By Michael J Morris 

Yes… This is the same 23 year old, Glen Coffee, who retired early on in the season to follow a “higher calling”.

The recently retired running-back was arrested Thursday evening after carrying a concealed firearm in his hometown of Ft. Walton Beach, Florida.

After Coffee was unable to show proof of insurance or registration, police found the cocked pistol in the center console of his 2008 Cadillac after he was pulled over for speeding.  

Coffee was charged with a third-degree felony which may lead to a five year stint in a Florida jail.

The 49ers will be taking on the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday night without their recently imprisoned quarterback, Michael Vick. 

http://michaeljmorris.wordpress.com/

By Matthews Frank 

The New York Giants take the Tennessee Titans this Sunday at the new Giants Stadium.  The Giants seek to bounce back from their misserable performance Sunday night.

The key to the defensive game plan will be to bottle up dynamic play-maker Chris Johnson.  The Giants had all sorts of problems with the Colts running game, but that was largely because they put in nickel and dime packages as well as three or four defensive ends at a time to slow down the passing attack.  The Titans hardly have fearsome offense through the air, so expect much more of a base lineup.  They like to run Johnson out of a lot of screens and draws, so they have to be vigilent about that.  A real source of concern is when they check-down to their running backs.  The Giants have had a tendency in recent years to not get a lot of pressure on 3rd & longs and to leave running backs open.  This can’t be the case here.

The offense needs to get the running game going.  The offensive line has simply not looked good and the possible loss of Shaun O’Hara doesn’t help matters much.  Diehl and McKenzie really have to get their act together if this team is going to start rolling.  I also hope the coaching staff can put together a plan where opposing teams aren’t running full speed at Eli Manning every play.  Tennessee has had a fairly well rated defense this year, but they have not exactly played the hardest schedule up to this point.

We definitely need to start to see some consistent play from the Giants if this is going to be a successful season.

http://www.bigbluefootballreview.com/ 

By Matthew Frank

The NY Giants take on the Carolina Panthers this week in the first regular season NFL game at the new stadium.  The Giants hope to avenge last years humiliating loss in the last ever game in Giants Stadium.  For those of you that forgot, the Panthers ran all over the Giants in that game amassing a ton of yardage and holding on to the ball for large portions of the game.

The Giants game plan this week has to be to stop the run at all costs.  Matt Moore is now the signal caller for the Panthers, and there is no reason to be afraid of him at all.  Except for Steve Smith, the Carolina passing game is not to be feared at all.  The Panthers are going to run, and run often, and it is up to the Giants to muscle up and stop them.  This should probably give the Giants revamped secondary a chance for a breather now and then, but it is time to see if the defense line can show its old form again.

As for the offense, the Panthers are a long way away from being the dominant unit they are known for.  Except the typical Giants game plan, run heavy but not afraid to go to the pass, from the start.  Manning will probably not be hesitant to throw the ball up and hopefully we can see the running game get going again.  It will also be interesting to see how the new stadium plays with regards to wind and rain.

http://www.bigbluefootballreview.com/

By Matthew Frank 

The New York Giants return a lot of that same personnel from last year to this years offensive unit.  Led by Eli Manning, the team has become more pass dependent as the running game has been run down mainly due to injuries and an aging line.

The big singing this year was the late acquisition of Shawn Andrews who was a former pro-bowler with the Eagles.  While Andrews will not see a lot of time to start with, this could be a big time signing as Andrews is one of the best linemen in football.  David Dehl will resume his play at left tackle.  He was actually very capable last year, but really is more of a fill in then a true tackle type.  You would like to see him move over to guard to fill in for Rich Seubert.  Chris Snee continues to be one of the best guards in the game and rarely makes any mistakes in both run or pass protection.  At center, Shaun O’Hara returns for another season.  I like O’Hara as you can certainly do worse, but I think he is starting to slow down and is not getting enough push on run blocking.  That being said, he has an excellent synergy with Eli Manning, and tends to make good line calls for picking up the blitz.  Finally, we have Kareem McKenzie at the other tackle spot.  McKenzie is one of those guys that you don’t hear a lot about and that means he is doing a good job.  He isn’t the greatest run blocker in the world, but he certainly gets the job done and really stablizes the line.  As a backup, Will Beatty will be filling in again.  The former 2nd round pick played very well last year in the spurts he filled in, and he may be counted on doing a lot more should injuries come around.

The running backs are a big concern this year.  Brandon Jacobs is heading into a due or die year after a miserable 2009 season.  As many people pointed out, he was way too tentative at the line and needs to regain the slashing form he had two years ago.  Amhad Bradshaw can be a dynamic back, but he is coming off of multiple foot and ankle surgeries.   He really can be a great player, but you have to wonder if all of those surgeries are going to take their toll.  Finally, Andre Brown will be backing them up after coming back from Achillies surgery.  I was thrilled when they took Brown last year in the draft as I felt he was going to be a great pick up.  That injury was one of those under-the-radar issues that came about last year.  When Bradshaw and Jacobs wore down last year, nobody was there to pick up the slack.  Of course, counting on a rookie running back coming off of major surgery might not be the best idea, but the Giants don’t have much of a choice as they didn’t draft anyone else.

