Travis Beckum at Hope 4 Children

December 11, 2011; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Jeremy Shockey (80) catches the ball and scores a touchdown while playing against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

As we awake on this Saturday morning, nearly six days removed from being freshly crowned NFL champions, the twitter world is a buzz. I was going through my twitter feed there wear nearly 10 plus tweets from various Giants websites talking about the possibility of bringing back Jeremy Shockey. In case you did not know, the “shock” as License Plate Guy referred to him as, is a free agent this year.

As we know the Giants will be in the market for a TE come this off-season. It is highly likely that both Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum will start the season on the Physical Unable to Perform list (PUP List). That leaves only Bear Pascoe on the active roster as true tight-ends. Jerry Reese will have to address the position along with numerous other positions throughout the off-season.

As a Giant, we know Shockey had HUGE difficulties with Manning in his last injury plagued season with the Giants. Shockey was a strong personality and at that time, Eli was a young UN-PROVEN player. Things have changed. Eli is now a two-time Super Bowl Champion and Super Bowl MVP. Shockey is a aging veteran who has largely shut-up and just played the game recently.

While with the Giants Shockey put up good numbers. He played in a total of 83 games, had 371 catches for 4,228 yards and 24 touchdowns. Whether you like him or not he was very productive while in the Giants blue. Also, do not forget that Jermey Shockey was one of the Giants players who went and visited Wellington Mara while he was dying. It is much documented how much Shockey loved Wellington and considered him a father. Last year with the Panthers, Shockey played in 15 games and had 37 catches for 455 yards.  Those are not bad numbers at all. The Giants are looking to replace 43 catches and 694 yards (with Beckum and Ballard out).

I have been thinking about this for about the last two-to-three hours and I’m torn. Shockey was my favorite Giant when he played with

Feb 5, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard (85) limps off the field with crutches after being injured in the game against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

the team. I know him and Eli had their problems. But times have changed. Shockey has grown up and significantly matured and well we know Eli is now a top five if not a top three QB in the league. If Eli, Shockey, and Coughlin can sit down and have a productive meeting and the price is right (a one year deal for deal for the 2-3 million range) I say bring him back.  We are going to need help at that position. Pascoe can block fine, but we need a receiving threat. Especially if we loose Manningham.

For those of you wondering what other options are out there, here you go: Jermichael Finley, Fred Davis, John Carlson, and Shiancoe. Finley will most likely sign a long-term deal with the Packers. Honestly the rest of the choices do not wow me and I would rather have someone who always had his heart in the right place. We need someone to hold down the fort until Ballard and Beckum come back. For those of you who say draft a TE, that is an option. However, is that option going to give you almost 40 catches?

This will be a very interesting off-season for the Giants. We have many needs and we were not expecting TE to be one of them. Bringing Shockey back on the Giants terms may be an inexpensive and effective way to fill the gap until the cavalry shows up. The Giants will also probably be looking to sure up at the OL, LB, the Secondary in general and the interior DL.  Stay with GmenHq for the off-season news associated with your Super Bowl Champion New York Giants!

Most superstars are neutralized to a degree when opposing coaches have two weeks to figure out how to game plan against their strengths.  The greatest of the greats still make things happen, while others shrink under the pressure.  Every now and then however there is a Jack Squirek , a Rod Martin, a Larry Brown, a David Tyree, or a Timmy Smith that completely changes the path of the game.

Who do you think will be that person this year?

1. Mario Manningham: With Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham all healthy, could Super Mario live up to his nick name?

2. Julian Edelman: Julian has been singled out all week as having the toughest assignment on the field, and having to play out of position.  Could Julian make a few plays that turn the tide?

3. Travis Beckum: Travis has struggled with his health and with the playbook.  Could this be the day we see the potential of the TE out of Wisconsin turn into the reality?

4. Stephen Ridley: Ridley is a young running back with the Patriots and I believe the running game of the Patriots is a key to their success in Sunday.  Could Stephen Ridley be that guy?

Who do you think will be this years David Tyree?

Feb 3, 2008; Glendale, AZ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree (85) make the catch over New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison (37) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium. New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots with a final of 17-14. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE

2012 started off on the right foot for the New York Giants and their fans as they defeated the Dallas Cowboys for the second time this season by a 31-14 margin to clinch the NFC East title, guaranteeing at least one more week of New York Giants football in perhaps the sweetest fashion possible. The Giants will face the Atlanta Falcons in New York next Sunday in the first round of the playoffs.

