I wanted to write about Danica Patrick’s cat fight with Milka Duno, but the Giants made a big move that needs to be discussed. A few weeks ago I told you that I heard from a reliable source about an unlikely trade of Jeremy Shockey for Twinkle Toes Taylor. I also said that despite the reliable source, I didn’t see why it would happen from either team’s perspective. It turns out they did end up being traded at pretty much the same time, just not for each other. The dancing Dolphin was traded into the NFC East, but to the rival Redskins. Shockey was sent to the south, but the NFC South and the New
Orleans Saints.

I think the trade makes sense for the Saints. But being a Giants fan, I couldn’t care less about that side of the trade. Is it a good trade for the Giants? I’m not sure. Shockey is very gifted as an athlete and has the skills of a top-five tight end. He is as complete a tight end as you’ll find, which has become a rare commodity in the NFL; he is a great blocker and a true weapon as a pass catcher. And I know it seems like Shockey’s been around for a while, but he’s only 27. Kevin Boss filled in admirably for Shockey after Jeremy broke his leg, but those who are ready to count Boss as an adequate replacement for Shockey are drawing from a very small sample size. The guy showed some skills getting open and catching the ball, but he was an unknown to defenses who were much more concerned with limiting receptions for Plax and Amani. Additionally, it’s been well documented by the coaches that, despite his size, Boss is not (yet) nearly the blocker Shockey is.

On the other hand, Shockey can lose focus at times and drop passes… key passes. More importantly, though, Jeremy has been known to act like a baby. His selfish crying has been a major distraction to the rest of the team. Nobody but Eli knows for sure, but the evidence pointed to Manning being much more comfortable quarterbacking the Giants when he didn’t feel like he had to force the ball to Shockey ten times a game. It’s entirely possible that Eli’s coming of age as an NFL quarterback just happened to coincide with Shockey’s absence from the lineup and the two were completely unrelated, just like it’s entirely possible that the beautiful chick that was totally into me for a little while actually suddenly had something better going on just as I was entering the “extremely drunk” zone Saturday night. The bottom line is if Shockey was as unhappy as a Giant as he led us all to believe, then he was going to be a poison in the locker room and needed to go.

Everyone has their opinion as to whether this was a good trade for the Giants or not. However, the fact is only Eli Manning knows if Shockey’s antics truly hurt his performance. Only the coaches have seen enough of Kevin Boss to know if he’s capable of replacing Shockey. And only the Giants organization truly knows how happy/unhappy Shockey was and how much of a distraction he was threatening to be. Journalists don’t know. Talk radio hosts don’t know. Drunks in the bar don’t know.

If Shockey was truly unhappy the trade needed to happen. My only question is: why didn’t it happen on Draft Day? The Giants were offered this very deal on the day of the 2008 NFL draft and passed on it. If the Giants took the deal back then, they could have used the extra second round pick (number 40 overall - next year it won’t be as high) on a linebacker like Tavares Gooden or one of a number of very good corners that were still available at 40 but gone by the time the Giants picked at 63 (and it turns out they could have then grabbed Gooden at 63). The Giants could have taken a very good player at a position they needed to address and therefore helped themselves THIS YEAR rather than wait until 2009 for any benefit from the trade.

Forced to choose, I think this was probably a good trade by the Giants. Hopefully Eli will continue to excel as he’s able to relax and find the open receiver regardless of who it is and hopefully Kevin Boss will continue to improve and become a top level tight end in the NFL. If these two things happen, the trade will prove to have been a good one for the Giants, but it still should have happened on draft day.

What do you think about the trade? Share your thoughts below or email me at mfh@subwaychatter.com

While the Giants may have improved their team chemistry by trading Jeremy Shockey, they have placed the success of the 2008 season on the fragile shoulders of Plaxico Burress. I know Shockey was crazy, sensitive and a sometimes divisive figure in the locker room. But, he was the Giants best blocking tight end, best receiving tight end, and the second-best playmaker on offense behind #17. Now with Shockey gone, Plaxico basically becomes the Giants’ lone receiving option. Many of you are thinking “Hey, that scenario worked out pretty well for us this past January/February,” but my question is “What happens if Plax gets hurt?” Who does Eli get the ball to then? Good character may get you a Boy Scout badge, but in the NFL talent rules (Adam “Pacman” Jones, Terrell Owens, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, the list goes on-and-on). With this trade, the Giants have not only fallen behind the Cowboys and their all-star roster, but now the Eagles have to be considered a threat with a healthy Donovan McNabb, the always ridiculous Brian Westbrook, and a much-improved defense led by Asante Samuel. Right now it looks like the Giants are in store for another mediocre 7-9 season and I have a better chance of winning the lottery than Plaxiglass has of staying healthy for 16 games.

The hands on the hips say it all: “I was the G-Men’s poster boy my first couple of seasons, and then I didn’t get involved as much as I wanted, and we were one and done in the playoffs a few times, and then I was still pissy after we won a SuperBowl (one in which I sat out with a broken leg), but now things are better ’cause I get to play with Reggie Bush.”

While this sounds like a trade made in Madden Heaven if you’re living in N’Awlins, it’s gotta make you question whether Shockey ever truly embraced being a G-Man. After 9/11 he came back with that ridic tat that screamed “U.S. pride” — and even more so “NY pride” — but now he plans to trade in the Big Apple and a SuperBowl ring for a pair of floaties… what, to soon?

Stephon Marbury, Gary Sheffield, and now you can add Jeremy Shockey to the list of bush league cry babies who are unworthy of calling New York “home.”

A friend of mine came to me with a Jeremy Shockey trade rumor that I would not give a hint of credence to if the source weren’t so reliable (not my dumb friend, the person he got the information from). Admittedly it comes to me third-hand, so this could wind up being a horrible version of telephone, but I figured I’d share it with my Subway Chatter friends anyway. The information made its way to my buddy through a friend of a friend. This associate is known to be good friends with Bill Parcells. Reportedly not long ago he was hanging out with the Big Tuna who mentioned to him that the Dolphins and Giants were talking about a deal that would send Jason Taylor to the Giants for Jeremy Shockey straight-up.

