T-Rock's Take on the Giants

Anyone surprised that Rich Seubert was involved?

Seubert, who has one fight per camp, tussled with Mathias Kiwanuka... A rematch of last year's first fight. Kiwanuka and Chris Snee (former BC teammates) actually got into it first, with a little shoving. On the next play, Seubert stepped in and wrestled with Kiwanuka to the ground.

That was about the most impressive aspect of the offense's performance this evening. No more drops as in the A.M. practice, but Steve Spagnuolo's schemes are confusing the heck out of the offense -- twice the offense re-huddled, and Guy Whimper got destroyed on two separate occasions by Tommy Davis, who then had a fan calling for an autograph, "Hey, Osi!"

Funny you should ask about Corey Webster, Mighty -- he was running as the LCB in the nickel and dime packages, with R.W. McQuarters sliding inside. Aaron Ross was the fourth CB in the dime set. Webster made a couple nice plays in coverage and looked to be moving well. He handled the physical stuff well, too.

In one-on-one coverage drills, Sam Madison got burned. I mean, burned -- Burress toasted Sammy M., then Mike Jennings, then Brandon London. But Madison was more physical in the team drills. McQuarters also blitzed for an easy sack on Eli Manning in team drills.

The Giants finished with a two-minute drill -- 1:24 to be exact, with one timeout from the offense's 40. It was... a bit rusty, shall we say. A couple dump-offs to Brandon Jacobs, one draw run by Jacobs, a quick out to Burress and then a last-second, 40-yard heave by Manning to the end zone, where James Butler easily picked it off.

One injury to report: LS Ryan Kuehl was carted off with a leg injury during punting drills to start practice. Grey Ruegamer and Jay Alford moved up a unit to long-snap, and Ruegamer was the snapper for field goals -- Lawrence Tynes was 2-for-4, missing from 33 and 43, and Josh Huston was 3-for-4, missing from 38.

So Zak DeOssie is not a long-snapper just yet. He's got plenty to think about already anyway.

Back with one practice tomorrow afternoon.

Yes, there was a practice this morning, not just a press conference regarding two phone calls made by a disgruntled player that may or may not retire... How has this only been going on for five days?

On to the actual practices... But first: Robert Douglas!!!

I believe it was Walter who was begging for info about Douglas and what he really weighs -- and there's truly nothing like one grown man asking another this question: "The roster lists you at 230. How much do you really weigh?"

The answer is... 250. So, Walt, your eyes were not deceiving you. He is bigger and he's been bigger than 230 for a while. He's even 6-3, not 6-1 as listed.

OK, on to the morning report, when the Giants had full shoulder pads on but shorts instead of uniform pants:

-- As my colleague MG put it, "Not a great practice for anyone wearing white." That's the jersey color of the offense (minus the QBs, who wear red), and he was right. Eli Manning, Jared Lorenzen and Anthony Wright threw the ball well, Wright especially, but all three were plagued by drops. TE Darcy Johnson, who came out of the gate strong this past weekend, had two drops, David Tyree dropped one and Steve Smith couldn't handle one either.

The O-line looked sluggish, especially on a few running plays -- the first play of the team drills was a 2-TE set that had three guys in motion before Manning tossed right to Brandon Jacobs, who couldn't find any room at all. Ahmad Bradshaw didn't find much running room either.

Guy Whimper ran with the 1s and 2s at LT in the second part of team drills and did a nice job keeping Adrian Awasom to the outside on a rush against Lorenzen, who made a nice throw to Marco Thomas. Thomas, an undrafted rookie out of Western Illinois, had a terrific sideline catch from Wright as well. Despite being a bit undersized, Thomas has been very steady so far.

Back to Whimper -- this was really the first day I watched him closely, and he did OK. He didn't face off against Osi too much. "The more reps I get, the more comfortable I get and the better I can get," he told me. "I definitely feel myself getting a whole lot better."

Fred Robbins broke through the line for a sure sack on Eli, and Reggie Torbor did the same to blow up a run by Ryan Grant. But truly the most noticeable player on the defense this morning was CB Gerrick McPhearson, who broke up three passes to receivers he was covering. McPhearson was on the practice squad last season and needs to make a strong showing in camp.

The team will be in full pads tonight, and I'll update you all around 8:30.

The Giants' president and co-owner is obviously talking about Michael Strahan, who did in fact speak with both TC and Jerry Reese last night.

Reese kept his conversation with Ol' 92 private, but said they spoke at length about a number of things. Reese informed Strahan that the Giants will proceed as if they're not going to have him here, which means Simeon Rice is still coming in tonight for a physical and sitdown tomorrow.

Reese also said that he and TC spoke with Osi Umenyiora about his remarks yesterday. "He's being a good little brother and speaking up for one of his mentors," Reese said of Osi. Don't believe Osi was fined, but he got a talking-to.

