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The New York Giants have added depth to their offensive line with the signing of Shawn Andrews, a former two-time pro bowl guard.
After having basically not played since 2007 due to injuries, the Eagles gave up on the struggling former star and the Giants decided to take a chance. Andrews is exciting about being in New York, so maybe the change of scenery will rejuvenate his career.
He can’t wait to get back to battling in the NFC East again.
“I guess they kind of picked me, but I picked them as well,” Andrews said. “I just like the atmosphere. The guys that I met, I can tell genuine people when I see them. And it’s right up the road in the NFC, same division where I come from and it’s real intense and I like that.”
General Manager Jerry Reese is real excited about the prospect of having another Pro Bowler on the team, and gives all the credit in the world to his staff for noticing his desire to play again and seeing that he is ready to come in and work hard no matter what the position.
“Our personnel staff has been monitoring Shawn’s progress for awhile now,” Reese said. “He looks great and had a very good workout for us yesterday. He can play both guard and both tackle positions. We just have to take him slow for the rest of the preseason to get him into game shape. Shawn is very excited and grateful for this opportunity to play for the New York Giants.”
This move comes most likely in direct correlation to both Chris Snee and Rich Seubert—the starting guards—being out due to an injury. Both are expected to miss the second preseason game this Saturday, but neither injury is considered serious.
The universal theme from both Andrews and the organization is that they see he is eager to get back out on the field and prove to everyone that he is still the same player. He is very hungry.
They also notice that for being out for two seasons, he is in surprisingly great shape, so playing in the third preseason game may not be out of the question.
One thing the Giants will have to be careful of is not to overwork is back. The Eagles claimed Andrews failed a physical back in march and that was the reasoning for the termination of his contract.
Now we all wait in limbo to see how coach Tom Coughlin is going to shuffle the offensive line around, a unit that took much flack in 2009 for falling off in their run blocking.
Hopefully Andrews provides the solution.
Find the article here as well at NY Giants Central, a product of Rant Sports
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The New York Giants just signed a guard that was drafted in the third round of the “UFL Draft” by the Omaha Nighthawks. If you haven’t figured it out, I am talking about two time Pro-Bowl guard, and former Philadelphia Eagle Shawn Andrews.
“I am laying it all on the line, not that I haven’t before,” Andrews said. “This is it. The Giants are going to get everything from me.”
Everything, Huh?
Will that include the back and mental problems that he could not shake while playing in Philly? The Eagles were very sympathetic to Andrews. In 2008 the Eagles made it a point to give him ample time off to deal with his chronic depression. They even reached out and signed his brother Stacy.
As most of us know, depression is a funny thing. Just like everyone else, you have ups and downs in life. But, when those downs hit—they hit you hard! Almost to the point where you want to give up on everything that is important in your life.
“My head is in the game,” Andrews said. “It’s always been in the game. I just had some setbacks there. It was untimely, and I’ve heard every excuse from myself why the things happened back in 2008. It happened. We all go through things.”
“Why not give a guy a second chance who is passionate about what he does?”
Following his bout with depression in the 2007 offseason and into the 2008 season, after playing only two games, Shawn injured his back and needed surgery. Shawn was at the point where he realized his football career was in jeopardy. He faced scrutiny from critics when he seemed he wanted to pursue a music career instead of trying to become football ready.
When asked why he came back to football, Andrews said, “I am trying to follow in the footsteps of the great Larry Allen. I want to be that good and even better and I think I have a chance to do that. This conference is competitive and I think I have a good shot to achieve that. Hopefully, everything goes well and it’s back to kicking butt.”
Andrews left the Eagles just how he started with the team. His rookie year back in 2004 Shawn blew out his knee in the very first game, missing the entire season. It wasn’t until 2005 where Shawn started to rise to fame, making the 2005 and then the 2007 Pro-Bowl. Then during training camp before the 2008 season, Shawn decided to go home to battle depression. When he returned to be with the team he suffered his back injury. His back injury caused him to miss the 2009 season and ultimately lead to his release.
“I’m not making this a Shawn versus the Eagles thing,” said Andrews, “It was an untimely release. They wanted to go in another direction and I just kept working my tail off, so here I am. I am a G-Man.”
In my final two cents I will say, welcome back to the NFL Shawn.
Eagles’ fans may get a bad taste in their mouth with the signing, but, whatever. I do not think that Shawn will ever be back to the Pro-Bowl form he was in 2005-2007. Shawn will be good as a back up for the next year or two and may eventually start, but I truly feel that his best years are behind him.
Good luck with “Big Baby” G-men…
* This Article is also featured on http://www.bleedingeaglegreen.com/
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The NFL season is only three weeks away, and all 32 teams are making strides in during NFL training camps and pre-Season.
Aside from the Cincinati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys, every team has begun preparation for its second pre-season match up.
