Wednesday Reading

Giants

Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks)
2/5/19, 11:09 AM
5 lessons from this NE team
1) Experience matters
2) Value of elite OL coach
3) Invest in versatile LBs
4) Inline TE opens doors for offense
5) find punt/kick coverage stars

Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL)
2/5/19, 11:39 AM
I like these. Here's how I see them applying to #Giants:
1. Will take time, massive roster turnover.
2. Not Hal Hunter.
3. Yup. Started this process last offseason. I like the direction at LB.
4. Have needed a true inline forever. Hard to find.
5. Yup. MAJOR 2018 improvement

QB

Schwartz NYP: Ex-Giants greats: Eli Manning still can win but needs help
https://nypost.com/2019/02/06/ex-giants-greats-eli-manning-still-can-win-but-needs-help/

Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL)
2/5/19, 3:42 PM
I don't agree w/ extending Eli Manning's contract through 2020 and lowering the 2019 cap hit. The minimal 2019 cap savings aren't going to make enough of a difference. FA signings most often go wrong unless they are second/third wave. Keep the cap allocation limited to 2019

Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina)
2/5/19, 3:51 PM
Doesn’t matter. If they don’t get their franchise guy this year they might not have a choice, so might as well try to get some relief even if it means pushing money around

Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL)
2/5/19, 3:53 PM
What would they not have a choice about? Say they don't draft their QB in 2019. Why would that stop them from going another direction at QB in 2020 w/ Eli's contract off the books (both via free agency and/or the draft). If they then wanted to cut Eli, they lose 2020 cap space


RB

Giants.com: Celebrate saquon's historic rookie season and relive the highlights, milestones and unforgettable moments that launched him to NFL stardom
https://www.giants.com/saquon

NFL

Mays The Ringer: The Rams Went All In to Beat the Patriots—and It Still Wasn’t Enough
Sean McVay’s team exemplified the tenets of modern team building in their run to Super Bowl LIII. They just learned the lesson that’s defined this decade in the NFL
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/2/4/18210372/los-angeles-rams-new-england-patriots-team-building-super-bowl-liii

PFF: The top 101 players from the 2018 NFL season (100-51)

70. OLIVIER VERNON, NEW YORK GIANTS
Top 101 appearances: 3
After an ankle injury forced Vernon from the field early in the 2018 season, he rebounded nicely with an 86.3 overall grade and 86.0 pass rush grade, ranking 13th and tied-for-seventh respectively, among edge defenders. Vernon made an impact with 46 total pressures on 414 pass-rush snaps for a pressure rate of 11.1 percent.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-the-top-101-players-from-the-2018-nfl-season

Linsey PFF: Top-10 interior offensive linemen set to enter free agency in 2019
https://www.profootballfocus.com/nhttps://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-ews/pro-top-10-interior-offensive-linemen-set-to-enter-free-agency-in-2019

ARIZONA
Odegard Cardinals.com: David Johnson Will Be Used Creatively In Kliff Kingsbury’s Offense
https://www.azcardinals.com/news/david-johnson-will-be-used-creatively-in-kliff-kingsbury-s-offense

Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet)
2/5/19, 4:38 PM
Former Browns LB Tanner Vallejo was claimed by the AZCardinals. The first team on the waiver wire

Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet)
2/5/19, 7:26 PM
The teams who attempted to claim Vallejo: AZCardinals, Jets, Giants, Bengals, Vikings, Chargers. A lot.

Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21)
2/5/19, 9:01 PM
Giants put in a claim for the former Browns LB. Vallejo was claimed by the Cardinals who had top priority

ATLANTA
Ledbetter AJC: Robert Alford announces his release from Falcons

“The Falcons want a bigger corner who doesn’t commit as many penalties as Alford, who led the team with 12 penalties last season.”

https://www.ajc.com/sports/football/report-falcons-release-robert-alford/Vf6JZ1hKoofwHZ3XobAR3O/amp.html

BALTIMORE
Mink Ravens.com: Eric DeCosta Places a High Value on Backup Quarterback
https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/eric-decosta-places-a-high-value-on-backup-quarterback

CAROLINA
Person The Athletic: The tales of Julius Peppers: From hooping at UNC to knocking them down in Charlotte
https://theathletic.com/799948/2019/02/05/the-tales-of-julius-peppers-from-hooping-it-up-at-unc-to-knocking-them-down-in-charlotte/

CINCINNATI
Dehner Cincinnati Enquirer: Where the Cincinnati Bengals stand with Zac Taylor's staff
https://amp.cincinnati.com/amp/2782201002

