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Giants' Steve Smith feels no paing in surgically repaired knee, but has concerns
BY Ebenezer Samuel
Steve Smith says he feels no pain in his surgically repaired left knee. He says his rehab from December’s microfracture surgery is on schedule, and that he could be running by May.
But the Giants’ wideout also admits he has concerns. He said Thursday that when he returns, he may need to alter his style, compensating for his knee.
“It’s a serious injury,” Smith said. “... I’ve got to wait and see til I’m done running. Probably I’m going to have to change a little bit this year, so we’ll see.”
Smith was at Chelsea Piers with former Giant Michael Strahan and Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, promoting Vaseline Men's new online computer game at keepyourgripchallenge.com.
All three also did drills with children beforehand. Even then, Smith avoided running and cutting, so while he said he was fine, his actions showed otherwise. He said that he recently started “pretty boring” rehab drills, hitting the stationary bike and running in a pool. He wants to run, he said, but he knows better. The nature of microfracture surgery is tricky. An athlete's knee will often feel better shortly after surgery, but the healing process still takes a few months.
Last season, Smith watched teammate Kenny Phillips try to return from a similar injury. The safety played through the season, but he struggled to regain his explosion.
“It looked like to me on a couple plays the old Kenny probably would have got an interception or a big hit,” Smith said. “Hopefully, he’ll come around.
“I feel like I can (run),” Smith added. “But they tell me to take it slow.”
All of this explains why Smith isn’t against the Giants trying to bring back Plaxico Burress. The one-time Giants star will be released from prison in June and Strahan has been lobbying for Burress to return to Big Blue. Thursday, Strahan said that if he were running things and Burress was released at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, "He'd be a Giant by 4:05." Smith bristled ever-so-slightly at the idea that the Giants need Burress. But he also recognizes that depth is not a bad thing.
“We’ve got a lot of talent at wide receiver anyway, so either way I think we’ll be all right,” Smith said. “But it’s a long season. Guys get hurt. So you can never have enough quality players.”
***
Smith also got a bit wound up - albeit rather jokingly - when I suggested that he wasn't a speedster. I asked him if the fact that he's known more his route-running than his speed might help him when he returns, since he won't rely on pure speed. To which he said "We'll need to see."
Then, he added, "I'll race all of you when I get healthy."
Smith may get his speed back, but he might want to work on his videogame football. He finished last in yesterday's little videogame duel with Gonzalez and Strahan. Gonzalez won the game.
****
Giants tackle David Diehl has heard the rumors of Big Blue considering an offensive tackle in the upcoming NFL Draft (Boston College's Anthony Costanzo, anyone?). But Diehl said he doesn't mind, especially after the Giants line was decimated by injuries in 2010.
"Our offensive line last year showed with all the injuries, guys coming off the injuries this season," Diehl said."We're really going to need guys to step in and help out and play different roles for us. It's a competition just like any other."
Of course, the fiercely competitive Diehl added that the hamstring injury that slowed him last year is now a non-issue.
"I just know right now physically and mentally I'm 100%," Diehl said, adding that the hamstring injury that slowed him last year is now a non-issue. "I'm running. I'm squatting. I'm doing everything I can."
BY Ebenezer Samuel
Steve Smith says he feels no pain in his surgically repaired left knee. He says his rehab from December’s microfracture surgery is on schedule, and that he could be running by May.
But the Giants’ wideout also admits he has concerns. He said Thursday that when he returns, he may need to alter his style, compensating for his knee.
“It’s a serious injury,” Smith said. “... I’ve got to wait and see til I’m done running. Probably I’m going to have to change a little bit this year, so we’ll see.”
Smith was at Chelsea Piers with former Giant Michael Strahan and Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, promoting Vaseline Men's new online computer game at keepyourgripchallenge.com.
All three also did drills with children beforehand. Even then, Smith avoided running and cutting, so while he said he was fine, his actions showed otherwise. He said that he recently started “pretty boring” rehab drills, hitting the stationary bike and running in a pool. He wants to run, he said, but he knows better. The nature of microfracture surgery is tricky. An athlete's knee will often feel better shortly after surgery, but the healing process still takes a few months.
Last season, Smith watched teammate Kenny Phillips try to return from a similar injury. The safety played through the season, but he struggled to regain his explosion.
“It looked like to me on a couple plays the old Kenny probably would have got an interception or a big hit,” Smith said. “Hopefully, he’ll come around.
“I feel like I can (run),” Smith added. “But they tell me to take it slow.”
