Tag Archives: Ramses Barden
Just a few years ago, the Giants had several players that created mismatches that kept opposing coaches and players up nights.
TE Jeremy Shockey, in his early years, was a two man job for defenses. DE Michael Strahan had to be doubled, too. RB Tiki Barber was spied by the league’s best defenders, much of the time to no avail. RB Brandon Jacobs just plain scared people.
WR Plaxico Burress was the Giants’ ultimate mismatch. He not only towered over defensive backs, he eluded them as well. He displayed both in the Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl run.
This year’s edition of the Giants still has Jacobs, but the mystique surrounding him has dissipated over the years. He can still reach down on occasion and draw some of what made him special from the well, but not enough to make anyone backpedal.
Barber and Strahan left the Giants and the game. GM Jerry Reese dealt Shockey after a heated blowup. Burress’ transgressions led to a prison term.
The Giants have been searching for unique players to bewilder opponents ever since.
Tagged New York Giants News, New York Jets, Ramses Barden |
Giants wide receiver Ramses Barden joins Daily News Live to talk about the team’s huge win over Dallas. Barden did not have a catch in Sunday’s game. QB Eli Manning completed passes to eight different receivers, but Barden was not among them. Hmmmm.
Tagged New York Giants, Ramses Barden, sny |
Giants’ WR Ramses Barden was in the studio yesterday to discuss the Blue’s loss in San Fran and their upcoming showdown with the Eagles.
Tagged New York Giants Video, Ramses Barden |
Hakeem Nicks’ hamstring is threatening the Giants’ powerful vertical passing attack just as they enter the part of the season where they need it the most.
They are embarking on perhaps the most brutal six weeks any team will have to endure this season. Without Nicks, the gauntlet may be dropped in front of third-year WR Ramses Barden, who the Giants drafted in a response to losing Plaxico Burress to the NYS Corrections Dept.
Barden took a boatload of snaps with the first team yesterday along with Victor Cruz since Nicks and Mario Manningham (illness) were on the sidelines.
Barden still needs to be activated but he says he will be ready when that happens, according to Mike Vorkonov of the Star-Ledger:
“It’s not something that we openly talk about but we have a tremendous amount confidence in our group and we have a tremendous amount of confidence in each other,” Barden said. “We know that if one of us isn’t available and then the next guy is one of the best receivers in the league, regardless of who it is because of the way we prepare, the way we practice and the way we study. Coach has done a great job of securing a talented group of young receivers.”
Tagged New York Giants, Ramses Barden |
Also Check Out Grading The Units: Quarterbacks
Today we examine the wide receivers as well as the tight ends. The wide receiver unit is rich with potential, injury risk and X-factors. The tight end core is, as the kids are saying, “meh.”
The biggest complaint for the wide receivers is that there is no “legit number one.” The definition of a “legit number one,” according to these people, is someone who blends both size and speed; someone who can stretch the field and double as a large red-zone target. My response to this argument is that if Hakeem Nicks is not a “legit number one,” this is a very rare breed. He may not be 6-5, but his playmaking ability is off the charts. He is fast enough to stretch the field (he has caught a 30 yard pass in a larger perecentage of his games than did Plaxico Burress as a Giant), and he wreacked havoc in the red zone last year, grabbing 11 touchdowns in 13 games. He may not be 6-5, but his playmaking ability is off the charts. He just needs to stay healthy.
Mario Manningham is still developing, but he looks poised to become one of the leagues better #2 targets. Domenik Hixon is a solid number three when healthy, and by all accounts he is near 100%. Pre-season stud Victor Cruz and rookie Jerrel Jernigan are interesting young players, but Ramses Barden could be the X-factor. (more…)
Tagged giants, Hakeem Nicks, Kevin Boss, Mario Manningham, Ramses Barden, tight ends, wide receivers |
With free agency (hopefully) around the corner, the Giants will soon have to decide whether or not they want to pursue free agent Plaxico Burress. A lot of factors will go into this decision, not the least of which is the current wide receiver core. Let’s take a look:
Duke Calhoun, Michael Clayton, Derek Hagan, Jerrel Jernigan, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks, Devin Thomas, Ramses Barden, Victor Cruz, Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Travis Beckum
Yes, I am aware that Travis Beckum was drafted as a tight end/H-back, but the Giants don’t use the H-back and he can’t cut it as a tight end. At this point, his best shot to make the team is as a slot receiver.
Tagged 2011, Devin Thomas, Domenik Hixon, Duke Calhoun, giants, Hakeem Nicks, jerrel jurnigan, Mario Manningham, michael clayton, NFL, Plaxico Burress, Ramses Barden, Steve Smith, Travis Beckum, Victor Cruz |
Every team in the NFL has assets. Things they can’t live without when planning to have a successful season or franchise. These assets are the cornerstone of every winning team.
I was fortunate to spend a few minutes with one of the New York Giants’ hardest working and most respected players on the team. That asset is wide receiver No. 12 Steve Smith. Steve was in town promoting the Vaseline MEN Keep Your Grip Challenge and I caught up with him to ask about the knee, his rehab, Plaxico and a few other topics that are on the minds of Giants fans everywhere.
