Giants News

It's time for the Giants to pay Eli
Comment
July 2
ESPN.com
 columnist Matt Mosley
"Giants general manager Jerry Reese has a simple solution for replacing the hole that Plaxico Burress left in the offense. He thinks it's time for quarterback Eli Manning to take on more responsibility and lead this organization to another Super Bowl. In 2007, Manning caught lightning in a bottle for a little more than a month and helped lead the Giants to a world title. But with the loss of his combustible safety blanket, Burress, and a supporting cast comprised of talented but raw wide receivers, the Giants believe Manning can elevate his teammates to another level. The only problem with that approach from a management standpoint is that you're increasing your quarterback's bargaining ..."
Eli Ready to Lead Young Giants 'O'
Comment
July 1
New York Post
 
"It was more a challenge than a reminder when general manager Jerry Reese said this offseason that Eli Manning is "not a veteran any more, he's a Pro Bowler -- we'll put some of this on his back." With so much talk about the tall and talented receivers the Giants lost, Reese wanted everyone to consider the great asset he believes Manning can and must be. "We're going to put more of the onus on him," Reese said. And how did Manning respond? "I think you got a quarterback going into his sixth year and . . . some young receivers," Manning told The Post yesterday. "It's my job to make sure those guys are on the same page and my job to be a leader and take control of the offense and the ..."
Sources: Burress, Vick likely to get stiff penalties
Comment
June 30
Yahoo! Sports
 
"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is leaning toward indefinitely suspending former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress(notes) and continuing to sideline quarterback Michael Vick(notes), three sources with knowledge of the situations have indicated. Such moves would be the latest examples of Goodell's tough stance on players embroiled in off-field issues as evidenced with the suspension of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth(notes) earlier this month. Stallworth has been ruled out indefinitely by the league after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter in the death of a Miami man in March. Stallworth was sentenced to 30 days in jail, two years of house arrest and reached a ..."
Commish Targets Burress & Vick
Comment
June 30
New York Post
 
"Not so fast. That's the mindset of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when it comes to allowing Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick to return to the field this season, according to a Yahoo! report. The commissioner, in keeping with his get-tough stance on personal conduct, is leaning towards suspending Burress and Vick, the report stated, citing three sources with knowledge of the situation. Goodell recently suspended Browns receiver Donte' Stallworth indefinitely after Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter in the death of a Miami man. A similar "indefinite suspension" could be in line for Burress, who has yet to be indicted on felony gun charges after he accidentally shot himself in the ..."
New York Giants, Jets put up Giants Stadium seats for sale
Comment
June 29
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Other than personal seat licenses, the Giants and Jets are offering a different way for their fans to hang onto their seats after Giants Stadium closes next year. The actual seats, that is, which are now being sold for $499 a pair via the teams' web sites. "We are thrilled to give fans the opportunity to bring a special piece of history into their homes," Mark Lamping, CEO of the New Meadowland Stadium Company, said in the release."
Giants sign third-round pick Travis Beckum
Comment
June 29
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Another draft pick down: The Giants announced Monday they signed tight end Travis Beckum, one of their two third-round picks. Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The team waived defensive end Alex Field to make space on the roster."
Goodell kicks off his review of Plaxico Burress
Comment
June 27
New York Daily News
 
"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has begun his review on Plaxico Burress to see if the former Giants wide receiver violated the league's personal conduct policy. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed a report from ESPN that Burress had been so notified by Adolpho Birch, the NFL's vice president of labor and law policy. Goodell likely initiated his review so he can make a ruling on a potential suspension prior to the start of training camp. Goodell does not have to wait for any court ruling to decide to suspend Burress, who accidentally shot himself in the thigh on Nov.29 in a Manhattan nightclub. Burress played in 10 games last season before the incident, catching 35 passes for 454 yards ..."
New York Giants and running back Andre Brown agree to terms
Comment
June 26
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"The Giants' players might be on vacation, but the front office is hard at work wrapping up contracts for their draft picks. The latest is running back Andre Brown, the team's fourth-round pick. Brown's agent said via e-mail he and his client have agreed to terms on a four-year contract. The deal will likely be made official soon. No word yet on terms or which player has been cut to make room for Brown on the roster. Brown is only the second player in the final 13 picks of the fourth round to sign. Cardinals cornerback Greg Toler, selected two slots after Brown, received a deal that averaged $500,330 per year, meaning Brown's deal is likely worth a little more than $2 million total. Toler's ..."
Giants, Andre Brown agree to terms
Comment
June 26
New York Daily News
 
