WR Ramses Barden Having Trouble Finding The Field
Clipped from: www.nj.com (share this clip)
"One of the overlooked storylines from the Giants’ victory over the Bears on Sunday was the fact two undrafted rookie wide receivers (Victor Cruz and Duke Calhoun) dressed for the home team while Ramses Barden was inactive for the third straight week.Barden, a third-round pick who has yet to live up to the hoopla that came with entering the NFL the same size as Plaxico Burress right after Burress shot himself in the thigh, indicated the other day he hasn’t been told why he’s not getting a uniform on Sundays.“Not a hundred percent,” Barden said. “The best I can do is what I can control – give a hundred percent effort in practice in all phases. I’m confident the opportunities will come and I’ll take advantage of it.”"
Veteran Punter Hunter Smith Works Out
Clipped from: www.bigblueview.com (share this clip)
"Smith believed he had a solid workout but left without signing a contract. [Smith’s agent Tom] Mills has yet to speak to the Giants about the workout but believes his client could be an option for the team moving forward. Smith, 33, spent the first decade of his career with the Colts, who drafted him in the seventh round of the 1998 draft. Smith was a solid punter for Indianapolis all the way through the 2008 season when he recorded a career-best net average of 38.8 yards. Despite that solid figure and 23 punts inside the 20-yard line, the Colts did not attempt to re-sign Smith, who then joined the Redskins as a free agent. Smith played in 13 games with Washington last season, recording a gross average of 41.3 yards and a net of 36.8 yards on 57 punts."
"Smith has also served as a holder for place kicks, which also makes him a threat to Dodge."
Football Scientist: Why Nicks may be the NFL’s best WR soon
Clipped from: espn.go.com (share this clip)
"Let’s start with the case for why Nicks is a great wide receiver. What started this train of thought rolling was when Nicks posted double-digit yards per attempt (YPA) totals in eight of the 11 main metric categories I tracked in 2009. A double-digit showing in any category is a sign of superb play and that Nicks did this at multiple route depths and against varying levels of competition showed he was capable of top-level performance in pretty much any environment.Another feather in his cap is how well he runs his routes. One of things I track during my tape breakdowns is the route the pass-catcher ran on the play. There are nearly 200 route types that can be run (if the routes for running backs and tight ends are included) and Nicks can run a very wide variety of them.It isn’t just the volume of routes that is impressive. Nicks is also very precise in his routes. For example, one of the most common route types is the hook route. This is supposed to be a nine-yard route but I cannot begin to tell you how many receivers will either go eight or 10 yards on a hook because they aren’t precise enough in their route running.This isn’t the case with Nicks. His hook routes are almost always run at nine yards except in the case where coverage dictates he has to run the route shorter. This is but one case of his running textbook routes and that ability is rare and valuable."
Diehl excited to face next big pass rusher
Clipped from: www.nypost.com (share this clip)
"It’s called survival. Diehl has never lined up opposite Williams, Houston’s imposing defensive end, already the owner of five sacks. Diehl played guard back in 2006 when these teams last met. Remember all the smirking when the Texans took Williams with the first pick of the 2006 NFL Draft when everyone with half a brain shouted they should rush to grab once-in-a generation running back Reggie Bush? There are 31 other teams right now wishing they were so dumb.Williams is 6-foot-6, 290 pounds and will be coming hard at Manning.“He’s similar to Peppers. He’s a little bit more physical,” Diehl said. “He uses more of a bull-rush, he’s got Go-Go-Gadget arms, he does a good job of bending around the edge and keeping that separation where you have to be able to hand swipe, you have to be able to change your hands and do different things against him. It’s another challenge.”"