The New York Giants have signed a one-year deal with linebacker Aaron Curry. Curry, 27, was released from the Raiders last season in November, after appearing in just two games and making one tackle.

A No. 4 overall pick in 2009, Curry has had 39 career starts. Chronic knee soreness caused Curry to miss much of last season with the Raiders, prior to his release.

Curry worked out with the Bengals, Bears, and Giants since his November release from the Raiders, and a total of seven teams reportedly showed interest. After visiting the Giants and taking a physical, Curry left the team without a deal. He announced via his personal Twitter on Friday that he was joining the New York Giants.

The Giants were at their 90-man roster limit, so someone will be cut to accommodate Curry.

EXCITED TO BE A GIANT!!! http://t.co/AW8erwtKRY—
Aaron Curry (@AaronCurry51) May 10, 2013

Giants had a full, 90-man roster, so if Curry has officially signed — as his Tweet indicates — someone is about to be cut. #NYG—
Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) May 10, 2013

Ex-Titans wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins has reached a two-year deal with the Patriots. (Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The Patriots have reached a two-year deal with wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins, reports Jim Wyatt of the Nashville Tennessean. Hawkins was released by the Titans last week. He was drafted by Tennessee in the fourth round of the 2008 draft (126th overall) and has played for the team for the past five seasons.

From the Nashville Tennessean report:

Hawkins had a breakout season in 2011 when he caught 47 passes for 470 yards and a touchdown. He was rewarded the following offseason with a three-year, $7.2 million contract.

But the Titans decided to release Hawkins, who was scheduled to make $1.9 million in 2013, last week because of depth at the position, and his hefty salary.

Hawkins also visited the Texans and garnered interest from the Giants.

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul says the team “can’t B.S.” next season. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said he wasn’t happy about how last year went, from the team finishing 9-7 to his 6.5 sacks recorded, down 10 from the previous season.

Pierre-Paul was a first team All-Pro selection in 2011 when the Giants won the Super Bowl. He ended up with 43 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery last season.

Pierre-Paul also said that teams around the league have yet to see his unlimited potential.

“We can’t B.S. around this year,” Pierre-Paul said to the Star-Ledger. “The falling down, and going up, that sucks, you know what I mean? Because it’s like every year it happens. Every year.”

“I’m trying to be a better player than I was last year and I know my team needs me. They will definitely need me this year with Osi gone, and I have big shoes to fill.”

“People would look and say Jason Pierre-Paul is one of the good players in the NFL right now, but right now, I think I can do better,” he said. “They haven’t seen nothing yet, trust me. When I say they haven’t seen nothing, they haven’t seen nothing yet.”

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is working out with three of his receivers at Duke University. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is getting acquainted with his new receiver Wes Welker this offseason just in time for voluntary workouts which are slated to begin next week.

Welker signed with the team last month after spending the previous six seasons with the New England Patriots.

Manning and his brother New York Giants quarterback, Eli, are working out at Duke University with Blue Devils head coach David Cutcliffe, reports ESPN.com.

Cutcliffe was Peyton’s offensive coordinator at Tennessee and Eli’s head coach at Ole Miss.

Both quarterbacks brought three receiver down to Duke: Peyton Manning has Broncos teammates Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas and Welker; Eli brought Giants teammates Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Louis Murphy.

“There’s certain guys you just feel like you have timing with right away,” Manning said. “He’s a guy that has a great feel for how to get open, and understands route concepts and, of course, he played in such a sophisticated offense there in New England, so he’s a smart player. You can see why he’s been such a productive player. He’s intense. He loves to work.”

Giants coach Tom Coughlin believes he should have another Super Bowl ring if the Plaxico Burress shooting didn’t happen. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin believes he should have another Super Bowl ring on his finger in addition to the two he already has.

Coughlin said to the YES Network in an interview set to air June 4 that he believes that 2008 team had a great chance at another ring but the Plaxico Burress shooting happened.

Burress, who caught the winning touchdown in the 17-14 upset victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, accidentally shot himself in the right thigh while at a New York City nightclub in November 2008. Burress served two years in prison for two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and one count of reckless endangerment.

At the time of the shooting, the Giants were 11-1 and well on their way to the top seed in the NFC. The Giants were eventually upset by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Had that incident not occurred, Coughlin said he was certain the team would repeat as Super Bowl champs. “We were the best team in the NFL at the time of the shooting,” Coughlin said, via the Star-Ledger. 

