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Injuries, personnel moves make for new-look Giants Football
content: When camp opened, the New York Giants aspired to fix a few things that, despite their ten-win season last year, kept them from making the playoffs for the second year in a row ... and then camp happened.Post lockout, the Giants found themselves not only carrying several expensive contracts under a salary cap that was reduced from 128 million in 2009 to 120 million for 2011, those contracts belonged to veteran players whose skills, for one reason or another, were no longer able to justify their value.As a result, general manager Jerry Reese made some tough but necessary decisions, trimming key members from the Super Bowl XLII team such as offensive linemen Rich Seubert and Shaun O'Hara, and FB Madison Hedgecock.He also cut ties with offensive lineman Shawn Andrews, who signed the previous year, and held firm in not overspending for several of the Giants' own free agents such as defensive tackle Barry Cofield, tight end Kevin Boss and wide receiver Steve Smith.While Reese's personnel moves on offense have been anything but glamorous, he insisted that the team stuck to its objective.We make solid football decisions, Reese said. That's been happening for a long time.Those decisions included signing unrestricted free agent David Baas New Orleans Saints Jersey Authentic to replace O'Hara at center; moving Baltimore Ravens Jersey Outlet LT David Diehl inside to left guard to replace Seubert; and plugging in third-year man Will Beatty at left tackle.At tight end, Reese is looking for Travis Beckum, their former third-round draft pick, to match if not top Boss' 35 receptions for 531 yards and five touchdowns last season.There's plenty of room for guys to step up. We expect them to, Reese said of Authentic Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys the tight end situation.At fullback, the team is hoping that undrafted free agent Henry Hynoski, who was promoted to the starting lineup in the Giant's preseason matchup against the Jets, will Official Steelers Jersey continue NFL Reebok Saints Jerseys to make enough forward progress to where the position no longer NFL Football Saints Jerseys is a concern.We like (Hynoski's) ability as a fullback, Reese said. With the percentage of fullback plays that we have and we have used in the past, I don't think (fullback) is an issue for us at this point.At receiver, the Giants are looking to the one-two punch of Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, who combined for 139 receptions for 1,996 yards and 20 of quarterback Eli Manning's 31 touchdowns in 2010, to provide the firepower in the passing game.I think we have a number of guys who can play, said Manning. Those guys are all working. They're all great competitors. It's fun to be in practice with them. They want to do the right things, they want to learn, they're all smart, and they get things. So we're coaching them up, but they're making plays and doing a good job.Meanwhile on defense, defensive tackle Linval Joseph will replace the departed Barry Cofield, while Mathias Kiwanuka, a defensive end by trade, will replace unrestricted free agent Keith Bulluck on strong side spot in the base defense.As for the injuries that have struck the Giants so far, most of which have occurred on defense, New York is looking for second-year man Jason Pierre-Paul to step in for Osi Umenyiora (right knee) at defensive end. Pierre-Paul has had a solid camp thus far and should be ready for the starting Cheap Ravens Jersey role in the event that Umenyiora is not back at the end of the 3-4 week recovery time initially projected by the team.At defensive tackle, the Giants were dealt a significant blow when Marvin Austin, their promising second-round draft pick, suffered a season-ending pectoral injury. Austin was expected to be a big part of the defensive interior's rotation; his production will likely be taken up by veteran Jimmy Kennedy, who the team signed to a one-year contract.In Official Eagles Jersey Shop Online the defensive secondary, New York was hit hard at cornerback, losing Terrell Thomas (knee), Bruce Johnson (Achilles), and Brian Witherspoon (knee) for the season, while first round draft pick Prince Amukamara (broken foot) probably won't be ready until mid-October at the soonest.Injuries aside, Coughlin is looking for the rest of his team to pick up the pieces and stay on track.I think the guys will rally, said Coughlin. I think our guys will continue to believe in themselves and are certainly going to be disappointed in this news, as we all are. But we're going to have to push our way through this and maybe it will be an opportunity for someone else.It's football, added defensive end Justin Tuck. Obviously it is unfortunate that it had to happen, especially to those guys. Like I always say, guys have to step up and it gives guys opportunity. That's about all you have to say about it.COACHING Tom Coughlin, 16th year (141-114), 8th with Giants (69-50).REMEMBERING 2010 record: 10-6 (2nd in NFC East).PREDICTING 2011 regular season record 9-7 (3rd in NFC East).Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
01.09.2011. u 02:49 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^