All of this explains why Smith isn’t against the Giants trying to bring back Plaxico Burress. The one-time Giants star will be released from prison in June and Strahan has been lobbying for Burress to return to Big Blue. Thursday, Strahan said that if he were running things and Burress was released at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, "He'd be a Giant by 4:05." Smith bristled ever-so-slightly at the idea that the Giants need Burress. But he also recognizes that depth is not a bad thing.
“We’ve got a lot of talent at wide receiver anyway, so either way I think we’ll be all right,” Smith said. “But it’s a long season. Guys get hurt. So you can never have enough quality players.”
***
Smith also got a bit wound up - albeit rather jokingly - when I suggested that he wasn't a speedster. I asked him if the fact that he's known more his route-running than his speed might help him when he returns, since he won't rely on pure speed. To which he said "We'll need to see."
Then, he added, "I'll race all of you when I get healthy."
Smith may get his speed back, but he might want to work on his videogame football. He finished last in yesterday's little videogame duel with Gonzalez and Strahan. Gonzalez won the game.
****
Giants tackle David Diehl has heard the rumors of Big Blue considering an offensive tackle in the upcoming NFL Draft (Boston College's Anthony Costanzo, anyone?). But Diehl said he doesn't mind, especially after the Giants line was decimated by injuries in 2010.
"Our offensive line last year showed with all the injuries, guys coming off the injuries this season," Diehl said."We're really going to need guys to step in and help out and play different roles for us. It's a competition just like any other."
Of course, the fiercely competitive Diehl added that the hamstring injury that slowed him last year is now a non-issue.
"I just know right now physically and mentally I'm 100%," Diehl said, adding that the hamstring injury that slowed him last year is now a non-issue. "I'm running. I'm squatting. I'm doing everything I can."
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Microfracture surgery is bad news for anybody much less a pro athlete. More often than not this is a death sentence to their pro careers sooner rather than later. ACL use to be the dreaded fear for athletes but cartilage defects / microfracture surgery surpass it due to the long term ramifications it can have on an athletes knee joint.
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If he didnt play for the vagiants, i would say that sux dude but since he does, ****'em.
C
Cr122
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Giants-Redskins will play on 9/11 in D.C.
Giants-Redskins will play on 9/11 in D.C.
Posted by Mike Florio on April 19, 2011, 4:35 PM EDT
The first Sunday of the 2011 NFL season lands on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. And the Jets will be hosting a prime time game on that evening against the Cowboys.
Earlier in the day, the other New York team will play against the team from the other city that suffered destruction and devastation on 9/11.
Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports that the Giants will visit the Redskins on September 11, and that the league will honor the victims of the New York and D.C. tragedies at that time.
Giants-Redskins will play on 9/11 in D.C.
Posted by Mike Florio on April 19, 2011, 4:35 PM EDT
The first Sunday of the 2011 NFL season lands on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. And the Jets will be hosting a prime time game on that evening against the Cowboys.
Earlier in the day, the other New York team will play against the team from the other city that suffered destruction and devastation on 9/11.
Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports that the Giants will visit the Redskins on September 11, and that the league will honor the victims of the New York and D.C. tragedies at that time.
C
Cr122
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Ayuh, I love the first week already.
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me too, until the Jets stomp us.
C
Cr122
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:hand
Bob Sacamano
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Oh ye of little ball sacks.
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Eli Manning’s peers don’t think he’s a Top 100 player
Eli Manning’s peers don’t think he’s a Top 100 player
Posted by Michael David Smith on May 24, 2011, 2:07 PM EDT
In an offseason without much else going on, NFL Network is filling some time and providing fodder for endless arguments by slowly revealing a list of the 100 best active players in the NFL, as voted on by their fellow players. And one name that’s not on the list is raising some eyebrows: Eli Manning.
Pat Kirwan takes up for Manning in a column at NFL.com, noting that Manning has a Super Bowl MVP, a 4-3 postseason record and a lifetime 64-46 record. That’s the argument in favor.
The argument against is that Manning is coming off a season in which he threw an NFL-high 25 interceptions. Leading the league in picks isn’t the best way to convince your peers that you’re an elite player.
Based on the list as it’s been revealed so far, what we’ve really seen is that NFL players aren’t particularly good at making objective assessments of their peers. That’s not a big surprise.
But as for Eli Manning in particular, we’ll let PFT Planet hash it out in the comments — was this a glaring omission, or the right call
Eli Manning’s peers don’t think he’s a Top 100 player
Posted by Michael David Smith on May 24, 2011, 2:07 PM EDT
In an offseason without much else going on, NFL Network is filling some time and providing fodder for endless arguments by slowly revealing a list of the 100 best active players in the NFL, as voted on by their fellow players. And one name that’s not on the list is raising some eyebrows: Eli Manning.
