Archive for the ‘NFL Agents’ Category

Giants News & Notes 3.21.10

March 21st, 2010 at 4:43 PM
By Dan Benton

With the general lack of news and rumors, coupled with a busy weekend and a few sick writers, G101 has fallen into a bit of a lull recently. We apologize for the short down time and can assure you we’ll be right back to the daily grind starting tomorrow.

For now, however, I’d like to catch you up on some of the recent Big Blue tidbits.

Jeff Feagles, Big Blue a wall

The New York Giants and Hall of Fame caliber punter Jeff Feagles have hit a wall during their contract discussions, according to someone with knowledge of the situation. This person also claimed the two “aren’t seeing eye-to-eye” and are very far off on a new contract.

Feagles’ agent, Steve Weinberg, says his client plans to play next season, but would not confirm nor deny contract negations with Big Blue.

“Jeff fully intends to play this year and maybe beyond that,” Weinberg said. “He’s training hard, working hard and he plans to continue his career in the National Football League.”

Feagles, on the other hand, admits negotiations are ongoing and believe he will return in 2010.

“It’s just taking a little bit of time,” Feagles told The New York Post. “It will all work itself out.”

Giants Sign Australian-Rules Punter

As a plan B, the New York Giants announced they have signed former Australian-rules punter Jy Bond.

Terms of the contract have not been released.

Flozell Adams Rule Could be Forthcoming

I’d rather not waste too much time on this pile, but I do want to share with Giants fans that a rule change may be coming as a result of Flozell Adams’ blatant cheap shot on Justin Tuck in early December.

D.J Ware & Scott Chandler Sign Tenders

Both running back D.J Ware and tight end Scott Chandler have signed their one-year tenders and will remain with the Giants for the 2010-11 season.

John Mara Supports Overtime Rule Change

Overtime rules have always been a hot topic amongst team owners and fans. Now…it may be something that could soon change.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara is one of the men in support of said change.

“I still think it’s an uphill battle because you have to get 24 votes to change it,” Mara said. “I don’t know if there are enough people around the league willing to change the current system.”

Sean Lee Will Visit Big Blue

According to Bob Flounder of The Patriot-News, soon-t0-be rookie linebacker Sean Lee (Penn State) will hold a workout for the New York Giants.

“I think each time that I work out, I prove that I’m healthy and 100 percent,” said the 6-2, 239-pound Lee, who has workouts scheduled with Atlanta, Dallas, Arizona, the New York Giants and Indianapolis.

“I think I’ve shown that I can come back from an injury. … It’s a big concern and it should be. I haven’t been healthy for the last two years.

“But now I think I’m training a little bit differently, kind of gearing more toward the weaknesses in my body, I think I’ve made some big strides.”

22 Days Until Stadium Opens to Public

In just 22 days, the brand new $1.7 billion Meadowland complex will finally be open to the public.

The most interesting figure? The old stadium was 900,000 square feet. The new stadium? Just about 2,000,000 square feet.

If you’d like to see some pictures, check out this thread on BBI.

Posted in 2010 NFL Draft, Current Giants, Current NFL Players, D.J. Ware, Flozell Adams, Giants 101, Giants Front Office, Jeff Feagles, John Mara, Jy Bond, NFL Agents, Scott Chandler, Steve Weinberg | 59 Comments »

Jim Sorgi & Rhys Lloyd Visiting Big Blue

March 8th, 2010 at 7:06 AM
By Dan Benton

According to Jim Sorgi’s agent, Matt Brei, the quarterback is schedule to meet with the New York Giants for a workout sometime today.

The six-year NFL veteran and long-time Manning family friend seems like an ideal candidate for the backup job now that David Carr has officially signed with the San Fransisco 49ers. After six seasons of observing the best quarterback the NFL has to offer, there’s no doubt Sorgi would bring a mental value to the Giants.

In his six seasons with Indianapolis, the former sixth-round pick appeared in 16 games and completed 99 of 156 passes for 929 yards, six touchdowns and one interception.

In addition to Sorgi, Ralph Vacchiano of The Blue Screen, the Giants are also expected to take looks a both Jeff Garcia and Mark Brunell.

On a non-quarterback-related note, Vacchiano also reports that New York is expected to host kick-off specialist Rhys Lloyd on Tuesday.

Scheduled to be a restricted free agent, Lloyd wasn’t tendered by Carolina which means if the Giants do sign him, they won’t owe the Panthers any compensation. However, this is all based on the assumption that he even makes it to New York in the first place, as he’s scheduled to meet with the Minnesota Vikings today.

Lloyd recorded 21 touchbacks on 72 kickoffs last season. In comparison, Lawrence Tynes had only six on 86 kickoffs.