Manchester Cincy Jungle: A.J. Green loses his boot in time to learn Zac Taylor’s offense
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2019/2/6/18212625/a-j-green-loses-his-boot-in-time-to-learn-zac-taylors-offense

DETROIT
Windsor Detroit Free Press: Super Bowl shows a path for Matt Patricia to change. But will he?
https://amp.freep.com/amp/2777032002

Zimmer Argus Leader: Zach Zenner reflects on fourth NFL season, looks ahead to fifth
https://amp.argusleader.com/amp/2776912002

Samuelson Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions should sign Kareem Hunt? Check your morality at the door
https://amp.freep.com/amp/2780147002

AP Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Trevor Bates pleads not guilty on assault from psych ward
https://amp.freep.com/amp/2781566002

GREEN BAY
Wood Mil JS: At 35 and with career clock ticking, Aaron Rodgers must rebound from disappointing season
https://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2019/02/05/aaron-rodgers-must-rebound-disappointing-season-35-years-old/2772239002/

Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN)
2/6/19, 7:32 AM
Aaron Rodgers' 2020 roster bonus of $19.5 million becomes fully guaranteed today. That takes the total guarantee on his contract up to $98.2 million (plus the $1.6 million in salary and workout bonus he earned in 2018)

HOUSTON
Wilson Houston Chronicle: What to make of the Texans' coaching staff changes
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/texans/amp/What-to-make-of-the-Texans-coaching-staff-changes-13591851.php

KANSAS CITY
Hendricks KC Star: Kansas City Chiefs’ tax returns provide rare look inside the business of pro football
https://amp.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article225279155.html

LOS ANGELES RAMS
Klein LA Times: Sean McVay believes Rams can overcome Super Bowl defeat
https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-exit-interviews-20190205-story.html

MINNESOTA
Broome 247 Sports: Report: Vikings considering position change for Riley Reiff
https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Riley-Reiff-Vikings-position-change-128715675/Amp/

NEW ENGLAND
Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss)
2/5/19, 4:55 PM
The Patriots signed the following players to reserve/future deals: OL Cole Croston, QB Danny Etling, DL Trent Harris, DL Frank Herron, DB A.J. Howard, LB Calvin Munson, WR Damoun Patterson, OL Dan Skipper. All eight players were on the team’s practice squad

Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21)
2/5/19, 5:25 PM
Munson and Howard get rings and futures contracts from the Patriots. Both were with the Giants this season

McBride Boston Globe: All night, Patriots’ offensive line was battering the Rams
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2019/02/05/all-night-patriots-offensive-line-was-battering-rams/jULJNevr72f4I9tTKJ5NpJ/amp.html

Kyed NESN: Kyle Van Noy Trade Is Patriots’ Biggest Steal In Bill Belichick Era
https://nesn.com/2019/02/kyle-van-noy-trade-is-patriots-biggest-steal-in-bill-belichick-era/

NEW ORLEANS
Johnson Nola.com: Saints' Davenport shares a photo of himself in a hospital bed, vows to ‘come back better’
https://www.nola.com//saints/2019/02/saints-davenport-shares-a-photo-of-himself-in-a-hospital-bed-vows-to-come-back-better.html

OAKLAND
Field Yates (@FieldYates)
2/6/19, 7:28 AM
Offseason accounting: Raiders QB Derek Carr’s $19.9M base salary for 2019 becomes fully guaranteed today

Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
2/6/19, 7:53 AM
And with a $100,000 workout bonus, that makes for an even $20 million in guaranteed money this year for Raiders’ QB Derek Carr

PHILADELPHIA
Hayes Phil.com: Doug Pederson, Carson Wentz and the Eagles look better long-term than Sean McVay, Jared Goff and the Rams
https://www.philly.com/eagles/doug-pederson-carson-wentz-eagles-sean-mcvay-jared-goff-rams-comparisons-20190205.html

McLane Phil.com: Sources: Nick Foles voids option after Eagles pick it up, setting stage for free agency or franchise tag
https://www.philly.com/eagles/nick-foles-eagles-option-contract-free-agency-nfl-howie-roseman-20190206.html

Kaye NJ.com: Eagles have major need for depth at linebacker: Taking a look at current group, free agency and draft possibilities
https://www.nj.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/02/6db1f28c345779/eagles-have-major-need-for-depth-at-linebacker-taking-a-look-at-current-group-free-agency-and-draft-possibilities-.html

