Giants’ defensive coordinator Perry Fewell confirmed today what many in the know suspected, that Chase Blackburn would open Training Camp as their starting middle linebacker. The Giants essentially signed Blackburn, a veteran career journeyman, off the streets late in the regular season, but he played very well for them down the stretch, including what might have been a game saving interception of Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. Fewell was very direct in his assessment of Blackburn. He said “I can’t say he’ll stay there permanently, but right now Chase is our guy and no one’s clearly beaten him out for the position.”

However, as Fewell suggests, Blackburn won’t be unchallenged. His primary competition will be Keith Rivers. Rivers has spent his entire career in Cincinnati on the outside and when the Giants traded a 5^th round pick for Rivers, who missed all of last season with a wrist injury, many took it as a sign that Rivers would start outside and Michael Boley would move to middle linebacker. However, that proved not to be true and Rivers will be Blackburn’s primary challenger for the middle linebacker job. Being fully healthy would definitely help so we’ll see if that’s the case. Two 2^nd year players, Greg Jones and Mark Herzlich, will also be in the mix.

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