32. Baltimore Ravens – Kevin Minter, ILB/LSU – I am not alone in thinking Baltimore will be looking to somehow replace Ray Lewis and the skill set he gave the Ravens throughout his career. Minter has been compared to Jets LB David Harris. Harris has 22.5 sacks in 6 seasons with the Jets, so to be honest; I think Baltimore would be thinking bigger than those numbers. Minter was the most dependable player on an LSU defense chock-full of prospective NFL talent, According to NFL.com’s Rob Rang, Minter compares to DeMeco Ryans and not Harris as mentioned before. Rang was quoted as saying “Like Ryans, Minter is slightly undersized and relies on his instincts and reliable tackling ability — rather than sheer explosiveness — to accumulate impressive stat-lines. Florida International SS Jonathan Cyprien is another name to watch for here.

31. San Francisco 49ers – Zach Ertz, TE/Stanford – I believe the 49’ers will move up in the draft in order to secure Ertz. Zach has been mentioned as a target for plenty of teams and because of his popularity, as well as the 49’ers having more picks than anyone else in the draft, they’ll move up somewhere in the teens to make this pick. With the departure of Delanie Walker the 49ers need a substitute for their 2 TE sets. Colin Kaepernick needs the keep with the same offensive sets to make the pistol offense as effective as we saw it in 2013. Ertz is a poor blocker and will struggle at time at the next level, but his hands are that of a possession WR. Look for the NY Jets to trade out of the #13th pick they just got from Tampa in order to acquire 2-3 picks from San Fran in exchange.

30. Atlanta Falcons – Desmond Trufant, CB/ Washington – The brother of Seattle Seahawk CB Marcus Trufant and NYJ CB Isiah Trufant, little brother Desmond may be the best of all three. He set career-bests in 2011 as a junior with a pair of interceptions and 16 passes defended, and has the luxury of picking the brains of his two older brothers about the trials and tribulations of the NFL. Atlanta is also short at the DE position and if a big name, (Moore, Werner, Jones) were to fall to 30, I think they’d gobble them up.

29. New England Patriots – Margus Hunt, DE/ Southern Methodist – The Patriots are one of the best at scouting small school kids, with big time talent. Speaking of talent, Hunt hails from Karksi-Nuia, Estonia, and came to SMU as a decorated track and field athlete (he’d set a junior world record in the discus throw at the 2006 World Junior Championships). Margus first started playing football in 2009 and set an NCAA record with 17 blocked kicks (10 field goals, seven extra points) for Southern Methodist. His lack of time spent around the game of football may be the only critique scouts have given him. Good for Margus, Coach Bill Belichick can push him into the film room, and let him learn in training camp and practices what it takes to be a complete NFL player before rushing him out there.

28. Denver Broncos – Datone Jones, DE/ UCLA – Offense is no longer a problem in Denver, thank you Peyton Manning, Wes Welker, etc.. Jones ran a 4.80 official forty at the Combine and was a top-five performer among defensive linemen in the 20-yard shuttle (4.32). Gil Brandt of CBS believes Jones is more of a fit as a DE in a 4-3. Denver will be looking for a replacement for Elvis Dumervil who recently signed with Baltimore. Jones will team up with Von Miller to cause havoc on the rest of the AFC West.

27. Houston Texans – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/Tennessee – Patterson scored a touchdown via kickoff return, punt return, receiving, and rushing, joining Carl Pickens (receiving, KR, PR, INT) as the only players in Tennessee history to score a touchdown four different ways in a career. Andre Johnson isn’t getting any younger and this kid would be a top 12 selection if he had his head on straight. I think going to a veteran team like Houston would be a great fit. He would get to see how real professionals work every day, and learn how to read and react to defenses, while making crisp cuts and running good routes. Originally I had Patterson going as high as 8 to the Bills, but as we get closer to the draft, the chatter in Buffalo is to move down and grab Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib somewhere in the 20’s.