Pat Kirwan takes up for Manning in a column at NFL.com, noting that Manning has a Super Bowl MVP, a 4-3 postseason record and a lifetime 64-46 record. That’s the argument in favor.
The argument against is that Manning is coming off a season in which he threw an NFL-high 25 interceptions. Leading the league in picks isn’t the best way to convince your peers that you’re an elite player.
Based on the list as it’s been revealed so far, what we’ve really seen is that NFL players aren’t particularly good at making objective assessments of their peers. That’s not a big surprise.
But as for Eli Manning in particular, we’ll let PFT Planet hash it out in the comments — was this a glaring omission, or the right call
H
Hostile
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Giants WR corps is division's best
By Dan Graziano
Yeah, it's close. Frankly, I think it's a lot closer than the early voting on our Fired-up Friday poll indicates. I'm thinking maybe the Eagles fans all got to the poll first and the gap will close as Cowboys and Giants fans work to help their teams catch up. But when I look at the wide receiver groups in the NFC East and rank them, it goes like this.
1. Giants
2. Cowboys
3. Eagles
The Redskins really aren't even in the discussion, and that shouldn't offend anyone. These other three teams have receiving corps that rank among the best in football, and picking between them is probably nothing more than a matter of taste.
I went with the Giants because I think the three guys we're talking about -- Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham -- fit their roles so perfectly. Nicks is the big, sure-handed downfield and red-zone target, a young but supremely skilled receiver who, I believe, will be talked about a year from now as the best receiver in the division. Smith is the possession man, Eli Manning's super-reliable safety net and short-yardage target. Those 100 catches two years ago were no fluke. That's who a healthy Smith is. (A healthy Smith, I said, yes. We'll get to that in a second.) And Manningham is the home-run threat -- a clear No. 3, but a No. 3 with incredible potential on any given play.
The only thing holding me back on this pick was of course health, as Smith's knee injury makes him a question mark for the upcoming season and Nicks has missed games due to injury in each of his first two seasons. But I decided to take injuries out of the equation for purposes of these rankings and rank them the way I'd rank them if each group were fully healthy. You're welcome to factor health into your rankings. We each apply our own standards.
Matt Williamson, when he did this a while back, took the Cowboys, and he told me this morning he stands by his rankings. Matt just thinks Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are too incredibly gifted to pass up for the top spot, and that Roy Williams as a No. 3 is no slouch. I agree that Bryant has what Williamson calls "jaw-dropping" talent, but he worries me for other reasons. And while I think Austin is the best overall WR in the division right now, he did have a down year and I think Nicks will pass him in 2011 if he stays healthy and they, you know, have a season.
As for the Eagles... hey, I love what DeSean Jackson brings, and I'm a huge fan of Jeremy Maclin's speed. But I can't buy Jackson as a true No. 1 when he only caught 47 passes last year and, as Williamson points out, caught three or fewer in half of his team's games. Could Jackson be an 85-catch guy? Sure. And if he were, and he were producing over those 85 catches at the same rate at which he produces over 45, he'd be a Hall of Famer. But the fact is, he's not catching 85 balls a year. And as brilliant as he is with the ball in his hands, it's just not in his hands enough for me to value him and the rest of this crew over what they have in Dallas and New York. Maclin is coming on strong and could emerge as the No. 1 in Philly before long. Jason Avant, for me, ranks third among the No. 3 WRs in this discussion. So as I said, it's close, but for me the Eagles run third in this race.
So that's my take on it. Hope you guys are enjoying it. Keep at it, keep voting and TRY to play nice.
By Dan Graziano
Yeah, it's close. Frankly, I think it's a lot closer than the early voting on our Fired-up Friday poll indicates. I'm thinking maybe the Eagles fans all got to the poll first and the gap will close as Cowboys and Giants fans work to help their teams catch up. But when I look at the wide receiver groups in the NFC East and rank them, it goes like this.
1. Giants
2. Cowboys
3. Eagles
The Redskins really aren't even in the discussion, and that shouldn't offend anyone. These other three teams have receiving corps that rank among the best in football, and picking between them is probably nothing more than a matter of taste.
