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Zorn's about to make a big mistake

August 25, 2008 7:28 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

It sounds like Redskins head coach Jim Zorn is about to break an unwritten -- and wise -- code in the final game of the preseason: He's going to try to win. Hopefully his friend and mentor Mike Holmgren will call and talk some sense into him this week.

Zorn was probably a little too excited about how sharp his team looked early in preseason, and he's now taking this weekend's 47-3 loss to the Panthers way too hard. Yes, there were some horrifying moments in the game -- Jason Taylor's injury comes to mind -- but you have to keep in mind that it doesn't count. And that your best defensive player, safety LaRon Landry, didn't play.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I was thoroughly impressed with Zorn after spending about an hour with him at Redskins Park. And that's why the following quote from him caught me by surprise:

"I'm open to playing the starters," Zorn said Sunday. "I may have to do that just based on what we did out there. It's not about disappointment, it's about doing what's right. And it's not about throwing them back out there and putting pads on and scrimmaging for two hours because we did what we did. But it's a matter of developing just a drive, maybe. Just to go back out there and get back some tempo before we have to get into the season."

Zorn shouldn't trust his instincts on this one. You don't develop tempo in the final game of the preseason. Your one and only goal is to stay healthy, something the Redskins didn't do Saturday.

I know it's the ultimate second-guess, but why was Taylor even playing at this point in the preseason? He doesn't need to work on the intricacies of Greg Blache's defense. You line him up and tell him to chase the quarterback. He should've played in the second or third preseason game and then taken a spot on the bench. Zorn could've come up with one of those fake injuries that Norv Turner likes to roll out for LaDainian Tomlinson each week.

Playing all the starters Thursday sounds like an awful idea to me, and I have a feeling owner Dan Snyder and his right-hand man Vinny Cerrato agree. From what I can tell, the players (namely Jason Campbell) have bought into Zorn's philosophy. With that in mind, you can't overract to one poor outing in the preseason.

What will you prove by sending out the starters Thursday? The Jaguars think they have a Super Bowl contender, so coach Jack Del Rio isn't going to let his starters anywhere near the field.

Even if the Redskins' starters go out and hang three touchdowns on the Jaguars, it won't matter. It's high time someone finally admitted that the preseason isn't about setting any sort of tempo. It's about keeping everyone in one piece.

So far, the Redskins have come up short in that area.

Washington Redskins, Jim Zorn, Jason Campbell, LaRon Landry, Jack Del Rio

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Redskins make a couple of cuts

August 25, 2008 4:46 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Just received word that the Redskins have released wide receiver Burl Toler and linebacker Matt Sinclair. Neither player is a surprise, although Sinclair came up from the practice squad and made an impact on special teams last season.

Toler showed some flashes in the 2007 and 2008 training camps, but the arrival of rookie wide receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas made him expendable.

Matt Sinclair, Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas, Burl Toler

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Scouts Inc.: Giants shuffling to replace Umenyiora

August 25, 2008 2:52 PM

Posted by Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson

Umenyiora

The loss of DE Osi Umenyiora is a big one for the New York Giants. Top-tier pass-rushers don't grow on trees and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will have to do some juggling as he tries to replace a dangerous player who opposing offenses had to account for on every snap.

I personally believe Umenyiora is a shade overrated -- remember, six of his 13 sacks last season came in one game against vastly overmatched Philadelphia OT Winston Justice -- but the Giants are suddenly thin up front and the decision to move Mathias Kiwanuka back to his natural position at end makes sense.

Simply put, Kiwanuka is better coming forward than he is moving in reverse. While he did make strides after moving to outside linebacker last season he is still a major liability in coverage. Now he will move back to right end and provide some pressure off the edge, though a drop-off from Umenyiora's numbers would have to be expected.

And while there is talk that the Giants could reach out to the retired Michael Strahan and try to convince him to come back, Strahan is not on the roster right now so that means Justin Tuck is currently the starter on the left side. Tuck slid inside to tackle in passing situations last season and was an extremely difficult assignment for interior linemen because of his athleticism, but as it stands right now he won't be able to slide down this season without sacrificing pressure off the edge.

Should Strahan come back, things would get a little easier. His presence on the left side would allow Tuck to move to the right side and bring the same kind of production Umenyiora was capable of, then slide inside in passing situations while Kiwanuka takes over as the right end. Personally, I feel Tuck is a better all-around player than Umenyiora and that the Giants' defensive line would remain an elite unit if Strahan was back in the fold.

