Update – 12:24 p.m.: Ramses Barden has re-signed with the Giants.
He has already joined the Giants on the field for practices.
“I’m happy to be back,” Barden said. “This is where I wanted to be and now I’m here. I was out there listening to the calls, getting back into the rhythm of the cadence, enjoying the camaraderie and absorbing everything. I remember everything; I’ve had four years to soak it all up. I’m happy to be back on the field. I feel great. I expect the best.”
For Sam Spiegelman's previous report on Barden, click here...
Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
Victor Cruz and the Giants appear to have reached a standstill in contract negotiations, and reportedly the team and Hakeem Nicks are heading in a similar direction.
With neither Cruz nor Nicks in attendance at organized team activities this week, Eli Manning is relying on a cast of young characters at wide receiver, including Reuben Randle, Louis Murphy and Jerrel Jernigan.
In need of a veteran and a player familiar with their offense, it appears help may be on the horizon.
According to reports, Ramses Barden may be on the verge of returning to the Giants, pending a physical. Should he pass, Barden could sign a one-year deal by the day’s end.
It’s a bit of a surprise, as Barden said in February it would probably be best if he wore a different jersey for the 2013 season. But given the current wide receive situation, perhaps it’s not so shocking.
The former third-round pick by the G-Men in 2009, Barden has been a backup for the majority of his time in New York. His breakout game came while subbing in for the injured Hicks Week 3, when against Carolina he hauled in nine passes for 138 yards.
However, as Nicks returned to the lineup — albeit largely ineffectively – he had just four receptions.
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Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
Earlier today,
we detailed a Yahoo! Sports report indicating Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks intentionally skipped organized team activities this week to express discontent with his current contract situation.
Yahoo! Sports corrected its report, explaining Nicks’ absence at OTAs was not linked to a contract dispute. However, Nicks nor his agent Peter Schaffer explained why the wide receiver did not attend.
“A team source, who had previously suggested to Y! Sports that Nicks may have been unhappy with his contract situation, clarified Thursday morning that he didn’t know exactly why Nicks was gone and was making what he felt was an educated guess,” Jason Cole reports.
The earlier report suggested Nicks — who is entering the final year of his five-year rookie contract — was unhappy with the progress of contract talks. The receiver, coming off of an injury plagued 2012 campaign, was reportedly sending a message to the team.
Nicks is due $2.725 million in 2013. In February it was reported the Giants were giving Nicks’ next long-term deal priority over that of fellow wideout Victor Cruz, a restricted free agent who is still currently in contract talks with the team.
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Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
If you haven’t heard yet, Hakeem Nicks did not attend organized team activities Wednesday.
Tom Coughlin said Nicks “should be here,” despite the sessions being voluntary, though Eli Manning said he didn’t expect the wideout to attend.
But while many attributed Nicks’ no-show to his numerous injuries, reports indicate the wide receiver may be sitting out OTAs to express unhappiness with his current contract situation.
Nicks is due $2.725 million this season, the last of his rookie deal. And while the team is currently mangled in complicated negotiations with Victor Cruz, it appears another headache may be on the horizon.
In February, it was reported the Giants were giving Nicks’ next long-term deal priority over that of Cruz, despite Cruz being a restricted free agent and Nicks having one more season left on his contract.
Nicks, who is recovering from a knee scope and a 2012 campaign plagued by both knee and foot injuries, recorded career lows in both yardage and touchdown receptions in 2012.
Coughlin said Nicks could have participated with some “limitations” in order to prevent any setbacks in his recovery.
Of course, Nicks’ health may ultimately prove to be the most important storyline for the 2013 Giants, as the team currently goes on without the services of Cruz.
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Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
With neither Victor Cruz nor Hakeem Nicks in attendance at Giants off-season team activities, Eli Manning has had no choice but to rely on the younger wide receivers.
Among them: second and third-year players Reuben Randle and Jerrel Jernigan, as well as free-agent addition Louis Murphy.
Randle, who filled in as the Giants slot receiver with Mario Manningham having departed for the 49ers, is currently penciled above of Murphy on the depth chart.
In his first season after being drafted 63rd overall out of LSU, Randle hauled in 19 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns. In the team’s final five games, he managed 114 yards and two touchdowns.
