Travis Beckum, who also was hurt in the Super Bowl, will probably be like Jake Ballard, and not be ready to start the season next year.  Travis showed a little light at the end of the tunnel this year, but not enough to secure him a spot on the roster, or to excite too many fans about the promise he supposedly possesses.

Bear Pascoe will now move to at or near the head of the line.  Bear was always held back because he was used as a fullback at times, and is not a prototypical Tight End.  He struggles with his blocking, a key to being a Giants Tight End, and has yet to show his true potential either.  The Bear did show a bit more in the post season, but in this era of Jimmy Graham (N.O.), Jermichael Finley (G.B.), and Antonio Gates (S.D.) the Giants could use a big play guy at this position.

Christian Hopkins 6’5″ 277 a second year man out of Toledo is the new project if you will.  Jerry Reese says he has the tools, the hands, the size, to be a good Tight End.  This we will have to see.

In free agency the Giants signed TE Martellus Bennett away from the Cowboys.  They re-structured his contract to give him a one year try-out with the Giants.  He stepping out of the shadow of one of the most productive tight ends of the last 10 years in Jason Witten.  He says he is ready, we will see.

The Giants also took a young man on draft day in Adrien Robinson who is 6’4″ and 264 pounds.  He is another raw talent for Mike Pope the tight ends coach to mold into a player.  He fits the model of the new bigger athletic tight end in the NFL and it will be fun to watch him develop.

Also on the team and competing for a spot are: LArry Donnell 6’6″ 269 from Grambling, and Ryan Purvis at 6’4″ and 264, a four year man out of Boston College.

One thing most fans seem to forget is no one knew who Jake Ballard was before the season began.  He made some nice strides and became a fast fan favorite.  We didn’t lose a hall of fame tight end, and the position is not the most important the Giants need to fill for another run.  I believe they have set themselves up well for the immediate future, and for the long term, as Jerry Reese often does.

SI.com ranks the Giants at number 11, up 7 spots from last week. Where else do they fall as the last week of the regular season begins?

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Amazing what a difference a week makes. In a few Power Ranking, the Giants broke into the top ten after their big victory over the Cowboys on the road, and the rest of the experts kept them close behind. But now, after a performance that can only be described as pathetic, the Giants find themselves back toward the middle of the pack. After Sunday, I have to say they deserve it.

National Football Post dropped them to 18, down from 9. Let’s see where else the Gmen fell.

The Giants Across the Board

Fox Sports: 18(12)

I said last week that the Giants were mentally tougher than the Cowboys and that is why they would win the division, but they looked emotionally drained on Sunday. Their season boils down to two games, and it starts by beating the Jets on Saturday.

My biggest concern heading into this game was that it would be a trap game, and clearly that’s exactly what happened. The Giants looked not only drained, but tired and uncaring. It’s one thing to lose a game, but it’s another one to not even try to win. And that, more than anything else, is the reason they have plummeted in this week’s rankings.

CBS Sports: 12(12)

Why can’t they figure out a way to play well against lesser teams? If they don’t make the playoffs, that will be the reason why.

My volleyball team seems to have the same problem. But we are a bunch of amateurs playing in an elementary school gym, not professionals who have earned the right to make obscene amounts of money to play a sport. Both situations are infuriating, but one is more acceptable than the other. But I will say, CBS is pretty generous keeping the Gmen at the same level as last week.

NFL Mocks: 17(8 ) (more…)

So many lead changes, big fourth quarter drives, scoring attempts in the final seconds; just another typical night when the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys face off. This time around, it was the Giants who were victorious and launched into first place in the division. And with that win came big jumps in this week’s Power Rankings.

National Football Post gave the Giants the biggest jump of the week, up from number 16 to 9. Let’s see where else the Gmen fell.

The Giants Across the Board

Fox Sports: 12(16)

The Giants showed the mental toughness I thought they would need to outlast the Cowboys on Sunday night. They still have to face the ‘Boys in another head-to-head matchup in the final week of the season, but they appear to be getting healthy at the right time. QB Eli Manning is carrying this team on offense, and he deserves to be named amongst the NFL elite.

