SIGNED 

T Will Beatty – A priority coming into free agency, Beatty re-signed to a 5-year deal. Will likely be the opening day left tackle. 
DT Cullen Jenkins – Perhaps the team’s biggest offseason addition, the Giants signed Jenkins away from the rival Eagles to fill the starting DT spot vacated by Chris Canty’s departure.
CB Aaron Ross – Our old friend is back to provide depth and guard against another year of Corey Webster underperformance.
DT Shaun Rogers – Back after blood clot kept him out last year.
RB Ryan Torain – Back to add RB depth behind Andre Brown and David Wilson.
K Josh Brown – With Lawrence Tynes on the way out, Brown is the frontrunner to win the kicker’s job.
LB Keith Rivers – Signed one-year deal and will have first crack at replacing Michael Boley’s role. Played well in the limited time he saw last year.
S Ryan Mundy – Steelers castoff will try to be the Giants 3rd safety behind Stevie Brown and Antrel Rolle.
TE Brandon Myers – Hopes to follow in the footsteps of Kevin Boss, Jake Ballard and Martellus Bennett as TEs that Eli Manning turned into household names.
LB Dan Connor – Expected to replace Chase Blackburn at MLB.
WR Louis Murphy – Will provide Depth at WR with Domenik Hixon and Ramses Barden both free agents and likely to sign elsewhere.
QB David Carr – The only tandem of #1 draft pick QBs in the NFL stays intact for another year.
G Kevin Boothe – Versatile offensive lineman is back for another year.
DT Mike Patterson – Another former Eagle DT to help fix the run defense.

GONE

TE Martellus Bennett – Signed four-year, $20 million deal with Chicago. Leaves the Giants after short-lived success playing with Eli Manning. This worked out really well for Kevin Boss.
S Kenny Phillips – Signed with Philadelphia for one-year deal for very little money. Have to believe Jerry Reese doubts his ability to stay on the field.
DT Chris Canty – After being released, landed with Ravens. Maybe the biggest loss of the offseason, but offset by the addition of Cullen Jenkins.
LB Chase Blackburn – Agreed to two-year deal with Carolina after Connor addition. The Super Bowl folk hero will be missed.
DE Osi Umenyiora – Signed with his hometown Atlanta Falcons after publicly feuding with management for years. Sad to see him go nevertheless.
WR Domenik Hixon – Another Giant heads to Carolina to join Dave Gettleman.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS 

K Lawrence Tynes – The team wanted to re-sign Tynes, but his asking price was too high. Will always be remembered for sending the Giants to 2 Super Bowls with clutch overtime field goals.
DT Rocky Bernard – Good player, but may be the odd man out with all the other additions to the defensive line.
WR Ramses Barden – We’ll always have the Carolina game.
TE Travis Beckum – Injuries hampered Giants career.
T Sean Locklear – We’ll see later this summer based on knee recovery.
CB Justin Tryon – The Giants need corners, but maybe not this one.
RB Kregg Lumpkin – Likely gone with Brown, Wilson and Torrain already in the mix.
CB Brian Witherspoon – Has to come back from another ACL tear.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

WR Victor Cruz – You may have heard of him.
S Stevie Brown – Signed his second-round tender. Gave Giants the freedom to let go of Kenny Phillips. Led the league in takeaways last year.
RB Andre Brown – Tendered at second-round level. Should be the opening day starter to replace Ahmad Bradshaw.
TE Bear Pascoe – Giants already re-signed blocking tight end.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

DE Adrian Tracy – Already tendered. Could compete for fourth DE spot. Has already drawn comparisons to Osi Umenyiora, which isn’t too shabby.
C Jim Cordle – Re-signed and back to provide much-needed O-line depth.
DE Justin Trattou – Trattou is back and may compete with Tracy as extra pass rusher.

