Train-a Thought

Giants Release LB Antonio Pierce

The New York Giants have released their long-time defensive captain, LB Antonio Pierce, who ended the 2009 season on the injured reserve list with a bulging disc in his neck.

Jacobs, Ross Placed on Injured Reserve

The season is officially over for RB Brandon Jacobs and CB Aaron Ross, as both were placed on injured reserve today by the Giants.

Boley Back on Injury Report

Giants LB Michael Boley was a surprise addition to the team's pre-practice injury report. Boley, whom head coach Tom Coughlin said "wrenched" his back, was scheduled to practice today. 

Also on the injury report were RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles/foot), WR Derek Hagan (hamstring), S Michael Johnson (grin), QB Eli Manning (foot), and RB DJ Ware (concussion).

Bradshaw will not practice today and Coughlin sid they had their fingers crossed that the running back would be available for Sunday's game against Dallas. Meanwhile, there was an encouraging sign in that Bradshaw was out on the field without his boot and seemed to be moving around well with no noticeable limp.

Ware has had almost a week to recover from his concussion, but the Giants, in being cautious with concussions, decided to hold him out.Coughlin gave no indication as to whether Ware might return to practice later in the week, but if he doesn't, rookie Gartrell Johnson would likely see more snaps

Hagan was going to be limited, according to Coughlin. Meanwhile Johnson was not going to work today,while Manning was set to take his usual workload.

* * *

The Giants still have not filled the roster spot that opened up when LB Antonio Pierce was placed on injured reserve Monday. One possible theory as to why it's taking so long is that the team could be looking at bringing in a veteran from the outside to provide depth at either running back or at safety given the injury situation. 

Speaking of Pierce, Coughlin has expressed an interest in having him stick around, which is a deviation from the usual team policy of not allowing injured reserve guys to be a part of the meetings and such while they're going through rehab. Coughlin expressed high regards about Pierce's leadership abilities and based on the sound of things, Pierce will probably be on the sidelines this Sunday to offer encouragement to his teammates in their "do or die" game against Dallas.

Pierce Placed on Injured Reserve

Giants MLB Antonio Pierce’s season is over.

Giants Make Roster, Practice Squad Moves

The New York Giants made a handful of moves today.

Starting with the 53-man roster, they waived DT Leger Douzable and released OL Tutan Reyes. They reinstated LB Michael Boley, who completed a one-week league mandated suspension. They were also awarded RB Gartrell Johnson, formerly with San Diego  off waivers.

Johnson, 5-11, 219 lbs., was the Chargers' fourth round draft pick this year out of Colorado State. He led Mountain West Conference in rushing (113.5 yards per game) and ranked 13th in the nation, finishing with 1,476 yards rushing and 12 TDs, plus 32 catches for 295 yards.

On the practice squad side, the team terminated the contracts of RB Allen Patrick, CB DeAndre Wright (their sixth round draft pick this year), and TE Kareem Brown. They added TE  Bear Pascoe (Fresno State) and DB Michael Coe (Alabama State). By my count it looks like they have one more practice squad move available.

Official Giants Practice Squad Announced

Here is the official practice squad, as announced by the team:

CB DeAndre Wright (Giants' 6th round draft pick)

S Sha'reffRashad

DT Anthony Bryant

S Vince Anderson

RB Allen Patrick

QB Rhett Bomar (Giants' 5th round draft pick)

FB Nehemiah Broughton (formerly with Minnesota)

TE Kareem Brown (formerly with the Jets)

Practice Squad Update

So far, the Giants have reportedly filled seven of their eight available practice squad slots, as follows:

• CB DeAndre Wright (Giants' 6th round draft pick)
• S Sha'reffRashad
• DT Anthony Bryant
• S Vince Anderson
• RB Allen Patrick
• TE Jason Pociask (a former NY Jets draft pick)
• QB Rhett Bomar (Giants' 5th round draft pick)

DE Maurice Evans has gone to Tampa. QB Andre Woodson was picked up by Washington (who happens to be the Giants' opening day opponent -- hmmm).