At tight end we have Kevin Boss and Travis Beckum.  Boss has greatly refined his game these past couple of years.  While he isn’t an elite level catching talent, he is certainly the best of the second tier of players.  Boss has also shown to be a capable blocker, though he does have some issues clearing out more physical teams.  We have to hope that Boss avoids the concussions he has tended to have to far in his career.  Beckum is a second year player who has shown so far to be a good route runner, but maybe not the best blocker in the world.

For the first time I think ever, the Giants have some elite talent at the wide receiver spot.  Pro-bowler Steve Smith returns as the teams’ main target.  Smith caught an outrageous amount of passes last year; especially amazing consider the rest of the receiving corp were rookies or largely untested.  He’ll continue to be Manning’s security blanket.   For the big play threat, Hakeem Nicks will fill in that role.  Nicks certainly showed some great moments last year, but he has to cut down on the drops and work on refining his route running a bit.  Mario Manningham is a capable wide receiver and can make the big play, but route running is a big issue with him.  We should all remember how Chris Collinsworth consistently berated him on air for running poor routes last year.

Finally, we have Eli Manning who played really well last year, even through injury.  You can tell that Manning is starting to gain a lot of trust with all of his receivers and getting into a big time groove.  It would not surprise me if Manning has a huge year and is consistently one of the big players week in and week out.  You have to especially consider the dynamic players the Giants have at the receiver position and the issues they seem to have at running back when looking forward to this year.  The Giants are probably going to ask Manning to throw a lot more in the past and it seems like the entire unit may be up for the task.

http://www.bigbluefootballreview.com/

Guard

David Diehl really struggled in his first season at left guard, though he also played some left tackle. He was rated as one of the worst pass blocking guards in the league and allowed 13 sacks, 61 pressures, and 6 penalties over their Super Bowl run. He could be moving to right tackle next year because Kareem McKenzie, who also struggled this year, is a free agent and is not expected back. They’ll need a new left guard.

Middle Linebacker

Chase Blackburn may have made the game altering pick in the Super Bowl, but he was unsigned as late as November (cut to Patriots fans grimacing). Blackburn played well down the stretch, but he’s a free agent and there’s a reason why he was available in November. He’s never been a consistent starter in this league. They could use a long term solution at the position.

Offensive Tackle

David Diehl could be moving to right tackle in place of Kareem McKenzie, but given how bad Diehl was last year, I don’t think that’s the answer. 2011 4^th rounder James Brewer might be, but they also might want some competition.

Running Back

Brandon Jacobs will not be back unless he takes a major paycut and he may opt to be released instead. That will leave them needing another running back to pair with Ahmad Bradshaw, who is injury prone and not capable of carrying the load.

Tight End

The Giants lost both Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum to major injuries in the Super Bowl and needed tight end help anyway. Now they really need tight end help, especially short term, but also long term possibly as well.

Safety

Antrel Rolle is a big name, but no safety allowed more completions or yards than him last season and it wasn’t even that close. Rolle allowed opposing quarterbacks to go 57 of 76 for 642 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 picks last year. He’s been overrated for years. There’s a reason the Cardinals cut him loose for nothing. The Giants should do the same, though they probably won’t. Competition would be nice here.

Cornerback

Along with their offensive line, their pass coverage was their biggest weakness last year. Their pass rush masked it on their Super Bowl run, but it was bad at times. They were ravaged by injury back there and could really use some more depth.

() FA Rank 

QB Jim Sorgi

RB Ahmad Bradshaw (#27)

Bradshaw had 1549 total yards and 8 total touchdowns this year, but there are major concerns about his ability to hold onto the football (7 fumbles this year) and about his ability to carry the load and stay healthy.

RB DJ Ware- resigned  

WR Steve Smith (#38) 

He’s got injury problems, but he caught 100 passes in 2009 and he’s only 26 this offseason so he’s worth a good amount of money.

WR Domenik Hixon- resigned

WR Darius Reynaud- resigned

WR Derek Hagan 

TE Kevin Boss

G Kevin Boothe

DT Barry Cofield (#26)

A dominating run stuffer, Cofield had a career sack 4 sacks this year as well. He’s only 27 this offseason and has a fine future ahead of him.

DE Mathias Kiwanuka (#39)

Injury prone, but extremely athletic. I think his potential would be best maximized in a 3-4, but he has 23.5 sacks in 5 years with the Giants, as a former first round pick.

