With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet The ... Team that wants you to believe they can win with anybody. That's right, it's the system and not the players. The Giants shed a bulk of their offense in the offseason, some by choice, others ... well not so much. Their franchise QB bid farewell to his top receiving options and a key running back bolted for free agency.
Yet, let's not worry too much. The Giants still have a monster with Brandon Jacobs, a ball-hawking defense that thrives on pressure, and some potential budding stars on offense. Will Eli shake off the tough offseason and put up those solid and consistent numbers we all crave? Well, maybe. Yeah, that's a good theme for owning most of this Giants offense. Do you trust (fill-in-the blank) ... "well, maybe."
Plaxico Burress' immediate future remains uncertain -- there's still a decent chance he spends some time in the clink -- but this much is clear: the Giants have moved on. They released Plax in early April, and then used two of their first four draft picks on wide receivers at the end of the month. The Giants selected Hakeem Nicks 29th overall, and took Ramses Barden two rounds later.
Both are big receivers -- Nicks, 6-1, 215, has been compared to Anquan Boldin; Barden, 6-6, 226, is more physically similar to Burress -- but rookie wideouts are notoriously slow to transition to the NFL, sometimes taking two or three years to get acclimated. There are exceptions -- Dwayne Bowe and Marques Colston come to mind -- but I don't think the Giants are expecting Pro Bowl-type performances from Nicks or Barden next season.
Instead of trading a bunch of draft picks for either Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards, the Giants elected to address the need to replace Plaxico Burress via draft. Nicks is a solid possession receiver and should see the field with regularity in 2009. Of course, the Giants have spent several draft picks on receiver in recent years -- Steve Smith (2nd round), Sinorice Moss (2nd), Mario Manningham (3rd) -- and they also added Domenik Hixon, so it's really tough to tell how everything shakes out as of now.
They'll be hoping Nicks develops into their go-to guy in the future, but the transition to that role in the pros will take more than a season. Let's check out the fantasy spin on the passing game after the jump.
There's a buzz growing around this year's trade deadline. After the busiest offseason of trade activity ever, there were still a lot of long-lingering rumors that have been growing on the vine through six weeks of the season. Now, with the trade deadline upon us, there seems to be a genuine feeling (or is it just hope?) that this deadline will be unlike the many dormant ones that have come before. Well, it's not going to happen. As far as movement is concerned, this deadline will be less Phil being taken out at a gas station and more Tony enjoying Journey over onion rings.
Regardless, here's a look at which players have the most trade-deadline buzz:
Tony Gonzalez: The new Jason Taylor (active Hall-of-Famer seeks new team with legitimate championship hopes) wants to be a veteran leader on a Lombardi team instead of a veteran leader teaching kids how to play pro football. The Chiefs claim that they're willing to oblige for the right price, but is the right price really the third-rounder they're reportedly asking for? I take it the answer is no, since the Giants, the team most heavily in pursuit of Gonzo, are offering a sixth-rounder. This seems like the perfect opportunity to employ conditional picks to protect both sides, but Carl Peterson has never been a GM really willing to play ball, and at this point I think the "willingness" to do what's right for Gonzalez is conjecture.
In recent years, the Giants have good success with finding competent pass catchers to surround Eli Manning. Off-field baggage aside, Jeremy Shockey was among the league's best tight ends, and Plaxico Burress quickly became a favorite target when he arrived in 2005. And there's Amani Toomer and most recently, 2007 second-rounderSteve Smith.
One player who has had yet to fulfill the promise the Giants envisioned when they drafted him in '06 is Sinorice Moss. The former University of Miami star has had an uneven NFL career, and his biggest professional accomplishment to date is that his brother happens to be Santana.
"I mean, honestly, I don't know what to think about [being the only active player not to play against the Rams]," Moss told the Daily News Friday. "I'm going to keep working and stay positive, like I've been since Day 1. And when that times come, just be a humble person and go out there and shine." ...
"I haven't spoken to anyone about being traded," Moss said. "That's not even on my mind. My mind is to do what I have to do for the team, and when I get my opportunities, make some plays. I would love to be here. This is where I want to be."
Man, Andre Woodson has had a tough go of it, dating back to the Senior Bowl when his draft stock commenced downward spiral. At one time thought to be a first-round pick, the former Kentucky star fell to the Giants in the sixth round, proceeded to struggle mightily during the preseason, and now finds himself released.
According to the Star-LedgerGiants blog, Woodson and backup Anthony Wright didn't make the final cut, which means that ... wait, what? David Carr is the only other quarterback on the roster after Eli Manning? Really? Wow, that's a lot of faith in the Giants offensive line and Elisha's ability to take a hit.
