T-Rock's Take: Inside the Giants

Strahan is FINALLY coming back and all you die-harders would rather talk about singers and musicians in movies. Awesome.

rnargi, excellent contributions as always. Sinatra was great in Manchurian Candidate, which is a top-5 all-timer, no doubt.

Flea in Big Lebowski? Nice job, Hank. I'd add Flea and Henry Rollins in The Chase too.

And, since I always forget one important one, I'll add Alex Desert. He was Charles in Swingers and is one of the singers in a terrific band called Hepcat. They're so good even Clip-On Blauber could enjoy them, alongside his Steely Dan 8-tracks.

And now, for more Strahan stuff -- just that Tony Agnone, his agent, said 92 is on a plane back to NYC and will be officially part of the team as of tomorrow, even though nothing's going on (excellent timing!). So Monday he'll be in the locker room and we will be supplicating at his feet once more.

Unless he changes his mind, that's all for tonight.

The reports are flying (thanks for the heads up, Bill H.) and it seems that Ol' 92, Michael Strahan, will return on Monday.

Calls and e-mails are out to everyone... Will update as I hear it.

First, a celebrity sighting:

Walking back to my car at the row of restaurants off Rte. 3 near Giants Stadium, and an F-150 with gigantic rims rolls up. It's our old friend Michael Jennings, fresh off successful Achilles surgery and tooling around in one of his own custom Chevys.

Frankly, he could tear the other Achilles trying hop down out of the thing, but he was in good spirits. Always nice to see.

As to the rest of the crew... OL Guy Whimper has a high ankle sprain, but TC said Whimper was walking without crutches today, so maybe it won't be so bad.

Will Demps said he has full range of motion back in his arm and he's been doing his two-a-day rehab sessions to be ready for the opener. Still doubt the Giants will let him go full blast, but I'm betting he'll be in uniform.

Sam Madison said he's been doing some straight-ahead running, but nothing else yet. Seems to be a couple weeks away at least.

And E.J. Underwood has a little swelling on the side of his face, but nothing more. He said he's due back at work in a week or two. I'm assuming he'll still be here then.

TC expressed some frustration over Ol' 92 today, and this would obviously be the time the Giants would be most annoyed, since they have to craft a roster with one key player not in, but not out. Strahan can stay on the reserve/did not report list without counting against the 53-man roster, but once he decides he's coming back, someone has to be cut.

OK, on to the FridayList... Today's is a little complicated, but fun. Top 10 acting performances by singers/musicians. Bonus points for being in a good band and some acting chops. And there'll be no Beyonce, Eminem or Mariah Carey on this list -- you all should know by now that The FridayList is not a popularity contest.

10. Ice-T, New Jack City and Trespass. I know he's in that Law & Order spinoff, but for my money, nothing beats those two early-90s performances. Or "Body Count."

9. Michael Been (The Call), Last Temptation of Christ. Obscure but great band, obscure but great flick.

8. Eddie Vedder, Singles. "A compliment for us is a compliment for you." When you only have one line, better make it a good one. He did. Too bad Pearl Jam isn't relevant anymore.

7. Ludacris, Crash. Completely got screwed out of an Oscar nomination. At least he told Oprah to shut her yap when she ambushed him on her show.

6. John Doe, various films. Good character actor; great, important band (X) and solo artist.

5. Joe Strummer, Mystery Train . A musical god slouching his way through a funny, weird flick from the master of funny, weird flicks, Jim Jarmusch. Also note that Screamin' Jay Hawkins is in the same movie.

4. Ice Cube, Boyz N The Hood. Another excellent performance that was unrecognized by the big awards types. He's since soiled his ability as an actor with the Friday/Are We There Yet? stuff, and his music isn't as prolific or good as it used to be, but he was on top of both worlds there for a hot minute.

3. Alanis Morissette, Dogma. I'm not a tremendous fan of her music and this is a mess of a movie, but she plays God pretty well. I think. Her Curb Your Enthusiasm appearance gives her bonus points.

2. Diana Ross, The Wiz. Yes, she's done better stuff, but make your own list if you want. This movie (with Michael Jackson, who was also pretty darn good) is still one of my top-50 faves. She can sing pretty well too, I hear.

1. David Bowie, The Man Who Fell To Earth. Most odd-ball flick I've ever seen, and one of the most memorable. His music has the same effect.

Back with cuts and any 92 news tomorrow... Enjoy the weekend.

Burress, Robert Douglas, Sam Madison, E.J. Underwood, Will Demps, Reggie Torbor (calf), Kawika Mitchell, Gerris Wilkinson, Grey Ruegamer, David Tyree, Adrian Awasom

On with the show

And a drive to Foxboro kinda held me up correcting my mistake. See -- I knew I'd be an idiot somehow.

WR

In: Plax, Toomer, David Tyree, Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, Anthony Mix

Out: Kevin McMahan

Why? Top five receivers get in. That's the top five.

OK, NOW we'll get inactives going in a bit.

