The Giants will have a quick walk-thru this morning before heading across the river for the annual Kickoff Luncheon to benefit the John V. Mara Memorial Cancer Research Fund of St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan.

With the deadline for cuts cuts looming large (Saturday 4pm), and the final preseason game only a day away, the Giants will not have much time to sort out their opening day roster.

This is the second short week the team has had this preseason. With many key decisions still in the balance, the coaches will be pressed to make cuts with less than the norm when it comes to data.

Tom Coughlin would only say that some jobs were still open, the starters would play the first quarter and QBs Andre Woodson and Rhett Bomar would get significant playing time.

With OLB Michael Boley facing suspension for Week One,  the Giants can float DL Jay Alford until Week Two of the season.  The medical staff believes Alford’s knee may not need surgery and can be rehabilitated with stabilization methods.  If he doesn’t improve by then, a decision will be made on his season at that time.

Osi Umenyiora took a severe ribbing over his AWOL episode.  All is well now that the Pro Bowl DE has returned to his senses.

“If I would have known it was going to be all this,” Umenyiora said, “I would have done something real bad.”

With OTA’s complete, only one thing stands between the New York Giants and the season opener vs. the Washington Redskins…training camp.

Training camp is set to begin on August 3rd at the University of Albany and finishes up on August 25. This camp marks the first time in NFL history that a training camp will start in August. The team will practice 17 days in that span, including eight double-sessions.

For more details on public parking, practice dates and times, merchandise information, and more  go to Giants.com or ualbanysports.com.

Alike other NFL teams, the Giants look forward to having some legitimate training camp positional battles that can have a big impact on the upcoming season.As we inch closer to the start of camp, I will be previewing some of those crucial position battles including the one on the wide receiver depth chart, and even the interesting vie for the 3rd-string quarterback job between second year QB Andre’ Woodson and rookie QB Rhett Bomar.

Good and Bad, But No Ugly

The Giants’ 2009 schedule bears much similarity to their 2008 schedule. There are a few differences, some welcome, some not.

The Good

The BYE week was in Week 5 last year. This year it is during Week 10, giving the team a much needed strategic break later in the season.

No jet lag this season: The Giants furthest road opponent is Denver (on Thanksgiving Night).

Between October 25th and November 22nd, the Giants have only one road game, and that is in Philadelphia (November 1st).

The Bad

Even though the Giants are scheduled to play in the Eastern time zone 11 times, only 7 of those games are slated as 1PM Sunday starts. The flex schedule kicks in in Week 13 and two of those games (vs Carolina; at Minnesota) may be changed to later times if needed.

The Giants are on the road 3 consecutive weeks between Week 2-4 (at Dallas, at Tampa, at KC), come home to host Oakland in Week 5 before heading back on the road to New Orleans.

Notes

The last five games of 2008 were: @Was, Phi, @Dal, Car and @Min. This year’s final five games are almost identical: Dal, Phi, @Was, Car, @Min.

In the spotlight…..

The Giants are currently scheduled to play in prime time 5 times:
9/20 at Dallas
10/25 vs Arizona
11/26 at Denver (Thanksgiving night)
12/13 vs Philadelphia
12/21 @ Washington (Mon)

Other possible national games (the 4:15 starts):
9/13 vs Washington
11/1 @Philadelphia
11/8 vs San Diego
12/6 vs Dallas

*The Giants appeared in prime time 5 times last year and played three 4:15 national games.

For those interested….

The Giants will see Jeremy Shockey for the first time since they traded him in 2008 when they visit the Saints on Sunday, Oct. 10th.

Philip Rivers will make his first appearance in the Meadowlands to face the team that drafted (and traded) him in the 2004 NFL Draft when the San Diego Chargers come in on November 8th.

Six 2008 opponents ended up in the playoffs. Six 2008 playoff teams are on this year’s schedule as well (Phi, Ari, Atl, Car, Min, SD).

Coughlin Firmly In Charge

Head Coach – Tom Coughlin
Offensive Coordinator- Kevin Gilbride
Defensive Coordinator – Bill Sheridan

Offensive Assistants: Jerald Ingram (running backs), Chris Palmer (quarterbacks), Pat Flaherty (offensive line), Jack Bicknell, Jr. (asst. offensive line), Mike Pope (tight ends), Mike Sullivan (wide receivers), Sean Ryan (quality control)

Defensive Assistants: Mike Waufle (defensive line), Jim Herrmann (linebackers), Pete Giunta (cornerbacks), David Merritt (safeties), Al Holcomb (quality control)

Special Teams: Tom Quinn, Thomas McGaughey

Strength and Conditioning: Jerry Palmieri, Markus Paul

********************************************************
Tom Coughin- Head Coach (6th Year)

Down-to-Earth and genuine, Coughlin almost lost his job after the 2006 season. He had always been known as a disciplinarian and his rigid tactics and unbending rules caused a rift in the locker room. His style was a 180-degree turn from his predecessor, the flexible and lenient Jim Fassel. Players felt he was taking the regimentation a tad too far.

