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Lewis signed; Blackburn done
Topic Started: Dec 26 2005, 01:44 PM (72 Views)
BlueSunday
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Adios Muchachos
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Monday, December 26, 2005
BY MIKE GARAFOLO
Star-Ledger Staff
The Giants have signed free-agent linebacker Kevin Lewis and placed Chase Blackburn on injured reserve, according to two people familiar with the team's personnel moves.

The team called Blackburn's injury that he suffered in Saturday's loss to the Redskins a sprained neck. One person said he suffered no serious damage, but cannot play the rest of the year.

Lewis started all 16 games in the middle for the Giants last year, but was released at the end of the preseason in September. He also played on the outside for the Giants from 2000-03. Lewis signed early this morning and was in the locker room with his teammates a few hours later.

It is unclear if he will play in the middle or on the outside, but his extensive knowledge of the defensive system should allow him to be available for this Saturday's game against the Raiders.

The Giants need all the help they can get with linebackers Antonio Pierce (high-ankle sprain), Carlos Emmons (strained pectoral muscle) and Reggie Torbor (hamstring) battling injuries.

Last week, the Giants worked out Jesse Armstead, who played for the team from 1993-2001


For the clickers...



Ehh......not a terrible decision. We definitely need the help, and the fact that they brought Armstead in for a look last week shows just how nervous they are about the LB situation.
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Swami
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Considering how depleted we are at LB , Lewis makes a lot of sense since he already knows the system. Damn we are hurting in that spot
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Gene
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At least that puts to rest all those rumors of the Giants resigning Armstead.

Oy what a mistake that would have been.
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Rick5
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I can't imagine how Lewis wouldn't play just as well as Blackburn.
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27Hampton
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Nobody outside of NY (all announcers and talking heads included), realize that we're also missing Barrett Green all year. Talk about LB injuries, holy shit. I don't remember anything like this at one position. CB was close a few times, but damn. This will be the death of us this season. Not being able to stop the run.

I agree with Rick, I can't see Lewis being a huge step down from Blackburn.
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Rick5
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I agree Hamp. This LB situation really sucks. If we can't get at least Emmons or Pierce back at full speed in time for the playoffs, we are going to be hard pressed to beat some of the better teams. This really sucks. I think the giants can hang with anyone at full strength, but how many injuries to the same unit could any team take? Our starting LBs should be Green, Pierce, and Emmons, and now we have none of those guys. Unreal.
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10Giants
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Skills wise I agree Lewis is comparable to Blackburn BUT Lewis has been sitting out since being cut which means he will be rusty at least. He can't be in football condition, though hopefully he is in overall good shape.
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KCGirl
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Okay, so I disagree with the title, he's coming here to "save" the Giants. If that's all we got to save us, we're screwed!


Lewis returns to save Giants
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
BY MIKE GARAFOLO
Star-Ledger Staff
In desperate need of help at linebacker, the Giants turned to one of their former players yesterday.

No, it wasn't Jessie Armstead. It was Kevin Lewis, who started all 16 games in the middle for the team last year, but was released on Sept. 3. Now, they might need him to be a starter again for Saturday's game against the Raiders in Oakland.

As first reported by The Star-Ledger on nj.com yesterday afternoon, Lewis was signed to replace Chase Blackburn, who was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. Blackburn suffered a sprained neck in Saturday's loss to the Redskins -- his second start for middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, who is out with a high-ankle sprain.

Blackburn, a rookie free agent from Akron, did not suffer serious damage, but was told he cannot play for the rest of the season, one person with knowledge of his health situation said yesterday.

Blackburn's injury was another in a series of hurts for the Giants' linebackers. Days after Pierce suffered a sprain against the Eagles on Dec. 11, starting outside linebacker Carlos Emmons reaggravated a strained pectoral muscle. Emmons has missed the last two games and coach Tom Coughlin indicated on Sunday he likely won't play this weekend against the Raiders.

In addition, second-year linebacker Reggie Torbor, who has started the last two games on the strong-side, tweaked his hamstring against Washington. That left the Giants with only three healthy linebackers on the roster -- Nick Greisen, Alonzo Jackson and Roman Phifer, who was signed last week after being out of football since February.

Needing experience at linebacker, the Giants dialed up Lewis, 27, on Christmas Day and brought him in to sign yesterday morning. A few hours later, he was back in the locker room he left in September.

After being released, Lewis did not sign with another team but remained in shape. He also continued to watch the Giants' on TV each week. When Pierce and Emmons were injured within a few days of each other, he hoped to be added to the Giants' roster. Instead, the team worked out a group of players that included Phifer and Armstead, who played for the Giants from 1993-2001 but hasn't been active since 2003.

In the end, the 37-year-old Phifer was signed. But even he suffered a setback when he was placed on the injury report after just one day of practice.

Finally, with Blackburn out for the year and the season entering its final week, the Giants turned to Lewis, who beat out Greisen for the starting spot in the middle last year. The only reason he beat out Nick for the spot last year was cause Nick had the hamstring injury in camp, which held him him back.... He certainly played better than Lewis when he returned.)

Lewis was signed as a rookie free agent from Duke in 2000 and played mostly on special teams in seven games. He remained in that role for one more season before making two starts in 2002 -- one in the middle and one on the weak side. The following year, it was back to special teams for much of the season.

But last season, Lewis became a full-time starter for the first time in his career. He was credited with 88 total tackles, one sack and a heads-up fumble recovery against the Vikings that set the tone for a blowout win. While almost all of the players on the field thought the play was an incomplete pass, Lewis realized no whistle had been blown, picked up the loose ball and returned it 16 yards.

That is the kind of alert play the Giants need right now without Pierce and Emmons.

"We're definitely missing Antonio Pierce and Carlos Emmons right now, I can tell you that much," Greisen said after the loss to the Redskins.

Chances are Lewis will start in the middle on Saturday, one person said. It will be a test for him to be the signal caller and vocal leader of a defense he joined five days before his first game. Greisen will likely play the weak side while the strong side remains in question. Torbor's injury could keep him out this week, meaning Phifer or Jackson would start.

The person also said the Giants have thought about bringing back linebacker T.J. Hollowell, who was on their practice squad last year and part of this year. Hollowell is currently on the Bears' practice squad, but could be signed to any team's active roster.

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BlueHeart
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I always liked Lewis. He's no LB-supreme, but, he'll definitely be a helping hand.
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