Osi Umenyiora & Mathias Kiwanuka
By Ralph Vacchiano - NY Dailynews 8/3/11
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Giants Prove Osi Wrong
By Paul Brezo - InReeseWeTrust.com 8/3/11
Osi Umenyiora believes he is one of the Top 5 defensive ends in the NFL. He also believes that he should be paid accordingly. The Giants on the other hand seem to disagree. Osi has made it loud and clear that he wants to either be paid what he claims he deserves or else he should be traded to a team that agrees with his opinion. Jerry Reese however, has made it clear to Osi that he will not be receiving a pay increase and a new contract, not just because of his performance but also because the Giants simply cant afford to give him a new contract. The Giants struggled this season to bring back Ahmad Bradshaw with the available cap so its not all personal reasons why Osi wont be getting a new contract. From the beginning of the lockout the chess game between Osi and Reese has been on going. Each side making a move, and the other side countering. Osi says he is going to hold out; Reese counters with a fine etc. However I firmly believe that the most recent move by Jerry Reese should have made it clear that Osi's argument wont get him very far.
Jerry Reese finally gave in at the beginning of the week and granted Osi permission to seek what he wanted, a trade to another team that will pay him. The kicker is that Reese wants a first round pick from the opposite team. Osi and his agent rushed frantically this week to find a trading partner that offered a first rounder, was a great fit for Osi, and also was interested in giving Osi a new contract. Jerry let Osi get a feel for the market... and today his time expired. So without receiving any first round offers Jerry Reese decides to stop Osi from talking trade with other teams. Osi was however in high demand, being contacted and speaking with numerous teams. Just not for a first rounder. How exactly does this mean that Reese proved Osi wrong? Number 72 wanted to be paid like a Top 5 defensive end. By sending Osi out to the market there should have been SOME team out there that would want a top 5 defensive end for a first rounder, but there wasn't. Osi cannot believe he is top 5 in the NFL if another team wont give a first round selection for him. If players like Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, Julius Peppers, Mario Williams and even Dwight Freeney were put on the trade block for a first round pick there would be a team out there to trade for them in a heartbeat... but Osi went fishing and came back empty handed. Osi cannot expect the Giants to possibly pay top 5 DE money if the rest of the league doesn't believe he is top 5 either. Jerry Reese, by letting Osi get a feel for the trade market, has proved that Osi is indeed wrong. We are still uncertain if Osi will be traded or even get a new contract.... but what we do know is that it wont be for a first rounder, and certainly not top 5 money.
My suggestion Osi? Stay in NY, and finish your contract playing at a high level. Prove to the rest of the league that you are, in fact, top 5 at your position. So that way when your contract is up, teams will be throwing money at you. Unless of course.... you want a contract now because you know that your very likely to get injured again and not be able to perform like a top 5 defensive end within the next 2 years, because clearly, that is exactly how Jerry Reese feels.
After cutting Shawn Andrews, Giants sign brother
Stacy Andrews
By Ralph Vacchiano - NY Dailynews 8/3/11
Giants tell Osi Umenyiora, agent they are no longer allowed to seek trade
Osi Umenyiora and his agent no longer have permission from the Giants to seek a trade.
By Mike Garafolo - Star Ledger 8/3/11
Giants safety Kenny Phillips is healthy and ready to become an impact player for Big Blue defense
New York Giants safety Kenny Phillips is fully healthy, he says and ready to lead the defense.
By Ralph Vacchiano - NY Dailynews 8/3/11
Osi Umenyiora Trade Rumors: Denver, Miami and New York Involved in 3 Team Deal?
Osi Umenyiora
By Jeff Shull - Bleacher Report 8/3/11
Giants' first-round price for Osi Umenyiora trade too high for NFL teams interested in defensive end
Giants' first-round price for Osi Umenyiora trade too high for NFL teams interested in defensive end.
By Ralph Vacchiano - NY Dailynews 8/3/11
Is the price for Giants DE Osi Umenyiora dropping?
Osi Umenyiora
By Ralph Vacchiano - NY Dailynews 8/3/11
Giants want to win on field, not on paper
By Paul Brezo - InReeseWeTrust.com 8/3/11
With the shortened free agency period teams are scrambling to acquire the next big name available. No matter if its by trade or persuasion, teams this season are making moves and not being shy about it. The Panthers gave Charles Johnson a contract fit for a king due to one productive season and also spent a pretty penny on bringing back DeAngelo Williams (mind you... to back up Stewart). Let's not forget about those Philadelphia Eagles who apparently don't mind the new salary cap. The Giants on the other hand are moving at their own pace.
Some Giants fans are doing the usual and are panicing due to the fact that many players are being scooped up by other teams, and most importantly division rivals. What fans don't understand is that Jerry Reese and the rest of the organization are bringing the most important players back, while also adding some depth. Fans questioned the moves by Reese when he released some veterans such as Suebert and O'Hara. Some fans even lost hope when Bradshaw wasn't resigned in the first week. Myself included. Before you hit that panic button, look back. The Giants haven't signed any big names, but they also haven't lost any key players.The Giants unfortunatly were not able to retain Barry Cofield (he deserved to get paid), but other than him, the team has stayed intact. Reese stood his ground in the Bradshaw negotiations and won that battle, bringing AB back for almost half his original asking price. He also signed a solid starting center in David Baas. Smith and Boss are still awaiting to reach an agreement with the team, but just like with AB patience will pay off. The other additions to the team (Ben Patrick, Michael Clayton, and Gabe Watson) were brought in to add depth, something last years injury plagued team needed badly.
All in all, the same Giants look to be coming back strong from last year. A younger (and hopefully healthier) offensive line will help strengthen the run game. Not to mention a draft class looking to prove they belong. The Giants see no need to go on a spending spree, because the Eagles have put targets on their own heads. Not just by the Giants, but also by the whole league. In typical Giants fashion, big blue will be flying under the radar and just like in 2007, will look to prove that teams on paper are never as good as the team that have established leadership and culture. Remember Giants fans...Super Bowls are won on the field, not in the offseason.
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