"Five down, four to go. Running back Andre Brown, the Giants' fourth-round draft choice (129th overall out of N.C. State), agreed to terms earlier today on a four-year contract. That came one day after the Giants announced the signings of their third-round pick (WR Ramses Barden) and their fifth-round pick (QB Rhett Bomar). They now have five of their nine draft picks under contract with a little more than five weeks to go before the start of training camp. When Brown officially signs his deal, the Giants must cut one player from their roster. The terms of Brown's deal were not immediately available. Barden, according to an NFL source, got a four-year deal worth approximately $2.5 million. ..."
Hip injury may sideline Giants new LB Michael Boley for Big Blue opener
Comment
June 25
New York Daily News
 
"The Giants will go into training camp without the man they paid $25 million to be their starting weak side linebacker. Michael Boley underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to repair a torn labrum in his hip and is expected to miss 8 to 10 weeks. Boley could miss most of training camp, putting his status for the Sept. 13 season opener against Washington at Giants Stadium in doubt. The Giants signed Boley on the first day of free agency to a five-year, $25 million deal hoping to shore up the weak side, where they used Gerris Wilkinson, Bryan Kehl and Chase Blackburn last year. The Giants see the 6-3, 223-pound Boley as a speedy three-down linebacker who can cover, a commodity they ..."
Hip surgery for Boley
Comment
June 25
Bergen Record
 
"Linebacker Michael Boley, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Giants as a free agent, had hip surgery Wednesday and is expected to miss at least the start of training camp. Boley had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in an operation performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery. The former Atlanta Falcon hurt his hip during the Giants' off-season program. A full recovery is expected in about 8-10 weeks, the team said. The Giants will report for training camp Aug. 2 and their preseason opener is Aug. 17 against the Carolina Panthers. Boley plays weak-side linebacker. Gerris Wilkinson, Bryan Kehl and Chase Blackburn played that position for the ..."
Giants' Boley Has Hip Surgery
Comment
June 25
New York Post
 
"Michael Boley was the first player the Giants signed in free agency this offseason and was expected to move in as the instant starting weak side linebacker. Boley, though, figures to miss all of training camp, as yesterday he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. The Giants say a full recovery is expected in 8-10 weeks. That means at the earliest, Boley would be ready to return at the end of August. The Giants break camp at the University at Albany on Aug. 25. This is a blow to the defense, because Boley, after four years with the Falcons, needed all the time he could get getting acclimated into the new scheme. He signed with the Giants on Feb. 28 and ..."
Giants rookie wide reliever Ramses Barden made right call to play football
Comment
June 21
New York Daily News
 
"All Al Barden had to do was step outside his home on Herkimer Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant to find a good pickup game. It was the 1950s and New York streets were teeming with some of the country's best basketball players. He played with Lenny Wilkens at Boys High, and against Wilt Chamberlain at Rucker Park. And he played with Cal Ramsey and Celtic great Tom (Satch) Sanders at NYU. He even led NYU to the Final Four in 1960, back when the Violets were a national power. In one memorable stretch that began in the regional finals, he faced Jerry West (West Virginia), Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek (Ohio State) and Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati). Basketball was his first love. It was in his ..."
Giants sign seventh-round draft choice Stoney Woodson
Comment
June 19
Trenton Times
 