With his contract due to expire at the end of the coming season, ownership extended Coughlin for a year in January of 2007 so he would not be a ‘lame-duck’ coach. With that extension came requests that he loosen up on the players. He did. The rest is history.

As a coach Coughlin was treading water after three seasons. He was 25-23 with two playoff losses and the team was stuck in neutral. Then Jerry Reese took over as GM and began bringing the young talent that would help turn his team into a serious contender. This season, Coach Coughlin has another crop of young studs to deal with. They will get the full treatment and he turn them into professionals.

Analysis: Coughlin tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, but since the Giants won a championship, that’s now seen as a positive. He’s outlasted the stubborn veterans who staged a mini-mutiny a few years back and has currently has more security and control than ever. Coughlin has built a solid staff of veteran coaches that adds to the success of the team. He rarely hires coaches with little or no experience. The Giants are pleased they stuck with Coughlin because he has become an excellent game coach: his strategy is usually right on and his ability to adjust in-game is up there with the best.

Offense

Coach Coughlin’s stamp is all over this group. He likes to surround himself with familiar faces. OC Kevin Gilbride held the same job under Coughlin in Jacksonville. So did RB coach Jerald Ingram. WR coach Mike Sullivan and QB coach Chris Palmer were also on Coughlin’s staff with the Jaguars. Jack Bicknell, Jr was a player at BC when Coughlin was the QB coach there under Bicknell’s father. TE coach Mike Pope coached with Coughlin in both New England and under Bill Parcells with the Giants.

Only OL coach Pat Flaherty and Quality Control coach Sean Ryan did not have prior working experience either next to, or under Tom Coughlin. That hasn’t put them at a disadvantage, though. This group understands what it needs to do to win ballgames. The major challenge has been having to go from a veteran team to a young team without losing any productivity.

Analysis: This year, that challenge gets even greater. The Giants will be asking their rookie receivers to step up and attempt to help re-establish the passing game. That will not be easy to do. The running game and the offensive line are staples on this team and both are amongst the leagues’ best. QB Eli Manning still remains an enigma – one game on, one game off. He needs to become more consistent. If he does, the Giants will be at the top of the standings again.

Defense

The Giants like to choose defensive coaches that have a history of sticking to basics and regimentation. DC Bill Sheridan coached at Army, Michigan and Notre Dame before joining the Giants in 2005. LB coach Jim Herrmann actually had Sheridan on his staff at Michigan in the early part of the decade. Herrmann played and coached at Michigan for a quarter-century and began his career under the great Bo Schembechler.

CB coach Pete Giunta coached at Penn State and was the Rams’ DC when they won Super Bowl XXXIV. Safeties coach David Merritt is a former NFL linebacker who once coached defense at VMI. Al Holcomb is a former phys ed teacher that toiled in the NCAA Division II coaching ranks before being hired by Coughlin last year to become the defensive quality control coach for the Giants. Finally, DL coach Mike Waufle has a long resume. Waufle has been coaching defensive lines in both the collegiate and professional ranks for nearly 30 years.

Analysis: The defensive line rotation when it gets cooking under Waufle is practically unstoppable. Last year, the rotation took a hit when Michael Strahan retired and Osi Umenyiora missed the entire year with a knee injury. This year, they are stacked again with bodies. They will bring the pressure big time, which will alleviate the stress on the back seven. The linebackers are going to shock people. Herrmann loves the possibilities of having Michael Boley and Clint Sintim flanking captain Anotnio Pierce. Look out. The secondary has benefited from three top draft choices – Corey Webster, Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips. Giunta and Merritt work well together and this group has the potential to become great, not just good.

Special Teams

Tom Quinn and Thomas McGaughey are back running the show. Last year, the Giants sent 3 special teamers to the Pro Bowl: punter Jeff Feagles, kicker John Carney and long snapper Zak DeOssie. This year, Carney is out and Lawrence Tynes is back in. The Giants will see how much Ahmad Bradshaw and Domenik Hixon are needed on the offense before deciding on whether to switch them out of their returner roles. The Giants are one club that actually makes out on the new wedge rule. They normally don’t run many kicks back for big yardage, and they usually fend the kickoff very well.

