As of 12:01 am this morning the NFL’s free agency period as begun. By 3:45 pm, two Giants’ linebackers are now gone.

That is the nature of free agency in the NFL. One day they are here and the next they are being paid a lot of money.

Linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor have been whisked away from the Giants with the lure of more cash. Mitchell signed a long term deal with the Bills and Torbor (who I am a fan of) was signed by the Miami Dolphins.

With a Superbowl ring in tow for both men it was a good move on their part as they more than likely would not have received the same offer from the Giants. Even worse Torbor would have probably been demoted back to the bench with the return of Kiwianuka to the lineup.

Now with Mitchell gone, the opportunity for 3rd year man out Georgia Tech Gerris Wilkenson has been placed in front of him. He played well last year in his substitution rolls when Mitchell went down, and because he did so it is probably the reason why Jerry Reese made no real effort to resign Mitchell.

With all that said however, it now leaves the depth at that position very low. Back about a month ago I told everyone this would be the position they would target in the draft on day #1. With two LBers down, it may be a position they fill within the first 2 rounds.

If his one year history serves us well, Reese has shown that he will let the frenzy of the free agency period affect other teams, and when it settles down, he will fill in gaps on this team with serviceable players. Last year he did it by signing the likes of Kawika Mitchell and Madison Hedgcock, 2 pieces of the Superbowl puzzle that were needed.

By: Michael C. Podlesny
About the Author:
Michael C. Podlesny is the co-host of the Big Blue Review, a weekly podcast featuring the latest news on The New York Giants. The podcast can be downloaded at http://bigbluereviewpodcast.blogspot.com/ or iTunes.

The field is their courtroom. The Offense is their Plaintiff. Their.. well.. you get the idea. With the NFL Draft still over a month away, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to pry away two 2nd round picks from fellow NFC opponents on Wednesday with the signings of New Orleans Saints Linebacker Matt McCoy and former Detroit Lion Teddy Lehman.

Already established as one of the leagues best young talents, former Dick Butkus and Chuck Bednarik award winner Teddy Lehman will again attempt to beat the injury bug in 2008, and as a Buccaneer fan, I cant even imagine the benefits if he does.

After being drafted with the 5th pick in 2004, Lehman literally played himself out of his well-deserved starting role. He played in all 16 games as a rookie compiling 102 tackles, but that’s not the story. As a rookie, Teddy Lehman played in 1,054 defensive plays and 171 plays on special teams which totals an outstanding 1,225 plays in his first 6 months in the NFL.

Unfortunately this workhorse would never find his calling in Detroit, tallying only 18 tackles in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, his 27 tackles came in 16 games as a special teams player, his final season with the team.

For Matt McCoy, it’s his 3rd and maybe final chance in the NFL. He’s got the true ability to start in the NFL as we saw in 2006 where he tallied 66 tackles in 15 games with the Philladelphia Eagles and had 5 or more tackles in 8 of those games.

Though rattled with injuries in recent years, the Buccaneers payed a small price for the potential to have one of the leagues youngest yet most productive Linebacker units in 2008.

BucsReport.com has that story and many more as our around the clock coverage of Buccaneers football continues. Breaking News, In-Depth coverage, Game Reviews, Injury status’. We are the Unofficial Authority of Buccaneers Football.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made yet another move to bolster there tight end position with the signing of former Tennessee Titan and Florida Gator Ben Troupe.

At 624 and 270 pounds, Troupe is an incredibly gifted athlete. His obvious size, coupled with his soft hands, and deceptive speed, has caused plenty of headaches since the big time tight end left the swamp as one of the years most promising prospects and eventually the 40th pick in the 042 NFL Draft.

In joining the Bucs, Troupe brings with him 106 career grabs for 1,056 and seven TD’s. Although most of those numbers came during his first two seasons when he exploded onto the NFL scene with 88 catches for 5 TD’s and 859 yards!

While playing on an injured foot that would eventually send him to the injured reserve, Ben Troupe managed to catch 13 balls for 150 yards and two TD’s. While last year was a down year statistically, I believe the Buccaneers have signed Ben Troupe the playmaker.

As he comes to Tampa looking to make a fresh start, he will now couple with Alex Smith and the recently signed John Gilmore. And with the possibility of the giant Jerramy Stevens returning, the Buccaneers may have one of the best Tight End crews in all the league.

You combine that with the deceptive speed and ability of ageless Joey Galloway, the acquisitions of both Antonio Bryant and Warrick Dunn alongside the leadership of signal caller Jeff Garcia and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have equiped themselves with quite the firepower on offense. I can only imagine.

BucsReport.com has that story and many more as our around the clock coverage of Buccaneers football continues. Breaking News, In-Depth coverage, Game Reviews, Injury status’. We are the Unofficial Authority of Buccaneers Football.

With the Super Bowl on the line, look who had the perfection thing down Pat: Eli Manning and the road-conquering New York Giants.

And what a beauty their 11th straight road victory was, a 17-14 Super Bowl win Sunday that shattered the New England Patriots’ unblemished season.

In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, Manning, New York’s unlikely Mr. Cool, hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants’ fourth consecutive postseason away win and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.

“There’s something about this team,” Manning said. “The way we win games, and performed in the playoffs in the stretch. We had total confidence in ourselves. The players believed in each other.”

It was the most bitter of losses, too, because 12-point favorite New England (18-1) was one play from winning and getting the ultimate revenge for being penalized for illegally taping opponents’ defensive signals in the season opener against the New York Jets.

“I don’t rank them,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “It’s disappointing.”

The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and the improbable comeback led by Manning. Yes, Eli Manning, who outplayed league MVP Tom Brady and furthered the family legacy one year after older brother Peyton led Indianapolis to the title.

New Orleans defensive end Charles Grant was stabbed in the neck, and a pregnant woman was shot and killed early Sunday in an altercation at a nightclub in southwest Georgia.

Grant was assaulted and had an injury to his neck, according to a statement released by Capt. Will Caudill of the Early County Sheriff’s Office. Grant was transported to Early Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and later released.

Early County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a fight around 1 a.m. Sunday at a nightclub in Blakely, which is about 190 miles southwest of Atlanta.

“We’re aware of the situation and are gathering information,” New Orleans Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said. “Until we complete the process, we will have no further comment.”

In the incident, 23-year-old Korynda Reed of Blakely was shot, police said. She was transported to Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan, Ala., where she died. Early County Sheriff Jimmie R. Murkerson said Reed was pregnant.