Giants receiver Victor Cruz will reportedly partner with Jay-Z’s new sports management firm. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz could be the next client of rapper Jay-Z’s new sports management firm, reports Pro Football Talk.

According to the report, Cruz hired Creative Artists Agency in anticipation of CAA and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnering in the overall representation and management of Cruz’s career. Cruz fired his agent recently and hired CAA’s Tom Condon.

Cruz is a restricted free-agent and has been looking for a long-term deal after catching 168 passes for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns the past two seasons.

From Profootballtalk.com:

The speculation is accurate.  Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Cruz hired CAA in anticipation of CAA and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnering in the overall representation and management of Cruz’s career.

Officially, Roc Nation’s first client is Yankees’ second baseman Robinson Cano.  It’s apparently only a matter of time before Cruz joins the client list.

“I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet,” Cruz said in October, according to USA Today. “The bag is now open, and the cat is getting ready to do the salsa.  While clawing the sh-t out of the furniture.

Plaxico Burress will have to auction his home after a court ruling from a traffic incident nearly five years ago, back when he was with the Giants. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

A circuit court has ordered the Virginia Beach home of Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress to be auctioned, according to USA Today. The mandate was issued to satisfy liens against the property that came as a result of a 2008 traffic accident in Florida.

From the USA Today report:

Judge H. Thomas Padrick Jr. ordered Monday the property will be sold at auction no more than one week following the fifth advertisement of the sale in the local newspaper, according to court documents emailed to USA TODAY Sports by James Dunn, the lawyer for the plaintiff in the suit.

Burress’ driving license was suspended on March 25. The Virginia Beach property was valued at $460,000; Burress owes $159,000 to a woman who claimed he caused neck and back injuries after he rear-ended her nearly five years ago. At the time, Burress was playing for the Giants.

Burress, 35, played in three games for the Steelers last season. He had 42 yards and one touchdown.

Giants right tackle David Diehl reportedly took a pay cut of over $3 million to stay with the team. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

New York Giants right tackle David Diehl agreed Tuesday to a pay cut that keep him with the team for one more season, reports the New York Daily News.

Diehl will make $1 million this season, down from the $4.475 million he was scheduled to make. This allows the team to clear salary cap space.

From the Daily News report:

As part of the “restructuring” the Giants also guaranteed $200,000 of his $1 million salary, essentially turning it into a bonus. The pay cut also lowers Diehl’s salary cap number from $6,903,125 to $3,428,125 – clearing a much-needed $3.475 million in room for the Giants under the NFL’s $123 million salary cap.

Diehl, 32, played in 13 games last season, starting nine contests. He has started 149 of the 153 games he has played in over 10 seasons.

Shaun Rogers had about $500,000 worth of jewelry stolen from his Miami hotel room. (Handout/Getty Images)

Shaun Rogers, a defensive tackle for the Giants, had about $500,000 worth of jewelry stolen from him while staying at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, reports CBS Miami.

Rogers went out to the hotel’s nightclub with some friends and met a woman who came back to the room with them around 7 a.m. Rogers said he put his jewelry in the room’s safe and the party continued until he fell asleep. When he awoke around 12:30, neither the woman nor the jewelry was there.

From the CBS Miami report:

Among the items Rogers said were stolen were: diamond earrings worth $100,000; two wristwatches worth a combined $160,000; a gold necklace with gold pendant worth $50,000; gold bracelets worth $60,000; and a diamond Cuban necklace with a gold pendant worth $70,000.

Rogers, 34, joined the Giants in 2012 after stints in New Orleans, Cleveland and Detroit. He spent the season on the Giants’ injured reserve and did not appear in a game.

The New York Giants have been saying that re-signing Kevin Boothe is a priority. The cap-strapped Giants had to get creative to make it happen, but were able to bring back Boothe on a one-year deal.

As a free agent, Boothe had been talking to several teams, including the Panthers, Jets and Cardinals. The Giants don’t have a good in-house replacement for the guard, who graded out above-average as a run blocker.

After being drafted in the sixth round of the draft in 2006 by the Oakland Raiders, Boothe spent 2007-2012 with the Giants. Boothe started 16 games in 2012. Full details about Boothe’s deal with the Giants are not yet known.

