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Giants still working on the post-Plax plan

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John Czarnecki

John Czarnecki has been the editorial consultant for "FOX NFL Sunday" since its 1994 inception. This season marks Czarnecki's 32nd year covering the NFL. He is one of 44 selectors to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Updated Aug 21, 2009 12:28 PM ET
     
 
To a man, coach or player, the Giants know a playoff run hinges on the development of a marquee receiver or two. Gone for good are gun-toting Plaxico Burress (hero of the Super Bowl run two years ago) and long-time veteran Amani Toomer (discarded for no longer possessing a fourth gear) while the depth chart revolves around Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon, a special-teams surprise, and a cast of rookies, discards and wannabes. In other words, guys with so-called "great expectations." It is fascinating how the Giants can put a positive spin on the entire situation. It is unusual when compared to Dallas, where there are legitimate worries about replacing T.O.'s production. But in Albany, where the Giants train, there seems to be no concern about who the new touchdown-makers will be. Because of his short, but successful, track record with the draft, there is total confidence in GM Jerry Reese's selections. And whether or not you place Eli Manning in the same quarterback realm as Tom Brady, the Giants have total confidence in this "aw-shucks" passer. "Now that we don't have that superstar like Plax," said All-Pro defensive end Justin Tuck, "it will open up things for Eli. It's an opportunity for all of them and, who knows, maybe a couple of them will play out of their minds. I know Eli is excited about the competition."
Center Shaun O'Hara, now in his 10th season, knows what is at stake and believes like most observers that the Giants have a talented roster — one of the best 53-man rosters in the NFL. Maybe it's thin at receiver right now, but "we know that someone like Ahmad (Bradshaw) can make big plays," he said. "He can do it as a receiver and a runner. The whole key for us, like before, is for everyone to play well together." However, when I mentioned Owens and how Tony Romo may have subconsciously thought about forcing a throw to him in Dallas, O'Hara cut me off. "We never had anything like that here," he said. "Even with Burress, Eli never ever was in that same situation. He threw to the guy who was open on a particular play and that was that." Smith, who made five critical catches as a rookie in the Super Bowl XLII upset of the Patriots, is projected to be "the man" among New York's receivers. "The great thing about Eli is that he's always going to throw to the open receiver, regardless of who it is," Smith said. "In camp, he's done a great job of that. It allows him to get on the same page with all of them and he wants to show everybody that he trusts what they can do." Smith twisted a knee early in camp and didn't play in the first preseason game. The Giants are being cautious with him, knowing how much they need him to improve on his team-leading 57 receptions (only one touchdown) of a year ago. Does he feel the pressure? "If it's not me, it's going to be someone else," Smith said. "It's all talk right now (about him being the top receiver) until I prove it." After all the training-camp hype, the Giants are still wondering about their young receivers. Last Friday night in Albany, rookies like true giant Ramses Barden from Cal-Poly and first-round pick Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina, plus Derek Hagan, a former third-round pick cut by Bill Parcells in Miami, were stealing the show in one-on-one drills against the defensive backs. Also, for the first time in my memory, head coach Tom Coughlin was talking about the progress and solid camp of Michigan's Mario Manningham, a third-round pick in 2008. However, in Monday's preseason game against Carolina, these receiving possibilities were mostly second-half participants at the mercy of third-string quarterback Andre Woodson. In the game, Woodson was erratic at times despite having unloaded some long completions in camp workouts. None of the WR hopefuls worked in the game with Manning, who generally was focusing on his short passing game, dinking screens to backs and receivers. Barden, who has Plaxico's build at 6-foot-6, 227 pounds, did have the fourth-longest gain of the night, a 20-yard reception down the middle. Coughlin is confident about Barden being an impact player, but time will tell. How do you really know until you start playing him with the first-team offense? "I think Eli is really excited about the competition at the position," Tuck said. "The tough part may be picking the final five (for the 53-man roster), I think. And don't forget we have a decent young tight end in Kevin Boss." Boss, who actually looks taller than 6-foot-6, led the Giants with six receiving touchdowns last season. In Jeremy Shockey's best season with the Giants, his TD total was seven. Granted, Boss isn't demanding like Shockey nor does he possess his receiving flair right now, but he is difficult to cover based on his strength and height. Besides his much ballyhooed $97 million contract, Manning admits that he's taking a bigger role with the young receivers. "I've taken it as one of my jobs coming into this season," Manning said. "We have a lot of young guys and I want to make sure they don't lose their confidence. If they make a bad play, I'm trying to make sure I get to them before the coach starts ripping into them and talk to them about the route, and the little things to look for as a read. There is so much that they have to learn and I think it's easy for a young receiver to go into the tank when they make mistakes." When talking with Michael Strahan, we both thought it was unusual that the Giants decided to release Toomer. Wouldn't a veteran receiver be able to show the young receivers the way? "I'm trying to do that now as much as I can," said Smith, who is rooming with No. 1 pick Hicks. "But, honestly, Plax was much more of a talker with me as a rookie than Toomer was." With the success that Hixon had as a receiver last season, Coughlin believes that one or more of the young receivers will come through and make an impact this season. "We'll be fine on offense," Tuck said. "With our veteran offensive line and our two running backs (Brandon Jacobs and Bradshaw), we will move the football. Eli can throw the play-action pass as good as anybody. No worries there."
Tagged: Derek Hagan, Tony Romo, Chiefs, Domenik Hixon, Ramses Barden, Patriots, Saints, Amani Toomer, Giants, Steve Smith, Jeremy Shockey, Tom Brady, Cowboys, Mario Manningham, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Plaxico Burress, Panthers

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