At the end of his his live chat today on ESPN.com, Brandon Jacobs left fans with one final comment: “Not to worry I will be back in New York next year.”

Jacobs has been saying all along that he will be a Giant next year. Although anything that a player or a GM says while working on a contract should be taken with a grain of salt, I see no way that Jerry Reese can justify not re-signing him.

Jacobs also answered an onslaught of random questions, such as “Who are the weakest tacklers in the NFL?” (The Cowboys), “What is the best moment of your career?” (Every time we beat the Cowboys), and “Besides you, who is the toughest runner in the NFL?” (Marion Barber of the Cowboys).

Update, 1-28 – 3:00 pm:

Jacobs will not sign if franchised, Vinny DeTrani of the Record is reporting that Jacobs told him:

…there is nothing new on his contract situation, but that he thinks something will happen before he becomes a free agent at the end of next month. He added, however, he would not sign the tender if the Giants decide to franchise him.

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If you listen long enough, and believe me I torture myself, WFAN’s Mike Francesa actually produces some real news. Today, Fancesa had Kim Jones on and while most of their conversation centered around the Joe Torre book and Arod, right before Kim Jones left Mike asked her about the Yes Network’s “This Week In Football“.  Jones said she interviewed Giants GM Jerry Reese. The interview will air this Friday evening.

In the interview Jones told Francesa:

“He (Reese) brings up the subject that not only will they (the Giants), might, not be able to re-sign Brandon Jacobs they might not resign {Derrick} Ward either.”

Francesa: “Either one?”

Jones: “There is a chance that neither one will be a Giant and Jerry Reese brought that up.”

Now, Mike mostly brushed it off as a negotiating ploy with Jacobs and he might be correct but with all the time to fill during his show it does seem to be something to follow up on.

When the injury to Osi Umenyiora forced the Giants coaching staff to move Mathias Kiwanuka back to Defensive End, the Giants were left with a hole in their linebacking core. Although this weakness was not immediately glaring, both Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck faded down the stretch and the problems became clear. When the Giants’ front four could not get sufficient pressure on the Quarterback, the Linebackers were exposed as the obvious weakness in the Giants’ defense.

With Osi returning this season, I believe the Giants will keep Kiwanuka at Defensive End and use a 3-man rotation similar to the one that won them the Super Bowl (Tuck has already implied that he is in favor of this type of system). Although Antonio Pierce looked slow and confused down the stretch, he will be back at Middle Linebacker next year, as he should be. Adding better, faster Outside Linebackers will compensate for Pierce’s flaws in coverage, and allow the Giants to have a unit that is more dominant than the one that held the undefeated 2007 Patriots to 14 points.

Here is a look at some of the gentlemen who could help fix the holes in the Giants’ Linebacker core.

Click names for video highlight.

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1. Aaron Curry (Wake Forest) 6-3, 245

Not gonna happen.

2. James Laurinaitis (Ohio State) 6-3, 240

He played Inside Linebacker in college but has the ability to play outside. He has good speed and range, but lacks some of the physical tools of other top linebackers in this draft. He has great football smarts and gets the most out of his abilities. Would have been a much higher pick if he had opted for the draft last season. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Giants drafting him with the 29^th pick in his first mock draft, although it’s hard to see him falling that far.

3. Brian Cushing (USC) 6-3, 250

The reviews on Cushing are mixed. While many believe he is the second best Outside Linebacker in the draft due to his great athleticism and football smarts, others believe that his game will not translate well to the pro level. He can play both Inside and Outside Linebacker, as well as Defensive End. While this shows good versatility, it could also indicate the he does not have a true position. He has battled injuries throughout career.

4. Clint Sintim (Virginia) 6-3, 250

Based on a lot of mock drafts, Sintim could be the best linebacker available for the Giants at pick 29. However, some scouts say that Sintim’s value is solely as a pass rushing linebacker in a 3-4 system. Others scouts say that he plays the run and pass effectively, and that he would be a great fit in the Giants system. If the Giants think he can excel in a 4-3 system, Sintim could be the most logical match.

5. Clay Matthews (USC) 6-3, 240

Every knock against Cushing could also be applied to Matthews. He has injury concerns, although not as great as Cushing’s. There is also question of whether he has a true position, and he is not great in coverage. He does have a great feel for the game, though, and is still getting better.

6. Marcus Freemen (Ohio State) 6-1, 240

Slightly undersized compared to other prospects, Freemen makes up for it with great speed and athleticism. Still, his lack of strength and blitzing ability could hurt him. The Giants may be better off with the guys they already have on the roster such as Brian Kehl and Jonathan Goff.

Keep an eye on:

Gerald McRath (Southern Miss) 6-3, 220

Jonathan Casillas (Wisconson) 6-2, 230

Zack Follet (California) 6-1, 240

Tryone McKenzie (South Florida) 6-1, 240

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I’ve watched Sintim play a bit, and he has some rather beastly qualities. If the Giants feel that he could fit into Bill Sheridan’s system, I wouldn’t mind seeing him taken in the first round. Laurinaitis would also be a great pick, but I can’t see 28 teams passing on him.