2:00 UPDATE – Jim Sorgi has been sent for a physical; a good sign he’s on the verge of signing with Big Blue.

eBay Bidding:

- If you’re a collector of Giants memorabilia, then you should check out this eBay auction. A percentage of the winning bid will be donated to Giants 101. I’ve seen this flag in person and can verify that the seller is legit. It was owned by a long-time Giants fan who traveled to camp over the last (nearly) 20 years and collected signatures.

Posted in Beat Writers, Current Giants, Current NFL Players, David Carr, Former Giants, Giants 101, Jeff Garcia, Jim Sorgi, Lawrence Tynes, Mark Brunell, Matt Brei, NFL Agents, NFL Free Agency, Ralph Vacchiano | 159 Comments »

Giants’ Kevin Dockery Signs Tender

April 13th, 2009 at 4:57 PM
By Dan Benton

After a rough couple weeks inside the New York Giants front office, Big Blue announced (as did Garafolo) today that they have locked up CB, Kevin Dockery, via a 2nd-round tender worth $1.545 million.

While Dockery will be competing against Terrell Thomas for time on the field, especially with starters, Aaron Ross and Corey Webster already taking up the majority of the time.

Dockery often flies under the radar but has been a solid player for the Giants since he came on board in 2006.  Thus far, in his few years of service to the Giants, Dockery has accrued 97 solo tackles, 24 passes defended, 3 INTs, 1 forced fumble and 1 touchdown. 

It also will go a long way to keep another NY Giants veteran (even of only 3 years) on the team to maintain some stability…at least on the continuity front.

Personal Note:  

My thanks for Dan Benton and Hazem Kiswani for putting in some serious overtime while I dealt with a number of personal issues.  Things are finally coming back into focus and I expect to be adding a bunch more ink to G101 from now on.  Thanks again and GO GIANTS!

Posted in Drew Rosenhaus, Kevin Dockery | 205 Comments »

Giants 101 Kia "Playlist for Your Soul" Contest Playlists Revealed! (AND Giants News!)

February 20th, 2009 at 1:07 AM
By Hazem Kiswani

Well it’s time to do some voting, loyal readers!  The results of your vote will determine which of your esteemed colleagues will receive a $25 gas card and bragging rights of having the most impressive Top 5 playlist in all of the Giants101 world.  Thank you to everyone who submitted playlists, too.  We had nearly 100 entries and it was hard to pick only 2 out of them, but it is what it is and thems were the rules.

Don’t forget that this little, yet generous contest was brought to you by the good folks over at Kia who are working hard on bringing out the new Kia SOUL!  Actually a sweet looking car that is getting a lot of buzz online…and to all you wise-guys, a simple google blog search will show you a lot of people chatting up the new Kia model.

But without further ado, I present to you the TWO TOP G101 PLAYLISTS!!!  Once you take a look at these, take minute to hop into the comments section and vote for either, NOSH or ANDRE H, and whoever receives the most votes will be awarded the honor of BEST PLAYLIST ON G101 and will also receive the $25 gas card!  (A simple “Nosh’s Playlist” or “Andre H’s Playlist” will suffice for the voting)

The nominees are:

Nosh’s Playlist

1. It Was a Good Day (by Ice Cube)
2. Renee (by Lost Boyz)
3. Regulate (by Nate Dogg & Warren G)
4. Rescue 911 (by Dru Down featuring Yukmouth)
5. I Got a Story to Tell (by Notorious B.I.G.)

Andre H’s Playlist

1. Remember the Name (by Fort Minor)
2. Enter Sandman (by Metallica)
3. Hells Bells (by ACDC)
4. Lose Yourself (by Eminem)
5. BOOM (by POD) 

Also, if you would be so kind and wanted to do me, one of your humble writers, a solid…go ahead on over to the Kia Soul Facebook page and become a fan.  It’ll take you 30 seconds and will help insure that other companies keep coming to G101 to offer prizes for giveaway…and yes, that means other prizing, like the oh-so-coveted XBOX360 from a while back and other such stuff.  So if you want more chances to get that kind of stuff, help us out and click HERE and then click “Become a Fan.”  Capiche? 

So that’s it!  Vote for your favorite playlist and we’ll announce the winner over the next couple days. In the meantime, we have another contest coming up shortly, so stay tuned!!

GIANTS NEWS & UPDATES:

Giants Love Dockery Tender – The Giants extended a 2nd-Round tender to CB Kevin Dockery on Wednesday, according to Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger.  As you recall from past times, this means that Dockery can go play the market, but if another team makes an offer for him, they will have to match or beat the Giants offer (of $1.545) and they will have to offer the G-Men a 2nd Round Draft pick. It’s certainly possible for this to happen, but my gut tells me Dockery will be back-in-blue in August/September. 

Ward Awaiting His Walk – The 2nd component of the New York Giants run game (in the 2007-8 seasons), Derrick Ward, has claimed he is ready to move on and leave Big Blue behind him.  While appearing on Rome Is Burning, Ward explained that while he’s open to potentially returning to the Giants next year, no efforts have been made to retain him since the final game of the 2008 season (grrr!), and regardless, he is eager to see what else is out there for him in the NFL.