It was an absolute pleasure talking to Steve and I can say without question that this guy gets it. He is true professional and for all the Giant fans in the area, Steve Smith without question plays a vital role in making the Giants successful.
Check out keepyourgripchallengegame.com for more details on the Vaseline MEN Keep Your Grip Challenge
Giants Wide Receiver talks to Craig J. Santucci – Click Here for Audio
Tagged Domenik Hixon, Eli Manning, Giants Stadium, Mario Manningham, Michael Strahan, NY Giants, Plaxico Burress, Ramses Barden, Steve Smith |
Steve Smith’s absence was arguably the biggest injury blow to the Giants playoff hopes in 2010. However, it was the loss of another Giants receiver that could likely prove to be the most significant when all is said and done.
No, I am not talking about fan-favorite Victor Cruz. I am referring to Ramses Barden, who at 6’6 could become a major offensive weapon for the Giants, if he can stay on the field.
It was no secret why the Giants selected Barden out of Cal Poly in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft. Despite lacking the pedigree of a football powerhouse, Barden gave New York a chance to recreate the magic Eli Manning had worked with a slightly larger Plaxico Burress. With his rookie year being a wash, it appeared that Barden had finally arrived early this November when he filled the void left by Smith against Dallas.
Barden’s career had thus far been marked by drops and injuries. However, a 3 reception, 34 yard game seemed to be signaling that the tide had turned…until a leg injury concluded his season before game’s end. The stats aren’t jaw dropping but for the first time, Barden didn’t look lost on the field. As the rash of injuries continued at the receiver position, he would have been given an opportunity to show the Giants exactly what they can expect from him.
Does he have starter potential? Can he become a top 3 option and thus give the Giants some breathing room when it comes time to deal with a dinged up FA Steve Smith? Manning’s play clearly suffers without the presence of either a big bailout or a crisp route runner. Barden would have had a legitimate shot at starting next season near the depth chart’s peak if he continued to improve over the course of 2010. Now we will have to wait until training camp (yes there will be a training camp) to see if Barden’s regressed or moved forward.
Similarly, Adam Koets’s early exit in Seattle puts the Giants in a tough spot. Koets was progressing nicely from failed late round draft pick to solid option at center. The Giants, who are in need of a future option at center with Shaun O’hara’s play and (football) health declining, would love to already have the next starter on the roster. It is very likely that they already do. O’hara himself admitted this off-season that the Giants were high on Koets and saw big things for him in the future if he continued to improve. Still, it would have been a great advantage come draft time to have seen nearly a full season of Koets taking reps.
Tagged Adam Koets, Ramses Barden |
After an embarrassing two weeks, the New York Giants are very likely only 6 days away from beginning preparations for 2011. With the new year approaching, I thought it would be smart to go through some of the current members of the organization whose futures with the club are either hot button issues or otherwise in doubt. The piece is a long one and it is broken up into three sections: Out/On The Bubble/ In. As always feel free to let GFB know what you think.
Out
HC Tom Coughlin: While ragging on Coughlin has been an overused go-to option for writers and pundits league wide lately, the blade is swinging ever closer to his neck after yesterday’s loss. There is an argument for keeping him of course. His tenure thus far in New York has been an upgrade from a bleak stretch of time in the team’s history that spanned from 1992 through 2003. After a rebuilding period in 2004, Coughlin fielded an overall competitive squad from 2005 through 2008 and obviously brought New York an impressive Super Bowl win. But things have not been quite the same for the Giants since jumping out to an 11-1 start in 2008. Following up a Super Bowl run with 3 months of utterly dominant football, the Giants stumbled at home against Philadelphia that season and ultimately lost to the Eagles again in their first appearance of the playoffs. 2009 saw a 5-0 start turn into a 3-5 finish and 2010 saw a historical single game collapse, an unspeakable rash of turnovers, and an overall failure to execute on special teams. Coughlin, who is historically quite reliable when it comes to challenges, blew the Giants final challenge of yesterday’s game on an obvious unfavorable ruling and thus was unable to protest against at a late Eli interception on a key drive that was clearly caught out of bounds.
Tagged Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Devin Thomas, Domenik Hixon, Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Keith Bulluck, Kevin Boss, Mario Manningham, Mathias Kiwanuka, Matt Dodge, Ramses Barden, Steve Smith, Tom Coughlin, Victor Cruz |
Some of you may have noticed that Ramses Barden left the game early. After getting X-rays in the locker room, he is currently wearing a walking boot on his left foot. Right now, indications are that he could miss up to two weeks even though the X-Rays are negative at this point.
If Barden has to miss time, the Giants will be forced to make a move for a free agent. Steve Smith will miss at least one more week and the Giants would be down to Nicks, Manningham, and Calhoun. Of course this is speculation, but one would have to assume Darius Reynaud is finally on his way out.
Tagged Ramses Barden | ← Older posts
