Thursday’s Giants News
Hopefully you guys are keeping up with all of this Free Agent stuff around the NFL. Teams are dumping players to get ready for Free Agency which begins at midnight as well as the Draft which is in April. We aren’t going to cover every team, but there is some intersting things taking place. I will let you know about the NFC East to an extent, and I will let you know about former Giants. First, the Eagles supposedly cut Jevon ‘The Freak’ Kearse because he suffered a knee injury in 2006 and didn’t get many minutes in 2007. Maybe Brian Dawkins will retire soon too… We’ve heard the rumors that the Dolphins are interested in Reggie Torbor. Bill Parcells is steering that ship, and may be able to sign Torbor as soon as tomorrow. The Tuna always has something funny to say, and he was quoted as saying that he doesn’t want any “thugs and hoodlums” on his team. Can he say that?
Free Agency 101 - Giants.com provided a glossary of NFL Free Agency terms.
Newsday:
Giants GM Reese unlikely to chase free agents - Bob Glauber reminded us that the only Free Agent that the Giants signed last year was Kawika Mitchell, and it seems like Jerry Reese is only interested in DeAngelo Hall this year. Glauber said that Hall is asking for close to $10 million so Reese might not go after him. Bob wrote this about the players on the Giants that are about to become unrestricted free agents,
The Giants have only three unrestricted free agents, safety Gibril Wilson and linebackers Reggie Torbor and Mitchell, and they had hoped to keep them from reaching the open market. A person familiar with the Giants’ situation said it was virtually inconceivable that they would retain Wilson, and that it was “doubtful” they would keep Torbor and Mitchell.
That can come back and bite us in the rear if we lose one safety and two linebackers. If Mathias Kiwanuka has a healthy return then that will help fill one of these slots. It seems like Reese is going to fill the holes with rookies if he doesn’t sign Hall. The defense is what made that amazing run possible. I hope that there is a smooth transition heading into ‘08.
Bob Glauber’s top 5 FAs - This is the top 5 Free Agents on Bob Glauber’s list, and he included a brief description about each of them in his article.
- Asante Samuel
- Randy Moss
- Alan Faneca
- Lance Briggs
- Justin Smith
New York Daily News:
Tom Coughlin to get 4 years, $21M - Gary Myers noted that this is the only thing left in Coach Coughlin’s contract, “There are only minor details and contract language to be completed, and the deal could be announced as early as next week.”
Jerry Reese’s way fine by John Mara - Ralph Vacchiano stated that John Mara is very confident in the way that Reese is assembling the roster. At the bottom of the article, Vacchiano covered three other points as well:
Safety James Butler, a restricted free agent, got a one-year, second-round qualifying offer of $1.47 million from the Giants, who can match any offer he receives, and would get a second-round pick from any team that signs him.
QB Jared Lorenzen got a one-year, $927,000 tender. The Giants can match any offer he gets, but would get no compensation.
DE Adrian Awasom, who was arrested in Phoenix on “suspicion of extreme DUI” a few days before the Super Bowl, was not tendered and will become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow.
New York Post:
BIG BLUE MAY TURN ‘CORNER’ - Paul Schwartz reported that the Giants may or may not go after Hall because of Hall’s baggage.
New York Times:
Tyree Talks the Talk, and Also Wears the Helmet - Nate Schweber described when ”David Tyree spoke to students from Montclair High at the Yogi Berra Museum Wednesday night.”
The Star-Ledger:
Ward on his way out? - Mike Garafolo reported that it is unlikely that the Giants will resign Derrick Ward. I’m very upset about that. Ward was solid, and he was the best receiving RB on the Giants this year. He added to the depth of the position.
NY Giants in search of a safety net
Coughlin to get $21M contract extension, NY Daily News reports
Giants not confident on Gibril - Mike Garafolo lets us know where the Giants and Gibril Wilson stand right now. Garafolo also stated that Wilson is looking for $5 million per year, and how the Giants might go about replacing Gibril if he ends up leaving. In my opinion, the Giants still have 22 hours to resign Wilson. I believe that Wilson knows deep down that he isn’t worth $5 million per year. Even if the Giants let him go, would the Jags or the Eagles pay that much? So maybe he will realize that and stay with Big Blue for a little less.