If it weren’t for the source being reliable on Parcells matters in the past I’d completely disregard this rumor. The trade doesn’t make much sense for either team. The Dolphins have a lot of needs and tight end is near the bottom of the list. What are they going to do with a top-quality tight end without a quarterback that can get him the ball? Or an offensive line to protect said quarterback? And the Giants have an abundance of very good defensive ends. They have little use for another one, who has already said this season will probably be his last. Not to mention one that would rather dance on TV than practice with his team. If they were going to trade Shockey for a rent-a-player, they’d be much better served picking up a strong safety, cornerback, or outside linebacker. More likely though, the G-Men are waiting to get a second-round-pick-plus for Shockey so they can get a young talented player who will (hopefully) help them for years. I just don’t see why either team would make this trade, but given the source I’ll actually only give it a 65% chance that the information is bogus.

Speaking of bogus, how fake are girls? Last night Monnie D. and I were out at a few bars and ran into some girls we know. As I was chatting with one of them we were spotted by another girl I know who approached me. Now mind you– girl number 1 and girl number 2 have only met once and do not like each other. In fact, the one time they met I had to hear from girl number 1 and her friend about how they didn’t get along at all with girl number 2. I won’t get into the reason they don’t get along, I’ll just say it may or may not have something to do with me. Anyway, girl number 2 comes over and gives an enthusiastic “HI!” to girl number 1, accompanied by a hug. This shocking action was followed by an, “I miss you,” to which girl number 1 replied, “I know, me too,” in an equally enthusiastic tone. Unfortunately, text can’t depict insincerity very well but both girls sounded about as disingenuous as a klansman would have giving a heart felt eulogy for Martin Luther King Jr. A guy would have handled this situation in one of three very different ways:

1. He would have thought to himself, “there’s Michelle, oh but there’s Sam, I don’t want to talk to that douche” and stayed away.

2. He would have walked over and talked to Michelle, completely ignoring Sam’s presence… or existence on earth for that matter.

3. He would have walked over and given Sam the, “hey” accompanied by the “I don’t like you and you don’t like me” look and continued on to talk to Michelle briefly.

Notice none of the actions a man makes involve any sort of forced friendliness to someone with which you have a mutual hatred– a hatred everyone in the area is well aware of. But who doesn’t know guys and girls are different? Men are very logical, rational beings. And women…aren’t. Don’t believe me? Take a listen…

http://www.scherle.com/psychoexgirlfriend/voicemails.html

http://psychoexgirlfriend.net/2007/01/because-rape-was-better-than-leaving.html

VERY rational behavior.

CBS Sportsline writer Pete Prisco revealed his top 50 players in the NFL last week. Naturally I disagree with a bunch of his rankings, but there a few that are so glaringly absurd I felt I needed to call him out in my own online article. I have no problem with his top five: (in descending order) Champ Bailey, Randy Moss, LDT, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady. I personally still put Manning ahead of Brady, but I have no problem with people that put Brady number 1. The second we step outside of the top 5, however, we come across the most egregious error in rankings since Joan Osbourne’s “One of Us” (#54), was in VH1’s 100 greatest songs of the 90s along with “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch (47), “Ice Ice Baby” (29), and “MMMBop” (20).

If you haven’t seen the list you could take ten guesses at who Pete claims is the sixth best player in the NFL and would likely not come up with it. If I gave you a hint and told you it was a defensive player you still could take ten guesses and probably still not name the player who Pete Prisco singles out as the second best defensive player in all the land. It’s not Shawne Merriman, he hasn’t quite been the same since being forced to end his steroid use. It’s not Patrick Willis who led the league in tackles with 174 while the next best had 141. It’s also not Ed Reed, DeMarcus Ware, Bob Sanders, Kevin Williams, Albert Haynesworth, Brian Urlacher or Jared Allen. No, according to Pete Prisco the sixth best player in the NFL is Mario Williams. Granted, Mario had a great 2007 and has so far vindicated the Texans for picking him ahead of Vince Young and Reggie Bush by so far being the best player in that draft class, but there is no way that at this moment he is the second best defensive player in the NFL. Every player I mentioned above forces the offense to change their game plan merely with their presence. I don’t think Super Mario does that quite yet. He’s close, and maybe in a year or two he becomes the sixth best player in the NFL, but right now I don’t think he’s there yet. Let’s not forget, Mario has only had one good year and I don’t think you can rate a player this high based on one good year. And if you do, a guy like Patrick Willis with 33 more tackles than the next most productive player should get the nod over a guy who’s supposedly a sack specialist but didn’t even lead the league in sacks.

Another problem I have is an omission. Antonio Cromartie, who led the league with ten interceptions last year is not even on the list. If Mario Williams gets ranked sixth because of one solid year, Cromartie has to make the list somewhere. Even without Mario so high, Cromartie’s performance in 2007, including three picks of #2 on the list Peyton Manning, should earn him a spot in the early 40s.

Other less heinous errors/omissions:
Chad Johnson #28: this may be a little controversial, but I don’t think Chad Johnson is nearly as good as many people (or he) think he is. He should not be ahead of Braylon Edwards. He should not be ahead of Larry Fitzgerald. It’s arguable that he’s even the best receiver on his own team.

Fred Taylor #49 & Larry Johnson off the list: Fred Taylor is a good running back. That’s about it – good. He’s not a top 50 player. Like Chad Johnson, he’s not even the best running back on his own team. Larry Johnson is a great running back. He has a great combination of power, speed, vision, and quick feet. If he had any kind of offensive line in front of him last year he’d have been an all pro without question. He is substantially better than Fred Taylor. I don’t think too many people will argue that point with me.

Troy Polamalu unlisted: He’s another guy who offenses have to pay close attention to when installing their game plan. He’s a game changer in the secondary against the run and against the pass. He’ll make mistakes, but he’ll make huge plays to compensate. I think he has to show up somewhere in the 40s.