(list C/O ESPN)

We have already had one article written on the subject regarding the QB position, probably the most stable position on the team, which directly relates to the Giants recent success. David Carr, it has been reported, will test the free agent market again, and why not? David is a former #1 pick who while never reaching his goal or full potential, has managed to have a nice career in the NFL.  Allowing teams to bid for his services even if purely to teach and back up a starter is smart business for Carr.  He has a Super Bowl ring with the Giants, and knows he is welcome back if he doesn’t find any greener grass.  The Giants expect him to have some suitors as he did last time when he signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Giants have a very durable QB in Eli, and won’t assign a lot of money to the position of back-up.  Curtis Painter is currently signed to a futures deal and will no doubt be one of the QB’s in training camp for the team come this summer.  The draft always leaves a few guys out that will be available if the team feels it needs more throwers in camp. But this, thankfully, is the most stable position on the team for the near future.

Next -up Running backs……

During this week’s segment, I am going to focus on the skill position players, which include quarterback, running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers, and review where the market currently stands so that we might predict where some of the elite players may land.

Quarterback

There are several teams in need of a top flight quarterback scattered throughout the NFL. As it stands right now, the following teams are in need of a major upgrade at the NFL’s most important position: Arizona, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Kansas City, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, the supply of good Quarterbacks on the Free Agent market is as bear as any position in football.

Joe Flacco stands out as the lone elite player available, and he will almost certainly be resigned or Franchised by Baltimore. Because of the bear market, Arizona (Kolb), Cleveland (Weeden), the Jets (Sanchez), and Jacksonville (Gabbert), will most likely stick with who they have for at least one more season. However, Kansas City and Philadephia are the two teams that may be active. It’s hard to imagine the Eagles or Chiefs holding onto their current starting quarterbacks. Vick and Cassel were both putrid last season and their prospects for improving are nill. But with no Quarterbacks available in Free Agency, and a weak draft class for the Quarterback position, the trade market may be their only option. Fortunately, there are two very talented quarterbacks that are likely to be available through trade: Alex Smith (SF) and Matt Flynn (SEA). So, my predictions for this position are as follows:

Teams in Need of a Quarterback

Philadelphia Eagles

Kansas City Chiefs

Baltimore Ravens

Quarterbacks available

Joe Flacco

Prediction

Philadelphia – Alex Smith (Trade)

Kansas City Chiefs – Geno Smith (Draft)

Baltimore Ravens – Joe Flacco (Re-Sign)

Running Back

The running back position is not always the easiest to predict, because most teams prefer to draft their next starting running back, and because there is great risk to doling out a lot of money for a position that is so demanding and that is so conducive to injuries. Notwithstanding, this year’s running back position is much deeper than the Quarterback position, and includes some interesting backs that could play prominent roles on the right teams.  The top running back by far is the recently released Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG) who is only 27 years old and rushed for over 1000 yards behind an injury riddled Giants offensive line, while also providing excellent pass protection (+6.2 according to PFF). Other players that should draw interest include the Rams’ Steven Jackson (4.1 YPC, 1042 Yards, 9.2 PFF Rating), New England’s Danny Woodhead (4.0 YPC, 301 Yards, 10.4 PFF Rating), San Diego’s Ronnie Brown (4.8 YPC, 220 Yards, 2.1 PFF Rating), Dallas’ Felix Jones (3.6 YPC, 402 Yards, 0.2 PFF Rating), the Jets’ Shonn Greene (3.9 YPC, 1063 Yards, -2.7 PFF Rating), and Miami’s Reggie Bush (4.3 YPC, 986 Yards, -2.6 PFF Rating).

The teams in greatest need of a running back include the Jets, who have little besides Joe McKnight at this point; the Jaguars, who have a banged up Maurice Jones-Drew and not much more; the Cincinnati Bengals, who could use a back up for BenJarvus Green-Ellis; Kansas City could also use a back-up for Jamaal Charles; Miami may jump into the Free Agency fray if they can’t re-sign Reggie Bush, but they also have a lot of depth at the position and other needs to fill; Pittsburgh may not have the funds to re-sign both Mike Wallace and Rashad Mendenhall, and may look for a cheaper alternative on the market; Steven Jackson’s days in St. Louis may be over, and the Rams may look to fill his shoes on the market as well. So, my predictions for this position are as follows:

When you look towards this year’s crop of free agents, you have to sit in awe of some of the talent that will be available at certain positions for those looking to spend. This is probably the best crop of Free Agent Offensive Tackles in some time with players like Andre Smith (Cin), William Beatty (NYG), Ryan Clady (Den), Jake Long (MIA) and Phil Loadholt (Min) all pending free agents. With this being such a quarterback driven-league, you can be sure that teams with a lot invested in their quarterbacks, will be drooling at the sight of such a strong talent pool.