** UPDATE: Pociask has not signed with the Giants' practice squad after all due to a change in plans.

Notebook: Roster Reduction Day

If you were following my blog today, you know that I had TE Michael Matthews as a roster cut. He was actually traded to New England for a conditional 2011 draft pick. Apparently in a last-minute deal.

Head coach Tom Coughlin, who delivered the bad news to all the players that were let go, found having to tell Matthews that he was no longer part of the Giants especially hard. “Mike Matthews was very difficult for us to have to say goodbye to, because I have such respect for Mike and what he has done in his life and his family and what he represents – a try-hard guy that nobody gives a chance and he comes in and he’s the right man in the right place at the right time and wins a Super Bowl ring in his rookie year. I think about his toughness.”

The trade doesn’t affect what I wrote about the roster moves impact on the salary cap, by the way.

* * *

Headlining the moves made today was the release of WR David Tyree, whose last catch for the Giants turned out to be his greatest EVER: The spectacular catch against his helmet in Super Bowl XLII.

“It’s the big bang theory,” Tyree said of his catch. “It’s a moment that obviously will never be taken, it’s a moment that I will cherish. I said after the game, if I never get a chance to play football again, I can’t be upset with the way my career went.”

But of course Tyree is already looking ahead and hopes to catch on with another team soon.

“I feel like I have some great things to bring a football team and that’s what I’m going to work toward now.”

Tyree, the sixth-round draft choice in 2003, who earned a Pro Bowl berth for his special teams play,  admitted to having mixed feelings about leaving the team that drafted him in the six round out of Syracuse.

“This is part of the journey. It’s not like it’s a great day. At the same time I’m filled with expectations about what’s next on this track, and I’m excited, as well.

“You get the call and obviously you have the inclination of what you’re going to hear. It’s not like I wasn’t prepared or knew it wasn’t a possibility. It kind of simplifies things for me and causes me to rejoice in the years that I’ve had here.”

Head coach Tom Coughlin delivered the news to Tyree this morning.

“David Tyree is such a class act,” Coughlin said. “What a great guy he is. When he came in to see me, I had a lot of emotions running through my head. He put everything at ease, he had a big smile on his face. I told David he is forever etched in the annals of New York Giants history. That will never change. That moment in history will stand forever in time.”

* * *

As mentioned in our tracking of the cuts earlier today, LB Michael Boley was placed on the Reserve/Suspended list as he’ll begin a one-week league imposed suspension starting today. Boley will not be allowed to set foot at the Giants’ training facility until; September 14, when his suspension ends.

* * *

With the final cuts come some jersey number changes. WR Hakeem nicks will grab 88, formerly worn by Matthews. That was Nicks’ number in college. Jeff Feagles will switch from 17 to 18, the latter of which was previously worn by Nicks. And Leger Douzable, who wore 78, will take 90, previously worn by DE Robert Henderson.

* * *

Coughlin on the decision to go with two quarterbacks: “I think you have to make a very difficult call when you decide to go with two. That roster spot can be utilized by a worthy player, a player that deserves to be on your team. We’ve found, as we go forward with 32 teams, that it’s very difficult later on to find a quality player, a guy that can come in and help if you need one. So you are much better off to try to protect those that you have that are currently on your squad that can play the game at a high level. You’re more inclined to try to do whatever you can to take care of your roster and keep as many good players as you can.”

This is the second year in a row the Giants are going to enter the season carrying two signal callers.

* * *

The Giants are going to start the new work week with an unheard of seven receivers, as both Sinorice Moss, who was considered on the bubble, and Derek Hagan, who had a strong summer, survived the final cut.

“As you look at your team, you just try to keep the best players,” Coughlin said of the decision to keep Moss. “Sometimes it’s not as balanced as you like. Nevertheless, you have to do it. It’s your responsibility to the franchise, really, to keep the best guys.”

