In his five years with the Giants, Cofield amassed 210 tackles and 10.5 sacks in 79 games for the Blue. He was a fan favorite, but the Giants decided he was not worth keeping…or they had no shot at keeping him. In Cofield’s final two years as a Giant, the team spent their second-round draft choices on replacements for him.

This summer, after waiting an extra year for free agency to arrive due to the lockout, Cofield was not seriously courted by the Giants, as expected. When the hated Washington Redskins threw a suitcase of money on his lawn, he had no choice but to defect.

“Washington gave me a great opportunity and showed me they really wanted me,” Cofield told Ross Leonhart of Redskins.com last weekend. “If you work hard and do all the right things, you want to be rewarded. That’s what the Redskins did for me.”

Cofield is stoked to play his former team in Week One, calling the opportunity to play vs Eli Manning and the Giants’ offense “a pleasure”. 

“It’s going to be exciting. It’s the reason you play the game. To go out and play well in that scenario against my old team and the significance of it being on Sept. 11, it would give me a great feeling.”

Cofield reiterated those sentiments today on a conference call:

“It will mean a lot. It’s a lot of things going into this game. Obviously I have my own personal feelings about the game, but the game is on 9/11 and all of the ramifications of that and being at home, in front of our home fans for the first time, the first game and what we believe is a new era in Redskins football. There is a lot going into it. It’s going to be very emotional, very intense and this is what fans love to see. This is what football is all about.”

The Giants, with all their injuries – especially the one to DT Marvin Austin, one of his replacements – could use Cofield right about now, but there’s only so much money in the till in this man’s NFL. The Giants prioritized. Now Cofield will try to prove them wrong.

Now, with that said lets all raise a pint to Jerry Reese and laugh at some of the comments he thinks we should believe. Roll the highlights…

1. “We had a game plan and we are sticking to our game plan” – So what plan would that be?  Loosing 3 out of 5 of our top Free Agents and ignore anyone on the open market that might make this team better?

2. “Kevin Boothe became a priority as well” – Really?  Are we talking about the same Kevin Boothe?   There are 25 Kevin Boothe’s getting cut every day.  And Shawn Andrews wasn’t a priority?  He was the 3x Pro Bowler, not Boothe or his brother.

3. “We made a responsible offer to Kevin as well. Kevin moved on. We would have liked to have secured Kevin back.” – What’s a responsible offer?  What a cop out explanation. In 41 years of playing football through college, watching or covering sports have I never heard a GM say they put a “responsible” offer out there.  Excuses.  Was paying Sinorice Moss or Gerris Wilkinson for 4 years responsible?

4. “I’m not bothered by that because that’s mostly fans who say that kind of stuff and they really don’t understand the process. – Thanks for the insult Jerry.   There are ten of thousands of NY Giants fans that played college ball, just like me.  We understand the game.   Those same thousands of fans understand and have careers in business.  I would say Jerry Reese (DII football) has underestimated his fan base.

5. “When we drafted Kevin Boss and Steve Smith, the same people who were sending me the mail saying they don’t like those guys, are the same guys saying ‘Now, why did you let them go? – when did Jerry Reese start reading fan mail or did he mean email?   Did Jerry give out his email at tailgate party or something?  I must have missed that. Can someone share…I’d like to send my comments.

6. “Our cap situation is we’re flexible, we can still do some things if we need” Then for the love of God, do something that will actually help this team.  I got an idea:  How about a linebacker…oh yea, too late for late.  NEXT!

7. “We have Travis Beckum, we think he can catch 35 balls. We think some of the other young tight ends we have can contribute as a receiver as well.” - Please someone stop him there.  Who is he kidding?  Eli can’t work with Beckum unless he wants his QB on his back.  Beckum is never on the field healthy, the guy is soft.  And did someone tell Jerry Reese that Ben Patrick retired?  He’s here at bar with me!  Next round is on Ben.