PITTSBURGH
Fittipaldo Pittsburgh Post Gazette: 2019 Steelers draft needs: A look at the top outside linebackers
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2019/02/05/steelers-draft-needs-2019-outside-linebacker-prospects-nick-bosa-josh-allen/stories/201902050021

SAN FRANCISCO
Branch SF Chronicle: Antonio Brown to 49ers? Yeah, probably not
https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/amp/Antonio-Brown-to-49ers-That-appears-increasingly-13591326.php

Biderman Sac Bee: Report: 49ers hire former Patriots star Welker to become receivers coach
https://amp.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article225568430.html

SEATTLE
710 ESPN Radio Seattle: Salary cap expert Joel Corry previews the Seahawks’ biggest upcoming contracts
http://sports.mynorthwest.com/599224/joel-corry-explains-seahawks-contracts/amp/

Henderson ESPN Seattle: What's next for Seahawks' Rashaad Penny after muted rookie season?
http://www.espn.com/blog/seattle-seahawks/post/_/id/32448/whats-next-for-seahawks-rashaad-penny-after-muted-rookie-season?

TENNESSEE
Wyatt Titans.com: Boring Super Bowl? Titans DC Dean Pees Loved It as He Aims to Establish Championship Defense in Tennessee
https://www.titansonline.com/news/boring-super-bowl-titans-dc-dean-pees-loved-it-as-he-works-to-establish-champion

WASHINGTON
Keim ESPN Washington: Breaking down the Redskins' QB options as Alex Smith recovers
http://www.espn.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/38124/breaking-down-the-redskins-qb-options-as-alex-smith-recovers?

Schreifels Redskins.com: Halfway Through His Rehab, Robert Davis Has Already Gained A Healthy Perspective 
https://www.redskins.com/news/halfway-through-his-rehab-robert-davis-has-already-gained-a-healthy-perspective

Colleges/Draft

Birch Des Moines Register: Six NFL teams reached out to Iowa State's Matt Campbell during recent coaching cycle
https://amp.desmoinesregister.com/amp/2776191002

QB
Dan Pizzuta (@DanPizzuta)
2/5/19, 3:26 PM
Really digging into some draft QBs now and initial takeaways are 1. Dwayne Haskins is good fit with the Giants (quick decisions short/intermediate routes and deep accuracy) 2. No QB would make offense more dangerous than Kyler Murray 3. There's no other options worth considering

Traina Locked on Giants Podcast: Today’s LockedOn Giants podcast kicks off our series in which we welcome a guest who covers the college draft prospects. Up first is Dave Harding Jr., lead analyst of the Duke Blue Devils radio team, who has the scoop on Duke quarterback Daniel Jones (Audio)
http://dcs.megaphone.fm/LKN9522555898.mp3?key=f7ced254709ee1426e66719578fb1ed0& listener=1a9ba89d-de41-429b-b8ed-7edd960806ca

RB
Pflum BBV: 2019 NFL Draft prospect profile, David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State
https://www.bigblueview.com/platform/amp/2019/2/5/18211802/2019-nfl-draft-prospect-profile-david-montgomery-rb-iowa-state-scouting-report-ny-giants

G
The Draft Network: 2019 NFL DRAFT PLAYER PROFILE: CHRIS LINDSTROM
https://thedraftnetwork.com/2019/02/05/2019-nfl-draft-player-profile-chris-lindstrom/

Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL)
2/5/19, 1:00 PM
Guards often drop out of Day 1 for whatever reason. Meanwhile, interior pass pro is incredibly important and a good guard helps his tackles. If Lindstrom drops out of Day 1, the Giants can run it back on their Will Hernandez 2018 pick and lock in two 10-year-plus starters

Former Giants News

Baumgardner Detroit Free Press: Michigan great Tyrone Wheatley reportedly next Morgan State head coach
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2019/02/05/michigan-football-tyrone-wheatley-morgan-state-head-coach/2778001002/

History


Giants Birthdays

Rich Glover DT D3-Nebraska 1973 NYG 1973 2-06-1950

From a Nebraska Football publication in 2016:

