Thursday, February 4, 2010

And Furthermore...

Not only do we have the continued blather of Osi Umenyiora, which continued this afternoon on WFAN, but also the beginning of the demolition of Giants Stadium. Here's the AP story, courtesy of the venerable Tom Canavan.

Back to Osi. Now he's using terms like "disrespect" to describe his fall from fulltime to parttime player after the Denver debacle. He said he feels he was singled out as the root cause of the defense's demise. And he said he wants a sitdown with the Giants' organization BEFORE he even speaks to defensive coordinator Perry Fewell for the first time.

He's getting off on some foot here with the new guy.

He's also talking like a guy who's got a lot of leverage here. He doesn't. He's signed through 2012. And if this has to do with him getting a new contract, as he wanted before this season, I think he's just torpedoed any hope of that. Not that it was going to happen in the first place.

So, as you'll see in the complete interview, he now talks of getting a clear picture of what his role will be before he even reports to the offseason program, and before he introduces himself to Fewell. And if the Giants don't say the right words, he'd ask for a trade -- but only as a "last resort," he said.

So there you have it. Disrespect, conversation, trade, last resort. All the operative words that will surely add spice to an offseason that will already center around the rejuvenation of a defense that allowed 30 points seven times and 40 or more points five times. The question is, will Umenyiora be a returning or exiting part of that rebuilding job?

I'm sticking with him staying. Players have said stupid things before, and organizations have put up with that. The only way the Giants get rid of him is if they truly believe he's on a permanent slide downward. Even I'm not sure if that's the case.

EP

21 comments:

  1. Trade him. How many of these things get sorted out? This is getting worse than Shokey.

    Someone needs to tell this guy to let his play do the talking! Osi, you are replaceable. Hey, buddy, Strahan makes a lot of people look good when you play opposite him and he takes all the double teams! Do we lose that much with Kiwi taking the snaps. Personally, I don't think so.

    This defense needs a leader, not a baby. If he said, "Last year none of us played well, we have to work hard this off-season, stay focused and get ready as a group" I would be impressed.

    Instead, I would get rid of him. Send a message to the team. Bye bye you over-rated $&*#!

    Chris B.

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  2. Chris B., I concur. Others here may not agree, but this team needs a leader, not a whiney DE with an over-inflated ego. Will someone on this defense please step-up??? Tuck and Kiwi are a good pair and can give us what we need. Wish we could have held onto Evans at the end of pre-season last year.

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  3. Ernie,

    Don't these guys have exit meetings to serve as a sort of performance appraisal where you discuss what went right, what went wrong, where do we go from here, etc. I believe that this is a byproduct of being left in the dark for too long. It started early in the season, escalated with the benching, and has turned into this.

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  4. Why doesn't anyone who interview him point to the FACTS RE his stats? He has to be the only person ALIVE who thinks his performance wasn't the sole reason why he didn't play much.....what did the Giants want to loose and by taking him out they increased the likelihood of loosing? jeeze!

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  5. Unless the knee was the source of all his problems this year, I give it two seasons before he's out of the NFL. What team wants a loud mouth cancer DE that gets beat like a rented mule on every run play and had 19 tackles in 16 games? Not much of a demand for that. If somehow the UFL survives (I wouldn't bet on it), maybe Palmer can hook him up with job.

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  6. I'm with Ernie on this one. I can't see him going anywhere, unless it turns really ugly and he starts physically attacking coaches, players and/or media members.

    I disagree with the thinking that he's a cancer. T.O. is a cancer, Shockey is a cancer. Those guys try and split up locker rooms. Osi is just a baby, as far as I could tell, it's not like the other defensive players are coming out in support of him.

    Furthermore, as Ernie said earlier, he's signed for another three years at a relatively cheap price.

    Osi's stock is pretty low, if they trade him what would they get? A second day draft pick? If you don't get at least a late second-rounder for him, why even bother trading him. At best you have an impressive athlete who could get 12-15 sacks in a season and a potential Pro Bowler. At worst? You probably have production similar to this year (unless he gets hurt).

