Revisiting the Giant trade of 2004
In 2004, the San Diego Chargers selected Eli Manning No. 1 overall; the Giants selected Philip Rivers No. 4, and the teams traded one for the other (the Chargers haul included Rivers, Merriman, and Nate Kaeding). So who got the better end of the deal?
The obvious answer is the Giants, led by Eli Manning, the Superbowl winners of 2007 (knocking off the undefeated Patriots led by the fabulous Tom Brady and the guru himself, Bill Belichik). But, a closer look at Eli and Philip is necessary when passing judgment on this infamous trade.
Let’s focus on [...]

Finally, some news has arrived on the Giants coaching front as Robert Nunn has been hired to replace Mike Waufle as Giants defensive line coach (Waufle was fired in early January among rumors that he had grown too close to his players after six years of service with big blue).
It is a near consensus that the Giant defensive line has underachieved and clearly regressed from the 2007 unit which, along with the maturation and steady play of Eli Manning, was most responsible for the 2007 Giants Superbowl run. It is imperative that the Giants bolster the trenches [...]

In simple terms, if the 2010 off-season is an “un-capped” year, players who were expecting to become unrestricted free agents and break the bank (affecting the likes of Vincent Jackson/Barret Ruud/DeMeco Ryans/Brandon Marshall/) will instead become restricted free agents and thus, less likely to find new homes in 2010. Also, teams will have a “get out of jail free card,” and get to jettison bad contracts without major cap ramifications (see Kerry Rhodes of the Jets who signed a 5 year, $33 million dollar extension during the 208 season).
For a thorough breakdown of the current labor issue looming [...]

Most Giants fans are asking, “Who is Perry Fewell?” and what does the hiring of Perry Fewell mean for the G-men in 2010? Long overdue, here is my take on what the G-men faithful can expect as a result of the hiring of Perry Fewell.
Perry Fewell is a leader. After taking over for Dick Jauron after week ten of the 2009 season, Fewell led the Bills to a respectable 3-4 record the rest of the way. Fewell enjoyed the support of his players and it was obvious that the team did not quit after his appointment as interim head coach, [...]

Well let the “will he” or “won’t he” discussion begin. In the aftermath of the Saints overtime victory over the Vikings, the annual off-season debate of whether Brett Favre will retire or return for another season is again upon us.
Strangely similar to the overtime ending of the 2007 NFC Championship game between the Packers and the G-men, Brett Favre threw a horrific interception which changed the game, for both the Giants and the Saints. To be fair, the Vikes don’t sniff the NFC Championship game without Favre, and while you can make argument that Brad Childress [...]

On Thursday, January 21, 2010, the long-anticipated announcement of a contract extension of Cowboys coach Wade Philips finally arrived, but in actuality, Wade was given a one year contract extension through the 2011 season. Wade was already signed up for the 2010 season, so an added year is hardly a glowing endorsement, despite the Cowboys first playoff win in 14 years.
Sure, in fairness to Wade, he was deserving of a contract extension after leading the Cowboys to two NFC East titles (2007 and 2009) as well as a regular season record of 33-15 over the past three [...]

Congrats to Steve Smith, the Giants third year wide receiver out of USC, and a hell of a find in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. Smith was named to the 2010 Pro Bowl as a first alternate and was given the nod to join the rest of his NFC representatives after Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald backed out of the contest because of lingering injury issues.
Smith answered the bell in 2009 by amassing the Giants single season record of 107 catches to go along with 1,220 yards and 7 touchdown receptions. Coming into 2009, [...]

As the G-men head into the off-season earlier than usual, questions loom large for a franchise that had become accustomed to playoff fever during the past four seasons. No question appears bigger than who will be manning (sorry, pun intended) the middle linebacker spot for the G-men in 2010?
Antonio Pierce, the fiery leader of a formerly proud defensive unit, went on Injured Reserve at the end of November in 2009 season with a bulging desk in his neck; for a man who makes his living thumping running backs and busting through the line of scrimmage, a significant neck [...]

The 2009 season was a disappointment, to say the least, but the Giants offense did make significant strides. The Giants ranked 8th in total yards and averaged 25.1 points per game (sure, it makes Giants fans cringe to think that even a hint of defensive pride would have ensured another playoff birth, but I will reserve my sarcasm and cold remarks about the Giants defensive issues for another date).
In the passing game, the Giants surrendered 32 sacks (after surrendering 28 sacks in 2007 and 2008, each season). In the run game, the Giants suffered an even more pronounced decline, averaging [...]

A Giant Sigh of Relief
What is clear following the Cowboys thrashing in the Metrodome at the hands of the Vikings yesterday is that the Giants no longer have to worry about a whole off-season worth of Dallas Cowboys’ celebration, thankfully, the Cowboys season has ended in almost as disappointing fashion as the G-men (though Jerry and Reese and Tom Coughlin surely would have liked the formerly in-tact playoff run (four years and done) to have continued for yet another year.
Giants faithful had to enjoy watching Tony Romo run for his life (am I the only one who thought Romo appeared [...]