Monthly Archives: February 2010
- Feb. 25 – Deadline for clubs to designate franchise and transition players.
- March 4 — Deadline for submission of qualifying offers by clubs to their restricted free agents whose contracts have expired and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation.
- March 4 — Deadline for clubs to submit offer of minimum salary to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with fewer than three seasons of free agency credit whose contracts have expired.
- March 5 – Start of capped or uncapped 2010 NFL season.
- March 5 — Free agency begins.
- March 5 — Trading period begins.
- April 15 — Deadline for signing of Offer Sheets of Restricted Free Agents.
- April 21 — Deadline for old club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.
- June 1 — Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned unrestricted free agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for rest of season if player is not signed by another club by July 22.
- June 1 — Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned restricted free agents or to extend qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights.
- June 15 — Deadline for old clubs to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting tender of 110 percent of previous year’s salary.
Tagged 2010 NFL Free Agency |
Below is a breakdown of the tender offers, listed by number of accrued seasons, for Restricted Free Agents in 2010.
As per NFLLabor.com…….
Player with THREE Accrued Seasons
Right of First Refusal — $1,101,000
Right of First Refusal + Pick in player’s original draft round — $1,101,000*
Right of First Refusal + Second-Round Draft Pick — $1,684,000*
Right of First Refusal + First-Round Draft Pick — $2,396,000*
Right of First Refusal + First- AND Third-Round Draft Picks — $3,043,000*
*or 110% of player’s 2009 Paragraph 5 Salary, whichever is greater
Player with FOUR Accrued Seasons
Right of First Refusal — $1,176,000
Right of First Refusal + Pick in player’s original draft round — $1,176,000*
Right of First Refusal + Second-Round Draft Pick — $1,759,000*
Right of First Refusal + First-Round Draft Pick — $2,521,000*
Right of First Refusal + First- AND Third-Round Draft Picks — $3,168,000*
*or 110% of player’s 2009 Paragraph 5 Salary, whichever is greater
Player with FIVE Accrued Seasons
Right of First Refusal — $1,226,000
Right of First Refusal + Pick in player’s original draft round — $1,226,000*
Right of First Refusal + Second-Round Draft Pick — $1,809,000*
Right of First Refusal + First-Round Draft Pick — $2,621,000*
Right of First Refusal + First- AND Third-Round Draft Picks — $3,268,000*
*or 110% of player’s 2009 Paragraph 5 Salary, whichever is greaterRFA
Tagged 2010 NFL Free Agency |
Judging by last season’s meltdown on defense, the pundits have been poring over the short list of defensive free agents and eligible draftees the Giants should bring in this spring.
When I look at the roster, the defense is not the only shaky unit I see.
The offensive line is cracking, the running game has disintegrated and – believe it or not – they could use an impact player at tight end.
Plus, if David Carr goes elsewhere, they will need some security at quarterback behind Eli Manning. I don’t think Rhett Bomar is ready for that role yet.
The best part of all of this is that we don’t need to do anything at WR, except sign Steve Smith to long-term deal.
In free agency, the Giants will look to get some holes filled in areas where it makes sense. But on draft day, they will take the best available player on the board.
This has always been the strategy. They need help almost everywhere, so why take a subpar player out of need when they could draft a star at another position? The objective is to better your roster, and I think they will do that in the next two months.
Tagged 2010 Offseason |
According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk will work out for both the Giants and Jets this week.
Folk was just awful last year, missing 10 of 28 attempts after missing only seven of his first 53 in his career. Still, he’s only 25 and is a former pro bowler. Assuming last year was just a hiccup, he’d be an upgrade over Lawrence Tynes.
Giants on Dansby’s Wish List
Free-Agent LB Karlos Dansby (nee Arizona Cardinals) has whittled his destination wish list down to four teams: Miami, San Diego, Washington and the Giants. In many experts’ opinion, the Giants stand a good chance of landing Dansby.
Washington will assuredly load up an offer with a heavy bonus attached should they be serious in pursuing Dansby. But everyone knows the Redskins need to concentrate on offense and they will most likely put their chips into improving on that side of the ball.
