Giants News

[kkr]

Boley says Giants could gain edge from lockout

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5:24 PM, March 21, 2011 ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

If there is an extended NFL lockout and work stoppage, it stands to reason the teams with the most continuity and strongest veteran leadership will have an advantage if there is a hurry-up mode for preparations for the 2011 season. The Giants, as an experienced team with what should be a fairly intact roster, could benefit from such a scenario.

“We’ve got everything intact,’’ linebacker Michael Boley said Monday on Sirius NFL Radio. “We kept coach Coughlin. The offensive side is still intact and the defensive side. So for us, once we finally do get back into things I don’t see things changing too much. So I think it should be pretty good on our side.

“For teams who have come into this offseason with let’s say a new head coach or offense coordinator or defense coordinator, they don’t have much time at all. They have time amongst coaches to get a game plan together. As far as implementing that and getting it to your players and then working through it, they don’t have that.’’

The possibility of a lockout certainly came as no surprise to players or coaches. Boley said linebackers coach Jim Herrmann prior to the lockout sent out DVDs in order to give his players at least something to work on during a period where no contact between team and player is allowed.

“I think it was kind of in preparation for the lockout, kind of giving us some plays that we had throughout the season,’’ Boley said. “He kind of did a voiceover on them, kind of letting us know ‘OK, this is what you did good on this play, this is what you did bad.’ Kind of giving us something to look at, something to kind of be critical of ourselves during the offseason while we’re missing that time away.’’

Boley said he thinks it will be “unfortunate’’ if college prospects entering the NFL Draft do not get the opportunity to attend the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall, but he would advise they stay away during a lockout.

“From what I’ve heard you have a huge class of underclassmen coming out,’’ Boley said. “If this would have been something that could have been avoided, you know, you’ve got guys who could have potentially went back to college, finished getting their degrees, played their last season. But here you are, they’re stuck in limbo of are we going to play or are we not? I think it’s tough on them.

"Personally, I wouldn’t see them like to go to Radio City (sic). It’s a situation of you want me to look this guy in the eye and shake his hand but there is no clarity as far as whether we’re going to play or not. But you want me to commit to something that [is] a maybe.’’

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DVD's is a great idea considering there is no contact allowed between players and coaches under the lockout.

[kkr]

[kurtsimonw]

Is it more or do we always seem to play Washington opening weekend? I'm probably imagining it.

[kkr]

Yeah always seems to be them opening weekend, but that has been a blessing really so lets hope thats the case again!

[kkr]

So the lockout has been lifted for now pending the appeal process and in these uncertain times while the league seeks as stay of the lockout pending appeal there is uncertainty by the players if they should show up to work and uncertainty by the teams as to whether to let them into the facility or train across the league.

Giants let players work out at facility

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on April 26, 2011, 4:06 PM EDT

Chicago Bears v New York Giants Getty Images

John Kasay of the Panthers was unofficially the first player to show up a team facility since the lockout started.

It looks like the Giants have allowed defensive lineman Chris Canty to break another barrier. Canty confirmed to Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger that he was allowed to work out at the team facility when he arrived Tuesday.

Running back Brandon Jacobs and wide receiver Mario Manningham were also at the facility during the day. Canty said he spoke with all the coaches in the building as well.

Canty praised the Giants as a “class act” organization for allowing him to work out. He was told the Jets didn’t do the same for their players.

“Ok, but this is the New York Football Giants, though,” Canty said. ”It’s not the Jets.”

As far as we know, the Giants were on their own Tuesday in allowing their players to work out. It reminds us of the Giants’ decision to not ask for money from their season ticket holders, another time the organization stood apart from the rest of the league and showed a little extra class when they didn’t have to.

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[kurtsimonw]

Looks like the Giants/Jets rivalry will get a bit heated this eason with these and Rex Ryan's comment, especially since we play too!

[kkr]

Rex Ryan is a fat word removed with a big mouth that likes to make statements and promises that that his team cant cash.

Also he has a foot fetish and likes to see his wife smashed by other blokes. **** that fat clearing in the woods!

[kurtsimonw]

We have so many CBs on our roster right now! Quite a few of them are pretty good as well.

[kkr]

Hopefully Amukamara has some speed about him as that is the main issue with our current two starters, but with a 40 in the 4.37-4.45 range id say he is reasonably speedy and big too at 6'. Only knock on him is that he has small arms and doesnt get as many picks as youd like but you can work on his ball skills.

[kkr]

Amukamara showed lock-down ability at his corner spot throughout the season, limiting opponents to just 18 pass completions in 52 attempts against him. He also ranked among the national leaders with 13 pass breakups, while registering 58 tackles, including 36 solo stops.

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[kkr]

Good taste in women!

[kurtsimonw]

He seems a very humble guy, saw his interview on Giants.com, calling the reporters 'sir' and stuff. Good lad.

I don't really know much about college football, so can't really say. But judging by the mocks and the experts reactions at our first few picks, it seems like we got talent way after they should've been taken. Would've probably prefered an OL or LB earlier than we took them and am not sure about the WR pick. But Reese has done nothing as of yet to make me question his judgement, so I'll trust he knows what he's doing.