The point? Well, it should be all about the rookies and veteran backups looking to climb up on the depth chart, and in some cases, making a roster.
It should not be for the starters playing a full half, and risking injury.
Unless it is a rookie starter taking the field, head coaches everywhere should be extra cautious to play their starters more than a few series.
Apparently Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants didn’t get the memo. Yes, maybe the Giants were opening the new stadium against the rival Jets, and wanted to bring some excitement.
Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning took a gushing blow to the head on Monday night.
Yes, there might have been a mix up between Manning and Brandon Jacobs on the play selection. However, it was a few minutes into the second quarter, when the injury occurred. This injury surely put all Giants fans in panic.
In the end, Manning got multiple stitches to the head, and is out of action for this week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This action should have never happened. It wasn’t necessary. Manning doesn’t need all of the playing time this early in the pre-season. With training camp in full force, plus three more pre-season games, starters have plenty of time to get chemistry down in live action.
Putting starters out for more than a quarter, especially in the first pre season game, is a big red flag. Though the injury isn’t anything major, anything could have happened on that play, and would have made it much worse.
We have seen starters in this league already receive serious injuries. Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth and Denver Broncos pass rusher Elvis Dumervil are both going to likely miss the entire season ( Dumervil isn’t officially ruled out).
And I can promise you, more devastating injuries will be coming. Though the pre-season has it’s positive moments, it can also be detrimental to your team for the entire season.
There is a reason players ask every year to slim down on the amount of pre-season games. They don’t want to waste their bodies in meaningless games, especially when they are giving it their all with teammates in training camp.
But the starters don’t have to make that happen. We saw undrafted wide receiver Victor Cruz put on a show throughout the game for all Giants fans to see. And that is what you want to see, an undrafted player such as Cruz making his statement to the staff about making the team.
Fans of all 32 teams watch the pre-season to find the hidden games that are within the organization.
The 2010 season will be filled with Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and more analysis of today’s stars.
Let the pre-season be a time for other players to shine, and most importantly, don’t risk starting players and receive a scare like the Giants did with Eli Manning.
Matt Miselis is an NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com.
Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/MattMiselis
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The New York Giants will be very short handed at quarterback Saturday when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. It will be the team’s second preseason game.
Starting QB Eli Manning is unavailable after receiving 12 stitches in his forehead after being injured Monday night against the Jets. Manning was in uniform but did not wear any pads or his helmet during practice yesterday.
Backup Jim Sorgi was seen in a helmet but no pads. The veteran backup is nursing a sore shoulder and will be out of Saturday’s game as well. His status for the remainder of the preseason is unknown. That leaves just Rhett Bomar.
The Giants had just three quarterbacks on the roster until they signed former Holy Cross QB Dominic Randolph on Wednesday. Randolph was with the team in rookie camp but did not catch onto the roster for training camp.
Continue this article at Double G Sports.
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The Bucs retained general manager Mark Dominik and head coach Raheem Morris, despite a rather underwhelming first year. The rookie duo made many poor decisions in 2009, from firing offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski prior to the season, to relieving defensive coordinator Jim Bates ten games into the season. However, the Bucs salvaged a bit of respectability by winning two of their final three games to finish 3-13 on the season.
In 2010, the rebuilding project continues. Gone are veterans Antonio Bryant, Byron Leftwich, Will Allen, and Arron Sears. The most significant veteran acquisition has been wide receiver Reggie Brown, picked up in a trade with the Eagles. However, Brown was benched in Philadelphia and is coming off the worst year of his career.
Clearly, the Bucs are relying heavily on the draft. It remains to be seen whether the club will risk the future of second-year quarterback Josh Freeman by not providing him with a veteran, top-tier wide receiver to work with.
Tight end Kellen Winslow is a solid receiver, but his long-term future is a question mark given the numerous knee surgeries he has undergone. The depth chart at wide receiver features a pair of talented rookies in Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams, veteran underachievers in Michael Clayton, Maurice Stovall, and Reggie Brown, as well as Sammie Stroughter, whose future may be in the slot.
Given the questions marks in the passing game, look for offensive coordinator Greg Olson to run a ball-control offense featuring a heavy dose of running plays. Cadillac Williams had a compelling comeback season in 2009, but he lacked explosiveness, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. Derrick Ward was a bust in his first season in Tampa Bay but will be given an opportunity to earn more playing time in 2010.
While the Bucs have added some talented youngsters on the offensive side of the ball, they lack proven play-makers on offense and will struggle to move the ball on a consistent basis. Unless they get some major contributions from Williams and Ward, look for them to be among the league’s worst offensive teams in 2010.
The Bucs love Freeman’s potential and he is coming off a reasonably solid rookie season that was marked by some inconsistent play. Over his nine starts, he had three multi-touchdown games that were offset by five games with multiple interceptions, including a game in which he threw five picks against Carolina.