Ed Reed #23: Ed Reed is easily a top 15 player. He’s in the discussion for the top defensive player in the league. The guy is great against the run and equally great against the pass. How he’s not even in the top 20 is beyond me.
Tommie Harris #36: Tommie Harris is a man-child at DT for the Bears. He’s arguably their most important player on defense (sorry Brian). He’s solid against the run and is one of the best pass rushing defensive tackles in football. He’s the total package and one of the top 3 DTs in the game. The most important player for one of the top defenses in the league (save for last season) has to be ranked in the top 25.

Patrick Willis #43: He led the league with 174 tackles – a full 33 more than the number two tackler DJ Williams, and more than anyone has had going back to 2002 (that’s as far back as I bothered looking). Like Cromartie, if Mario Williams is ranked ridiculously high because of one very good season, how is Willis left so far back after 1 great season? As I alluded to before, I like to see more than one great season before I put a guy super high, still you have to consider Willis in the high 20s along with Urlacher (who should have been a little higher) after an incredible season like his 2007.

Some might find it interesting that there is only 1 member of the World Champion New York Giants in the top 50 players in football, and ZERO in the top 40. Osi Umenyiora at 42 is the lone Giant in the top 50 which at first I was a little upset about. After all, they are the Super Bowl Champions. But upon further examination, who else on the Giants roster belongs in the top 50? You certainly can’t put Eli there. If last year’s playoffs were all we had to go on for Eli you’d have to include him in the top 50 because he was simply amazing. But every Giants fan remembers the 3 ½ previous seasons in which he was less than stellar. And those performances are enough to keep him out of the top 50. If he can continue to play like he did in the playoffs leading up to and including Super Bowl XLII there will be no keeping him off this list next year. Michael Strahan could have made an interesting argument but he’s now retired. The only player I can see a legit argument for is Plax. He is a stud receiver who is nearly uncoverable (I know it’s not a real word) when he wants to be. There can definitely be an argument made for him to make the list in place of Wes Welker or Tony Gonzalez. But if you look at the stats Plax didn’t quite stack up to those two in 2007. The fact that only 1 player from the Super Bowl champs made the top 50 (and he was way back at 42) shows how great a TEAM the Giants were last year in the ultimate team sport.

Was there some kind of championship won in Boston last night or something? Even if there was, who really cares now that we got this terrible news. Though look at the bright side: that’s two extra Sundays on which we’ll be able to do something other than watch golf now that Eldrick won’t be partaking in the British Open and the PGA Championship (seriously, don’t pretend like you weren’t going to watch after you missed out on all drama at Torrey Pines this past weekend). By the way, doesn’t Tiger’s win just become that much more incredible now that we all know he was literally playing on one leg? Now there’s a real gamer. You hear that, Chienny-Ming? Damn, Tiger not only churns out majors like a U.S. army base, but then he goes ahead and kicks Rocco Mediate out of his underdog role after-the-fact because, honestly, regardless of whether you’re a 45-year-old, over-the-hill chump, you should be able to beat a cripple, no? Ah, Tiger– your greatness knows no bounds. Goodluck with the surgery and see you next year.

PS– About that Boston championship that may or may not have happened last night: obviously what I’m about to say brings me no joy whatsoever, but has there ever been a city that owns the sports world like Beantown does right now? And after seeing the way the C’s absolutely demolished Kobe and Co. this series, you really have to wonder if the conspiracy theorists were right about the Giants’ victory in Super Bowl XLII– that as part of the Patriots’ punishment for Spygate, they had to throw the Super Bowl. I mean really, can you offer any other rational explanation as to why the Patriots are still trying to get a copyright on “19-0″?

Michael Anthony Strahan announced his retirement this week after fifteen seasons with the New York Giants. During his career he amassed 141 ½ sacks (fifth all time), including 22 ½ during the 2001 season (so what if the final one was cheaper than 5AM hooker in a Vegas casino) which is a single season record. He had at least one sack in every season of his career and he was still the defensive leader during Big Blue’s run to the Super Bowl this past season. Strahan’s final sack came during a Super Bowl victory in which he led the Giants’ front four in putting relentless pressure on Tom Brady. Fitting.

Lost on many non-Giants fans is the fact that Strahan was at least as good a run stopper as he was a pass rusher. He has the sack numbers to prove his pass rushing prowess, but you had to really watch the games to pick up just how good he was against the run. If he wasn’t making a play on the ball carrier, he was forcing a cut-back inside or taking on two blockers to allow the linebackers a free run at the guy. He shed blockers like Nicole Richie (AKA Skeletor) shed calories and forced the runner back into the teeth of the defense. During his fifteen-year career, Michael Strahan was one of the most complete defensive ends in football. In an age when defensive linemen generally specialize as pass rushers or run stoppers (or in the case of Jason Taylor, prancing around like fairies on national television), Michael Strahan excelled at both (and who knows, maybe he’s a hell of a dancer too), earning him seven Pro Bowl selections and eventually a Super Bowl ring (upon which is scribed a weak-ass tag instead of one of my far superior suggestions). In fact, replacing Strahan the run stopper will probably be tougher than replacing Strahan the pass rusher. But more on that later.

In addition to his on-field playing ability, Michael Strahan was one of the best leaders in the NFL. He made everyone on the Giants play better. His infectious personality kept his teammates’ loose and their minds in the game. His undeniable love for football rubbed off on those around him. He kept everyone loose and having fun, and it can’t be overstated how important that is for a team. His incredible work ethic served as a wonderful example for younger Giants’ players. Granted he did skip camp last summer and I killed Jason Taylor for that recently, but I genuinely think Strahan was considering retirement at the time and his excuse didn’t involve dancing. Also, Jason Taylor’s work ethic is not nearly as renowned as Strahan’s.