"The Giants are signing their 2009 draft picks, from the bottom up. The team announced it has signed Stoney Woodson, their seventh-round pick, a day after it reached a contract agreement with sixth-round choice DeAndre Wright. According to someone informed on the terms of the deal, Woodson, a 5-10, 198-pound cornerback from South Carolina, signed a four-year deal worth $1.8 million, with the potential to earn up to $4 million with escalators and incentives."
Giants quarterback Eli Manning getting used to throwing to shorter receivers
Comment
June 19
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Five yards away, Sinorice Moss is a small target. Twenty-five yards away, along the sideline and with a defender nearby, the window to the Giants' undersized wide receiver becomes minuscule. So when Eli Manning tried to get the ball to Moss during a recent practice and underthrew him just a tad, the result was predictable: cornerback Terrell Thomas easily got position and knocked the ball away. For Manning, it's been an adjustment throwing to Moss and a few other targets much smaller than Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer. "Naturally, you just see them and you have to put it in a spot," Manning said. "Some throws we threw to Plaxico, we might not be able to throw to these guys -- some ..."
Giants agree to terms with sixth-round pick cornerback DeAndre Wright
Comment
June 19
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Minicamp is over and training camp is still six weeks away, but the Giants have begun the process of getting their nine draft picks under contract. Cornerback DeAndre Wright, their sixth-round pick from New Mexico, is the first player to agree to terms, according to his agent, Kenny Zuckerman, of Priority Sports. Zuckerman wouldn't discuss the terms of the contract, but based on the signings so far, the signing bonus should be in the area of $92,000, with the total value of the deal coming in at just under $2 million over four years. Also, based on deals of those drafted near Wright, escalators and incentives will likely give Wright the opportunity to make up to about $4 million over the ..."
Coughlin: It's time to get redemption
Comment
June 19
Bergen Record
 
"The final workout of the Giants' three-day minicamp Thursday ended about an hour earlier than scheduled. Yet before the players could jump into their cars and begin their longer-than-usual six-week vacation period, coach Tom Coughlin had a message for them. An 18-minute message, to be exact. "They need to think long and hard about the disappointment of January in terms of what we have created for ourselves and how badly we want to prioritize our 2009 season," Coughlin summed up the message he wants his players to take with them the next month and a half. It was quite a different message from the one he left them with a year ago, when they were coming off their Super Bowl XLII championship ..."
Quarterback Eli Manning aiming high in quest for next Giant payday
Comment
June 19
New York Daily News
 
"Eli Manning is still in line to get one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history. He is just going to have to wait a little longer than expected. Manning and the Giants remain far apart in their negotiations on a new deal, according to two NFL sources with knowledge of the talks. Nobody is panicking, even though 2009 is the last year of Manning's rookie contract, and both sides expect a deal will eventually get done. But they had originally hoped to do it this spring, with the Giants prepared to make Manning one of the NFL's richest players. According to one source, Manning's agents "want to make him the highest-paid player." Another source suggested the Super Bowl XLII MVP's initial ..."
Coughlin Wants Giants To Erase Bitter End To 2008
Comment
June 19
New York Post
 
