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More moves; Giants.com
Topic Started: Dec 27 2005, 05:28 PM (61 Views)
BlueSunday
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Tempting though it was, Nick Greisen did not wear a sticker on his practice jersey today that said, “Hello, My name is Nick.”

The introductions continued for the Giants linebackers today. They signed their second new backer in as many days, and their third in two weeks. Today’s arrival was Jay Foreman, a seven-year pro who has played for Buffalo and Houston. He joins Kevin Lewis, the former Giants starter who was re-signed yesterday, and 15-year veteran Roman Phifer, who joined the club last week.

The Giants also brought back running back Mike Cloud.

Today's moves were made after the Giants put linebacker Carlos Emmons (pectoral muscle) and running back Derrick Ward (groin) on injured reserve. Another linebacker, Chase Blackburn, was placed on IR yesterday with a neck sprain suffered last Saturday in Washington.

The Giants linebacker corps has undergone a complete transformation. Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, a first alternate to the Pro Bowl, remains out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain he suffered at Philadelphia on Dec. 11. Barrett Green briefly played in one game before going on IR on Oct. 26 with knee and ankle injuries. Now Emmons is done for the year. And his replacement, Reggie Torbor, didn’t practice today because of a hamstring injury he suffered against the Redskins.

So who’s left? Well, there’s Greisen, who has been the starter for 12 weeks at weakside backer. He practiced all week at middle linebacker prior to the Dec. 17 game against Kansas City, but had to move over to the weak side when Emmons was an unexpected and late scratch. Blackburn stepped into the middle, but he is gone.

Alonzo Jackson, signed the day Green was placed on IR, saw his most extensive playing time at Washington and had four tackles (two solo). Phifer played but recorded no stats against the Skins. Lewis and rookie Eric Moore, who has played only on special teams, complete the current list of healthy linebackers.

The most important question is who will play in Saturday’s regular season finale at Oakland, a game in which the Giants can clinch the NFC East title and secure a home game in the first round of the playoffs?

“We will find out by the end of the week,” coach Tom Coughlin said.

Asked if he was taking a “wait-and-see” approach, Coughlin said, “I’m not going to, but on telling you, I’m going to, yes.”

Not surprisingly, Coughlin did not dwell on the spate of injuries that have hit the linebackers.

“I think that is football,” Coughlin said. “I have seen that many times. I can remember in training camp we had no tackles. It just seems to be football in that way. If you have an area that seems to have an injury or two, then watch out.”

No matter who plays, it will be a group of linebackers unaccustomed to playing with each other and, perhaps, hardly knowing each other.

“It’s going to be lot of learning – that’s what has to happen,” Greisen said. “The more they (the newcomers) learn, the better off we’re going to be. It’s great to have Kevin back. He’s been in the system and can play all the positions as well. It takes a little bit more pressure off me.”

“I think Kevin is a unique guy in that he knows this system,” Coughlin said. “It won’t take him long to be on the same page from a language standpoint. Kevin is a physical guy. He has been very fortunate in that his body has responded well to the NFL in terms of being able to play in the middle and really have little or no injuries. We are counting on that being a factor again.”

Lewis has not played football since the Giants released him on Sept. 3. He has been working out regularly at his home in Charleston, S.C. in the hope that some team would call.

“I’m happy to be playing again and happy to see a lot of the guys that I played with for a while,” Lewis said. “We had a bit of a reunion.

“It was difficult sitting at home. You get used to the regimen, the routine, the whole thing. To be sitting there, knowing you’re able and capable – you want to get back out there.”

Foreman does not have the advantage of knowing the defense.

“Foreman has to learn fast,” Coughlin said. “He will be a backup linebacker in those inside positions and he will have to play on special teams, as will Kevin Lewis. He has to have an accelerated learning pattern here. In the next couple days he will be spending a lot of time here.”

Foreman, 6-1 and 242 pounds, is a seven-year veteran who has played for Buffalo (1999-2001) and Houston (2002-04). He was in training camp with the Oakland Raiders this summer, but was released on Sept. 3.

In his first six seasons, he played in 81 games with 62 starts and amassed 356 tackles (213 solo) and 4.5 sacks. In 2004, he started 11 games at inside linebacker for the Texans – stretching his streak to 42 consecutive starts - and finished with 102 tackles and a fumble recovery. He finished the season on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain.

Foreman, who played collegiate football at Nebraska, was the Bills’ fifth-round draft choice in 1999, 156th overall selection. His father is Chuck Foreman, who played running back for the Minnesota Vikings from 1973-79 and the Patriots in 1980.

