Big Blue View

New York Giants' Chase Blackburn Interview: BBV TV Reel 10

2012-05-16T18:00:34Z

He was sitting on his couch while the New York Giants were playing on the grid iron, last season. He was about to start teaching, leaving football behind in his rear view mirror. Then, Chase Blackburn received the phone call that would change his life and we've got the entire Cinderella story, right here on this week's edition of BBV TV.

TheBigBlueView: Reel 10 - New York Giants Chase Blackburn Interview (via sbnbigblueview)

New York Giants Super Bowl XLVI Ring Unveiled

2012-05-16T14:36:00Z

The 2012 Super Bowl champion New York Giants get their rings Wednesday evening at Tiffany's in Manhattan. Wednesday morning the Giants unveiled what the ring looks like.

The Giants and Tiffany's came up with the ring design together.

"After a few meetings, Tiffany came up with several different options that they showed us and you kind of picked from there," Eli Manning said. "We wanted it to be little different than the last ring." [Eli visits CNN, talks Super Bowl ring etiquette]

"We wanted it to represent the four trophies and have that feeling that you made the best ring that you could have made," Justin Tuck said. "I think we captured that.

"We took in a lot of opinions. We all came to a decision to make this ring our ring, because everyone loved it. When Tiffany brought it in the last day, there was silence because everyone was thinking, ‘Wow.' It really captured everything we wanted to capture in the ring. Coach Coughlin was adamant about having ‘World Champions' on it. Plus they did a great job designing the ring to fit around our fingers and really look good on your hand - not just having a big, ostentatious ring on your hand. They worked on the balance of the ring when it's on your hand. I think Tiffany did a great job."

By the way, you can't go to the ring ceremony Wednesday. The Giants are, however, offering you a chance to try on a virtual Super Bowl ring.

More photos after the jump.

New York Giants News and Notes: Sixteen Weeks and Counting Edition

2012-05-16T11:00:19Z

Good morning fellow Giants fans. It's Hump Day, and I have already spoiled things by telling you in my headline that there are just 16 weeks to go until the start of the NFL regular season. I know that time flies, but I feel like I'm writing this Hump Day notebook every other day. I guess that's good, because the off-season is cruising along briskly. But yeah, less than four months to go, fellas! Meanwhile, let's see what's going on with the Giants this morning....

The Super Bowl ring is the thing for the Giants | New York Daily News
The Jets can have their three-ring circus. All the Giants need is the ring. Those championship rings, which will feature all four of the franchise’s Super Bowl trophies inside a ring of blue, will be given to the Super Bowl XLVI champions at a private ceremony at Tiffanys in Manhattan (tonight).

Joining the champs: New Giants have extra challenge as rookies - NFL.com
The Giants' rookie minicamp probably wasn't much different from others around the league, with one distinct exception. As coach Tom Coughlin noted, the Giants' rookies and young tryout players are the only ones trying to improve a roster of reigning world champions. "You can imagine what these young guys are going through the first time," Coughlin said. There is one thing Giants rookies know, or should know: If deserving, they will have the opportunity to contribute. In 2007, Jerry Reese's first draft as Giants general manager, all eight draft picks played in a postseason that ended in a Super Bowl victory over the Patriots. Now the Giants are coming off their second Super Bowl victory in five years. And they could use some help from the kids again.

Former Gator safety Will Hill signs with Giants – Swamp Things – Gators Blog – Orlando Sentinel
A year after he left Florida early with the hopes of being drafted, former Gators safety Will Hill has signed with an NFL team. The New York Giants announced Hill as one of their free-agent signings on Monday. A New Jersey native, Hill left Florida in 2011 after his junior season in the hopes of being drafted. He wasn’t taken in the 2011 NFL Draft after a college football blog posted some vulgar tweets posted on Hill’s Twitter account. (He said it was hacked.)

