Even though TE Jeremy Shockey became injured in the magical 2007 season and didn’t play throughout the playoffs, he still received a ring for the Giants Super Bowl win. Amidst the Giants victory without the boisterous TE, speculation began as to whether or not they even needed him on the squad.

Two years later, Shockey found himself in a similar situation. Bothered by injuries all season, the tight end ultimately toughed it all out and made his mark on this Super bowl. This reward comes with a bit more merit than the 2007 hardware.

“It’s very special,” Shockey said. “It’s gratifying to even be in the game, much less catch a touchdown pass. I’ve put in a lot of hard work for this since I was in seventh grade. Everything worked out for a reason.”

Not only did Shockey play, but he played well, ultimately catching what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.

If you really think about it, Shockey kind of got the shaft here in New York. Before he got hurt in the 2007 season, he was playing pretty well. In the three seasons previous to 2007, Shockey hauled in at least 6 TD’s and at least 600 yards in receiving. In 2007, he was on pace to possibly reach his highest yardage mark, having had 619 yards through the 14 games.

I’m not saying it was a bad move to get rid of Shockey. In fact, I agreed with the move, and still do on this day. However, to say that he wasn’t in any part responsible for our Super Bowl victory in 2007 because he didn’t participate in the playoff run would be unfair to him.

I believe that’s how most people feel (including the Giants front office) for there was zero lamentation in his release. For that, I put the “Earns First” in parentheses for it truly depends on your own interpretation.

I for one am pretty happy for the guy.

Former Giants Michael Strahan and Jeremy Shockey have never been ones  to mince words.  Yesterday, both Giant greats showed they still have a driving passion for Big Blue more than two years after their Giant careers ended.

Osi: “I wont be a backup…”

Okay, Osi. Then stop playing like one. Last season, Umenyiora was rendered invisible most weeks by a single offensive tackle. He wants to prove that he can still be an elite defensive end, but he also wants to keep his starting position and play every down.

He won’t settle for being a backup.

“It’s not something that I’m going to do. If I’m asked to come back there and do that then I’ll just stop playing football.”

Granted, he was coming off a lost season where he had major knee surgery. To that, former teammate Michael Strahan came to Osi’s defense. He said it usually takes two seasons after surgery for a player to get back into the groove.

“Next season will be a year in which I expect him to do big things because now that knee injury will really be behind him and he can make the mark that he’s made in his previous seasons.”

Plaxico Vows to Play Again

Former Giant WR Plaxico Burress is determined to return to the NFL once he completes his commitment to the New York State Department of Corrections.

In an interview with his former coach, Bill Cowher (set to air Sunday), Burress said he is staying in shape and hopes to play again in 2011. Cowher believes Burress’ contrition is genuine and is truly sorry for his actions. He also believes Burress will make the most of any second chance, should it arise.

“He admittedly blames no one except himself. He’s had a lot of time to reflect.”

Jeremy Shockey, in Miami for the Super Bowl as a member of the New Orleans Saints, had only good things to say about his former teammate.

“It’s something I would like to see,” Shockey said. “Plaxico’s a great guy. He made a mistake like all of us do. Plaxico’s a freak of nature,” he said. “He can do whatever he puts his mind to. It would not shock me to see as soon as he gets out for someone to pick him up and really be a force like he was with the Giants.”

“He was a great teammate. I consider him a great friend. He’s always a good guy to have in the locker room. Teaches young guys how to run routes. He’s a good guy. He just made a bad mistake.”

Strahan also had something to add regarding Burress. “….he has a lot of hunger to prove himself, to show that he can still play and do well at it, and nobody could pretty much cover him half the time anyway and I doubt they’ll be able to do it when he comes out.”

Today, DE Osi Umenyiora was on WFAN with Joe and Evan. Among many other things, Osi’s main point to everyone listening was that if he’s not starting, he’ll quit the game of football.

“I’m not going to be a backup player, I can promise you that,” Umenyiora said on WFAN Wednesday. “I’ll stop playing football before I do that ever again. . . .  So for me it’s not something that I’m going to do. If I’m asked to come back there and do that then I’ll just stop playing football.”

To listen to the segment with Joe and Evan, click here..

Also, click here to read NYDailynews.com’s Ralph Vacchiano’s take on the situation. Vacchiano writes that Osi, who is under contract until 2012, is not necessarily on the chop block in the eyes of the Giants front office. At least as of now, the Gmen want to keep (or at least are saying they want to keep) Umenyiora around for the foreseeable future.

