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.

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.

Jul 27, 2012; Albany, NY, USA; The New York Giants stretch during training camp at University Field at SUNY Albany. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

First we have to look at the areas that are the weakest, and that immediately brings the TE position into my mind. It is basically a three man race with Pascoe, Bennett and Rookie Adrian Robinson. Pascoe has been named the early starter most likely due to his consistancy at blocking. Bennett has been some what of a question mark with people around the league saying he is a very talented player that has not gotten a chance to show his skills. The question is why, was it because he was stuck behind a great tight end in Dallas or because he has attitude problems. If it is the latter, T.C. Will not tolerate that for long and could find himself very low on the depth chart very quickly. Robinson is very raw, he needs major work on blocking and body control but could be a factor later in the year when a run is needed to make the playoffs. I think Pascoe will be a very nice surprise this year and have decent stats, 45 catches 700 yds 7 TDs. That will be well enough to make the opposing coaches have to pay attention to the position.

Next we look to the running game, which had a less than stellar 2011. This is easy, David Wilson. Bradshaw will be Bradshaw, and that will be fine. Wilson is a back that can run for 1600 yds 20 TDs and keep defensive fronts from pinning their ears back and coming after Eli. Scott and Ware are true back ups and do not expect anything more than what you have seen from them before. Expect Wilson to get slowly introduced into the starting role, but be a major factor by week 10.

The defensive back field gave up a ton of huge plays last year. Granted, injuries were a factor and that forced guys to play out of position. The Player needed and that will have a big year is the Prince. He will be playing in the nickel and will probably get thrown at a lot in long yardage situations. That will allow him to use his ability and make some big plays.

It should be a fun year and hopefully just as exciting as 2011.

1. Find a solid offensive line rotation and get them comfortable with each other early.

2. Find out if the young guys like Rueben Randle, and David Wilson are ready for PrimeTime.

3. Find out if the guys returning from health issues are really ready to return to form, in particular Terrell Thomas and Domenik Hixon.

4. Stay Healthy…Avoiding the major injury has been tough for the Giants these past few years.  Especially the devastating one just before the season begins.  Last year it was MLB Jon Goff, and CB Terrell Thomas going down late, and “The Prince” going down relatively early among others.  The year before that is was Sinorice Moss and Ramses Barden.  During the season they also lost Mathias Kiwanuka.  Going back to 2008 they lost Osi Umenyiora and in ’09 it was Kenny Phillips turn.

Lets hope we can stay relatively healthy this season as we embark on our Championship Defense

The message this year is going to be about momentum, playing as one unit, and improving on a 9-7 regular season.  Coach Coughlin wants every unit to reach it’s peak and play together as a team….the path begins in 13 days.

Unfortunately, there is no real substitute, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  I’m quite sure you’ve thought of every one of these techniques yourself, but we both have a little time on our hands.  Let the craziness begin.

Were you smart enough to record and keep the entire 2011 season on your DVR?   I wasn’t.  Even if I were, there’s a real good chance a few games would’ve been deleted to make room for the wife’s reruns of Dr. Phil and the Bachelor.  It’s probably for the best.  Why break up a perfectly good marriage over a few video recordings?

A second option here is NFL.com’s Game Rewind.  For $35 you get access to all regular season games for your favorite team back to 2009.  It also comes with condensed viewing where you can watch an entire game in 30 minutes and “Coaches Film” which shows various angles on certain plays.  I’ve never paid for this before, but there’s always a first time for everything.  And I have to admit, I’m pretty tempted right now.

If you prefer to spend your $35 on something else like a decent bottle of scotch, YouTube is a great place to go when you’re feeling withdrawal symptoms.  It’s not as good as watching complete games while pretending it’s the regular season all over again.  But you can find highlights of each game.  I find when I watch them in order, I still get wrapped up in the exhilaration of Week 09 against the Pats and Week 17 against the Cowboys…and of course, the despair of Week 12 in New Orleans and Week 15 against the Redskins.

Gonzalez, entering his 5th year with the Colts, has been injury plagued the last two seasons, after two impressive years in his rookie and sophomore year.

Gonzalez has the ability to get the big play or do the dirty work in the slot for the first down.

Would Gonzalez be an option the Giants would look at if he does indeed get cut? He could definitely fill the role of slot receiver and form a dangerous core of receivers if he does indeed stay healthy.

More cuts will be announced on Friday and Saturday, so stay tuned.

