“I’m going to sign my tender today and will continue talks for a long-term deal before camp starts,” Cruz said Friday morning.

Cruz is under pressure to sign today because if he does not sign today then the Giants have the right to reduce the tender to $600,000.

Cruz has not participated in Giants offseason activities due to difficulties in the contract negotiations. Heowever, he did practice with Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks separate from the Giants during the offseason.

The other side of the coin is Victor Cruz.  He is currently not under contract and therefore does not have to attend Mandatory Mini Camp.  Coach is not happy, but understands.

I’ve been optimistic since Day 1 and it hasn’t gotten me anywhere, has it?” Coughlin said. ” just continue to be that way. But the clock is running. The calendar dates are going by, fellas. This is something that at least he could have benefitted by, if nothing else, this mini camp.

Coach Coughlin is not the only person getting a bit impatient with the young wideout whom the Giants signed as an Undrafted Free Agent, and then gave more than a few chances to make the team after some early injuries.  Cruz is starting to get on the nerves of the fans now too as the season grows closer.  While Victor remains popular you can see the rumblings of the fan base on social media.  Vic is a regular contributor on Instagram and the comments recently sent his way have turned ugly.  While some people still love the man, they hate the situation.  Comments like “Nice Shoes…Now sign with the Giants”, “Sign Already” “Sign a contract and get to practice” are becoming more the norm.

Victor may find himself in that odd world of New York sports where he will make himself unpopular with the fans….and we all know what that means…One drop and it’s the boo birds…then the media questions, then the pressure to perform gets ramped up, and the next thing you know you’re in San Diego or Buffalo wondering where it all went wrong.

Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz (Image Credit: Andrew Mills/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports)

The New York Giants began preparations for the upcoming 2013 NFL season without two important pieces to their offense.

It’s deep into OTA’s and there is still no Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz around to catch passes from Eli Manning.

This would normally be enough to cause any normal professional football team with a pulse to bang the panic button. However, the Giants appear to be in no hurry to ease the fears of any fans. They also don’t seem to be in any hurry to address the contract status of Nicks and Cruz, their top two wide receivers.

While Cruz continues to quietly wait out a new contract, Nicks has clearly shown he’s aware that his current contract only has one year left on it and he’d like to start talking about a new deal. Both players have valid reasons to expect significant pay raises.

The OTA’s are voluntary so its not as if Cruz and Nicks have to be there right now. However, their absence is enough to at least raise an eyebrow. The longer these contract talks or the lack of talks go, the hotter the temperature will rise around town as far as the fans are concerned.

Nicks and Cruz are the two leading receivers on the team and together they keep Manning’s passing attack clicking. It can’t be too much longer before it draws the ire of head coach Tom Coughlin that his guys are not on the field yet. My gut feeling tells me that the Giants will find a way to take care of their two stud receivers, it just may take a little longer than fans may have hoped and the route maybe a different one than expected…

The Giants could very well go forward with giving Cruz his long-term deal this summer and then wait to see what Nicks does this season before addressing his contract status again. The reason for that being logical is because Nicks is coming off of an injury-plagued 2012 season and the Giants may want to see if he’s fully recovered and can have a bounce-back year before giving him a new deal. It would be a calculated risk if Nicks winds up hitting the free agent market in 2014.

With training camp right around the corner, fans are hoping to see the Giants take care of business and get back to being a playoff team. It has to first start with them taking care of their own.

I’ve been biding my time on this one because the media is so over-active, and I had hoped we’d be through the Victor Cruz stuff by now.  The topic so often on my mind, but even more so as we moved past Free Agency and the draft, and as we move in on team OTAs: team unity, team cohesiveness

How critical to the success of a team is the instinctive ability to live, play, achieve as a unified force?

And therefore, how important is it for the TEAM’s success is it for all players to align, and to be in off season workouts, practicing together and working out any kinks before the clock starts to tick on the actual season?

Of course, with all the discussion about Victor Cruz, I just can’t help but to ask these questions.  In my view, team unity is one of the most critical characteristics of a championship team (not only in football, but in business and in life).  Think about championship teams from recent history and tell me they didn’t share this unified quality: Boston Celtics 2008, Miami Heat 2012, San Francisco Giants 2010/2012, Pittsburgh Steelers 2008, New orleans Saints 2009, Packers 2010, Baltimore Ravens 2012, NE Patriots in their winning seasons, and of course – the New York Football Giants 2007 and 2011… and these are a few that stand out in my head.