[kkr]

I thought why the hell do we need a WR also but looking at the type of WR that he is i now love the pick. He is a Percy Harvin type, small, speedy and can line up in the backfield on 3rd down, former QB also and played wildcat QB for the Trojans, quality return guy and special teamer to boot, a great value selection.

Was listening to Mayock last night after we made our second 6th round selection last night and he was just glowing about our draft. Said he goes on about trusting your board and going BPA, picking from a position of strength and adding strength and no team has done that more than the Giants this draft.

Got lucky that the first 2 fell to us where they did but we didnt pass them up for need, they were both top 15 talents on our board so to get them at 19 and 52 is amazing!

Oline is an overhyped need, we just got clusterfucked by a load of injuries there last year, same for receiver.

Davis on NFL Network loved our selection of Tyler Sash in round 6 also.

I think its been a great draft, took the fastest RB at the combine in the 7th also, one to try and develop but he has size and speed.

[kkr]

Williams takes long way to New York

Former teammate of DE Jason Pierre-Paul looks to make new life for young family

Jacquian Williams was a little nervous as he prepared for his vertical jump at the South Florida pro day.

There were NFL scouts watching his every move and Williams didn't want to ruin any shot at getting to the next level.

That's when New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese said something that not only put Williams' mind at ease but also inspired him.

Reese asked Williams how great it would be if he and his old college teammate, Jason Pierre-Paul, were reunited in New York.

"He told me he was going to make that happen," Williams said. "He sounded pretty sure we are going to tear everything up. He said, 'Get ready, I am going to bring you up on a visit and make sure you continue playing with each other.'"

Not long after that conversation, the 6-foot-3 linebacker made the leap to the pros. Reese drafted Williams, joining him and Pierre-Paul for a third time after the two were teammates at Fort Scott Community College (Kan.) and South Florida.

The Giants are hoping that Williams will follow in the path of Pierre-Paul, last year's first-round pick who displayed potential as enormous as his wing span and made an impact on special teams and on defense late in the season.

Like the defensive end, Williams is a raw, athletic defender who is still very much in his infancy as a football player. He's played just one full season as a starting linebacker at the major college level.

Off the field, though, teammates call him "old man," not just for his taste in old-school R&B music but also because he has had to grow up way beyond his years.

At 22, Williams is the father of three children. He hopes his new life in New York will help provide a better life for them.

"I still got my dreams of us being in a nice house and us being together," Williams said. "I've definitely had to grow up real fast."

Fast is the first thing virtually every coach and scout notices about Williams (whose first name is pronounced Jah-Kwon) on the football field.

Kevin Patrick, South Florida's defensive tackles coach, remembers the first time he saw Williams on a recruiting trip to Fort Scott three years ago.

"This is a skinny kid who can run," Patrick recalled of his first impression of Williams.

Patrick found another incredible athlete on that recruiting trip, as well -- a defensive end with arms as long as the New York skyline named Jason Pierre-Paul.

Williams and Pierre-Paul became friends almost instantly at Fort Scott. Both were from Florida and very far away from home in Kansas.

But for Williams, the transition was not going smoothly. At first, he didn't take things seriously, according to his mother. Williams was supposed to go to Akron out of high school but didn't qualify academically. At Fort Scott, Williams was redshirted his first year and he admittedly partied and had fun.

But he soon got homesick and wanted to quit football and return to Florida. His mother reminded him of the responsibility he had as a father to three infants.

"He called me a lot of times in tears," Williams' mother, Theolanda, said. "I had to push him. That really made him become a man. I said this is something you are going to need to become that man."

Theolanda knew what could happen if her son strayed away from football and school. She raised four children, including Jacquian, as a single mother working at Chase. She had to take a second job at times in construction and later worked in daycare to make ends meet.

So now that her son had three kids of his own, Theolanda wanted him to stay in school and keep playing football. While Williams was in Kansas, Theolanda and her oldest daughter helped the three mothers of Jacquian Jr., Jashira and Jakai whenever they needed aid or a babysitter.

Williams tried sending home money from time to time but Theolanda, who currently trains employees at JC Penney, wanted her son to concentrate on school and football.

Williams and Pierre-Paul were soon being recruited by a few major schools. Williams wanted to go home and chose South Florida. Pierre-Paul agreed to do the same.

During their first year with the Bulls, Pierre-Paul emerged as an athletic force and became the 15th overall pick in the 2010 draft. Williams didn't play very much, appearing as a reserve in 13 games and registering 28 tackles.

His grades slipped as life hit him as hard as an oncoming fullback. Williams struggled to juggle major college football, school and trying to be a father to three kids at the same time.

"I just had to grow up," he said. "When I was away from home, I did my share of partying. I knew being at home, that couldn't work. Partying, having kids, school and football was not going to work and just watching my teammates, seeing that even they are tired from school, football and partying … I knew I had to be a provider early."

Four things helped Williams focus on school and football. South Florida hired Skip Holtz as head coach, and Holtz added Mark Snyder as his defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Theolanda credits Snyder with being a major influence on her son.

Pierre-Paul's sudden rise to the NFL also inspired Williams and made him believe that he could perhaps do the same.