Speaking of fines, the total is up to $71,440. Maybe Ol' 92 has a Fine Fund that anyone can contribute to.

Myself and Mike G. from that Jersey paper cornered John Mara for a few minutes after practice, and here's what he said:

"This is no way for his career to end. He should go out on a much better note than this. I still believe he’s going to be in at some point, but who knows?"

On whether he felt Strahan should have talked to him at some point the last few months: "Not necessarily me, but I do wish he’d spoken to Tom a little bit earlier than he did. I just think he’s undecided as to what he wants to do. Until he makes a decision, we’ve got to move on as if he’s not going to be here."

On his overall feeling: "I’m disappointed he’s not here, but at the end of the day he’s got to make a decision as to whether or not he wants to play football. He obviously doesn’t know what he wants to do right now; if he decides he wants to come back, we’ll welcome him back. Hopefully sooner rather than later, because we can’t wait forever."

On whether he got any indications from Strahan: "Not to us, no. He did approach us back in March about his contract. That didn’t go anywhere. But he had been in the off-season program. He had been in minicamps, so it came as a surprise. But what are you going to do? You move on. We have some good players here, we have some other options. We’ll just move on. There’s nothing you can do about it at this point."

On whether there's a limit to their patience: "I think there is a limit. I can’t sit here and tell you what it is. I have to talk to Tom and Jerry about that and see what they think. But obviously, there are other options out there. I don’t think any of them are as good as Michael. But you have to at some point decide you’re either going to live without him or sit there forever."

On the prospect of bringing in Simeon Rice: "We’ll worry about that when the time comes. We’re a long way from signing him right now. I’m still hoping I walk on the field tomorrow and see (Strahan) standing there."

On the loyalty factor: "As long I can remember we’ve always had contract issues with guys. We had them with Harry Carson, we had them with Lawrence Taylor, George Martin, Phil Simms. It’s just part of the business. I don’t think so. I’d like to have him here, but at the end of the day it’s up to him. You can’t force a guy to be here if he doesn’t want to be."

I'll have more on the actual A.M. practice in a few.

Just got word that the Giants are now fining Michael Strahan $14,000 a day for the four days he's missed so far. That could be more motivation than the thought of Simeon Rice taking his roster spot.

And Brennan, thanks for the support. I love BBI, but I dislike liars.

From Osi Umenyiora, who rather emphatically informed reporters today that "I'm not going to move (to left DE) because Simeon Rice is coming. I won't do it."

Among other Osi gems:

On Rice: "It's not like we're talking about Julius Peppers. Simeon Rice is an outstanding pass rusher, but that's what he is. People say he's not the best against the run, and I guess people give him that reputation for a reason."

More on Rice: "There's nowhere for him to play. He can't play left end because that's where teams run the ball. And he's not playing right end, because that's where I am. I'm a right end and I've been successful there, so I don't feel a need to move to a different position. It's ridiculous."

On the possibility of Strahan playing for another team: "It wouldn't even be right. I'd probably throw up if it happened. I tell him he can't (play for another team) all the time. But with all the money being thrown around, who knows?"

Osi still believes Strahan will be here, and obviously that's where Osi's loyalty lies. Strahan despises Rice, so Osi does too -- which can't help Jerry Reese's desire to move forward without Ol' 92.

The rest of the team still believes Strahan will be here in due time as well. "Until he tells me he's retiring or there's a press conference," another Giant said, "he's just in the training room."

I'll have some notes in the paper on Steve Smith and Sinorice Moss; both have looked solid thus far. Moss has been running with the 1s as the third WR and with the 1s when Burress and Toomer are out, and he looks fit and strong. He's also trying to win both return jobs.

Smith made that great diving catch on Saturday I mentioned and has been moving along slowly, as I'm sure the Giants want him to.

More tomorrow, when the pads go on.

According to a person who's spoken to Strahan since his retirement-pondering began, Ol' 92 had this reaction to the Giants inviting Simeon Rice in for a visit:

"Who cares?"

The person said Strahan is waiting for TC to return one of Strahan's calls, but he's in no rush. What he's been doing is talking to friends and trying to decide what to do. He knows he doesn't have an endless amount of time, but he won't rush his decision.

That's that for now.

First, the news: Simeon Rice is arriving in New York City on Tuesday for a physical on Wednesday, then a trip up here to Albany to meet with Jerry Reese.

Asked if Michael Strahan shows up before Wednesday whether Rice's visit is moot, Reese said: "Not necessarily."

Quick highlights from the afternoon practice...

In response to a couple of commenters, I would put Eli in the "Pretty Bad" catgeory for today. Yes, he wasn't to blame for the morning problems, but he made a couple off-target throws this p.m., one over Burress' head and one to a wide-open Toomer that turned him around and allowed James Butler to bust it up. He's not in the throwing rhythm that Lorenzen is, that's for sure.