LG Kevin Boothe has signed back with NYG. One-year deal.—
Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) March 25, 2013

The Giants reportedly offered receiver Victor Cruz a contract extension. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The New York Giants are set to offer wide receiver and restricted free agent Victor Cruz a contract that will exceed more than $7 million a year, reports the New York Daily News.

The offer to Cruz reportedly has a ”sizable amount” of guaranteed money. Cruz made $490,000 last season and last week the team placed a first-round tender on Cruz worth $2.879 million.

Cruz, 26, caught 82 passes for 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns last season after having a breakout campaign in 2011 when he caught 82 balls for a franchise record 1,536 yards and nine scores.

At the moment, it doesn’t appear Cruz is going to get an offer sheet from another team. Condon is Eli Manning’s agent and holds an important place in Giants history. In the days before the 2004 draft, he broke the news to the Chargers that Archie Manning said Eli would not play for them, which forced the draft day trade to the Giants.

The Giants expect another team to sign Victor Cruz to an offer sheet. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

New York Giants chairman and executive vice president Steve Tisch told reporters Sunday that it was “probable” another team would make restricted free agent wide receiver Victor Cruz an offer.

The New York Post’s Bart Hubbuch reported that Tisch is expecting another team to make the 26-year-old Cruz an offer.

“We’re going to go as far as we can go to keep him on the team,” Tisch added, according to Newsday’s Tom Rock.

Because Cruz is a restricted free agent, the Giants can match any offer another team gives Cruz. Last week, the Giants placed a first-round tender on Cruz, meaning they would get a first-round draft pick as compensation if he signs with another team.

Tisch also said, according to Hubbuch, that he expects Cruz to get a better offer than the approximately $6 million per year average handed out recently to free agents Wes Welker (by the Denver Broncos) and Danny Amendola (by the New England Patriots).

The Indianapolis Colts, one team looking to add another wide receiver, are not targeting Cruz, owner Jim Irsay told reporters Sunday.

When the Giants placed a first-round tender on Cruz, Giants co-owner John Mara said that he was hopeful the two sides could work out a long-term deal. But he acknowledged that the team had limits.

“He’s been a great player for us,” Mara said. “Like we do with all of our players, there’s a limit as to how far we’re going to go on a contract because you’ve got to pay 53. If the money goes over that limit, then we have to make a decision.”

Tisch says he expects a team will make an offer to Cruz: “We’re going to go as far as we can go to keep him on the team.”

— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) March 17, 2013

Tisch predicts that Victor Cruz will command more than the $6M-per-year average that fellow slot WRs Welker and Amendola just got.

— Bart Hubbuch (@HubbuchNYP) March 17, 2013

Jim Irsay: “it’s not Cruz, no” when asked if Victor Cruz is WR he’s targeting

— Jim Corbett (@ByJimCorbett) March 17, 2013

The Giants signed tight end Brandon Myers to a deal. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The New York Giants have found their replacement at tight end after last year’s starter Martellus Bennett signed with the Chicago Bears earlier this week.

The Giants and tight end Brandon Myers agreed to a deal on Saturday, according to USA Today’s Mike Garafolo. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Myers, 27, had a breakout campaign in 2012 with career-highs of 79 catches for 806 yards and scored the first four touchdowns of his career in starting all 16 games last season with the Oakland Raiders.

Myers, a four-year veteran, has 111 catches for 1,056 yards in his career.

[Update: 6:13 p.m. EDT] The Chicago Bears have confirmed the team and Martellus Bennett have agreed to terms.

Former Giants and Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett said he will sign with the Bears on Tuesday night according to Mike Davis of Pro Football Fantasy Focus.

Bennett soon tweeted that despite not having a “done deal” with the Bears, Chicago is where he wanted to be. Bennett also mentions joining “other brother” Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

The New York Daily News reported Sunday the Giants were attempting to keep Bennett.  He had also been linked to having interest in signing with the same team as his brother, free agent defensive end Michael Bennett.