This came in the form of a press release from the Giants' PR department on Tuesday.....As part of a joint commitment to player safety, a group of sports entities and equipment manufacturers has entered into an unprecedented partnership to create a youth football safety and helmet replacement program for youth in underserved communities. The initiative will remove helmets that are 10 years old or older and replace them with new helmets at no cost to the beneficiary leagues and will provide coaches with the latest educational information to help keep their young athletes safer and healthier. The New York Giants are one of six NFL teams chosen to participate in the launch of the program, which will also be piloted in the California Bay Area, Gulf Coast region, and Northern Ohio.

Former Lion Brandon Collins Signs Free Agent Deal With New York Giants
Former Southeastern Louisiana University football player Brandon Collins signed a free agent contract with the NFL's New York Giants after working out with the defending Super Bowl champions during the team's rookie minicamp this past weekend. Collins, who played his final two seasons with the Lions after transferring from Texas, finished tied with Simmie Yarborough with 61 receptions in 2011. A native of Brenham, Texas, Collins finished second in receiving yards (746) for the Lions and was tied with Kory Theodore with a team-high five touchdown receptions.

Rich Ohrnberger Earns NY Giant Try-Out - East Meadow, NY Patch
Rich Ohrnberger, the East Meadow High School graduate who was cut by the New England Patriots in February, is getting a new opportunity with the New York Giants, according to his personal Twitter account. "Checking in at mini-camp for a tryout with the NY Giants," Ohrnberger wrote. "Hopefully my rigorous off-season regime of hot yoga and calisthenics pays off."

Super Bowl costs Indianapolis more than planned | abc7chicago.com
City officials in Indianapolis say it lost slightly more than expected in hosting this year's Super Bowl. Leaders of the city's sports and convention board say final figures on tax revenue and expenses show it lost $1.1 million on the February game, about $300,000 more than expected.

Okay, maybe. But, hey, we freaking won the game!

Lions ahead of Texans in quest to end Super Bowl drought - NFL - Sporting News
The past three Super Bowl champions — New York Giants, Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints — all represented the NFC and last year, formed half of the playoff field which included the Lions. Looking back to the past 14 seasons, 11 NFC franchises can boast at least one conference championship. Detroit has the young talent to get in on that parity party, especially when hot quarterbacks and prolific passing games have been keys to the most recent success.

Esiason: Bears would appeal to Cowher - chicagotribune.com
NFL analyst Boomer Esiason shared his thoughts Monday on the Chicago Bears' need to commit to the passing game and whether he ever could envision Bill Cowher coming out of retirement and perhaps pacing the Soldier Field sidelines. "The only two coaching spots that I think that he would ever come out of retirement for ... one would be the New York Giants and the other one would be the Chicago Bears, because he’s that type of guy," Esiason said of Cowher, his CBS Sports colleague, on "The McNeil and Spiegel Show" on WSCR-AM 670.

Johnston: "Everything's In Place" For 2012 Cowboys | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Like most everyone else, Johnston believes a full offseason under six-time Super Bowl-winning strength and conditioning coach Mike Woicik will only help the team. "I had them picked to win the East last year," he said. "I think they have themselves in a good position again this year. The Giants are the defending champions so you have to give them their respect as defending champions, but I think Dallas is a team with an offseason, with Mike Woicik, I think this is a team that's going to surprise some people this year."

Blah!

'Pregnant in Heels' host revels in Mississippi ties | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com
And her unique accent is a blend of British and Southern because her husband has Mississippi ties. That's right - hubby Daron Pope is a Mississippi native, and his dad, Mike Pope, was an Ole Miss coach before landing a job with the New York Giants.

Hey, what can I say? It's a slow news cycle!

Adrien Robinson 'Very Eager' For Opportunity With New York Giants

2012-05-15T14:32:56Z

Adrien Robinson, the tight end from Cincinnati drafted in the fourth round by the New York Giants, admitted during rookie mini-camp last weekend that he is "very eager" to get some passes thrown in his direction.

Despite saying that he feels like he has always "naturally been good" at catching the ball, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Robinson had only 29 receptions in four seasons with the Bearcats,

"We had a great running back in Isaiah Pead. My role was to be a blocker," he said.