Entering his third season, Jernigan has been filling in for Cruz in the slot, earning praise from both Manning and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. In two seasons out of Troy, Jernigan has nine grabs for 22 yards.
Murphy signed with New York after four seasons with Oakland. With a rotating door at quarterback for the Raiders, Murphy has averaged 29 catches and 427 yards per year, in addition to seven touchdown receptions.
Cruz has not reported amid contract disputes, while Nicks, who is recovering from numerous injuries to his knee and foot, honored the “voluntary” label to these sessions.
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John Fennelly, Executive Editor
Wide receiver, perhaps the most talented and deepest unit on the Giants’ roster, is suddenly riddled with questions. Victor Cruz is not attending OTAs, still seeking to avoid playing for his tender price while hoping to score a new, long-term contract.
Now comes a report that his counterpart, Hakeem Nicks, may be planning to go a similar route. Nicks is in the final year of his rookie deal and will be a UFA after this season. Although his representatives refute the notion that his absence at yesterday’s OTA was not contract-related, Giants pundits and fans’ imaginations are running wild this morning.
The Giants’ front office is way ahead of curve on the situation. They drafted Jerrel Jernigan in the third round of the draft three years ago, and by all indications, is ready to step into a role. So is last year’s second-rounder, Rueben Randle.
Perhaps the most impressive receiver in camp these days is the speedy Louis Murphy, the free-agent pickup who can get downfield in a hurry. Yesterday, we learned Ramses Barden was coming in for a physical and, if all goes well, could be back in Blue by sundown.
Jerry Reese is taking no chances. Cruz and Nicks will be Giants this season, but how long they stay in Blue beyond that is still uncertain. The Giants may be able to find a way to keep both of them. The odds are, only one of them stays. Reese knows he needs to prepare for a loss here. Looks like he’s doing that.
Keep in mind, players come and go in this league and with the Giants’ WRs it’s no different. QB Eli Manning has had several groups over the years. He started with Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard. Then came Steve Smith, Plaxico Burress, David Tyree and Domenik Hixon. Mario Manningham came and went. Now Nicks and Cruz. The list will surely go on.
Not that we want to see Nicks and Cruz playing elsewhere, but reality and a little thing called the salary cap will have a lot to say about their futures.
GEICO SportsNite has the latest from Giants OTA’s as Hakeem Nicks surprises the team by holding out in hopes of a new contract.
Victor Cruz’s contract negotiations continue to keep the wideout away from the field and Hakeem Nicks opted not to attend voluntary organized team activities, but Eli Manning remains unmoved.
Following Day 1 of OTAs Wednesday, the Giants quarterback displayed no concerns about not having his No. 1 or 2 receivers out there with him on the field. In fact, Nicks’ absence should have been expected, Manning said.
“There was no reason to think he wasn’t going to be here,” Manning said. “Right now I’m just worrying about myself going out there executing, the guys who are here, trying to make everybody better, up to speed on what we’re trying to do and get the young guys involved and get them caught up to speed on everything going on and try to get better. That’s all we’re working on.”
In place of Nicks and Cruz was free-agent addition Louis Murphy, second-year wideout Reuben Randle and third-year pro Jerrel Jernigan, who last week earned praise from Manning and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.
To read more of this story, click here
Sam Spiegelman, Contributor
Today marks the first of two New York Giants organized team activity sessions set for this week at the Timex Performance Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
And for a team that did not make the playoffs in 2012, there are a plethora of storylines as new faces and veterans in need to reviving their image return to the field.
1. The health of Hakeem Nicks
Last year, Nicks was a shell of his former self as he battled both foot and lingering knee injuries throughout the season. When it was all said and done, the Giants wideout had the worst season since his first in the NFL, hauling in 53 passes for a career-low 692 yards and three touchdowns.
According to all accounts, Nicks is 100 percent for the upcoming season and has not encountered any setbacks during his recovery. The Giants offense lagged at times without Nicks in the lineup last season, and with Victor Cruz’s contract status up in the air Nicks’ reemergence will be critical to the Giants’ offensive success.
2. The offensive line shuffle
There is no question who will start at left tackle for the G-Men Week 1. The team signed Will Beatty to a six-year deal at the start of the off-season, demonstrating the emphasis on protecting Eli Manning in the pocket.