For now, though, Spagnuolo will not have as many weapons at his disposal when trying to get after the quarterback and that will increase the pressure on a New York secondary that struggled at times last season. The group is just ordinary in terms of overall coverage skills -- the same can be said of the Giants' outside linebackers -- and without a strong pass rush from the front four the defensive backfield will be exposed if forced to cover for long periods of time.

If Strahan comes back and the pass rush is strong then the Giants have a chance to make another run to the Super Bowl. But whether he returns, one more injury up front could mean the end of the line for New York's Super Bowl chances.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.

New York Giants, Mathias Kiwanuka, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora

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Will Strahan answer the call?

August 25, 2008 2:16 PM

 
 Rich Kane/US PRESSWIRE
 With Osi Umenyiora out for the season, the Giants may ask Michael Strahan to come out of retirement.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

According to my international sources, former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan was spotted on a beach in Greece over the weekend. It's not the usual destination for retired players thinking about staging a comeback, and before Saturday night, that seemed like the farthest thing from Strahan's mind.

While Brett Favre's summer of angst heated up in July, Strahan seemed to embrace his decision to walk away. And it didn't hurt that his golden parachute included a lucrative deal with Fox.

Earlier this month, he made the short drive from Malibu to Oxnard to visit Cowboys training camp. Strahan didn't sound like a man who was having second thoughts.

"I enjoy waking up when I want to," he told reporters in Oxnard. "I enjoy saying, 'Do I feel like working out? Nah.' This is going a lot better or just as well as I expected. You can't beat winning the Super Bowl and playing the way that we played. There is just value in the way that we ended. I won the ring, that's good enough. I'm not going to push my luck."

Obviously,those words were spoken before Strahan's former teammate Osi Umenyiora suffered a season-ending knee injury in a meaningless exhibition game. By the next afternoon, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was admitting that Strahan's name had been mentioned in the aftermath of Umenyiora's injury.

Since then, Strahan's cell phone has been blowing up with text messages. Unlike Packers GM Ted Thompson, Strahan apparently responds to messages during vacation.

He told Newsday columnist Bob Glauber "no comment" via text, which is a lot different than "Hell no, I'm not coming back."

Coughlin was pressed on the issue during his Monday news conference to the point where he morphed into Angry Tom for a few classic moments. When Coughlin tried to dance around the Strahan questions by saying he hadn't been involved in any of "those discussions," a reporter wanted to know if it was normal protocol for him to leave those decisions to other folks.

"Don't be a smart-aleck. Don't be a smart-aleck. I will be a part of every discussion that is ongoing in terms of helping our team, yes."

It's best to read this quote while imagining a red-faced Coughlin (redundant) hopping up and down. It was reminiscent of his mentor Bill Parcells' "Don't be a jerk" rant when he was with the Jets.

But back to the task at hand. I don't think the Giants want to put Strahan in an uncomfortable spot. By placing the call (and it may have already been made), the Giants are not only asking Strahan to bail them out, but change his entire legacy.

If he says no to the offer ($8 million sound about right?), at least some Giants fans might think he's being disloyal to the franchise. I think that's ridiculous, but it could certainly happen.

On Monday, the Giants announced plans to move linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end. It was an obvious and logical move by Coughlin. But the rotation of Justin Tuck, Kiwanuka and Dave Tollefson doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of offensive tackles across the league.

The Giants aren't the type of organization to make a splashy move -- outside of going after Strahan. They could've gotten in the Jason Taylor sweepstakes earlier in the offseason, but that's not the way GM Jerry Reese learned to do things from his mentor Ernie Accorsi.

What made Strahan and Umenyiora so effective was their ability to control offensive tackles and tight ends with their hands and overall technique. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten told me recently that no one's even close to Strahan in terms of technique.

Kiwanuka's a talented player, but he's always been a tweener. He slipped to the No. 32 overall pick in 2006 because teams didn't know what to make of him. Was he a defensive end or a linebacker? It seems the Giants are still trying to figure that out.

"With Kiwanuka, it's always been about his size," said one veteran NFC scout. "He's linear-built and he doesn't play with a whole lot of power. No one has ever known quite where to play him."

With the 36-year-old Strahan in the rotation, you could go a long way in making up for Umenyiora's absence. Tuck has quietly become a pass-rushing force (just ask offensive coordinators) and Kiwanuka would be a nice complementary player.