BREAKING: Former Giants TE Martellus Bennett has informed me that he will sign with the Chicago Bears tonight.—
Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) March 12, 2013

I'm proud to say I'll be joining my other brother @bmarshall next season. #BEARDOWN—
Martellus Bennett (@JoeGryffindor) March 12, 2013

No deal done. Just know that's where I wanna be.—
Martellus Bennett (@JoeGryffindor) March 12, 2013

LM: #Bears address key need on first day of free agency, agreeing to 4-year deal with tight end Martellus Bennett.—
Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 12, 2013

The New York Giants have applied a first-round tender to restricted free-agent wideout Victor Cruz, Giants co-owner John Mara said on Monday. The move would give the Giants a first round pick if the team decides to not match an offer Cruz gets from any other team. A team looking to sign Cruz would have to surrender a first round pick along with forging a new contract with the Giants wideout.

The 26-year-old wide receiver burst onto the scene in 2011, emerging as Eli Manning’s favorite target that year by catching 82 passes for 1536 yards. Cruz remained an intergal part of the offense last season, hauling in 86 balls for 1092 yards.

Mara said the Giants had made a “substantial offer” to Cruz but Cruz’s agent wants to test the market for the slot receiver. Interest around the league in Cruz has reportedly been high.

John Mara says Victor Cruz will be tendered today at the first-round level.—
Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 11, 2013

Mara says Giants have made Cruz "a very substantial offer" that "would make him a very wealthy young man." His agent wants to test market.—
Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) March 11, 2013

Free agent defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins and the New York Giants have agreed to a three-year, $8 million contract, the NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones reported on Sunday. Jones reported that the deal includes $3 million guaranteed.

The move keeps Jenkins in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles released Jenkins last month after deciding not to pay him a $5 million roster bonus for the 2013 season. Jenkins had also reportedly met with the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. Jenkins had also discussed the possibility of returning to play with the Green Bay Packers, where he spent the first seven years of his career.

Jenkins had four sacks and 22 total tackles with the Eagles last season. He has played in all 16 games in three of the past four seasons.

NYG have signed DT Cullen Jenkins to a three-year deal for $8 million, $3 million guaranteed. Nice pickup.

— Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) March 10, 2013

Earlier on Sunday, Jenkins hinted on Twitter that a deal was coming soon:

Next chapter beginning??? I think so.

— Cullen Jenkins (@CullenJenkins) March 10, 2013

Signing free-agent Martellus Bennett is a top priority for the Giants this offseason. (Elsa/Getty Images)

The New York Giants are trying to re-sign free-agent tight end Martellus Bennett before the free-agent signing period starts Tuesday, reports the New York Daily News. 

Bennett, the former Dallas Cowboy backup, had a breakout season in 2012, catching a career-high 55 passes for 626 yards and five touchdowns. The report says that the Giants and Bennett’s representatives have talked over the past few days trying to hammer out a deal.

“I am and will continue communicating with the Giants,” Bennett’s agent, Kennard McGuire said to the Daily News. “Martellus is still in New York, and we are taking it one day at a time.”

Bennett signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Giants last offseason when there was little interest league-wide in Bennett.

Giants cornerback Corey Webster took a $3.25 million pay cut to stay with the team, reports the NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones. Webster started all 16 games last season but put up disappointing numbers. He was a candidate to get cut as the team tries to clear salary-cap space.

Webster, 31, will be in the final year of his contract this season and was due $7.25 million in base salary. He accepted a base of $4 million instead. Webster was drafted by the Giants in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2005 draft and has spent all eight years of his NFL career with the team. Last season, he had 58 total tackles and four interceptions.

NYG CB Corey Webster takes pay cut, will remain w/Giants in '13, the final yr of his contract. Salary goes from $7.25 million to $4 million.—
Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) March 07, 2013

The New York Giants have re-signed offensive tackle Will Beatty, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

Sources told Schefter Beatty agreed to a five-year, $38.75 million deal.

Beatty, who has played four seasons and started two seasons with the Giants, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the coming weeks. He will become the ninth-highest paid offensive tackle.

He was considered one of the top free-agent offensive tackle options on the 2013 market after scoring a plus-22.4 rating the fourth highest among free-agent tackles while starting 15 games last season.

The Giants reportedly will shift their focus to re-signing other potential offensive line free agents including guard Kevin Boothe, tackle Sean Locklear and tight end Martellus Bennett. Bennett reportedly may opt to join brother Michael Bennett, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end who is also scheduled to be a free agent.