“DM Where are you from originally?
RG I'm from right here in Jersey City, New Jersey.
DM How did Nebraska find you in Jersey City. Who recruited you?
RG Coach Monte Kiffin.
DM Were there any other schools that were recruiting you?
RG Back then the only big schools in the East were Penn State and Syracuse. Rutgers wasn't playing football at that time. I had a coach that went to Syracuse and another that went to Wyoming. Syracuse said I wasn't big enough to play for them. Same thing for Penn State. Wyoming, at that time the coach was Lloyd Eaton, he was on his way out. They sent me a scholarship in the mail to come out to Wyoming. I was a guy from New Jersey that had never been outside of the state before. I said, no I don't think I want to go there. First of all, I wanted to see what it looked like and second of all it was in Wyoming. That was a little ways for me. I definitely wanted to get away to see what other parts of the country looked like so when Nebraska came back and recruited me, he was also looking at Daryl White who I became best friends with later. When Coach Kiffin came over to Jersey City I got a call from the front office. Coach Kiffin said he liked what he saw and said he would be back to meet my parents, take us out to dinner and bring me out for a visit.
DM What was it like playing with Larry Jacobson who won the Outland Trophy the year before you did?
RG I didn't know Larry as a freshman. I was a starter on the freshman team. Then when I went up to varsity they said I was number eight. They had the black shirts, the gold shirts, the green shirts, the white shirts, they had no shirts and they had commandos. Commandos were guys on scholarship who you don't get to play, you just practice and scrimmage. I worked my way up to become a starter. Larry Jacobson was the starter and they said he was going to play. They bring out this big tall lanky guy and I thought, man, where was he at?
DM Do you have a favorite Bob Devaney story?
RG Yeah. The one he told when I first met him. He said "I only have two rules. One, you go to class. Two, you don't get in trouble with the police." I said "Shucks, those are the same two rules I had at home. If that's all I have to do here then it's going to be easy." He was a coach. He was a Dad. He was a friend. He had an open door policy. I've been with a lot of coaches on different teams. He was a conditioning guy. We would run. Guys today take off their pads and helmets, well NO, we were all on the line. Everybody was running. One time he said "Who's tired?" One guy raised his hand. "Everybody back on that line. We're going to run again. I just wanted to see if someone would raise their hand." He also would say "We're on a business trip. Once we win this game we're going to go home." He never said we're going to lose. Always positive.
DM What is your memory of the Game of the Century against Oklahoma in 1971?
RG Oklahoma was the team to beat in the Conference. We were playing to stay number one. They were two. Playing for a trip to the Orange Bowl. They had Tom Brahaney, quarterback Jack Mildrin, then you got Gregg Pruitt, you got Leon Crosswhite, you got a great defense. All I remember was that we had to beat them because we were number one. I was going against the best center in America in Tom Brahaney. For me, if he was the best center in America and I play my best game and we beat them then I am the best nose guard in America. I looked at that game like that. We took a head shot before the game, me and him, and he had that little smirk on his face like he was just going to beat you. I just looked at that and went back to the hotel and told my teammates "They think they're going to beat us. They're laughing at us." I just took it like that.
DM What was your best bowl game memory?
RG My best bowl game memory was when we played Alabama. (1971 Orange Bowl) Coach Devaney played Bear Bryant before in a bowl game and lost. He was embarrassed and we said we were playing the great Bear Bryant again and we were going to beat him. They had the great running back Johnny Musso, the great All American lineman John Hannah. Back then I got a lot of letters from people. This one letter I got from a doctor that was an Alabama fan. He said, "Coach, how are you going to stop Rich Glover?" He said first of all we got Johnny Musso and we got John Hannah. Those two are going to take care of Rich Glover. I took that personally. I wrote that on the wall in my room and looked at it every day and every night and said to myself I'm going to get John Hannah and Johnny Musso in that game and every time I tackled Johnny Musso I tapped him on the butt and said "Every time you look up I'll be right here waiting on you." The game was going to be won up front so we had to dominate. It was just a matter of getting busy.
DM What was the transition like going from Nebraska to the New York Giants?
RG Now it's more of a job. In college it was fun, you got a good education and going to the Giants was great because I grew up in the area watching the Giants. It was exciting plus they played their games at Yankee Stadium. We played preseason games in Yankee Stadium and regular season games at the Yale Bowl and we practiced right here in Jersey City where I played my high school football. That was pretty cool. Practicing for the Giants where I used to play high school football. It was great. Larry Jacobson was on the team. We had a good team but pro football as you know is Not For Long. They had the player strike. Then the coach got fired. Like they say. It's nothing personal. It's business. For me pro ball was great. I enjoyed it all but you have to be at the right place at the right time.”’

It was a curious decision, having drafted interior lineman in the first (Larry Jacobson) and third rounds (John Mendenhall) in 1972 that the Giants would select Rich Glover in the third round in 1973. Perhaps passing on an Outland Trophy Winner from New Jersey was too tempting.