I've seen where some of my friends in the New York media have suggested that moving Kiwanuka to end lessens the need for Strahan. I couldn't disagree more.

If you're serious about repeating as Super Bowl champions, you owe it to yourselves to make an offer to Strahan. Sure, it puts him in an uncomfortable position.

But it's not any worse than the one the Giants are in now.

New York Giants, Mathias Kiwanuka, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Dave Tollefson, Bob Glauber, Tom Coughlin, Jason Witten

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The Tom Coughlin news conference

August 25, 2008 1:02 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

The Giants were kind enough to forward the complete Tom Coughlin transcript from this morning's news conference. Things got a bit testy toward the end with Coughlin telling a reporter not to be a "smart aleck." I'll see if I can figure out who the reporter was. Classic stuff.

Q: Right out of the gate, any decisions on Michael Strahan possibly coming back?

A: There hasn't been any discussion that I have been involved in there. We are going to explore every option that is available. And the last time that I talked with Michael he had accepted his new challenge and was very happy about that. And I have not spoken with him at all since the other night's game.

Q: Obviously everybody cares about Osi's health and welfare, but how difficult is it to move forward and get the coaches and the players to refocus on the business at hand?

A: When adversity strikes, it is not the adversity; it is how you react to it. We have been a team that has done a good job with that. And simply presented, it is really up to each one of us to do our jobs a little bit better than we have been doing it. We have talented football players; we have people that can do the job. We have to just step it up a notch. We all have to come together. I really believe that in a situation like this you become more dependent on each other than ever before. So the team theme keeps pouring out of us at this time.

Q: You are fortunate to have a 6-7 pass rusher at linebacker. Is that the natural move now to move him back to where he was?

A: He is going to move back to end. Who are you talking about?

Reporter: Mathias. Does it give you confidence knowing that he has already played end?

A: The move was always to get the best, most quality people on the field. And Mathias accepted every job that we have offered and every task we have presented him with. I talked with him yesterday and he was more than ready to do whatever we wanted him to do that was in the best interest of the team.

Q: Do you feel fortunate that you have a player like him on the roster?

A: That is why he is here. He was drafted as an outstanding defensive end.

Q: Given the season is less than two weeks away, do you need to make a decision on that defensive end spot, whether you call Michael or somebody else in a day or two?

A: There is no clock running. Obviously, whatever we can do that is in the best interest of our team, we will do it. I don't know that there is any sense of real ... we have people here that can play the positions. Obviously when you take Mathias and put him down, that gives more opportunity at the linebacker spot. I was encouraged with what [Gerris] Wilkinson did the other night playing two different positions. So we are going to go forward with the players that we have. And we are always looking for and searching for people who can help our team. And nothing is going to change with regard to that.

Q: Does Danny Clark move to strong side?

A: They have always flipped and played on both sides. Clark will have opportunities to play at SAM, as will Wilkinson. [Bryan] Kehl has flipped around as well. But today Clark will work more at the SAM.

Reporter: If Strahan returned

A: The hypotheticals, I'm not very good at. So I'll just stay away from that one. I had no idea where Michael was or what he was doing. Certainly he is entitled to have a vacation.

Q: He has obviously lost some weight. I don't know if you had a discussion with him about what kind of shape he is in last week or not. Any thoughts on how he looked?

A: He looked very good to me.

Q: Could he be ready quickly? I know he went through this last year, too.

A: Yeah, but his mentality was different last year.

Q: Moving Mathias, does it make it less likely that you will bring Michael back?

A: You guys keep asking me about something that, honestly, I have not been a part of any of those discussions. I'm more concerned with the team that we have right here in our locker room and that this team mentally prepares itself as best we can.

Q: Would you like to have him back?

A: Don't ask me any more questions about that.

Q: You are the head coach, wouldn't it be your job to say whether I want him or not?

A: Don't be a smart-aleck. Don't be a smart-aleck. I will be a part of every discussion that is ongoing in terms of helping our team, yes.

Q: Is there any adjustment at all for Mathias -- it is his natural position?

A: I don't think so because he has played down on third-down always.

Q: His body?

A: He is actually bigger and stronger.

Q: Do you see it as a very smooth transition?

A: I do. I do.

Q: Does he stay on the right side?

A: Yeah, he will be on the right side. Well, they will rotate. With Renaldo [Wynn] and [Dave] Tollefson and some of those guys, we will work on that rotation.

Q: How was the mood of the team?

