FanHouse ChrisSnee

The AFC and NFC Pro Bowlers were announced a short while ago, and why make some pointless comment you are sure not to laugh at when we can just give you the rosters instead? Here goes.

Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress wants a new contract. Tight end Jeremy Shockey wants a new contract. Running back Brandon Jacobs wants a new contract. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora wants a new contract. More Giants than you know want new contracts.

One Giant just got a new contract: Chris Snee, who signed a deal worth about $7 million a year, which will make him one of the five highest-paid guards in the league.

Snee is a good player and an important part of the defending champion Giants. He's also head coach Tom Coughlin's son-in-law. (That's Snee with wife Kate Coughlin Snee and son Dylan, the coach's grandson.) There must be a few Giants wondering if being the coach's son-in-law helped Snee get his deal done first.

Wouldn't that be an issue where you work? If the company dramatically out-performed expectations, and a lot of employees thought they deserved a raise, and most of them didn't get those raises but the boss's son-in-law did, wouldn't that raise eyebrows? I wonder what Burress, Shockey, Jacobs and Umenyiora think.

Although many New York Giants are still relishing their historic Super Bowl upset of the New England Patriots, several have already begun to think about next year and their contract status with the team.

Jeremy Shockey, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Snee and David Diehl all feel they are in line for new deals, while future free agent Gibril Wilson believes he is now worth over $11 million in guarantees alone.

With New York an estimated $24.47 million under the cap, it would not be difficult for Jerry Reese to re-sign each player to a new deal, but whether or not the team is willing to do that is another story.

There have already been rumors about the Giants' possible interest in trading Shockey, while Wilson seems to be asking for a little more than he's worth. And although both have been key contributors at their respective positions for many years, there is a good chance they both end up wearing new uniforms.

Meanwhile, Umenyiora, Snee and Diehl have all quietly and respectfully earned themselves a big paycheck -- and will most likely receive it.

I approached Giants guard Chris Snee today and started to ask him a question about his father-in-law, Giants coach Tom Coughlin. But I could barely get the first syllable of the word "father" out before he gave me a tired, rehearsed answer.

"Good relationship from day one on and off the field," Snee said, clearly sick of being asked this question.

Snee attended Boston College with Coughlin's daughter and was dating her when the Giants drafted him, and not long after he got married, making his father-in-law his coach. Obviously, that's an interesting story, and one that will be explored ad nauseam when the team it happens on makes the Super Bowl.

And obviously, Snee is sick of it. Coughlin was a little more tolerant of the question, saying, "When we're at work we work. When we're out of the building we're family."

Coughlin also knew that Snee's status as the coach's son-in-law made things tough in the locker room. "The players like to razz him," Coughlin said. "The players like to give him some heat.

To get you ready for week 17, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the New York Giants/New England Patriots preview.

2007 Records:

New York Giants: 10-5 (2nd in NFC East)
New England Patriots: 15-0 (1st in AFC East)

Last Game(s):

Giants 38 - Bills 21
Patriots 28 - Dolphins 7

When the Giants have the ball: Although the numbers don't fully support the theory, the New England Patriots do not have a solid run defense and that's where New York must focus. Although the Pats give up less than 100 yards per game on the ground, it's been proven repeatedly when a team attacks that area, they can move the ball. So if Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants really want to prevent history, they'll have to pound Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw (assuming he plays) all day long in attempt to not only get into the endzone, but to keep Tom Brady and New England's offense off the field.

For only the third time this season, Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense may be forced to alter their approach. Again, that's only assuming the Giants follow the gameplan laid out by the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. If not, New England can just sit back and wait for Eli Manning to make a mistake ... or five.

Defensive end Osi Umenyiora has earned himself a free vacation to Hawaii in February. Unfortunately, he's going alone. The Chief was the only New York Giant named to this year's Pro Bowl.

And while a certain level of congratulations is due, Giants fans have to be steaming mad over some of the snubs. No Michael Strahan? No Chris Snee? No Jeff Feagles? And more importantly, no Justin Tuck?

Honestly, how does Tuck get swept under a rug? Not only did his name fail to appear on the Pro Bowl ballot, he didn't even get a mention when the rosters were announced.

The guy has 10 sacks in a reserve role! He's a third string defensive end in New York, but still puts up better numbers than most NFC starters. Really, where is the justice in that?

Either way, it's nice to see Osi get what he deserves. He's turned himself into one of, if not the best defensive ends in the game. This will be his second Pro Bowl, but certainly not his last.