The way that Jerry Reese and the Giants have treated Osi Umenyiora has not been honorable. If Osi is injury free he will be dominant, but he certainly isn’t getting compensated that way.
On the Osi ordeal I am torn between my disdain for the entire Giant organization and as a lifetime fan.
They have treated Osi poorly as they told him he would have to “make” the team last year and I believe that Reese lied through his a** about Osi’s contract. Consider the fact that Osi is only 29. A defensive end, Charles Johnson, with the same number of sacks is getting $11 million per season! Osi would have taken much less and wanted some respect and at least a healthy raise for his outstanding performance last year. This past season the man had 11 1/2 sacks, he had numerous strip sacks (a total of 10 forced fumbles) and he did what the Giants drafted him to do. A smart organization would showcase this guy’s pass rushing skills. In today’s NFL these guys are premium players. I am quite sure that Fewell is part of this. It upsets me that a player who bled blue, never complained before last year, is being vilified by the press and the Giants.
We all know that, besides money, a player wants respect and to feel appreciated and wanted. Osi has been humiliated and made out to be a bad guy when he is a guy who could have just collected a check when he had the injury but worked his butt off and came back early because that is who he is. Bradshaw is coming back but how hard will he play? Yes, $4.5 million is more than fair but Bradshaw believes he should have gotten much more.
Umenyiora’s contract fight together with the free agents we have NOT signed (ie Boss) are indicative of a dysfunctional organization. The Giants are a team that will suffer if they lose a couple and the players begin to talk.
The Eagles signed Ronnie Brown and dumped Bunkley last week. Bunkley was a high first round pick, but like the few GOOD teams in the league the Eagles make a mistake and fix it ASAP. How is it the Eagles and the Seahawks can be proactive and, other than New England, have the best free agent signing period? How come they were prepared, and the Giants did NOTHING? The Eagles have, on paper, built a terrific team. They have an all pro DE, three all pro DB’s, a solid OL in the draft, a solid free agent linebacker, and a backup for Vick that will be much better than Kolb will ever be if he gets his head straight. But, in addition, they trade big money guys who underperform. The division is better, especially Philly. Dallas is still not a consistent team and surprisingly did not make moves other than to cut their underachievers and mistakes. So their story is still being written.
Suffice to say the Giants are not better. Two drafts and free agency and the Giants even knowing O’Hara and Seubert were toast and McKenzie is not to be counted on, yet they have not been replaced or even addressed. You have a $100 million dollar quarterback and Beatty is protecting his blind side? You have an average player in Baas replacing O’Hara, and Diehl who will move inside for Seubert. Bottom line, the Giants are very questionable on the OL as Beatty has only shown he knows how to jump offside, play revolving door, gets hurt and take plays off.
How do you justify paying $7 million for Canty when you have Austin, last year’s second, Linval Jospeh, who is a supposedly ready first from last year and Tuck? Letting Cofield walk and not handling Osi properly speaks volumes. These guys were the two excellent players on the DL last year and they are discarded or held in contempt. If Cofield is because of money, then what is Baas?
Zach Miller was signed by the Seahawks. It is my opinion that the Giants should have gone all out to get him. A pro-bowl player and only 25 he would be the ideal tight end for the Giants. He catches and runs well. He is a good but potentially great player. The Giants re-signed Andre Brown, the RB they lost in 2009 with an Achilles. 5 teams subsequently passed on him- is this a good move?
It hurts to be watching the Giants organization not do right by their players and themselves. It is too early to pass judgment on a season, but thus far the moves have been disappointing. I have been a Giant fan for 50 years and even when they were awful, which was often pre-Parcells, they were a class organization. That is no longer the case. The callous disregard for Osi Umenyiora, a player who helped this team win in 2007 and helped them to vie for the division last year, is not a good reflection on this franchise.
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