DE Dave Tollefson 

OLB Keith Bulluck

MLB Chase Blackburn

MLB Gerris Wilkinson

S Deon Grant

S Michael Johnson

Offseason moves:

Resigned Domenik Hixon

Resigned DJ Ware

Resigned Darius Reynaud

Draft

The Giants gave Kiwanuka a 2 year “prove it” deal last offseason after a nasty neck injury and he certainly proved it last year. He played a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end spot and was above average in both spots. ProFootballFocus graded him out as the 5^th best run stuffing outside linebacker (and 7^th best overall) and he managed 5 sacks, 8 hits, and 22 pressures in 328 snaps rushing the passer. He was a big part of the Giants’ 4 defensive end set in nickel, dime, and quarter packages with Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre Paul, and Osi Umenyiora that played a big role in the Giants winning the Super Bowl.

They did right by him giving him a new deal after giving him the prove it deal last offseason and, barring another major injury, he should prove to be well worth the 16.5 million over 3 years (with 10.95 million guaranteed) he was given, which is a good deal when you compare it to what similar players got, like Jarret Johnson (4 years 19 million at age 31 in August) and Kamerion Wimbley (5 years 35 million heading into his age 29 season). Kiwanuka is heading into his age 29 season as well. This deal also clears some cap for the Giants this season, so it was an all around good deal. The only issue is it’ll probably piss Osi Umenyiora off more, but that’s his problem.

Grade: A

CB Omar Bolden (Arizona State)

OLB Matt Broha (Louisiana Tech)

TE Jake Byrne (Wisconsin)

DT Ronnie Cameron (Old Dominion)

G James Carmon (Mississippi State)

QB Austin Davis (Southern Mississippi)

S Matt Daniels (Duke)

OLB Ryan Davis (Bethune-Cookman)

RB Cyrus Gray (Texas A&M)

MLB Dont’a Hightower (Alabama)

S Jerron McMillian (Maine)

TE Adam Nissley (UCF)

DE Josue Ortiz (Harvard)

TE Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati)

WR Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)

QB Matt Simms (Tennessee)

RB Michael Smith (Utah State)

OT Donald Stephenson (Oklahoma)

OLB Korey Toomer (Idaho)

OLB Tahir Whitehead (Temple)

WR Devon Wylie (Fresno State)

19. CB Prince Amukamara A

How did Amukamara fall all the way to New York? Well, teams reaching for quarterbacks early had a lot to do with that. The Giants aren’t complaining as they get a top 10 talent at 19 and it’s not as if he doesn’t fill a need. They got burned deep by Green Bay late and they don’t have a true #1 shutdown cornerback like Amukamara can become. Besides, in a pass heavy league, there’s no such thing as too much cornerback depth.

52. DT Marvin Austin B

Another pick hailed as a steal, I’m not so sold that is the case. I was never sold on Austin as a first round pick. I had a high 2^nd round grade on him, so this is still a good value, but defensive tackle wasn’t a huge need. They’ll still find a role for him because he can get after the quarterback.

83. WR Jerrel Jernigan C-

Some people had a 2^nd round grade on Jernigan. I had a 4^th. Given that, I see this as a reach at a position that wasn’t a huge need. Even if Steve Smith leaves, they still have Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham as starters with sold depth behind them.

117. OT James Brewer A

Everyone expected them to take an offensive lineman at 19, but when Amukamara fell to them, they had no choice but to pull the trigger. That was obviously the right move and, even better, they were able to get a steal on a tackle here in the 4^th.

185. OLB Greg Jones A

How the hell was Greg Jones still around in the 6^th? He was my highest rated prospect for several rounds. This is the steal of the draft and Jones also fills a need for the Giants and can play inside and outside. I think they got an above average starter in the 6^th round. That’s pretty good.

198. S Tyler Sash A

Even though they added 3 safeties last offseason (Chad Jones, Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle), they still gave up a bunch of big plays. Chad Jones got hurt and his career is in jeopardy. Deon Grant is old. Antrel Rolle is overpaid and could actually be cut in a cost cutting move. Sash is a great value at this point.

202. OLB Jacquain Williams C

I didn’t have Williams in my top 300, but he does fill a need.

221. RB Da’Rel Scott A

Another major steal. I had a 4^th or 5^th round grade on Da’Rel Scott and he also fills a need for the Giants. Ahmad Bradshaw is an injury prone, fumble prone free agent. Brandon Jacobs doesn’t have much left. Scott could end up being the next late round/undrafted running back to have a major impact down the road.

Overall:

Every pick of theirs wasn’t perfect, but they got at least three major steals with Amukamara at 19, Greg Jones at 185, the steal of the draft, and Da’Rel Scott at 221. They also got nice steals with Tyler Sash at 198 and James Brewer at 117 and all 5 of those picks filled needs. They also didn’t have any bad picks and they got an excellent haul of talent out of draft weekend. That’s what an A draft looks like.

Grade: A