As for Hagan, the coach said, ““He is a good special teams player. He will put it on the line and he will play all those teams. He has outstanding endurance. He was very noticeable in the spring. At times he stuck out in training camp as a receiver. You combine his size with the ability he has as a special teams player, he certainly deserves his spot.”

 

Crunching Numbers: How the Roster Moves Affect the 2009 Giants Salary Cap

Although it appears that the NFL salary cap is going to fade away after this year (cue the cheers from those who have, in the past, expressed frustration with understanding how the cap works), some of the cuts made to get to the 53-man roster will affect this year’s cap.

Most of the players who were cut were signed to “futures” contracts, which simply means they were only going to be paid and count against the cap if they made the 53-man roster.

A futures contract, by the way, is usually a two-year deal and carries no signing bonus. Therefore, I’m not going to include those players here since their removal from the roster doesn’t impact the salary cap one way or another.

Some rookie free agents did sign three-year contracts that carried a signing bonus. If that was the case, they’re included here.

I have also included the players who were waived/injured, reason being is that under the terms of the current CBA, a player who is “waived/injured” is entitled to receive 50% of his base salary for the upcoming year, or $300K, whichever is greater.

Remember, this information is based on the roster moves that were reported by multiple sources today. Obviously once the Giants send out the official press release announcing their moves, if there are any discrepancies, I’ll go back and update all articles as applicable.

WR David Tyree: The release of Tyree, who had two years remaining on his contract, will cost the Giants just $600K against this year’s salary cap his prorated signing bonus was $300K and he had two years remaining.) The Giants also will not owe Tyree, who was plagued this spring and summer with a bum hamstring, a $250K roster bonus he was due this September had he made the 53-man roster. Total cap savings: $750K

LB Michael Boley: This is an easy one and in reality one that rarely dents the salary cap spreadsheet. Anyway, Boley is suspended for one week without pay. Boley is due a base salary of $2.5M this season. That comes to $147,058 and some change per paycheck over a 17-week season. With the Giants not having to pay Boley for the week he’s suspended, they will be credited $147,058 against the salary cap.

The following players signed three-year contracts as rookie free agents and each received a reported signing bonus of $30K. Since they didn’t make the final 53, that $30K counts against the salary cap. Total savings on each player (since they all had the same singing bonus and scheduled base salary for 2009) is $180K: DE Maurice Evans, CB Vince Anderson, LB Kenny Ingram, and S Sha’reff Rashad.

DE Robert Henderson: The Giants sixth round pick in 2008, who spent last year on injured reserve, had signed a three-year contract with a $77,900 signing bonus spread over three years. Due a base salary of $329,475 this year, the Giants will save $431,050 with this transaction.

CB DeAndre Wright: The rookie draft pick signed a four-year deal that had a $92K signing bonus, which the Giants are on the hook for. Total savings on this move: $218K.

CB Stoney Woodson: Cut earlier this week, Woodson’s reported signing bonus was $46K. However, since he was waived/injured, he’s also entitled to an injury settlement of $300K, the maximum settlement amount for the 2009 league year. 

DT Jeremy Clark (waived/injured): Clark was reportedly waived injured; if confirmed, then he’s entitled to an injury settlement, which for those not familiar with the NFL’s injury settlement policy, is calculated as 50% of the player’s scheduled base salary for the upcoming year or $300K, whichever is higher. In Clark’s situation, he was due a 2009 base salary of $385K, so his injury settlement would be $300K, which counts against the cap.