"Tom Coughlin took a hefty 18 minutes for his "Goodbye for the summer" speech to the Giants yesterday, figuring he could hold the interest of his team that long but no longer. "You can't go more than 20, you know that rule," Coughlin said. "I had to bring it back to their attention one time." No doubt Coughlin kept the attention of the players with his plea that they remember the "bitter bitterness" of the playoff loss to the Eagles as they head into more than six weeks of vacation before the Aug. 2 reporting day in Albany for training camp. "They need to think long and hard about the disappointment of January in terms of what we created for ourselves and how badly we want to prioritize our ..."
Mark Bavaro to New York Giants' Kevin Boss: 'Geeze, you're a good tight end'
Comment
June 18
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"There aren't many current tight ends Mark Bavaro enjoys watching. The Cowboys' Jason Witten is one. Also on the short list? Kevin Boss. And not just because the Giants starter plays for Bavaro's former team and wears Bavaro's former number. "He has a natural feel for the position," Bavaro said. "Jeremy Shockey was kind of like a bull charging through a china shop, but Kevin meanders his way around through open spaces. He doesn't draw a lot of attention to himself, which is an asset as a tight end because you want to sneak up on people. Plus, he has great, soft hands." That last asset is one way Boss compares to Bavaro, a legendary tight end for the Giants during the era of the first two ..."
Giants minicamp wraps up with a message from coach Tom Coughlin to the players
Comment
June 18
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"The final practice of Giants minicamp was very short. The final speech of minicamp from coach Tom Coughlin to the players was very long. About 18 minutes, in fact. "It was a pretty good one," Coughlin said. "You can't go more than 20. You know that rule. Somebody will be dazing. I had to bring their attention back one time." When asked what he told the players, Coughlin at first indicated he would keep it between himself and them. But then, he let a few highlights loose. "You can go with the idea of the summer and what they have to be careful of. It's a longer stretch than normal for us," Coughlin said, alluding to the fact the team won't reconvene in Albany until August 2 - their latest ..."
Injuries to rookies frustrating New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin during minicamp
Comment
June 18
Trenton Times
 
"There were 14 players in the rehab area of the Giants practice field Wednesday on the second day of mandatory minicamp. That's roughly 15 percent of the total roster. Some of those players were veterans, like cornerback Corey Webster and defensive tackles Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield, who aren't missing much at this time of the year. But two rookies who were high draft picks and expected to contribute immediately (linebacker Clint Sintim and tight end Travis Beckum), as well as offensive tackle William Beatty, a second-round pick, are missing valuable time right now. And they're clearly not endearing themselves to coach Tom Coughlin. "There are different degrees of strains, but we've ..."
DBs are in transition after departures
Comment
June 18
Bergen Record
 
"At age 27, Corey Webster doesn't need a rocking chair in front of his locker, even though he is the "old man" of the Giants' defensive backfield. The cornerback takes over that honor after the off-season departures of veteran corners Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters as well as safety James Butler. Madison and McQuarters had been excellent teachers to Webster and the Giants' other young corners the past few years. "Those guys coached me up pretty well," said third-year corner Aaron Ross on Wednesday after the morning practice at the team's mandatory minicamp. "But now it's time to move on and take things to another level." Ross said he and Webster are looking to become the new leaders of the ..."
Giants training center will bear Timex name
Comment
June 18
Bergen Record
 
"Timex joined Pepsi and Izod on Wednesday as companies with naming rights at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The 15-year multimillion-dollar deal between the watchmaker and the New York Giants calls for the new training facility to be named the Timex Performance Center. Renderings of the exterior of the facility, which opened last month near the site of a new stadium, showed the name prominently spread across its roof. Timex also will sponsor timeouts starting next season, and a countdown to kickoff clock that will appear on video towers encircling the perimeter of the stadium when it opens in 2010. Logos for the watchmaker will appear on practice jerseys starting in training camp. The NFL ..."
Naming-rights deal puts logos on Giants' practice jerseys
Comment
June 18
New York Daily News
 
"The Giants organization, once one of the most conservative and traditional in the NFL, is jumping into the world of corporate synergy with a sponsor's logo on their practice jersey, and their own logo on state lottery tickets. Their first step toward blurring the lines between sports and business took place Wednesday in their sparkling new practice facility, which was renamed the Timex Performance Center. As a result of their 15-year naming rights deal, worth a reported $35million, a small Timex patch will appear on both their blue and white practice jerseys this summer. It'll be placed on the front of the left shoulder, where the Super Bowl XLII patch was two years ago. NFL owners voted ..."
Grand jury could throw Plaxico Burress off track
Comment
June 18
New York Daily News
 