26. Green Bay Packers – Eddie Lacy, RB/ Alabama –This is a luxury pick. The luxury of having one of the best QB’s in the game! Aaron Rodgers has done virtually everything possible in the passing attack for the Packers. Having a quality, forceful downhill runner to get those tough third downs, is something Lacy proved he could do having totaled 1,046 yards and 17 touchdowns in 7 games last year. He’s proven to be worthy of a 1st round pick.

25. – Minnesota Vikings (Via Seahawks) – Alec Ogletree, ILB/Georgia – Coach Leslie Frazier strongly hinted that the Vikings may use one of their first-round picks on a middle linebacker, and it should be between Ogletree, LSU ILB Kevin Minter, and Notre ‘ Manti T’eo. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock says he is “scared to death” of Georgia LB Alec Ogletree as a first-round pick due both to off- and on-field concerns, but the need for a linebacker is too high for the Vikings to not take the chance that Mayock is wrong.

24. Indianapolis Colts – Cornellius “Tank” Carradine, DE/ Florida State – Can I start by saying I love his nickname “Tank.” With Dwight Freeney looking to sign elsewhere, the Colts will be in a position of need at DE. “Tank” has been rising up boards and some have him going to the Vikings who sandwich the Colts with picks after the Percy Harvin deal. We’ll get to the Vikings in a second; Carradine suffered a torn ACL in November of 2012, and was performing at his pro day in April. That’s Adrian Peterson like, heh, another Vikings reference. With that being said…

23. Minnesota Vikings – Sylvester Williams, DT/ North Carolina – How do you continue to make the Williams wall work in Minnesota?? Draft another Williams of course! In the first of their 2 picks the Vikings will give the Williams wall a little help at DE and DT with Sylvester’s help. If Williams gets past the Cowboys, which is a big “If,” I would expect Minnesota to jump at the chance of having what many consider to be a highly touted prospect.

22. St. Louis Rams (Via Redskins) – Matt Elam, S/Florida – At 5’9”, Elam’s size is a major concern for NFL teams looking to draft him since he will be the last line of defense against the Gronks and Calvin Johnsons on the league. He was asked to cover slot receivers at Florida so he has shown his ability to cover well, and he’s also known for laying a hit. St. Louis has many needs, safety being one of the most prevalent. The Rams should send Robert Griffin a thank you card for this one.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – Jonathan Cyprien, SS/ Florida International – The Bengals will be choosing between a DB, S, and RB so there is no guarantee on Cyprien. However the needs to address to secondary may seem more logical when what most seem to think is the best Strong Safety in this years’ class is still on the board. Since TE’s have become such an important factor for how offenses move the ball these days, the ability to stop them becomes a defensive priority. Cyprien is known to explode into opposing players, but is criticized for taking bad angles on plays, therefore missing tackles. Something a coach can fix if he’s willing to listen.

20. Chicago Bears – Tyler Eifert, TE/ Notre Dame – In my last draft I had mentioned that I wouldn’t rule out the Bears as a potential landing spot for Eifert. Well after more reading, I understand new HC Mark Trestman likes to run a 2 TE set in his offense often, and that was the key to this pick. Martellus Bennet just signed with Chicago, but having Eifert on the opposite side would give Jay Cutler 2 safety nets, when his offensive line fails him again and again. Offensively, Eifert is a beast. At 6’5” 250lbs. he’s a massive target with great hands. His only trouble is blocking. He ran a 4.68 40 time at the combine and it’s been suggested on other mock drafts that he could go as early as the Dolphins. If there is one of the top 7 offensive lineman still available at this point Eifert should be an after-thought considering how often Jay Culter gets rushed out of the pocket. The likelihood of that happening seems to lessen the closer we get to draft day.

Tomorrow GmenHQ will post picks 19-10 with all the latest information corresponding to each team, and picks 9-1 on Thursday.

Follow me @jFerguson631

OFFENSE – Needs – OL, RB

The offensive line was been slowly dissolving into a weaker unit as a whole. Chris Snee and David Diehl are both getting up there in age, and the need for a rock solid starter for years to come should be a focal point at some point early in 2013. Luckily for the Gmen this year is a great year for lineman and they should have their pick of whoever may fall out of the top 15 this year, or even have the opportunity of taking a solid starter in rounds 2-4. The ability for that prospect to learn the nuances of the line from veterans like Snee and Diehl would also work in the Giants favor.

