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We are almost there, New York Giants fans! Two weeks from today players will report for training camp, with the first practice set for July 29. In case you missed it, here is the schedule of practices open to the public Let's check the headlines and see what is happening.
Giants ninth-most valuable franchise
The Giants are No. 9 on the annual Forbes list of the 50 most valuable sports franchises. The Giants are worth $2.8 billion, which makes them the fourth-most valuable NFL franchise.
The Dallas Cowboys are No. 1, worth $4 billion. The New England Patriots are No. 6 at $3.2 billion. The Washington Redskins are No. 8 at 2.85 billion.
"You're No. 6! You're No. 6!"
A Harvard study ranks Giants fans No. 6 in the NFL. The five fan bases in front of the Giants, in order, are the Patriots, Cowboys, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. The study find the worst fan base belongs to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
If you are interested in how the rankings are calculated, read the post. It includes a good explanation.
Jerry Reese on the hot seat?
In an NFC East Q&A, at least one ESPN writer believes the hottest seat in the NFC East belongs to Giants GM Jerry Reese. Redskins beat reporter John Kiem says:
"... it has to be, and should be, Giants general manager Jerry Reese. The Giants have missed the postseason four straight seasons (and six of the past seven), just hired a new coach and embarked on a spending spree this offseason, trying to bolster a roster that hasn't been helped enough by Reese's drafts. If new head coach Ben McAdoo works out, then Reese will have bought himself a lot more time. Entering last season, the thought was that Reese had excellent security -- and the Giants have a history of being loyal to their GMs. But to me, the offseason spending suggested a guy who's desperate to rebuild a roster, someone who should sense what could happen if he doesn't."
Rashad Jennings is old? Don't tell him
Giants running back Rashad Jennings, who had his best season in 2015, is 31. Normal NFL standards say that is ancient for a running back, but he believes he is just getting started:
"There's a difference between being an NFL player and being a pro. I think everybody that's played the game can attest to that. Being an NFL player is a guy that comes into the league, has some talent, plays a little bit. But a pro really understands how to take care of his body, how to play the X's and O's, play the game before it happens. I've just been allowing my maturity to catch up with my age at the same time. I'm excited. As I get into my latter years, I'm getting into my prime."
Goin' deep?
One of the offensive sticking points between Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin always was how often the Giants threw the ball down the field rather than constant quick, short throws. Well, TC is gone, but wide receiver Dwayne Harris indicated recently that TC might like what he sees from the passing attack this season:
"I think we're getting better just throwing the ball down the field more," Harris told the team's official website. "We're definitely trying to work on throwing the ball down the field, throwing more deep passes. And (we need to get) the run game going. That's one of the key elements in our offense. We got it going later on in the season. We've just got to continue that momentum and keep carrying it in the beginning of this season."