"Not so fast, Plax. A Manhattan grand jury will hear the case against the gun-toting Super Bowl hero next month, raising the possibility of a trial that could bench Plaxico Burress this season. Although Burress' next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 23, the timetable could change depending on when the grand jury reaches a decision, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said yesterday. A quick indictment would raise the possibility of a trial during the NFL season. If there is no indictment, Burress would face only possible disciplinary action from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Defense attorney Benjamin Brafman said after a brief Manhattan court hearing on Monday that the ..."
Another hamstring injury has Giants wide receiver Sinorice Moss
Comment
June 18
New York Daily News
 
"Just when things were finally going well for Sinorice Moss, he is injured again. The 5-8 receiver, who has been plagued by injuries in the first three years of his career, has been forced to sit out the last two days of the Giants' three-day minicamp that ends Thursday because of a hamstring strain he suffered Tuesday afternoon. Moss insisted it's "not serious," but it was serious enough to keep him off the field. "It frustrates me, but maybe I just need to rest my legs," Moss said. "I'm trying to stay positive about the situation." That's not easy because Moss had been taking full advantage of the absence of Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress by flashing his speed and making spectacular ..."
Da Shoots For A July Plax Jury
Comment
June 18
New York Post
 
"Apparently responding to cries of "celebrity justice" over delays in the gun case against ex-Giant Plaxico Burress, Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau said yesterday his office would convene a grand jury sometime next month. The star receiver had been told on Monday that there had been no grand jury impaneled to hear his case -- and that his next court date wouldn't be until late September. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said that timing would allow Burress to play for any of "several" teams hoping to sign him for this season. But yesterday, Morgenthau said there was no special arrangement with Burress. As soon as the grand jury votes, "you'll be informed," Morgenthau told reporters. Under NFL ..."
Wobbly Rookies Worry Coughlin
Comment
June 18
New York Post
 
"This mandatory minicamp will come and go without three Giants rookie draft picks doing much of anything. That's not good news for linebacker Clint Sintim, tight end Travis Beckum and tackle William Beatty. All three might be raring to go on Aug. 3, in time of the first training camp practice up in Albany. They better be. Already, hamstring problems caused them to miss valuable work on the field during the organized team activity (OTA) sessions and the three days of the mini-camp that ends today. "We've been looking at a couple of young guys who have been out forever," coach Tom Coughlin said yesterday. "Why they've not progressed to the point where they can come back . . . part of it is ..."
Defensive Coordinator: Same Schemes, Better Sense of Humor
Comment
June 18
New York Times
 
"Giants linebacker Gerris Wilkinson's eyes grew wide and his mind raced when he tried to think how his former defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, is different from his current coordinator, Bill Sheridan. He was stumped. Five minutes later, he had an epiphany. "Better sense of humor," Wilkinson said of Sheridan on the second day of the Giants' mandatory minicamp. For example, when Sheridan held a meeting, Wilkinson said, he had an inspirational video to show the defense - only to show Justin Tuck's commercial for Sobe, which features Tuck ballet dancing in a tight, white outfit. But Spagnuolo, who left to become head coach of the St. Louis Rams, was no stiff, Tuck said. In two seasons ..."
Giants safety Kenny Phillips grows into a starting role
Comment
June 17
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"At the end of last season, safety Kenny Phillips was 202 pounds. During the offseason program this spring he watched his weight tick up, pound by pound, until it reached 217. Phillips, who usually has trouble putting on weight, changed nothing about his diet or workout regimen. All the added weight was muscle, not fat, so the reason for the increased mass is still unclear. Though Phillips has a theory. "Maybe I went through puberty," the Giants safety joked Tuesday at the start of mandatory minicamp. "I don't know. I have no idea where it came from." Phillips has gone through at least one growing process in the last year: his NFL rookie season, during which he admittedly reined in his ..."
Naming rights to Giants new training complex go to Timex
Comment
June 17
Bergen Record
 
"The New York Giants announced today entered a 15-year deal with Timex for the team's new training facility in East Rutherford. Signs for the Timex Performance Center will be located on the field house and at Giants Stadium, Giants and Timex officials said during a press conference this afternoon. Giants officials would not say how much the deal was worth, but said it was on par with the NovaCare deal - referring to the $60 million 25-year deal between the Philadelphia Eagles and NovaCare Inc. for a practice facility, a spokesman said."
Giant opportunity for Moss
Comment
June 17
Bergen Record
 