Since I never did present a 53-man roster here, I'll run down the positions and see where I think everybody stands heading into tonight's game with the Pats. I hope to hear from all of you who think I have no idea what I'm talking about... In fact, I know I will.

QB

In: Eli, Jared Lorenzen

Out: Anthony Wright

Bubbling: Tim Hasselbeck.

Why? Wright hasn't proven he can be the backup, so there's no reason to keep him -- he gets a little credit for having to play behind a terrible group of O-linemen, but he needed to show a lot more than he has. Hasselbeck could stay for a simple reason: He's very tight with Manning and he's a sharp guy. Of course, there's a case for only keeping two QBs, since the roster is so depleted.

RB

In: Brandon Jacobs, Reuben Droughns, Derrick Ward, Ahmad Bradshaw

Out: Ryan Grant

Bubbling: Robert Douglas

Why? Ward has value as the kick returner; Grant is running in David Tyree's spot at gunner, but others can fill that role until Tyree returns. Grant has impressed so far, but it's a matter of numbers. Douglas is out a couple weeks after knee surgery and I don't really think he can handle the FB grind for a full season. He may end up being stashed on IR so the Giants can keep him around, because there's definitely potential there. Droughns and a TE can fill the blocking back role.

TE

In: Shockey, Kevin Boss, Michael Matthews

Out: Charles Davis

Why? The best three TEs make it. Matthews needs some seasoning, but he's got talent.

OL

In: David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O'Hara, Chris Snee, Kareem McKenzie, Grey Ruegamer, Zach Piller, Guy Whimper, Todd Londot

Out: Adam Koets, Jon Dunn, Matt Lentz

Why? I almost had them keeping 8 OL because there's so much depletion on D. But I think Londot makes it because he's a bit more versatile than Lentz. Don't think Koets needs to be kept and should end up on the practice squad. There's only one backup T in Whimper, but honestly, do you think any of the other guys who've played there showed they could do the job in an emergency?

K

In: Josh Huston

Out: Lawrence Tynes

Why? TC usually likes to have a guy who's a veteran over someone untested, but in this case, Huston is a safer choice. His kickoffs are better, plain and simple. And it's not exactly a set-in-stone gig, so they'll be trying out kickers for weeks, I'm sure.

P

In: Jeff Feagles

DE

In: Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Adrian Awasom

Out: Tommy Davis, Marquies Gunn

Why? I still truly believe Strahan is coming back, though I'm becoming a little less sure with each passing day. The whole situation is getting more than a little silly, and I'm betting his teammates' good will would dry up if he strings everyone along right up until next Sunday, messing with the roster. In any event, the other three are in, even though Davis and Gunn each had some flashes in camp.

DT

In: Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield, William Joseph, Jay Alford, Manny Wright

Out: Jonas Seawright

Why? Wright is a gamble, but perhaps when there's far less pressure on him, he can succeed. Seawright slimmed down but he's still a head case as far as the coaching staff and front office are concerned. And who knew Willie Joe would end up being a lock? Actually, I think he's looked worse since sliding back to DT, so Robbins and Cofield better stay healthy.

LB

In: Antonio Pierce, Kawika Mitchell, Mathias Kiwanuka, Chase Blackburn, Reggie Torbor, Zak DeOssie, Gerris Wilkinson

Out: Tyson Smith

Why? Smith offers a lot as a special-teamer and depth LB, but it's numbers.

CB

In: Sam Madison, Corey Webster, R.W. McQuarters, Aaron Ross, Kevin Dockery, E.J. Underwood

Out: Gerrick McPhearson

Why? McPhearson needed a huge camp, and his recent minor injury sealed matters. He doesn't offer as much as Dockery or Underwood, who have injuries too but bigger upsides.

S

In: Gibril Wilson, James Butler, Will Demps, Michael Johnson

Out: Craig Dahl

Bubbling: J.R. Reed

Why? I think the Giants could use Reed, who's incredibly athletic and versatile. Johnson could be practice-squad material, but I think he's got enough of an upside not to make it through waivers. If the Giants go with 2 QBs, here's where the extra guy gets in. And yes, I'm saying that the Giants may have only a seventh-round pick as a backup safety in the opener.

So please, call me an idiot.

Be back with some inactives after a nice, leisurely drive.

That's according to Jerry Reese, who has had two phone conversations with No. 92 in the last two days.

The one this morning ended with Strahan telling Reese that his decision -- retire or return -- will be made in the next day or two. Both convos, according to Reese, were "constructive and positive."

What that means, we'll find out when Strahan gets here. If he gets here... Though I'm guessing the chats had something to do with rescinding a portion of the fines, now at $457,216, and perhaps Reese reiterating that Strahan is wanted here.

About to head into the locker room... More later.

The big fella was carted off before practice even started with dehydration, but I think he'll be OK.

Plaxico Burress was back at the ranch today, getting treatment on his lower back. No timetable for him.

And the last roster move is apparently going to be Ryan Kuehl (calf) going on injured reserve. So all the rest of the upright Giants will stick around until final cuts on Saturday. Kuehl is the eighth Giant on IR already. Two more and they get a free mocachino, I think.

