QB Keeping 2: In 2011, NFL teams now have the luxury of dressing 46 players on game day. This essentially means that the 3rd string QB is no longer an “emergency option.” The Giants have chosen to forgo the 3rd QB all together since 2008, and I’m not so sure that changes this season. Obviously Eli is the number 1, but he heads up a current corps of 4 talented signal callers.

David Carr (first pick ever of the Houston Texans in 2002) is my favorite to win the job, and not just because he is less expensive than the other veteran alternative. Yes he is about 2 million cheaper than Sage Rosenfels, but he is also equally talented and more versatile. Quite frankly, I expected him to win the starting job in San Francisco last year and I still think he will be a starter again in this league before he retires. Rosenfels may also be trade bait for another CB (more later).

I don’t see Ryan Perrilloux, the raw first year player out of LSU/Jacksonville State making the team despite the new accommodation on gamedays for QBs. The roster is too tight in other areas to find room for a project at a position with an established starter.

HB Keeping 5 : In an offseason plagued by a startling lack of depth at many positions, the RB stable is as deep as ever. Ahmad Bradshaw is still the top guy and Brandon Jacobs is the 2 in the 1-2 punch combo. Behind them sits a guy that I had written off a couple weeks ago.

I admit that I was wrong about DJ Ware. It was my opinion that he had had several opportunities to make an impact already and had failed to do so. This preseason however, he has come to play. He looks good as both a runner and a receiving option. Against Chicago he did make a stupid reach on what would have been a 1st and goal anyway, that led to a fumble. Luckily, the fumble was overturned and he got an opportunity to punch it in. Overall, he was solid on the drive.

Ware will be pushed though by Andre Brown and Da’Rel Scott. Brown is back with the team after journeying throughout the league. He seems completely healed from the Achilles tear that cost him his rookie year. He has yet to break a big run but he always gains a few tough yards and has a way of turning nothing into something. He could definitely come in handy when the injury bug starts to bite the RB depth in front of him. It almost certainly will at some point.

Scott, isn’t yet ready to make a big contribution. Yes he had a 97 yard burner for a TD against Chicago’s D squad on Monday but it takes more than blazing speed to make a run like that happen during the regular season. That said, he has a lot of potential and he wouldn’t last a week on the practice squad. Giants need to keep him locked up. I see them keeping all 5 of these backs. They did the same thing in 2008 when they wanted to retain both DJ Ware and Reuben Droughns, despite being so deep already that now starter Ahmad Bradshaw barely saw the field behind Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs.

WR Keeping 6: I know it stung Sunday night when Plaxico Burress made his triumphant return wearing a Jets uniform. You may or may not have felt better when Victor Cruz climbed a ladder to reel in a 4th down catch to keep a drive alive. I did feel better, but it doesn’t mean that I’m 100% satisfied with the receiving corps.

Overall, I think they look very promising. Technically, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham are the 1&2 on the depth chart but Manningham will be moved around in various packages. Behind them is Victor Cruz and Domenik Hixon who both made nice grabs against Chicago. Cruz’s play on kick coverage I helping solidify his chances of making this roster.

I’m a bit surprised that Hixon hasn’t been seeing time as a kick/punt returner and perhaps its simply because they don’t want to risk him sustaining an injury in a meaningless game. After watching his performance thus far, I find it hard to believe that Jerrel Jernigan will be manning PR duties come week 1. As far as kick offs go, it looks like Devin Thomas has earned himself a spot on this roster with a 73 yard gallop on Monday night. He has also played well as a receiver and could see some snaps there this season.

What the Giants are missing is a big body. Ramses Barden is still on the PUP list and even during the rare occasions when he’s been healthy during his Giants career, he hasn’t been much of a contributor. With a corps of undersized receivers they could use his 6-6 frame, especially since they no longer have a big body TE in Boss. That said, he isn’t on the field.

The good news is that as of yesterday, he seems to be running well on the sidelines. I don’t like the lack of practice time and game experienced logged this offseason, but if he looks like he will be able to contribute at a respectable level this year, the Giants won’t drop the axe on him. I’d love to seem him become a key contributor, but guys like Hixon and Cruz have found ways to make themselves taller when nee be.