Robinson said he was not frustrated by the lack of pass-catching opportunities at Cincinnati.

"You can't cry about not getting the ball, it's just part of being a team player, especially when we're winning. Even if we're losing you've got to be a team player. I can't call the plays. Coach calls the plays, you just go out there and run 'em. I never got frustrated."

There were not a lot of opportunities for Robinson to flash his pass-catching skills during last weekend's rookie mini-camp, either, especially with tryout quarterbacks who often could not put the ball in the same area code as their intended targets.

Robinson did, however, make one play that showcased the hands and athleticism that led the Giants to use the 127th overall selection of the 2012 NFL Draft on him. He reached to snag a short bullet pass thrown well over his head, getting some praise from coach Tom Coughlin for making a "tough grab."

Robinson did not see the play as anything out of the ordinary.

"It was just a high ball but I feel like I would be expected to make that play," Robinson said.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride liked what he saw from Robinson during the mini-camp.

"Obviously the more a guy has done something, he's been asked to be a focal point in the passing game, the further he's progressed. I'm sure he's starting a little further back, but he looks like a big guy that can run. He made a great catch on the last play. Of course he ran the wrong way. He was supposed to be going inside and stole the curl from the Z, but that's kind of what I think we're going to be battling for a while," Gilbride said. "The good thing is you just like to see a guy that has the physical potential to do some things. He looks like he has that. How quickly he can assimilate our offense, how quickly he can recognize what defenses are doing and make the appropriate and correct adjustments, that's a long way off."

Robinson hopes his athleticism helps make up for the lack collegiate opportunities when it comes to learning how to catch passes against NFL defenders.

"I've always kind of naturally been good at that (catching the ball). I played receiver in high school, I played receiver when I first got to Cincinnati. That's always been my background," Robinson said. "My last two years at Cincinnati I was an in-line blocker most of the time."

With Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum rehabbing from knee injuries suffered in the Super Bowl there is, of course, an opportunity for Robinson to find a role in the offense early on.

With Coughlin and Gilbride the Giants use of the tight end has always been somewhat more traditional than how many teams use tight ends now. Which means Robinson's size, experience and obvious willingness to block could get him on the field much quicker.

"I'm used to moving around, being in the backfield, blocking linebackers in space," Robinson said. "It's a huge opportunity," "I'm just happy to be here. Happy they picked me and gave me the opportunity."

New York Giants News And Notes: Tom Coughlin Honored By Army

2012-05-15T11:30:30Z

Just a few quick notes for you this morning, New York Giants fans.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin to receive U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award | NJ.com
Honored for his work with veterans and active members of the military

Breakout stars: Linval Joseph makes the list - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy
He was a force in the second half of the season for the Giants and appears ready to do even more. He is strong and can penetrate.

Home field advantage rankings | National Football Post
Which teams do the best job of handling their business at home? Let’s take a look.

NFL: Biggest post-draft needs for every NFC East team - ESPN
Tom Coughlin's Super Bowl-winning Giants teams will be remembered for their steady rotation of defensive linemen. It was a unit that sent one pass-rusher after another across the line of scrimmage and into quarterbacks' nightmares, from Michael Strahan to Justin Tuck to Umenyiora to Mathias Kiwanuka to Jason Pierre-Paul.

However, the Giants' list of pass-rushers is getting smaller. Though Tuck and Pierre-Paul remain entrenched at defensive end, Kiwanuka has been moved to linebacker, leaving Umenyiora as the only proven pass-rusher on the Giants' bench. He may not be there for long. Umenyiora is entering the last year of his contract, and if the Giants don't give him the extension he wants (or trade him to a team that will), he has suggested he will hold out.

What kind of void would Umenyiora leave on the New York bench? Only one other Giants reserve lineman has ever sacked an NFL quarterback: 33-year-old Shaun Rogers, who had no sacks in 16 games with New Orleans last year. Most of the other bench players are late-round draftees or college free agents, none of whom have significant experience. The most talented player in this group might be Marvin Austin, a 2011 second-rounder out of North Carolina who missed his entire rookie season with a pectoral injury, but he will be placed at defensive tackle, not end.