    Personally I don't see the value in trading him. On top of the reasons I just stated, you're making your D-line even more vulnerable. Instead of having three top-flight pass rushers, you have two. And who backs them up? Dave Tollefson? That just makes another hole you need to fill.

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  7. Looks like Osi has a golden opportunity to show he's still got it on the field. Given how he actually played, which merited a benching in situations, plus the still lingering questions about his knee, he should just shut up and play. A great man once said "Talk is cheap. Play the game."

    Success is fleeting. Maybe his time has come and gone?

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  8. Honestly, I just listened to the whole interview, and really didn't think it was that bad. What did he say that was so terrible?

    He wants to know if he's going to be a starter or not? He didn't trash the organization. He said he still liked playing here and he doesn't want to be traded. And surprisingly (at least to me), he didn't trash Sheridan.

    As he admitted, he didn't have a good year, but who on the defense did? And as he said, he's been here long enough, he should have some goodwill built up with this organization. One bad year shouldn't negate that.

    I really think people are blowing this out of proportion. I now have a question for Ernie:

    Ernie, let's rewind five years. You've been at The Journal News for awhile and have covered the Giants for a number of years. Then, all of a sudden your editor decides to pull you off the Giants beat midway through the season. He doesn't like the coverage/direction the beat has taken.

    Your editor made you a backup. You're a little ticked off, but you go along with it. Now, the draft is coming up in a month or so and you don't know what your role is going to be.

    Would you ask your editor if he plans to put you back on the Giants beat? After all, like Osi (no offense), but you're getting a little older and you don't know how many years you have left in this business. And if your editor tells you, sorry Ern, but we're giving the beat to someone else, would you try to find a new job?

    Isn't that what Osi's doing? Yes, his is more public. But let's say Ernie, your editor didn't want to discuss your future, you know you have fans, so might you go on your blog and post a comment about the uncertainty of your future?

    I'm not saying you would necessarily do all this Ernie, but am using you to make a point:

    This is muchado about nothing.

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  9. Osi's a great guy and a great player. He had one bad year, he's upset about it, and people are ready to bury him. Probably the same people who ragged on Strahan whenever he had anything to say.

    I'm old enough to remember a very angry Harry Carson demanding to be traded or else. He wasn't traded, he cooled off, and he's now remembered as one of the great Giant players of all time. Everyone should quit yapping and give Osi a chance to cool off.

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  10. Anonymous, I think that makes only 2 of us that seem to not think that the interview was not that bad. Actually, I don't think it was bad at all.

    What I did think was interesting is that the emphasis placed on starting may have more to do with a contract dictated by how many snaps he must take in order to earn X or Y.

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  11. Osi is a jerkoff. Trade his sorry ass, if we can get more than a fourth-rounder for him.

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  12. For people who are ragging on him now, let's not forget he was a star heading up to the Super bowl and helped us achieve the ulitmate prize. I seem to recall people moaning when he went down in 2008 and we lost him for the season. He wasn't washed up then was he...no we lost a great asset to the team that might have helped us get pass the Eagles in that first playoff game.

    Everyone has got remember he is coming off Knee surgery which usually takes more than a year to recover from. Look at Brady...he was good but no the same great Brady.

    I know he has been mouthing off but he has been nowhere as destructive as Shockey. Shockey was a crybaby galore with no absolutely no class.

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  13. Dan - If you seriously think Osi will get 12-15 sacks a season, I want whatever you're smoking. The guy had two good years. Both were primarily because of Strahan being there drawing double teams and, even with Strahan there, it took a rookie named Justice who was playing in his first game - out of position, mind you - to really make one of those years a success. Other than that it's been mediocre results and injury plagued seasons. The guy simply can't stay healthy long enough to get 15 sacks. Even if he could, I don't think the talent is there. Plus does a sack a game make up for the 100 plus yards of rushing he will give up on his side because he can't stop the run? I don't think so.