There is no question the Giants are going to miss Strahan. They’re going to miss his consistent pressure on the quarterback, his uncanny run-stopping ability, and probably most of all his leadership on the field and in the locker room. Luckily though, Big Blue does have a capable man to step in and attempt to fill the void left by Strahan’s retirement. Justin Tuck is a hell of a defensive end. I’ve been a fan of his ever since his rookie year out of Notre Dame and last year he proved he can be an effective part of the Giants defensive front – six tackles including two sacks in the Super Bowl should be enough to convince anyone. Tuck is a big, strong defensive end with great pass rushing skills. He’s strong enough to play well against the run, but he doesn’t yet have the instincts or use his hands well enough to be a truly complete end the way Strahan was. He’s still quite young though and can certainly develop into an all-round great defensive lineman. In nickel situations the Giants will still be able to roll Tuck inside to defensive tackle and move Mathias Kiwanuka to defensive end (his natural position) so they have four legitimate pass rushers on the line. There’s also the possibility Kiwanuka moves back to defensive end full time, but I won’t get into that now. Of course losing a player of Strahan’s caliber hurts the Giants somewhat, but they have a player that can fill in well and still will have one of the best defensive lines in the league.

So goodbye #92. It’s been a great fifteen years and we’ll miss you. But hopefully not that much.

I’ll let G-men fans like Chuck Wipple and MFH handle the absent-sarcasm tribute duties in the next day or so, but for the time being, thanks for the memories, Big Mike. You may have been the most overrated defensive player of the last 20 years not named Warren Sapp — which might seem a little ridiculous considering you’re a sure-fire HOF-er, but I stand by it — and you may or may not have cheated on your wife with another dude. But you will go down as the greatest gap-toothed player in the NFL’s long and glorious history, and as one of millions of people who rocked braces in middle school, I can tell you that this, my friend, is something to be proud of.

Last night the New York Football Giants picked up their Super Bowl XLII rings from Tiffany’s. Most of the team was there, including departed players Gabril Wilson and Kawika Mitchell. However, not in attendance was Jeremy Shockey. Make of that what you will. But back to the rings - the decision makers completely ignored my suggestions and settled on a tag on the rings that reads “11 straight on the road.” To me that tag is a little weak for the hardware symbolizing the Giants’ amazing run through the playoffs. I will give you, Subway Chatter Nation, ten of my suggestions on what they should’ve put on the rings, and you tell me if they made the right choice:

“Unlike the Yankees in 2004, we didn’t choke this one away to a Boston team”

“Maybe Eli wasn’t a huge bust”

“The Patriots proved to be as invincible as communist Russia”

“Tiki Who?”

“Making people run drunk and shirtless through the streets” (ok maybe that one is a little too inside)

“The chances of us winning 2-straight are about as good as Ugly Betty making it into the Maxim Hot 100”

“I ended the Patriots’ undefeated season and all I got was this stupid ring?”

“Tony Romo may have bagged Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson, but he doesn’t have one of these”

“Now do you want to f*** me?”

“Pounding Tom Brady worse than Giselle with a dildo”

Send in your ideas for the tag for the New York Giants Super Bowl rings to mfh@subwaychatter.com or just use the comment button below…

The 2008 NFL draft went for the Giants much like I thought it would. As worried as I am about Kenny Phillips being a difference maker (in the positive sort of way) I knew Reese and Co. were going to end up taking him with the 31st pick. Although I was holding out hope that Jarod Mayo would fall that far, I didn’t think there was much of a chance of that happening. I did not think he would go as high as ten, but after Keith Rivers (surprising to me) went at nine to the Bengals, I wasn’t shocked to see New England address their biggest weakness at ten with Mayo. It’s no secret that the Giants NEED a safety, and picking Phillips in the first round was probably the right move, but I just don’t love it. The guy is a hell of an athlete, but he makes a lot of mistakes that he just can’t afford to make in the NFL. I’m hoping he’s coachable enough to let Spagnoulo rid him of the false steps and misreads. If that happens, Phillips could be a potential Pro Bowler and more than worthy of the 31st pick in this draft.

In the second round the Giants decided to go cornerback and picked Terrell Thomas out of USC. I had a feeling the Giants would choose another corner early in this draft, but with Tavares Gooden out of Miami still on the board I think I would have rather seen New York take a chance with him at outside linebacker. It’s debatable which position is a greater need for Big Blue and I thought there was a little more depth at corner with a guy like Tyvonn Branch still available to them in round three. I also thought they could take a chance on Zach Bowman in the fourth or fifth round (he ended up going early in the fifth) and try to develop his undeniable talent. Still, Terrell Thomas is a talented defensive back in his own right and can certainly be a number two or three corner for Steve Spagnoulo’s defense.

Even though they passed on Tavares Gooden, the Giants did not ignore their need for help at linebacker and snagged two of them, selecting Bryan Kehl of BYU in the fourth round and Jonathan Goff from Vandy in the fifth. The Giants traded up to get Kehl and I like the move. He’s a big, athletic kid that can put on more bulk, which could help him overcome one of his weaknesses – shedding blocks. He’s fast enough to cover sideline to sideline against the run and covers good ground in a zone against the pass. Also, character is not an issue for this guy — he missed two years in college while on a Mormon mission, which automatically makes him a better man than I am. Goff is a very similar player, both in what he does well and what he needs to work on, though not graded as high as Kehl. My one problem with Goff is that he looks like he’s the younger brother of Terrell Owens. All indications are that he’s not nearly the douche TO is, but the resemblance makes me uneasy.

The Giants made two great value picks in the 2008 draft. The first was taking fallen angel Andre Woodson at the end of the sixth round. At the beginning of the season, Woodson was projected as a top pick. He has prototypical NFL size and arm strength with great touch on the deep ball and tremendous accuracy. He can put the right zip on the ball to hit the deep out and fire the ball into small holes over the middle. Woodson saw his stock plummet towards the end of the season as NFL scouts noticed a hitch in his delivery, causing him to take too long to get rid of the ball. He also showed a tendency to lock onto his number one receiver. Still, I don’t think many people figured Andre to drop all the way to the end of the sixth round and I love that the Giants stole him there even though Eli Manning (not exactly an old man) just led them to a Super Bowl championship. Woodson could develop into a more than capable backup and may eventually replace Eli, or serve as attractive trade bait.