The fact that Underwood, who had surgery to repair a broken jaw yesterday, could be back practicing before the season begins was about the only good injury news the Giants got today.

WR David Tyree has a broken left wrist and is out 4-6 weeks.

WR Plaxico Burress was in the city today having his back checked out. Not the flu, as was reported as the reason for him missing Saturday's game, but his back, which has been acting up for several days.

FB Robert Douglas will have one of his knees 'scoped, meaning he's out a minimum of 2-3 weeks.

CBs Gerrick McPhearson (ankle) and Kevin Dockery (hamstring) didn't practice. Neither did LB Kawika Mitchell (groin), CB Sam Madison (hamstring), S Will Demps (elbow), DE Adrian Awasom (abductor), LB Gerris Wilkinson (knee), OL Grey Ruegamer (ankle) or OL Adam Koets (undisclosed).

The Giants did cut down to 76 players, one above the max allowed by 4 p.m. tomorrow. TE Rodney Burgess (shoulder) was waived-injured, DT Marcus Bell (knee) became the sixth Giant to go on injured reserve, and the following were waived: WR Wil Buchanon, DB Richard Yancy, LB Karibi Dede, OL Nick Jones and OL Myniya Smith.

Just so you know the available CBs today were the starting twosome of R.W. McQuarters and Corey Webster, nickel CB Aaron Ross... And then Darren Barnett and J.R. Reed, who's a safety.

I expect the starters to stand on the field for the anthem on Thursday and then sit inside for their own well-being.

Broken jaw for Underwood. Happened on the safety, apparently, though no one really saw it.

Safe to say his season is over, yet again, in the third preseason game. Tough break for a kid who had a chance again to make the roster and contribute.

"You explain it, I certainly can't," TC said. "We really wanted to take a long, hard look at him last night. Then, before you know it, he's gone."

So to answer the comment from the other day -- they won't keep both Underwood and Dockery. Dockery's going to stick, but he had another rough game last night. Depth is really a huge concern at the corner now, if it weren't already.

LB Kawika Mitchell has a strained groin and it sounds as if he's day to day. Wouldn't think of him playing on Thursday, but he could be ready for 9/9 in Dallas.

TC said the Giants won't be starting from scratch with the kicking game. Lawrence Tynes missed two, though one was off a bad snap; Josh Huston then could have sewn up his lead for the job but missed his 42-yarder late. Huston boomed a kickoff out of the end zone, into the wind, so it's safe to say he still leads.

Kudos from TC to Justin Tuck, Osi and the rest of the D-line. Great game for the starting group. Maybe, instead of "Ballin'," the new slogan will be "Michael who?"

Anthony Wright and Tim Hasselbeck... were not good last night. Again. Good question from John Branch of the Fancy-Pants Gazette (Times to the rest of you) about whether the Giants would join the trend and carry only two QBs.

TC wouldn't say, but it's not a bad thought. Neither of the vets has looked even remotely decent.

I asked about Reuben Droughns, who has been rather blah as a running back. He does do other things -- he's been the upback on kickoffs, with good results -- so I don't think he's in any danger of being gassed. But Ahmad Bradshaw, Derrick Ward and Ryan Grant have all out-performed Droughns in the running game.

That's all for now... We'll see if Ol' 92 checks in tomorrow.

Which means lots of burn for Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, Anthony Mix and Kevin Boss.

Also out: Derrick Ward, Jeff Feagles (who was on the field and walking around before the game), Marcus Bell, Adrian Awasom, Will Demps, Todd Londot, Ryan Kuehl, Sam Madison, Gerris Wilkinson and Grey Ruegamer.

Bell suffered the injury in the Wednesday night practice. So much for his needing a big night.

And Burress is listed as out with the flu, not any ankle woes. Still, as MG just pointed out, he's not played a preseason game yet and next week's preseason finale will be about 10 minutes' worth of work for the 1s.

Giants-Jets usually has some meaning despite the fact that it's a preseason game. Tomorrow's game has far less meaning because the teams play each other this season, so no one's giving anything away.

Some quick hits and what-to-look-for items:

IN NEED OF A GOOD SHOWING

DT Marcus Bell -- Remember when he might have started? He was running with the third unit this week.

RB Reuben Droughns -- Derrick Ward's sprained ankle should give the veteran a chance to show some more, but Ward and even Ryan Grant have outplayed Droughns thus far.

CB E.J. Underwood -- Hasn't hurt himself with his play of late, but has been hurt more by some improved play from Kevin Dockery.

K Lawrence Tynes -- Josh Huston's 50-yarder in Baltimore gave the rookie the edge, so Tynes needs an opportunity to make something and kick off deep to prove he should be the kicker.

QB Tim Hasselbeck -- Needs to have the greatest game ever to even be considered for the third QB spot.

OL Adam Koets/Guy Whimper -- If neither shows improvement, everyone better pray that David Diehl stays as healthy as he always has.