In the first round of the NFL Draft, the team added another lineman — Justin Pugh of Syracuse — who many believed would become the bookend opposite of Beatty.
There are those, however, who believe Pugh could see snaps at left guard, leaving former fourth-round pick James Brewer to assume to the right tackle role. It should be interesting to see which young lineman gets the nod.
3. Looking to bounce back
Another of big-name Giants suffered down years last season, which coincided with a lack of a playoff berth in New York. Among them: Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul, Corey Webster and Nicks.
As stated earlier, Nicks battled injuries for the majority of 2012.
Tuck, 30, sacked opposing quarterbacks just four times last year, attributing his lack of production to uncharacteristic play. However, after analyzing game film, Tuck said his frustration became fuel for training during the off-season.
After a breakout campaign in 2011, Pierre-Paul managed just 6.5 sacks last year, to which head coach Tom Coughlin blamed the defensive lineman’s conditioning. He, too, is looking to have a resurgent 2013.
Webster was nearly a casualty this off-season, but the Giants retained the 31-year-old veteran cornerback after he agreed to take a pay cut. The shutdown corner on the Giants’ two Super Bowl-winning squads appeared to have taken a step — or three — back in 2012. He’ll likely start opposite of Prince Amukamara Week 1; it’s just a matter of how long.
4. The linebacker conundrum
The Giants enter 2013 without a premier player at the linebacker position after Michael Boley was released and Mathias Kiwanuka is believed to be returning to the defensive line.
It’s assumed Keith Rivers, Dan Connor and Jacquian Williams as the starting three, with Mark Herzlich, Spencer Paysinger and recently signed Aaron Curry vying for playing time.
The question is if — and which — any of these backers is going to be a play-maker for the Giants. As it stands now, the Giants’ linebacking corps is the weakest unit of the defense.
5. Rookies looking to emerge
Pugh will likely start somewhere along the offensive line Week 1; Ryan Nassib — maybe not so much.
A number of rookies could make an impact in 2013, though it may be beyond opening day.
Could Johnathan Hankins end up supplanting Cullen Jenkins on the defensive line? If Rivers struggles, could Damontre Moore draw the start at outside linebacker? Or will a late-round pick like Michael Cox or Cooper Taylor end up playing a key role down the stretch of the season?
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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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Clouds and rain in the forecast here in the Big Apple today. If you’re wondering what the Giants are up to, here it is. They will be at TPC for OTA sessions on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Scheduled OTAs (voluntary): May 22-23, May 29-31, June 3-7
Mandatory minicamp: June 11-13
Don’t expect WR Victor Cruz to be at TPC anytime soon. Although there have been reports that he and the Giants are close to contract agreement, Mike Florio of PFT reports things between the two are “moving slowly”:
Cruz, who has not yet signed a one-year, $2.879 million restricted free agency tender, has been staying away from the team’s offseason workouts as he pursues a long-term deal. He reportedly wants more than $10 million per year; the Giants at last word were in the $7 million annual range.
The next pressure point comes on June 17, when the Giants can rescind his tender offer and replace it with a 10-percent raise over his 2012 salary of $540,000, which equates to $594,000. Doing so would likely inflame the situation, causing Cruz possibly to hold out through Week 10 of the regular season, sign the tender, finish the year, and become an unrestricted free agent in 2014.
Both the News and the Post have features this morning on rookie safety Cooper Taylor, who at 6’4″ is has piqued the in the interest as being unusually tall for the position.
Ralph Vacchiano chronicles Taylor’s recovery from a rare heart ailment
Paul Schwartz reports Taylor is being compared to former Giant corner Jason Sehorn
Virginia Tech’s Alonzo Tweedy, one of the nation’s top special teams players, will vie for a roster spot this summer.
Jim Mancari, Contributor
Hall of Fame defensive back Emlen Tunnell is also on that list with his 79 career interceptions.
The Giants have four undrafted free agents who will compete for a spot on the 53-man roster. They are:
Charleston Southern cornerback Charles James; Ohio State linebacker Etienne Sabino; Virginia Tech safety Alonzo Tweedy; and Louisville running back Jeremy Wright.
Of this group, who has the best chance to crack the opening week roster?
To read more of this story, click here