The other value pick the Giants made was at receiver in the third round, but not the receiver I was calling for pre-draft at that spot. Shockingly, Donnie Avery was the FIRST receiver to come off the board at 33 to the Rams. I don’t think most people had him in the top ten receivers chosen in their mock drafts, I know I certainly didn’t. I also didn’t think there was any chance Mario “Eli” Manningham would last so long, but he did. Manningham is fast (faster than his 40 would indicate) and runs great routes; he just flat-out knows how to get open. His stock fell because of character questions, but Jerry Reese interviewed him thoroughly and ultimately gave his stamp of approval. After last year, that’s good enough for me. Manningham is the receiver the Giants need to stretch the field and provide that home run threat. My guess is that the Giants were looking to go linebacker with this pick, but when they saw Manningham still on the board when they were put on the clock they couldn’t pass him up. I love this pick.

Overall I could justify grading this year’s draft for the Giants anywhere in the C- to B+ range. They addressed their biggest areas of need and drafted some very talented players, including some potential gems in the later rounds. As most of you know, I’m not yet sold on Kenny Phillips, but I can’t fault the Giants at all for drafting him with their 1st rounder as they desperately needed a safety with the ability to cover speedy slot receivers as well as help stop the run. Still, some had him as the second best safety in a weak safety draft class, and he really doesn’t provide first round value. On the other hand, Mario Manningham could wind up being the steal of the 2008 Draft. Plus, after the draft Jerry Reese and his boys had last year, I have to give them the benefit of the doubt this time around. Grade: B

This weekend is the NFL draft. It’s an exciting time for football fans, as it gives every team the chance to fill their most glaring holes and make a run at the postseason. The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants (still feels great to write that) are not without their deficiencies. Although my friends and I will be sending my buddy Alvie off to Arizona with a day-long bar crawl on Saturday, I will try to remain lucid enough to follow the Giants’ first day in hopes that they will address their largest weaknesses so they can defend their title.

Safety is by far the biggest need for the Giants this year. Neither James Butler nor Michael Johnson is going to cut it at free safety. I would feel more comfortable with Don Johnson or the Butler Bulldogs’ mascot at safety. Cornerback and outside linebacker are their next largest needs. At corner Big Blue could be ok if Corey Webster plays like he did in the playoffs last season. However if he plays like he did at the beginning of the season they’ll need a lot of help. Either way, they could use some depth as Kevin Dockery, despite showing flashes of ability, has yet to fully prove himself and Sam Madison and RW McQuarters are straight old. At outside linebacker it’s a similar story. Gerris Wilkinson has shown signs of being able to handle a starting role, but has yet to show the consistency needed, while at the strong side, Mathias Kiwanuka looked confused making reads and was downright poor at pass coverage. He did, however, show some improvement from week to week until a broken leg ended his season.

The Giants are in the unenviable position of needing a safety in a year with a weak safety class. In fact, Scouts Inc. has safety rated as the weakest position in this year’s draft. If the Giants draft for need and get a safety in the first round, they will not be getting very good value. If they draft for value and wait to get a safety later, they could wind up with a big hole in their secondary. The general consensus is that the Giants will take Miami safety Kenny Phillips. I think he’s overrated and it would be a reach taking him in the first round. It may be in the Giants’ best interests to trade down a few slots and pick up an extra pick later on in what is a pretty deep draft overall. With a pick in the first half of the second round the Giants should still get one of the top two safeties in the draft (Phillips and Tyrell Johnson out of Arkansas St.) and could use the extra pick to address one of their depth issues at corner, wide receiver, defensive tackle, or offensive line. Here is a run down of some of the players the Giants could get in the first three rounds.

Safeties: Kenny Phillips (Miami): I’ve thought for a while now that he’s overrated and it seems now that NFL GMs and coaches are beginning to agree with me as he’s been sliding down draft boards lately. A lot of fans are calling him the next Ed Reed. Why? Because he happened to play the same position at Miami? I’m telling you right now, Kenny Phillips in no Ed Reed. Phillips is a great athlete, but he’s not quite the athlete Reed was coming out of the U, and Reed was more disciplined. Phillips makes a lot of false steps and misreads that get him out of position. In college he was able to use his speed and athleticism to recover from these mistakes, but the NFL is significantly faster and it is much more difficult to recover from false steps and misreads. At Miami, Phillips had a reputation of compromising the defensive scheme by being undisciplined and often being caught out of position. That is a KILLER mistake for a safety in the NFL. Word is Spags loves him though. I just hope that if the Giants use their first round pick on Phillips, Spags can teach him to stay disciplined and make the right reads.

Tyrell Johnson (Arkansas St.): I actually had Tyrell pretty even with Kenny Phillips early on and it now appears that the pros agree with me. This is good in that it provides evidence that I know what I’m talking about, but it’s bad in that I thought the Giants could get Johnson in the second round and now that looks less likely. Tyrell is an intelligent player and can be a leader in the secondary. He’s big and powerful and is a good tackler in space. He has good, but not great straight-line speed. I wonder about his agility change-of-direction ability to cover a quick receiver man up or in the deep third.

OLB: Jarod Mayo (Tennessee): This is the guy the Giants want. Although not likely, it is looking like a possibility that the Giants could nab him at 31. He has excellent size, speed, and athleticism. He locates the ball quickly and moves well laterally. He is an excellent run stopper and has proven to be more than adequate in pass coverage as well (both zone and man). Right now he is not very good at shedding blocks and still misses too many open-field tackles for a starting linebacker, but these are things that can be taught at the next level and his potential is phenomenal.

Dan Connor (Penn St.): Connor is physical, tough, aggressive, and disciplined. He has good speed and shows good lateral movement. Connor also does a good job keeping blockers off of him and is a very reliable tackler. He shows good ball skills but may not have the quickness or short burst to be truly effective in pass coverage. He could have trouble sticking with quick running backs. He has a tendency to play high which can cause him to get blown back against the run. He lacks the ideal quickness to change direction or turn and run. Connor has excellent natural instincts, but was an inside linebacker in college and is best suited to play middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense.
Tavares Gooden (Miami): Excellent athlete and a very good tackler. Has the skills to be good in coverage. His weaknesses are all correctable, but is he coachable enough and does he have the discipline to make the corrections? Could turn out to be an all pro, could also never see the field.