San Diego could sweep in, but their defensive needs are more urgent on the line and in the secondary. Miami, who may be clearing out the middle of their defense (Joey Porter) in preparation for a run at Dansby, could be the Giants’ main competition here.
Staying or Going…?
RFAs: Chase Blackburn, LB; Kevin Boothe, G; C.C. Brown, S; Barry Cofield, DT; Kevin Dockery, CB; Derek Hagan, WR; Sinorice Moss, WR; Guy Whimper, T; Gerris Wilkinson, LB; Domenik Hixon, WR; DJ Ware, RB; Dave Tollefson, DE; TE Darcy Johnson.
Of this group, the Giants have to decide who they will tender and who they will release. If a player is offered a tender, he gets a one-year-deal at the market price at that tender level.
Blackburn, Cofield, Boothe, Dockery, Hixon and Hagen will all likely be tendered while the others may just be released. C.C. Brown has become the poster child for the secondary’s failures. Whimper and Wilkinson may have finally run out of chances. Moss most certainly will not be tendered. Tollefson, Ware and Johnsons’ futures are all still uncertain.
The Giants are still hopeful that Rocky Bernard, Chris Canty and Jay Alford have something to give them, so Cofield could be a casualty here as well, but I doubt it.
UFAs: QB David Carr, LB Danny Clark, P Jeff Feagles and DT Fred Robbins
Carr may be offered a contract by the Giants, but in all likelihood, he’ll look for destination where he could possibly start. Clark will only be re-signed if the Giants crap out in their LB search. I don’t see either Feagles or Robbins returning.
…..but…Feagles has been talking up one final year. The Giants were concerned with his distance punting the second half of the season. Currently, they do not have an immediate backup in place at punter, so this decision still looms…
Others
T Kareem McKenzie may end up being cut due to his high price and the emergence of Will Beatty.
Tagged 2010 NFL Free Agency |
They say it takes three years to fairly grade an NFL draft class. Well, it’s been three seasons since Jerry Reese’s first draft as an NFL GM.
With this draft, Reese put his name into consideration for the NFL’s best drafter. This draft class was affectionately referred to as “Reese’s Pieces” and many were instrumental in the Giants’ Super Bowl run.
Aaron Ross (Round 1, Pick 20)
Ross had a very good rookie year and looked to be the Giants’ No. 1 cornerback of the future. Since then, Ross has regressed and faced nagging injuries, while Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas have cemented their place as the Giants’ top two cornerbacks.
If healthy, Ross could either bounce back and give the Giants one of the best CB cores in the NFL, or he could continue to play like a slightly above average defensive back. He could also be moved to safety, although this is unlikely. Ross is already 27, older than most players in his draft class, so 2010 will be a big year for him.
Because he was such a big part of the Giants’ Super Bowl defense, its hard to argue that Ross was a bad pick. He has the talent to be a top CB, but he needs to put it all together or else he’ll be a disappointment after his great rookie season.
Fairly or unfairly, he will always pale in comparison to Darelle Revis, whom the Jets traded up six picks ahead of the Giants to draft.
Grade: B
Steve Smith (Round 2, Pick 51)
Taken just six picks after his USC teammate Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith was an underrated draft prospect who continues to play way above expectations in the NFL. Smith was the No. 2 target to Jarrett in college, but there is no argument as to who is the better pro player.
Smith set the Giants’ single-season receptions record with 107 in 2009, and he has given Eli Manning and the Giants a third down weapon rivaled only by Wes Welker of the Pats.
Smith caught a huge third down pass and got out of bounds immediately before Eli Manning hit Plaxico Burress to win Super Bowl 42. Now Smith has replaced Burress as Eli’s first look and safety net in the offense.
Grade: A+
Jay Alford (Round 3, Pick 81)
Like the two above, Alford was key to the Giants’ Super Bowl victory. Although he was not as instrumental as the above players in the NFC playoffs, he provided one of the most memorable moments of the game; sacking Tom Brady in the waning minutes to basically seal the victory.