Interestingly, my personal belief, having closely watched the San Francisco 49ers last season from my Bay Area perch, is that a few player incidents during the 2 days leading up to the Superbowl are what broke the 100% unity on the team, and I also believe greatly contributed to the outcome of the game.  Cohesiveness in a large group is fleeting.  If it can be achieved, it’s amazing the results we see.  But it can be ruptured so easily – so every moment a team has to practice achieving it, can be all too critical.

One of the keys to developing a unified team in football, I believe, is leadership by example – GM, Head Coach, Ownership and QB operating from the same set of rules with corresponding objectives.  The successful teams outlined above, all had that quality.  The Giants have that quality.  But while so important, unity at the leadership level isn’t the only key to success.

With any team, each player has his own critical role that he plays in effort to make the team the best that it can be, and to help win championships.  That’s what the saying (made so popular during the Giants 2011 run): ‘ALL IN’ is about!  If every one man on a team is without ego, playing and practicing for the next guy to win, that team has the highest likelihood of being ALL IN – and winning championships.

After Cruz, 26,  switched to CAA Sports last month, talks between him and the Giants have been fairly quiet. Recent reports say Cruz is looking for $10-11 million per year while the Giants are offering around $7 million per year. He’s currently a restricted free agent on a first round tender.

A 10-11 million annual average would put Cruz in the same territory as receivers such as Vincent Jackson and Dwayne Bowe. The Giants’ offer is slightly larger than the 5 year, $31 million contract Danny Amendola signed with the Patriots.

The gap between the two sides reflects more than just money issues. Cruz views himself as a #1 receiver, no doubt buoyed by the 2,2628 receiving yards he’s put up in his first two seasons. The Giants view him as a slot receiver, more in the mold of former Giants receiver Steve Smith. Good but not irreplaceable.

Unless Cruz gets desperate or the Giants cave, it seems unlikely the two sides will come to a compromise. When dealing with Cruz, the Giants will have to worry about the ramifications a deal will have on their salary cap and how it affects their ability to resign other prominent free agents such as defensive end Jason Pierre Paul and their other wide receiver, Hakeem Nicks.

Nicks is reportedly viewed by the team as a #1 receiver and a bigger priority to resign than Cruz. On the surface, this doesn’t make too much sense. Cruz has had significantly more yardage than Nicks the last two years and was able to stay on the field a lot more.

It’s not that simple though. Game tape and advanced statistics tell a lot more.

Advanced NFL Stats had Cruz accounting for 22.6% of the Giants targets in 2011, receiving 132 total while Nicks accounted for 22.5% of the team’s targets, receiving 131. Cruz had 86 catches for 1,538 yards, good for a 18.7 yards per reception, while Nicks had 76 catches for 1192 yards, for a 15.7 YPR.

What those numbers don’t tell you is the kind of routes Nicks and Cruz ran. Cruz, playing mostly in the slot, ran 29.5% of his routes 15 yards or further down the field, 38th amongst receivers. Conversely, Nicks ran 42% of his routes 15 yards or further down the field, eighth most in the NFL.

Somehow though, Cruz had 25 plays of more than 20 yards while Nicks only had 17.  The reason for this is elusiveness.

Newsday

The majority of Cruz’s big plays in 2011 came as a result of missed tackles. Whether it was Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha or New York Jets safety Eric Smith, Cruz routinely caught short passes, made a few defenders whiff on tackles, and ran a long way. Cruz finished sixth in the NFL with 595 yards after the catch.

While it was a great formula of success for the Giants, it didn’t look like something that could be sustained because slot receivers rarely ever average that high a YPR and if they do, it’s not for long.

In 2012, due to a variety of factors, Cruz’s performance dropped significantly. He still had 86 catches and even more targets (143) than in 2011. However, his yardage fell to 1,092 and his YPR fell to 12.7.  Additionally, his catch rate fell from 62% in 2011 to 60% in 2012. He only had 12 plays over 20 yards and his production cratered in the second half, as he only caught 36 passes (on 62 targets) for 465 yards in his final seven games. Overall, he only ran 18.2% of his routes 15 yards or more down the field in 2012, 65th in the NFL.