For more updates, news, and analysis follow me on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/erobertsny

 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.

For more updates, news, and notes follow me on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/erobertsny

– Kiwanuka has been named 1st team linebacker.

– Steve Smith met with management and the training staff yesterday. No news of a contract yet.

– Osi wants the last year slashed off his contract, and the Giants are willing to pay him incentives for getting above 13.5 sacks.

– Running Back Andre Brown looks poised to bump DJ Ware off the depth chart.

– Rookie safety Tyler Sash has been turning heads so far in training camp.

– Rookie O-Lineman James Brewer hurts leg . Had to be carted away.

– The Giants are off today, and have changed their practice time for Wednesday and Thursday to 2-4 p.m.

For news and updates throughout the day follow me on twitter @ERobertsNY

Chase Blackburn, a Giant since 2005, was elected special teams captain in 2010 after leading all Giants special teamers in tackles. Whenever Larry Tynes kicked off to start a game, you could count on Blackburn running full speed to try and force a fumble. If Blackburn did not have this work ethic, he would most likely be in the CFL rather than the NFL.

Undrafted from the University of Akron, Jerry Reese and company gave Blackburn a shot to prove himself to all the critics. He did not let down after filling in admirably for Antonio Pierce towards the end of the 2005 season.

Turn the clock forward 6 years, and Chase Blackburn is a free agent with no home. The Giants are known to be the least cut-throat of all the NFL franchises and have the most “family like” feel. If this is the case then why is Blackburn, a favorite of the players, not currently on the roster. In fact Blackburn is nowhere to be seen. No rumors, rumblings, interviews, etc.

Blackburn may seem like just a blip on the radar to a normal Giants fan, but diehard fans know that he brought it every night. Blackburn could have been an excellent mentor to Mark Herzlich — another undrafted free agent out to prove the naysayers wrong.

One would guess that Blackburn latches on with a team before the start of training camp, but if not, he can leave the game knowing he was a Super Bowl champion, a captain, and a true leader.

Smith is coming off major knee surgery and his health is still in question. Many believe that if Smith does indeed re-sign with the Giants that he would start the season on the PUP list.

Smith has always been known as a fan favorite, and if he jumps ship like other fellow free agents Kevin Boss and Barry Cofield it could mean a major morale blow for the team.

With Smith unsigned, Victor Cruz, Domenik Hixon, and surprisingly Darius Reynaud have emerged as potential 3rd wideout options. The Giants have shown no interest in outside help for the wide receiver position.

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Osi Umenyiora has found himself in a difficult spot. Of course the way the information has leaked out has done him no favors, but all in all it really has left him in a bad place.

First we heard that Osi was joining the lawsuit against the owners claiming unfair labor practices and broken promises. This was a pure case of the union using it’s players to try and move their court cases forward. It was a bust. For anyone who actually read the affadavit and not just the title, it was clear that the Giants had broken no promises and that in fact were living up to exactly what they had stated. Step two was the one day holdout. Hard to take anyone serious about holding out when before the info even gets out that you are indeed not showing up, you show up at camp. The Union got Osi here too, since they agreed to an increase to $30,000 a day for missing the new limited camp time. Then the proclamation that Osi would never speak to GM Jerry Reese again came to light, and was immediately followed by the news that they had a “good” meeting that night. The next step was the always popular demand for a trade. This too was granted to Osi, and he and his agent have found no takers at the price the Giants AND Osi are asking. Don’t forget the number one draft pick must be accompanied by a new contract for Osi which would be in the neighborhood of 10 million a year for the next 5 years or so. Now comes word of the “Hope” that Osi can remain a Giant somehow. Wow…quite a trip.

Here is the problem with Osi’s argument and stance.

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Now, tomorrow, Saturday is exactly one week before August 1st, the start of training camp.

Plenty of eyes will be on the Giants, but specifically certain players and personnel. Tom Coughlin enters the seat on the hot seat. Of course, it’s not the first itme he’s been on the preverbial hot seat nor is he the first Giants coach to find himself there.  Jim Fassell practically vacationed there during his later seasons.  Many will be looking at Osu Umenyiora’s attitude and demeanor, to say nothing of his battle to start at defensive end. In fact, the entire defense under new coordinator Perry Fewell will be scrutinized. Brandon Jacobs will be a focal point of attention. As will special teams, both the returners and the punter with the retirement of Jeff Feagles.

There will be plenty of storylines and a new voice to guide you through them as I’m stepping aside.