"Three years ago then-rookie wide receiver Sinorice Moss made a favorable impression on Giants minicamp watchers with his speed and quickness, the reasons the team drafted him in the second round in 2006. Since that time, however, Moss has not drawn the type of attention he appeared destined to receive off that first minicamp showing. In three seasons he has caught just 38 passes for a hardly eye-popping 10.6-yard average and just two touchdowns, and did not even get into a uniform for 19 of the 48 regular-season games. Moss was at his minicamp best again Tuesday, the first day of the Giants' three-day mandatory camp. He hauled in a pair of long receptions during the morning session, which ..."
Plaxico Burress' lawyer argues for Donte Stallworth-like sentence or less
Comment
June 17
New York Daily News
 
"Donte Stallworth got 30 days in jail for killing someone driving drunk, while Plaxico Burress is facing 3-1/2 to 15 years in prison for shooting himself in the leg. And Burress' attorney, Benjamin Brafman, doesn't think that's fair. In an interview Tuesday night on Sirius NFL Radio's Late Hits, Brafman made sure to point out the "real disparity" in those two cases involving NFL wide receivers - a disparity that's now part of his argument for leniency in Burress' victimless crime. "Donte' Stallworth, who is I think a fundamentally decent man, took a plea in a DWI case in which someone was killed and the jail sentence there was 30 days," Brafman said. "There are other components to the ..."
Sinorice Moss gathers momentum in Giants' wide receiver race
Comment
June 17
New York Daily News
 
"The huge hole left in the Giants' offense when Plaxico Burress was cut has been filled this spring by the littlest guy on the field. It may not be that way in September, of course, but Sinorice Moss, the Giants' forgotten, 5-foot-8, 185-pound receiver, has clearly been the breakout star of May and June. The former second-round pick (2006) has dazzled everyone the last few weeks with his blazing speed and spectacular catches. It's what Moss knew he was capable of doing all along. "I feel like I can do so many things with the ball in my hands," Moss said after the first practice of the Giants' mandatory, three-day minicamp. "It's just about me getting the opportunity to show that." That ..."
Players want Plaxico Burress to get another chance at NFL
Comment
June 17
New York Daily News
 
"Plaxico Burress lost the ability to make more than $20 million on his Giants contract, his reputation is ruined and his career looks to be irreparably harmed. He is desperately trying to get back on the field this year, avoid jail next year and hope that Roger Goodell doesn't suspend him before his next court date in September. That's enough, Osi Umenyiora insisted Tuesday. Let his former teammate play in 2009, he said. He doesn't believe Goodell, his buddy from last year's USO tour to the Persian Gulf, should suspend Burress. "He's paid the price," Umenyiora told the Daily News Tuesday at minicamp. "He missed I don't know how many games last year, he's given back a lot of money. It would ..."
Toomer Not Blue Over Big Parting
Comment
June 17
New York Post
 
"Although Amani Toomer remains a player without a team, he's pleased he's no longer with the Giants. "I don't know if it would have been a good situation for me to go back there, anyway," Toomer said. "The way the season ended, I wasn't being used and I was put on the back burner. But it had to end sometime and it doesn't always end the way you want it to." The longtime Giant caught 48 passes last year, his lowest total for a full season since his third year in the league, and he didn't have more than three receptions in any of the team's last five games. As the season drew to a close, he took some shots at the Giants' coaching staff. "They had an agenda to see what the younger guys had," ..."
Tim Hasselbeck: Plaxico Burress A 'Disaster'
Comment
June 17
New York Post
 
