This year the opportunity to make an impact is clearly there for Barden to grab. The Giants depth at wide receiver will be put to the test in 2012. Mario Manningham is now catching passes in San Francisco thanks to free agency and big-play receiver Hakeem Nicks is rehabbing from a broken foot. If there was ever a chance for Barden to show the Giants he’s ready it’s now.

Based on what head coach Tom Coughlin has said about Barden, it’s apparent that the Giants feel it’s time to see if he is indeed the impact player they believe he can be.

“It’s time, it was time last year. The guy is going to make a mark in the league. He’s smart. He’s been around long enough. He’s been in the heat of it. You know, he’s made plays. He just needs to make them more consistently. That’s all I hope. (That) this is his time.”

It’s the size of Barden that caught my attention when the Giants started talking him up after taking him in the third round of the 2009 draft. He’s 6-foot-6 and was so impressive in his first training camp, it brought back reminders of how successful quarterback Eli Manning was throwing red zone passes to Plaxico Burress.

Injuries and a deep depth chart at the wide receiver position has slowed down Barden’s development. However with Manningham’s departure, there is a prime spot up for grabs. If Barden can stay healthy and produce, he’ll fit nicely in the passing game with Nicks and Victor Cruz for Manning.

Barden is entering the final year of his contract. The Giants went out and drafted receiver Rueben Randle and re-signed Domenik Hixon. If that’s not enough for motivation to get it done, I don’t know what else would work. Nothing is going to be just handed to him, he’ll have to earn it.

As you would imagine, Tom Coughlin is just as disciplined about how the Giants approach pre-season games as he is about everything else in his life.  The “starters” will play 15-18 plays.

“The objective is always to win, but it’s all about personnel,” Coughlin said. “We’ll play them just exactly the way that I’ve talked about it. I will not sacrifice that part of it. Hopefully, we’re good enough and deep enough that the guys will get in the game and respond and enjoy themselves. I want them to play hard and give us a chance to do some evaluating and trying to figure out how people fit.”

The season opener is less than four weeks away and this is the first step in building the roster, evaluating talent, and seeing who might step up and grab everyones attention.  Look for everyone to get a chance to show what they can do.  There are many players who will need to show something special this year.  The depth of this team is tremendous, and they will surely have to release some players that will be starters on other teams.  The competition should be good , and the opportunities plentiful.  Look for the execution from the regulars in the first part of the game, then sit back and enjoy the competition and the athleticism of the players.

 ”Mike Jenkins will not practice while the Cowboys are in California and his availability to start the regular season is in doubt.”

The lack of depth on the Cowboys is stunning.  They signed former Jet safety Brodney Pool this offseason, and then cut him this week.  Signing a Jet safety probably wasn’t the best idea, and Pool proved he’s not interested in working hard.  Thaf leaves Gerald Sensabaugh and Barry Church as the starters right now.  No wonder Hakeem Nicks is working so hard to get back healthy for opening night.  Behind them are listed 5 guys with a combined 4 years of experience.  The dream of having a shut down secondary might have to put on hold for a while.  Add to this the fact that Morris Claiborne is already hurt, and Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick were the guys you wanted to replace, are the backups.

On offense it doesn’t look any prettier: Dez Bryant, who is one wild weekend away from a suspension, and Miles Austin are the starting wide-outs.  Miles managed to get into 10 games last year because of injuries, while Bryant played in 15.  Behind them?  Kevin Ogletree at 6′ 1″ and 190 and Dwayne Harris at 5’10″.  At running back they have DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones.  Murray had a great season last year, but was injured the final 5 games and registered just 17 carries for 63 yards in that span.  Felix finished the season with efforts of 4/24 against Philly and 11/30 versus the Giants in must win games.

The new NFL is a pass first league.  The Cowboys seem ill prepared for such a journey.  They seem to have no available answers for the 4 and 5 wide sets they will see against most teams.  They also seem like they are one nagging injury away from a losing season.

“Y’all should come to that (Cowboys) stadium and watch us beat the Giants’ ass,” Jones told fans during a ceremony to signal the opening of Cowboys’ training camp Monday, a festival-like event that featured a few skydivers and a performance from the franchise’s famous cheerleaders.