In any event, New York will probably try to sneak Woodson onto the practice squad, which should be pretty easy given the glut of mediocre quarterbacks currently flooding the market.
In other Giants personnel news, both R.W. McQuarters and Sam Madison made the roster despite speculation that one or both of the cornerbacks might be on the wrong side of the final 53 today. Sinorice Moss, the team's 2006 second-round pick, also avoided the Turk, which probably had a lot to do with New York releasing Brandon London.
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Quarterback: Who would have thought a year ago that the perception of Eli Manning would have changed so drastically? That's what happens when you win a Super Bowl. But can you really expect Manning to be as precise as he was during that improbable championship run? Either the light finally went on for Manning, or he simply found a zone. Or a combination of the two. Last year was a step forward, for sure, but I expect Eli Manning v.2008 to resemble something in between the lows and highs of the two Eli Mannings circa 2007. Still, that's good enough to win games. What isn't good enough to win games is David Carr, the team's new backup, so Manning better stay upright for all 16. Heat Index: 7
Running back: The Giants found out exactly how critical depth at running back is, and they also found out that they luckily have it. Great contributions came from Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Derrick Ward, and Reuben Droughns. Danny Ware will likely take Droughns' place this year, but the team is still set in the backfield. Jacobs' combination of speed and power is pretty unstoppable, and while punishing backs don't typically have long shelf lives, Jacobs is in his prime now if he stays healthy this year. Heat Index: 8
Coughlin's message ... was simple and resounding - "Team over self is why we win" - and, asked if Shockey's inability to adhere to that mantra was a factor in the trade, he admitted, "I am sure at some point in time that was part of the consideration."
Coughlin's right, of course, and he points out the obvious in about as harmless a way as one could expect. And although Shockey is a top-5 NFL tight end, I'm not sure the Giants will miss his on-field production particularly when you take into account his off-field bellyaching.
Of course, this assumes second-year tight end Kevin Boss will be able to replicate his surprisingly successful rookie season, or that other downfield threats -- Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, and Mario Manningham come to mind -- pick up the slack.
Whatever happens, the Giants and their fans have moved on. While I think the Saints are even more explosive with Shockey catching passes from Drew Brees, New York made out alright, too, getting a second- and fifth-round pick in the trade. And one less distraction.
Hear that? It's the pitter-patter of fantasy football season approaching. Fantasy FanHouse is here to get you ready by previewing every team from a fantasy perspective.
Meet The ... David who slayed Goliath ... and you know how that goes in the world of fantasy football. At least you should. The residue of a strong post-season run by a team almost certainly means several players are going to be overrated the next fantasy season. I'm looking right at you, Thomas Jones. So the question with the Giants is, can you look past the post-season and judge flatly on what you think they'll do in this regular season? Imagine the Giants had lost in the first round at Tampa Bay. Now judge their fantasy players. That should be an accurate rating system. For example, settle down about Eli Manning. Sure, you can believe he's taken a giant (pun unintended, but I'm keeping the word choice) step forward in terms of maturity and taking care of the football. You also should remember that 13 QBs outscored him in fantasy points in '07. His last name doesn't do him any favors either. Hypnotize yourself into believing that Eli Smith lost in the first round to the Bucs. Now do you like him as a top ten QB? Me neither.
There is no denying it now; the injury bug that has plagued the Giants for the last four seasons is back.
After a relatively healthy start to the year, New York suddenly finds themselves riddled with damning injuries that could spell disaster from here on out.
In addition to Brandon Jacobs, who will miss his second consecutive game due to a hamstring injury, the Giants are likely to be without safety Gibril Wilson (knee), cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring) and wide receiver Plaxico Burress (ankle/knee) tomorrow against the Chicago Bears.
Wilson and Ross are both listed as doubtful, with Burress securing his normal place on the injury report under "questionable."
Rookie Michael Johnson is the leading candidate to replace Wilson at safety, while R.W. McQuarters would get the starting nod against his former team if Ross doesn't make an amazing 24-hour recovering. Additionally, Sinorice Moss would replace Plax if he does end up missing his first game of the season.
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all. 
Plaxico Burress
Instead of trading a bunch of draft picks for either 
There's a buzz growing around this year's trade deadline. After the busiest offseason of trade activity ever, there were still a lot of long-lingering rumors that have been growing on the vine through six weeks of the season. Now, with the trade deadline upon us, there seems to be a genuine feeling (or is it just hope?) that this deadline will be unlike the many dormant ones that have come before. Well, it's not going to happen. As far as movement is concerned, this deadline will be less 
In recent years, the Giants have good success with finding competent pass catchers to surround 
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, 
Hear that? It's the pitter-patter of fantasy football season approaching. 
There is no denying it now; the injury bug that has plagued the Giants for the last four seasons is back.