Part of that is due to Nicks’ injury which kept him out for several games and which rendered him ineffective when he did play. There was also quarterback Eli Manning’s “dead arm” which caused him to struggle.

Primarily though, the league adjusted to Cruz and the Giants as a whole.  Teams started to play more Cover-2 against the Giants, leaving a deep safety down the field to prevent Cruz and Nicks from exploiting opportunities downfield. Giants backup quarterback David Carr noted in a game after the Eagles that safeties were “going straight at Victor.”

Strangely and yet not all too surprising, Nicks had 12 catches for 20 or more yards in 2012, the same number as Cruz despite missing three games and not recording a catch in two of the games he did play.

This is because Nicks is a more physical and versatile receiver than Cruz despite having just one inch on him. Nicks can beat receivers in man coverage at a level that Cruz is simply not able to.  Manning and the Giants offense as a whole suffered without a healthy Nicks and his presence helps open up opportunities for Cruz.

That’s not to say Cruz isn’t valuable. The Giants wouldn’t be able to find a receiver as good as Cruz on the street and some team will pay him.

Cruz’s problem is that he’s not elite in any one area. He doesn’t profile well as an outside receiver and while he has had success in the slot, he doesn’t have elite hands like Wes Welker, who never caught less than 68% of his passes in six seasons with the New England Patriots.

If the NFL did not have a salary cap, paying Cruz would not be a problem.  However, the Giants have limited resources to spend every year and they simply cannot and should not pay elite receiver money to a player isn’t substantially better than Smith.

Barring the unforeseen, Cruz will line up for the Giants during the 2013 season.  If the Giants are smart, he won’t be in 2014.

The Giants have extended an offer that exceeds $7 million per year while adding a “sizable amount” of guaranteed money, Gary Myers of the New York Daily News reported Saturday.

The offer would seem to be in the three- or four-year range, as Myers adds that it would still leave the 26-year-old Cruz another chance to land a big contract later in his career.

I understand Victor and his agents look at things from a current to future perspective.  What they believe they are worth now and going forward, but they really should sit back a moment and realize where they came from.  Victor was an un-drafted free agent who got an invitation to camp purely to give the Giants enough bodies to hold practices.  He had a decent camp, and then got injured.  He then had another decent camp….one great game vs. The Jets, who have become his personal highlight reel, and then a not so great beginning to his career.  Taking the jump from zero to 300,000 to 3 million would be pretty good in the short time he has been in the league.  Being offered 7 million, with guaranteed money, to play with Eli, in the only system he knows, with Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle to occupy defensive backs, and a chance to hit the jackpot one more time, is a windfall.

We all love Victor, but at this point the writing is on the wall….no one else can afford to pay him, and taking a chance that he can outlast the Giants while risking injury would be foolish.  Take the deal and stay beloved Victor…the time has come

He was not suspended for the hit but was charged with striking a defenseless player in the head and neck area.

This was not Reeds first fine this season. In November, he was suspended one game for his hard hit against the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. It was later overturned by the league into a $50,000 fine.

Luckily, Victor Cruz was not hurt by the big hit on Sunday.

This coming offseason, Cruz will be a restricted free agent. Assuming they place a first-round tender on him, he’ll be slated to make something in the neighborhood of $2.7 million next year. That would be a huge increase over what he’s making now, but nothing close to Cruz’s value on the open market – and the open market is exactly what the Giants want Cruz to avoid. By signing him to a long-term contract soon, the Giants would be able to get him for below market value, with the benefit to Cruz being that he would get to stay home and that he’d get his money sooner, eliminating the risk of a possible injury that would wreck his value.

“I love this team. I love this organization. I want to, God-willing, one day retire a Giant. I want to stay here and fulfill my journey with the New York Giants.” – Victor Cruz

If the Giants allow Cruz to play out the next year under only his tender offer, he would become an unrestricted free agent after next season. If that happens, and he stays healthy, his value will skyrocket. To give you an idea, Vincent Jackson was rewarded with the most lucrative contract of any free agent receiver this past offseason, getting five years and $55.5 million from the Buccaneers. Cruz has much better statistics than Jackson and is 4 years younger.

