INTERCEPTED: NEW YORK GIANTS REPORT TO TRAINING CAMP AUGUST 3, 2009

The New York Giants announced yesterday that they signed rookie first round draft pick Hakeem Nicks.

From the Associated Press:

ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York Giants will be reporting to training camp Sunday with all their draft picks, including the one they hope fills the void left by the release of troubled Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress.

First-round pick Hakeem Nicks became the last of the Giants' nine picks to reach a deal when the North Carolina receiver signed a five-year contract on Saturday that will pay him a little less than $12.5 million.

"It was very important for Hakeem to be in training camp on time, so he can do his part to help the team win a championship," Peter Schaffer, Nicks' agent, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "He did not want to miss any practice time while his teammates were on the field and that was a strong impetus to get the deal done."

Schaffer and Giants assistant general manager Kevin Abrams hammered out the agreement early Saturday morning, after working out the details over the past three days, Schaffer said. Nicks signed the contract after arriving at the University at Albany.

"Our objective every year is to have these rookies in camp on time," general manager Jerry Reese said. "Training camp is the start of the long haul to get to where we want to be as a team. We all have a lot of hard work ahead of us, and this is the start. It's important for the rookies to be in sync with the rest of the team from the start, because we expect them to contribute to our success. Every year."

Defensive back Steve Cargile was waived to make room for Nicks on the roster.

Nicks was the 29th pick overall in the draft. He set 14 school receiving records in three seasons with the Tar Heels, leaving as their career leader in catches (181), yardage (2,840) and touchdown receptions (21).

Many Giants fans are hoping that Nicks can provide the deep threat that the Giants lost late last season when Burress shot himself in the thigh in a New York City nightclub. The team suspended him the final four games of the regular season and eventually released him in April.

"Everybody wants to make comparisons to Plax," Schaffer said. "Hakeem is going to do what Hakeem can do to help the Giants win a championship. The differences in personality and character between the two is so different, and I'm not taking a shot at Plax, either. This kid is a solid person in everything: character, personality, everything."

Nicks had 68 catches for 1,222 yards (an 18-yard average) and 12 touchdowns this past season as a junior.

He'll have to compete with veterans Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham for playing time, but does offer the deep threat that they cannot provide on a consistent basis.

Coach Tom Coughlin said Nicks has outstanding hands, long arms and goes over the middle well. Coughlin was impressed with his performance in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against West Virginia in his final collegiate game. He had eight catches for 217 yards and three touchdowns.

The Giants earlier this week signed linebacker Clint Sintim and offensive tackle William Beatty, their two second round draft picks.

Jerry Reese is quickly lamenting his legacy in the league as a GM that knows how to get things done. In his 2 years as the Giants GM Jerry has avoided the all too familiar trend in the NFL of "rookie holdouts". This season the Raiders, 49er's & Eagles have made headlines with rookies unable to reach contract terms with their new teams. Darrius Heyward held out with the Raiders for one day, Michael Crabtree failed to report to 49er's camp, and there's no word on when a deal will be reached. And over in Philly Jeremy Maclin is rumored to be 72 hours away from striking a deal with the front office but camp has already begun.

*Sigh* there's something very revealing about a rookie that decides not to show up for training camp. It's your first real opportunity to be formally introduced to your fellow teammates who are at this level better and more experience than they are and you don't want to take full advantage of that by soaking in everyday of it. You on;y get one rookie training camp. Just overall not a good look for any rookie entering the league. There is plenty of time to sign these players between the draft and the start of camp. Work it out!



In other NY Giants news. Three defensive players have been placed on the PUP (Physicially Unable to Perform) list before camp has even began. *DEAD*

From NFL.com:

LBANY, N.Y. -- The New York Giants placed linebacker Michael Boley and defensive tackles Fred Robbins and Rocky Bernard on the active physically unable to perform list Sunday.

The moves with Boley (hip) and Robbins (knee) were expected because the two had undergone surgery.

Bernard, who like Boley signed with the Giants as a free agent in the offseason, was a surprise. He was bothered by shoulder and hamstring injuries in a minicamp in June, coach Tom Coughlin said.

The shoulder has healed, but the hamstring injury still bothers Bernard, who signed a four-year, $16 million contract.

Boley, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract, had a torn labrum repaired in June. The former Atlanta Falcon hurt his hip during the Giants' offseason program.

Boley was expected to miss 8 to 10 weeks while rehabilitating. Since the surgery, the NFL suspended him for the first game of the regular season for violating its personal conduct policy. The suspension related to a May 2008 incident in which he was charged with battery on his wife after she accused him of becoming "too physical" after an argument.

Robbins had major knee surgery in February. He has started running straight ahead, but Coughlin said he is unable to make cuts.

All three players are eligible to start training once they are healthy.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

I have the biggest screw face right now. Why do we have all of these used cars on the lot. Ok that's harsh but...I'm just saying. Injuries before one snap has taken place in '09 has me a little bent.