Thoughts from the game-

-Surprise, surprise- Victor Cruz came up big once again. What else is there left to say about him that hasn’t already been said?

-Hakeem Nicks get a lot of attention for his receiving talents (and rightly so). But he also deserves to get some props for the job that he does when it comes to blocking downfield for his teammates. If he doesn’t make the blocks that he did on Cruz’s touchdown catch and Ahmad Bradshaw’s first tally, those guys might not have scored.

-Travis Beckham really needs to work on his blocking. He struggled last week against the Jets and again tonight against Dallas. The Giants are definitely missing Jake Ballard in that regard.

-My fondness for Henry Hynoski continues to grow. It’s nice to have a fullback with hands, isn’t it?

-Eli Manning’s touchdown to Nicks was his fifteenth of the season in the fourth quarter- a new NFL record.

-Speaking of Eli Manning, it was mentioned tonight that his pocket awareness and movement has been so much better this year than in previous seasons, and that has a lot to do with his success this year. I could not agree more.

-It’s amazing how much better the entire Giants defense plays when the defensive line dominates. And it wasn’t just Jason Pierre-Paul getting pressure tonight. Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Chris Canty all contributed. New York managed six sacks tonight and Tony Romo never really got much of a chance to get comfortable.

-The Giants did manage to get a few breaks tonight, managing to recover one fumble and then DeMarcus Ware being flagged for jumping offsides when the Cowboys recovered another Giants fumble.

-The offensive line has consistently played well as a whole in the past week or two. Jay Ratliff and Ware hardly got a sniff at Manning all night. The Giants running game still isn’t a strong as I’d like but they’re definitely better off running the ball to Kevin Boothe’s side when he’s in at guard.

-It was, once again, an overall team effort, with both the offense and defense playing well. The defense managed to contain the Cowboys well and the offense was able to score when needed. The Giants are on a bit of a hot streak right now and if they play like they did tonight, they can beat just about any team they’re up against.

Here is the early early look at the Giants and Redskins injuries for the week according to NFL.COM.  Good news for Giants fans is the participation of Kenny Phillips even on a limited basis.

Washington Redskins  at  New York Giants
Name	Position	Injury	Practice Status	Game Status
WAS
Jammal Brown	T	Groin	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
LaRon Landry	S	Groin	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Mike Sellers	RB	Elbow	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Donte’ Stallworth	WR	Illness	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Stephen Bowen	DE	Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	–
Reed Doughty	S	Rib	Limited Participation in Practice	–
London Fletcher	LB	Ankle	Limited Participation in Practice	–
Saverio Rocca	P	left Ankle	Limited Participation in Practice	–
NYG
David Baas	C	Neck	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Travis Beckum	TE	Chest	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Ahmad Bradshaw	RB	Foot	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Mark Herzlich	LB	Ankle	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Derrick Martin	S	Back	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Justin Tuck	DE	Toe	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Osi Umenyiora	DE	Ankle	Did Not Participate In Practice	–
Spencer Paysinger	LB	Hamstring	Limited Participation in Practice	–
Kenny Phillips	S	Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	–

Jake Ballard.

After losing Kevin Boss to the Oakland Raiders anybody officially involved with the Giants kept saying that former third round pick Travis Beckum was going to be the man to step up and fill in for the loss of Boss. But Beckum had an unimpressive and injury-riddled pre-season and was out for the regular season opener. Stepping up in his absence was Ballard.

While 2 catches for 59 yards isn’t the most amazing stat line in the world, Ballard reminded me of a bigger Kevin Boss; a big bodied tight end (he does weigh 275 pounds) who can block and run faster than anybody his size should.

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After Week 1, there is no guaranteed contract for veterans, and Donald Lee fits this mold. This is also the reason why the Giants have yet to sign a linebacker, and plan to after Week 1.

Donald Lee is a 9 year veteran who has spent the bulk of his career in Green Bay. His most successful year came in 2007 when he had 575 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Clearly Lee’s best years are behind him, but he would be an excellent addition to the Giants in a veteran capacity. He could mentor Ballard/Pascoe/Beckum, and establish a rapport with Eli for the year. Eli always tends to use tight ends as a security blanket, and Lee certainly would be up for the challenge.

Until then the Giants will have to test out the Ballard/Pascoe/Beckum trio against the Redskins and further evaluate from there.