First off, Giants Gab is circulating talk of an Osi Umenyiora-for-Kerry Rhodes trade with the Jets.  Is it a real possibility?  No, probably just someone thinking out loud.

But it is an interesting idea.  Osi and the Giants are no longer happy together and a trade is the only way to settle the situation.  Rhodes has spent time in Rex Ryan’s doghouse this year and its reported he may welcome a trade as well.

The Giants need a safety and the Jets a pass rusher, but this trade would be a tough one to make.  Is Rhodes the answer at safety?  He’s talented enough, that’s for sure.  The Giants would have to curtail his media appearances, though.  He’s a bit too accessible for my liking.

The other question – is Osi still the answer at DE for the Giants?  He wasn’t last year.  He was blocked consistently by opponents with little effort.

Joey Porter, 32, wants the Dolphins to release him.  Fat chance that will happen even though he was benched on passing downs last season.  The Giants could take a look at Porter if he becomes available.  He’s a fiery guy who still has some game left in him.  For the short term, he wouldn’t hurt….

The Giants are still looking to fill the opening at quarterbacks coach (I know, demote Kevin Gilbride to that spot and bring in a new OC).  The team may look at Ron Turner, who was fired as OC in Chicago, or Jim Zorn, who was fired as head coach in Washington.  My advice: keep looking.  How ’bout letting Eli pick his own guy….?

Super Bowl Thoughts

Sunday will be 70 degrees and sunny in Miami, going down to around 60 for game time – perfect weather for the game.

This year will pit two indoor sensations, the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, outdoors on grass.

If this were a horse race, it would be hard to handicap.  I will take the Colts straight up because of how well Peyton Manning has played, but if I were to bet (?) I would grab the 5 1/2 points with the Saints.

DE Dwight Freeney has torn ligaments in his ankle and if this were not the Super bowl, he would have been listed as OUT already.  I had that injury and I was in a soft cast on crutches for 2-3 weeks.  I’m guessing he won’t be able to play even if he wants to.

That’s more good news for New Orleans.  They appear to be gaining steam in my eyes.  Brees is being overshadowed by Manning in the media.  Manning is great, but Brees has better stats the past three seasons.

Brees’ 13,880 yards passing over the past three seasons is an NFL record (Manning has 12,542) .  He also has 96 TDs to Manning’s 91.

This should be a great game.  The only question I have is…can Roger Daltrey still hit the high notes on “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Baba O’Riley”?

Best line of the week thus far has come from Steve Sabol of NFL Films: “The Colts defense is like the floor of the Sistine Chapel..no one ever notices it…when people look at the Colts they look up and all they see is Peyton Manning…”

Philadelphia Eagles: 2010 could certainly be a year of change for the Eagles. First off, no one knows what they’re going to do with McNabb. Secondly, they and many other teams may feel it’s Kevin Kolb’s turn to get his turn under center.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the other guy playing that quarterback position for the Birds is saying he wants to be a starter somewhere next season.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Andy Reid has told Michael Vick that he could opt out of the final year of his contract if he wanted, however who’s to say that he would even be brought on by any other NFL club to start?

When asked whether or not he would be able to come back and play the same role this season he did with Philadelphia, Vick didn’t rule it out, however did not seem like it was something he truly wanted to do.

“It would be a tough decision to make,” he said. “I would really have to take a lot of things into consideration, the fact that I want to be a starter and the fact that I’m blessed just to be back playing football. If I had to [be a backup], I would. If another opportunity presented itself, then it would be even better.

Of course, if Vick did return to his role, he’d be making 5 million dollars…not too shabby.

Dallas Cowboys: Gerry Fraley of the Dallasnews.com writes that the Cowboys’ getting rid of Nick Folk was the worst decision they made of the season. Fraley isn’t saying it because he thought Folk should have stayed on the active roster for the rest of the season, but because he felt Folk may be a good player to have back for next season.

Fraley explains that the Cowboys could have put him on injured reserve and said he was having hip problems; a sneaky and somewhat dirty move, but pretty legal by NFL standards none the less.