A: They were good. We talked about it openly and we talked about how I had talked with both Craig Dahl and with Osi. They know that our thoughts and prayers are with them and they know that accomplishing this surgery and having a successful surgery and rehab, they are going to be better than ever. And so we are very much in support of them. They are very much in support of their teammates.

Q: Will Mathias play more than expected against New England now that he is making an adjustment?

A: Not necessarily. Not necessarily.

Q: Was Mathias expecting a phone call from you yesterday?

A: Not really. Not really. I think he was on a fishing trip.

Q: What was the injury to Craig Dahl?

A: ACL -- the other side.

Q: Any more word on Lawrence Tynes?

A: No, other than he looks good and he feels good. He is working.

Q: You said you called Mathias on the phone?

A: Yes.

Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Lawrence Tynes, Craig Dahl, Dave Tollefon, Renaldo Wynn

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It's official: Kiwanuka back to DE

August 25, 2008 12:38 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

 
 Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
 Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka has been tapped to fill the role of injured All-Pro defense end Osi Umenyiora.

New York Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka is once again a defensive end. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin made it official this morning that the former first-round draft pick will replace injured Pro Bowler Osi Umenyiora at defensive end for the 2008 season.

I'm pretty sure Paul Schwartz of the New York Post broke the story, but it didn't come as a surprise to anyone. Kiwanuka was a defensive end at Boston College and that's where he played his rookie season with the Giants.

Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck are now the starters, but that of course frees up an opening at strong side linebacker. One scenario has veteran Danny Clark moving over from his weak side spot. Gerris Wilkinson, who has battled injuries throughout his career, would assume the weak side spot. As Schwartz notes, you could also move backup middle linebacker Chase Blackburn to the strong side.

That said, Coughlin and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo did what they had to do. Does this preclude them from reaching out to Michael Strahan? Absolutely not.

The Giants flourished with a three-man rotation at defensive end that included Tuck, Umenyiora and Strahan. The prospects of a Tuck, Kiwanuka, Dave Tollefson trio doesn't sound that formidable.

I'm about to crank out a column on the entire episode. Check back at 2 p.m. ET for all the latest details.

****

With Osi Umenyiora out for the year, Marcellus Wiley, Erik Kuselias and Mike Golic discuss if Michael Strahan will come out of retirement to help out the Giants defensive line.

Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan, Dave Tollefson, Tom Coughlin, Steve Spagnuolo, Danny Clark, Chase Blackburn, New York Giants

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The Daily Eagle: The McNabb Edition

August 25, 2008 11:19 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

  • Reuben Frank of Phillyburbs.com reports that Donovan McNabb is looking like the same guy who lined up behind center from 2000-04.
  • Is it too soon to coronate rookie DeSean Jackson as the Eagles' best receiver since T.O.? At least one writer thinks so.
  • Bob Brookover from the Inquirer has an interesting story on what gameday is like for Eagles players. I'm sure fans will be thrilled to hear that kicker David Akers' hands are shaking before games -- even on extra points.
  • Inquirer columnist Bob Ford offers his take on Eagles fans. Not sure about the timing of the column, but it's worth a read.

Philadelphia Eagles, Osi Umenyiora, Brian Dawkins, DeSean Jackson, Donovan McNabb, David Akers

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A Giant dilemma

August 25, 2008 10:41 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

I just dipped into the mailbag for a few minutes and it's safe to say that Giants fans are in full panic mode. Before I answer some questions later today, let's see what folks are saying about the loss of Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora:

"While it's true that he led the Giants on that great drive before the half in Dallas, it's also true that Manning became the beneficiary of consistently great field position thanks to turnovers and changes of possession," writes Rhoden. "Manning didn't have to win games -- though he did. His role was not to lose games. Now, the future of the Giants' defense is uncertain and the pressure shifts to Manning."

Brett Favre, New York Giants, New York Jets, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Tom Coughlin, Osi Umenyiora

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Coughlin: Strahan's name has come up

August 24, 2008 4:59 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

About 35 sportswriters just fought through a painful phone conference with Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. Poor reception made it hard to have a clue what anyone was saying, but Coughlin was a good sport and plowed through the interview.

Coughlin said he received the news that defensive end Osi Umenyiora was out for the season with a left knee injury at about noon ET. He then spoke to Umenyiora, whom he described as "subdued" throughout the conversation. He said the player assured him that he'd be OK.