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Beckum rarely lined up near the line, instead taking the majority of his snaps in the slot, which must indicate that the Giants are not comfortable with his blocking. This would be fine, if Beckum proved to be a good receiver, but he has not made an impact there either.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the Giants can win with the roster they currently have. They have always primarily used their tight ends as blockers, and at this point I think Jake Ballard looks like a better blocker than Boss did in 2008. Ballard’s problem is he is an average receiver at best.

While these two could tag team to give the Giants both a receiving and blocking option at tight end, it hurts the Giants chances of deceiving the defense, as it will be easier to predict run or pass based on the players on the field.

With plenty of tight end options currently on the market, why not look into bringing in another option? Currently Donald Lee, Allen Reisner, Jeff Dugan and Desmond Clark are on the open market. Each of these players is both a capable blocker and receiver.

Donald Lee was the Packers primary tight end before they drafted Jermichael Finley, and a back-up with the Eagles last season. Allen Reisner is a rookie who was very impressive with the Vikings. Despite having Kyle Rudolph, Visanthe Shaincoe and Jimmy Kleinsasser the Vikes tried to keep him, but when Xavier Adibi hit waivers, the Vikings moved on. With injuries at linebacker they have very little depth, and could not pass up a talent like Adibi that fits so perfectly into their Cover 2 system. With the aforementioned depth at the position, it was a necessary decision to release the impressive rookie. Dugan has been a great blocker for the Vikings, but, like Reisner, was cut due to the depth at the position. Desmond Clark was a great tight end for the Bears, but has seen his production reduced due to the drafting of Greg Olsen, and the switch to Mike Martz’s offense, which rarely utilizes the tight end as a receiver.

All four of those guys are better than anyone the Giants have on their roster. It seems silly to me to not bring one of them in. It would go a long way to shoring up one of the Giants biggest holes.

I thought the first team defense looked very strong. Plainly speaking, the Jets are a talented football team. To me, their offensive line is easily top 5 in the entire league. Yet during the game I felt the Giants defensive line controlled the trenches. This is a very good thing. There is little game planning involved in a defensive line player beating an offensive line player. Yes, a team can leave more players back to block, or create a game plan attempting to minimize the impact of one player, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Giants front four played better than the Jets five offensive lineman. I think the best example was the QB sneak on 3rd and inches. It was line against line, and the Giants didn’t budge. To me, that was probably the most impressive part of the night.

Aaron Ross was another impressive player. I was at the game tonight, and I decided early on I was going to try to keep my focus on Ross to see how he did in coverage. Ross was lined up against Burress and Holmes all night, and had pretty solid coverage. In fact there was only one time I thought his man beat him, and lucky for Ross, the Giants pass rush chased Sanchez from the pocket before he could make the throw. So, while I’m still a bit worried about Ross, he has definitely alleviated some of my concerns with his play this preseason.

Side note: It appears in nickel situations Rolle will move up to cover the slot receiver and Grant will take his place at safety. The Giants played this way all night. I was not particularly impressed with Rolle’s coverage, but I believe he will improve on this. Also when Brian Williams entered the game, he primarily covered the slot receiver.

Then there was Michael Boley. I have been waiting for Boley to become a Pro Bowl player for a number of years now. Perhaps it will never happen, but tonight he gave me reason to hope. He looks real fast out in coverage, and should again help us against tight ends. He was stout against the run, filling the holes nicely, and flying over the field to make the tackles. Not only that, but he looks like the best tackler on the team.  I’m expecting big things from him this season.

The offense didn’t have as good a night. Let’s stick with the positives though. The offensive line looked better this week. They have been improving each week, and hopefully that continues throughout the season. I thought Bradshaw, Jacobs and Ware all looked great. Jacobs has looked the best, and looks like he returned to the dominating form we saw in 2008. (And now a tangent: Earlier today I saw an ESPN video where Ron Jaworski said the Giants won’t get nine wins this season because they won’t be able to establish a power run game like they want to. He claimed they don’t have the personal, specifically mentioning the poor play at tight end. I couldn’t disagree more. It might be hard to remember, but in 2008 nobody thought Boss was a good blocking tight end. He got thrown off his blocks too many times to remember. 2008 made me realize how good a blocker Shockey was. I mention 2008 because that is the only season under Coughlin that I thought we could be categorized as a power running team. We did it without good tight ends that year. If Jacobs and Bradshaw play well, and the offensive line plays up to its potential. we will be a power running team again)

Individually, I thought Manningham and Nicks ran some nice routes and each had a few nice grabs. Victor Cruz had a nice game as well, and even two tight ends got involved (Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum).

