Giants Sign ILB Keith Bulluck to One-Year, $2.5 million Deal
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The New York Giants have filled a gaping hole created this off season with the release of Antonio Pierce. Keith Bulluck was signed to a one year deal worth an estimated $2.5 million with incentives.
Bulluck had played all 10 seasons with the Tennessee Titans and is a former Pro Bowl selection. At the very least, his presence will be felt with the improvement of the current middle linebackers on the team as he should be able to coach them up and show them how the position is meant to be played, grooming them for the future.
Immediate concerns arise when you take into account his age (33) and the fact that he has played exclusively in a 3-4 system with Tennessee. However, seeing as how Bulluck was in New York for the past two weeks—first meeting with the team on July 19—seemingly making his case as a good fit for the team, it is safe to say the organization knows what they are getting in Bulluck.
It has been a life long dream for Bulluck to play for the Giants, who grew up 20 miles from Giants Stadium in New York. When hearing him talk about the prospect of playing in New York, he sounds like a kid in a candy shop.
“I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life. I’m from New York. It’s not even close. Just walking the streets of New York gave me my edge back. Some of those walks were tough, man. Like when it’s raining or sleeting or it’s just cold out. And your knee aches. I wasn’t 100 percent at the time”
“But the energy of it all helped me. Just the people, the good attitudes, the bad attitudes, just the whole vibe of the metropolitan area. If you’re from there or have ever been there, you definitely know what I’m talking about. I’d have to say this is a dream come true.”
He seems to embody what being from New York is all about, swagger and all.
“Well, New York — that’s where I’m from,” he said. “My second home. New York, that’s where I kind of get my football mentality from. You know the song, ‘If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.’ I consider myself a New Yorker.”
When the Titans showed no intent to resign him, it became clear to him where he was going to play.
“I’m a New York dude—no way I can play anyplace else. New York’s about toughness … the NFC East. That’s where I belong.”
The team seemed determined to let Jonathan Goff have an opportunity to start at the middle linebacker spot when they did not draft a player at that position until the fourth round, despite having a glaring need.
With this signing, Goff will have to wait at least another season.
With that said, Bulluck better know he will have to earn a spot on this team, nothing is guaranteed. It will be interesting to see whether or not he immediately lines up with the first team defense when the team starts training camp next Saturday.
New York Giants: Five Burning Questions Entering Training Camp
Here we go again. The grueling five and a half month long off season is coming to an end for all teams, and by this time next week we will be fully ensconced in NFL training camp.
As with every season, there are questions looming with every team, which holds true whether you hoisted the Lombardi Trophy or had the first overall pick in the draft.
For the Giants, most of these questions surface on the defensive side of the ball, which makes sense considering they were just plain awful in 2009. Whether you chalk it up to first time coordinator Bill Sheridan, injuries, or just lack of talent, the 2010 Big Blue Wrecking Crew is out to prove 2009 was an exception, and not the rule.
In past years, the staple of winning Giants teams has always been the defense. From LT to Jesse Armstead to Antonio Pierce, the linebackers have always been the focal point to those successful defenses.
Which leads me into question No. 1.
1. Who will replace Antonio Pierce at the Middle Linebacker Spot?
Since joining the team Antonio Pierce was not only a great player, but the vocal and emotional leader of the defense. Many people considered him the “Peyton Manning” of Big Blue’s defense because of his ability to read offensive formations and place people in better position to make plays.
That kind of football I.Q. is hard to come by, and it’s safe to say the next in line has some big shoes to fill.
At the moment it seems as if the leading candidates are Jonathan Goff, Chase Blackburn, Gerris Wilkinson and Philip Dillard.
Goff was the starter at the end of the season when Antonio Pierce was ruled out with a neck injury. He has played well and knows the playbook and the team really likes his work ethic and swagger. He stepped in last year at a moment’s notice and played admirably, but having a full year to prepare might make his play that much better
Chase Blackburn is another guy who has been around a long time as a backup, but with Antonio Pierce and Danny Clark being gone now, he may have an opportunity to step in and prove his worth. Blackburn is one of the hardest working guys on the team, and with an old school coach like Coughlin, he might win him over with his work ethic.
Gerris Wilkinson entered the league with a lot of promise (for the Giants anyways), but injuries has forced him to sit on the sideline for most of his career. Even though he has mostly been a backup weak side guy, he played middle linebacker in college at Georgia Tech so the thought is he will be able to make that transition.
Philip Dillard is a long shot to get the nod, but the Giants love him nonetheless. They showed a lot of confidence when they passed on multiple linebacker prospects in the first three rounds, snagging him up in the fourth. Another player with a tremendous work ethic, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him occupy the middle as early as next season.
This question is surely going to have the most updates throughout training camp.
2. What can we expect from Osi Umenyiora?
I tried to be as broad as possible with the question because frankly there haven’t been any updates lately, but the most recent news a couple of months ago was that Osi is here to stay and was not going to cause any problems for the organization.
He admitted that the comments he made about not getting enough playing time and being upset about getting taken out of the starting lineup were made out of frustration of his team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
I hope he gets his act together for his sake. The organization has historically shown a team first policy when it comes to people who put themselves first. Just ask Jeremy Shockey.
3. Will the Secondary finally be able to play better as a unit?
With the signing of Antrel Rolle and Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips coming back from injuries, it’s safe to say the Giants’ secondary is running out of excuses for their poor play.