Jernigan stays on because he is a mid round draft pick rookie and they tend to get an opportunity regardless of their performance at skill positions. That leaves us with a tight battle at the bottom of the depth chart. Darius Reynaud has actually impressed the coaching staff this year with his play as a true receiver. That said there simply may not be room for another undersized guy behind Cruz and Thomas.
I think Michael Clayton should get a nod here. At 6-3 he is taller than every healthy receiver the Giants currently have. He impressed versus Carolina and Tom Coughlin is high on him. I still miss Derek Hagan who left for Oakland but this guy will do. Clayton could sneak into the final cut, but might get bumped if Barden returns.

TE/FB Keeping 3: Here’s where it gets dicey. The Giants went ahead and started last season with only two TE’s on the roster. Actually they started it with 1 ½ TE’s with Travis Beckum backing up Kevin Boss. Beckum has been frustrating the coaching staff this summer and quite frankly it doesn’t help that he is closer to the size of a punter than he is an NFL TE. They don’t need an extra receiver so he really shouldn’t make this team. Of course the kid has Sinorice Moss written all over him.

But let’s assume the Giants are going to think rationally and either trade or cut Beckum. That means that Bear Pascoe, Jake Ballard, and Henry Hynoski are going to make up this group. I think Pascoe is a solid player and there are rumblings of Ballard’s potential but I’m not sure Hynoski is quite ready to start Week 1.

That means that Pascoe would have to continue to rotate back and forth between both positions and frankly that’s not ideal. What would be ideal is the Giants brining in a veteran TE so that Pascoe can stay at FB fulltime. John Carlson isn’t a lock to make the team in Seattle as Zach Miller could push him and a nagging shoulder injury out of the picture. He would be a great free agent pick up for the Giants who are thin at the position should he get the axe. He had only 4 less receptions than Boss last year (31) and did not have the luxury of a established veteran QB throwing to him.

I’m also tossing out the fantasy world option of trading for Shockey, who now finds himself second fiddle behind Greg Olsen. In a perfect world, Eli would be an actual leader with the ability to take command over a group of professional athletes. But he isn’t, so Shockey is still blacklisted.

Pascoe is a talented FB and a serviceable TE. Unfortunately he can't play two positions at once. Photo courtesy of Daylife.com

Moral of story, the Giants are dangerously thin here. To be fair, they got burned by Ben Patrick’s early retirement and didn’t have the funds to chase down a Vonta Leach caliber FB. But I do not like the Pascoe time split system and a solution needs to be found.

OL Keeping 9: You can never have too many offensive linemen. The starters: Will Beatty, David Diehl, David Baas, Chris Snee, and Kareem McKenzie obviously take up the first five slots. The other four will go to Kevin Boothe, Jamon Meredith, Stacy Andrews, and Mitch Petrus. I see draft pick James Brewer hitting the practice squad, as the Giants openly stated that he is a project and not an immediate contributor.

Boothe gets the nod because he can play center and played well at guard last season when injuries forced him into duty. His case is helped by Adam Koets, who had to go back into surgery this past week because he was healing from his last procedure at an exceptionally slow rate. Koets actually filled in admirably for Shaun O’hara last year, but in keeping with the theme of Giants injuries, tore his ACL against the Seahawks.

He may start the season on PUP, but with David Baas’s arrival, I no longer feel that Koets is the C of the future for the Giants. If he had stayed healthy last season, he just might have been. The Giants are high on Petrus and he’s been compared to Rich Seubert. He has a lot of potential and displays excellent hustle. Meredith is a solid reserve at tackle and is actually a key cog in the Giants jumbo packages. Since they lack TE depth, Meredith is brought in to help seal off the edges.

The last spot I admit is a tight battle (in my opinion) between Stacy Andrews and Chris White. They are both experienced veterans. Yes, the Giants would rather have Stacy’s brother but that option was just not financially feasible. Neither has really stood out during the preseason…but that may be a good thing at this position. I’m going to give the tiebreaker to Andrews because of his name and his versatility as both a tackle and guard. But if this went another way, I wouldn’t be shocked.