With names in the title:

10. Liza Radley, The Jam
9. Maggie May, Rod Stewart
8. Gloria, Them
7. Janie Jones, The Clash
6. 867-5309/Jenny, Tommy Tutone
5. Suzanne, Weezer
4. Allison, Elvis Costello
3. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker, The Ramones
2. Rosalita, Springsteen
1. Josie, Blink-182

Nothing like a good list to kick off a Friday. As always, I welcome your comments/suggestions.

Giants waived WR Marco Thomas and LB Barry Robertson and placed S Michael Stone (hip) on injured reserve. They also signed rookie FA LB Karibi Dede.

Stone was likely to grab a roster spot, so that opens the door for either rookie Michael Johnson or recently signed J.R. Reed to fit in. With Will Demps out for a couple more weeks, one of those guys could play a bit too. Craig Dahl is still around, but I can't see him making a bigger impact than the other two.

Last practice wasn't such a light workout after all -- TC made sure his guys were focused. Eli Manning delivered a perfect, 45-yard strike to Amani Toomer, who made the catch between Corey Webster and Gibril Wilson. Toomer's ankle turned out to be OK.

TE Michael Matthews is still taking the brunt of TC's barbs. During a no-huddle drill, Matthews was jogging back from a play while Kevin Boss was hustling on and calling Matthews off; Matthews decided to run off to the wrong sideline, and TC lit into him. Matthews also had two drops. That third TE spot might be a late addition from someone else's cuts.

Ahmad Bradshaw had the catch of the day, a leaping, one-handed grab with James Butler face-guarding him on a 3rd-and-goal timing throw from Jared Lorenzen at the 3.

And that's all, folks... A person close to Strahan said he's not coming back Saturday to make an appearance at the Jets game. We'll see about next week.

So says my man Blauber, aka Clip-On... Here's the link to his blog:

Nice job, Clip-On

Confirms what many of us around the team have been hearing for a week or so -- that Strahan will be back, he'll get some work in and the Giants won't bang him for the whole $400K in fines.

We'll see what goes down from here.

First, a quick injury rundown, since there are some additions:

WR Amani Toomer twisted his ankle this morning and sat out the evening practice. No word on his status yet, but he looked unhappy leaving the field.

QB Jared Lorenzen (concussion) and RB Derrick Ward (ankle), who were both hurt in Sunday's game but practiced yesterday, sat tonight.

P Jeff Feagles' back tightened up and he wasn't out there tonight either.

Jeremy Shockey (hamstring) dressed and did some individual work but no team drills.

As for those team drills, a couple brief highlights:

Eli Manning delivered a perfect, 45-yard strike to Steve Smith in 7-on-7s... TC gave it to TE Michael Matthews for missing blocks on consecutive Reuben Droughns runs, then Matthews dropped an easy catch. Oops... Kevin Boss made a couple more nice catches... Plaxico Burress had two good grabs and looked sharp... Josh Huston and Lawrence Tynes each hit from 35 and 40 yards.

One workout left up here in Albany, and it won't be a serious one tomorrow.

Strangely, this Eli-Tiki thing has legs... Go figure.

Tiki, last night on his Sirius radio show, said this:

"I tell things how I see them. And, point in fact, Dick Ebersol at NBC Sports hired me to be honest and fair and opinionated and that’s all I’m going to be."

And this:

“He also said that I didn’t have any heart and he could see it on the field. I guess I really would have been a Hall of Famer if I had played with heart instead of rushing for 1650 yards with no heart. Who knows?”

And this:

"And another thing that I think every Giants fan knows and why, in some ways, some things ring hollow that Eli said, is I have never, ever, ever not left 100% of myself on the football field. And you can say whatever you want but don’t say that because that’s offensive.”

Eli, of course, was asked to respond to the response to his response. And he said:

"What I said…this is kind of a done issue for me. I made some comments (on Wednesday) and now it’s over in my eyes. I don’t want to make it into a bigger deal, so I’ll try to end it as soon as possible."

And:

"I was just responding to what someone said and that’s it."

And about Tiki getting upset that Eli said Tiki had no heart? "What I read in some articles, that his heart wasn’t in it."

And:

"Well, I guess I’ve always been even-keeled, never really responded back, tried to always make things smooth and easy. And that’s probably the first time I’ve kind of fired back a little bit. It’s one of those things I felt the need to do. It just came out. I don’t know. It was just one of those deals where it seemed like the right thing to do.

"I’m fine talking with Tiki. If I see him, I’ll definitely talk to him, I’ll be friendly to him. I’m not trying to start something. That’s just the deal. It happened. Hopefully, when we see each other – and I’m sure we will – it won’t be awkward because I don’t want it to be."

And perhaps, that will be the end of this so-called spat... Unless Tiki has a blog update or does a podcast or has yet another outlet in his media empire to prolong this thing. Beware overexposure, Tiki -- it's the fastest way a media person such as yourself becomes irritating to the masses.