"Tim Hasselbeck, a former backup quarterback for the Giants, said on ESPN's NFL Live yesterday that teams -- including the Jets -- would be wise to refrain from signing his former teammate Plaxico Burress. "When you're looking at Plaxico Burress, there's no doubt that he can be a dominant receiver at times on Sundays," Hasselbeck said. "We've seen it. But with that being said, I played with the guy. I was in the locker room with him for two years. He's a disaster as a teammate. He's a disaster as a guy that you have to coach. "And what do I mean by that? If you want to wait for a guy to show up to meetings, if you want to have to beg a guy to run full-speed in practice, if you want a guy ..."
Moss Making Giant Strides
Comment
June 17
New York Post
 
"It happened just the way it was supposed to. Too frequently has not. The ball fell from the air into the waiting hands of Sinorice Moss yesterday, ushering in the first day of the Giants' mandatory mini-camp and perhaps finally sparking a dull career. Moss, after three nondescript seasons, is hoping for a fourth and surely will get it if he performs like this. Twice in the morning he sprinted past the coverage for long completions and all of a sudden he was back in school at Miami, making plays, no longer a bystander saddled with the burden of unfulfilled expectations. "I look at it as another year for me to go out here and show myself, show my teammates and show the world what I can do," ..."
Former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress interested in Tampa Bay
Comment
June 17
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Plaxico Burress is intent on playing in 2009, and it appears he wouldn't mind doing so in Tampa Bay. The former Giants receiver, who is embroiled in a legal snafu and faces weapons charges in New York after an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound last year, reached out to Bucs RB Derrick Ward and others on the team to express an interest in joining them. Coach Raheem Morris made the revelation on Tuesday, the first day of the team's mandatory minicamp. The Bucs are open to upgrading at receiver, and Burress, 31, suddenly is a more realistic option. He is one step closer to returning to the field after his case on Monday was continued until September. If no plea deal is reached before ..."
Burress's Shadow Lingers Over Giants' Minicamp
Comment
June 17
New York Times
 
"A year ago, the Giants held a mandatory minicamp without two notable players. Plaxico Burress was on the sideline mired in a contract protest, and Jeremy Shockey showed up with a sprained ankle that the Giants knew little about. He refused to take the practice field and got into an argument with General Manager Jerry Reese. Both players are gone now. Shockey was traded to the New Orleans Saints in July, and Burress, who faces gun charges, was released in April. On Tuesday, Coach Tom Coughlin showed a rare smile when asked about the team's perfect attendance and lack of distractions at this year's minicamp. "It is a lot better subject," Coughlin said. Something, however, is bothering ..."
Blue Skies For Headache-Free Giants
Comment
June 16
New York Post
 
"Can it be only one year ago? It was in mid-June of 2008 when the Giants convened for a veteran mini-camp that should have been staged under a circus tent. Post-operative Jeremy Shockey, demons occupying his thoughts at perceived slights from the Super Bowl run, refused Tom Coughlin's plea to stand on the sideline during practice. Later he bad-mouthed the organization to teammates and engaged in a shouting match with GM Jerry Reese. Plaxico Burress, not long after hauling in the game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl XLII, arrived at mini-camp and immediately proclaimed he couldn't work because of a mysterious ankle injury. He quickly changed his tune, admitting he was sitting out based ..."
Plaxico Catches A Break
Comment
June 16
New York Post
 
"In a sweetheart arrangement that will likely allow him to play for millions of dollars this season, gunslinging ex-Giant Plaxico Burress won't see a felony indictment for at least another 13 weeks -- thanks to a delay approved by Manhattan prosecutors yesterday. Under the delay, Sept. 23, his next court date, is the earliest Burress will learn if he's been indicted after shooting himself in the thigh with an unlicensed gun in a crowded nightclub way back on Nov. 29, 2008. By that time, the superstar receiver will likely already be playing for any of the "several" unnamed teams he's already in talks with, said his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman. Meanwhile, a grand jury has yet to even be convened ..."
Giants settle second grievance with former wide receiver Plaxico Burress
Comment
June 15
New York Daily News
 