DE Keeping 5: The crux of the whole operation, the DE’s look lean and mean once again. They brought back Dave Tollefson and Osi is staying in town. So add in the Week 1 starters (JPP and Justin Tuck) and you have yourself a phenomenal stable right there.

I’m counting Mathias Kiwanuka as a LB although he will certainly be used as a DE in certain situations. If he can stay healthy, he gives the Giants much needed versatility. You could argue that the Giants don’t need to retain 5 individual DE’s because of Kiwi’s presence but I really like what I’ve seen from the deeper reserves this preseason. Also, keep in mind that Osi won’t be available immediately due to some minor knee surgery.

I think Alex Hall gets a nod here. At the very least, he deserves one. He has looked sharp and if he doesn’t get an opportunity here, he has a good shot of landing a job somewhere else. I see him being on the bubble and a decision to add a surplus at another position (such as keeping both Clayton and Barden) might force the Giants to cut him.

DT Keeping 4: The Giants can afford to be a bit shallower here because of their DE depth. They often utilize 3 DE’s and one true DT or less. Chris Canty is the top guy here and the second spot has yet to be determined. Marvin Austin had a fair shot at it earlier in camp but now his development is put on hold thanks to a season ending pectoral tear.

The real fight is between Linval Joseph and Rocky Bernard for playing time. Bernard is a savvier vet, but the coaching staff feels that Joseph has come a long way since his “redshirt” rookie year. At this point, I’d say it is anyone’s game.

I think the final spot will go to a resurging (at least according to him) Jimmy Kennedy. Kennedy was recently brought in but he claims is healthier than he has been in recent years. Therefore, is ready to take a major step forward in terms of production. The Giants would love for him to be correct. I see him getting the benefit of the doubt over a lackluster preseason performance by the 333 lb Gabe Watson.

Don’t count out Dwayne Hendricks though. He’s a long shot but he seems to have the raw potential you hope to see from first year players.

LB Keeping 7: A unit that was heavily criticized this summer, the LB corps is shaping up. Reese expressed confidence in a group of mostly inexperienced/rookie players and he may just be on to something.

The only established veteran linebacker is Boley who has had a good preseason. After two years of making little noise (other than breaking Tony Romo’s clavicle) Boley ended the first preseason defensive drive with a pick-6. Kiwanuka is an established veteran but has played mostly at DE. I was skeptical on naming him a starter at ROLB, but if the Chicago game is any indication, the Giants might have made the right call.

Jonathan Goff is entrenched as the starter this year at MLB. He has great awareness and physical ability. I think he can eventually develop into a star at that spot.

The real story is the reserves. They just cut Kenny Ingram who at one point had a legitimate shot to make the roster. This was primarily because despite being a training camp body for the past 3 years in NY, he was a vet compared to his competition. Right now the frontrunners to make the squad at 2nd string are three talented rookies.

If you were watching against Chicago, you saw Mark Herzlich’s interception and Greg Jones’s blocked punt. You saw Jacquian Williams’s nullified TD off that blocked punt and his good special teams coverage. The last two of those three are locks because they are draft picks. Herzlich isn’t a lock but he’s close to it. He could develop into a first round caliber player. Way too much potential there to just release him.

Clint Sintim is there and has been adequate. But he is coming off a late season ACL tear that he suffered last December. He is a physical specimen but he still hasn’t given the Giants what they wanted out of him. Yes he can play, but if there is a higher level for him to reach, his knee will probably need more time to heal before he can find it. I think he is the 7th LB they keep unless they trade him for another corner. Rumor has it that the Ravens would be interested in him and Rosenfels in exchange for CB Domonique Foxworth.

I don’t think Adrian Tracy has made enough noise to warrant a roster spot and while they are high on Spencer Paysinger’s potential, he seems like a prime practice squad candidate. Phillip Dillard spent time on the main roster last season and was involved in the goal line stand Monday night. He is in the running and I haven’t entirely ruled him out.  I just have a gut feeling that if it came down to him and Sintim, Sintim would win out.  Of course, while he only has a modicum of professional experience, he still is the most veteran backup MLB that the Giants have.  Could get interesting here.