So, I think we're done here. There was a jog-through this morning, so tonight's practice will be the last full-speed one in Albany. I'll have more after that.

On the injury front, TC said Sinorice Moss (ankle) would be back tomorrow and Jeremy Shockey (hamstring) is still sore. Doubt either one will play on Saturday.

Almost forgot the Giants' roster shuffle today:

They waived-injured Mike Jennings and DT Charrod Taylor (foot), and waived OL Dan Parrish.

They signed CB/KR J.R. Reed and C Nick Jones and claimed WR Will Buchanon off waivers from the Raiders.

That is all.

A person who knows what the Giants' front office is thinking said after practice what I blogged earlier -- zero interest in Jeremiah Trotter, zero interest in Lemar Marshall. They're committed to being young and staying young.

OK, practice:

Plaxico Burress (ankle) returned to practice after missing 19 days; Zak DeOssie (ankle) also practiced as the SLB with the second unit and Reggie Torbor switched over to WLB. Steve Smith (concussion) went through the full practice after getting cleared this morning.

Out were Jeremy Shockey (hamstring), Sinorice Moss (ankle), Sam Madison (hamstring), Will Demps (elbow), Grey Ruegamer and Jonas Seawright (concussion).

Giants did a lot of scout-team work in preparation for the Jets just four days away. Best moments were a couple of catches by Kevin Boss -- one from Jared Lorenzen that went off David Tyree's hands and into Boss' behind the defense, the other a seam throw from Eli Manning for a 16-yard TD.

Corey Webster took Madison's first-team CB reps. Matt Lentz was the second-unit center in place of Ruegamer and Adam Koets took some snaps at LG. He was as shaky as he'd been at LT with the third group.

Tyree had a tough day, not getting high enough for a curl route from Anthony Wright and letting Kevin Dockery blow by him for a tackle in the backfield.

And TC offered up some praise for Eli's shots at Tiki. "He decided to say what he felt," TC said. "More power to him."

There's zero chance of the Giants adding him now, unless something's wrong with Antonio Pierce and we don't know about it. Trotter is 30, he could be expensive and, perhaps most important, he and Pierce don't exactly love one another from their Redskins days.

The Giants are pretty well set at LB for now, I'd say. Maybe if Ol' 92 were really going to retire that would change, but even then, Lemar Marshall, who was just gassed by the Skins, might be a better choice, just because Marshall has played outside.

I'm usually way off on these astute observations, so we'll see what someone in charge has to say later.

No, really.

So here's the scene: Tiki Barber, on the NBC Sunday football telecast of Ravens-Giants, about Eli's leadership skills:

"He hasn’t shown it. His personality hasn’t been so that he can step up, make a strong statement and have people believe that it’s coming from his heart... Last year about Week 12 I turned over the offensive motivational speech to Eli and he was gung-ho to do it, but he was uncomfortable doing it. I think a lot of it had to do with vets being around -- myself, Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress. He didn’t feel like his voice was going to be strong enough and it showed. Sometimes it was almost comical the way that he would say things."

And then this, when asked whether it was good for Eli that Barber retired:

"I think it is a good thing for Eli, to tell you the truth. Quite honestly."

So today, Eli fired back. No, really.

"I guess I was just happy for Tiki that he made a smooth transition into the media world. It will be interesting to see if he has anything else to say besides the Giants and what his comments will be on that. It’s one of those deals – I’m not going to lose any sleep over what Tiki has to say. I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year, calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season saying he lost the heart. As a quarterback you’re reading your running back has lost the heart to play the game and it’s about the 10th week, I can see that a little bit at times. I’m not going to get concerned and I’m going to go out and play ball."

"It’s one of those deals. When a guy goes to the media he has to say stuff. He’s put in a situation where he’s got to talk. That’s just the way it is. That’s the world we live in and you have to deal with it."

I guess this means that now, when Eli starts waving his arms to pump up the crowd and gives pre-game pep talks that resemble the St. Crispian's Day speech by Henry V, Tiki can take credit for making Eli a man.

I've written in this space before about Tiki's "but enough about me" routine, and he's certainly entitled to say whatever he likes now since he's one of us. Perhaps this will be the end to it... Though someone just remarked that Tiki's Sirius show is on tonight.

Lord help us.

Practice update on the way later.

Here's a quick rundown on the carnage from Sunday night, via TC just a few minutes ago on conference call:

-- Grey Ruegamer has a high ankle sprain, no mention of a concussion. He's out at least until the opener. I'd guess that Rich Seubert would be the backup center now, not Matt Lentz, who's struggled mightily.

-- Will Demps' dislocated elbow still has the three-week prognosis, even though Demps seems to feel he'll be back quicker. I'm guessing if he's dislocated the elbow twice, they'll make sure it's stable before he's back. Don't bet on seeing him in Dallas.

-- Steve Smith (concussion) is better. Jonas Seawright also had a concussion. Neither will practice for a couple days, at least.

-- Jeremy Shockey had some tightness in his hamstring, and he'll be limited in practice. Frankly, if he doesn't play either remaining preseason game, is anyone going to be worried? The guy comes to play.