He was also the long snapper on field goal attempts in 2007.
Since then, Alford had developed into a very nice player and looked to be on the verge of a breakout season before blowing out his knee in the preseason.
If fully healthy, Alford should be a big part of the defense in 2010, and he could eventually become a starting defensive tackle.
Grade: B
Zak DeOssie (Round 4, Pick 116)
Zak and his father Steve DeOssie are the only father-son combination to win Super Bowl rings with the same franchise, and for that reason alone, this was a worthwhile pick.
Family ties aside, DeOssie was a solid pick due to his solid contributions on special teams and as a long snapper. Although he has not made a big impact on defense, he has been an okay reserve.
He also made it to the Pro Bowl as long snapper, in part because Giants’ kicker John Carney and punter Jeff Feagles were on the team.
Grade: B-
Kevin Boss (Round 5, Pick 153)
When Boss was selected in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, it looked like nothing more than a late-round flier on a position already filled by pro bowler Jeremy Shockey.
Little did Giants fans know that less than a year later, Kevin Boss would be running down the field, holding onto the ball for dear life as Rodney Harrison tried to drag him down in one of the most important plays of Super Bowl 42.
Boss did a great job replacing Shockey and his play directly led to a Giants’ touchdown in the Super Bowl. Since then, Boss has gotten better every year and looks every bit the part of an every down tight end.
His blocking has improved, he’s turned into a a red zone weapon and he constantly puts his body into harms way to make tough catches. And he almost always hangs on.
Grade: A
Adam Koets (Round 6, Pick 189)
Koets has played in only one regular season contest, as well as playing on special teams during the Giants’ NFC Wild Card victory over Tampa Bay in the 2007 playoffs.
You can’t win ‘em all.
Grade: D
Michael Johnson (Round 7, Pick 224)
A great find this late in the draft. No, Johnson is not a pro bowl caliber player; he is basically a slightly better than average starting safety. But to be able to find a solid starter this late in the draft is something that can separate good GMs from great ones.
He made modest contributions his rookie season, including a handful of tackles in the playoffs.
But his second season, he was able to take a big step forward and hold onto a starting safety spot the entire season, recording 72 tackles and two interceptions. In 2009, he was one of the only consistent members of a secondary ravaged by injuries.
In an ideal world, Johnson would be the team’s third safety. He is not a great talent, but he is not someone who will make the pass defense a weakness either. If the rest of the defense is healthy, he is certainly good enough to be a solid starting safety.
Grade: A-
Ahmad Bradshaw (Round 7, Pick 250)
The steal of the draft for the Giants. Bradshaw was a talented running back from Marshall who slipped to the seventh round due to character issues. Since being drafted, his personal life has not been a problem.
He led the Giants in rushing yards in Super Bowl 42, which should be enough to qualify a seventh rounder as a success. But Bradshaw keeps proving himself as a legitimate force in the NFL.
He is one of the shiftiest runners in the league, with the ability to turn broken plays into big gains. He also has a lot of strength for a smaller back, giving him the ability to run between the tackles.
He has been a great change of pace from the bruising Brandon Jacobs, and has the talent to reward the Giants greatly when given a larger role in the offense.
Grade: A+
Recap:
Any time a draft gives you the long term impact this draft gave the 2007 Giants, it has to be considered a success.
Flash forward three years and this draft has given the team two starting defensive backs, a starting tight end, a 100 reception wide receiver, a playmaking change of pace running back, a valuable rotation defensive tackle and a key special teams player. And Adam Koets.
But what made this draft class so special is that seven of the eight players had a legitimate impact on the team in their rookie year. Plainly put, this team would not have won Super Bowl 42 without the contributions this rookie class gave them.
It’s hard to imagine a better draft class, top to bottom.
Draft Grade: A+
John Mara, who was uncertain about bringing the Giants back to the University of Albany this summer fro training camp, is said to be in negotiations to do just that.
With few alternatives on the table, this seems to be the best move. Mara had intimated that he felt the club could just bypass the travel upstate and hold training camp at the new Timex center adjacent to the Meadowlands.