It only took a couple of minutes for someone to ask about the likelihood of Michael Strahan coming out of retirement to bail out his former teammates. Coughlin admitted that the subject had come up, but he wasn't specific.

"Someone indicated that it was out there," he said of Strahan.

Coughlin said that his recent conversations with Strahan had been about his "new challenge" as a studio analyst for the Fox pregame show. I'm sure Strahan feels awful for his former teammates, but he's moved on at this point. I bet there's a loophole in his Fox contract allowing him to return to football, but I'd be shocked if he does. You could argue that he has more leverage than ever (and you'd be right), but this would be a one-year football contract. And who knows whether his role at Fox would still be there when he returned.

He was also asked about the possibility of moving Mathias Kiwanuka from linebacker back to defensive end. Coughlin certainly didn't shoot the idea down, but said he wanted to talk to Kiwanuka before commenting on a possible position change. You'd hate to move the guy after he's worked so hard to learn a new position, but Coughlin will do what's best for the team. And Kiwanuka -- or Kiwi as he's known to teammates -- isn't the type of player who will resist the change. Honestly, I think it's a no-brainer. He's still more comfortable at defensive end than he is at linebacker. And Tuck and Kiwanuka might not be Umenyiora and Strahan, but there are a lot worse duos in the league.

Coughlin said that Dr. Russell Warren told him that Umenyiora would require four months to recover from knee surgery, which will take place Tuesday. He called the injury a "lateral meniscus tear."

Coughlin began the conference call by saying that Warren had convinced him that the "repair will put [Umenyiora] in great shape going forward."

Contrary to published reports, Coughlin said that non-surgical options hadn't been discussed. The Giants didn't want to put Umenyiora's long-term health at risk.

On Sunday, Coughlin met with his coaching staff to review Saturday's loss to the Jets. He indicated that he and his staff will work hard to prepare the right message for the players Monday. Umenyiora was obviously a huge part of the Giants' success last season, but Coughlin's not the type of person to use excuses. My guess is that he'll spend the rest of the evening working on a powerful message. This is a huge setback, but Coughlin will let the injury fuel his us-against-the-world approach.

Other than Kiwanuka, the in-house candidates to replace Umenyiora are third-year pro Dave Tollefson and 12-year-veteran Renaldo Wynn. And I use the word "replace" loosely here.

If the Redskins hadn't been forced to go after Jason Taylor, Reese would be calling Bill Parcells in Miami about now. But the pickins' are pretty slim at this point. I had picked the Giants to win the NFC East for our upcoming preview section.

Now, I'm having second thoughts. Of all the players the Giants couldn't have afforded to lose, I think Umenyiora ranks right behind quarterback Eli Manning.

For more on the Umenyiora situation, check the NFC East Blog early and often tomorrow.

New York Giants, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Tom Coughlin, Mathias Kiwanuka

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Giants: Osi's out for the season

August 24, 2008 3:59 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Here's the press release the Giants sent out three minutes ago:

Giants Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who left last night's game against the Jets in the second quarter when his left knee locked up, underwent an MRI and exam today at Hospital for Special Surgery.

The finding by team physician Dr. Russell Warren is that Umemyiora has a torn lateral meniscus. Umenyiora, who will miss the 2008 season due to the injury, is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday.

This is not the first time Umenyiora has required surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. He underwent arthroscopic surgery for the same issue during his collegiate career at Troy State.


New York Giants, Osi Umenyiora, Dr. Russell Warren

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Report: Giants' DE Umenyiora could miss season

August 24, 2008 3:31 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

The lone Pro Bowler from last season's Super Bowl champion New York Giants, defensive end Osi Umenyiora, has significant damage in his left knee and will undergo surgery that will probably end his season, according to a Star-Ledger report Sunday.

After Saturday's 10-7 exhibition loss to the Jets, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said he didn't think there was any ligament damage, but an MRI on Sunday has apparently changed that prognosis.

If the report is true (Giants just confirmed it), it would be a major blow to a team that lost starter Michael Strahan to retirement and tight end Jeremy Shockey in a trade. Umenyiora and Strahan accounted for 22 of the Giants' sacks last season. Strahan's replacement Justin Tuck had 10 sacks.

The Daily News is now saying that Umenyiora's agent Tony Agnone confirmed that the player's season is over. A source told the newspaper that Umenyiora has a torn MCL.

