It's Blackburn -- Probably

There's no telling what a coach might do on gameday, and Tom Coughlin wasn't exactly saying. But Chase Blackburn said he's taken all the snaps at weakside linebacker, ahead of Bryan Kehl, and he's going into the game planning on starting.

Think he's excited?

"No doubt," Blackburn said. "No doubt. It's that I'm getting a chance to play. As long as they tell me I'm in there, I'll play. Same as last year."

Blackburn started nine times on the weakside last year because of injuries to Kehl and Gerris Wilkinson, so he has plenty of experience. While there, he had 45 tackles and a sack.

Maybe that's why they'll start him at weakside while Michael Boley sits out his suspension, after working primarily at his natural middle linebacker position behind starter Antonio Pierce. Blackburn's experience there makes for an easy one-game transition.

"I'm definitely more comfortable," Blackburn said. "I've got a whole year's perspective on that position. And I'm taking all the reps. As long as they tell me to I'm in there, I'll play."
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Here's another tidbit. Coughlin said Aaron Ross is definitely out after missing practice for a second straight day with his hamstring problem. But he thinks Kevin Dockery might be able to go as a nickelback while Terrell Thomas handles the LCB starting duties.

That's might.

If Dockery can't make it, it'll be undrafted rookie Bruce Johnson, the only rookie free agent to make the roster.

"Well, he's made the team," Coughlin said. "Compared to players that we've had in that slot in years past, he's very much in the mix."
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The team elected their captains. Offense picked Eli Manning, defense picked Antonio Pierce, and special teams selected Jeff Feagles. Coughlin said there could be some game captains coming down the road, too.

All were picked with relative ease. Unanimously, in fact. Rumors of a late platform fight by an ultra-conservative faction of linemen were unsubstantiated.

EP