The Giants are going to have to make some tough decisions over the next few years with many of their own free agents. The contracts of Kenny Phillips and Martellus Bennet both expire after this year, and Hakeem Nicks, Justin Tuck, David Diehl, Linval Joseph, Michael Boley and Corey Webster will need to be resigned or let go in 2014. Not all of those players will stay, but keeping Cruz should be a no brainer. The Giants’ passing attack has carried the team over the past two years, with Eli throwing for 4,933 yards in 2011 and 2,109 so far this season – which leads the league through 7 weeks. None of that is possible without Cruz, especially considering Nicks’ recent injury problems.

The Giants know they struck gold with Cruz, an undrafted free agent from UMass Amherst. When these types of success stories fall into your lap, you can’t simply let them go. To Cruz’s credit, he’s said all of the right things so far, insisting that he wants to retire a Giant and that he’s confident the contract situation will work itself out. But the fact that he’s been so mature about the process only makes it all the more urgent to keep him in a Big Blue uniform for the foreseeable future. My instinct says a long-term deal will get done this offseason, if not sooner. The Giants understand what they have, and Cruz deserves to be rewarded for his tremendous production over the past year and a half. One way or another, Cruz figures to be a Giant for a long, long time.

I let it get to me, even though I tried not to let it. I was trying to protect myself from getting hurt — now I’m just giving it all.

That Jackson would be willing to admit to not trying his hardest is hardly surprising. This is a player whose premature celebrations have cost him  a touchdown not once, but twice. He’s also a player who, a season ago, was called for a 50-yard taunting penalty. Obviously, it’s easy to hate Jackson as a Giants fan, but I have to believe that even Eagles’ supporters have a tough time rooting for a guy with Jackson’s attitude and track record, despite his obvious talent.

Later on in the interview, Jackson went on to say that he felt “happy to finally get that contract. I felt with what I had done for the team, I deserved it.”

Contrast that with the following:

“Whenever the contract comes, it comes. I’m not going to be sitting back, waiting for it, thinking about it, because then I won’t be focused on football. When that time comes, we’ll cross that bridge.”

That quote came from Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. Last year, Cruz set the Giants’ franchise record with 1,536 receiving yards while making $405,000. This year, he’s slated to make just slightly more than that. For comparison’s sake, Jackson had a career-low 961 receiving yards while being paid $555,000 in 2011.

Prima dona wide receivers are nothing new to the NFL, and particularly not to the NFC East. But it’s hard to argue that one of the things that makes the Giants so successful is the lack of egos among their star players. Eli Manning and Justin Tuck set the tone for the team on offense and defense, respectively, and one could hardly imagine a better mentor than either. The one muddy contract situation the Giants have had over the past few years was that of Osi Umenyiora, but even in his least happy year he racked up 9 sacks in 9 games last season, and added 3 1/2 more in the Giants run to the Super Bowl.

I don’t want to overstate the gulf between the Giants and their NFC East rivals. Clearly, not everyone on the roster is going to be happy at all times, and winning keeps a lot of those situations from becoming magnified. But still, it’s hard not to consider the extent to which that winning is due to having a team of stable leaders like Tuck and Cruz versus headaches like Jackson and Dez Bryant. Whatever personal issues the Giants players have with each other or with management, they never seem to affect the team between the lines. In this division and in this city, that’s rare.

The offense seems to be coming together, although the execution could have been better. The chemistry between Eli Manning and Victor Cruz already looks to be in midseason form. Cruz gave the Jets secondary fits in the first half, finishing with five receptions for 51 yards.

Ahmad Bradshaw didn’t see much playing time tonight. He left early in the first quarter to get x-rays on his right hand which turned out to be negative.

The battle for Bradshaw’s primary backup didn’t get much seperation tonight. D.J. Ware saw early action after Bradshaw went out of the game, however didn’t really make a get that attention grabbing moment tonight against the Jets. Ware finished with 15 yards on 11 carries. Rookie David Wilson had 26 yards on eight carries and it seems the first round selection may have the inside track on getting more time.

Jayron Hosley had the highlight of the night when he intercepted Mark Sanchez and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown. Hosley may have opened more eyes tonight with that play.

The battle for the third wide receiver spot remains to be a battle. Ramses Barden failed to gain any seperation from the pack of receivers battling for the position. Barden was the first on the field to receive a chance on third down and dropped the pass Manning threw his way. The next pass thrown to him also went incomplete in the end zone when he couldn’t get seperation from Darrelle Revis. Second round pick Rueben Randle’s one catch on the night was an impressive one on a deep pass from David Carr that went for 49 yards. It wouldn’t surprise me if head coach Tom Coughlin is thinking this might just be a receiver by committee scenario until someone breaks out from the pack.