It’s believed up to 7 offensive linemen could go in the first round. I would not expect the top 4 lineman, Joeckel, Fisher, Cooper, and Warmack to be available at 19; however, guys like D.J. Fluker, and Melenick Watson would be an excellent addition for the Giants. Fluker earned preseason All-SEC recognition in 2012 and went on to earn many honors, including second-team All-America by AP and Walter Camp and first-team All-SEC from the coach and second-team from the media while starting each of the Crimson Tide’s games en route to the national title. Menelik Watson recorded a 27.5-inch vertical jump and 19 strength lifts. He played right tackle at Florida State but the feeling is he can play left tackle. If the Giants decide to go in another direction in round 1, look for Justin Pugh in round 2, or Barrett Jones in Round 3. Both players versatility is unparalleled to the entire lineman class outside of the top 4 lineman in the draft. Pugh may be the biggest reason Ryan Nassib is considered to be a good QB prospect since he kept him on his feet throughout his college career, while Jones was D.J. Flukers’ teammate and has won a national championship playing 3 separate positions on the offensive line (C, OG, and OT.)

Running back is a much smaller need since we’re really talking about a back-up here. David Wilson will be the #1 back going forward and Andre Brown can’t stay healthy, so were looking for a versatile back with some pass catching ability to be a fill in while Wilson and Brown get some rest. Brown will be a free agent after next season so there should be an interest in having some security at the position, but it won’t be until round 4 or lower. Guys I love like Michigan State Le’Veon Bell and North Carolina Giovanni Bernard will be long gone, so the Giants will be looking for a RB who can also be used as a punt returner, or a great blocker on special teams. Enter Florida RB Mike Gillislee. Gillislee went crazy in his senior season after finally getting the starting gig. He totaled 1,152 yards and 10 touchdowns in the SEC. That takes talent, and this kid has some serious upside. Considered a top prep-school prospect coming out of high school, Gillislee sat behind Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps before they both left for the NFL. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not going to be a starter, but he would be more than helpful. He should be chosen in rounds 4 or 5.

DEFENSE – Needs – LB, DB

Dan Connor, Mark Herzlich, Mathias Kiwanuka, Keith Rivers. Those are the best ILB’s on the Giants roster as of now. Kiwanuka is no slouch. He’s a heck of a player and a great LB, but he’s not a natural MLB. Rivers was just signed to a 1 yr. deal, but he’s not a MLB either. Herzlich is a fantastic story, and an inspiration in the locker room, that being said he’s not going to the pro-bowl this year, though I wish him the best on making it one day. The glaring need for a captain in the middle has been a problem for the last two years, and it should be a priority.

The problem is this isn’t a great class of ILB. As a matter of fact I only really like two of them and that’s LSU’s MLB Kevin Minter and Georgia LB Jarvis Jones. Just like Gillislee at Florida, Minter and Jones played in the SEC, which is a tutoring lesson for the NFL. So many great NFL players come from that conference. Minter was clearly the best defensive player on his team at LSU, but is he worth the #19th pick overall? Jones on the other hand would be a gift if he somehow falls to #19. Teams are very skeptical of Jones because of some pretty serious medical concerns. Jones was diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis, a narrowing of the spine that can result in numbness, loss of muscle control, and in some cases paralysis. He has since been cleared by doctors, saying that it was a miss-diagnosis, but that really tainted his draft stock. He is a top 10 talent that will fall some but I’m not sure he makes it to 19. If he should, would the Giants consider him healthy enough for them to draft? That’s a question for Jerry Reece. I think it would be an easy pick myself. Jones isn’t even considered a true MLB, which goes against my own thought process. He’s just too good to pass up if he’s still there. Now if he isn’t I think the Giants should look at OL or a CB in the first round.