I went with the Giants because I think the three guys we're talking about -- Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham -- fit their roles so perfectly. Nicks is the big, sure-handed downfield and red-zone target, a young but supremely skilled receiver who, I believe, will be talked about a year from now as the best receiver in the division. Smith is the possession man, Eli Manning's super-reliable safety net and short-yardage target. Those 100 catches two years ago were no fluke. That's who a healthy Smith is. (A healthy Smith, I said, yes. We'll get to that in a second.) And Manningham is the home-run threat -- a clear No. 3, but a No. 3 with incredible potential on any given play.
The only thing holding me back on this pick was of course health, as Smith's knee injury makes him a question mark for the upcoming season and Nicks has missed games due to injury in each of his first two seasons. But I decided to take injuries out of the equation for purposes of these rankings and rank them the way I'd rank them if each group were fully healthy. You're welcome to factor health into your rankings. We each apply our own standards.
Matt Williamson, when he did this a while back, took the Cowboys, and he told me this morning he stands by his rankings. Matt just thinks Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are too incredibly gifted to pass up for the top spot, and that Roy Williams as a No. 3 is no slouch. I agree that Bryant has what Williamson calls "jaw-dropping" talent, but he worries me for other reasons. And while I think Austin is the best overall WR in the division right now, he did have a down year and I think Nicks will pass him in 2011 if he stays healthy and they, you know, have a season.
As for the Eagles... hey, I love what DeSean Jackson brings, and I'm a huge fan of Jeremy Maclin's speed. But I can't buy Jackson as a true No. 1 when he only caught 47 passes last year and, as Williamson points out, caught three or fewer in half of his team's games. Could Jackson be an 85-catch guy? Sure. And if he were, and he were producing over those 85 catches at the same rate at which he produces over 45, he'd be a Hall of Famer. But the fact is, he's not catching 85 balls a year. And as brilliant as he is with the ball in his hands, it's just not in his hands enough for me to value him and the rest of this crew over what they have in Dallas and New York. Maclin is coming on strong and could emerge as the No. 1 in Philly before long. Jason Avant, for me, ranks third among the No. 3 WRs in this discussion. So as I said, it's close, but for me the Eagles run third in this race.
So that's my take on it. Hope you guys are enjoying it. Keep at it, keep voting and TRY to play nice.
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I would agree with this assessment. Giants receivers are damn good.
LAZARUS_LOGAN
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Graziano is being hypocritical. One instance he says this:
And then he states:
We can all assume that is his off-field antics which has nothing to do with his play on the field, and should not be taken into account like injuries.
Here the thing with these rankings. What if the Giants had a TE like Witten on their team as opposed to Boss and assuming that the Giants used Witten in the same manner the Cowboys do? What would the Giants' WRs numbers be? Boss had 42 receptions and accounted for 12% of the total Giants' receptions, compared to Witten who had 94 receptions ---more than twice Boss', and Witten accounted for 24.8% of completed passes by the Cowboys.
What would the Cowboys' WRs' numbers would be if those 52 extra passes that Witten has over Boss, were divided among the rest of the WRs, bamely the three: Austin, Dez, and Williams?
And let's also take into account, how these Giants WRs would have fared if they had to play with their second-string QB for half a season, like the Cowboys.
And then he states:
We can all assume that is his off-field antics which has nothing to do with his play on the field, and should not be taken into account like injuries.
Here the thing with these rankings. What if the Giants had a TE like Witten on their team as opposed to Boss and assuming that the Giants used Witten in the same manner the Cowboys do? What would the Giants' WRs numbers be? Boss had 42 receptions and accounted for 12% of the total Giants' receptions, compared to Witten who had 94 receptions ---more than twice Boss', and Witten accounted for 24.8% of completed passes by the Cowboys.
What would the Cowboys' WRs' numbers would be if those 52 extra passes that Witten has over Boss, were divided among the rest of the WRs, bamely the three: Austin, Dez, and Williams?
And let's also take into account, how these Giants WRs would have fared if they had to play with their second-string QB for half a season, like the Cowboys.
sbk92
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I'm tired of this topic.
One thing is clear, the NFC East has the best WRs in the league.
Even Washington might have added one with Hankerson this year. But the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants are loaded for bear at the position. I like our depth better than Philly's. I like our starters a tad better than the Giants'.
One thing is clear, the NFC East has the best WRs in the league.
Even Washington might have added one with Hankerson this year. But the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants are loaded for bear at the position. I like our depth better than Philly's. I like our starters a tad better than the Giants'.
LAZARUS_LOGAN
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BTW.. this is an NFL writer here saying that D Jag isn't even a true number 1 starter, let alone the best WR in the division. Show some respect for your superior.