Once the starters left I don’t think there were a ton of positives. David Carr played so poorly, no one really had a chance to excel on offense. Defensively the Giants got pushed around. No one on the line really stood out. In fact, the only player I thought that did stand out was Clint Sintim. He was in on every tackle, and got pressure when he was sent on a blitz. I guess this means the Giants are fairly thin, but I think that was something we already knew.

Now to address Eli and the turnovers. Eli Manning did not have a good game. I don’t want to read too much into this. It was a preseason game, and I have no idea how much they game planned. Still, I thought he failed to get into a rhythm and almost never looked off his first receiver. There were plenty of times I knew the receiver getting the ball before the snap. The rest of the time I figured it out maybe a second after the snap. My point is, it looked like Eli tried to get the ball into the hands of the first option, instead of looking off if the receiver wasn’t open. I thought this was the reason for the first interception, as he tried to force it to Cruz, even though he was barely open. He had to lead him or the trailing corner would’ve picked it off. Since it was such a small window, he led him by a lot, hoping Cruz could run and make the catch. It was too far in front of Cruz, though, and it flew in front of his outstretched hands and into the safety behind him. The second pick wasn’t entirely Eli’s fault. He escaped from the pocket and headed to the left when he spotted Bradshaw streaking down the sideline. Eli threw a back shoulder pass, but Bradshaw didn’t know and kept running, leading to an easy pick for the defense.

The tight ends didn’t have a great game either. The Giants seem reluctant to have Beckum on the line, and had him almost exclusively in the slot. This didn’t cause them to become predictable, as they did run out of the formation, but if Beckum is primarily gonna be a receiver, I wish he had more catches. The Giants have not looked good in the red zone this preseason, and lack of an option at tight end is a big reason for that. It will be interesting to see how the Giants address this issue in the regular season.

Overall a solid game for the Giants.

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In the offseason, all the experts deemed the Giants’ biggest weaknesses to be along the offensive line and the linebacking corp. Both look to be solidified by young players already on the Giants roster. The players I’m talking about are William Beatty and Clint Sintim. Those players are entering their third season in the NFL, a season many believe is the season that young players become stars in this league.

In addition to the signing of David Baas, the progression of Beatty will allow the Giants’ offensive line to return to the productive levels we have seen back in 2007 and 2008. David Diehl, David Baas, and Chris Snee form one of the best interior lines in the league, and flanked out at right, Kareem Mckenzie looks to add another solid year to his resume. This leads to the only question mark on the line, William Beatty. Beatty was a guy with first round talent, and fell to the second round simply due to the tremendous depth at the tackle position that year. In his third season with the Giants, he should have a firm enough grasp of the offense to make a huge contribution. If he does, watch out.

Michael Boley and his hefty contract will undoubtedly start at weak side linebacker this season. With Jonathan Goff’s great season, and lack of competition, he should look to man the middle for another year. That leaves the strong side spot open. All indications have been that the coaching staff is looking to Sintim to fill that role. The third year player has worlds of talent, it just hasn’t been realized on the football field yet. It is his third year, however, and you’d hope by now Sintim would be able to show something. Like Beatty, if he can reach his potential he can turn what was a question mark into an asset for the Giants.

In addition to these two players, look for Travis Beckum, Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden to all improve on their previous performances, giving the Giants the impact players so many are craving from free agency. It might not be splashy, but the Giants have the makings of an improved team. That is scary when you realize they were 10-6 and possibly eight minutes away from being the 2nd seed in the playoffs last season.

The NFC East doesn’t crack the top 5 gainers, although I was surprised the relative lack of major numerical increases of the top 5 (only 1 player managed to improve double digits, and he has yet to play a NFL game in his career). However, a New York Giant manages to find himself among the 5 biggest decreases in the new addition of the omnipresent video game. Tight End Travis Beckum tied for the biggest drop in the game, going from a respectable 69 to a 63, a drop of 6 points. This tied Reggie Nelson of Jacksonville for the largest drop.

I will be sure to have more on the Madden rankings as they are released, but here’s one more quick point: EA also released the list of top 10 NFL QBs and Matt Schaub, Donovan McNabb, and Ben Roethlisberger all crack the list, but Eli does not.