Remember, Zak DeOssie is officially listed as LB but in reality he is purely a LS. Thus, I count him as a special teams player. As long as we are getting technical, Kiwanuka is still listed as a DE but I wouldn’t read too far into that. He’s a linebacker until further notice.

DB Keeping 9: When I started gathering my thoughts for this piece, obviously this section looked quite different. But now, Terrell Thomas and Brian Witherspoon are out. Brian Williams is in. I’d like to think Foxworth is on his way, but I’m not betting on it.

I’m optimistic that Aaron ross is finally ready to earn the title, “First Round Pick” but that doesn’t mean losing T2 won’t hurt. Corey Webster is obviously the other starter and the nickel job is technically open (it will go to Williams). Michael Coe didn’t look great in coverage Monday night and he will need to step up his game.

The Giants are weak at corner but strong at safety. They enjoy the luxury of 3 starting caliber players in Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips, and Deon Grant. Rolle may even fill in at corner in certain situations if the Giants are desperate for help there this year.

Phillips (21) and Grant (upside down) are vital members of a weakened NYG secondary. Photo courtesy of NY DailyNews.

Tyler Sash looked dreadful against Carolina but he stepped it up in Game 2. He makes this team and can develop into a strong contributor. I think the right move is to start Prince Amukamara on PUP and then waive Coe when he is ready to contribute mid season. So I am not counting him against the 53 yet. I think they would be wise to retain Brian Jackson or another reserve CB until Prince is ready to be a part of the active main roster. That brings the total to 9. Don’t forget the outside chance that Foxworth is brought in. Anyway you slice it, they will have 9 DBs Week 1.

ST Keeping 3: I cannot believe that I am saying this but, Matt Dodge makes this team over Steve Weatherford. Weatherford came in with a very confident attitude. He seemed to feel the job was already won on December 19th. But Dodge has booted some monsters. Yes his directional kicking still needs work, but his leg is hard to ignore. Its not so much that I see him being better than Weatherford, I just have a hard time imagining the Giants releasing drafted talent. This will be a close, close race. I’m not saying I prefer Dodge. At least I’m not saying that yet. I just think the Giants will lean towards their investment.

Lawrence Tynes is injured. His competition is Rhys Lloyd who can put almost any kickoff past the end zone. Only problem is, so can most kickers with the new ball placement. Also, he has very minimal FG kicking experience. That said, Tynes has been less than stellar. If he can’t get healthy, the Giants may give Lloyd the nod.

As I said earlier, DeOssie is the LS.

Bubble: The players that the Giants may try to find room for in ways that will throw off my numbers are Ryan Perrilloux, Michael Clayton, Dwayne Hendricks, Phillip Dillard, and CB Brian Jackson.

Follow Dan @DanOrlando_GFB

Brown was the Giants’ fourth-round pick in 2009 out of NC State. According to our Mike Garafolo: Brown “signed with the team today, his agent, Hadley Engelhardt, wrote via e-mail.”

This gives the Giants a full backfield. On Thursday, both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are scheduled to practice in a group that already contains Danny Ware and rookie Da’Rel Scott.

READ

Brown gained 61 yards on 13 carries with a TD. He also was the Giants’ primary kick returner, averaging 18 yards on three attempts.

Q: The Achilles, is it still on your mind at all?

Brown: No. Not the case. I’m just comparing last week’s game to this week’s game. I just felt more comfortable, and my legs were under me. I guess that I’m getting my football legs. I’m not out there worrying about it, I’m out there just running as hard as I can. That’s it.