I know for a fact that Tom Coughlin and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo have a contingency plan in place, but I don't have a copy of it in front of me. It wouldn't surprise me if they moved linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end. Gerris Wilkinson or Chase Blackburn would then replace Kiwanuka.

Dave Tollefson, a seventh-round draft pick for the Packers in 2006, replaced Umenyiora in Saturday's preseason game. Tollefson was a standout at Northwest Missouri State, where he had 21 sacks in only two seasons. He played in all four of the Giants' postseason games in 2007. His only sacks in professional football (4.5) came for the Frankfurt Galaxy when the Raiders allocated him to NFL Europa.

I guarantee you that GM Jerry Reese is on the phone as we speak trying to figure out who he can sign or trade for.

Update: A member of the Giants organization just confirmed that Umenyiora will indeed miss the rest of the season. Coughlin will address reporters on a conference call at 4:15 p.m. ET.

Dave Tollefson, Jerry Reese, Tom Coughlin, Steve Spagnuolo, Mathias Kiwanuka, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora

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Redskins' DE Taylor suffers knee injury

August 24, 2008 12:38 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

It was a rough evening for two of the top defensive ends in the NFC East. The Giants' Osi Umenyiora left a preseason game against the Jets with a knee injury and Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor was carted off the field with a right knee injury during the first half against the Panthers.

An X-ray didn't reveal any ligament damage for Taylor, but an MRI will be done Sunday. It sounds like the Giants are being cautiously optimistic about a speedy return for Umenyiora.

I'm afraid the Redskins aren't feeling quite as optimistic. With Phillip Daniels and Alex Buzbee already out for the season, the Redskins don't have quality depth at defensive end. Erasmus James is somewhat of a reclamation project and shouldn't be counted on to do much. Right now, it's Andre Carter and that's about it.

I'll be in touch with both organizations throughout the day and I'll let you know as soon as I hear something. By the way, the Redskins were dreadful in a 47-3 loss to the Panthers. If this really was a dress rehearsal, this team needs some major work before opening night.

Now, Jim Zorn will start earning his money.

New York Giants, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Taylor, Erasmus James

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Coughlin: No ligament damage for Osi

August 24, 2008 12:14 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

The New York Giants may have dodged a bullet when Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora went down with a left knee injury early in the second quarter of Saturday's 10-7 exhibition loss to the Jets.

Following the game, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said he didn't think Umenyiora suffered any ligament damage.

"I'm thinking it's going to be okay, maybe," Coughlin said. "We won't know until [today] what exactly they'll have to do if they have to do anything, so we'll just have to wait and see."

The defensive end will have an MRI on Sunday, but teammates such as linebacker Antonio Pierce said they're counting on him to return for season-opener against the Redskins on Sept. 4. When a reporter brought up the fact that the Giants overcame the loss of Mathias Kiwanuka last season, Pierce wasn't pleased.

"You say loss like he is gone," Pierce said. "I don't think he's going anywhere. The game is in 11 days after today so he has 11 days to get better and 11 days to get healthy."

In an unrelated story, Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger is reporting that Pierce has privately pushed for a new contract this offseason, although the Giants haven't been receptive. According to Garafolo's source, Pierce is already considering a holdout next offseason. In case you're wondering, Pierce is represented by Drew Rosenhaus -- along with half of the other disgruntled players in the league.

New York Giants, Drew Rosenhaus, Mathias Kiwanuka, Tom Coughlin, Antonio Pierce, Washington Redskins

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Eagles cut three players

August 23, 2008 3:30 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

You know what time of year it is? Time for teams to start the process of trimming their rosters to 53 players. On Saturday, the Eagles released the following players:

Since Lawton's the only guy I've heard of, I'm assuming this won't send Eagles fans into further panic. By Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, teams have to be at 75 players. By my count, they're now at 77.


 

Philadelphia Eagles, Luke Lawton, Frantz Hardy, Cameron Stephenson

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Thomas: I haven't lost a step

August 23, 2008 1:34 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas didn't have his best game of the preseason, but he was still active. After being sidelined because of a concussion last season in Miami, some people counted Thomas out. But he's still covering a ton of ground and he's picked up Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense in a hurry.

"If I felt like I lost a step, I would have retired already. Because of the 13 years that I've been in the league, some people may think I've slowed down and maybe can't cover anymore, and that's fine with me. They say you'll know when it's time to shut it down, but I still enjoy it. It's still fun to run around and just tackle people. That's my job and it's pretty simple."

Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, Zach Thomas, Miami Dolphins

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