Now, it is possible that  Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is just looking to start some smack-talking in order to sell seats at Cowboys Stadium. However, whether he believes this statement or not it is a ridiculous statement.

Including a playoff game on January 13, 2008, with Eli Manning at the starting QB position, the Giants are 4 and 1 in Cowboys Stadium. In those five games the Giants’ offense averaged 278 passing yards per game with three games over 300 passing yards including one game with 400 passing yards. In the last three years the Giants have averaged 345.33 passing yards per game in Cowboys Stadium.

Giants @ Cowboys when Eli Manning is starting QB

In addition to a great record in Cowboys Stadium, the Giants are 3 and 1 at home against the Cowboys from 2008 to 2011. The Cowboys have made no impressive acquisitions in the off season to make anyone think they will be better this year. The only news out of Dallas these days is starting WR Dez Bryant’s arrest for assaulting his mother and starting RB Felix Jones’ inability to pass the team’s mandatory physical fitness test.

Will the Giants beat the Cowboys in the season opener September 5, 2012? My money is on the Giants. It is, of course, possible that the Giants will lose. If they lose, it won’t be an ass-kicking from Cowboys, it will be a close and hard-fought game in which the Cowboys manage to eek out a win. As I stated before, my money is on the Giants.

“First we want to let him build himself back up,” Fewell said, a few hours before Thomas’ ACL injury was revealed. “He hasn’t played for a year so we want to let him get his legs up underneath him and get comfortable playing football again. Then we’ll go from there, we don’t want to aim too high for him and definitely not set the bar too low for him. We just want to work with Terrell and where he is football-wise, and then we’ll start to use him as we see fit.”

Obviously, the Giants are a better team with Terrell Thomas, but it seems from those words from defensive coordinator Perry Fewell that they are more prepared for it this time around, especially so early in camp.  Look for Michael Coe to step up.  He has the speed, and the ability, now we need to see if he can put it all together.  Prince, Coe, Bing, Hosley, Hughes, Bruce Johnson, Molden, and Justin Tryon are the other players that will need to step up and play opposite Corey Webster.

The fact that Jerry Reese signed Terrell Thomas to an incentive laden contract this off season with only 1 million guaranteed out of the 28 million also shows the Giants were cautious about his recovery.

Thankfully we have most of training camp to figure it out.

Follow us on Twitter @GMenHQ and Like us on Facebook

Nick Laham / Getty Images

Cornerback Terrell Thomas has re-injured the right ACL, anterior cruciate ligament, that he tore in preseason last year. Thomas visited doctors today where it was confirmed that Thomas re-injured the ACL that was surgically repaired last year. An official statement has not been released but the Giants are not optimistic.

On Sunday, Terrell Thomas fell during practice and then iced his knee for the remainder of practice. Today, Thomas had swelling in his knee and he was sent to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City for an examination.

This looks to be a major setback for Terrell Thomas and if he has in fact torn his right ACL again, there will be serious questions about his ability to recover and become an effective player again. If Thomas is unable to return it looks like Prince Amukamara would replace him at the starting Cornerback position opposite of Corey Webster.

There was a second high-profile Giants injury today. Linebacker Michael Boley was also sent to the Hospital for Special Surgery to have a hamstring injury examined.

At this point there is not much information available. We will release more information as it becomes available.

The show will be called “The Blue and Green Review” and will center on the New York Football Scene.  My co-host will be Kristine Reese who writes and follows the New York Jets.  The plan is to have guests from opposing teams, either blog writers or media types, each week to discuss match-ups and what to look for in the upcoming game of the week.  We will talk fantasy football, have a survivor pool, and will feature a very special guest we call our “Resident Wiseguy” to pick the games of the week.

Make plans to join us live, or watch at your convenience as the week progresses.

“Happy Mothers Day Lesean Mccoy! Enjoy your special day!!”

The is the continuation of a long standing fued between Osi and McCoy that all started when McCoy called Osi “soft” and “over rated.” Expect the war of words to contuine as both individuals have indicated their continued disliking for each other. McCoy responded to Osi with

Lol let the beef begin.