With that being said, let’s talk about the CB / S class for the 2013 NFL Draft. This class has some serious talent. Dee Milliner barring any major injury will be a shutdown corner in the NFL. The Giants would need to move way up in the draft to even think about Dee and that’s not Mr. Reece’s style. Instead the Giants should be looking at 3 guys in particular.

(1) Florida State CB, Xavier Rhodes – Rhodes, like Jarvis Jones would have to fall in the draft according to most mock drafts. According to what you read, he could go to the Dolphins at 12, the Bucs at 13 and the Saints at 15. The kid has a 40.5” vertical leap, an 11’ broad jump, and he ran a 4.39 40 at the combine. All 32 teams were present at his pro-day, and is considered by most to be the second best CB prospect in this class.

(2) Texas FS, Kenny Vaccaro – Vaccaro emerged as arguably the best safety in the Big 12 as a junior, posting 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, eight passes broken up and two interceptions. While the Longhorns’ talented defense struggled in 2012, Vaccaro registered a career-high 107 tackles and five turnovers (two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery). He has great instincts and hits hard, 2 qualities needed to be successful as a FS in the NFL. Giants’ fans should be thrilled if Vaccaro is taken at #19.

(3) Houston CB, D. J. Hayden – Hayden, also has similarities to Jarvis Jones. Hayden had what could have been a fatal injury last year. Hayden suffered a heart issue — a torn inferior vena cava — which was called the “most unique injury in the history of the draft” by a Packers executive, but he’s getting good news in his team physicals after checking out at the Combine. Hayden was elected to the 2012 ALL Conference USA team even though he only played 9 games after the heart related injury. He was a team Captain at Houston, and shows the willingness to fight through adversity. I would take him last of the three only due to the unbelievable injury he suffered in a practice! Still, he’s very talented and would be a good pick for the Giants.

For those of you who follow my draft and are wondering how I could have written this entire piece without mentioning Florida State DE Bjoern Werner after having him as the Giants pick for many weeks now, I say… I just did. (HA!) I would like to remind everyone reading this that the article is about players the Giants should be looking at to fill a need, not who they think is the best player available at the time. I know, semantics but hey! What can you do?

Follow me on Twitter @Jferguson631

Here is a quick look at the first half at MetLife Stadium: (more…)

After a back and forth first half, both teams seemed to stall on offense in the 3rd quarter. It looked as if the Redskins would pull out the thrilling victory after RG3 connected with Santana Moss on a 30-yard touchdown pass that helped give them a 23-20 lead with less than 2 minutes to play. However Manning was able to pull out another 4th quarter comeback, hitting Victor Cruz for a 77-yard td pass to regain the lead for good. The Giants defense sealed the deal after forcing a Moss fumble to regain possesion of the ball.

This was a big win for the Giants, they were 0-2 in the NFC East coming into today’s game and another division loss could have been disastrous at this stage in the season. This game at halftime had all the makings of being decided in the 4th quarter and that’s exactly how it turned out.

Robert Griffin III continues to show no fear of the spotlight, the Redskins quarterback was electric again today with highlight-worthy moves that almost won the game. The 4th and 10 conversion in the 4th quarter that had him scrambling all over the place was beautiful to watch and would have been the play of the game had the Redskins came away with the win. Fans of Washington are going to be in for a treat watching this youngster continue to develop his game.

Good teams make the necessary halftime adjustments and the Giants found a way to slow down the ground attack of the Redskins which wore down the defensive line in the first half. Redskins running back Alfred Morris was a beast in the first half with relentless runs up and through the middle of the Giants defense. Morris racked up 94 of the Redskins 146 rushing yards in the first half. However the Giants slowed him down in the 3rd quarter and then cranked up their pass rush. The Redskins turned the ball over 4 times today.

Eli Manning saved his best for when it mattered, however overall he was off. Manning missed today on passes he normally connects with Cruz on and the two interceptions he threw today didn’t help the cause either. Nevertheless with 2 minutes to play and the game on the line, Eli Manning is the quarterback you should want on that field and he proved it yet again today.

Notables:

The Giants pass rush came alive in the second half. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora all registered sacks today on RG3.