    As for the guy who is trying to compare the Carson situation, please!! You're kidding, right? Carson played his heart out every play. He was NEVER a liability on the field. Carson wanted to be traded because the Maras were locked in a family feud and the team was awful for over a decade. Harry just wanted SOMEONE to care about the team half as much as he did. This nonsense with Osi is all about Osi. He's not complaining that management is allowing the team to fail! He hasn't been stuck on a team that was devoid of any talent and couldn't win. It's all about HIM!

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  14. yeah not terrible as interviews go, i understand his point. But I'm dismayed that Francesca couldn't point out his dismal stats against the run, or the fact that the broncos were targeting him for huge gains in the run game, previous to his benching. Way to chicken out Mike.

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  15. What does Strahan being double teamed have to do with Osi's statistics. There're 5 players on the line not including a TE or a RB used to chip. Technically, a team can opt to double team both defensive ends, of course, that would be dependent upon the design of the play itself.

    Listen, Osi is a RDE who's primary objective is to attack the QB's blind side w/o losing containment. There's no doubt that he has failed at this miserably this year. Injury, schemes, offensive adjustments, lack of defensive adjustments, whatever...but the jury just seem so quick to get rid of a player when we have really no better options behind him.

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  16. I think its interesting to contrast Steve Smiths comments and work ethic with Osi's at the moment.....just sayin.

    Chris B.

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  17. Osi produced and was rewarded with a contract for his contributions. Steve Smith has produced and expects the same as indicated by him dropping a lesser known agent for one that is known to get top dollar for his clients.

    So what's your point, Chris B.?

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  18. Osi is a speed rusher who was coming off serious knee surgery, which usually takes at least a year to heal fully. I think he'll be better in 2010.

    Another thing that doesn't get much ink is that for some reason the former D-coordinator often insisted on using Osi in an "under" defensive set (Osi lined up inside the OT, rather than head-up or "over", meaning outside the OT), making it a lot easier for teams to seal Osi inside on runs to the outside (which burned the Giants D plenty in 2009). Also, the former DC called way too many zone-blitzes, having both Osi and Tuck drop back into coverage while LBs blitzed. Great way to take your 2 best pass rushers and turn them into your 2 worst cover-guys.

    Osi is 28 years old. Unless his knee doesn't heal well, he's far from done. And he's always been a good team guy. As others here have said, the interview was nowhere near as bad as it's been portrayed (IMO it's been sensationalized to try to make a bigger story out of it than it is).

    Yeah, Osi is frustrated. How would you like to play on a formerly very good D that gave up 30-40 points per game, be put in the worst-possible defensive alignments for your skill-set, and then get benched on top of that? I wouldn't want to go through that again either.

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  19. Wow, the Osi apologists here are amazing. First to the guy that asked what did Strahan being doubled teamed have to do with it. Wow. Clearly, you never played a down of football in your life. If the RB and TE are tied up on one end, it means you just have one guy to beat to get to the QB. That's a HUGE advantage for any DE! Since the O lineman never knows whether it's a speed rush, a move, or a blitz, if you can't beat one guy every now and then, you're not trying. As for the others that are crying that poor Osi hurt his knee, when he has NOT been hurt? The guy is fragile. It's a recurring story with Osi. He goes down almost every year. 6 seasons - only 2 has he played all 16 games. So Osi is frustrated? Fine. Keep it in house. Is anyone here stupid enough to believe that giving radio interviews and make threats and demands is the smart way to go here? Here's a novel thought, talk to your head coach and NEW defensive coordinator and see what they have to say. Ask for a meeting with Jerry Reese. Hell, ask to talk to Mara himself. Don't whine and don't threaten in public. It undermines the whole team because you single yourself out. It's selfish. Finally, to all of you who don't think it's "so bad", think it out. He is demanding to speak with the Giants management BEFORE even talking to Fewell. BEFORE EVEN TALKING TO FEWELL!!! You didn't like your old boss. You feel he treated you badly. He got fired. But now you announce to the world you won't talk to your new boss until you get a sit down with your company's CEO. Yeah, no problem with that. It's just being "sensationalized". Here's a thought for all of you Osi apologists to ponder, if he refuses to talk to Fewell, how does he know that there's even a problem? Maybe, just maybe, Fewell had planned to use him exactly the way he wanted to be used. Since he refused to show the man the simply courtesy of talking to him before heading the radio station to b***h, he'll never know what was in Fewell's mind before he decided to talk.