8.“How many big, sexy moves did the Green Bay Packers make last year? I don’t remember a lot. Who won before? Pittsburgh. How many big sexy moves did they have? Who won the Super Bowl before Pittsburgh? - Who needs sexy…both the Steelers & the Packers were both playoff teams the year before they won the superbowl.

9. “We’ll continue to look for players to make our roster stronger” – Jerry have you been on vacation?  Barrett Rudd, Nick Barnett, Paul Posluszny, Jerricho Cotchery, Zach Miller were all available.

10. “It wasn’t like we were 6-10. We were 10-6. We expect to build off that ” – Jerry must be building sand castles with the PSL money, because I’d like to know where this building is taking place.  Smith for Cruz?  Boss for Beckum?  O’Hara for Baas?  Cofield for Joseph or Martin might work out, but you can’t rest your reputation on the signing of a free agent punter.

I propose a toast…to Football!   May we never see another lock out.  Too much time to prepare can be costly!

Two-Fifths of their Super Bowl championship offensive line was shown the door. Shaun O’Hara and Richie Seubert were asked to hand in their playbooks.

Seubert was the longest-tenured Giant and O’Hara has been the team’s starting center since arriving from Cleveland in 2004 via free agency.

One or both could be back, but not immediately. Both are coming off major off-season surgeries and still need more time to get into field shape.

Cofield proved too pricey for Jints.

The Giants also dumped OL Shaun Andrews after failing to renegotiate the ridiculous contract extension they gave him last summer. These three moves shaved nearly $13 million off the Giants’ salary cap, something they desperately needed to do.

This was not a bloodletting as some may have led you to believe. All three moves were needed and make sense. Adam Koets will move to center and he will be backed up by Kevin Boothe (who the Giants re-signed yesterday) and Ohio State product Jim Cordle, who is on the practice squad.

Mitch Petrus or David Diehl will move to Seubert’s guard spot, depending on how well OT Will Beatty fares in camp.

On the UDFA front, the Giants brought in Boston College LB Mark Herzlich. (The guys here were so excited yesterday they spelled his name wrong several times). Herzlich comes with a great backstory as a cancer survivor and a favorite of another BC alum: Giants’ CEO John Mara.

Will he make the team? Who knows? If he doesn’t, it won’t be from a lack of effort on his part or lack of support from the team and the fans.

The Giants announced their summer practice scheduleyesterday. All the sessions will be at night and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can thank the new CBA for the times as two-a-days are a thing of the past.

As the day closed, we were hit with the solution to one of our great debates here: Barry Cofield. The debate is over now, folks, because Cofield will reportedly sign a six-year deal with Washington for approximately $36 million.

Oh, and did we mention…..Plaxico Burress is coming to Timex this week to meet with Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin. We kid you not. (more)

The most difficult part to swallow for the New York Giants’ defensive tackle is the uncertainty. While the future of the NFL hangs in the balance this summer, the earning potential of fifth-year players like Cofield will be determined as well.

After producing the best season of his career with 54 tackles and four sacks while playing on a one-year restricted free agent tender in 2010, Cofield is finally ready to cash in on his first big contract. But the lockout has left his status up in the air. Like some other fifth-year players, Cofield could become an unrestricted free agent. Or, depending on how it all plays out, the 27-year-old could be a restricted free agent again.

“It is rough,” Cofield recently said. “Being restricted last year, it wasn’t as frustrating. I don’t know. Just to have it happen one year, I took it in stride. I was looking forward to the next season. But now with all the labor strife, and the prospect of being restricted again, it is starting to weigh on me.”

Click here for more.

I’m not sure why. The guy is a fine player, but let’s face it – if he had been allowed to test the free agent waters, he would have been gone long ago. That’s a fact.

Why do you think the Giants drafted Linval Joseph in the second round last year: in preparation for Cofield’s departure.

The labor situation has prohibited Cofield from becoming a free agent, forcing him to accept tenders the past two seasons.  He is technically still a Giant and he is understandably not happy.