QB Rhett Bomar: Bomar’s four year deal carried a reported $185,183 signing bonus, which will hit the Giants’ salary cap. Total savings: $124,817
 
TE Michael Matthews: Matthews had signed a three year contract as a rookie free agent in 2007 that had a reported $50K signing bonus. Since 2009 was to be the last year of that deal, he’ll only cost the Giants about $16K against their cap. Total savings: $440K

** Update: The fact that Matthews was traded does not affect the cap impact. **

Andrew Carnahan (waived/injured): He signed a futures contract but because he was waived/injured, he gets an injury settlement of $300K

ESTIMATED SAVINGS SUMMARY
Tyree $750,000
Boley   $147,058
Henderson  $431,050
De Wright    $218,000
J. Clark    $85,000
Bomar    $124,817
Carnahan   $10,000
Evans    $180,000
Anderson   $180,000
Ingram     $180,000
Rashad     $180,000
SWoodson  $180,000

EST. TOTAL  $2,665,925

The total estimated cap savings is plenty of room to offer a contract extension or two to some key players who are coming up for renewal. There should still also be plenty left over for any in-season emergencies as well.

I know that some of you are probably wondering what the Giants’ estimated cap figure is. I am in the process of computing that, and I will probably end up tweeting that to you tonight.

* * *

While I have your attention, I want to remind you of some interactive features we have going on in the blog this season.

There is the old time favorite “Letters to the Editor,” which pretty much runs every day.

There is “Ask the Official,” which is your direct link to a referee who has kindly offered to help readers understand the rules of the game and to decipher some of the more talked about calls made in the NFL.

Then there is our newest feature, “Fan Fest Friday,” an interactive Q&A feature in which I devote an entire blog post to YOUR questions submitted to the players. I’m still looking for a nice collection of questions from the readers as this is something I work on throughout the week, so if you’ve always wanted to ask Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs or any Giant player a question, send them to me and I’ll work in as many as I can during the access I get.

A Look at the Giants' Final 53

Every year, I offer an initial prediction of the 53-man roster, which I update prior to the final preseason game (doing so afterward is cheating in my book). So based on the reported cuts that came from multiple sources – and mind you nothing is official until the team sends out its press release, which it has already said it won’t do until the 6PM ET deadline tonight

Therefore, here’s a look at how close I was with my forecast based on the information that did come out. 

QUARTERBACKS
My Prediction: 3
Actual: 2 (Eli Manning, David Carr)
Number Wrong: 1

I had Rhett Bomar staying because I had concerns that if he was put on waivers, someone might snatch him up. I still have those concerns.

RUNNING BACKS
My Prediction: 4 (3 RBs, 1 FB)
Actual: 4 (Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Danny Ware, FB Madison Hedgecock)
Number Wrong: 0

I strongly suspect the Giants really wanted to find a place for Allen Patrick, who each week showed progress and who capped the preseason with his finest performance against New England. However, with the Giants keeping seven receivers, one of the positions had to give up a body, and I figured this might be the unit that would have to operate as a lean, mean machine for a while.

TIGHT ENDS 
My Prediction: 3
Actual: 3 (Kevin Boss, Darcy Johnson, Travis Beckum)
Number Wrong: 1

Right number, wrong guys. I should have stuck with my original prediction of having Darcy Johnson stay and Mike Mathews go.

RECEIVERS
My Prediction: 6
Actual: 7 (Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss, Derek Hagan, Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden)
Number Wrong: 1

I didn’t think the Giants would keep seven receivers but they did as Sinorice Moss is proving to be the cat with nine lives. For the record, I still don’t think they’re going to keep that many receivers since they can’t dress them all on game day -- figure maybe four will dress on any given week. I still think there will be a trade at this position. 

Think about it. The rest of the NFL knew the Giants needed to cut guys at this spot and the obvious cut was Tyree, who’s older and more expensive than Moss. Those teams that were hoping for Moss or even another receiver to come free will have to make the Giants a reasonable offer if they want to tape into that talent pool. 

If the Giants can’t work out a trade involving a receiver, I strongly believe that this will be the spot that ultimately gives up a player once LB Michael Boley is eligible to return from his one-week suspension.  

