Due to a scheduling conflict, the NFL Draft i being moved to mid-May next year. Radio City Music Hall is instituting a spring show featuring the Rockettes, therefore bumping the draft back a few weeks.
Commissioner Roger Goodell stated today at the league meetings in Boston that the league may look to move the draft out of Big Apple in the near future if the RCMH situation goes on past next year:
“We haven’t found the location in New York that meets our requirements and where we think we can continue to grow the event. If we do, that will be one of the alternatives. I think one of the things we have to do at some point is start looking at other cities.”
Super Bowl L (50) to be held in February of 2016, will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California – the new home of the San Francisco 49ers. It will be the first Super Bowl held in the Bay Area since 1985, when the 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto.
Super Bowl LI will be hosted by the city of Houston at Reliant Stadium, home of the Texans. It will be the second time since the Texans joined the NFL in 2002 that the game will be held in Houston. The previous time was in 2004 when the Patriots beat the Panthers in a thriller.
Other quotes from Goodell’s presser:
On playoff expansion:
We asked the Competition Committee to look at it. There was a lot of discussion. We had a report briefly at the March meeting. We are going to continue to have more dialogue with the Players Association, which is a big part of that discussion, and the second is with broadcast partners. Yes, we are continuing discussions on that but not today.
On the future of the Pro Bowl, including the site:
We committed to Hawaii, as you know, for the 2014 [Pro Bowl] game. It will be the week before the Super Bowl. Our intention is to keep it in that time period. We think that it works well from a season standpoint and finishing the season on a high note with the Super Bowl. There is interest in potentially bringing it back to the mainland in multiple sites as early as the following year.
The big focus we have had now is how to make the game more exciting from a fan’s perspective. One of the concepts that was discussed today is the idea that the players are selected as they are now with a vote from players, coaches and fans but the actual teams are drafted by captains. That is an idea that came from our players. We are continuing to have dialogue with the players on that idea. We think it is exciting. It could have some fun attached to it. It is something we may do this season.
On the NFL’s partnership with Microsoft and the in-stadium fan experience:
[It helps] in multiple ways, and it is not just the Microsoft agreement. One of the things that we updated our membership on today was our mobile partnership, which is currently with Verizon, and where we are with those discussions. Also we talked about where we are with trying to use the technology that Microsoft can bring to the table, that Verizon can bring to the table, and other technology partners to make the experience in the stadium better. We have to solve the Wi-Fi problem and the DAS problem, which is to try to bring in more capacity so people can use their phones and their mobile devices in our stadiums. We want to be able to use that content in the stadiums to give them unique experiences. That is the really key thing for us. We want to make that experience in the stadium the best ever. I believe there is nothing better than being at an NFL stadium with 75,000 people excited and passionate about their team and about the game. From using scoreboards to using technology that Microsoft can help with by creating more interactive experiences that they will be doing on XBOX that we might be able to do with mobile devices in the near future, we are going to allow fans to have a better experience to stay connected. This is even when they are at their games with their fantasy football teams, for example, or following what is going on around the league and watching highlights from other games. We will use the scoreboards for that, but we will also allow them to use their mobile devices. We think mobile is a huge opportunity for our fans to get closer to the game and a huge opportunity for the NFL.
On the options to modify the structure of the NFL season:
[The options] are all on the table. As I have said before, I think the structure of the season is something that we consistently reevaluate. I have been quite open about [indicating that] we have to address the quality of the preseason. I hear from fans consistently that they want to make every NFL event more valuable. They see the preseason as being less valuable to them because they don’t see the best players and the games do not count. We have to address that, whether we are looking at 18 [regular-season games] and two [preseason games] or 16-and-two and expanded playoffs. They are all on the table and things we are going to evaluate.
Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
In an ESPN Insider piece authored by former Jets and Chiefs head coach-turned-analyst Herm Edwards, Giants coaches Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin both crack the top 20 coaches of all time.
Despite beginning his career in New York 3-12-1, Parcells earned the No. 8 spot atop Edwards’ list. Parcells led the G-Men to two Super Bowl titles, using the good old-fashioned ground and pound attack en route to a Hall of Fame career.
“Parcells always inherited teams that weren’t winning, but was able to turn them around using his program and his presence. When Bill Parcells steps into a room, you feel his presence,” writes Edwards. “He has won everywhere he has been with a philosophy of having a big, physical defense and running the ball. And that has led to two Super Bowl wins and a terrific career.”
Coughlin landed at the 15 spot on the rankings. The current Giants head man has also led New York to two Lombardi Trophies, which Edwards believes may also be enough for Coughlin to join Parcells in Canton.