Jayron Hosley was beat on the touchdown pass from RG3 to Moss that looked to be the game-winning play late in the 4th quarter, however he redeemed himself when he recovered the Moss fumble that basically clinched the victory for the Giants.

The Giants needed this game today because of what it means in the division standings for them and they will need next weeks game too in Dallas. The Giants loss their season opener to the Cowboys at home.

The Giants seemed primed for another comeback victory, however quarterback Eli Manning could not pull it off this time as the Eagles come away with a 19-17 win in Philadelphia. The Giants have now dropped 8 of their last 9 to the Eagles as they clearly still have their number.

The action in this game definitely picked up after halftime with both teams cranking it up on offense. However, the Eagles were able to find their running game which proved to be a huge turning point in the game as it helped open up their passing attack. LeSean McCoy posted 123 yards on 23 carries as the Giants defense may have been worn down from all of those cutback runs.

It was the Eagles struggles to captilize in the red zone with touchdowns instead of field goals that kept the Giants in this game long enough to have a chance to win the game at the end. However Lawrence Tynes couldn’t connect on a 54 yard field goal attempt and that was that.

The Giants may have found a role for rookie David Wilson while he continues to develop into the running back they want to put out on the field. Wilson was explosive returning kicks tonight against the Eagles and consistantly gave the Giants solid field position.

The Giants secondary is already banged up and extremely thin. They took another hit tonight when safety Kenny Phillips left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. Cornerback Prince Amukamara played well in his first NFL start for the Giants and that’s a huge plus for them.

What’s Next?

The Giants will welcome in the 0-4 Cleveland Browns for a home game at Met Life Stadium next Sunday for a 1pm et game. They’ll need to put tonight’s tough loss behind them because that’ game has trap written all over it. The Giants must make sure they don’t look past the Browns to their week 6 matchup against the 49ers in San Francisco. Beware of the trap game.

Tony Romo and Kevin Ogletree had their way with the Giants secondary tonight. The Cowboys passing game definitely opened things up for Murray and the running game which would begin to wear down the Giants defense.

Demarco Murray, 20 yards carries for 131 yards … after a slow start, the Cowboys running game went into another gear.

Kevin Ogletree came up huge tonight for the Cowboys. 8 catches 114 yards, 2 tds

The story tonight was how comfortable Tony Romo looked running the offense for the Cowboys.

Eli Manning didn’t throw any interceptions tonight, however it was basically an uphill battle for him and the Giants offense throughout the second half.

The secondary already banged up takes another hit … Cornerback Michael Coe had to leave the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Coe started in place of the injured Prince Amukamara.

The Giants defense didn’t play well tonight. The defense had a chance to stop Dallas and get the ball back for their offense late in the 4th quarter however could not get it done. …. The pass rush wasn’t there and Romo had plenty of time in the pocket to hit his receivers. The secondary is a patchwork job right now and unless the Giants can get healthy in a hurry they may struggle this season. Their one consistent starter at cornerback Corey Webster was burned on plays by Dez Bryant and Ogletree.

Penalties … Dallas had 13 for 84 yards.

Martellus Bennett had an impressive debut for the Giants tonight. 4 catches for 40 yards, 1 TD

Victor Cruz … 3 big dropped passes tonight. A False start and called for an illegal block. Cruz had a long night out there.

David Wilson didn’t have the rookie debut he was hoping for tonight. Wilson only carried twice for 4 yards. The fumble he had in the first quarter may have played a factor in how much he saw the football after that.

The Giants are going to have to tighten up that secondary as best they can going forward. Their really going to need Amukamara to be ready to play in week 2.

What’s Next?

Week 2 at home for Tampa Bay. Head coach Tom Coughlin is going to have his work cut out for him this upcoming week as the Giants are going to have this shake this loss off quickly and be ready to go against the Bucs.

If anyone was expecting this game to be a rematch of the Super Bowl, well I just wouldn’t know what to tell them except that they might need some sort of help. New England didn’t play any of their regulars tonight. There was no Tom Brady or Wes Welker. However, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin had other ideas for some of his starters. Quarterback Eli Manning and wide receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks all saw action in the first half.