After all this was an organization two years earlier that passed on Jack Tatum (Passaic High School) for Rocky Thompson and Phil Villapiano (Ocean Township) for Wayne Walton.

More importantly the Giants were into multiple looks, multiple fronts with versatile players:

The NYT discussing the Giants 1973 draft:

“A player of unquestioned ability but highly questionable availability — Brad Van Pelt— and a player whose pro po tential is widely doubted but whose college credentials are impeccable Rich Glover were the two players the New York Giants were able to draft in the first four rounds yesterday.

As in the two preceding years, there were bizarre as pects to the Giant choices. In 1971, they made Rocky Thomp son, a running back projected as a wide receiver, their top pick. Thompson's only success to date has been as a kickoff return man. Last year their No. 1 choice was Eldridge Small, a wide receiver promptly tabbed a defensive back by the Giants.

Now there is Van Pelt, a roving monster back from Mich igan State who is considered by all scouts an outstanding tal ent as pro linebacker. Van Pelt also is so good a prospect as baseball pitcher that a $100,000 offer is almost the starting point for a bidding war to come between the Giants and the St. Louis baseball Cardinals.

And Glover, middle guard on Nebraska's brilliantly successful, teams the last three years, was projected by the scouting sys tems as a linebacker in the standard four& #8208;three defenses, and somewhat downgraded. But the Giants, who want him to play exactly the kind of posi tion he played in college, set a higher value on him.

So Van Pelt, because of the competition from baseball, was passed up by everyone on the first round and was still avail able when the Giants chose him as the 40th man picked.

And Glover was still up for grabs when the Giant turn came in the third round. He was the 69th player chosen. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds.

The question about Van Pelt is simply whether the Giants can sign him. The question about Glover is how he'll fit into what will have to be a re vamped defense.

“We see Van Pelt as strictly a linebacker,” said Coach Alex Webster, “although he has the ability to play almost any where. He's 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighs about 230, with good speed. I think big linebackers are an important part of the defense today.

“We liked Glover because we intend him to do what he's al ways been so good at. We'll put him right over the center in odd& #8208;man sets, which we used about 85 per cent of the time last year.”

That would mean Glover would replace John Menden hall, who did well as a rookie last year.
“Mendenhall might be switched outside,” said Web ster, “and Henry Reed might become a linebacker — there's lots we could do. One of our main purposes is to create com petition for positions within the suqad. We had that in camp last year and it carried right on into the season. It's good to have enough talent to worry about where you're going to put people.”
At Nebraska, Glover was a teammate of Larry Jacobson, who became a Giant regular as a rookie last season, playing tackle. Jacobson, too, was down graded in many scouting re ports, and Mendenhall, like Glover, was considered “too short.”

https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/31/archives/glover-nebraska-guard-chosen-giants-select-van-pelt-glover-in-first.html

However after one season he was waived:

NYT:

“Glover had been voted player of the year in college football in 1972 by the Football Writers Association of America, The 6& #8208;foot& #8208;1& #8208;inch, 240& #8208;pound college middle guard had tried to make the transition tackle last Season. He started the final six games as a replacement for the injured John Mendenhall but had played little this year.”

Glover went on to play for the Eagles and WFL, but his life should be measured in the successful journey from Jersey City to Nebraska, to the battles with Oklahoma, his College Hall of Fame honor, and his contributions to his community;

Glover went into coaching and holds a summer camp in Jersey City:

“After his playing days were over, Glover returned to Jersey City and was the head coach at both Dickinson and Ferris and is currently an assistant coach at Marist, where his son, Richard Jr., is the head coach.
Glover has held his free camp every summer at Cochrane Field and it has been a rousing success...”

From his summer camp this past summer:

“Fulop made an appearance at the camp as well, as did former Giants Super Bowl defensive end Leonard Marshall, who had a brief stint as the head coach at Hudson Catholic.

“This keeps me young,” Glover said. “I like being with the kids and break a little sweat. I’m glad to be involved.”

Marshall was also happy to attend.

“I have the utmost respect for Rich Glover,” said Marshall, who went head-to-head with Glover twice during their coaching days. “I’ve respected him for a long time. The fact that he does this speaks volumes to the kind of person he is. It’s my honor to be here. Who knows? There might be the next Rich Glover here among these kids or the next Leonard Marshall. I hope we can inspire them.”

https://hudsonreporter.com/2018/07/15/tasty-tidbits-glovers-annual-grid-camp-brings-added-celebrities-2/amp/