Anthony Wright had the two best deep passes of the day, a 45-yard strike to Marco Thomas that left E.J. Underwood in the dust and a terrific play-action throw to Anthony Mix for a TD.

Sam Madison missed a couple plays with a cramp in his left leg, but returned.

The catch of the day goes to Rich Seubert, who ran a route on a fake field goal and made a diving catch over Mathias Kiwanuka on a throw from holder Jeff Feagles. Shades of January, 2003 in San Fran? Nah... Let's move on from that.

Now, to the comments:

Mighty -- Mitchell has shown good instincts, nearly picking off three passes in the four practices. Everyone loves this guy as a person and as a player; Wilkinson is still a work in progress. I'd say Gerris has to show a lot more to make this a real battle for the WLB spot.

Joe -- Can't say I know why Giants Online got gassed. Feel free to contact the Giants and get your own answer. I certainly enjoyed my appearances.

Ralph -- Aaron Ross has had a few good moments, but overall he looks like a rookie just getting his feet wet. Been burned a couple times and committed a couple penalties. Mix had the nice catch from Wright today, but I think after two days Brandon London has shown more athleticism.

Mike -- See above for Wilkinson. Blackburn is running MLB with the 2s and hasn't done anything eye-catching yet, though his unit's front seven has been on the ball against the run. Josh Huston made both his field-goal tries this afternoon from 30-35 yards, and his kickoffs this morning were consistently deeper than Lawrence Tynes'. Guy Whimper hasn't been terribly noticeable, which may be a good thing -- no one's blown by him yet except for Reggie Torbor, who bulled past Whimper this morning.

That's all for tonight. No practices tomorrow, but there is player availability. I'll try to have something new for you.

No more Strahan news as of yet... Other than one veteran telling me privately, "Give the man his space. He'll be here." Oh goody.

On the field this A.M., we had a collection of good -- and bad:

THE GOOD

Jared Lorenzen continues to throw BBs all over the field. He had a deep ball to Marco Thomas that was as good a throw as any I've seen, in-season or out. Hard to imagine he's anything but the No. 2 QB, especially since he adds a wrinkle to the offense in short yardage, as Kevin Gilbride tried in the Redskins game last year.

Osi Umenyiora could have set the single-season sack record just this morning. Not sure whether it was all on Dave Diehl or there were other breakdowns, but Eli Manning had No. 72 in his face at least five times.

DT Marcus Bell stuffed the run a couple times and moved up to Fred Robbins' spot with the 1s at the end of team drills.

Overall, the defense was in command, from the individual drills -- watching the DBs work on jamming the WRs at the line was certainly something new and different -- up through team work.

As noted by one of the defensive starters: "First two weeks, the defense always wins. If not, you're in trouble."

THE BAD

Eli Manning wasn't bad, but his protection certainly was. Manning made some nice throws, including a seam route to Jeremy Shockey in team drills and another well-place seam throw to Darcy Johnson over Kawika Mitchell in 7-on-7s, but Manning wouldn't have gotten off a few of his throws because of blitzes.

Lawrence Tynes didn't get too many of his kickoffs deep.

THE REST

Zak DeOssie got noticed and was physical, but not quite in the right way. He sent TE Michael Matthews flying in pursuit of a loose ball and knocked FB Robert Douglas down after a catch. "As someone who's trying to show what they have, it can be hard to differentiate between going 100 percent and being cautious," DeOssie said.

He added that his dad, Steve, will be driving over from Boston on his Harley on Thursday. "He'd never admit it, but he's like a kid in a candy store with me being here," Zak said.

Will Demps had to face down reporters today to talk about being down with the 2s while James Butler holds down the starting strong safety spot. "My track record speaks for itself," Demps said. "It's real early. I'm not going to say, 'OK, he's the starter,' because we haven't played any games. I'm healthy and I'm in the best shape I've been in. This is the guy I felt I should've been last year."

More on the way this afternoon.

They haven't hit the field yet, but here's the latest before I run down to the practice field:

-- Simeon Rice is reportedly coming up here for a visit tomorrow. Rice was cut by the Bucs on Wednesday after he failed a physical. He missed eight games last season with a shoulder injury and had only two sacks.

I forgot to amplify the other day why Rice and Strahan dislike each other. They play the same position and both think they're the best at it; Strahan delivered the line last year that he didn't want to "just be a Simeon Rice," as in a DE who just rushes the passer and doesn't play an all-around game.

So... Reading into this as I do from time to time, Jerry Reese is upping the ante on Strahan by inviting his nemesis in to chat and work out. If we still haven't heard from Strahan by tomorrow, it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see the Giants bring Rice into our little media room to tell us all how he'd love to be here, it's the perfect place, etc.

Heck, the team might even give him a No. 92 jersey to practice in, even though 97 is Rice's number.

More in a few hours, after practice and chit-chat with the players.