WATCH INTERVIEW

1) Hakeem Nicks, WR, NC – Steve Smith has been performing at the top his game since he came into the league yet Jerry Reese decides to pass on a blue chip college MLB (Rey Maualuga) and a blue chip college split end (Kenny Britt) to draft yet another possession receiver. If there were any question marks at the receiver position it was in the X and the slot. Having two possession receivers starting has hindered the Giants’ ability to open up the field, which contributed to the lack of success in the run game this season past. Nicks wasn’t even BPA. He will be a very successful receiver in the NFL, but the pick could have went to an actual need: C-

2) Clint Sintim, DE/OLB, Virginia – A 3-4 outside linebacker? Why? Are the Giants switching to a 3-4 defense? Not in 2009. If they do in the future, the grade on this pick goes up but right now it hasn’t panned out. I still have some faith in Sintim and he’s only going into his second season, but in terms of wisdom, you have to wonder: B

2) Will Beatty, OT, Connecticut – Money in the bank. This guy should be a 10-year starter at tackle. I love it when the Giants catch value at need: A+

3) Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin –A good pick that hasn’t shown up. But remember the great thing about Shockey was that he could block, and got better at it as his career progressed. I guess Reese feels Beckum can learn too: B

3) Ramses Barden, WR, Cal-Poly – It’s hard to call this one. You have to understand that 98% of these huge WRs, who refuse to play TE because the position is not glamorous enough, end up being spot players and backups. The Vincent Jacksons and Plaxico Burresses of the world are a very rare. I also dislike the idea of players that only come in during certain situations because it tells the defense exactly where the ball is going. The fact that Barden was MIA for the 2009 season makes his emergence even more daunting. I like Barden’s potential but was there a more surefire prospect, perhaps at MLB or safety, that would have made more sense in this spot? An if Barden does emerge, which one of the starting three sits to make room for him? Perhaps that’s a good dilemna to have but it is a question that has to be asked: B

4) Andre Brown, RB, NC State – This was a great strategic pick, good value, especially after losing Derrick Ward. If Brown can stay healthy the Giants he should be starting by next season and Brandon Jacobs should be on the trading block. That is, if the Giants continue to nurse a Peyton Manning-lite offense: A

5) Rhett Bhomar, QB, Sam Houston State – You like this guy as a backup? Let’s just stop drafting QBs in the late rounds and bring in a veteran or maybe a mid-rounder with some potential. This pick could’ve been a safety: C

6) DeAndre Wright, DB, New Mexico – We all know how this turned out. But how was it supposed to turn out? Small school, late round corners don’t make it in the NFL. There are some positions that are fairly safe to draft in the late rounds. Reese needs to figure this out: Safety, RB, K, Returner, ST specialists. Maybe Reese though he would be a good special teamer: D

7) Stoney Woodson, DB, SC – Bigger conference same results: D+

Off-season: Reese was very active this off-season, bringing in WLB Micheal Boley and DTs Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard. It looked good on paper but injuries depleted the defensive line. Still I like that Reese was a bit more pro-active this off-season and the signings filled a need. Boley panned out and the DTs still could pan out: B

2009 Season GPA: 2.6

2008 Season GPA: 2.6

2007 Season GPA: 2.6

Keep an eye out: The rumors are swirling about Chris Paul coming to the Knicks. If they pull this off, I won’t forgive them for this era of ineptitude but I will be a happy New York Knicks fan, which is something I haven’t said in a looooooooooooooong time.

I’m just saying… No Champ Bailey? No Tatum Bell? Nooooooooo Brian Westbrook? No Champ Bailey? No Nick Ferguson? No Champ Bailey? I guess Reese is waiting for the next round of cuts to add some depth at some key positions. We’ll see.

At any rate, let’s take a look at some of the reasons that the running game fell apart in the 2009 season:

When the Giants drafted a 6’4”, 264 lb running back, I certainly had my doubts about his ability to be successful in the NFL. Primarily, not having much game tape available of Brandon Jacobs, I thought he would be too slow, too lanky, and too heavy to produce consistently. I didn’t even think of the concept that such a huge back with such a punishing style would, in turn, take a lot of extra punishment. I did wonder if he would take too many blows to the legs. He certainly proved me wrong in respect to being too slow, lanky, or heavy. Jacobs has been good for at least 800 yards the past 3 seasons.