If there is an area of concern it would definitely be the stability and depth of the Giants defensive line. They have been hit hard by injuries this summer. Backup middle linebacker Mark Herzlich left the game in the third quarter with a hip pointer. Herzlich has played well in camp and is pushing Chase Blackburn for that starting spot.

Next week the Giants get to play their first official “home” game when the Chicago Bears come in for week 3 of the preseason.

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.

Tyree’s charities of choice for this event were Children of the City and The Legacy Center. The event took place at 300 Bowling Alley at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. All proceeds from the event and silent auctions went to both of the charities in equal fashion.

Feb 3, 2008; Glendale, AZ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) celebrates with wide receiver David Tyree (85) after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

David Tyree made sure to bring along many of his former teammates who bowled and mingled with fans throughout the night. The guest list included such names as: Tiki Barber, Jake Ballard, Kevin Boothe, Chris Canty, Victor Cruz, Shaun O’Hara, Jason Pierre-Paul, Steve Weatherford, Antrel Rolle, Ramses Barden, Justin Tuck and of course Eli Manning. 

Though there was limited media access, Cat Fiorentino and I were able to squeeze in and get some quotes from Antrell Rolle, Eli Manning, and an exclusive interview with Victor Cruz. Of course, the topic of choice was the contract reconstruction of Osi Umenyiora and what he means to the team.

Eli Manning was nothing short of ecstatic that Osi was back. With Osi, JPP, Tuck, and Canty on the D-line, the offense will be sure to have the ball a lot more due to turnovers. Antrel Rolle  also took some time out from bowling to let us know his thoughts on Osi. He said, Osi is like a “brother to me” and that “business can get sticky.”  He also said Osi was “smiling like a kid in a candy shop” and he still thinks the Giants can improve even though the Osi situation is finally cleared up.

The media was asked to leave after an hour due to the event being private and for the fans (rightfully so), but before we left, we were able to catch up with Victor Cruz. Cruz offered his sentiments on the Osi situation saying he was obviously happy to have him back and he thinks the defensive line is one of the best in the league. When asked who he thought could be the next “Victor Cruz”, Cruz did not hesitate to say Rueben Randle. He also mentioned Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan. Before he left, Cruz let us know that he has no plans to ditch the Salsa celebration anytime soon and he hopes to continue his celebration multiple times this upcoming season.

*Stay tuned for Cat’s interview news and notes from both Cruz and Rolle later in the week, with pictures!*

For more news, updates, and analysis…. Follow me on Twitter! (@ERobertsNY):

http://twitter.com/erobertsny 

Oct 26, 2008; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress (17) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

Did a time and a Super Bowl victory ease the pain Plaxico Burress caused on Giants fans with his idiotic act of shooting himself? Not for Coach Coughlin it didn’t. According to the Daily News, when Coughlin was asked he shook his head and mouthed no. But with the injury or Nicks would it make sense to bring him in on a one year deal?

With the lack of pass catching TE’s and not knowing what to expect from the recievers after Cruz it may be worth at least thinking about. Yes, he is past his prime and he appeared pretty slow with the jets last year. But, he can still catch the ball, especially in the red zone. It seemed that age and prison may have matured him on the field, so he may have become an ideal Coughlin pupil and just show up on time and do what is asked.

It always nice to have weapons on offense, the question is what would his asking price be. But, even if it was low it is highly doubtful he will be back. The offense may have just enough options to live without Nicks for a week or two. And Coughlin and Reese have earned the right for us not to question there free agency moves or non moves,  At least for now.

Aug 2, 2010; Albany, NY, USA; New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell holds up a play card for his players during training camp in Albany. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray/THE STAR-LEDGER via US PRESSWIRE

As OTA’s get started and training camp right around the corner, what are the keys to watch for this season? For the Giants to get a playoff birth and make another run at the title they will need to fill the holes of outgoing players and upgrade at a few other areas.