The Strahan Update: TC left a voicemail for Strahan, Strahan left a voicemail for TC. I'll pass you all a note in bio class if there's any more news about this nonsense.

Pretty uneventful afternoon session -- Burress and Toomer rested, along with Osi Umenyiora, and Corey Webster and Justin Tuck participated. Webster ran with the 2s opposite Aaron Ross and Tuck ran with the 2s at LDE, which means he'll be with the 1s in Strahan's spot soon enough.

Catch of the day goes to Steve Smith, who laid out with full extension to grab a 30-yard sideline throw from Jared Lorenzen. Smith still ran with the second unit offense despite the absence of Burress and Toomer; Sinorice Moss and Michael Jennings were with the 1s, and Jennings continued his solid day.

Kawika Mitchell dropped a sure INT from Manning that was intended for Shockey.

As to the comments... Robert Douglas looks big, but I did not weigh him. Maybe tomorrow.

And Craig Dahl? Really? He's like the fourth-string SS and he hasn't picked anything off, nor been burned too bad. I'll keep you posted.

Back at you tomorrow, gang.

Still no Strahan, though everyone and their mother were asked about Ol' 92. I'll save the real fans who are looking for actual football updates the trouble of wading through "We miss him" quotes, but this may start to get a little uglier now.

That's because Strahan called TC at 7:40 p.m. last night -- or 10 minutes into the 7:30 meeting the Giants have had every night of camp since TC took over. So either Strahan forgot or he knew he wouldn't get the coach on the phone, and I'm guessing TC thinks the latter. Which will certainly tick off the coach, even though he wouldn't bite when pressed about his feelings.

Most of the players asked about 92 say they think he'll be in camp eventually and play this year. I'm with them.

OK, on to the field...

Here's the first unit D from the morning practice:

William Joseph-Fred Robbins-Barry Cofield-Osi Umenyiora

Mathias Kiwanuka-Antonio Pierce-Kawika Mitchell

R.W. McQuarters-James Butler-Gibril Wilson-Sam Madison

Willie Joe in Strahan's spot isn't a promotion necessarily; Justin Tuck didn't work this A.M., but he'll be out there this afternoon, and I expect him to run with the 1s at DE. Think of Willie Joe as Kramer at the Tonys -- a seat-filler.

We saw Butler running with the 1s in mini-camp in a rotation with Wilson and Will Demps, so I assumed there was nothing to read into that. But I was just handed the first depth chart of the season, and Butler is listed as a strong safety with Wilson at free and Demps as the No. 2 free safety. Hmm.

All the defensive rookies were with the 2s or 3s -- Aaron Ross moved up to the 2s midway through when Kevin Dockery hit his head on the turf and went off early. He said he was fine, just a nasty headache.

Here's the first-unit O:

Dave Diehl-Rich Seubert-Shaun O'Hara-Chris Snee-Kareem McKenzie

Jeremy Shockey (TE)-Amani Toomer-Plaxico Burress

Eli Manning

Brandon Jacobs-Robert Douglas

The Jacobs-Douglas tandem switched out with Reuben Droughns and second TE Darcy Johnson in team drills, and Sinorice Moss ran as the slot WR in the three-WR sets.

OK, those are the basics. Here's some highlights:

-- Manning's first two throws were... Um, not good. The ball slipped out of his hands before his first throw, looking for Toomer, who was covered well by McQuarters. The second, a deep post try for Burress, went into double coverage and missed everyone. Manning recovered a bit and made some better throws in later team drills and the 7-on-7 drills, including a nice touch pass that Shockey grabbed one-handed in the face of a blitz from Kiwanuka.

He was picked off once, and that one went off Burress' chest and right into Wilson's hands. Not Eli's fault.

-- The best QB of the morning was No. 2 QB Jared Lorenzen. Throws were on target and crisp, especially two early connections with Michael Jennings, who lost the handle on a couple throws on a damp morning, but looked solid. Lorenzen's best throw was a sideline completion to Brandon London, who made a great diving grab just inside the sideline.

Anthony Wright was up and down and Tim Hasselbeck looked bad -- he made a horrible throw into traffic that S Travonti Johnson easily picked off.

Kiwanuka was, obviously, still at LB, and I doubt the Giants would jerk the kid around based on the whim of Strahan. He'll stay at LB until the Ol' 92 makes up his mind.

Michael Stone ran with the safeties today, where I assume he'll stay with Jason Bell on IR. Stone and Demps were with the 2s.

First guy to fall was G Matt Lentz, whose camp last year was notable for TC screaming, "Dammit Lentz, you again!" when he fell a couple times early in camp. Poor guy. He does get the award for the largest truck -- frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't fallen trying to get out of this thing. It looks like a monster truck.