Xavier Adibi (Virginia Tech): Adibi is a good linebacker. He’s a good tackler and makes good reads, but he’s a little slow. He’s probably a safer pick than Gooden, but without nearly as much upside.

Corners: Brandon Flowers (Virginia Tech): I like Brandon Flowers, he does a lot of things very well. His combine 40 time was a little on the slow side, but his game speed is faster than the time would indicate. He is very quick with fluid hips and good change-of-direction in pass coverage and has shown great ball skills. He’s on the small side, but he has proven to be tough against the run.

There was a time when we thought Aqib Talib out of Kansas might be available at the end of the first round. That no longer looks very likely, however if he is still there he’s definitely ahead of Flowers, but not by as much as some would have you think.

Antoine Cason: Unfortunately Antoine won’t last until the Giants’ round 2 pick and he’d be a reach at 31, so in order to snag him the Giants would have to trade out of their first round pick and slide down into the first 10 slots of round 2, or pull the trigger on a Jeremy Shockey trade for a second round pick (more on that later). Cason is a tall corner who plays the ball well (so he’s the anti Corey Webster). He shows good speed and good footwork. Cason reads routes well and has displayed a good closing burst. Equally as important, word is that Cason is of high character and is a hard worker on and off the field. What keeps Cason from the first round is marginal open field tackling, stiff hips, and sub-par technique. His technique can certainly be improved, and if he can develop more fluid hips in the NFL, he could wind up being a steal in the second round.

Reggie Smith (Oklahoma): A big, strong, athletic corner. Has good agility and fluid hip movement. Very good open field tackler and sheds blocks well. He has average ball skills. Smith’s biggest negative is his lack of ideal top end speed. He doesn’t have the closing burst you like to see in a starting corner. He also has limited experience at corner and his technique shows it. Still, his size and athleticism are very good and technique can be taught.
Tyvon Branch (Connecticut): Great speed, quickness, and athleticism. He displays good fluidity in his hips, which, when combined with his quickness and speed means he can stay with NFL receivers in man coverage. Branch lacks instincts and doesn’t play the ball very well. He can bite on underneath routes leaving him susceptible to double moves. He needs to improve his tackling. His raw talent is undeniable and most of his negatives can be eliminated or minimized with good coaching at the next level, but the lack of instincts could prove to be a problem throughout his career.

Terrell Thomas (USC): Positives: Well-built, good top end speed, physical, good leadership skills and work ethic. Negatives: Injury concers, lacks fluidity in hips, below average ball skills, can be caught out of position. Bottom line: risky but tons of upside.

Later rounds:

Zach Bowman (Nebraska): Positives: excellent speed and size, good strength, good press technique, good ball skills, takes on blocks well. Negatives: Laundry list of injury troubles, lack of experience, can bite on double moves, a little stiff in the hips, needs to improve open field tackling.

WR: Donnie Avery (Houston): Wide receiver isn’t as pressing a need as safety, linebacker, or corner, but if this kid is still on the board when the Giants’ third round pick comes up he’ll be tough to pass on. He’s the electric home run threat the Giants passing game needs. At the Houston pro day he ran a 4.28 forty. When you combine that with a 6.3 three-cone and 3.91 twenty-yard shuffle (both of which substantially top everyone at the combine) you can see how Avery would be a perfect fit for the Giants’ number three receiver position. Avery is undersized and lacks ideal strength and also needs to improve his route running, but with his amazing speed and quickness he can be the player the Giants thought they were getting when they drafted Sinorice “I don’t deserve the last name” Moss in the second round two years ago. Unfortunately teams around the league are beginning to take notice of this kid, so although he was once considered a late third to fourth round pick, he may not last until the Giants pick at 95.

The draft plan: Although safety is the Giants’ most pressing need, if Jarod “don’t call me OJ” Mayo is available when their pick comes around they have to be salivating at the chance to grab a linebacker of his caliber. Then there’s still a decent chance Tyrell Johnson will be available for them in round two. If not, Reggie Smith or Tyvonn Branch should still be there. Either way, hopefully Donnie Avery will still be there in round three. If not, Terrell Thomas should still be there. If the Gaints go Mayo, Johnson, and Avery with the first three, Zach Bowman could be drafted with one of the Giants 3 sixth round picks and given a chance to surprise people.
If Mayo is off the board (and I suspect he will be), the Giants have to take the higher safety on their board – presumably Kenny Phillips. Hopefully he’ll prove me wrong and be a great safety in the NFL without providing locker room distractions. Then in round two I’d like to see the Giants take a shot with Tavares Gooden and go with either Donnie Avery or Terrell Thomas in round three.

The big talk among Giants fans is the possible dealing of Jeremy Shockey for a 2nd round pick (most likely to New Orleans). For the purposes of this article I will not take a position in the pro or anti trade camp, I will simply say that if such a trade goes down it makes the draft process significantly easier for the Giants. Suddenly they can address their three big issues within the first two rounds:

If Mayo is still there at 31, the Giants now HAVE to take him. Then they can come back with the 9th pick of the second round and get one of the two safeties. It’s possible they’ll both still be there, in which case they can grab Phillips, but at least one of them will definitely be there. Then with the 63rd pick they can come with Reggie Smith or Tyvonn Branch and then nab Donnie Avery in round three.
If my prayers are not answered and Mayo is off the board the Giants can get cute. They can draft Brandon Flowers at 31 if he’s available and then pick up one of the safeties at number 40. Then they can pick up Tavares Gooden with the 63rd pick and grab Avery in the 3rd. If Flowers is gone the Giants can pick up Phillips with 31, grab Antoine Cason with 40, and Gooden with 63.

After the draft the Giants had last year it’ll be tough to criticize anything Jerry Reese and Co. do this weekend, regardless of whether they follow any of the advice I laid out in this lengthy, well-researched article. Just please don’t draft another Ron Dayne.

Agree with me? Disagree with me? Leave your own thoughts on the draft below or email me at mfh@subwaychatter.com

All you Giants fans/non-Pats fans will love this. Needless to say, I’m not the least bit happy about it. Still, there’s no denying that Cartman’s portrayal of Edward James Olmos is Oscar-worthy.