-- Sam Madison's hammy is in worse shape than Shockey's, but TC had no new info. Only the guess that a guy with bad hamstrings should miss more than just a few days. Like Demps, don't bet on seeing Madison in Dallas.

-- Lastly, TC sounded very down today, and I suspect it had a lot to do with Mike Jennings' ruptured Achilles. Jennings had surgery today. TC never used to bite the previous two camps when asked about Jennings, always giving a gruff answer to questions about a guy with such a big, friendly personality.

Ultimately, though, TC is a coach, and it'd be hard to imagine that he's seen more improvement from anyone in two years than he saw from Jennings... The guy showed up in '05 with a funny car, a funny attitude and little else. He won a spot last year with a punt return for a TD, but he didn't stop working; this time around, with even less of a chance to make a team loaded with young WR talent, he was going to do it again, thanks in large part to the game he was having last night.

Mike Jennings will be almost 29 when his Achilles is fully healed next year, and the Giants will probably have even more WR talent. If TC is the coach, bet on Jennings finding his way to camp; if not, don't bet against him getting a job somewhere, or that TC will be MJ's biggest cheerleader.

Besides this blog, of course. It's easy to root for people like Mike.

Just for good measure. Unreal.

Which is just awful, considering the guy was playing well. He made a terrific catch along the sideline and stumbled out of bounds, then looked back to see what happened to his left foot since no one touched him. He was going to make the team for sure and now he's done for the year.

Will Demps also has a dislocated right elbow after trying to tackle Musa Smith and that could be very serious as well.

And, on the same play but well away from any contact, Sam Madison came up clutching his left hamstring.

Ugly half.

Here's a story I just filed:

Baltimore – Michael Strahan will likely inform the Giants this week that he’s returning to play this season and could re-join the team by as early as Saturday, when the Giants play the Jets in a preseason game at Giants Stadium, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person, who requested anonymity, said that Tony Agnone, Strahan’s Baltimore-based agent, met with Giants general manager Jerry Reese yesterday and indications were that Strahan, who has missed all 24 days of training camp and accrued fines totaling $342,912 to date, would be ready to end his holdout and thoughts of retirement and join the team for the final two weeks of the preseason.
Reese declined to comment last night. Agnone, who attended last night’s game, said that Strahan still had no timetable to make his decision, nor had he made one yet. “It could be this week, it could be next week, it could be the week after,” Agnone said.
Agnone did say that Strahan – whose family is urging him to retire, according to an NBC report last night – knows he needs to inform the Giants sooner rather than later about his plans, particularly if Strahan decides to play. “He does want to get his work in and be ready for the season, if that’s what he chooses to do,” Agnone said.
Strahan has been working out on his own in Southern California since July 27, when he was supposed to report to Albany for camp.
The person with knowledge of the situation said the Giants were not likely to force Strahan, who is due to earn $4-million this season, to pay the entire amount of the fines, which would reach $400,064 by Thursday. “They’re not looking to embarrass him,” the person said. “He’s meant too much to the organization”
Reese said on Thursday that if Strahan were to return to play, he needed to get back on the field and start learning a new defense.
“You just can’t show up and play in the National Football League,” Reese said. “If he decides to come I think he will be here soon, but it’s still his decision and we’ll see what happens in the next few days.”

Ah, the drama...

Here we are in M&T Bank Stadium... Right now, I'm watching Amani Toomer stretch and jog around the field. Suppose that's a good sign.

My thanks to Alan Hahn for giving me a couple days of rest this week. He didn't want to touch the blog though, and honestly, who can blame him? This is an important page.

OK, here's my list of five positions to watch tonight:

DT -- And not just to see Manny Wright and Tui... Oh, heck, if TC won't bother, I won't either. But those two guys won't play much; this is more about what Fred Robbins/Barry Cofield/Jay Alford/Marcus Bell/Jonas Seawright can do against Willis McGahee and Mike Anderson.

DE -- Justin Tuck will run with the first team on the left side and it'll be interesting to see how he fares. Osi Umenyiora will go up against rookie Jared Gaither, whom the Ravens took in the fifth round of the supplemental draft and has been elevated to starter with Jonathan Ogden out. A few commenters here wanted the Giants to take Gaither, the 6-8, 350-pound monster. We'll see how he handles Osi.

WR -- Toomer is hardly a concern. The guy is a pro's pro and he'll be fine. Mike Jennings and Anthony Mix will be worth watching -- this is where Jennings made the team last year with his 57-yard punt return for a TD, and Mix has had a good week of camp. No Sinorice Moss and no Plaxico Burress means plenty of time for Steve Smith too, and he should get some work with Eli Manning.

OL -- Bart Scott and Ray Lewis should provide plenty of pressure when Manning's in the game.

K -- It's time for Lawrence Tynes or Josh Huston to impress.

I'll get some inactives shortly.