Toomer said his knee felt good, and TC admitted some surprise that Toomer ran well in Friday's conditioning test. He's not working this afternoon though, and neither is Burress, who had an ice bag on his surgically repaired left ankle after the workout. A chance for Moss and possibly Steve Smith to run with the 1s this afternoon.

Tuck and CB Corey Webster will go this afternoon after sitting out the morning.

And it wouldn't be training camp without... The MJMD. Your first Michael Jennings Moment of the Day:

-- Now that he's been an NFL player for a year, One Five -- and it's shaved into the back of his head again, as last year -- has branched out. His Fat Boy Slim company customizes cars -- he promises that a 1971 Chevy Impala he designed for Sam Madison will be arriving in Albany soon -- and he showed me a picture on his cell phone of a 1980 silver Chevy he did for himself. It looked pretty sweet. He said the day before he was leaving Jacksonville to drive the car up here, someone stole it and torched it.

But if Madison's whip looks as good as he says it does, several teammates will be making their orders.

And MJ's summer jam was "It Takes Two," by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock. Why? "It's like Coach Coughlin says: You win as a team," MJ said. "Can't do nothing by yourself. It takes two, baby."

Or 53. But who's counting?

The biggest thing being retirement, according to GM Jerry Reese. Tony Agnone, Strahan's agent, called Reese last night and informed the GM that No. 92 was considering retirement... On the eve of training camp.

Hmmm.

If Reese were skeptical of Strahan's intentions, he kept that to himself. He does want to wait and see what Strahan has to say -- and, apparently, Strahan will say something to TC later today. The coach told us that Strahan called him after 11:30 p.m. last night, which is well past the coach's camp bedtime, and asked that TC call back. TC did, left his own message, and now it's Strahan's turn.

This is not solely about money, I was told by someone close to 92. Nor is it solely about the direction the team is headed. It seems that Strahan may ben genuinely thinking about retirement and taking the Tiki Barber route to earning seven figures without having to sack anyone.

But... even a completely naive person would question the timing of Strahan's decision. He wanted more money and assurances from Reese that the Giants would try to win now rather than rebuild back in March and was rebuffed. He knows the Giants are thin at DE -- Simeon Rice, Strahan's arch-nemesis, was just released by the Bucs -- so maybe this could work. But I doubt it.

And kudos to Florio at Pro Football Talk. He nailed this one, though maybe not for the reasons he wrote. Still, give credit where it's due.

There was precious little news from the players' arrival today. WR Steve Smith signed his contract this morning, so no one else besides Ol' 92 has issues. Yet.

First-round pick Aaron Ross did tell me he's not looking to be a starter. "R.W. and Sam have done a great job, they've both been helping me and I've asked a ton of questions," Ross said. "I just want to learn and get better."

The final score in the softball game was 14-1. Enough said.

Of more interest was the interview time with the assistant coaches. I'll be writing a story in the paper (and on the web) about QB coach Chris Palmer's work with Eli Manning this offseason, so I'll keep that to a minimum. Here's a smattering of the subjects covered:

-- Palmer said in his first meeting with Manning that the QB had six areas he wanted to improve upon. Palmer wouldn't tell us all six, but said one was making better throws while moving to his left. What they worked on there was getting the mechanics down -- hips square, left shoulder under the chin. I'm the other five areas were things a bit more particular to Manning, but Palmer didn't say.

-- Palmer also said that he considers a QB young until their sixth or seventh year. He cited Phil Simms, who didn't break out until his fifth season, as a QB who didn't follow the third-year-as-a-starter breakout pattern. "It's wrong to say the third year is the magic year," he said.

-- WR coach Mike Sullivan on Steve Smith: "He has excellent hands and he catches the ball extremely well. There's a sound -- actually, it's the lack of a sound -- that the ball makes when he catches it. That's what you want."

-- OL coach Pat Flaherty on Guy Whimper: "He's improved in 2007 in a lot of facets: Strength, footwork, knowledge, the mental part of the game. Now what he needs to show is, when the pads come on, the consistency of making the right moves every play, whether in individuals or team work."

Flaherty wouldn't go so far as to say Whimper wasted his rookie year. "That's for him to say," Flaherty said. "He knows now that he needs to fully concentrated on his opportunity -- and what an opportunity he's got. I know he's turned the page on 2006, which is what you want to see."

-- DB coach Peter Giunta on E.J. Underwood: "He's starting all over again. He got to the third preseason game and he got hurt, and then he couldn't do anything. He got a taste of what it's like to be part of it and then it was taken away from him. Hopefully that will motivate him."

Giunta on the DBs adjusting to Steve Spagnuolo's more physical coverage scheme: "The guys like it, because they get to be physical instead of sitting back and reading and reacting. We couldn't do a whole lot in the OTAs because of the league rules (restricting contact), so we'll see how we do with the pads on."