That would have been a bad move. Its the general consensus around the league that conducting camp off-site is better for privacy, focus and team-building.
Coaching Changes
WR coach Mike Sullivan will slide into the QB coaching spot left vacant by Chris Palmer’s departure.
Offensive quality control coach Sean Ryan will backfill the WR coaching slot and his spot will be taken over by- get this – Kevin Gilbride, Jr.
Tagged Giants News, New York Giants |
What do the Giants need this off-season? They need to add as many useful players as possible without losing any key players or draft choices in the process.
With that in mind, the suddenly over-saturated restricted free agent list is probably not where they’ll be looking to add from. Signing one of these players would mean surrendering valuable draft choices, a practice this franchise does not usually partake in.
Here are the top-rated unrestricted free agent safeties, linebackers, offensive lineman and running backs that will be available March 5th:
Safeties
The Giants will probably add one through the draft, but they will take a look at veterans such as Tampa Bay’s Jermaine Phillips and Will Allen. Along with 13-year vet Darren Sharper, one of these may be worth a flier.
Phillips, an 8-year man out of Georgia, spent the majority of 2009 on IR with broken thumb. He may come cheap. Allen also finished 2009 on IR, was a Pro Bowl first alternate after the 2008 season. The former Ohio State Buckeye is also a valuable asset on special teams.
The only other UFA safety I would recommend is a former Giant – Pittsburgh’s Ryan Clark. I know, this is not much to deal with, but the alternatives are just downright scary….
Linebacker
In the middle you could grab Gary Brackett or Larry Foote if you like. Both are still pretty good players, but do they have more upside than Jonathan Goff? Hmmmm.
On the outside, there are some interesting names, but outside of Karlos Dansby are any worth bringing in? Keith Bulluck, Tully Banta-Cain, Scott Fujita and Paris Lenon are not players that are going to help sell those empty club-level seats.
Offensive Line
At tackle, its unlikely you’re going to find one worth signing under the uncapped rules. Any OT worth his salt will be tagged. The top three remaining are Chad Clifton, Mike Gandy and Tony Pashos. Good luck.
On the inside, there are very few attractive names as well: Chester Pitts, Bobbie Williams and Stephen Neal. All of these players have been in the league a decade or close to it.
Center is where I worry. Shaun O’Hara will be 33 this season and is the only pure center on the roster. The team needs to start thinking about finding an heir. Adam Koets has been kept on the roster for three years and is said to be a possibility, but the Giants may look for a proven veteran.
Of the UFA candidates there is little to get excited about after 16-year vet Kevin Mawae.
Running Back
Every Giant running back was injured in 2009. Brandon Jacobs banged up his knee in Week 1 and never got going. Danny “DJ” Ware was supposed to fill the void left by Derrick Ward, but he was banged up and also never got going.
Ahmad Bradshaw‘s feet and ankles troubled him all season and Andre Brown blew out his Achilles in training camp. Gartrell Johnson, signed off the Chargers’ practice squad, was never integrated into the offense.
If all of these players make it back for training camp this season, the Giants may not need help at RB, but, they may decide otherwise in the interim. The UFAs that caught my eye are Willie Parker and Chester Taylor. Both could help this team if healthy.
Tagged 2010 NFL Free Agency |
The news today that the Giants parted ways with MLB and defensive captain Antonio Pierce should come as no surprise to anyone.
Pierce’s neck injury is possibly a career-ending one, depending on who you talk to. With one year to go on his contract, it was a 50-50 chance that he could play this year anyhow.
Questions about Pierce’s range arose last season only to be pooh-poohed by the Giant coaches, but it was apparent that “AP” was slowing up. The Giants also could not have been pleased with Pierce’s role in the Plaxico affair, which makes this move less stinging.
That being said, this was expected especially when you see potential depth charts drawn up by pundits that did not have Pierce on them.
Tagged Antonio Pierce |
According to Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger, Antonio Pierce has been cut.
Pierce, who had one season left on his contract, was cut most likely due to the bulging disk in his neck.
The transaction is said to be announced shortly.
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