Giants make significant off-season move: NY signed offensive tackle Will Beatty to a five-year, $38.75
million deal, per sources.—
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2013

Ahmad Bradshaw, recently cut by the Giants, said he would welcome the possibility of joining the Jets. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who was cut by the Giants last week, says he was excited by the possibility of playing for the Jets, according to the New York Daily News:

“The New York Jets are a team that I’m excited to hear about, just to stay home, not make a big move from New York,” Bradshaw said Tuesday morning on the NFL Network’s NFL AM show. “It’s just right across the street from where I am now.”

Bradshaw, 26, was drafted by the Giants in the 7th round (250th overall) of the 2007 draft and has played with the team for the entirety of his six-year career. However, he has been prone to injuries and recently underwent surgery in his right foot. Bradshaw rushed for 1,014 yards in 14 games last season.

There is a chance that Bradshaw would return to the Giants, but he says he is open to any possibility:

“You know what? In playing with the Giants, they had mentioned that there was a chance for me to come back, and I’m always up for that,” Bradshaw said. “But whatever. Whoever needs me, whoever can use me, whoever I feel that I can get a better chance of playing and helping which team.”

The Giants have released veteran running back Ahmad Bradshaw according to a source with knowledge of the transaction as reported by ProFootballTalk.

Bradshaw, 26, was considered to be a possible casualty of the Giants’ efforts to clear salary cap room, after foot injuries caused him to miss games in 2011 and 2012. The move reportedly will save the Giants $3.7 million on next year’s cap.

ESPNNewYork.com reported the Giants were likely to bring back restricted free-agent running back Andre Brown, added to the return of 2012 first-round pick David Wilson, provided the team more reasons to consider releasing Bradshaw.

Wilson averaged an eye-popping 5.7 yards per carry near the season’s end, but also drew the wrath of coach Tom Coughlin for fumbles and missed blocks. Despite his rookie flaws, Giants GM Jerry Reese was quoted saying Wilson had the talent to be the team’s lead back.

“I don’t think there’s any question that he can be that,” Reese said, when asked if Wilson can be a lead back (via ESPNNewYork.com). “It’s a two- and three-back league nowadays, but do I think he can be a lead dog? I do think that.

“Because he’s not a little guy, and he has incredible balance. You see guys have some big hits on him and he stays up — he’s not an easy guy to take down. So he’s much stronger than you might think just from how he looks on the field. But he’s a sleek, well-chiseled athlete. I do believe he can be the lead back.”

Bradshaw’s 2012 season was a mixed bag for the Giants. Brandon Jacobs’ move to the 49ers left Bradshaw more carries, and he responded with more than 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. Injuries, however, caused him to miss most of three games.

Brown scored a team-high eight rushing TDs before breaking his leg in late November.

Giants release Ahmad Bradshaw, per source with knowledge of transaction.—
  (@ProFootballTalk) February 06, 2013

The Giants are prioritizing a new contract for Hakeem Nicks over Victor Cruz. (Elsa/Getty Images)

The New York Giants are making a new long-term contract for wide receiver Hakeem Nicks a priority over one for Victor Cruz, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday.

Cruz is a restricted free agent this offseason, while Nicks actually has one year remaining on his contract. But the Giants want to get something done with Nicks because they view him as their long-term, legitimate No. 1 wideout, Schefter reported.

Giants co-owner John Mara told reporters Friday in New Orleans that the team wants Cruz back — but at a manageable price.

“We certainly want him back, but like with any player, there’s a limit to where we’re going to go,” Mara said. “He’s been a terrific player for us, he’s a fan favorite, he does a lot for our franchise, but there is a limit.”

The 26-year-old Cruz is coming off two stellar seasons in which he averaged 84 catches, 1,314 yards and 9.5 touchdowns per season. He helped the Giants to a Super Bowl championship last season.

Nicks, 25, was limited to only 13 games last season while dealing with knee and foot injuries. He caught 53 passes for 692 yards and three touchdowns in 2012, the first time in three seasons that he did not catch more than 75 passes for more than 1,000 yards.

Osi Umenyiora said that he’d prefer to remain with the Giants but that the Jets would be a “good fit.” (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Impending free-agent defensive end Osi Umenyiora said Thursday that he’d like to remain with the New York Giants but would be open to playing for other teams, including the rival New York Jets.

At an event in New Orleans promoting Super Bowl XLVIII in Meadowlands Stadium next year, Umenyiora also mentioned the Atlanta Falcons as another potential destination.