I want everyone to take a moment and think where we would be if we did not have twitter. Athletes take to twitter for many great causes but it seems that twitter has now become the home to trash talking between professional athletes. Keep your eye on Gmenhq.com or twitter.com/gmenhq or twitter.com/tom_brant for your latest Giants trash talking news.

I don’t think college football allows you to have a big, anchor middle linebacker anymore because of the way college football plays,” Fewell said. “And I don’t think the NFL requires that as much anymore because a lot of things change with one-back spread teams that throw the ball all over the place.”

Fewell went on to say, “We don’t have a third-down middle linebacker. What is a two-down Mike? We may have to redefine that a little bit as we continue to evaluate what offenses are doing in the National Football League.”

Fewell said the linebacking corps will be “an area of interest” for the team this summer in large part because it has so many potential personnel combinations.

The position of linebacker continues to evolve in the NFL, and the Giants will look for creative ways to adapt ahead of the curve.

KEY RANKINGS:

1. New York Giants

Best addition: RB David Wilson, first-round pick

With Eli Manning and the front four, the Giants are still mighty Giants, and rookies Wilson and Rueben Randle will make up for key departures. The Giants will need to hang tough with a schedule even stronger than last season’s.

9. Philadelphia Eagles

Best addition: MLB DeMeco Ryans, trade acquisition

No one is talking about them as the Dream Team this year, and the perceived lower expectations may be just what Michael Vick and Andy Reid need for a big rebound.

10. Dallas Cowboys

Best addition: CB Morris Claiborne, first-round pick

It must have hurt to see the Giants wrestle the division away and then go on to win it all. The Cowboys have rebuilt their back seven pass defense, but they still go as Tony Romo does.

25. Washington Redskins

Best addition: QB Robert Griffin III, first-round pick

Griffin brings more than a dash of much-needed electricity to the offense, the entire team and the city. It will be fun watching him, even it if comes with significant growing pains.

SURPRISES?:

7. Denver Broncos

Best addition: QB Peyton Manning, free-agent pickup

This team already got to the divisional playoff round with a questionable passing game. If Peyton Manning is Peyton Manning, they can go a few miles higher.

12. New Orleans Saints

Best addition: G Ben Grubbs, free-agent pickup

Sean Payton is gone for the season and Gregg Williams is gone for good, which means Drew Brees will have more riding on his arm than usual. Now would be a good time to give Brees that big raise.

19. New York Jets

Best addition: S LaRon Landry, free-agent pickup

The Jets were a mediocre team last season, and despite the flashy Tebow pickup, there are still  big questions about just how much substance they have on both sides of the ball.

What do you think of these rankings?

It’s about time! Even though DE Osi Umenyiora is still angry about his contract situation, he’ll be showing up to practice this afternoon and plans to participate.

via ESPN NY:

Osi Umenyiora will practice today for the first time in camp.
…
Practice today and this week, with exception of Thursday which is an off day, will be from 1:30-3:30 p.m. However because of rain, today’s practice will be indoors and closed to the public.

Osi better have his game face on because second year DE Jason Pierre-Paul looked incredible in his starting role Saturday night. Let me just say this, I don’t think Osi would have recorded 2 sacks and several more pressures (1 ended in a pick 6) in the same amount of snaps. The writing is on the wall — JPP could very well outplay Osi for his starting role and his future contract leverage with any team if that happens. If that doesn’t light a fire, I don’t know what will.

Time to get to work Osi!

[images via Yardbarker]

Quarterback has always been one of the most important positions in the NFL, if not THE most important position. Heck, ESPN has deemed 2011 the ‘Year of the Quarterback’ and have even gone so far as to come up with a stat they call Total Quarterback Rating to replace the conventional and outdated quarterback rating system.

Back in 2004 when the Giants took Eli there were a lot of grumblings from Giants fans who wanted no part of Peyton’s little brother. But flashforward to 2011 and Eli has cemented himself as one of the top QBs in the NFL and has won over the New York fan base thanks to leading them to a Super Bowl victory. Also in his favor is the above mentioned fact that he’s never missed a start. Something that’s rare in the world of football and hopefully that streak will continue with the 2011 NFL season.

So, since Eli is entrenched as the Giants QB1 who does that leave to fill the void of QB2?