OFFENSIVE LINE
My Prediction: 9
Actual: 10 (David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, Kareem McKenzie, Kevin Boothe, Adam Koets, Guy Whimper, William Beatty, Tutan Reyes)
Number Wrong: 1

I didn’t think the Giants would keep both Tutan Reyes and Adam Koets, and figured that Koets would be the one to stick around. However, when Koets sprained his ankle in the preseason finale against New England, I suspected that Reyes, who is a backup center, would be kept around just in case.

I’m not reading into how bad Koets’ ankle injury might be, but I have to think it if it was something relatively minor, the Giants would roll the dice with Rich Seubert as the emergency center until Koets was back up and running. 

DEFENSIVE LINE / ENDS
My Prediction: 4
Actual: 4 (Mathias Kiwanuka, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Dave Tollefson)
Number Wrong: 0

Maybe it’s because I attended Rutgers at a time when the dislike for Penn State’s football program was mandatory for admission (just kidding folks), but I never did get all the love for Evans, who probably should have stayed in school another year to refine his craft. 

DEFENSIVE LINE / TACKLES
My Prediction: 4
Actual: 5 (Leger Douzable, Barry Cofield, Fred Robbins, Chris Canty , Rocky Bernard)
Number Wrong: 1

I mentioned that I was concerned about Chris Canty’s hamstring. Well perhaps the Giants were too, as they kept Leger Douzable around just in case Canty needs a few more weeks to get himself back on track.

LINEBACKERS
My Prediction: 8
Actual: 8 (Antonio Pierce, Danny Clark, Clint Sintim, Chase Blackburn, Jonathan Goff, Bryan Kehl, Gerris Wilkinson, Zak DeOssie)
Number Wrong: 0

As I mentioned, this unit comes with an asterisk as Boley is going to be suspended for the first game; as such, he’ll be moved to the reserved/suspended list and won’t count against the final 53. Once he’s completed his suspension, he will be added back to the 53-man roster, and another roster move will have to be made. Whether that move will be at linebacker or perhaps at receiver or defensive tackle remains to be seen.

DEFENSIVE BACKS / CORNERS
My Prediction: 6
Actual: 5 (Aaron Ross, Corey Webster, Terrell Thomas,  Kevin Dockery, Bruce Johnson)
Number Wrong: 1

Johnson came out of nowhere to earn a roster spot. Meanwhile I thought perhaps DeAndre Wright, being a draft pick, might survive the final cut since I know how much the Giants like their draft picks. Apparently this year, they didn’t like three of them enough to find spots for them as Wright joined fellow corner Stoney Woodson and QB Rhett Bomar on the waiver wire.  

DEFENSIVE BACKS / SAFETIES
My Prediction: 4
Actual: 3 (Michael Johnson, Kenny Phillips, C.C. Brown)
Number Wrong: 1

I really thought Rashad would stick, but his departure leaves the Giants with three true safeties, though Terrell Thomas will probably be the swing-man.

KICKERS
My Prediction: 2
Actual: 2 (Lawrence Tynes, Jeff Feagles)
Number Wrong: 0

SUMMARY
Keep in mind that the above is NOT final – all NFL teams tweak their final 53 the first few weeks of the season, so I definitely expect that some of the guys who made the Final 53 are still on the bubble.

In the meantime, if all of the above is correct and confirmed by the team tonight by 6PM ET, I will have correctly predicted 87% of the Giants’ 2009 Roster. That should be good enough to keep me on the beat this year, but obviously something I’m going to have to work on because I can definitely do better.

Tyree, Matthews Headline Giants Roster Moves

Editor's note: The following is based on numerous reports that came trickling in throughout the day. Nothing is official until we hear from the team, but I have good reason to believe that the following is as close as can be. If there are any corrections, I'll update this entry accordingly.

It was a move that probably every Giants fan hoped would be avoided, but nonetheless, knew was coming as today, WR David Tyree was one of 22 players who will not be a part of the Giants opening day 53- man roster this year. 

I have a separate blog entry regarding Tyree, who of course made that spectacular catch in Super Bowl XLII and who for years was one of the steadiest and most consistent members of the Giants roster.  