The Giants have not shown him the love they have shown some of their other veteran stars prompting fans to side with the steady Cofield.  The Giants are simply following the rules of the game. People are not understanding fully.

Not sure what fans or Cofield expect here. The Giants have not extended a contract offer to Cofield for several reasons.

First, he has never been a Pro Bowler, as are Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. Second, no one knows what his current market value is, and lastly, they don’t have to do anything but tender him at this time.

The concern the Giants have with Cofield is that his market value might exceed that of the current contracts of their other defensive veterans. It is highly doubtful the Giants would pay him more than Tuck or Osi, which could be the case if they were to re-sign him. That can’t – and won’t – happen.

Should Cofield hit the open market, he will land a sizable contract and there is no way the Giants would overbid to retain his services.  You see, folks, there is this thing called a salary cap and right now no one knows what the ceiling or the floor of this thing is gonna be…

In short, Cofield is a victim of the times. The Giants felt he would be a casualty of their other excesses and/or needs, so they drafted replacements in each of the last two drafts to insure themselves against the loss of Cofield.

The team has choices to make on players such as Ahmad Bradshaw, Steve Smith and Kevin Boss. Signing Cofield would mean the end for one – or  more – of those players in a Giant uniform.

Every team is having these problems. Look at the Jets. They are contemplating not signing WR Santonio Holmes, a guy who won four games of them last year singlehandedly! Why? Money. There just isn’t enough to pay all of your stars…

Cofield will be gone unless the league raises the salary cap to $150 million, which is highly unlikely. Simple economics. It’s nothing personal. Strictly business. Sorry, Barry.

“It definitely does make you think that maybe they are preparing for life without me and if that is the case, then so be it,” said Cofield according to ESPN New York’s Ohm Youngmisuk.

“I would love to be back with the Giants. Hopefully we can work out a long-term deal. That would definitely be my first choice but you don’t always get to script it. You don’t always get that fairy tale Michael Strahan ending.”

More from Ohm Youngmisuk’s article:

After enjoying his most productive season as a pro with a career-high 54 tackles and four sacks, Cofield is looking to finally cash in after having to play under a one-year restricted free-agent deal.

But Cofield, 27, is one of many players who might be a restricted free agent again depending on what the collective bargaining agreement will be for the 2011 season.

The defensive tackle, who has been a bargain for the Giants as a starter for all of his five seasons, reiterated that he does not want play under the RFA one-year tender for the second straight year. The Giants tendered Cofield in case he is a restricted free agent. If he is asked to play for his tender for a second straight year, Cofield said he will consider requesting a trade so he can try to secure a longer contract.

“Hopefully I can work something out with the Giants,” said Cofield, who was nearly traded to New Orleans during last year’s draft before he and the Saints were unable come to terms on a new deal. “And if not, hopefully they will give me my chance to get out there and test the waters.”

A defensive tackle in the first round is making more and more sense as the draft approaches.

The selection of interior lineman by the Giants early in this draft would not be a total surprise, but order in which these players are selected might be.  The Giants could use a center, and Florida’s Mike Pouncey could still be available when they choose in Round One two weeks from now.  But if he is not, the Giants may simply shift gears and choose a defensive tackle.

They can look OL/C in Round Two, where Rimington Trophy winner Jake Kirkpatrick of TCU may be staring right at them.  Doubtful, since Dallas may snatch him up beforehand.

Forget OT. Diehl, Beatty and McKenzie are all returning and none of the rookie OTs in this draft are going to supplant them if they are all healthy.

That brings us back to the DL, where Barry Cofield has already stated he will not play for the tender price the Giants have allotted him. The second-round tag may be too high for many teams to digest, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be moved.

If he holds out, he may be traded. That may already be in the Giants plans.

Keep in mind that had Cofield was eligible for free agency this year and the odds were that the Giants would have lost him, anyway. They will not pay him Tuck or Rolle money. Those guys are Pro Bowlers.