After the first five games of the 2009 season, albeit when Phillips was ruled out for the year, they were torched and gave up the most points during that span, and finished 30th in the league in points allowed.
As much as you’d like to think their troubles are over now that C.C. Brown won’t be hurting the unit, they still have a lot to prove before we give them the benefit of the doubt.
Corey Webster is the key in my opinion. He has emerged as one of the better corners in the NFC and will need to take on more of a leadership role on the defense now that Antonio Pierce is no longer with the team.
4. How will Perry Fewell make his mark on defense?
The day after the season ended, Bill Sheridan was fired after a miserable one year as defensive coordinator. The thought process behind hiring him was admirable, as most figured he was learning under Steve Spagnuolo and would implement the same type of pressure defense that brought home the Super Bowl trophy in 2007.
Unfortunately, Sheridan did not follow through with those expectations and completely changed the outlook of the defense, playing a passive style, often times sending defensive lineman into coverage.
Really?
Perry Fewell is the answer to our prayers. He did so much with so little in Buffalo, having a top 10 pass defense in almost all, if not every one, of his years as their defensive coordinator.
He runs a cover 2 defense with particular emphasis of taking away the deep play, something that killed the Giants in ’09. The team will also stress the need to get to the quarterback by disguising blitz packages, something Sheridan failed to comprehend.
While the success of Perry Fewell with this unit is not a guarantee, it’s pretty damn close.
5. What offensive weapons will emerge as legitimate threats for Eli Manning?
Travis Beckum? Ramses Barden? Derek Hagan? One of these guys will have to step in and be a reliable target for Eli Manning this season, especially considering that Domenik Hixon is out for the season.
Barden and Beckum were third round draft choices in 2009, and were expected to come in and be dependable red zone targets for Eli. In Barden’s case, his potential lends him to be much more than that.
At 6’6″, 230 lbs, he is the only player on the roster with the size and tools to be a replacement to Plaxico Burress. It became apparent last season that the running game hinges on having a legit deep threat on the field, something they lacked after Burress’ release from the team due to his off the field issues.
Beckum is a tight end that is very versatile and should be utilized as such in 2010. He never really saw much playing time last year because there wasn’t a huge need for extra weapons. With Mario Manningham forgetting he has hands towards the end of the year and Hixon’s aforementioned injury, the window of opportunity has opened up for Beckum.
Derek Hagan wants to prove he can be more than just a special teams “guy.” He was one of the standouts in last year’s training camp, but the coaches showed a reluctance to get him on the field in the regular season. He might get a shot this year with no clear cut third wide receiver.
Well there you have it. Obviously these questions are not black and white, and there are surely more than just these five, but these stuck out in my mind and have done so for the past month of boredom (just baseball on TV is no fun).
They better have the answers to these questions and fast, otherwise it could be another disappointing season in New York.
Hixon heading for IR
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Injured New York Giants WR Domenik Hixon has cleared waivers and is now heading for the injured reserve list. Hixon tore his ACL in the Giants first ever practice at their new stadium, which sparked a small amount of controversy. Hixon was key in the Giants return game and are now looking to fill his spot as they head into training camp.
New York Giants Player Ratings for Madden 2011
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The New York Giants Madden 2011 player rankings have been released, and there might be a few surprises for Giants fans. WR Steve Smith was awarded an 88 overall score which wasn’t shocking but no other receiver on the Giants squad other than Kevin Boss was awarded anything over an 80 overall score.
FB Madison Hedgecock was the highest ranked running back with an 86, Ahmad Bradshaw came in at 78 for an overall rating.
QB Eli Manning was under 90, at an overall 89, and the highest ranked player on the Giants roster was OG Chris Snee who got an overall rating of 96.
The defensive side of the ball was weak. DE Justin Tuck was awarded an overall score of 92 and CB Corey Webster was awarded an 89 for the two highest rated Giants defensive players in Madden 2011.
Both kickers for the Giants, Tynes and Dodge scored under an overall score of 70.
You can check out all the New York Giants Madden Ratings right here.
Hits keep coming for Tiki Barber
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Former New York Giants RB Tiki Barber is having a rough year. Then again, he’s brought it all on himself. TMZ is reporting that Barber is getting sued by Tricera Revolution Inc is suing Barber. Tricera manufactures indoor cycling studios and Barber and his ex-wife were known to take indoor cycling classes.
Barber supposedly received company stock in exchange for his services of endorsing the company’s products. Tricera now claims that Barber fraudulently passed the couple off as a happily married couple while Tiki was having an affair. The company now wants the stock back.
Barber has seen his life spiral out of control this summer as his extramarital affair was discovered causing him to lose his job with NBC among other things.
Steve Smith-show him the money
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New York Giants WR the “Other” Steve Smith is expecting a big payday. Smith is playing in the final year of his rookie contract worth 550,000.00. Smith, rightly so wants a new contract, but as the NY Post reports, Smith is adamant but not militant about wanting a new deal.
Smith broke onto the scene last year with 107 receptions for 1220 yards and 7 scores. Smith ranked third in the NFL last season with 38 3rd down receptions. Smith is deserving of a new contract and the Giants would be wise to lock him up.
According to the Post, Smith’s agent Ben Dogra has said, “There’s nothing going on with Steve and contract negotiations at this time.”