What stood out the most to me about Eli Manning tonight was perhaps the fact that Coughlin played Manning so much. In a preseason game where both teams are hoping they come out at the end injury-free, playing Manning at all tonight was a roll of the dice by Coughlin. Giants fans had to have been a little nervous everytime Manning dropped back to attempt a pass. He finished the night going 4 of 6 for 29 yards.

It’s possible that one of the reasons Coughlin decided to play Manning so much tonight was because he may have wanted him to get a few reps in with Nicks. It was his first and only game played in the preseason. Nicks caught 1 pass for 6 yards, however he also was able to get some game-action under his belt before going forward with his preparation for the regular season.

Notables

The Giants came into tonight’s game knowing they have to prepare to trim their roster down to 53 on Friday. This was the last chance for players fighting for spots to make a worthwhile impression on head coach Tom Coughlin and his staff.

Andre Brown ran with authority in the third quarter on an impressive drive that led to a Giants field goal from Lawrence Tynes. Brown also had a fumble in the fourth quarter while fighting for extra yards. The Giants were able to recover the fumble. Despite that mishap, Brown made a solid case for himself tonight finishing with 14 carries for 55 yards. It could make things very interesting for what the Giants decide to do with their running back depth chart after Ahmad Bradshaw and David Wilson. Da’Rel Scott could be on the bubble now.

Wide receiver Ramses Barden finished tonight with 4 catches for 31 yards. Barden may have done enough to ensure himself a spot on the 53-man roster.

Adewale Ojomo continued his impressive preseason and he may have forced the Giants hands with his play on defense.There is definitely a buzz now based off of his play. He had two run-stuffing tackles,  and it was his strip and sack that set up the go-ahead field goal by Tynes in the fourth quarter.

What’s Next

No more preseason games !!!  The Giants start defense of their championship next Wednesday at home against the Dallas Cowboys.

The offense continues to come together for the Giants. This week the spotlight was on the highly talked about rookie running back David Wilson. Wilson took reps with the first team this week and with Ahmad Bradshaw inactive because of a hand injury, he was expected to touch the football often tonight and he didn’t disappoint. Wilson looked elusive and explosive against the Bears first team defense. He broke tackles and showed a great change of pace. Wilson finished with 5 carries for 49 yards and 2 receptions for 26 yards. It was exactly what Tom Coughlin wanted to see from him tonight.

Right at the top of the list of concerns for the Giants has to be their secondary. It’s been an issue throughout the preseason and now it’s reaching red flag status. Cornerback Prince Amukamara went down after tackling wide receiver Brandon Marshall in the second quarter and had to be carted off the field. Amukamara went to the locker room for x-rays which came back negative, however Coughlin did announce that he suffered a high ankle sprain. The Giants are dangerously thin at secondary with Terrell Thomas already out and they were counting on Amukamara to step up. This injury could very well cause him to miss the regular season opener against Dallas.

Eli Manning played well tonight and shook off a slow start to get the Giants offense cranked up in the second quarter. He finished the night going 17 for 21, 148 yards and a touchdown. Manning caught fire with a 10-play drive that saw him go 7/7 for 59 yards, topped off with an 11 yard td pass to Ramses Barden. Barden made the most of his opportunities tonight. The 6’6 wide receiver made an array of dazzling catches, using his height to cause matchup problems in the Chicago secondary. Barden needed a big game, it seemed as if he could very well be on the bubble heading into this week and he may have brought himself some more time to start showing consistently that he can get it done.

Manning also continues to build chemistry with tight end Martellus Bennett. Bennett’s blocking will be key for the Giants, however the former Dallas Cowboy is shaping up to be another big target for Manning in the passing game.

The Giants first team defense put a hurting on the Bears first team offense in the 1st half. Quarterback Jay Cutler struggled to get any consistency with the passing game and running back Matt Forte couldn’t get going against the defensive line of the Giants. Forte was held to 4 rushing yards on 8 carries in the first half.