This is why the Giants have been hesitant to trade Umenyiora: They can't afford to lose any more pass-rushers. Even if Umenyiora and the Giants reach a deal, New York still needs to add depth here.

Valentine's View: I'm not sure I agree with this. Long-term? Maybe. Short-term? Defensive end is not a problem for 2012.

Some advice for rookies: get in your playbook | National Football Post
Know your assignments. That’s the one piece of advice I would give every rookie this offseason as they go through mini-camps and prep for OTAs.

Your technique? It probably needs a lot of work. The coaching staff is going to break you down and build you back up. Part of the process as a rookie. That will come with time on the field.

But if you can’t line up and make simple adjustments, well, then you won’t play. It’s that simple in the pro game.

Chad Jones Waived By New York Giants

2012-05-14T20:42:50Z

The comeback story of Chad Jones has hit a serious roadblock. The New York Giants today waived Jones, the safety who was seriously injured shortly after being drafted in the third round by the Giants in 2010. Jones, trying to come back after nearly losing his foot after a horrific car crash, is still not cleared for football activities. He is listed as waived/failed physical.

"We consider Chad to be part of the Giants family, and we'll continue to work with him in his rehab," general manager Jerry Reese said. "As we've said since his accident, we're thankful he is alive and able to lead a normal life."

Jones suffered multiple fractures and nerve damage in his lower left leg in the accident in New Orleans on June 25, 2010. He underwent several hours of surgery and has spent the past two years in an arduous rehabilitation regimen. Jones spent the last two seasons on the reserve/non-football injury.

"Chad had a severe injury to his left leg, involving a complex tibial fracture with associated injury to muscle, nerves, and vascular structures," said Dr. Scott Rodeo, a Giants associate team physician. "This type of injury is often limb threatening, and can sometimes require amputation. He has made a remarkable recovery to date, with successful salvage of the leg. However, at this time he has residual sensory loss, muscle weakness, and tenuous soft tissue coverage in the involved lower leg. The resultant functional impairment precludes his ability to perform physically at the level required for professional football."

"We would like to thank the Giants organization for the manner in which they have supported Chad since his unfortunate accident two years ago," said Jones' agent Rocky Arceneaux. "Their genuine support and caring has far exceeded their obligations and he and his family will be eternally grateful. Chad is experiencing a minor setback and we expect a full recovery within a few months. He thanks everyone for their continued support and prayers. He will see his teammates on the field soon.""We consider Chad to be part of the Giants family, and we'll continue to work with him in his rehab," general manager Jerry Reese said. "As we've said since his accident, we're thankful he is alive and able to lead a normal life."

Along with waiving Jones he Giants officially announced the signings of three players who had attended last weekend's rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis. Wide receiver Brandon Collins of Southeast Louisiana, linebacker Jake Muasau of Georgia State and safety Will Hill of Florida have been added to the Giants 90-man roster.

Here is some info on the three players the Giants signed.

Collins, 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds, played two seasons at the University of Texas before transferring to Southeastern Louisiana. In 2011, he caught 61 passes for 746 yards and five touchdowns. As a sophomore at Texas, Collins played in 12 games with three starts and caught 35 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns.

Muasau, 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds, was voted by his teammates as Georgia State's Most Valuable Defensive Player in 2010 and 2011. An outside linebacker, Muasau is the school's career leader in tackles for loss (16.5) and interceptions (3) and he had 106 career tackles, seven sacks, four fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. In 10 games in 2011, he collected 56 tackles (39 solo), eight tackles for losses, three sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. He had a career-high 10 tackles against Texas-San Antonio. Muasau played two seasons at Phoenix College but was injured much of the 2009 season.