Analysis: The Tynes for Carney switch makes everyone uneasy, but Tynes has a long-term deal with four years left so live with it. The coaches would prefer that Hixon continue his returner role. That would happen only if the rookie wideouts unseat him in the starting lineup.

Strength and Conditioning

Jerry Palmieri is another guy who has been following Coughlin around. From BC to Jacksonville to the Giants, Palmieri has been keeping the Giants in top physical form. He was awarded the NFL’s S&C Coach of the Year in 2007. His assistant, Markus Paul, is a former DB for the Chicago Bears and has worked in an S&C capacity for the Jets, Patriots and Saints before joining the Giants in 2007.

Analysis: The Ginats just recently moved into a brand new training complex, just west of Giants Stadium. The 199,000 square-foot complex contains all of the modern amenities for proper training, including a 7500 square-foot weight room and four full practice fields: 3 grass and one FieldTurf.

Quick Question: What is the job of an NFL quality control coach? A quality control coach helps break down tape of the opponents, monitors his team’s tendencies so that measures can be taken to make his team less predictable and helps keep the players on script during practices. He is available to the head coach for whatever else needs to be done during practice or in preparation for the upcoming opponent. – Thanks to Steve Corkran of the Contra-Costa Times

Earth and Fire Looking For A Mighty Wind

Running Backs Coach: Jerald Ingram
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Gilbride

Running Backs: Brandon Jacobs (Starter), Ahmad Bradshaw, Danny Ware, Andre Brown, Dwayne Wright
Fullback: Madison Hedgecock

Overview: the Giants are one of two teams that have had a 1,000-yard rusher each of the past two seasons (San Diego is the other). Ingram has been handling the backs since Tom Coughlin took over in 2004 and previously worked under Coughlin in both Jacksonville and at Boston College. He can be credited with turning Tiki Barber into a superstar, correcting his style to reduce turnovers, and transforming the Giants’ running game into the game’s best. Last season the combination of Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Bradshaw (known as “Earth, Wind and Fire”) generated almost 3000 yards from scrimmage. Ward left via free agency to Tampa Bay in March.

Brandon Jacobs (“Earth”): From the day he was drafted in 2005 to this very day, no one knows what will happen when Jacobs touches the ball. They only know they don’t want to be in his way when it happens. The 6′4″, 260 lb Jacobs is a punishing, vibrant force that wears down defenses. If he gets past the line of scrimmage, he immediately becomes the biggest player on the field and there is little defenses can do except for batten down the hatches. He has been the anchor of the Giants’ backfield since Barber’s departure in 2006 and has racked up 2518 total yards and 21 TDs in his first two seasons as the featured back.

Jacobs came into the league a bit raw and is only now beginning to fine tune his skills and realize his potential. Teams that play the Giants must prepare for a physical battle first and foremost because of his presence, which sets the table for the slew of fleet backs that follow.

Ahmad Bradshaw (“Fire”): With his legal troubles hopefully behind him, Bradshaw can concentrate on becoming more of a presence in the Giants’ running game. He is ‘a change-up’ back, meaning his style is vastly different to that of Jacobs. Bradshaw usually catches defenses flatfooted when he enters the game. A multi-talented player, “Fire” has the ability to run effectively both inside and out as well as receive passes out of the backfield.  He has a knack for making the first defensive responders miss, which has resulted in several big plays for the Giants.  The key this season is to see how Bradshaw responds to the expanded role he will be given.

Danny Ware: Ware is a potential “Wind ” candidate who comes highly touted by the coaches and GM Jerry Reese. The 6′1″, 220 lb Ware is a product of the University of Georgia (Herschel Walker, Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst, Terrell Davis, Knowshon Moreno) and could fit nicely into the role played by Derrick Ward the past few seasons.

Andre Brown: Brown was taken in the 4th round this April and according to draftniks his talents are very similar to that of Ward’s. He is proficient at catching the ball out of the backfield and is extremely versatile. He will be in a battle with the others to see playing time, so it is important for him to get off to a good start in training camp.

Madison Hedgecock: The big fullback from North Carolina has proved to be an invaluable asset to the Blue. At 6′3″, 266lbs, having Hedgecock in the backfield is like having another guard in the lineup. He rarely touches the ball, but he has made the Giants’ running and passing game more effective. He slams into the line on running plays and watches Eli Manning’s back on most pass plays. As Jerry Reese likes to say “We’re a power rushing team”, and Hedgecock is at the forefront of that group.

Outlook: EWF is out to prove they can succeed without Ward. The expanded role of Bradshaw and the addition of Ware and Brown could make the Giants’ running game deeper than before by providing more options. In a season where the passing game is going through a transition, this group will undoubtedly take some pressure of that unit.