1. Who will be the Victor Cruz of 2012? When Steve Smith departing last offseason there was a huge question mark at the WR position. Thankfully out of virtually no where Cruz emerged and had a monster season finishing behind only Calvin Johnson in recieving yards in the NFC.  With Mario Manningham gone to the left coast and now a question mark on Hakeem Nicks season the WR position has yet again become a problem area. So, who will step up? As of now we have Cruz, Domenik Hixon coming off injury, and rookie Rueban Randle as the likely top 3. After that it’s  Ramses Bardan and Jerrel Jernigan both of which have yet to show any promise. Hopefully Nicks can return to form by week 4 or 5.

2. The linebacker position seems to be the opposite of last year at this time. With Chase Blackburn being re-signed and emerging as a force in the middle and the signing of Keith Rivers from Cincinnati really will solidify the LB corp with Boley and Kiwi flipping between LB and End. And the experience that Williams, Jones and Herzlich gained last year filling in now makes this a strength and no longer the weak link of the defense.

3. The running game had an extremely lack luster year in 2011. Being non existent for most of the year only emerging in the latter part of the regular season and the playoffs, mainly due to the respect for Eli and fear of the big play, needs to be better. With Jacobs joining Manningham in SF and DJ Ware and Da’rel Scott showing very little last season it was clear that Bradshaw would need help. The Giants turned to the Draft and picked David Wilson. With Bradshaw always fighting injuries from his running style and Wilson being a rookie it would appear the G-Men will probably go to a 3 headed running attack with Bradshaw, Ware and Wilson. But this area will be a question with only 1 back That is battle tested.

4. The Offensive Line had an up and down year in 2011, giving good protection in the passing game and poor run blocking. The one constant on the line has been and will be Chris Snee at right guard. With Kareem McKenzie not being re-signed mean that Will Beatty and James Brewer fighting for right tackle, off season signing Sean Locklear with provide depth. The left side appears it will be David Diehl at LT and Kevin Boothe and Mitch Petreus battling for RG. Petreus would add needed toughness and help for the running game. David Baas had a rough start, but seemed to settle in at the center position nicely.

These questions should be answered by the end of training camp and will be key areas that will need to be solid for the Giants to make another run to the playoffs and possible championship.

Now I was totally blindsided by Jerry Jones moving up to the 6th pick to get LSU CB Morris Claiborne for his new and improved Cowboys secondary. In my defense this is Jerry Jones, the most unpredictable Owner/General Manager in the NFL. Claiborne is a 6″ tall cover corner. The only knock on him is that he is a reluctant tackler enabling WR like Victor Cruz and Desean Jackson to potentially get a lot of yards after catch (YAC).

I had the Giants picking Boise State RB Doug Martin but in this trade happy Draft (so far 9 trades in the First Round), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded into the 31st spot and grabbed Martin. This left the Giants with the next best RB on their board which was Virginia Tech RB David Wilson. The difference between Martin and Wilson is quite simply this, Martin is a consistent back where as Wilson is an explosive back that can break a big play at any given time in a game.

All in all I am now officially against Mock Drafts because with the new Rookie pay scale, trades are free flowing and teams in the upper half of the draft are no longer concern if “we can afford to pay this player”.

This tells me the Eagles are in love with Fletcher Cox, DT out of Mississippi State who is a Top 10 projection. Worst case scenario for the Eagles is they stay at 16th loose Barron (to Cowboys) and Cox and draft Michael Brockers, DT out of LSU which really is not that bad of a choice. Now if the Cowboys do not get Barron (whether he is drafted higher or the Eagles make a move for him) well they have a lot of other needs on Defense with emphasis on the D-line. Courtney Upshaw, DE out of Alabama may still be available. So could Nick Perry, DE out of USC or South Carolina’s OLB Melvin Ingram who can cause some chaos in Rob Ryan’s blitz happy scheme.

Now the Giants, holding the last pick and a team that sticks to the philosophy of best available player. Okay I am going to get opinionated here; to all those Coby Fleener TE from Stanford supporters, not happening. The Giants signed Martellus Bennett, Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin saw something in this TE that made them believers (maybe to a degree). That being said I can see the Giants drafting a TE like Ladarius Green from Louisiana-Lafayette, Deangelo Peterson, TE, LSU or Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri in Rounds 3 or 4. As for the OT Mike Adams (Ohio State) believers, not happening either. The G-Men have not drafted a OT since 1999 and are staunch believers they can find a good OL in the later rounds and develop him within the organization. Now add to this the rumors of Adams being a “work hard when he feels like it guy”. Does that sound like someone Coughlin would put up with?