-- Special teams coach Tom Quinn on the wide-open punt return spot: "R.W. (McQuarters) has done it, he's in there. Aaron Ross, Ahmad Bradshaw, Sinorice Moss, Michael Jennings -- they all have a chance to compete for it. What it comes down to is showing you can do the job in the pressure situations, which are the games."

-- LB coach Bill Sheridan answered lots of questions regarding Mathias Kiwanuka and to a lesser extent Antonio Pierce, but he beamed when I asked him what kind of spring Kawika Mitchell had. "Great. Maybe the best spring of any (LB)," he said. Sheridan said Mitchell has shown tremendous instincts and an ability to get to the ball in the OTAs and mini-camp.

And all the picks are in the fold. Just got word from Aaron Ross' agent that the contract is being signed as we speak... A five-year deal worth up to $13.5 million, with $8 million guaranteed.

But thanks for the heads-up, Bill... I'll be sure to check out Jack's.

So, I'm here, a couple hours away from TC's welcome press conference and the writers' annual beating from the assistant coaches... After which, I'll be back to blog some of the more intriguing comments from the coaches, even though we just did that on the final day of mini-camp.

From the comments, I'll see what I can do:

-- For Tim: I played very poorly yesterday, so don't kick my golf game when it's in the toilet. As for the DEs, Umenyiora is fully recovered, though he did have a mysterious knee issue that hampered his OTAs and mini-camp; Strahan will start as a once-a-day guy, I suspect, though he'll be itching to do more; and Tuck may not see the practice field for a bit, since he was just getting back to running and cutting six weeks ago.

-- WALTER: It's pretty much what Patrick said. The Giants wanted Vonta Leach from Houston, the Texans matched and now they appear content to use blocking TEs and perhaps one of their RBs as a FB.

And I phoned in a quick couple sentences to the paper last night about Steve Smith agreeing to terms of a deal. It ain't signed yet, but he should be here tomorrow. Not so sure about Aaron Ross, but these things happen quickly, so stay tuned.

First, I like the scat-back debate... Let me see if I can add anything to it:

I believe, Ralph, that the idea of the third-down back is to a) have someone who can catch the ball as well as run it to keep blitzing defenses off-guard, b) move well and quickly in open space to pick up big yards when it's third-and-deep and c) have someone who isn't in there on first or second down to give away tendencies and just pound the ball. No one knows if Bradshaw can do any of this; no one thought Tiki could do much more than that when he first started, and then no one really thought Tiki could become the all-down player he was.

As to your question, KC, there was quite obviously some unhappiness with Tim Lewis. Some younger guys -- Corey Webster, Gerris Wilkinson -- were so afraid to make a mistake that they crumbled; older guys -- Gibril Wilson, Sam Madison, Antonio Pierce, LaVar Arrington (before he was injured) -- were asked to do things that weren't strengths.

The biggest thing most players said, or didn't say but implied, was the way Lewis treated them. Barely a month into off-season workouts, Osi Umenyiora made sure to mention that Steve Spagnuolo "speaks to you like a man." That's a pretty damning statement about Lewis even though Osi didn't mention him.

As far as schemes, the phrase "read and react" has been replaced with "attack." Spagnuolo wants his unit to dictate the game, not sit back and read tendencies and opponents. There'll be some of that, of course, just as Lewis' scheme wasn't all passive, but the idea is to use the guys who go forward best and use a more aggressive coverage scheme for the DBs.

Speaking of D, let's run through the defense in the final installment of the preview:

DE

Hard to believe there would be question marks here, with Strahan and Osi and Justin Tuck. But those three managed a little more than a full season combined, with Strahan and Tuck coming off Lisfranc sprains and Umenyiora coming off a torn hip flexor. And now that Mathias Kiwanuka is a LB, there's not much behind them -- Adrian Awasom might have been a late-camp cut if Kiwanuka were still on the line, but Awasom should figure on playing quite a bit, especially early in the season. There's a chance the Giants might keep a fifth DE early on, so the competition between Tommy Davis, Charrod Taylor and Marquise Gunn could be one for the serious fans to watch.

Last word on the possible Strahan holdout, as my man over at Pro Football Talk reports is still a possibility: If he does hold out, even for a day or two, he'll have burned the little good will he has left with Giants fans and the organization. Strahan and Ernie Accorsi had a strong relationship, and 92 has gotten off on the wrong foot with Jerry Reese. If Reese showed anything with his February cut of Luke Petitgout, it's that this is his team, and he has the blessing from above.

We'll see if Strahan wants to put himself deeper in the hole by showing up late. I'm betting he's there.

DT

Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield did a solid job last season, so these are their spots to lose. William Joseph may have made himself useful by filling in at DE last season and at this year's mini-camp, but he's behind veteran FA Marcus Bell and slimmed-down Jonas Seawright appears ready to take his NFL career seriously. Rookie Jay Alford will play some, too.