“A strict disciplinarian, Coughlin simply knows how to win. With two Super Bowl titles now under his belt, he’s in the Hall of Fame discussion,” writes Edwards.
George Halas earned the top spot on Edwards’ list, followed by Vince Lombardi, Chuck Noll, Don Shula and Bill Walsh.
Tom Landry and Bill Belichick take the 6 and 7 spot, respectively, with John Madden and Paul Brown rounding out the top 10.
Joe Gibbs, Mike Shanahan, Tony Dungy and Curly Lambeau take spots 11-14, with Bud Grant, George Allen, Dick Vermeil, Marty Schottenheimer and Marv Levy finishing out the top 20.
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Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
Another high-ranking member of the Giants organization expressed optimism about the status of signing Victor Cruz.
This time it was Giants chairman Steve Tisch, who met with the media in Boston Tuesday at the NFL’s spring meeting.
Tisch echoed the sentiment of team co-owner John Mara when he said he was confident a deal could be struck. Quarterback Eli Manning also expressed optimism he could see his favorite target back on the field before OTAs.
“We’re talking. (Cruz’s agent) Tom Condon is talking to (Giants general manager) Jerry (Reese) and I’m personally confident that Victor wants to be a Giant, will be a Giant,” Tisch told USA TODAY Sports. “He’s a great guy. It’s just taking its time.”
Last week, it was reported that the two sides had been making progress. According to the report, Cruz lowered his contract demands. The wideout had began negotiations in search of No. 1 wide receiver-type money — worth about $10-11 million per year — but was now receptive to high-end slot receiver money — in the $8 million-per-year range.
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Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
As NFL cities across the country anxiously await the announcement for future Super Bowl destinatiosn, Giants co-owner Steve Tisch remains focuses on XLVIII.
Super Bowl XLVIII, which will be played in the New York-New Jersey area, is just more than eight months. It will mark the first ever cold-weather Super Bowl, which of course, could alter the landscape for selecting host cities going forward.
The biggest concern, in skeptic’s eyes, is the weather.
It’ll be February and it’ll be cold, but Tisch said barring a snow-pacalyptic catastrophe, the event could be great.
“I would like a cold, blue sky, great sort of beautiful New York/New Jersey evening … I think it could be great,” Tisch said during the NFL spring meetings in Boston on Tuesday. ”I think we’re going to be ready for any contingency … The one thing that I think would hurt us is a serious midweek blizzard.”
While New York precedes the Giants on the team logo, the games are played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Super Bowl XLVIII will be an event that needs coordination between both states.
Playing both politician and weatherman Tuesday, Tisch knows how critical February’s game will be for the future of the NFL and cold-weather cities like Chicago or Boston, which may want to host the NFL’s biggest game in the future.
“Both states are cooperating. There’s a lot to organize, a lot of coordination. State agencies and city agencies have to agree to agree … The city is going to be ready. I think the fans are going to be into it. I Think it’s going to build even more towards the kickoff and really the first cold-weather Super Bowl ever,” Tisch said.
“It’s tough to predict the weather in May … But [February's weather] is going to become a preoccupation once we get into the football season.”
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John Fennelly, Executive Editor
Below are our latest Giants’ “hot seat” candidates for the upcoming season…
DE Justin Tuck: It’s a make-or-break year for Tuck (we think) as he enters the final year of his contract. He has had two subpar seasons and a third could either den him packing or into retirement. There is also the possibility of him returning at a reduced price, but what point would that serve?
WR Hakeem Nicks: With Victor Cruz most likely scoring a sizable deal, Nicks needs to stay healthy and produce big numbers if he hopes to get a matching one. If he doesn’t, the Giants will dodge a bullet by signing him to a modest contract. They may also let him try the free agent market and get him back even cheaper, depending on his health.
DT Linval Joseph: By the time the season gets here, Joseph may have already gotten unseated as a starter by one of the new faces. His performance the past two seasons has been statistically acceptable but, in reality, he’s been extremely pedestrian. He needs to escalate both the effort and the results if he’s going remain a Giant after this season.
CB Corey Webster: The Giants are hoping CWeb can redeem himself from a god-awful season, but he won’t get much rope from the coaches. With basically one year left on his contract (next year is a player option), he’s simply got to play better or begone.