“There’s a couple of teams my agent told me he will be contacting at a later time,’’ Umenyiora told The New York Post. “I maintained to him my preference is to return to the Giants.’’

Umenyiora told the Post that the Jets would be a “good fit,” and he praised Jets head coach Rex Ryan.

“Rex Ryan, when I was coming out of college he was with Baltimore at the time and he came down to work me out at Troy, he came to Atlanta, just me and him. We had a pretty good time out there so I’ve always enjoyed him as a coach and as a person. That might be a good fit. Hopefully it will be with the Giants.’’

Umenyiora said after the season that it was “probably time to move on” after 10 seasons with the Giants. Umenyiora, 31, has long pined for a new, long-term contract from the Giants.

Umenyiora had six sacks and two forced fumbles last season while playing in all 16 games. He was part of a rotation that includes star defensive ends Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. With 22 free agents of their own to re-sign, it would be complicated for the Giants to match another team in terms of money.

Amani Toomer slammed Ray Lewis for his on-field antics. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Former New York Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer sounded off on Ray Lewis during Wednesday’s Media Day, calling the Baltimore Ravens linebacker a ‘caricature’ of himself and said he expects his on-field antics from someone in the WWE.

Despite the comments, Toomer said he loves Lewis as a player and considers him a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection, but he told USA Today Sports that Lewis is making his current run to the Super Bowl all about himself and not the overall team, adding that the Giants would have never allowed one player to single themselves out like that during the season:

“It’s definitely all about him. Once a guy goes to the center of the field, goes into the victory formation on the last play of his last home game. I just don’t think the Giants or any organization I’ve ever been a part of, even growing up, would allow somebody to single themselves out like that. [I]f you single yourself out after you make a play, that’s one thing. But to walk out on the field reminds me of the WWE, like The Rock coming out. You’re becoming a caricature of yourself. It’s exhausting. I don’t know why somebody would want that.”

Toomer, who lost to Lewis’ Ravens in the Super Bowl as a member of the Giants in 2001, also thinks it’s a bunch of “hypocrisy” for Lewis to call himself a religious man when Toomer believes his track record says otherwise:

“If you want to say you’re Mr. Religious and all of that, have a clean record. Don’t say all of that stuff if you know there’s stuff that might come back. Those are the things that, when I look at him, I just think hypocrisy.”

Lewis plead guilty to obstruction of justice as part of his plea agreement involving a double-homicide in Atlanta in 2000. He is also facing allegations that he used deer-antler spray to speed up his rehab earlier in the season, as detailed in a story that Sports Illustrated broke this week. The spray contains an ingredient banned by the NFL. Lewis responded by saying he is “too blessed to be stressed.”

Osi Umenyiora said there’s a “high probability” he won’t be back with the Giants next season. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

The New York Giants Osi Umenyiora told reporters this week that Sunday could be his last game with the team. The former two-time Pro-Bowl defensive end will seek a new contract once his current one is up at the end of the season and expects to land with a team that will use him as a starter. He said he’s not a “situational pass-rusher” but said anyone who watches tape of him can’t say that he’s not a starter in the NFL.

The Giants could still make the playoffs if they beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and if the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys each lose their game. But, if the Giants lose, he said “wholesale changes” will be made because there wasn’t one player on the team who lived up to expectations this season:

“We can get into the playoffs. Anything is possible. But it’s a high probability that I’m going to be playing somewhere else and I think everybody knows that. Let’s not kid ourselves.[I[f they’re going to be making changes, it has to be wholesale changes. Everybody has to leave. There has to be changes for everybody because nobody played above average this year.”

Umenyiora, 31, said that he’s no different from most players in that he wishes he could finish his career with the team that drafted him in 2003 but “everybody is not a Michael (Strahan),” who was drafted by the Giants in 1993 and spent his entire career in New York before retiring after the team won the Super Bowl in 2007. Umenyiora signed a seven-year, $41 million deal in 2005 but restructured the deal before the season. He recorded six sacks and two forced fumbles on the season, a far cry from his 11.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles in 2010 while filling in behind Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck.

The Giants will wear Sandy Hook Elementary School decals on Sunday. (Picture courtesy of NY Giants Twitter page)

The New York Giants will wear a decal on the back of their helmets for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons to honor the memory of the people who lost their lives in a shooting in Newtown, Conn on Friday, reports NFL.com.