So much of the talk this week is about Eli and the way he has carried this team. It’s completely fair, and I have maintained for several weeks now that he should be considered for the league MVP. He won’t get it thanks to Aaron Rodgers and his ridiculous season, but any success this team achieves should be credited to him, and it’s really nice to see the analysts giving him the credit he deserves.

CBS Sports: 12(17)

If they run the table, they win the NFC East. Through all their woes, their destiny is in their hands. Amazing.

It is amazing. And this division is theirs to lose, an enviable place for any team. After four straight losses and the messy ways in which they won early in the season, it’s easy to forget that, despite everything, they found ways to win. Whether they can continue this trend remains to be seen, but it’s nice to enjoy this moment for now. (more…)

Unfortunately moral victories do not register in the power rankings, with National Football Post keeping the Giants at number 16. Let’s see where else the Gmen fall.

The Giants Across the Board

Fox Sports: 16(14)

The Giants deserve some credit for taking the Packers down to the final second, but there are no moral victories when you are in the thick of a playoff battle. With two of their next four games being against the Cowboys, they still have a fair chance at winning the division.

I suppose their moral victory kept the Giants from falling further here.

CBS Sports: 17(14)

At 6-6, they know to win the division they will likely have to beat the Cowboys twice, starting this week in Dallas.

Dallas’ loss in Arizona was a big help for the Giants, but they still need to win both games to advance.

NFL Mocks: 15(16) (more…)

The Giants Across the Board

Fox Sports: 14(14)

The Giants couldn’t cover any of Saints receiver on Monday night and the pass rush didn’t help them at all. This is a team that is built to pressure the quarterback, and didn’t sack Drew Brees even once. On offense, the Giants need to find a running game to complement Manning and the passing game. Brandon Jacobs doesn’t have the skill set to be the feature running back in this offense. They need Ahmad Bradshaw back in a hurry.

I like to think that having AB44 back would make a big difference for the offense, but I have very little faith in that offensive line and their ability to make lanes for any runner. True, they are good at protecting Eli, but that’s not going to be enough down the stretch.

CBS Sports: 14(12)

They were terrible against the Saints on Monday night and now have a short week to turn it around against Green Bay. The way that secondary played against Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers probably can’t wait.

Really, what quarterback would not want to face the Giants right now? Rodgers is having an incredible season, I hate to think about the numbers he could put up this weekend.

NFL Mocks: 16

This team is not that far away from being a really good team, but there are things that hold them back like their inconsistency and their inability to win late season games. They have a franchise (dare I say Elite) quarterback, talented WR, a great pass rush, and a lot of talent in the secondary (Amukamara, Rolle, Webster, Thomas, Phillips, Ross are all 1st or second round picks). What is the missing ingredient? Offensive line this year. Coaching? I’m not sure, they need to figure it out though.

It’s always the little things that separate the good from the great. Unfortunately there are a lot of little things that need to be fixed here. The worst part is not all of it is fixable, because there have been just too many injuries suffered by this team, and it feels never-ending. (more…)

So, get out the soda pops, potato chips, and seedless watermelons and dig into this week’s ‘This Week In Mock Drafts.’

The next contestant on ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ for the week of July 4, 2011, is Reggie McColgan from NFLMocks.com. Just to get this out of the way so no one accuses me of blatant homerism, NFL Mocks is a part of the FanSided network of sports blogs, which is the very same network that GMEN HQ calls home.

The mock draft that I’ll be taking a look that McColgan mocked up is from June 29, so kind of a recent one. Most of the mocks I’ve been featuring here in this column were written all the way back in May; ancient by today’s mock draft musings standards.

The order of McColgan’s 2012 NFL mock draft is based on what he describes as, “upon situation and observation on my part.” He also says to enjoy them, as do I!

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