OTA’s Continue, Optimism Burns Blue

A Giant Thursday morning to you all!

OTA(s) are fully underway, we have not yet heard of any untimely casualties (i.e., no one has torn an achilles heel, acl, mcl, pcl or suffered the dreaded lis franc injury or even turf toe), knock on wood.  All indications point to full and healthy participation, we can expect major updates to flow in all day tomorrow from beat writer Mike Garafalo and Ralph Vacchiano of the nydailynews.

Spring brings eternal hope, Tuck’s shoulder seems fine (kind of nice for the big guy to have full use of both arms as opposed to the one-armed version of Tuck we saw most of last year after Flozell’s infamous tripping episode), a bounce back season from a healthy Tuck will be huge for Perry Fewell’s defense.  Osi is still smiling and that is also a good sign, yes Osi is a bit of a complainer and a whiner, but his ability to get to the quarterback off the edge and force turnovers has a huge effect on the entire defense.

A bit too early to be this optimistic?  Perhaps, but this defense has every bit of motivation collectively (after last year’s embarrassing effort) and individually (Kiwi and Cofield are set for unrestricted free agency after the year; Osi would like more money (who wouldn’t) and Aaron Ross returns from an injury-riddled campaign to a make or break year with Terrell Thomas breathing down his neck) to return to form and become a dominant defense again.

Add in a new defensive coordinator who is passionate and fired up already, I think this team could surprise a lot of people who have all but forgotten about the Giants in the NFC East with the division champion Cowboys returning mostly in tact, a new era in Philly, and the Redskins begin the Shanahan and McNabb years.  Tom Coughlin is the ultimate “us against the world” motivator and loves to fly under the radar and play the no respect card.  Never too early to plant the seed Tom!

Stay Blue!