The Giants will need a big presence in the middle of their defense. Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty are not going to take the Giants to the promised land alone. Even with help from JPP and Linval Joseph…

One possibility for the Giants in this draft in Temple DT Muhammad Wilkerson, a home-grown product from Linden, NJ who grew up a Giants fan.

According to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York…..

Wilkerson also enjoyed his visit with the Giants because — time to ‘fess up — he grew up a Big Blue fan. In fact, his older brother is a Giants season-ticket holder. His favorite player is Justin Tuck, which makes sense because they both have the versatility to play different spots on the line.

Below is Cimini’s recent interview with Wilkerson

“I love the Giants but if I have to move on, that’s the business of it.”

- Giants’ DT Barry Cofield, who – for the second straight season – has been tendered by the Giants. Depending on how the labor negotiations pan out, Cofield, a six-year veteran who would normally be eligible for free-agency, could be forced to play for the tender price of $1.7 million this year.

There is a growing concern that Cofield could hold out and possibly force a trade.  Not the worst of scenarios, however. Had there been an unrestricted free-agency period this off-season, chances were the Giants would have lost him, anyway.

That is the reason why they drafted Linval Joseph last year in the second round.

Let’s talk football…why?   Because we can.

Did you ever see a player….who just had “IT”?

It might be a player that at one time you didn’t know his name, his college stats, his bench press, or his hometown.   But when he stepped on the field he made everything more exciting?   The more you watched, the more you marveled at his speed, his power, his ability to make other great players look…human.

Once in a while…a special player you expected to have “IT”…actually lives up to or surpasses your expectations.

Casey Matthews seems to be that guy.

And the New York Giants need him.

The Matthews name does stick out in NFL history, but not everyone is familiar with the baby brother of Clay Matthews III.  With every fiber in me I fight against the brother saga.   No more Barber or Manning  drama; however, Casey Matthews feels like a special player.  Look at his blood line.   The Matthews family has spawned a legacy of 1st round draft picks that have gone on to be dominate NFL pro bowl players.  Uncle Bruce is even a prestigious member of the Hall of Fame.

Watch Casey’s highlights.   He plays faster than his 4.78, 40 time and he is around the ball constantly.  He has great closing speed from his inside linebacker position and his instincts on the defensive side of the ball are earning him late 1st round discussions.  At his recent Pro Day, it was reported that he worked out just “okay”, but Casey Matthews makes a living on the field.  Again…read the reviews, watch the highlights!

Casey Matthews is a football player, with good lateral movement and great down hill ability.    He has been an over achiever his whole life and has a huge upside.   The New York Giants will make him bigger, stronger and faster, overcoming the size issue, just as the Bears did with Urlacher, the Texans did with DeMeco Ryans and the Rams are doing with James Laurinaitis.

He will mostly likely make one NFL team very happy picking between 25 & 32.   If the Giants miss out of Matthews…and there is football in 2011 the Giants will potentially be faced with a depleted and weakened core.   How?

If Barry Cofield is not signed and Jonathan Goff is our only source for plugging up the middle..it’s going to be a long year.   Casey Matthews might be worth trading spots for.   His impact will be felt immediately as he makes huge plays on special teams.  And for you Antonio Pierce fans…AP was real good.

Casey Mathews will be much, much better.

Keep in mind, these tenders are in accordance with the rules of the expiring CBA.  It’s anyone’s guess if these offers will be applicable, binding or worthless once a new CBA is reached.

from SNY contributor Mike Garafolo….

The Giants extended tenders today to their potential free agents with only four or five years experience: DEMathias Kiwanuka (unknown level), WR Steve Smith (unknown), RBAhmad Bradshaw (second round), DTBarry Cofield (second round) TE Kevin Boss (second round), DE Dave Tollefson (second round). There’s no word yet on WR/KR Domenik Hixon, but you can bet the disparity in negotiations between the owners and the NFL Players’ Association he got one.

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