The problem with Jacobs, I’ve come to realize in watching the Giants offense last season, is that featuring a back of his size ties you to the power running game and an offense built around said power running game. And that’s fine. That’s my favorite kind of football and it is among the biggest reasons for the Giants success in 2007 and 2008. However the Giants franchise QB is Peyton Manning’s little brother and the offensive planners, which I’m sure include Eli, want to spread it out and they want to air it out. What you and I witnessed last season was an offense that ran out of single back and shotgun formations more than in the past two seasons.

Being able to run out of those formations is important for the element of subterfuge, which is of growing importance in today’s NFL, but how well does it serve the Giant’s overall game? Jacobs doesn’t get the running start that a guy his size needs to push the pile or break tackles. And he’s a liability in the passing game to boot. Madison Hedgecock, who is built like a textbook linebacker spends way too much time on the sidelines. And the offensive line isn’t run blocking as much. We all know run blocking makes offensive linemen happy. We also know that the Giants line is exceptionally good at it.

Then we have to be aware of how that affected a defense that was already a liability, due to injuries. I thought the 2009 defense took way too much flak coming out of the season. Injuries are injuries. You can’t do anything about guys getting hurt. But you can do something about keeping a hobbled defense off the field. And you do that with the power running game.

Ahmad Bradshaw is my personal favorite RB on the team. He has a great running style. One of the habits that great backs have is that they keep their feet moving. Well Bradshaw keeps both his upper and lower body moving at all times and it gives him incredible balance and tackle breaking ability. He’s also a better passing option than Jacobs. That being, I don’t think Bradshaw is a starter. I think he needs a sizeable contribution from another back to be at his best. Think of how effective Marion Barber when he doesn’t have to be a full-time back.

DJ Ware? Phooey. Has this guy ever not been hurt? Would any team give a player this many chances?

Gartrell who???

Andre Brown has the potential to be a feature back. But at this point that’s all he has, potential. He wasn’t very productive at N.C. State – partly due to injury – and he was hurt coming into his rookie season. He has flashed some good rushing and good receiving skills, but how will a year off affect him and will he ever be able to play a full season?

A major key for the Giants in 2010 will be figuring out the identity of their running game, and transversally, their offense overall. Then they will need to bring in personnel that fit that offensive mode. If they can move in that direction,  an X receiver really emerges as a dominant weapon, and the Giants line gels again like it did in 2007, then the offense will be, as they say, good money.

What do you think? Do you see the Giant rushing attack having a bounce back season? Do you trust in the health of the players? Should the Giants have drafted a RB in 2010?

Keep an eye on – Dominik Hixon is out for the season. That was the Giants’ most developed split end. It’s all about Super Mario Manningham now.

At this year’s draft, there was a buzz that the Giants were going to take a running back high in the draft.  C.J. Spiller of Clemson was a very tempting target and the rumors were that the Giants had coveted the speedster.

Those rumors may have been true, for all we know, but Spiller was long gone by the time the Giants were ready to make their first selection.  They ended up not taking any running backs at all.

There are two theories behind that.  The first is the fact that the RB pool in the draft this year was very shallow.  The other is that the Giants were waiting to see how well second-year RB Andre Brown had progressed from Achilles’ surgery.

Brown blew out his Achilles’ in the last practice before the first pre-season game last summer.  He’s never played in a game for the Giants.  Outside of the TIMEX Center, very few people have ever seen him run, or even know that he exists.

That is all about to change for this humble 23-year-old from Greenville, North Carolina.  This week at Giants’ mini-camp, it was hard not to notice #22.

Giants’ coach Tom Coughlin, always cautiously optimistic, says that Brown is doing better but by the tone of his voice he sounded like a man who has to see some more before he makes his final decision.

Coughlin did admit that Brown “runs with power” and “catches the ball well” out of the backfield. which was something the Giants have been working on during this mini-camp.

Since Brown hasn’t ever worn a Giants’ uniform in anger, he calls himself  a “super rookie” because much of this process here is still new to him.

In an interview after practice yesterday, Brown was very candid with reporters about his injury and the disappointment of missing his rookie season.  Brown suffered a rare injury for football players – a torn Achilles tendon – and his rehab was a lonely one with few players to commiserate with.

He said there weren’t any running backs any of the the trainers could recall that ruptured their Achilles’.  There were some defensive players, but most of them were well into their careers when they got hurt.