He showed he has a strong arm, an ability to escape the rush, and the resourcefulness to take off running when plays break down. In 2010, he gains a pair of rookie wide receivers in Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams but loses Antonio Bryant.
Quarterbacks generally need reliable receivers to be productive, and that’s not likely to happen for Freeman this year. He has the potential to be a fantasy starter in 2011. This year, not so much. Consider him as a prospect for dynasty leagues, but he isn’t worth drafting in most re-draft leagues
Williams was surprisingly healthy in 2009, displaying a solid burst in many games. However, the Bucs were not able to generate much rushing offense against the league’s better run defenses.
While Williams’ comeback story was a compelling one, there is likely little hope of him reaching the potential he showed early in his career given his injury issues. Despite his lengthy injury history, he managed to rank 28th among running backs last year, which is a solid accomplishment given the Bucs struggles on offense.
However, while the Bucs offense can’t be as bad as it was last year and the young offensive line should improve, it is doubtful the improvement will be strong enough to propel Williams into fantasy starter status. Consider him as a potential low-end RB2, though he really should be drafted as a backup running back considering the Bucs prospects on offense.
Ward was a big flop last year after coming over from the Giants. In New York, he looked like a solid back with an ability to make tacklers miss and gain tough yards running inside. In Tampa Bay, he looked tentative and was brought down too easily by defenders.
Ward finished the year with 559 total yards and three touchdowns, a far cry from his production in New York as a backup. Ward is now clearly stuck behind Cadillac Williams, although he is only a Williams injury away from significant playing time. And we all know Cadillac’s injury history well.
Unless he gets consistent touches (which didn’t happen last year), he has little fantasy use, and handcuffing Williams may not be worthwhile given the Bucs anemic offense.
The Bucs second round pick has the size, speed, and run-after-the-catch ability to be a number one wide receiver in the league. However, he is a little raw and needs time to refine his game.
In 2010, given the Bucs lack of wide receiver depth, he is virtually guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup on opening day. He’s also virtually guaranteed to be average, with Josh Freeman leading a Bucs offense that relies on young talent.
With Freeman entering his second year, Benn won’t be a starting caliber fantasy receiver this year; but does have upside next year. Check back in 2011.
Stroughter played well as a rookie in 2009, notching 31 receptions for 334 yards and a touchdown before breaking his foot late in the season. He played mostly out of the slot last year but is competing for a starting spot outside in 2010.
Given the Bucs lack of proven play-makers at the position, it’s possible he could start outside and work out of the slot in multiple receiver sets. While he may end up starting, his future will likely be as a slot receiver and a returner.
He’s worth keeping your eye on in the preseason but is likely waiver wire material in 2010.
WR Mike Williams
Talent-wise, the Bucs got a steal in the fourth round of this year’s draft when Williams was on the board when they selected. However, there is a reason first-round talent is available in the fourth round, and it has everything to do with maturity.
If the light goes on for Williams, he could have a solid career in the league. Given his off-the-field problems, the odds of Williams showing the maturity and dedication to produce during his rookie season are pretty low although reports indicate that he is having a very strong preseason.
At 6’1” and 220 pounds, Williams has excellent size to go along with excellent speed, and that makes him worth taking a flier on in dynasty leagues. Barring an excellent preseason, he isn’t worth drafting in re-draft leagues.
Remarkably, the Buccaneers signed Clayton to a five-year, $25 million contract prior to the 2009 season—this for a player coming off a 38-reception, 484-yard, one-touchdown season. In return, Clayton gave the Bucs the worst year of his career, producing 16 receptions for 230 yards and a score.
With the team having used its first and fourth round draft picks on Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams, and having acquired former Eagle Reggie Brown in a trade, there are clear signs that the Bucs plan on revamping their wide receiver corps.
Holdovers Sammie Stroughter and Maurice Stovall also remain on the roster. With Benn, Williams, and Stroughter guaranteed roster spots, and Stovall showing some promise last year as a receiver and also as a strong special teams contributor, Clayton’s roster spot is clearly in jeopardy.
Winslow had a solid season in 2009, maintaining his status as a starting tight end for his fantasy owners. However, his off-season has been hit-and-miss with the departure of Antonio Bryant to the Bengals and another knee surgery, the fifth of his six-year career.
Bryant’s loss means Winslow is clearly at the top of the pecking order among the team’s wide receivers, but that advantage may be offset by the extra attention he will receive from opposing defenses, given the Bucs’ weak group of wide receivers.
Winslow racks up the yardage totals when healthy but has never topped five touchdown receptions in a year. Which begs the question: Why should anyone bank on that happening in 2010, considering the team’s young, raw talent on offense? They shouldn’t, and neither should you.
Winslow will remain a starting caliber tight end, but it would be a total shock if he were to somehow sneak into the top five.
Dave Stringer is a staff writer at FFToday.com, home of the popular Cheatsheet Compiler & Draft Buddy custom cheatsheet and draft tracking software.
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