Eli At The Crossroads

• Quarterbacks Coach: Chris Palmer
• Offensive Quality Control Coach: Sean Ryan
• Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Gilbride

Quarterbacks: Eli Manning (Starter), David Carr, Andre Woodson, Rhett Bomar

Overview
Eli Manning is entering his sixth season as a Giant. He has already accomplished almost every goal the Giants had hoped. He has won them a Super Bowl and made the franchise one of the league’s most respected.   He is also in the last year of his current contract and there has been little talk of a new contract being negotiated. The Giants have brought back David Carr as the primary backup and are hoping they can groom a third stringer with the winner of the Andre Woodson—Rhett Bomar battle.

Eli Manning – as mentioned, he is a Super Bowl-winning MVP and the face of the franchise. His performance, however, other than the last five games of the 2007 Super Bowl run, has been average at best.  If he were not the younger brother of Peyton Manning one wonders if the Giants would be considering signing him to another long-term deal. He is also the legacy of the beloved former GM, Ernie Accorsi, who gave up so much to get him, so parting ways with Eli would send shockwaves through the Land of the Giants…

Since being given the starting position midway through the 2004 season, Eli has a regular season record of 42-29 with 98 TDs and 74 interceptions. Over that period, his completion rate is 55.9 and his QB rating is 76.1.  When it comes to passing yardage, he is averaging around 3300 per season.

These are not knockout numbers, but the contact he will be looking for will be somewhere near $100 million and the Giants will have no choice but to sign him.

The downside to Eli is that he may have plateaued as quarterback. The year-in, year-out numbers for his career are eerily consistent and disappointingly average. He is terrible at the Meadowlands due to his failure to throw spirals that cut through the wind.  This has lead to inaccuracy and way too many poor performances. His saving grace for most of his time here has been Plaxico Burress‘ ability to outjump defenses and Steve Smith and Amani Toomer’s ability to dive underneath them. Burress and Toomer are no longer with the club.   Also, the Giants did Eli no favors by not doming the new stadium, which they will move into in 2010.

The upside to Eli is that he is only 28 years old and he has never been injured. He has a new crop of receivers that contains players of all shapes and sizes. It could be time for him to turn the corner and become the elite player that he was destined to be. His laid back demeanor may be a thing of the past as well.   With each season, he becomes more and more entrenched in veteran ideology and he should assume more of  a leadership role from here on out.  Eli is also the penultimate role model for kids and is the most marketable player the Giants have had in decades.

David Carr – Carr was reunited with his old coach, Chris Palmer, last season when the Giants rescued him from a torridly brutal existence in which he was sacked 262 times in his first six seasons.

Carr was the first overall selection in the 2002 draft, taken by the expansion Houston Texans, and never had a chance to grow. In 2006, he became a free agent and signed with Carolina, which also turned out badly.  The Giants signed Carr last season and relegated him to backup status., where he has been given a chance to jump start his career.

Carr is only 29 years old and is still a very talented player. We’ve seen high draft picks get chewed up in their first few years and then turn into superstars. The Giants may see that in Carr, but he will only play if something happens to Eli.  He is currently signed to a one-year deal and will be a free agent again in 2010.

Andre Woodson – was taken in the sixth by the Giants in last year’s draft. He is a big, strong prospect that had a productive college career at Kentucky, but he is still considered quite raw although he is progressing according to sources. He is currently on the practice squad. …..Woodson was a longshot to make it to the NFL, but it appears he may still may get there. Whether or not that will be with the Giants remains to be seen.

Rhett Bomar – was taken in the fifth round this past April by the Giants out of Sam Houston State. Bomar is a product of Texas high school football, where as a senior he was ranked the nation’s top high school QB and even compared to John Elway.  That earned him a ticket to Oklahoma, where he became the starter in 2005. Bomar led the Sooners to Holiday Bowl victory and was named MVP.  Unfortunately, he was expelled after that season when it was discovered that he was paid for a no-show job at a car dealership – a clear violation of NCAA rules. That earned him a trip to Division II football………….Bomar may be a real find for the Giants. A real talented kid that lost his way. He’s on the right team, now, though and he can develop over the next few years into perhaps something special.

Outlook
Manning needs to be signed, and it is assumed that happen as soon as the CBA is extended or a new one is reached. With the new receivers, the onus shifts to him becoming a more accurate passer rather than constantly getting bailed out by his receivers…….Carr could start on many teams right now and will spend at least 2009 with the Giants. He might retained past that as long as no one else comes knocking—which is doubtful. When that time comes, perhaps Woodson or Bomar would be ready to assume the No. 2 role.