NOTES

• Cloud, also a seven-year veteran, begins his second tour of duty with the Giants. He played 10 games for the team in 2004, when he rushed for 90 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, caught one pass and averaged 21.9 yards on eight kickoff returns.

The 5-10, 205-pounder was with the Giants in training camp this year and was released on Sept. 3. Cloud has had two short stints with the New England Patriots this season, the first from Nov. 4 to Nov. 29 and the second from Dec. 2 to Dec. 13. In six games, he had 23 carries for 59 yards, with a long run of 15.

Cloud entered the NFL as a second-round draft choice by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1999. He played four years in Kansas City and earned a Super Bowl ring with the 2003 Patriots before signing with the Giants on Sept. 6, 2004.

“After training camp, I didn’t think it would take as long as it did (to hook on with another team),” Cloud said. “Unfortunately, it happened that way. But I kept my mind focused and stayed in shape.

“It feels good to be back. It’s good to see all the faces again. When I was here before I felt very comfortable. The transition coming back here has been pretty smooth. So I feel pretty good. I feel very confident.”

Coughlin was asked if Cloud will replace Ward as Tiki Barber’s primary back, or if rookie Brandon Jacobs will get the job.

“What we would probably do there would be to use people in different ways, trying to assess their strengths and how best they can help us,” Coughlin said. “So it would probably be on a play-by-play basis.”

Punt and kickoff returner Chad Morton is also in the mix.

"He is our fourth running back and he is also, on Sunday, our fifth receiver,” Coughlin said.

• Ward, a second-year pro, is the Giants’ second-leading rusher this season, with 123 yards on 35 carries. Last season at Washington, he returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. On Saturday in the same stadium, he was forced from the game after injuring his groin.

• Coughlin said Emmons faces a lengthy recovery, but does not currently need surgery.

Emmons suffered his pectoral injury against Denver on Oct. 23. He missed the next three games – against Washington, San Francisco and Minnesota – before returning for the Nov. 20 victory over Philadelphia. He played four games in a row, but a recurrence of the injury made Emmons a surprise addition to the inactive list prior to the Kansas City game on Dec. 17. He was also inactive last week at Washington.

“He practiced (prior to the Kansas City game),” Coughlin said. “Right now you are not real physical in practice, so he knew that he had re-injured it to a certain extent. He did not know how much. He practiced the week and didn’t get better. It didn’t get any stronger and was concerned about it, as was the medical staff, and then at a late hour the decision was made that it would be difficult for him to defend himself if he were to play.”

• Tackle Kareem McKenzie (hamstring) and defensive tackle William Joseph (ankle), who missed the last two-plus games, returned to practice today.

In addition to Pierce and Torbor, tight end Jeremy Shockey (ankle) and wide receiver Tim Carter (hip) did not practice.

• Cloud will wear jersey No. 30, Lewis will wear No. 44 and Foreman will wear No. 96.
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BlueHeart
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Cloud's back, too?

Glad to see I'm not the only one getting frustrated with Morton's lack of hustle.
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TAT2DGIANT
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FLAT LEAVER IN THE HIGHEST .. FLORIDAS NEWEST MAN WHORE
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BlueHeart
Dec 27 2005, 07:09 PM
Cloud's back, too?

Glad to see I'm not the only one getting frustrated with Morton's lack of hustle.

Agreed even in Madden 2006 he sucks ass ..lol
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BlueHeart
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:lol:
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BlueSunday
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Quote:
 
Mike Garafolo, of the Star-Ledger, reports New York Giants rookie CB Corey Webster will start at cornerback in the team's Week 17 game in place of ineffective CB Curtis Deloatch. Deloatch would then be relegated to nickel and dime duty



From KFFL


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BlueHeart
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Works for me. :yes:
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keira
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TAT2DGIANT
Dec 28 2005, 11:23 AM
BlueHeart
Dec 27 2005, 07:09 PM
Cloud's back, too?

Glad to see I'm not the only one getting frustrated with Morton's lack of hustle.

Agreed even in Madden 2006 he sucks ass ..lol

LMAO!
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TAT2DGIANT
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FLAT LEAVER IN THE HIGHEST .. FLORIDAS NEWEST MAN WHORE
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keira
Dec 28 2005, 02:02 PM
TAT2DGIANT
Dec 28 2005, 11:23 AM
BlueHeart
Dec 27 2005, 07:09 PM
Cloud's back, too?

Glad to see I'm not the only one getting frustrated with Morton's lack of hustle.

Agreed even in Madden 2006 he sucks ass ..lol

LMAO!

wanna play???? :ny: :whistle:
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