Before delving too deeply into position analysis, which I will do in later segments of my free agency preview, lets take a strategic look at free agency in general and try to get an understanding of the market for players looking to cash in. As it stands right now, in the aggregate, there is roughly $350 million in available cap space between all 32 teams, nearly 500 Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA), and a little less than 100 Restricted Free Agents (RFA). Now does that mean that teams will spend $583,000 on each free agent? (the quotient of $350 m/600 Free Agents) No, players have different values based on their contributions to their teams and will be paid accordingly, and league rules stipulate that in 2013 the minimum teams can pay for a 4^th, 5^th, or 6^th year player is $715,000. The fact is many of these pending free agents will be priced out of the marketplace because of the collective bargaining agreement, and many players will be forced to accept salaries that are not commensurate with their contributions on the football field because a younger alternative can be found in the draft or on the team’s roster. It is for this reason that certain positions have so much greater value than others: because substitutes are much more readily available for a guard than say a quarterback or cornerback.

The real market, and where the big bucks will be spent are on starters. This is why if you’re not a starter after your 4^th season, your time in this league will be very short lived. (pay attention future draftees) Based on some research I’ve done, and bear in mind this is not completely scientific as I don’t know every teams’ rosters that well, there are about 159 open starting spots in the NFL following the 2012 season, broken down as follows:

Some of these positions are going to be in greater demand than others. For example, the Defensive Tackle market will be an interesting one to watch as there are 18 starting spots available, a weak free agent class, and an average draft class. This will probably increase the values of players such as Henry Melton (Chi) and Desmond Bryant (Oak), pass rushing interior lineman both coming off productive years in 2012, but who were relatively unknown before last season. Melton, who had a rating of 15.8 in 616 snaps 2012, 7^th best in the NFL at his position, according to Pro Football Focus, in a normal year could reasonably expect a contract in the neighborhood of what Cullen Jenkins (graded 15.3 from PFF in 2010) received from the Eagles ($6 per year) but teams looking for pass rushers from the defensive tackle position in a 4-3 or end position in a 3-4, might be inclined to overpay for his services and as a result, his price may rise.

To give you a better perspective of where markets will develop, I’ve also broken down which positions there is an abundance of talent at. From the research I’ve done, there are 116 starting caliber players, broken down similarly to above.

As you can see, the positions where teams will have the greatest market power are running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, cornerback and safety. This is because there are a greater number of substitutes (starting caliber free agents) at those positions. Positions where players have greatest market power are  offensive guard, defensive tackle, and linebacker because there are shortages of starting caliber free agents. (relative to the number of openings)

The other factor that plays into the market dynamic is team’s maneuverability and this is especially interesting this year with a team like Cincinnati which has $55 million in cap space and without a significant amount of holes to fill. Remember, the new collective bargaining agreement requires a team to spend at least 89% of their cap space, meaning that the Bengals have to spend about 42 million dollars in free agency. You can be sure that they will be happy to extend their two premiere free agents OT Andre Smith and DE Michael Johnson to healthy raises and will likely sign a cornerback and linebacker as well.

The Giants will be an interesting team to watch this winter as well as they have significant amount of holes to fill along the offensive line, tight end position, and at linebacker, but they have a limited amount of cap space right now (they are currently $4.7 million over the cap). They do have some contracts that they can easily adjust (Eli manning, Corey Webster) and there are likely going to be a few cap casualties which could clear up some space (David Diehl). If the giants are able to clear the necessary space, they could get some bargains at positions in need as there will be an abundance of offensive tackles, tight ends, and safeties available for them to pick from, they may even be able to retain Kenny Phillips for a reasonable price.