LB

People are pumped about Kiwanuka, because he has the natural ability to do just about anything he wants. He's got to learn the position of SLB though, and that takes time. Pierce can help, but Pierce has other responsibilities. Which is why I'm fairly sure that Kawika Mitchell will be the starting WLB over Gerris Wilkinson -- Wilkinson needs some help too, and I doubt the Giants will want Pierce coaching out of both sides of his mouth on the field.

Wilkinson will play though, as will Chase Blackburn, though both have to way better on special teams. Zak DeOssie gets a roster spot because he should be this year's rookie ST terror; that may leave only one more LB spot for either Reggie Torbor or Tyson Smith. If Spagnuolo likes Smith more, then Torbor won't be around.

DB

Madison and McQuarters were running as the starting corners in mini-camp. I'd bet any amount of money that they won't be the starters in Dallas; McQuarters is too valuable at the nickel and the two of them starting would mean that Webster hasn't recovered from his hip injury or the emotional toll of Tim Lewis and that Aaron Ross, who should sign today or tomorrow, isn't ready for prime time.

Either way, that spells doom for the secondary.

Michael Stone has the edge on the CB/ST spot, which means there might only be room for one of either Kevin Dockery or E.J. Underwood. Dockery had some flashes and two INTs last season, and Underwood, who was ticketed for Dockery's spot before a shoulder injury KOed his season, might be the better player. I bet they'll both be in the league this season, but maybe not with the Giants.

At safety, Gibril Wilson is on an angry mission -- to get back to the player he was as a rookie. Will Demps should be healthy and prepared to have a better season -- his biggest hit last year was the one that sent Shockey into la-la-land in camp. And James Butler has worked into the rotation well. Jason Bell has the fourth spot pretty well locked up, so rookie Michael Johnson should be headed to the practice squad.

OK, then. I'm off in a few minutes to start my journey to Albany. Today is check-in, maybe some golf with Garafolo from that Jersey paper (don't read his blog, it just gives him a bigger head) and then Outback, the Peter Luger of Albany.

The fun is just starting, people!

Let's jump back into the position-by-position look... But not before I respond quickly to some comments:

-- Yes, Tim, Droughns is not the back he once was. He might even be forced to play FB at times, something he definitely doesn't want to do. And Ralph, "scat back" does imply something more than just blitz pickup. Bradshaw definitely has to learn that first. He has shown good hands in drills in addition to his speed -- and there are plenty of guys who can't catch a ball with no one guarding them -- so that's added to his promise.

And I didn't mean to imply that Burress doesn't work hard. But he definitely marches to his own drummer. And the main reason he's out there catching balls from the pitching machine after workouts is his WRs coach, Mike Sullivan. It's during team drills and things like that when Burress seems to be off on his own.

OK, moving on...

TE

Jeremy Shockey is bulked up, but he could show up 50 pounds lighter and all the Giants would want is for him to stay on the field for 16 games. His durability is the biggest question mark; he's still a Pro Bowl caliber player. Behind him, though, is where things get tricky. Who knew Visanthe Shiancoe would be missed? Right now, fifth-round pick Kevin Boss is the second TE, and while he can catch passes, blocking is that spot's primary task. He needs work there.

Charles Davis had a decent NFL Europa season, Darcy Johnson has been around for a year and Michael Matthews showed some promise in rookie camp. There's a good chance none of them will make it to the active roster, however, if the Giants prefer a backup OL as their third TE. Wait and see there.

OL

Funny that the biggest question here is about Dave Diehl, who rarely gives any reason to wonder what he'll bring to the table. Diehl will be the Giants' opening day LT -- if he's not, then that player isn't on the roster. Guy Whimper would need some sort of miraculous camp and preseason to win the job, and the way he failed to impress TC last year, he'd be more likely to be cut than win a starter's job if Jerry Reese weren't in charge.

Camp clown Rich Seubert got miffed when I wrote that he was on the bubble last year. I say now that he's the starting LG. Happier now? Zach Piller has plenty of experience and will make a good backup along with Grey Ruegamer for the interior. My guess is Whimper will end up being the third TE if he can handle it, and an either-side T like Jon Dunn has a good shot to stick on the active roster.

K/P

Jeff Feagles is the punter. Lawrence Tynes is the kicker, with apologies to Josh Huston. Can't see TC taking a chance on a rookie kicker when his job is on the line.

KR/PR

Really, really wide open. Frankly, these spots should provide the best competition in camp and the preseason. Michael Jennings, Aaron Ross, Ahmad Bradshaw, R.W. McQuarters, Sinorice Moss, Derrick Ward -- all these guys will get a crack at returning kicks and punts. If our man MJ takes one to the house like he did last preseason, he's got a great chance to win the job.

We'll do defense tomorrow, then the fun begins. Actually, it's just the media-Giants softball game, but there'll be fun after that.