It is possible that Cushing, Laurinaitis and Sintim will all be off the board by the 29^th pick, so the Giants may consider trading up for one of the aforementioned Linebackers, taking a Wide Receiver, or drafting a Defensive End and moving Kiwanuka back to Linebacker (although if it were up to me, the Kiwanuka at Linebacker experiment would be over). They could even trade out of the first round and draft a couple of quality second round Wide Receivers or Linebackers.  The possibilities are endless.

HBO’s Real Sports recently aired a segment discussing the widespread activity of NFL players being gun owners. Players cited that the money and attention that being a player makes them a target for robbery and that many of them feel like they have to hold a gun to protect themselves. Many of the players come from rough neighborhoods with dangerous people who know their family and often, where they live.

Marcellus Wiley, a former player, spoke about how he carried his gun for peace of mind but it morphed into paranoia. He no longer wanted to be a member of the NFL gun club, and decided that something bad would happen before something good could happen by using it. He wound up tossing the gun into Niagra Falls. He believes that players will continue to carry guns because of what happened to Sean Taylor, and because the players continue to make more and more money, making them bigger targets.

Plaxico Burress was cited as an irresponsible gun owner because he carried an unregistered gun and didn’t holster it properly.

The gun debate is a larger issue than we can tackle here, but there are good and bad reasons for players having a gun. I am not saying it is right or wrong, but I can understand feeling the need to protect yourself. That being said, like Marcellus said in the segment, it often winds up causing more problems than solving them, as we’ve seen with Plaxico.

According to nj.com, Giants receiver Taye Biddle was shot in the hand on Sunday night while visiting his family in Decatur, Alabama.  He has already been treated and released from a local hospital.  No arrest has been made.

Biddle was the receiver the Giants signed from the practice squad to replace Plaxico Burress after he shot himself.

You can’t make this stuff up.  Well you could, but then it wouldn’t be as coincidental.

Most Giants fans agree that the two biggest areas of need are at linebacker and wide receiver. Which position is at a higher priority is debatable, but it is certain that the Giants will address these two weaknesses during the offseason. Being that the Giants have three picks in the first two rounds, it is possible that Jerry Reese will decide to plug these holes with rookie players. With the recent first day selections of Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Kenny Phillips and Terrell Thomas, Reese has shown that he is not afraid to use the draft to fix the team’s biggest flaws.

The draft is still months away (April 25 & 26), but it is never too early to start looking at possible prospects. With questions surrounding the futures of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, it is entirely possible that the Giants could head into the draft with only one receiver over 6 feet (Domenik Hixon). Whether or not Burress and Toomer return, the Giants should look to pick up a tall receiver for the present and future. Let us now take a look at some of the players at wide receiver who will make the most sense for the Giants.

Note: due to the glut of smallish receivers on the roster (Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham), prospects under 6′1 will not be considered.

Click names for video highlight.

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1. Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) 6-3, 214

Not gonna happen.

2. Darrius Heyward-Bey (Maryland) 6-3, 206

One of the best athletes in the draft, Hey-Bey is rumored to have run a sub-4.3 40-yard dash, is skilled at jump balls and can break tackles. His draft stock could fall due to the fact that his abilities are raw and his stats were hurt by being in a rushing offense. He could be the second receiver taken, or he could fall out of the first round, depending on how he performs at the combine.

3. Jeremy Maclin (Missouri) 6-1, 200

Maclin is the whole package, combining size and speed, and strength. He also has the ability to return punts and kicks effectively. He put up eye-popping numbers in a good college offense. He might not be available by the time the Giants pick in the first round.

4. Kenny Britt (Rutgers) 6-4, 205

While not as fast as Heyward Bey or Maclin, the local boy uses his size to his advantage. He is somewhat inconsistent, is a raw route runner, and rumors are that he may have some attitude problems (but then again, who doesn’t these days?). He looks the part, and would be a solid second round pick.

5. Hackeem Nicks (North Carolina) 6-1, 215

Pretty good size and strength, but only average speed. He showed his amazing hands and focus in making one of the best catches of the year during the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

6. Louis Murphy (Florida) 6-2, 205

Similar to Heyward-Bey in that he has great speed and size, but was underutilized in college. Florida’s offense did not make use of this deep threat, and he was overshadowed by the smaller Percy Harvin. Murphy has a lot of promise and could turn into a second round steal.

Second Day Sleepers:

Ramses Barden (Cal Poly) 6-6, 227

At 6-6, Barden is already a Giant (hahahaha!) His gigantic body would provide a Plax-like target for Eli. He can catch, but has trouble separating due to below average speed.

Darius Passmore (Marshall) 6-3, 188

Good size, good hands, average speed. If he sticks in the NFL, he could go down as one of the most appropriately named players since QB Adam Throwgood and RB Steven Runfast. Just imagine all the hilarious “we need to pass more to Passmore” jokes.

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This draft is deep at wide receiver, so it is possible that teams will pass on some of the top-tier prospects, knowing that there will be other quality receivers later in the draft. I would like to see the Giants go after Heyward-Bey, who I think has the highest upside, or Kenny Britt, whose body type makes him a perfect future replacement for Plaxico Burress.

What do you think the Giants should do with their three first-day picks? Are there any receivers you’d like to see them go after that I have not mentioned? Don’t be afraid to share your opinions.