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  20. Alright dweez, so what do you suggest? The Giants get rid of him at all costs? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I'm glad you're not running this team -- there'd be nobody left to play. We'd probably have a bunch of 5th and 6th round draft picks each year.

    And by the way, Osi has played 16 games three times (not twice, as you mistakenly said), one year he played 15 games and one year he played 13 games (his rookie season). So, how exactly is this guy injury-prone? He hurt his knee in 2008 and played 11 games in'06. So, two of his eight seasons you could say he was hurt.

    I'm not going to sit here and say Osi is a top-five lineman and indispensable, but don't come on here and say he stinks and needs to go. He's a pass rusher, no he's not great against the run, but you know what, when Osi was being sealed to the inside where was Danny Clark or Antonio Pierce or any linebacker stopping the run?

    When Denver focused solely on running at Osi where was the in-game adjustment?

    But, dweez, you're right, let's completely dismantle the defense because Osi had a bad year. Makes sense.

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  21. Actually, Dan, you will note that NOT ONCE did I say the Giants should "get rid of him" or "dismantle the defense". It's awesome that you make stuff up. If you can't be right, just lie. I think the Giants did, and are doing, the right thing. Let the baby cry. He has NO leverage. Contracts are legally binding and if he wants to walk away from the game, fine. He can't play for two years and he will owe NY a hefty percentage of any signing bonus. Osi quitting is nothing but an idle threat. Even Strahan said those comments were "stupid". As for the number of games he's played, I got those numbers directly from NFL.com. But, hey, you probably know better. The point I have been making, which your diminished reading comprehension skills prevent you from absorbing, is the guy is behaving like an ass. Clowns like you are saying, "It's not so bad!". You're wrong. It is. It's the whole "woe is me", "I'm the victim" garbage which sends a definite message to all his teammates that Osi is all about Osi, not the team. This is Shockey all over again. Do you honestly think Tuck who played almost the whole year with a torn shoulder wants to hear Osi's demands? Does Eli, who went out there on one foot? They just did their jobs best they could and played. I'm sure Tuck was no fan of Sheridan, either, but he's not playing "victim" and making ridiculous statements on the radio is he? Tuck has the common sense to realize that last year was a disaster but it's over, Sheridan is gone, and Fewell is in. Plus, since Osi has NOT given Fewell the common courtesy of talking to the man BEFORE complaining, Osi really has NO idea how Fewell had planned to use him, does he? For all Osi knows, Fewell was ready to give Osi everything he wanted. Even my nine year old knows enough that he waits to see what a new teacher at school is like before he says anything. Unless the knee was the source of his problems, Osi IS a part-time player. Whether he likes it or not. What Osi and you can't comprehend, is it's not his call. If he still has it, he'll be on the field. Coughlin's no fool and hasn't shown himself to be a vindictive man. If he doesn't have it, he's a role player. It's really that simple. What Osi doesn't get, is all the complaining in the world won't change that. It's counterproductive, it's childish behavior, and it alienates every guy on the team that breaks his a** and says nothing - in other words all the guys who act like professionals. Were there other guys that let the team down and didn't play up to standards? Sure. Pretty much the whole team. But they aren't on the radio threatening to quit and refusing to meet with Fewell until they talk to upper management are they? No, only one guy is doing that. While some other players also failed on the field, some even more than Osi did, they are at least intelligent enough to keep their mouths shut. There's a lot to be said for being humble after a season like that. Too bad, Osi just doesn't get that.

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