Supposedly the Jets have given disgruntled LB Jonathan Vilma the right to seek a trade with any team in the NFL… except the Patriots, of course. Now what shocked me about this story wasn’t that the Jets are refusing to send Vilma to the Pats; all the bad blood spilled over Spygate explains that all away. And Vilma asking for a change of scenery didn’t surprise me either considering Eric Mangini delayed Vilma’s season-ending knee surgery so he could play a game of charades with Vilma’s name on the injury report for two weeks. No, what got me was the fact that there’s another football team in New York not named the Giants. Who knew?

Giants’ linebacker Antonio Pierce is facing animal neglect charges because one of his pit bulls caught a cold while he was away prepping for the Super Bowl. These people can’t be serious, can they? First of all, I’m pretty sure the dog was underweight because it was sick. I mean call me crazy, but having your pet lose its appetite while its under the weather seems pretty standard issue to me. Plus, it would be kinda strange for him to neglect one dog and not the other. Maybe the healthy one just started running shit when Antonio left, ate all the food, and told his buddy to go f@$k himself cause he was the man of the house now. Either way, if they busted down a fence to escape, I’m thinking the “sick” one was just faking it so he wouldn’t have to go to behavior class that day.

But wow, thankfully Pierce isn’t facing any jail time. I was starting to get worried there for a second. And no kidding the Giants had no comment. The only thing you could say to something like this is, “Why don’t you take this summons and shove it right up your ass,” but I’m pretty sure alienating the hometown government right after a Super Bowl Championship isn’t what the G-men are looking to accomplish here. Though my guess is if Walt Mychalchyk and the rest of his pals at SPCA were living in Nazi occupied Holland during WWII, “The Diary of Anne Frank” would have been a whole lot shorter.

Now that the wonderful 2007 NFL season has come to a fantastic conclusion, it’s time to begin looking towards the 2008 season. We, as Giants fans, need to think about what we are going to demand from Jerry Reese in order to have a good chance to defend our title. Before we think about what we want, however, we need to ascertain exactly what we have. I have taken it upon myself to grade the team going forward, by position, on a -2 to +2 scale, where -2 is bad, 0 is average, and +2 is great. This was no easy task, as some members of the team looked like completely different players in the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. The secondary, for instance could have been a -4 after the first three games of the season, but by the end they were looking pretty good. In order to accurately grade each position I have undertaken countless hours of grueling research and film study, so if you disagree with me, you are probably wrong. In any case, your comments are welcome below, or by email at mfh@subwaychatter.com. We’ll begin with the most important position…

Offensive line +2: There can be little debate here. The offensive line was the most consistent unit/player on the team throughout the year. They never got embarrassed like other offensive lines did against the Giants’ front 4, and at times they straight up dominated other teams up front. At the beginning of the season I was worried about the lack of depth, but they stayed healthy most of the year, and if they can continue to stay healthy, they’ll be one of the best units in the game for years to come.

Quarterback +1: This one is tough. After the week 15 loss to Washington I was ready to give Eli a -.5 or -1, as he looked no better than he had been since he came into the league. He was still making bad decisions and making errant throws to wide open receivers. In week 17 he began a great five game stretch where he made good decisions and accurate throws, while leading this team to a Super Bowl title. During the run that really began in that week 17 game, he didn’t have a single turnover that was his fault, which is exactly the kind of ball security we need from him going forward. Eli could very well regress back to old Eli and this becomes a -1, but if he continues to play like he did in the final five games of the season, eliminating mistakes and making plays when it’s needed of him, the Giants will have one of the top five quarterbacks in the league.

Running Backs +1: No one can argue that Ahmad Bradshaw was a supremely pleasant surprise complementing Brandon Jacobs. He has great quickness and vision, and he hits holes hard. He’s going to be a very solid back in this league. Jacobs, at times, looks good, and at others looks soft. There are runs of his that remind me of Ron Dayne, and every Giants fan remembers how painful it was to watch that fat wuss run the ball. He has the upright running style of Chris Brown, which exposes him to more punishment than most backs, and like Brown this leads to his getting nicked up a lot. He also has had some fumbling problems that need to be corrected, and could improve in catching the ball out of the backfield. We must remember, though, that he’s still young and has a lot of talent, and I still think he can be a very good ball carrier.

Wide Receivers +.5: I had a difficult time settling on a grade for the pass catchers. Plax is nasty, he’s a great number 1 to have. Toomer is solid, but he’s going to be a year older next year. The other Steve Smith began to come on in the end (and had a great Super Bowl minus the drop that turned into Eli’s only pick of the postseason) and I think he could be the next Amani, but he needs to continue to progress. Sinorice Moss has been a major disappointment and I can’t expect much out of him until he shows me something. David Tyree had a huge Super Bowl with the Giants first TD catch and, of course, THE catch. However, he’s really more of a special teams guy, and I’m not going to get all excited about a couple good plays, even if they came in the biggest game of his career. I don’t expect a lot from him as a receiver in the future, but he’s still a great special teamer.

Tight End +.5: Big Blue made their big run without Shockey, and Kevin Boss filled in admirably. Boss showed signs that he can be a very good tight end for the Giants going forward. Although Shockey was missing for the run, and there has been talk that his absence helped the Giants, I don’t buy it. It’s been pointed out that Shockey was absent when the Giants shifted into overdrive at the end of the season, and I hear people talk about his antics being a locker room distraction, and a hindrance to Eli’s progression. There may be something to such arguments, but the guys on the team talk about how they love his passion and fire. His coaches praise his blocking, which for a tight end is at least as important as pass catching ability, and contrary to the position some critics have taken, I think the Giants win the Super Bowl with him in the lineup. Still, he loses focus at times and drops easy balls, and there’s always potential for a dumb penalty from him. Although he’s very talented, he’s not yet an elite tight end.