(more…)

Nothing like a nice, ice cold glass of lemonade.

[via Giants.com]

Fully Practicing
DT Marvin Austin – hip flexor is
WR Devin Thomas – finger

Not Practicing
OL James Brewer – bone bruise on leg
CB Prince Amukamara – had surgery on foot
LB Clint Sintim
LB Sam Giguere

But the big story today at training camp — Osi Umenyiora was doing some individual drills on the sideline today with his trainer. Via ESPN NY reporter Ohm Youngmisuk’s twitter feed:

Osi working on the side here at practice. He isn’t practicing but doing some drills on side. He certainly exploded out of stance with ease.

He was even tossing out spin moves left and right — you really have to wonder how much pain he’s really in with a torn meniscus exploding into spin moves out of his stance.

Overall, a very offense slanted video which is good to see. Lots of reports coming out about Eli hitting targets deep down field, picking apart defenses, and checking it down when nothing else is there — what I like to see and hear. I especially like seeing the deep balls thrown from Eli because over the past two years we know he’s been trying to develop that part of his game. Great seeing Manningham put some moves on to get extra yardage, and it’s always great seeing Brandon Jacobs get to the outside for extra yardage. Even Bear Pascoe getting some receptions along the sidelines.

[via Giants.com]

Ryan said of the performance:

“We don’t like giving up points,” Ryan said, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Sometimes it happens. That is the way it is. But put it on me. I dusted off a couple of calls we hadn’t worked on. Put it me its my fault. The players will be fine.”

Tony Romo threw for 150 yards and 3 TD’s — he was rumored to have faced no pressure and his passes were uncontested in the red zone. Apparently that Dallas secondary isn’t getting any better with age. Go figure…

via the Star-Ledger:

Patrick said earlier this week that he wanted to play with Boss. As it turns out, he wouldn’t have played with him anyway.

So now that Boss is gone, you cash in all your chips? You dont want to play football for yourself? Don’t care to be starting TE for the Giants? What in the h – e – double hockey sticks is happening at Giants training camp?!?!

via the Star-Ledger:

Prince Amukamara fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot. Amukamara will undergo surgery to have a screw inserted in the foot. He will be sidelined for an undetermined period of time.

…

Amukamara, who only signed his contract on Friday, was participating in his second practice with the Giants. There was nothing apparent about the play when the injury occurred. He walked out of the indoor practice facility on his own power with a member of the Giants’ medical staff by his side. X-rays were conducted and the fracture was revealed.

I had a feeling something like this might happen — stuff like this is bound to happen to the last rookie holdout of the entire league who misses a week of training camp and is already behind. Salt in the wounds of the Giants cornerback situation as far as I’m concerned. With both Bruce Johnson and now Prince likely out for months, the CB depth is going to be extremely thin once again for the Giants. On an unrelated note, I take back everything negative I said about Aaron Ross earlier this year because it looks like he’s going to be extremely active this year for the Giants, and not at safety just like he wanted.

via Rich Smith:

NFL UPDATE- Lofa Tatupa and Kelvin Hayden both visited the Redskins on WED no deal has been struck and both are gathering interest the Bears

Should the Giants be interested? I don’t think so.

Let’s temper this a bit, first with some Giants training camp news — Coach Tom Coughlin is content with Mathias Kiwanuka, Jon Goff, and Michael Boley as the 1st and 2nd down LB unit… with Goff reprising his role as staring MLB for the Giants.

GM Jerry Reese has basically said he’s content with the talent pool at LB for the Giants, even if the fans seemingly aren’t tickled by the lack of free agent names being brought in to work out for Big Blue. Depth, however, is still a concern and guys like Clint Sintim and Philip Dillard have been called out by Reese — saying they need to arrive and have a big breakout year in 2011.

It sounds like it’s been a combination of veteran talent on the outsides, not giving up on youth for depth, in concert with good progression from Goff as the man in the middle. You can’t fault the Giants front office for believing in the pieces they have in place, I think they’d know who they have in place better than anyone. If the best starting line when camp get done is in fact Kiwanuka, Goff, and Boley — and they rely on this package in both stopping the run and in coverage and it’s effective, what’s left to complain about?