Please tune in next week when I begin a position-by-position breakdown of the free agent market.

Chase Blackburn was the last man cut in camp, and wound up being a key figure in the run to the Championship.  Chase is intelligent, a leader, and more athletic than he appears.  Chase is a natural at the position.  He has been re-signed and is the leader at MLB going into camp.

Michael Boley was a free agent signing before the 2009 season.  He really stepped up this season and contributed in many ways.  He became a leader on defense this year, and should thrive even more in this system once they move him back to his natural outside position.

Mark Herzlich is the young man from Boston College recovering from cancer.  He has made great strides in returning to his old form.  Mark will be given the chance to compete on camp for the middle position as well.

Greg Jones is another young man the Giants need to see for an entire camp.  He is a tough, but smallish linebacker, and might struggle to find the right fit here.

Mathias Kiwanuka is a Linebacker, Defensive End that has a ton of talent and natural ability.  Kiwi had an untimely injury a few years back, and now seems out of place.  He is a very intelligent young man, and very athletic, I hope they can find a way to maximize his usefullness.

Spencer Paysinger will benefit from a full off season program, like most of the young players drafted last year.

Adrian Tracy played a few snaps this year, and will return to the practice squad this season.

Jacquian Williams had the most impact of the young linebackers brought to this team last year.  He is fast, smart, athletic and best of all young.

The biggest acquisition of course was Keith Rivers.  He will hopefully return to form as a Giant after suffering a broken wrist in Cincinnati.  I picture a Boley-Blackburn-Rivers base group to start camp.

Also brought in for a look are Jake Mausau, a rookie from Georgia State.  He will need to show he can contribute along with 5th year man Clint Sintim.  This might be Sintim’s last chance to win a job on the Giants.  With the youth and pure numbers in place, linebacker and special teams should be another great competition in camp this year.

The Giants drafted many linebackers last year simply for their athleticism.  This group was the core of the Special Teams last year, a unit that improved as the year progressed.  They will all benefit from a full off season of conditioning and training.  The linebacking corp must have depth, athleticism, and Perry Fewell will employ many variations depending on down and distance.

Center David Baas was signed in Free Agency last year.  He was hurt on and off during the season and missed some valuable games.  He struggled throughout most of the regular season, but it can be said without argument that he had his best game of the year in the Super Bowl.  His play that day against NT Vince Wilfork and LB Brandon Spikes was solid, steady, and contributed to the win in a big way.

Tackle Will Beatty started at Left Tackle last year and was uneven at best.  He also had some health issues including a detached retina that cost him the end of the season and post season run.  The Giants must wait on the doctors evaluation to determine his health, but it seems Will can be ready to compete for a job once training camp begins

Guard Kevin Boothe could be voted MVP of this team. while not always doing an outstanding job, Kevin was able to fill in at center, guard, and tackle, sometimes on a moments notice, and do a good job.  Kevin will be back simply because of his versatility.

Tackle James Brewer was drafted in the 4th round last year.  We will see where his development takes him this season.  Another guy who didn’t get the experience of off season workouts, training sessions, and mini camps.

Tackle Selvish Capers is a young player that the Giants have re-signed to their practice squad.  Another young man that needs some work this off season.

Tackle David Diehl moved to guard originally last season, but then went back to tackle when Will Beatty went down. Diehl is a valued part of this line and will be part of it in some capacity this coming year. He took most of his snaps in OTA’s at right tackle, but that doesn’t mean it’s set in stone.

For anyone who saw this video of Guard Mitch Petrus, how could you not love this guy?  Mitch brings a tremendous amount of energy to the building, let alone the offensive line.  Mitch is happy to play, and would run through a brick wall for this team.  He is the kind of underdog guy everyone roots for, and hopefully can develop into a valuable part of the line.  I was at Mitch’s first game for the Giants as he was called on to replace an injured player.  He sprinted from the sideline to the huddle, and has been a fan favorite ever since.