RB Andre Brown: If he can play a whole season, he wins. If he doesn’t, he loses. Brown has had nine lives already in this league and the Giants have given him three of them. He’ll need to show them a lot more than he has in the past if he wants a fourth.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul: Which JPP will we see in 2013? The unstoppable 2011 version or the marginalized 2012 one? The prediction is a composite of both. JPP can only achieve so much with his raw ability, now he needs to overcome opponents’ game=planning schemes by honing his skills to get to the next level.
It’s all about Tom Coughlin this morning.
Coaches around the country are pulling pages out of his new Book, “Earn the Right to Win.”
The entire Arizona St football staff has been assigned to read the book. READ
Yesterday in Florida, Coughlin held his Jay Fund golf outing. Many celebrities and NFL players were on hand to help with the fundraising including Eli Manning.
John Fennelly, Executive Editor
The Chicago Bears had used all their picks but still wanted Cox, and were angling to sign him after the draft. They were on the phone with Cox talking turkey when another team cut into the call.
“I was literally about to sign (with Chicago). I had the paperwork ready and was about to set that all up,” Cox said as per Matt Vautour of gazettenet.com. “They put me on hold for a second. That’s when New York called and it was Coughlin. He said ‘we’re going to draft you in a couple seconds here.’”
And they did. Cox ended up being the next to last pick in the draft avoiding the Mr. Irrelevant tag, the UDFA market and the honor of playing for the Bears. Instead, he’ll be joining another storied franchise as part of the Giants’ new world order backfield.
To read more of this story, click here
Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
In a
“Fact or Fiction” article posted on the Giants official website, the writers agree free-agent tight end Brandon Myers will have the greatest impact of all the new members of the team.
Myers, who signed on with New York to replace Martellus Bennett, led Oakland in receiving last season.
Here’s what the writers had to say about Eli Manning’s newest target at tight end:
MICHAEL EISEN: With an asterisk. If he catches 79 passes, as he did last season in Oakland, he’ll have a huge impact with the Giants.
JOHN SCHMEELK: I think Brandon Myers will prove to be a huge weapon for Eli Manning, and I predict he will resign a long term contract and play for the Giants for a long time. He has a great feel for routes, and has great hands. Dan Connor will come in as a close second as a run stopping middle linebacker.
DAN SALOMONE: In the early going – and it is early – it appears Myers and linebacker Dan Connor will have the biggest and most immediate impact with their new team in East Rutherford. But I’ll say Myers because of what he did last season and there is more competition for Connor at his position.
Other offensive players eligible for this honor includes free-agent signees Louis Murphy and rookies Ryan Nassib, Justin Pugh and Michael Cox. Defensively, players include Aaron Curry, Dan Connor, Ryan Mundy, Damontre Moore, Cullen Jenkins and Johnathan Hankins.
It’s hard to see any other offensive player have a greater impact than Myers, who will start Week 1 and — should he be as involved as Bennett was in 2012 — will be a critical part of the offense’s success.
Defensively, Connor immediately steps into a crucial role, which increases the chances he has a major effect. However, linebackers are not as vital to the defensive success in Perry Fewell’s scheme. Should rookies Moore or Hankins get the start, they could be thrust into major roles — though that likely won’t happen until later in the season. With Curry’s role unknown and Mundy in a backup role, it’s hard to see them have as much as major impact.
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Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
In NFL.com’s
Around the League’s latest NFL quarterback rankings, Eli Manning landed in the 7 spot, under the category of “Franchise Gold.”
Manning is one of four quarterbacks to be placed in this second tier of rankings along with Drew Brees (4), Ben Roethlisberger (5) and Matt Ryan (6).
Brees, Big Ben and Manning all own Super Bowl titles, and Ryan appears poised to follow suit sometime in the near future, as his Falcons were a mere 30 seconds from having an opportunity in 2012.
Author Marc Sessler writes this on Manning and the Giants:
“Eli comes off a down year, but I’m done doubting him … It’s no coincidence that the coaches teamed with these passers – Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, Mike Smith and Tom Coughlin – are in zero danger of losing their jobs.”
The Franchise Gold quarterbacks are second only to what Sessler labels the The Three Kings, a group comprised of Aaron Rodgers (1), Peyton Manning (2) and Tom Brady (3).
Logically, it’s hard to argue Manning fits somewhere in the top three, though his post-season success elevates to near-elite status. Elite — I know; it should be taboo at this point.
Manning is ranked properly, in our opinion. He and Roethlisberger each have two Lombardi Trophies since being drafted in 2004. Brees is a statistical phenom. And Ryan is making the case for being a top signal-caller in this league. Manning probably should be ahead of Ryan — at this point — and either 5 or 5A with Big Ben.
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