TE Michael Matthews, who played in every game since joining the Giants in 2007 as a rookie free agent, was the other “headline” roster move. Matthews lost his job to Darcy Johnson, who last year passed Matthews on the depth chart.

** Update: Matthews was traded to New England for a conditional draft pick in 2011. **

The Giants also cut three of their nine draft picks from this year, QB Rhett Bomar (5th), CB DeAndre Wright (6th) and CB Stoney Woodson (7th), the latter of whom was waived/injured with a high ankle sprain on September 1.

Here is the list of the other transactions made, by position. I’ll have another article up shortly on how the salary cap is affected by some of these transactions.  

QB André Woodson (waived):Really no surprise here as Woodson, a 2008 sixth round draft pick didn’t make the roster last year (this due to the fact the giants had to keep an extra kicker, by the way). Perhaps more telling though was that Woodson was stashed on the practice squad, at one point being released early, only to be re-signed, and no one came sniffing around him.

He was signed to a futures contract on January 12, was never able to transfer his strong spring onto the playing field.

QB Rhett Bomar (waived): This one is really the biggest surprise of the cuts as I thought the Giants might keep three quarterbacks. However, I am guessing with the injuries that popped up, the team had to sacrifice at this position, and seeing that they made it through last year with only two quarterbacks, perhaps they’re hoping lightning strikes twice.

The problem though is if the Giants are hoping to sneak Bomar onto the practice squad, I have to wonder if that won’t backfire against them. In our post game write up after the New England game, we observed that he had the better arm (over Woodson) and that he did extremely well with most of his decision-making. His one blip was an interception thrown in the end zone, but other than that, we really thought there was something there.

Another reason why I’m shocked with this move? David Carr is only signed to a one-year deal and I’d be surprised if after this year he doesn’t move on to another team (A post-Favre Minnesota anyone?) I would have thought the giants might want a young quarterback to groom in their system for the eventual backup job.

RB Allen Patrick (waived): This one was surprising as I thought Patrick might have saved himself with his strong showing against New England. However, with the giants opting to keep nine DL and 11 OL (due to injury in both cases), a couple of positions where you’d ordinarily expect the team to keep an extra body had to sacrifice. Running backs was one of them. In Patrick’s case, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him back on the Giants’ practice squad if he clears waivers.

FB Dwayne Wright (waived):Signed to a futures contract on January 14, Wright worked most of the camp at fullback, where he had about as much chance of beating out starter Madison Hedgecock as a turtle does of beating a rabbit in a foot race.

TE Michael Matthews (waived):This one is somewhat of a surprise to me, as I thought that Matthews might have done just enough to survive. Matthews, signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 8, 2007, played every game the past two seasons as the second tight end and backup fullback, earning a Super Bowl ring as a rookie.

However, his performance against New England might have tipped the scales against him as the execution of his blocks left much to be desired. Add to that his issues with hanging onto passes – in two seasons, he was targeted 16 times, making eight catches for 54 yards.

WR Shaun Bodiford (waived):Signed as a rookie free agent on May 9, Bodiford was a long shot from the very beginning to crack a receiver spot that was probably just as crowded as the defensive line unit.

OL Cliff Louis (waived): Louis joined the Giants practice squad on November 5, 2008 and this year was signed to a futures contract. No surprise here though as Louis saw his playing time diminish as the preseason wore on – usually a good sign that the coaches have seen everything they need to regarding their evaluation of a player.

OL Orrin Thompson (waived): Signed to a futures contract on January 14, Thompson is another player who provided training camp depth.

OL Terrance Pennington (waived):He was initially part of the first round of cuts made on September 1; however when Andrew Carnahan suffered a knee injury, the Giants brought Pennington back just so they’d have enough bodies to get through the final preseason game.