The Devil Rosenhaus Expands His Grasp – I suppose that it’s worth mentioning that the ever-present player agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has shown his face once again in the land o’ Giants and scooped up Derrick Ward and Kevin Dockery as clients. Super. I’m sure this development has no part of Ward’s new confidence in flying the nest.

Butler Free to Roam – The New York Giants are allowing S James Butler to play the Free Agency market and see what’s out there for him.  As a Butler fan personally, I was disappointed to see that there was not greater support shown for him, but hopefully he will return next year with Dockery.  

Former Giant, Brad Van Pelt, Passes Away at 57 – According to numerous sources, including Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News, former Giants LB, Brad Van Pelt, passed away on Tuesday of what appears to be a heart attack.  Van Pelt played for Big Blue for 11 years and was one of the main components of the Giants “Crunch Bunch” that my father told me so much about (I did watch the Crunch Bunch but was just starting to watch football, unfortunately).  Van Pelt was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Posted in Brad Van Pelt, Derrick Ward, Drew Rosenhaus, James Butler, Kevin Dockery, Kia Soul | 171 Comments »

Why a Week 4 BYE Will Help Giants

September 24th, 2008 at 11:49 PM
By Hazem Kiswani

When I first saw the New York Giants 2008 schedule, I was a little concerned to see that after three games, they would be heading into their BYE week.  Usually you want a BYE week to be as close to the middle of the season as possible.  If there are injuries, then you want it to fall exactly when you need it.  The Giants are not dealing with too many major injuries (not counting the ones that caused a player to be place on IR), they are 3-0 and seem to be on a roll.  Further, the Giants are notoriously known for not playing well after a BYE week.  So why is this year’s BYE week so appropriate falling in Week 4?

Minor Injuries

There are a number of answers to that question.  The first and foremost is to kick the nagging injuries.  Like I said, there are no major injuries (at least that the public is aware of) that could develop into season-ending situations if not treated.  However, there are some lingering injuries the Giants need to have heal up before the make a long, uninterrupted, final push towards the post-season.  

Perhaps the most important issue to attend to is Mathias Kiwanuka who continues to battle the pains of an ankle injury he sustained after a poor play by Redskins OT Chris Samuels in Week 1.  Since then, Kiwanuka has had to constantly treat the ankle, while taking precautions during weekly practice as well.  This injury may not fully heal all year, but if it ever has a chance to do so, now is that time.  Thank goodness for the early BYE.  On top of Kiwanuka is the injury to Aaron Ross, which is still something of a question mark at the moment.  The last speculative report indicated that Ross’ shoulder injury during last week’s game against the Bengals was merely a stinger, however, Ross has already had his share of shoulder injuries.

Strategy and Regrouping

If it sounds like a corporate term, well, it is.  While a Week 4 BYE is not ideal, the Giants have a strong 3-0 start heading into their break.  From this point on, the Giants face a relentless string of strong opponents, including two run-ins with the Cowboys, two run-ins with the Eagles, one more match-up against the Redskins and other potentially poisonous adversaries.  Futher, despite the Giants current record, they did only eek out a win against the Bengals who have not seemed anywhere near the caliber they have been in the past.  On top of that, the Bengals are 0-3.  
So the Giants will be able to use this time to re-examine their strategy and schemes as well as build-up their opposition research (to use a political term) against their upcoming opponents, especially in the highly potent NFC East.

Deal With the Burress Situation

It was only a matter of time until some sort of drama hit the New York Giants locker room.  There was far too much happiness and cohesion to be the real Giants.  So, Plaxico Burress decided to ditch a Monday morning meeting and ignore all the calls made to him that day.  The team got mad, suspended him and now he and Rosenhaus are appealing.  
This was a smart play by the Giants.  By making an example out of Burress, one of the Giants most valued players, it sends a strong message to the rest of the team.  Plus, the Giants have always been a team that stood for strong character and honor, and Burress’ behavior does not reflect a dedication to the team.  

The Giants need to address the situation, sit down with Burress and Rosenhaus and then explain the issue in all its over-publicized glory to the rest of the team.  Maybe Burress will win his appeal and play in Week 5 against the Seahawks, but if he does not, he needs to be ready to play in Week 6 without any lingering resentment.
This Giants team is undefeated in thus far in the 2008 season…treading water within the toughest division in the NFL, hands-down.  They have the early signs of the injury bug, some unneeded drama and a tough schedule before them.  They need to take this time to smooth out all the wrinkles and prepare themselves for a long and arduous journey ahead of them as they keep their eye on the post-season prize.

Could the BYE week be useful down the line?  Sure.  But having the BYE this week might end up proving to be one of the most important factors in the success of the Giants this year.

Posted in Aaron Ross, Drew Rosenhaus, John Carney, Mathias Kiwanuka, Tom Coughlin | 49 Comments »