Two errors in the last post: Manuel Wright was on the field today, wearing No. 77. He didn't do anything except stretch and watch. He's still pretty big too, and TC said Wright needs to shed some pounds still.

Also, Darcy Johnson went on injured reserve. He was not waived. So he's still Giants property. TC said the Giants would stick with the tight ends they have for now.

Missing from the practice field today were WR Plaxico Burress, who tried to go but stopped, quickly; Corey Webster, whose hip acted up (that can't be good) and DT Charrod Taylor, who had a toe problem.

Turning over the keys to Alan Hahn for the next two days, which means you should look to the Knicks blog for any updates... And look for Strahan to show up and make Alan freak out. Back at you with a Saturday game advance.

Seeing that their interior run defense could use some help and not seeing much risk, the Giants signed troubled DT Manuel Wright today.

Wright, 23, left USC early and went to the Dolphins in the 2005 supplemental draft. He had some personal issues and a publicized breakdown into tears on the practice field after a scolding by then Dolphins coach Nick Saban. He left the team in 2006, reportedly due to depression, and didn't play last season. Miami cut him in May, the Bills signed him and cut him a week later after he reported to mini-camp overweight.

He's a longshot for sure, but there's talent there. Assuming he'll be at camp tomorrow.

The Giants also signed two offensive linemen, Dan Parrish and Myniya Smith.

They waived four players: TE Darcy Johnson, DE Dek Bake and CB Travonti Johnson were all waived-injured and OL Chris Patrick was just waived. Patrick signed after the draft and held some promise, but he was constantly on notice from the coaching staff during drills.

More later, after TC speaks.

Sorry for the delay, gang... And I'll gloss over the practice details for a night to answer the comments:

Tim A -- Tynes didn't work either practice today, which has got to be rankling TC and the staff. Josh Huston boomed a couple kickoffs in the evening but Tynes is the veteran, the guy the Giants want to have being consistent and forcing Huston to kick his behind off to beat out. Ain't happening that way, at least not yet.

KC -- Good point, and here's another one from Shaun O'Hara that didn't make my article for tomorrow. O'Hara said it wasn't until his fifth year in the league -- his first with the Giants -- that he felt comfortable enough to be a vocal leader and speak up. And that's just the off-field maturity factor.

I do find it funny that so many people write Eli off after two up-and-down seasons as a starter... Heck, if people were basing their opinions of my work off of my first two seasons on the Giants beat (and one awful season of blogging), I shudder to think where I'd be now.

Lastly, to the Giants fans who think Eli will magically become his brother: Forget it. He's such a different personality that it could never happen; if it did, his teammates would see right through such fakery.
John -- Can't see the Giants pursuing Warren, who had one good season and a few mediocre ones. The biggest problem with the interior defense from Saturday was not having Fred Robbins there; I even think William Joseph will be able to help inside when he moves back there, which has happened already in practice.

rnargi -- Is this the rnargi from BBI and Sirius NFL call-in fame? I'm honored by your presence here on the blog!

About Will Demps -- He'd never really admit it, but I can only guess he was nowhere near 100 percent last season. The open-field tackles he missed, particularly against the Bears, were a real shock, I'd say. But I agree, he came on at the end of last season, even if some of his pass coverage was weak -- whose wasn't, though? If he's as healthy as he says, he'll be back in the starting lineup.

Plaxico Burress looked strong in his running drills, but they were under the watchful eye of a trainer, not WRs coach Mike Sullivan. Plax isn't worried about missing too much time -- I'm betting he also doesn't worry about Al-qaeda, global warming or whether Lindsay Lohan will ever be a viable Hollywood star again -- but TC is, now that we're at 12 days and counting.

Also out for the morning: TE Kevin Boss (shoulder), WR Marco Thomas (groin), K Lawrence Tynes (calf), LB Gerris Wilkinson (knee), CB Travonti Johnson (quad), LB Barry Robertson (don't know) and DEs Osi Umyniora and Justin Tuck, who will both work this evening.

And yes, yes -- E.J. Underwood was back yesterday. My apologies.

As for practice this morning, lots of missed connections deep by all three QBs. Eli attributed his misfires to a well-rested arm. "Their legs are tired and my arm's fresh. Not the greatest combination," he joked.

Jared Lorenzen hurt his knee, not his ankle, in yesterday's collision with Kevin Dockery, and he almost added an arm injury today when Tommy Davis bull-rushed Guy Whimper straight into Lorenzen's throwing motion. Whimper was not good again today, and neither was Adam Koets, who went missing on a special teams drill and got bawled out by TC.

Best catches of the session went to Anthony Mix, who dove to snatch a ball from the middle of three defenders -- if only the 6-4 Mix could do that more consistently -- and Mike Jennings, who got Corey Webster coming in and caught a nicely floated throw by Eli with room to scamper 20 yards for the score in a two-minute drill.

On D, Will Demps earned more snaps with the 1s, at FS and SS, spelling Gibril Wilson and James Butler on occasion. Webster worked both corners with the 1s as well. Marcus Bell, who did not have a good game on Saturday as a starter, dropped to the 3s, with Jay Alford taking DT snaps alongside Jonas Seawright. TC mentioned again how poor the interior run defense was, and Barry Cofield and Bell were the starters there.