DE Robert Henderson (waived): A sixth round draft pick last year, this promising prospect had his rookie year cut short by a season-ending knee injury. While he had moments this spring and summer when he flashed, the Giants’ decision to stock up on defensive lineman, many of whom were versatile enough to play both end and tackle, pretty much sealed Henderson’s fate.

DE Tommie Hill (waived): Signed on May 9, Hill had too much of an uphill (pun intended) battle to make the final 53.

DE Maurice Evans (waived): The “Mo’ Train” showed a lot of promise early on, but disappeared as the summer wound down. Signed as a rookie free agent on May 8, the former Penn State product, who declared for the draft after his junior year, received plenty of opportunities to show the coaches that he belonged, especially on Thursday against the Patriots. However, one thing we noted in our post game write up, in order to show that you belong, you have to dominate your level of competition on the playing field, and Evans, based on this last performance, didn’t do that.

DT Jay Alford (IR):There was some late hope that Alford, who suffered a MCL and ACL injury against Chicago, might get an extra week to get ready for the season. However with Chris Canty working his way back after missing most of the summer with a torn hamstring, and will the plans to move the short snapping to Zak DeOssie, Alford, who had surgery on Friday, can now focus on strengthening his knee.

DT Jeremy Clark (waived/injured): Signed as a free agent in the 2008 season, Clark was added to the 53-man roster on November 29, 2008. He was active for four of the Giants’ final six regular season games, and recorded three tackles (all solo) and a half sack. Clark suffered a sprained ankle in the preseason finale against New England and is likely headed toward an injury settlement.

DT Anthony Bryant (waived): Signed to a futures contract on January 20, he is a somewhat undersized DT who, as we noted, could probably benefit by losing about 15 pounds so that he moves a little better in pass rushing situations. We had noted that he looked staunch against the run on several occasions, but given all the depth on the defensive line, Bryant really didn’t have a chance given the numbers. He does have a chance of joining the practice squad, though.

LB Kenny Ingram (waived): Signed as a rookie free agent on May 8, Ingram was added purely for depth during the summer camp.

LB Michael Boley (Reserved/Suspended):Yes, given his circumstances, he counts as a “transaction.” Boley will serve a one-week league-imposed suspension, which works in his favor as he’s recently off the PUP list. The extra week will give him a chance to heal further, though as part of his suspension, he won’t be allowed to receive treatment from the team at its facility. Look for Boley to be back on the roster as soon as his suspension is over.

When he does come back, the Giants will probably have a tough choice to make at linebacker. My guess is that Gerris Wilkinson, who survived this round due to the Boley suspension, would be the one to go as Boley was signed to a five year contract to play that weak side position, a job that due to injury Wilkinson could never claim as his own. 

S Sha’Reff Rashad (waived):Signed as a rookie free agent on May 8, Rashad is another young player who didn’t quite dominate his level of competition. He was also the unfortunate soul who ran into the back of DT Jay Alford’s knee, causing the injury that ended his season, but that’s not the reason why he was cut (despite some people calling for his head after that injury happened). Rashad, who flashed during the training camp workouts, could be heading to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

CB DeAndre Wright (waived): Drafted in the sixth round by the Giants this year, Wright had an up and down camp as far as consistency went. In his final two preseason games, he was often victimized and of course made the typical rookie mistake of giving too much cushion to receivers he covered. Wright could however be a practice squad candidate if he clears waivers.

CB Travonti Johnson (waived): Johnson was signed to a futures contract on January 12 after spending time on the Giants’ practice squad in the last month of the 2008 regular season. 

CB Vince Anderson (waived):Signed on May 8, the Webber International standout had drawn the attention of numerous NFL teams, finally settling on the Giants. With the cornerback position stacked, New York opted to give Anderson some reps at safety, a transition he hasn’t quite completed. If he’s signed to the Giants’ practice squad, look for him to continue to refine his craft at safety where next year, if he isn’t signed away by another team, he’ll have a legitimate shot at making the 53-man roster since veteran CC Brown is only signed to a one-year contract.