So who should it be? The Mel Kipers and Todd McShays of the Draft World will never be able to predict how a draft will go and who will move up or down. Now if Kendall Wright, WR from Baylor happens to move down to 32 grab him. He will open the Giants Offense even more and make Cruz and Nicks look that much better. Now I have been a supporter of RB Doug Martin (Boise State) he is a good runner between the lines and is great in pass protection, receiving and YAC (yards after catch). But we don’t know who will be there at 32, we don’t have that crystal ball. One thing we do know if there is a highly rated DE at 32, well enough said.

FANS VOTE VICTOR CRUZ AS “VIZIO TOP VALUE PERFORMER”

-Record-Breaking Number of Fans Vote New York WR Victor Cruz as Best Value in 2011

IRVINE, CA, January 26, 2012 – After a break-out season, fans across the country came out in record numbers to vote New York Wide Receiver Victor Cruz as the 2011 VIZIO TOP VALUE PERFORMER. By measuring regular season statistics against his 2011 earnings, fans agreed that Cruz provided his team with the greatest value.

A 2010 undrafted free agent from the University of Massachusetts, Cruz began this season as New York’s fourth wide receiver. After two key injuries to starters led to his larger role, Cruz eclipsed a franchise single-season receiving record of 1,343 receiving yards. While earning a base pay of $405,000, Cruz ended the 2011 regular season with 82 receptions for 1,536 receiving yards, the third-most in the league, and 9 touchdowns.

“It’s been an amazing year, and I’m thankful for all the fans who voted me as the Top Value Performer,” said Cruz. “The other players up for the award were equally deserving, as they all had great seasons, but I’m proud to represent New York and the G-Men.”

The 2011 finalists, which included Dallas WR Laurent Robinson, New England TE Rob Gronkowski, Chicago RB Matt Forte and San Francisco LB NaVorro Bowman, were voted on by fans at VIZIO.com/tvp from January 9 to January 23.  The two-week voting period tallied a record-breaking total number of votes of more than 300,000.

For the past four seasons, VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company*, has recognized the professional football player whose on-field performance most significantly exceeded expectations and the value of their salary with the VIZIO TOP VALUE PERFORMER award.

At the conclusion of the 2007 season, the inaugural VIZIO TOP VALUE PERFORMER hardware went to Jacksonville Quarterback David Garrard, who went from back-up QB to All-PRO that season and parlayed his success and the award into a new contract.  In 2008, then-New England and now Kansas City Quarterback Matt Cassel stepped in for a future Hall of Famer, despite not having started a game since high school. Cassel led New England to eleven victories, taking home VIZIO TOP VALUE PERFORMER honors.  In 2009, then-New York and now Philadelphia Wide Receiver Steve Smith was thrust into the starting line-up after the team suffered key losses at wide receiver. Smith answered the challenge by hauling in 107 passes, setting a new team record. His breakout performance on-the-field, in conjunction with his social media work off the field, helped him earn the 2009 VIZIO TOP VALUE PERFORMER award. Last year’s honors were awarded to Buffalo Wide Receiver Stevie Johnson. After only catching 12 balls for 112 yards in his first two seasons, Johnson enjoyed a break-out season when he became his quarterback’s favorite target. Johnson’s career season of 82 receptions, more than 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns, combined with the fans votes, earned him the 2010 VIZIO TOP VALUE PERFORMER award.

This morning I started to think back a few years to 2007.  That magical season that seemed to come out of nowhere.  Starting with all the talk about Eli Manning and his “comical” role as a leader of the team called the New York Giants.  That quote, of course ,came from Tiki Barber in a conversation forced upon him by Cris Collinsworth, who will be calling the game with Al Michaels come next Sunday.

Eli did not have his best regular season that year, and the defense started out as a complete failure.  After the comment by Tiki, Eli fired back a bit saying that “It didn’t take long for Tiki to become part of the media”.  I always remember Michael Strahan saying that that little comment showed them the real Eli was about to emerge.  Eli even talked back to Strahahn later in the year when it was suggested that the team dress in all black for their trip to Super Bowl 42.  Eli wore a black suit jacket, but with a white shirt, again making a little statement that he was his own man.