Best overhead coaching moment: Assistant O-line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, a fellow Boston U. alum, to an unnamed lineman during a footwork drill: "Finish with a burst! Don't go ruining my drill with that stuff!" With the Boston accent it sounds bettah. Trust me.

Back with more from the evening.

After a morning spent on corrections during a walk-through, the Giants did show some intensity in their only practice yesterday -- as TC noted, sometimes a little too much intensity, especially when Kevin Dockery landed a hit on Jared Lorenzen and sent the QB down with a tweaked ankle.

Lorenzen limped off as TC screamed at Dockery, "Stay off the quarterback!" A few other players hit the deck. Most surprising: Osi Umenyiora, who got some catcalls from his teammates when Brandon Jacobs ran him over. Least surprising: Matt Lentz, who also delivered his 75th mistimed snap of training camp.

One lineup change: Justin Tuck showed enough health on Saturday to gain the LDE spot with the 1s. William Joseph, who was not so good on Saturday, worked inside with the 1s and 2s.

Eli Manning was very sharp today, throwing a perfectly timed ball to Amani Toomer into single coverage against R.W. McQuarters. Michael Jennings had a nice diving catch coming back to the ball, though he also had a drop. Manning's best pass was a seam completion to Jeremy Shockey for a touchdown.

Aaron Ross returned to action and had a nice pass breakup.

Out of action: TE Kevin Boss (shoulder), WR Marco Thomas (groin), WR Plaxico Burress (ankle), CB E.J. Underwood (hip), S Michael Stone (hip) and K Lawrence Tynes, who apparently strained the calf in his plant leg on one of the extra points on Saturday.

Back with a double shot tomorrow.

Here's Stephen The Intern's views from Saturday:

Battle For Backup QB?

When Anthony Wright was signed in April, a lot of people expected the 9-year veteran to be the backup quarterback, pushing the inexperienced Jared Lorenzen to third string and Tim Hasselbeck off the depth chart. But that might not be the case.

"It’s still a competition, as far as I know – but I don’t really know," said a morose-sounding Wright. "The way this game was played, I don’t understand the situation."

It was Lorenzen who replaced Eli Manning on the Giants’ fourth possession and ran the second-team offense.

After starting off 1-for-4, Lorenzen heated up and orchestrated two scoring drives, including a 71-yard march that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown to Anthony Mix. J-Lithe even broke off a 14-yard run.

In the season finale against the Redskins last year, Kevin Gilbride called on him to convert a 3rd & 1 and Lorenzen, in J-Load mode, plunged forward for two yards.

Lorenzen has yet to attempt a pass in a regular season game, and he still has problems with accuracy, but his raw talent could make him a weapon. Barring injury, he won’t see the field much, but who knows, maybe the Giants will design a couple packages for him like the Gators did for Tim Tebow last year.

As for Wright, he got sacked on his first drop-back and finished the game 5-for-11 with 49 yards.

"It’s kind of hard to assess [my performance] right now," said Wright, who had shown good accuracy in mini-camp. "Things didn’t go exactly the way we had hoped for them to be."

What’s up Dock?

Understatement of the Year: Kevin Dockery didn’t play well last night.

The second-year corner was burned more times than a CD-RW, and worse than a toasted sandwich at Subway.

First he committed a pass interference on Taye Biddle that gave the Panthers 28 yards, and the next ball thrown his way was a 17-yard completion to Ryne Robinson on a post route. And the next one was an 11-yard completion to Chris Horn. And the next one was a 13-yard completion to Horn. And the coup de grâce – a blown assignment that led to Biddle’s 85-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

The bright side for Dockery is that he had two interceptions and seven pass deflections last season, so that gives him a little equity.

Guy Whimper

The good: He made the key block to spring Reuben Droughns for 32 yards on a screen that setup the Derrick Ward touchdown. He also didn’t allow a sack.

The Bad: He had difficulty handling the speed rush. Whimper was susceptible to the jab step and quick rip move inside, which caused a few pressures on Lorenzen. He also committed a false start that put the Giants in a 3rd & 13 hole.

Whimper wasn’t impressive, but he has progressed from last year when he played in the fourth quarters of the pre-season games and looked inept at right tackle (read: he got whipped by scrubs). A converted tight end and DE (you can never have enough pass rushers), he didn’t get much experience at left tackle in college, but the Giants liked his athleticism and view him as a long-term project. So, baby steps.

"He did OK," said GM Jerry Reese, who scouted Whimper and was high on him last year. "I won’t say he played great, but as far as I can tell, he played OK. I’ll have to watch the tape."

Shoot the J…Shoot it!

Justin Tuck, who missed most of ‘06 season with a Lisfranc injury, said that if he had been playing, not only would he have partaken in the "Ballin’!" sack celebration, but he’d have outshined the others with his jump-shot.