By his actions, he’s seems to have studied and rehabbed very well.  He looked like Terrell Davis on some plays, Adrian Peterson on others.  No lie.

Even though Brown is still conscious of his injury, and admitted he was sore after the double-practice on Tuesday, he looked fine yesterday and claimed he’s not thinking about making cuts anymore. He just doing it.

Brown is currently fourth on the Giants’ depth chart at RB.  He was asked if he thought there was a need for  -and a role for – a third running back.  He wouldn’t know the answer to that since he wasn’t here when Derrick Ward filled the role of change-up back / receiver.

“I think there is,” he said, “But I just want to get out there and hit somebody. Special teams, whatever.  I don’t care where I’m at as long as I’m helping the team.” 

Brown is working on special teams as a kick returner.  He may be tried out as a punt returner now that Domenik Hixon is gone for the season, but his name did not come up as an immediate candidate for that in Jerry Reese’s press session yesterday.

As for the third back in the offense, it’s Brown vs D.J. Ware, who also saw a lot of reps this week.  Brown has the better upside and if he continues to build on his strong spring, it may be hard to keep the ball out of his hands this season.

Two years ago two key players for the New York Giants had off season knee surgery.  Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield both went under the knife during the off season to repair torn up knee ligaments and to no surprise…they had terrible  seasons.

Thinking back upon the players injuries, the press reported these surgeries as common place and routine as drinking Gatorade on the sidelines; however, when there production slipped and there reliability was in doubt…the questions came fast and furious.

Now June 2010 and the New York Giants are only weeks away from Camp Coughlin, and I question why some of the key players(Boss) on the team are having “Off Season” surgery so late in the game and what is Gilbride’s plan to run the ball when all 3 starting running backs(Bradshaw, Jacobs, and Brown) have had recent surgery.

What is to be expected when these players don’t perform to the highest level.

1. Kevin Boss – May 23rd Ankle Surgery.  Why wait 5 months from the end of the ’09 season to have this done?   Boss is an intricate part of the NY Giants offense and will now be shelved for 6 weeks.  This will certainly put the players conditioning in jeopardy as well as a “lack of timing” between Manning and Boss.   The same “lack of timing” Eli used to complain about when missing Pro Bowl Tight End  Jeremy Shockey.

Boss is in a contract year and needs to have a break out season to offer the NY Giants offense more fire power, especially with the recent drought from the running game.

2. Ahmad Bradshaw – foot and ankle surgery.  Bradshaw has had 3 off season surgeries where screws were inserted into each foot to act like an extra bone strengthening  the outer edge of his feet.  The Giants tend to feel that Bradshaw’s bow-legged running style puts pressure on the outer bones of each foot.  Bradshaw also had irritating bone spurs removed from his right ankle.

Once again, can No.44 be counted on to carry the ball 12 times a game after 3 foot and ankle surgeries?   Will he ever be the “change of pace” running back they NY Giants so desire and what about his conditioning when he has been unable to run for 6 months.

3. Brandon Jacobs – underwent arthroscopic surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus that haunted him throughout the 2009 season. The surgery was considered a “clean up”  and should not be considered anything that will hold back the running back from a bounce back year.  My question is when did this injury take place, because the big brash back  was “tip toeing” through the line from the first snap of 2009 season.

Running Back and its overall production will be a position under fire for most part of the 2010 season.

4. Kevin Boothe – The backup offensive lineman will be out for 4 months after tearing a pectoral muscle in late May while working out during the team’s organized team activities.  Boothe was dependable player, stepping in for injured lineman at different time through out the season.

With the pounding O-lineman take, Boothe will be missed; however, this will open the door for rookie Mitch Petrus to step in when needed. Petrus was a 5th round selection from Arkansas.  Boothe will likely miss most of training camp due to the injury, which will make it hard for Boothe to make the team due to this recent set back.

Ouch. This may not look like a big blow on paper, but if Ahmad Bradshaw struggles as Brandon Jacobs handcuff, I am not as sold on Danny Ware as I was on Brown. Get well, Andre.