Eli, this year, has had a career year statistically, and in the category of being a leader.  He has taken to meeting during the week with the running backs and discussing the game plan and their part in it.  He has taken young receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz under his wing and has pushed them to be their best.  He teaches, mentors, and leads these men throughout the game.  He does it in his own way.  He does it calmly, quietly, but with the confidence of a true leader.  He has been fried in the media for having “bad body language” and a “funny look on his face”.  Comment by people who have never met him in person, or taken the time to ask the other players how he has affected them.

Now, Ei is leading HIS team to the Super Bowl for the second time.  He stood up in front of his teammates in a rare mid-week address and walked them through what to expect in the next two weeks.  This is a business trip, and should be treated as such.  ”We have to have great preparation” he stated and prepare they will.  The Giants will practice Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week before traveling to Indianapolis.  The entire game plan will be implemented in New Jersey, and tweaked and repeated once they land in Indiana.  Eli, along with his well prepared Head Coach, will lead this team, in the proper mind set, to their second Super Bowl in 4 years.  Who would have thought we would be saying that just a few weeks back.

Has it really sunk in yet? Has your pulse rate returned to normal?

After a 20-17 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Giants are going to the Super Bowl.

It’s amazing how far this Giants team has come in a little more than a month. This was a team that was 7-7 at one point, lost to the Seahawks and twice to the Redskins, and looking maddeningly inconsistent for a good portion of the season. But they hung tough, they got key wins at the end of the season instead of collapsing, and have been rolling ever since. This Giants team is a testimony to the fact that in the NFL postseason, it’s not about who was best in the regular season but about getting hot at the right time.

Thoughts from the game-

-On a night when the offense struggled to move in the ball, especially in the second half, it was great to see the defense play so well. They didn’t get to Alex Smith as much as expected and were burned on big plays a few times but they refused to bend or break and buckled down when needed. Which, if you think about it, is really how they’ve operated in the past few weeks. The Giants defense tends to give up a decent amount of yards but they manage to keep their opponent off the board, which is what’s most important any way.

-Given San Francisco’s turnover-happy defense, one of the keys to this game for the Giants was winning the turnover battle, just like they did last week in Green Bay. Not only were they +2 in that category but both of the turnovers they recovered were huge. (Both came on special teams too, which is one area where many seemed to think the 49ers had a clear advantage.) If it wasn’t for the Kyle Williams muffed punt and Jacquain Williams and Devin Thomas teaming up on that fumble recovery, the 49ers very well could have put the Giants away for good.

Speaking of the muffed punt, was I the only one who was amazed that challenge went the Giants’ way, considering what happened last week with the Greg Jennings so-called non fumble?

-The Giants struggles in the running game reared its ugly head again, though in fairness they were playing against a very stout run defense. Eli Manning got no relief from handing the ball off to Ahmad Bradshaw or Brandon Jacobs, and there were times when he could’ve used that break. It really goes to show how much the offense has depended on him all year.

-Here’s to hoping that the injured 49ers cornerback- Tarrell Brown if I recall correctly- is alright after colliding with one of his teammates during the game. Seeing him lay on the field for so long was scary, though it was a huge relief that he was showing signs of movement. No one wants another Kevin Everett situation.

-As pointed out above, the Giants defense was stingy when needed. The 49ers were 1-for-13 on third down all game and that one third down conversion was from the end of the fourth quarter when the Giants were in prevent defense and only concerned about not giving up a touchdown with no time left on the clock.

-The offensive line didn’t have the best game. Manning was sacked six times in the game and hit infinitely more.

-When the Giants make it to the NFC Championship, they win the NFC Championship. They are now 5-0 in NFC Championship games.

-Congratulations to Victor Cruz for his first career 100 yard postseason game!

-I admit all the references to this being a “repeat” of 2007 were getting a bit old/annoying but now it’s almost creepy. The Giants win the NFC Championship game on the road, against a team who had beaten them in the regular season, thanks to an overtime field goal by Lawrence Tynes, which was set up by a turnover, in order to play the Patriots in the Super Bowl. You have to admit that’s at least a little bit weird.

At least Tynes didn’t miss two potential game-winning field goals in regulation this time. I don’t know if I could’ve taken that again, especially considering how tight this game was defensively. But be sure to brace yourself for unlimited mentions of this being a “Super Bowl XLII rematch”.