The Best In the Business

Offensive Line Coach: Pat Flaherty
Asst. Offensive Line Coach: Jack Bicknell, Jr.

• Centers: Shaun O’Hara (Starter)
• Guards: Chris Snee (S), Rich Seubert (S), Kevin Boothe
• Tackles: Kareem McKenzie (S), David Diehl (S), Adam Koets, Guy Whimper, William Beatty, Andrew Carnahan, Cliff Louis, Mike Fladell, Terrance Pennington (G/T), Orrin Thompson (G/T)

Pat Flaherty is one of the league’s most respected OL coaches. He is entering his 30th year of coaching (5th with he Giants) and has formed this unit into one of the NFL’s best. Since hiring Flaherty in 2004, the Giants running game has flourished, producing a 1000-yard rusher each season. Last year, the Giants had two 1000-yard rushers – Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward – only the fifth team in NFL history to achieve that feat.

This year, Flaherty has brought in Jack Bicknell, Jr. as an assistant. Bicknell is the son of former Boston College coaching legend Jack Bicknell but has an impressive resume of his own. He has been both an assistant and a head coach in the college ranks, most recently at BC, where he guided the high-powered offense led by QB Matt Ryan.

Center - Rutgers’ Shaun O’Hara is in his 10th season as a pro and made the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2008. O’Hara has been a stalwart in the middle of the Giants’ line and has an excellent rapport with QB Eli Manning.
Flexibilty / Depth - O’Hara is listed as the only center on the roster, but Seubert could play there as well. The team is grooming another Rutgers product, Mike Fladell, as a potential backup. Grey Ruegamer was the backup center the past few seasons but he has been declared a free agent. Should he not catch on with another club, the Giants may look to re-sign him.

Guard - Chris Snee has been a real block of granite for the Blue since being drafted out of BC in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He also was a Pro Bowler in 2008 for the first time. Rich Seubert has been a Giant since 2001 and has been one of those ‘lunch pail’ types that Bill Parcells always loved.
Flexibility / Depth – Adam Koets and Kevin Boothe are listed as tackles but both could play both guard if needed. Fladell could also fill in at guard.

Tackle - Kareem McKenzie, who was signed as a free agent from the Jets in 2005, is entering his 9th season. McKenzie has been a steady performer. David Diehl, the other tackle, was not a tackle at all until two years ago when the Giants moved him from the guard position. There were concerns about whether that ‘experiment’ would work. It has.
Flexibilty / Depth - the team used one of its two 2nd round draft choices on UConn’s William Beatty, a player with great size and potential. Guy Whimper is still hanging around, but with there may no longer be room for him as other candidates are brought in.  Addtionally, the club was awarded  Andrew Carnahan,  an OT who was waived by Kansas City.

Performance – this unit has basically stayed healthy the past few seasons and as a result become consistent as well asa reliable. They run block better than any group in the league and have protected Manning admirably – he has not missed a game in his 5-year career.

Outlook – the team will probably only carry 8 or 9 offensive lineman into season with them, and outside of the starters, you can count Beatty as one of them.  Koets and Fladell may end up being two of the others.  The retooling of the line may begin by giving the younger reserves some playing time during the season. This is one of the strongest units of its kind and one the team’s most effective, but getting those backups some more game experience would give the Giants some solid piece of mind.

In his blog for the Newark Star Ledger, Mike Garafolo reports that many Giants players are optimistic that Plaxico Burress will avoid jail time.

“Umenyiora went so far as to say Burress will avoid jail time and get five years of probation because he doesn’t have any gun priors. Umenyiora said that’s what the law-enforcement people he knows have been telling him. I’m no legal expert — and neither is Umenyiora — but that’s what I’ve been hearing, too.”

This seems like more speculation than actual news, but it would certainly be beneficial for Plaxico to use his “get out of jail free” card. Well, from a Giants standpoint. From a public health standpoint…

In addition, Garafolo discusses the health of Osi Umenyiora, who calls himself “99% healthy.” Taye Biddle, who was shot in the hand during the off-season, is also recovering nicely.

Garafolo also reports that the Giants have re-signed corner back Kevin Dockery to a 1-year restricted free agent tender worth $1.545 million.

Update: 1:00 PM, March 25

Garafolo now admits that there was some miscommunication between himself and Dockery. Dockery’s agent Drew Rosenhaus cleared up the issue with Garafolo, saying that what Dockery signed was actually an “injury protection agreement,” which protects him in case he is injured while working out with the team. That is certainly different than re-signing. We’ll keep an eye on this, although he is almost certain to re-sign at some point.