Guard Chris Snee is the mainstay of this group along with David Diehl.  He is the rock they like to run behind, and has built himself a nice career in New York.  Chris had a few more penalties than usual this year, but he will get that cleaned up and remain a starter for this team.

Removed from the equation are names like Tony Ugoh, Kareem McKenzie and Stacy Andrews.  Decent players and contributors all, but it is certainly time to have a look at some new faces.

Welcome into the competition rookies Stephan Goodin at 6′-6″ 310, Brandon Mosley at 6′-5″ 318, and Matthew McCants at 6′-5″ and 309.  Also joining the competition will be Sean Locklear, a 9 year veteran, Chris White with 8 years experience, Jim Cordle entering his third year, and finally Joel Reinders entering his second season in the NFL.

This position is the part of the Offense that could use the most upgrading.  With the Giants having an explosive offense now, the strength of the receiving corps, and one of the top QB’s in the league, this unit is imperative.  Eli must be protected and given time to execute, the play action pass must mean something, which translates into the Giants must be able to run the ball when they want.  Look for this position to be first and foremost on the minds of the Giants fans and coaching staff throughout training camp.  These are the names on the current roster as of today.

Jerry Reese has always been good with these middle round picks, and this only adds to his ammunition in this April’s NFL Draft.  Reese also made a few statements on Monday.  He said at this time the competition for the MLB spot is an open one, and that Greg Jones, Mark Herzlich, and Michael Boley are among the players on the current roster that would be part of the competition.  He also stated that the Giants are “not finished” in Free Agency, although currently they are just 2.5 million under the cap.  That number could change in many different scenarios.

1. The Top name free agents: These players like Mario Williams and Peyton Manning this year are courted by a multitude of teams, and command big bucks.  They also seem to sign pretty quickly after the start of free agency.

2. The Middle of the road guy: These are guys that flirt with a few teams and look for someone to overpay them because of how they fill a void on that team.  Think of guys like Brandon Carr who signed a 50 million dollar deal to play CB for the Dallas Cowboys, or Cortland Finnegan who got the same thing to move from the Titans to the Rams.

3. The guys who overestimated their worth:  Generally about this time players start to re-sign with their old team when they realize the demand just isn’t there.  Tedd Ginn, Anthony Collins, and even players like Mario Manningham who don’t quite get what the thought they were worth.  I think Brandon Jacobs will fit into this category as time passes.  You will start to see more players re-sign when they realize their own team can replace them and isn’t chasing, and the interest wanes as the draft approaches.

Ross, an alum of the University of Texas, was an integral part of the New York Giants defensive corps for five years.

He was the New York Giants first round pick in 2007, and racked up three interceptions in his rookie campaign. If not for injuries, Ross could have been one of the premier corners in the NFL.

New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross (31) at Super Bowl XLVI press conference... Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Ross is the second “core” New York Giant to leave this week. Mario Manningham signed a deal with the Niners to play alongside Randy Moss and Michael Crabtree.

His departure is not a surprise to most Giants fans. The plan is for Prince Amukamara to step into his place and become a shut down corner along with Corey Webster and newly re-signed Terrell Thomas.

The loss of Ross may hurt initially, but by mid-season, the Giants should be able to fill the void left by his departure.

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Steve is a fan favorite and a fantastic presence in the lockerroom, and a steady performer on the field. Weatherford easily could have been named MVP of the Super Bowl and the Giants recognize how his presence makes their defense that much better. The ability to make every team travel 90 yards or more on every drive is priceless to a team. Weatherford also neutralizes some of the best athletes in the game as he kicks balls out of bounds or pins returners to the sideline.   The stability of the Special Teams allows the offense and defense to be more aggressive and hopefully that much more successful.

Welcome Back Steve!

Regardless, there are still important moves to be made that could impact whether the Giants are able to defend their Super Bowl title against the likes of the rest of the NFL.