Hill, 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, was not selected after declaring for the 2011 NFL Draft following his junior season. In three seasons at Florida, Hill played in 38 games with 15 starts and had 144 tackles (94 solo), four interceptions and 1.5 sacks. In 2008, he was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and led the Gators with 22 special teams tackles. The following year he played in 14 games with five starts at safety. Hill had 42 tackles on defense (31 solo) and again led Florida in special teams tackles with 13. In 2010, he started all 10 regular season games in which he played and was credited with 48 tackles (30 solo).

Terrell Thomas Insists Rehab Is Ahead Of Schedule

2012-05-14T17:30:21Z

New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas today insisted that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from the ACL surgery that cost him last season.

"I've said all along I'm ahead of schedule and doing good. My biggest thing is just protecting, keep building strength and to be ready for training camp. and the opening game against Dallas," said Thomas during an appearance at teammate Chris Canty's charity golf tournament.

This is Thomas' second ACL surgery on that knee. I don't know about you guys, but I always take these things with a grain of salt. Every athlete who has ever been injured is always -- somehow -- ahead of schedule in his rehab.

If Thomas is right, and he is healthy this season, that will be a big boost to the Giants defense. We won't know anything, however, until Thomas and the rest of the team hit the field for training camp.

New York Giants Rookie Mini-Camp: Final Thoughts

2012-05-14T13:00:28Z

Wide receiver Brandon Collins and linebacker Jake Muasau have reportedly been signed to contracts by the New York Giants following last weekend's rookie mini-camp. Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News reported Sunday that those were the two players selected to fill the final two spots available on the 90-man roster the team is allowed to have presently.

Vacchiano said the Giants are expected to make the signings official Monday. Collins is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver from Southeastern Louisiana. Muasau is a 6-foot-1, 243-pound linebacker from Georgia State.

To be honest, these two signings caught me by surprise. You never know what the coaching staff sees on film, or what may have been pre-determined heading into the mini-camp, but it did not seem as if either player stood out during the three practices I witnessed.

SI.com says Collins offers potential as a slot receiver and punt returner. [Full Scouting Report] Muasau had 106 tackles with 16.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions during his two seasons at Georgia State.

More final thoughts on the mini-camp after the jump.

Let's pump the brakes just a little on the Joe Martinek hysteria. Martinek, the running back from Rutgers who is on the 90-man roster as an undrafted free agent, got tons of attention from the assembled media during mini-camp. I am as guilty as the next guy, to be honest. Martinek had a good couple of days, he's an easy interview, he's a good story because he is a native New Jersey kid, and he has positional versatility and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. But, let's not anoint him just yet. He has a long, long way to go to prove he belongs on the 53-man roster, and an even longer way to go to prove he deserves to actually push fullback Henry Hynoski or running backs D.J. Ware, Da'Rel Scott or Andre Brown for playing time. It's not that difficult to look great in shorts when defenders aren't allowed to touch you, much less try to tackle you. Let's see what happens when training camp starts and the preseason games get here.
Markus Kuhn is a rock star. Nobody knows at this point if the seventh-round draft pick, a defensive tackle from North Carolina State, can play at the NFL level. What I can tell you, though, is that Kuhn seems to like the spotlight. He held court amongst reporters several times Friday and Saturday, drawing a huge crowd considering that he didn't even work out during mini-camp due to a laceration on his leg. He's engaging, and the long hair held back with a headband and the smile make him photogenic. The German-born Kuhn also had a German reporter trailing him during the mini-camp, and best guess is that will be ongoing. Oh, the laceration? Kuhn said he suffered that while moving when a knife that apparently had the blade sticking out of a box he picked up gashed him. I have to say that is a new excuse.
Janzen Jackson, a safety from McNeese State, is probably the undrafted free agent on the defensive side of the ball with the best shot at making the roster. Watching defensive backs go through drills during the mini-camp, there was a noticeable difference in athleticism between Jackson and most of the other DBs. When it came to the backpedal and getting in and out of breaks, most of the defensive backs looked stuck in the mud in comparison to Jackson.