Defensive Line +2: Another one with little debate. The defensive line was masterful in the second half of the year. I had some questions about Strahan after a mostly ineffective 2006 season and a holdout from training camp, but he was outstanding again in 2007. Osi was fantastic on the other end, as most people expected. The most pleasant surprise came from Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins at the tackle positions. They did a great job stuffing up the middle against the run, and were also able to get after the quarterback at times against the pass. Justin Tuck also needs to be mentioned here. I was a big fan of his last year and was fully confident in his ability to step in for Strahan if he needed some time after joining the team late. Tuck proved to be very important, spelling the two ends, as well as playing tackle in passing situations. Everyone remembers his superb performance in the Super Bowl, but he was great all year long. Don’t forget, too, Mathias Kiwanuka was an outstanding defensive end in his rookie season. Hopefully the Giants will not repeat the failed experiment of Kiwi playing linebacker and put him back on the line next year where he belongs.

Linebackers +.5: As a unit, they are very solid, but not great. Kawika Mitchell struggled early, but came on in the second half of the season once he got used to playing outside linebacker and playing in a new system. He is by no means elite, but I have confidence in him when he’s on the field. After an outstanding 2006 season, Antonio Pierce came back with a solid 2007, leading the team in tackles again (as is to be expected from your middle linebacker). In addition to his fine play, Pierce is a great leader and a great character guy in the locker room. Reggie Torbor was the weak point of the linebacker unit, and I would not mind seeing him replaced in the offseason. Gerris Wilkinson showed some great promise towards the end of his rookie season in 2006, but for some reason he barely saw the field in 2007. I expected him to be a contributor this year, especially after the season-ending injury to Kiwanuka, but he saw less action than Hitler at a Jewish singles event. I don’t know if he was in the coaching staff’s doghouse or he simply didn’t play as well in practice as I would have expected him to, but I still hold out hope that he’ll be a good linebacker for the Giants in the future. As previously stated, Mathias Kiwanuka began the season as the strongside linebacker, an experiment that did not work. The guy is a beast on the D line, but he just doesn’t seem to have the feet to play linebacker, especially in pass coverage. I, for one, would love to see Kiwi moved back to defensive end (I realize that leaves the Giants with a glut of great defensive ends, but what are you gonna do) and see Jerry Reese replace the Torbor/Kiwanuka position in the draft or with a free agent (like perhaps Lance Briggs).

Cornerbacks 0: This one could have been a -2 up until the week 17 game against New England. Aaron Ross looks like he could finally be the number one type corner the Giants have been desperately in search of for five years. Corey Webster finally started to show something in the final five games of the season. Kevin Dockery looks like a competent corner much of the time, and Sam Madison and RW McQuarters can both handle the nickel and dime corner spots. This group could possibly be pretty good next year. However, they could also go back to the way they were in the first few games of this season and look like the guy in pick up basketball who is on defense but thinks he’s on offense. I’m holding out hope for the former, but I’d still like to see another solid addition to this unit just in case.

Safeties 0: I love Gabril Wilson, and he alone is a +1. He’s one of the best run support safeties in the league, but he could stand to improve a bit in pass coverage. James Butler, on the other hand, STINKS! He is clearly a -2 and the Giant’s number one priority in the off season needs to be finding a replacement strong safety. I was happy to see Will Demps go because he was no good, however I didn’t imagine he’d be replaced by someone even worse. This is a guy who can’t cover or tackle anybody. I can’t count the number of times this season (even late when everyone else was playing very well) when I’d see a Giant make an atrocious attempt at a tackle and be made to look silly, only to see the number 37 on his jersey and say, “of course, f***in’ Butler again.”

Kicker -1.5: He was inconsistent all year, missing easy field goals, and even extra points. Yes, I know he made a 47 yarder to beat Green Bay and send the Giants to the Super Bowl, but I haven’t forgotten the two easier kicks he flubbed to make me sweat through an overtime (and suggest to my friend that we may want to kill Mr. Larry Tynes).

Punter +1: It’s Feagles man. He’s old, but he’s still as solid as they come.

Special Teams -.5: The punt team is good, mainly because of Feagles and Tyree. Their return teams could use work. McQuarters needs to stop returning punts, I don’t mind Hixon back there. I’d also like to see Bradshaw returning kicks.

Coaching +1: Spags rules, we all know that. I was (as I’m sure most of you were) worried that he’d be stolen away by Dan Snyder, but instead he reupped for three more years with the G-Men. He did a fantastic job emphasizing the strengths of the Giants D and hiding the weaknesses. He’s a +2 easily. Kevin Gilbride is another story. I received numerous strange looks from bar patrons yelling curses at Gilbride and his perplexing play calling throughout the season. Yet, when you sit back and look at the year as a whole, the offense did a pretty good job scoring this year, especially when you consider that Eli was Old Eli for most of it. I will admit I was not a fan of Tom Coughlin going into this season. I wanted to see him go after watching the Giants make a mockery of the game of football in the second half of each of the last two seasons. By all accounts though, he metamorphosed into a quasi players coach, and finally we saw Big Blue playing hard for him at the end of the year. After the season the Giants just had, it’s tough to be down on the head coach.

Needs: As I wrote above, the number one need for the Giants in the off season is a starting free safety that doesn’t suck. I would like one who can play some pass defense, but I’d settle for anyone who appears to at least be aware of what sport they are playing. One other starting position that I would like to see a new face in is weak side linebacker. Reggie Torbor just doesn’t cut it for me. I’d like to see a speedy type linebacker used in this position A good free agent out there is Lance Briggs, formerly of the Bears, although he could be a little too expensive. Another, less pressing needs, include a speedy wide receiver who can stretch the defense. This would be a number 3 or 4 type guy who can always present a deep, big play threat, but isn’t a “me” guy. An ideal free agent pick up would be Andre Davis, who played very well for the Texans last year when he was given an opportunity (and I happened to play with in high school). I would also like to see the Jerry Reese grab a cornerback, where the Giants could use depth, and any team can always use a great corner if they can find one. Other areas to be addressed would be defensive tackle and offensive line where the Giants need depth.

Let the debates begin! Post any messages you have agreeing or disagreeing with my grades or comment below…