There’s plenty more still to come from me on this, cut-down day. I suspect the Giants’ press release that’s coming tonight will have some quotes, so I’ll have that for you. I’m also working on an article about how these moves affect the team’s salary cap, and I have one other feature that’s coming shortly. So stay tuned for more!

Tracking the Cuts So Far

WR David Tyree, TE Michael Matthews and three draft picks from the 2009 Giants draft class  so far headline the list of roster moves made by the Giants so far.

The release of Super Bowl XLII hero was not unexpected as Tyree, who has reportedly drawn interest from Baltimore and Kansas City, had been hampered all summer with a hamstring injury. Even before that though, given his high salary and advancing age, there were whispers that he might not make the final 53 this year and that had he not made that catch in the big game and went on to hurt his knee which caused him to miss all of last season, he might have been gone even sooner.

Matthews, who was entering his third year this season, lost out to Darcy Johnson for the #2 spot. The Giants also drafted rookie Travis Beckum in the third round this year to be groomed as the team's H-back. 

On September 1, the Giants waived their seventh round draft pick, CB Stoney Woodson, who reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain.  He was later joined on the waiver wire by fellow corner and draft pick DeAndre Wright, the Giants' sixth rounder this year, who apparently was beaten out by rookie free agent CB Bruce Johnson for a roster spot; and QB Rhett Bomar, the Giants' fifth rounder this year.

The decision to waive Bomar is a bit of a surprise, but likely means that the Giants are planning to keep an extra receiver (Sinorice Moss and Derek Hagan). 

Rounding out the rest of the cuts that have trickled in so far...

• OL Cliff Louis
• OL Orrin Thompson
• OL Terrance Pennington
• WR Shaun Bodiford
• FB Dwayne Wright
• RB Allen Patrick
• LB Kenny Ingram
• DT Jeremy Clark (waived/injured -- ankle)
• DB Travonti Johnson
• DB Vince Anderson
• DB Sha'reff Rashad
• DE Maurice Evans
• DE Robert Henderson
• DL Tommie Hill
• DT Anthony Bryant

Be sure to check back with me later today as I'll have a complete rundown of all the moves that were made, along with some analysis. I'll also have a couple of other articles up on the blog, including how the moves affect the salary cap.

Giants Trim Roster to 74

The Giants completed their first round of roster moves today, waiving OL Andrew Carnahan (injured) and TE Lee Vickers (injured), and placing RB André  Brown (Achilles) on injured reserve).

Brown, the Giants’ fourth round draft pick, ruptured his Achilles tendon last month and will be lost to the team for the season.

Carnahan was one of a handful of players who didn’t play in last weekend’s game against the Jets. He suffered a knee injury yesterday when he got tangled up with Vickers on a passing drill.

Vickers, who was trying to convert from defensive end to tight end after being out of football last year, had no receptions this preseason, taking most of his snaps as a blocker.

The moves bring the Giants’ roster down to 74, one below the mandatory limit of 75. The Giants might be planning to add another player for their upcoming preseason finale on Thursday against New England.

The Giants waived OL Terrance Pennington and WR Taye Biddle yesterday. They also waived their seventh round draft pick, CB Stoney Woodson (ankle) yesterday as well.

Giants Sign Both Second Rounders; Waive Two

The Giants have signed both their second rounders, Will Beatty and Clint Sintim to reported four year contracts. To make room for the two, they waived LB Kelvin Smith and WR Micah Rucker.

Only WR Hakeem Nicks, the team's first rounder, remains unsigned. The players report to camp on Sunday.

Giants Announce RB Andre Brown Signing

Running back Andre Brown, the fourth-round selection from North Carolina State, has signed his rookie contract with the Giants. 

Brown is the sixth Giants draft choice to sign. Remaining unsigned are wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, the first-round selection from North Carolina, and second-round picks Clint Sintim and William Beatty.

To clear space on the roster for Brown, the Giants waived rookie Alex Derenthal, a free agent from Temple.