T-Rock's Take on the Giants

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.