning said. "For me, [IT'S]getting healthy, meeting teammates and learning a new playbook. We have a lot of work to do. But [I'M]enjoying the competition of it all, the urgency we're having right now."

The New York Post says all the talent the Giants have added in their secondary will be for naught if defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul can't return to dominant form:

Analyze all you want how Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie upgrades the secondary or the benefits of a full season of Jon Beason at middle linebacker. It doesn’t matter if the Giants trade up, up and away and take Jadeveon Clowney in the NFL Draft or if Michael Strahan decides to ditch all his TV gigs and slip back into a uniform. For all the focus on who is new and what is improved, the fate of the Giants defense hinges on which JPP hits the field.

Want to get to know more about Rashad Jennings, the Giants' new running back? Steve Serby of the New York Post did an interesting Sunday Q&A with Jennings.

When it comes to the draft we know there are many Giants' fans hoping the team lands North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron. NFL Films Greg Cosell says Ebron is "what everybody wants in today's NFL." Here is the full quote:

Cosell is a big fan of North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron, whom he sees as a high first-round pick. He pointed to a 71-yard touchdown Ebron had last year against Miami as an example of the playmaker's special abilities.

"That's what everybody wants in today's NFL," he said. "They want a tight end that's essentially a wide receiver in the way he can be deployed, because not only does it create matchups for him but it also dictates matchups for all your other receivers.

"So he fits that profile and the added element is that he can score from pretty much anywhere on the field, which you can't really say about most tight ends with very few exceptions."

SNY Giants believes Alabama safety HaHa Clinton Dix makes sense for the Giants.