Following up on an item from the guys at Pro Football Talk that hinted at Michael Strahan and possibly Osi Umenyiora holding out from camp, people from both No. 92's side and the Giants' side told me a few minutes ago that they expect Strahan to be unpacking one of his stylish automobiles on Friday along with the rest of the Giants at the UAlbany dorms.

Tony Agnone, agent for both players, declined to comment, as did GM Jerry Reese. "This stuff has been out there since Mike and I first met," Reese said. But people familiar with the situation said that Strahan should be there, despite his asking for more than the $4-million he's due this season and asking for Reese to be active in free agency to upgrade the team in the short time that Strahan, entering his 15th season, has left.

Umenyiora, who is due to earn $595,000 this season, the first year of a six-year extension he signed in 2005 that netted him $15-million in guaranteed money, recently dropped the Sportstars agency and hired Agnone after seeing what rising young DEs were getting paid. But coming off an injury that cost him half the season, it's doubtful anyone would plant the thought in Osi's mind that it'd be wise to hold out.

Reese did say that he anticipated no contract problems with either first-round pick Aaron Ross or second-round pick Steve Smith and that both of them should be in camp on time.

Since Con Ed's slogan doesn't really seem to apply anymore, I'll steal it for today, my official start to the 2007 season. I won't bore you with the details of a month in hibernation, but suffice to say, my golf game still stinks.

The rest of the best of my summer:

Flick: Knocked Up
Track: "The Heinrich Maneuver," Interpol
Book: "Stories," T.C. Boyle
Meal: R*U*B, W. 23rd Street, NYC

OK, on to the important stuff. Camp opens for the players on Saturday; for myself, it opens on Thursday, when TC takes to the podium and gets asked for the first time about Eli Manning's development.

So, really, camp opens today, because I'll start breaking down the Giants position by position as they head into camp. Let's hit it:

QB

The only question here is whether Eli, now in his fourth year, makes the leap to... Well, it doesn't even have to be greatness. Consistent goodness would be enough. He's been a good student under new QBs coach Chris Palmer, but Eli's been a good student for a long time. "The bottom line," TC said to me last week, "is results."

As for the understudies, it's still a quantum leap. Jared Lorenzen is still technically the No. 2 and it seems Anthony Wright and Tim Hasselbeck will battle for No. 3, with Wright having the edge heading into camp. Wright showed some good stuff in mini-camp, but not enough to make anyone believe there's a viable alternative on the roster if Manning goes down or goes through a prolonged funk. Still bet he takes the third spot from Hasselbeck.

RB

Ah, the big question mark. Heck, we can't even replace Tiki on the blog page, so who's to say the Giants can replace him on the field? Brandon Jacobs has the attitude to get it done, but durability is the main issue with him -- as well as ball protection. Reuben Droughns will get some touches and could provide that "change-of-pace" thing that everyone likes to talk about, but even if he can just pound the ball inside the tackles, that's good enough. OC Kevin Gilbride envisions a one-two punch of "Thunder & Thunder" from Jacobs and Droughns, more inclined to wear out opponents rather than fly past them.

Derrick Ward needs to pull a Michael Jennings in the preseason to stick around -- return a kick for a TD or some such eye-opener. Robert Douglas could stick if the Giants decide they need a FB, even though Douglas has never been one. Decori Birmingham and Cedric Humes saw limited time in NFL Europa, which can't be a good sign.

That brings us to Ahmad Bradshaw. Been a long time since the sixth-to-last pick of the draft sparked so much interest, especially from the Giants coaching staff. If Bradshaw can pick up the offense and show the same instincts and speed against live competition that he showed in the rookie and veteran mini-camps, the Giants seemingly won't hesitate to write him in as the third-down scat back.

WR

Plaxico Burress may appear to lollygag at times, and if you're at camp, it'll surely seem that way a lot. But that's his way, and it's hardly hurt him in his first two Giants seasons. As long as his surgically repaired ankle is fine, he'll be fine. Amani Toomer is another matter. He's 33 and coming off ACL surgery, so he'll be limited at the start of camp. Maybe the whole camp.

So rookie Steve Smith and pseudo-rookie Sinorice Moss will get plenty of touches in camp and plenty of chances to show why they should be used in the offense. Moss had that opportunity last season and his bad quad ruined things; he can't afford another injury this time around. Smith delighted the coaches in the two mini-camps and, like Bradshaw, just needs to keep it up when the pads come on.

David Tyree is entrenched because of his special-teams play, though the Giants expect way more of him than they got last year as a ST gunner. That leaves one roster spot for Michael Jennings, Marco Thomas, Brandon London, Anthony Mix and Kevin McMahan, the last pick of the 2006 draft by the Raiders, who signed two weeks ago.

Jennings, who got this blog up and running last year with the MJMD, needs another solid camp and preseason to stick over some younger guys. London had a sharp rookie camp and should find his way to the practice squad at least.

OK, more on the way later and tomorrow.