Author Archives: Jared Blank

About Jared Blank

Giants. Mets. Rangers. Knicks. U of Michigan Tool. APC. True Story: circa 2004 I meet Eli Manning at a signing at the Palisades Mall. Me: "Good luck this weekend E" (as if I've been friends with "E" since we were in Middle School.) Eli: "Thanks" (or something that sounded like that). Manning went out that weekend and went 17-37 162 yards 1 TD and 2 INT with a QB Rtg. of 45.1 in his first career NFL start (a loss to the Falcons). We haven't spoken since.

This past Sunday, Giants QB Eli Manning and his brother QB Peyton Manning served as honorary coaches for rival High School football teams.

The game, sponsored by Gatorade,  featured the 1993 Philipsburg High School team taking on their arch rivals, the  Easton Red Rovers at Lafayette College, PA in a resumption of a 7-7 game.

The meeting was the 104th in this rivalry and sold more than 10,000 tickets in less than 90 minutes.  Both teams prepared by practicing and training with Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid and RB Brian Westbrook.

When it was over, Eli’s team came out ahead 27-12.

Photos and video can be found here.

Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com reports that the Detroit Lions have come to an agreement with their all but officially announced #1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, QB Matthew Stafford.

According to Glazer the deal is worth $78 million over six years, $41.7 million of that is guaranteed.

John Clayton of ESPN.com has some more details on Stafford’s contractual details:

Stafford would have to make the Pro Bowl each year to get to $78 million, so he has a better chance to make $72 million. In order to receive the full $41.7 million in guarantees, Stafford has to play 35 percent of the downs as a rookie or 45 percent in later years of the contract.

Truly an amazing amount of money guaranteed for someone who has never played a down in the NFL. The deal eclipses last years highest picked QB, Matt Ryan by Atlanta, taken at #3 overall.  Ryan’s six year deal was worth $72 million, with $34.75 million of that guaranteed.

Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger checks in with a very interesting story about the details of WR Plaxico Burress‘ release from the Giants yesterday.

“According to someone familiar with the negotiations, the team offered Burress the chance to earn all of the money that was written into his contract from here on out. All he had to do was end his fight for the money he forfeited over the last four weeks of last season (base salary, roster bonus and signing bonus) during which he was suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team” and start playing by their rules.”

According to a source close to the team, the Giants would have allowed Burress to earn the following on his remaining four year contract if he dropped his grievance stemming from his self inflicted gunshot wound in November 2008.  $11.5 million in base salary; $3.5 in reporting bonuses; $8.2 in roster bonuses; $5 million in escalators and $1.3 million in workout bonuses.  That totals out to $29.5 million.

I will be stunned if anyone gives him this kind of money in his next contract.  At minimum one would think he’s headed for a Terrell Owens type 1 year deal when Burress signs with a new club.

Tom Rock of Newsday provides an update on the DE Chris Canty front.

Just heard back from a second source who told me the Giants have every intention of keeping an open mind when it comes to Chris Canty and they will meet with him on Sunday. The signings of Boley and Bernard, the source said, will have “no effect” on the Giants’ intentions with Canty.

Ralph Vacchiano reports the Giants are not interested in signing both Rocky Bernard and Canty.

Here is Canty’s official website which is very impressive.

Mike Garafolo at the Star-Ledger reports the Giants are close to signing LB Michael Boley to a 5-year $25 million deal.  The deal is expected to guarantee $10 million.

Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News confirms the signing is close as well.

Update 8:47 a.m. ET -  The deal is done pending a physical according to Newsday. Here is the Daily News article on the signing.

Tagged Michael Boley |

According to Giants.com, the Giants have franchised RB Brandon Jacobs.

Michael Eisen explains the franchise in further detail adding:

Under the terms of the CBA, that player receives a one-year tender for the average of the five largest salaries at his position the previous season. In 2008, the NFL’s five highest-paid running backs earned an average of $6.6 million.

The designation does not preclude the Giants or any other team from negotiating a multi-year contract when the free agency period begins on February 27th.

You’d think this has got to make Jacobs very upset as he was looking for a long term deal.

Giants RB Derrick Ward has been nominated for the Week 16 FedEx Ground Award.

In order to vote for Derrick head over to NFL.com/FedEx

Fans can vote up until 11 a.m. on Friday morning.  $1000 will be donated to the Safe Kids Coalition of New York if Ward wins.

Ward is 52 yards short of 1,000 yards. If he reaches the century mark, the Giants will be only the fourth team ever to have two running backs with 1,000 or more yards.

Well deserved for Ward to say the least.  As an FYI his competition is Cedric Benson and LeRon Mc Clain.  Good luck Derrick.

Following are some news and notes from various sources on last night’s classic vs Carolina.

• The Giants rushed for the most yards in a game since 1959, ESPN.com reports.
• ESPN.com also reports that RB Derrick Ward had the highest yards per carry average in a single game in Giants history at 14.3  His 215 yards rushing was 4th all time in a single Giants game.
• Paul Schwartz of the NY Post believes the play of the game was P Jeff Feagles‘ punt which was knocked out of bounds at the 1-yard line by CB Terrell Thomas.
• Schwartz also believes Coach Tom Coughlin will play most of his starters, but likely will rest anyone with medical issues.
• Tom Rock of Newsday goes through all of the NFL Playoff scenarios as we head into the final week of the regular season.
• David Scott of the Charlotte Observer writes a detailed story on K John Kasay’s 50 yard field goal miss that sent the game into OT.

According to Jay Glazer of FoxSports and reported by profootballtalk.com, Giants WR Plaxico Burress will not start today and may not play at all.

Glazer notes that Burress missed several treatments this week for his neck injury.

The Post’s Paul Schwartz has picked up on this story as well in his Giants Blog.

Daily news writer Ralph Vacchiano weighs in as well here.

The Giants are said to contemplating another suspension for Burress.

I’m sure this story will continue to unfold but it’s hard to believe we are going through this again with Burress.  You wonder at what point his off the field distractions begin to hurt team chemistry.  Hopefully it does not.  Stay tuned obviously.

UPDATE 3:06PM : Daily News beat reporter Ralph Vacchiano confirms that Domenik Hixon will get the first-team nod, but writes that he’s “hearing (Plax) will likely play, and he only skipped treatment once.” The Star-Ledger’s Mike Garafalo is hearing that Burress will only miss the first series.

Sadly, Neil Best at Newsday is reporting that former Giants defensive back and current radio broadcaster, Dick Lynch has passed away at 72.

Lynch has been a Giants broadcaster since 1967.

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