And his children motivated him.

"He was like a different individual," Theolanda said. "He changed from that year to the next, even around the house with the kids. His attitude changed, everything changed."

The linebacker decided to try to lead by example and was a tireless worker in the film room and on the field. When the players would walk to the practice field, they had to go through a fence before getting onto the field. Williams, voted a team captain his senior year, would sprint full speed from the fence 60 yards to the area where players stretched every day to start practice.

Snyder, who coached linebackers A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter at Ohio State as linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, sounds as if he is still in awe when talking about Williams' tireless motor.

"We were playing at Florida this year and it was the hottest game I've ever been to," said Snyder, who also coached Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw as head coach at Marshall. "I pulled Jacquian out for three plays. I said, 'Son, I got to keep you fresh.' He said, 'Coach, I'm not tired. I'm not even hot.' Even [then Florida coach] Urban Meyer said this is the hottest day I've had since I've been at Florida."

Williams didn't even want to be subbed out for a cornerback in nickel packages, begging to cover receivers.

"I have never seen a kid that loves to run as much as that kid," Snyder said. "He loves to run."

Williams had 71 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception during his only year as a full-time starter and caught the Giants' eyes.

Like Pierre-Paul, he's raw and still growing mentally and physically. He needs to learn defensive schemes and technique. He's a linebacker that likes to chase down runners in space and ran a 4.63 on grass during his pro day. And since the season ended, Williams has gone from 216 pounds to 233 just by eating and training properly.

"JPP is an anomaly … Jacquian can't do backflips like JPP," Patrick said. "JPP is a pretty special athlete but Jacquian is a freak, too. He is still growing. That is the scary thing."

Theolanda has seen her son grow into a man off the field, as well. He hopes to eventually finish school through online courses and get his degree. And soon, she hopes to visit New York for the first time and watch her son play in the New Meadowlands Stadium.

"He and Eli [Manning] … just to see that is amazing," she said.

The tandem Reese wants to see is Williams and Pierre-Paul together again as teammates for a third time.

"We keep following each other," Williams said. "I am definitely seeing that as a lesson that maybe we should be together."

Follow Ohm Youngmisuk on Twitter: @notoriousohm

Great article from ESPN and Ohm Youngmisuk about our 6th round LBer

Seems like a developmental prospect and someone to come in and run around and kill a few people on specials! Hopefully he develops like JPP did last year, but im loving the talk of his attitude and work ethic.

Awesome that JR said he was going to reunite him with his buddy and then actually made it happen too. I bet Reese and our Scouts are the reason behind getting him to fill out more and add that mass on, probably gave him plenty of advice when he came in for a visit as it certainly sounds like the plan all along was to take the guy late in the draft.

[kkr]

Victor Cruz from the NY Jets POV

Great line from Rex Ryan at the end there! Hopefully he can stay healthy this year and have a similar impact against the 1's.

[kurtsimonw]

We look pretty strong at receiver, so many guys who can step in. Last season was just real unlucky with all those injuries. Linebacker is my worry going into the season. A good tight end makes them look a joke in coverage.

[leviramsey]

Fun fact:

There are 6 NFL teams that play within a mile of I-95: Patriots, Giants, Jets, Eagles, Ravens, and Redskins (if we expand the distance to 3 miles, then it's 8: Jaguars & Dolphins).

Of those six, two have red, white, and blue as their colors while two have green and white. The Patriots and Jets (including Titans) have been in the league for as long as each other, and if we throw out the Giants' achievements before 1933 (when the Eagles joined):

Division* titles: RWB 34 (21 Giants, 13 Patriots) vs. GW 16 (12 Eagles, 4 Jets)

Conference** titles: RWB 14 (8 Giants, 6 Patriots) vs. GW 6 (5 Eagles, 1 Jets)

Super Bowl titles: RWB 6 (3 Giants, 3 Patriots) vs. GW 1 (1 Jets)

Total: RWB 54 (32 Giants, 22 Patriots) vs GW 23 (17 Eagles, 6 Jets)

Red, white, and blue (UK, USA, Giants, Patriots) == winningest color scheme of all time!

Even if the Giants and Patriots each fail to win anything in the next 5 years and the Jets & Eagles win their divisions and advance to the Super Bowl every year, the green & whites can't catch the red, white & blues.

*: From 1950-66, the NFL renamed the Eastern & Western Divisions the Eastern & Western Conferences (well for three seasons they were the American and National Conferences...), so conference titles from that period are considered by me to be division titles.

**: pre-Super Bowl NFL & AFL titles are considered to be equivalent to NFC/AFC titles today

[kurtsimonw]

5 Conference titles and no Championships..

[kkr]

That was a fun fact, thanks Levi!

[B-dub]

And the Giants are 2-0 in Super Bowls played against teams that also wear red-white-blue. And they were the underdogs in both games; and the US was at war with Iraq at the time both games were played. And that's just off the type of my head. Oh meaningless trivia...

You know it just occurred to me that there aren't any baseball teams that wear green as their primary color, but there are three in the NFL (Packers/Eagles/Jets) and at least two in the NBA (Celtics, Bucks).