Special Teams came up big tonight for the Giants with a blocked punt by Da’ Rel Scott and recovery by Greg Jones. Mark Herzlich also forced a Bears fumble on a kickoff return.

The Giants have a short week to prepare for their preseason finale against the New England Patriots. Starters are most likely going to have the night off. It could be the last chance for players who are on the bubble as teams will soon begin trimming down their rosters for the regular season.

Nov 8, 2009; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (left) and San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers talk prior to game at Giants Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Take a look at this brief off-season quarterback carousel just so that you can understand where I’m coming from:

• The Indianapolis Colts cut Peyton Manning so they can draft Andrew Luck.
• Peyton Manning signs with the Denver Broncos after putting the NFL on a three year waiting list. Wait, what? It wasn’t three years? Sure seemed like it.
• The St. Louis Rams got a fortune in return from the Washington Redskins so they can take RG3 right after the Colts select Luck.
• Matt Flynn signs with the Seattle Seahawks after being Aaron Rodgers’ backup.
• Jason Campbell leaves Oakland after having his starting job taken away and signs with the Chicago Bears to become Jay Cutler’s backup.
• Kyle Orton does the same thing and goes to backup Tony Romo in Dallas after starting for two teams last year: the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos.
• Denver Broncos’ third string QB Brady Quinn moves to Kansas City to become that team’s newest backup QB.
• Chad Henne left the Dolphins to challenge for the starting QB job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• The New York Jets brought in Drew Stanton to be Mark Sanchez’s new body double.
• David Garrard comes back to the league after a one year absence to join the Miami Dolphins.

We have backups becoming starters, starters becoming backups, rookies being drafted presumably to start from day, guys out of the league for a year and one of the greatest QBs to ever play in the NFL cut for a player to have never played a down of professional football before. Confused yet? That’s because it is confusing to keep track of which quarterback is on which team now in the new quarterback driven NFL.

With the signing of Manning to the Broncos there is now another starting quarterback that could be had for the right price: Tim Tebow for a 5th round pick, presumably. The two teams with a most glaring need at a QB, if the 49ers don’t bring back Alex Smith, that is, are the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. You have to include Miami because a Matt Moore/David Garrard combo doesn’t scare anyone.

The Browns were never in the hunt for Manning but aren’t enamored with incumbent QB Colt McCoy and lost out on the RG3 sweepstakes. The Dolphins went all in on Manning but came back empty handed; then their second choice Flynn spurned them for the Seahawks. That leaves the potential of either one of those two teams signing Alex Smith, he of the 49ers, who has no idea of his job status thanks to the Peyton Derby, and the aforementioned Tebow.

Plus there are other potential first round quarterbacks besides Luck and RG3 that could be taken by the Browns or Dolphins like Ryan Tannehill or Brandon Weeden, both of whom, if you ask me aren’t worthy of being selected in the top ten of the draft but might be taken that early because the Dolphins (picking 8^th overall) and the Browns (picking 4^th overall) won’t have any choice other than dangling a future first round draft pick in order to trade back into the latter part of the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft.

By my calculations we might have a total of 11 teams with a new starting QB/quarterback question marks entering next season:

-Redskins – RG3, Vikings – Ponder/Webb?, Jaguars – Gabbert/Henne? Or maybe even Tebow?, San Fran – Smith/Kaepernick/Josh Johnson?, Arizona – Kolb/Skelton? Cleveland – McCoy?, Seattle – Flynn/T-Jax? Titans – Locker/Hasselbeck?, Indy – Luck, Miami – Moore/Garrard? and Denver – Peyton Manning.

11! That is a ridiculous amount of turnover at the most important position in football.

Now you can see why I’m pretty happy that the Giants have Eli Manning and we didn’t have to put up with the Peyton circus and the revolving game of quarterback musical chairs that teams like the Redskins and Dolphins plus players like Tebow and Smith have had to put up with this offseason. Heck, the Giants are even keeping their back-up QB David Carr.