"The Giants finally put the last remnants of the Plaxico Burress saga behind them Monday when they reached a settlement in the second grievance that the troubled receiver had filed against his old team, the Daily News has learned. The terms of the settlement weren't immediately known. Neither the Giants nor the NFLPA had any immediate comment. Burress filed the grievance in December after the Giants had suspended him for four games without pay and fined him the maximum one week's salary after he shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub in late November. The punishment cost him a total of $1,029,411 in lost wages, which the NFL Players Association claimed was "excessive" and "in ..."
Giants coach Tom Coughlin looking forward to a minicamp with no distractions
Comment
June 15
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Tom Coughlin always sets goals and expectations for team activities, though sometimes circumstances beyond his control get in the way. Case in point: last year's minicamp when Plaxico Burress refused to participate because of a contract dispute and Jeremy Shockey boycotted practice and got into a shouting match with general manager Jerry Reese because ... well, we're still not really sure. This year, though the start of Giants mandatory minicamp is still a day away, it appears there won't be any distractions. Just a bunch of players practicing and fighting for jobs. "If this is a year in which we're not going to have any of that," Coughlin said the other day of the sideshows, "then ..."
Ex-Giants receiver Plaxico Burress to face grand jury in September over gun charges
Comment
June 15
New York Daily News
 
"There's no more delay of game for Plaxico Burress, whose fate will now be in the hands of a Manhattan grand jury. Grand jurors will determine by Sept. 23 whether or not to indict the gunslinging former New York Giants receiver, who is facing gun charges after he blasted himself in the thigh last year at a Midtown nightclub with an illegal Glock. But the looming criminal case isn't likely to interfere with Burress suiting up this season, his lawyer said - provided a team takes a chance on the troubled wideout. "Given the present posture of his case, I do not see any reason why he should not be able to play this entire season," said Benjamin Brafman, a defense lawyer for Burress. Burress is ..."
You Talking to Me? McNabb vs. Eli Manning
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June 15
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"From: Gonzalez, John To: Ford, Bob; Fox, Ashley Subject: McNabb or Manning?Donovan McNabb has more money now, but, as we all know, that can't buy you love. On its list of the top 99 players in the NFL, FoxSports.com ranked McNabb six spots behind Eli Manning. Over at ESPN.com, our friend Matt Mosley put together his top 10 NFC East building blocks - players who could lead a Super Bowl contender for the next three years. Manning was No. 1 on Mosley's list; McNabb didn't make the cut.I was a little surprised by all that. If you were the Eagles' head coach and you had both Manning and McNabb on your roster, which one would be your starting quarterback for the 2009 season?From: Fox, AshleyTo: ..."
Giants Receiver's Name, the Long and Short of It
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June 15
New York Times
 
"When inevitably asked about how he came to be called Ramses Barden, the Giants' third-round draft pick out of little Cal Poly, prefers the short-form answer. His father, Al, gave him the name of one of Egypt's great Pharaohs as a symbol of everlasting strength. That is the truth but not whole truth, not even most of it. The longer version requires some storytelling. Fortunately for the Bardens, fate had a welcome plan and has brought Ramses to northern New Jersey, right across the river from the man - not the mummy - most accountable for his name. "The part about the Pharaoh is easier to grasp," Barden said Saturday, taking a break from his off-season training at the Giants' Meadowlands ..."
Plea deal for former Giants WR Plaxico Burress is shot down - for now
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June 13
New York Daily News
 
"There is no plea deal for the gunslinging Plaxico Burress. The former New York Giants receiver will appear in court Monday on gun charges, but the case is likely to be delayed because his lawyer has been unable to make a deal with prosecutors. "There is no agreement at all," defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman told the Daily News. The wide receiver hopes to get the case put off until September, which means he could play next season, Brafman said. "We'll be in and out of court in five minutes," Brafman said. "There will be an adjournment." The case was first postponed April 1 so the two sides could continue plea bargaining over the Nov. 29 fiasco in which the troubled star put a bullet ..."