I’m not sure I agree on this one. The kicker is as expendable of a player as it gets in the NFL. No matter if your name is Vanderjagt, Vinatieri, or Elam, one undoubtedly bad streak can put you on the chopping block for good. The Cowboys obviously didn’t factor in Folk’s fantastic year the season before because obviously they felt he didn’t have it anymore.

I don’t think putting Folk on IR and bringing him back next season would have made any difference to the future success. I personally do not mark this down as the worst decision the Cowboys made this season.

In my opinion, letting Bobby Carpenter playing anything besides special teams was a pretty bad decision…but who am I?

Washington Redskins: Apparently the Super Bowl is too big of an event for Chad Ochocinco to handle his coverage on his OCNN news network site alone.

Ochocinco has recruited some other NFL players to join him. Included in those are Redskins TE Chris Cooley, Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett, and Ravens RB Ray Rice. The four players will be involved in tweeting, providing written updates, as well as shooting video for the OCNN.

Among others, Colts owner Bill Polian was intently against the NFL pro bowl taking place the week before the Super Bowl. Specifically, Polian said he thought it was “stupid” for the pro bowlers of the Colts and Saints to have to arrive for the event on Sunday, a day before the rest of their teammates.

Among those who agreed with Polian’s words were QB Donovan McNabb as well as former coaches Jon Gruden and Brian BIllick.

Goodell has said that for next year, the NFL itself can decide whether or not they want the pro bowl to take place before or after the Super Bowl.

In response to the criticisms, Goodell told the Miami Herald this:

“Here’s where I like it: I think you should stop or end your season when you reach the pinnacle. The pinnacle is the Super Bowl. I think it’s anticlimactic when you come back with the Pro Bowl the week after the Super Bowl.”

It is also a strong possibility that the Pro Bowl stay the week before but is moved back to Hawaii.

Putting all that aside, the game was pretty much how we remembered it. Poor tackling, and a lot of big plays. The NFL is trying to have an All-Star game like that of the other three sports, a one in which people actually put some meaning into it. Putting it before the season actually ends was an attempt at giving it some legitamacy, but I just don’t see anyone, fan or player, ever actually investing something in such an event.

Players get hurt all too easily in football, and at the end of the day, there’s just no reason to play “another game for fun” when there is so much at stake.

In case you missed it, here’s a not-so-good clip of Steve Smith’s lone reception of the game. Enjoy:

Not everyone has ESPN insider, but I do. If you have insider, I’m sure by now you’ve read Kiper’s take on the Giants’ needs heading into the NFL draft. If you don’t have insider, here’s a look at what he had to say.

Assuming this his order of importance: Top needs: MLB, DL, CB, S, RT, RB

Kiper explains in his little blurb that the reason DL is above CB or safety is because nothing helps a secondary more than a pass rush and the Giants were quietly in the bottom half of the league in terms of producing them.

Kiper also explains that taking Dunlap would be like getting “top-5″ talent at 15.

He may be right on this one. Think about it. Dunlap’s little DUI situation has to be hurting his draft stock at least a little bit, and could be knocking his stock down from a potential top-5 guy to a mid-to-late first round guy. If he’s that talented, then it’s worth the pick.

One guy Kiper wrote down as a possible 2nd round pick for the Gmen is Kyle Wilson out of Boise St. I personally can recall quite a few plays I saw Wilson make throughout this college football season. I recll thinking to myself that this guy was gonn be a quality NFL player.

I remember feeling the same way about Jets MLB David Harris before he declared for the draft, and I turned out to be pretty dead-on with that one.

Wilson seems like the exact kind of CB the Giants would want. a smart guy who won’t dazzle you, but at the same time makes the routine plays without missing a beat.

In terms of possibly their most pressing need (LB), Brandon Spikes would be a good pick if he’s there in the second round, however I doubt that comes true.

If the Giants were to look LB in the first round (which most fans seem to think they should), I think they’d have their pickings of some fine young talent. Rolando McClain may be there, Bowman as I said earlier, and even Sergio Kindle may all be good fits with the Gmen.

Kindle is more of a hybrid guy, but I can definitely see him stepping in and helping with that pass rush.

Tom Coughlin spoke to WFAN’s Mike Francesa yesterday about the new additions to the coaching staff – DC Perry Fewell and D-line coach Robert Nunn.

LISTEN HERE

Francesa also spoke with Fewell.  LISTEN HERE

Giants’ radio voice Bob Papa also sat down with Fewell.  READ HERE.