Giants GM Jerry Reese: There Will Be Changes

Just about a month after beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Giants are already looking to figure out what the team will look like next year.  One big question is the future of defensive end Osi Umenyiora.  I talked about how I think the Giants should and will sign him to a new deal to keep the best defensive line in football together in a previous post so I don't want to beat the dead horse with Osi because there are plenty of other question marks with the team.  Reese says “It could happen, but we have a lot of issues to look at, and we just have to formulate a good game plan and see if we can get it done.”  He went on to say that “You always have to make some hard decisions,” and that “There’s always change, and there will be change this time.”  After making some hard decisions last offseason (letting Steve Smith walk and cutting Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert) we'll have to see what Reese decides to do this year coming off a Super Bowl victory.

The next guy on the list after Osi is Brandon Jacobs, who is pretty much begging to come back next year.  Jacobs knows that he will have to take a pay cut if he is going to stay with the Giants, but says he, "won't sell his soul." He's due a roster bonus of $500,000 on March 17th if he still is on the roster then, but if the Giants can't restructure his deal by then he'll probably be cut.  I've always liked Brandon Jacobs but I really think it is time to cut him loose.  He has clearly lost a step or two from injuries and has been really inconsistent the past couple seasons with the emergence of Ahmad Bradshaw.  Let him go and bring some new blood in the backfield.  Sorry Brandon, sometimes you talk too much anyway.

Then there is the question of Mario Manningham, who made the huge reception on the game-winning drive in the Super Bowl.  Manningham will become an unrestricted free agent on March 13th, and says he's "50-50" on returning to the Giants.  To be honest, with Victor Cruz now firmly in the starting lineup, I don't see the Giants giving a big contract to their #3 wide receiver. Thanks for the big catch Super Mario, but I think you may be the next Steve Smith so I'm not worried.

That brings us to the Giants breakout player of the year, wide receiver Victor Cruz. With a franchise-record 1,536 receiving yards, this is the guy that deserves to be paid. He's only making $490,000, so hopefully Jerry Reese will throw him a bone for his awesome season.

Jerry Reese doesn't have an easy job though. Like he said, there are going to be some hard decisions and there are going to be changes. Not everyone can stay. As much as fans want to keep the team together for another Super Bowl run next year, it's just not financially realistic. We have 21 unrestricted free agents, including lockdown corner Terrell Thomas, who missed the entire season with an ACL tear. Reese has to consider that Justin Tuck's deal is done in two years when making signings, and also that Jason Pierre-Paul might be the next guy to ask for a raise (only makes $825,000). I think it was a good start by franchising Steve Weatherford. Yeah, I know, he's just a punter. But, he's fucking money at punting and will only cost the Giants about $2.5 million with the franchise tag. Plus, how could you ever forget....."WE'RE GOING TO THE MOTHERFUCKING SUPERBOWL!"

Check that, we won the motherfucking Super Bowl.