As of March 16th, the Giants have made some minor, but important moves:

• Domenik Hixon re-signed 
• Steve Weatherford franchised
• Jake Ballard re-signed
• Brandon Jacobs cut
• Justin Tryon re-signed
• Terrell Thomas re-signed (4 years)
• Michael Coe re-signed
• Martellus Bennett signed
• David Carr re-signed

These are the same moves that Jerry Reese makes each year. He knows which free agents need to be re-signed and which need to be let go. His big signing thus far was that of Martellus Bennett, former Dallas Cowboy, who will serve as the Giants primary tight-end with both Travis Beckum and Jake Ballard expected to start the season on the PUP list.

Ex-Dallas Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett (80) during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bennett signed a contract with the New York Giants on March 14th, 2012.

The free agency period is still young, so expect Reese to bring in a few more veterans to round out the rest of the corps. After that, you can expect Reese to focus the rest of his energy on the April draft.

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Bennett is listed at 6’6″ 275 lbs. His deal is for one year at 2.5 million. In four seasons, Bennett, a second-round pick in 2008, caught 85 passes for 846 yards with four touchdowns, all of which came in his rookie year. A solid blocker, Bennett was never able to become a regular part of the passing game and he was unable to take advantage of the limited opportunities he had behind Jason Witten in Dallas.

Mario Williams is the most coveted of these free agents this season.  The pass rushing linebacker/defensive end who was once the number one pick in the 2006 draft.  Williams will want to explore every option and even give Houston a chance to participate, so I don’t see him going too quickly.  The WR class is very deep and someone will need to accept a deal quickly to set the market.  I expect to see a defensive back be the first signing. Of course Peyton Manning and his decision will effect some teams, and it remains to be seen who he will choose.  This will be a very good few weeks for the NFL, as it stays in the limelight through March and April leading to the Draft.

The salary cap was set this morning at 120.6 million.  This is the most important number to keep in mind when wishing and hoping your team signs a big free agent….Sometimes it’s just not possible.

So, Here it is….Free Agency…..the chance to improve your team, and what every player dreams of in this modern era of sports.  The chance to win the lottery.

Nothing is different this year, as the Giants have told Kareem McKenzie they will look elsewhere in the offensive tackle position. This ends a mostly pleasant eight year marriage.

McKenzie joined the Giants after four years with the Jets, and was a vital piece to their two Super Bowl runs. McKenzie follows the trend set last year when Rich Seubert and Shaun O’Harawere released for younger blood.

Jan 15, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie (67) looks on during warmups prior to NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

McKenzie should be able to land a job elsewhere even though he will turn 33 years old before the season begins. His diminished skills were noticed late in the season, but he was still valuable when on the field.

McKenzie was a warrior and mentor on the turf and will certainly be missed by Giants fans this upcoming season.

For more news, updates, and analysis…

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Is Smith healthy? Would he come back to New York? Is this the logical choice to put Victor Cruz outside with Smith reclaiming the slot role?  Smith said some things on the way out the door that were unnecessary, would the fans welcome him back?

Let’s take a look back at the transactions the Eagles made in the offseason and see how they have impacted this now 3-6 team.

DB-Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie:  20 tackles, No interceptions.

QB-Vince Young:  0 Yards, 0 TD’s 1 INT.

DB-Nnamdi Asomugha: 22 tackles, 3 Interceptions

DE-Jason Babin: 23 tackles 9 sacks, 1 forced fumble

DT-Cullen Jenkins: 24 tackles 4 sacks

LB-Akeem Jordan: 12 tackles

(more…)

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.
(more…)

Grant was a favorite of the players, and will be a great mentor to rookie Tyler Sash.

The signing was most likely in part to the shoddy play of Aaron Ross in the game against the Panthers.

 He is the brother of current Giant, Ikechukwu Ndukwe.

Ndukwe strung along some solid seasons with the Bengals since 2007, and would be a solid backup/Deon Grant type for the Giants. His best season was his rookie season in 2007. He could challenge rookie Tyler Sash for a roster spot.

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