Here is a quick look at the games that mean the most to the GIANTS this weekend (these games will be updated at halftime and conclusion):

Atlanta Falcons (8-5) at Carolina Panthers (4-9); The Atlanta Falcons won. The Atlanta Falcons currently are projected as the 6th and final seed in the NFC Play-Offs. They are a tie breaker behind the Bears and a tie breaker ahead of the Lions. They are one game ahead of the GIANTS.We want the Panthers to win this game.

Minnesota Vikings (2-11) at Detroit Lions (8-5); The Lions Won (huge missed face mask call at the end of the game). The Lions are currently a tie breaker behind the Bears and Lions. They are one game ahead of the GIANTS. We want the Vikings to win this game.

Chicago Bears (7-6) at Denver Broncos (8-5); Tim Tebow did it again. He did it again. Broncos won 13-10. The Chicago Bears currently are projected as the 5th seed in the NFC Play-offs. They are a tie breaker ahead of the Falcons and Lions and one game ahead of the GIANTS. We want the Broncos to win this game.

San Francisco 49ers (10-3) at Arizona Cardinals (6-7); The Cardinals won 27-19. The Cardinals are currently two games out of the final Play-Off spot and one game behind the GIANTS. We want the 49ers to win this game.  A loss by the Cardinals all but eliminates them from the Play-Offs.

St. Louis (2-10) at Seattle Seahwaks (5-7); 8:33 Monday Night. The Seahawks are currently two games out of the final Play-Off spot and one game behind the GIANTS. We want the Rams to win this game.  A loss by the Seahawks all but eliminates them from the Play-Offs.

Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals. Dallas lost in overtime. The Cowboys are 7-5. They are half game ahead of the GIANTS.

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints. The Lions are 7-4 and one game ahead of the GIANTS. The Lions are one game behind the Falcons/Bears for the final playoff spot.

Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears. Kansas City won 10-3 . The Bears are 7-5 and are a tiebreaker ahead of the Lions and .5 games ahead of the Giants for the final playoff spot.

Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans. Houston won 17-10. The Falcons are 7-5 and are a tiebreaker ahead of the Lions and .5 games ahead of the Giants for the final playoff spot.

New York Jets at Washington Redskins. The Jets won 34-19.  The Redskins are 4-8 and are  basically eliminated from the playoffs.

Bears at Raiders: Oakland won 25-20. The Bears are currently tied with the Falcons for the final playoff spot and .5 games ahead of the GIANTS.

Eagles at Patriots: Patriots won 38-20. The Eagles are 4-7 and 3 games behind the Falcons and 2.5 games behind the GIANTS.

Redskins at Seahawks: Redskins won 23-17. Seahawks are now 3 games behind the Falcons and 2.5 behind the GIANTS.

Vikings at Falcons: Falcons won 24-14. They are now 7-4. The Falcons are tied with the Lions for the final  playoff spot. The GIANTS are .5 games behind the Lions.

They were without their leading receiver. Their starting running back, full back and center all missed the game due to injury. Their 1st pick overall in the 2011 NFL Draft made the trip, but did not play.

Of the six categories (ten positions within each slot), not one…NOT ONE single member of the New York Giants earned themselves a slot in the NFL Weekly leader board. They were shutdown for the entire first half. Just how did Big Blue pull off their biggest upset of the season? We’ve got answers. Join me on this incredibly inspiring fact finding recap.
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In his postgame interview, New York Giants’ LT David Diehl said,

“It’s a determination. We knew in order to win this football game, you can’t settle for field goals down there. So, we had that determination – “Hey we get it down there, we’re putting touchdowns up” and that was the case today. It was an awesome win.”

There is bittersweet irony in that statement. The obvious, the Giants were forced into kicking 3 FGs yesterday against a solid Buffalo Bills defense, one of which was blocked from 50 yards out. The not so obvious, the Gmen are dead LAST in the FG department throughout the league. That might sound jarring, if it were any other category. But our Boys In Blue have been very successful down in the red zone thus far in the season and have been registering more touchdowns this year than those, quite often, disappointing 3 pointers. Is this the secret to their overwhelming, under the radar success? Read on my friends.
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