Every Giants players will have a decal that has the initials S.H.E.S., which stands for Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The New York Jets and the New England Patriots also will wear various decals on their helmets this weekend.  The Patriots will send up 26 white flares, one at a time for each shooting victim, during a moment of silence before the start of their Sunday night home game against the San Francisco 49ers.

A gunman killed 20 children and six adults at the school and before killing himself.  Newtown is about 60 miles northeast of New York City. The NFL has also asked each home team to observe a moment of silence before the national anthem.

Ahmad Bradshaw will not play this weekend. (Elsa, Getty Images)

The New York Giants will be without the services of running back Ahmad Bradshaw this Sunday, the team announced Friday.

The team announced that Bradshaw hasn’t fully recovered from a sprained knee in the Giant’s 52-27 win over the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. Bradshaw has been limited to non-contact work on an exercise bike this week and has not practiced.

Rookie running back David Wilson will take his place, which may not be so bad for the Giants. Wilson had 327 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns against the Saints after Bradshaw’s injury. However, this weekends game will be his first NFL start.

Osi Umenyiora believes the Giants are the best in football (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora was asked on 98.7 ESPN Radio if the Patriots were the best team in football after handing the Texans a 42-14 loss on Sunday night. Umenyiora boldly responded that the Giants, not the Patriots, were the best team.

He clarified his best-in-football claim by saying:

“We’ve just been inconsistent. So if we can play the way we’re capable of playing – the way we played against San Francisco, the way we played against Green Bay, the way we played against the Saints for the majority of the game – I don’t think there’s a team that’s better than us at all.”

Under Tom Coughlin, the Giants have adopted a kind of “Talk is cheap” mantra, but it seems like Osi Umenyiora is not abiding by that one.

New York Giants running back Andre Brown suffered a broken fibula in the team’s blowout victory Sunday over the Green Bay Packers and is out for the season, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said after the game.

RB Andre Brown broke his fibula per Coach Coughlin. Listen live on Giants.com or WFAN66am

— New York Giants (@Giants) November 26, 2012

Coughlin did not specify which leg Brown injured. Brown had rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries before suffering the injury in the fourth quarter.

As the Giants’ second, change-of-pace option to starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw, Brown is a significant loss for the team currently sitting atop the NFC East. He rushed 60 times for 321 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber will play on your flag football team for $1,950. (Mike McGregor/Getty Images)

If you’ve always dreamed of playing an NFL player in flag football, or perhaps in badminton, now is the chance.

The New York Giants’ all-time leading rusher and three-time Pro-Bowl running back, Tiki Barber, is offering up his services for intramural sports…for a price tag of $1,950 per game.

According to UrbanDaddy.com, the online deal site, there are currently 11 days remaining for the opportunity to hire Barber to play “for your next game of flag football. Or basketball. Or kickball. Or pretty much whatever sport/gentlemanly activity you can think of.”

The game must be played within 25 miles of New York City and it’s “BYO equipment,” according to the site:

You’re getting Tiki Barber for an afternoon of flag football. Simply tell him your preferred when-and-where, and he’ll be on your team. Or the other team, if you feel like a challenge. [T]iki also excels at badminton and dodgeball.

Barber retired from the NFL in 2006 after nine years with the Giants. In June 2011, Barber and his agent, Mark Lepselter, were on New York-based radio station WFAN with host Mike Francesca, three months after Barber filed papers with the NFL to come out of retirement. Lepselter said in the interview that at some point, Barber will need “to find gainful employment eventually [w]ith four kids and the whole dynamic of that, he needs to have an income eventually.”

That job doesn’t look like it’s coming from the NFL. But perhaps Barber will find “gainful employment” from flag football. Or basketball. Or kickball. Or pretty much whatever sport/gentlemanly activity you can think of.

Giants defensive end Justin Tuck says he thinks the Steelers offensive line gets away with murder. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The New York Giants seem to think a lot of teams get away with murder. Three weeks ago, Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride targeted San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith drawing the ire of 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh.

This time it is Giants defensive end Justin Tuck who is calling out the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line.  Steelers travel to New York to play the Giants on Sunday.

“I hope we get some holding calls because they have gotten away with murder,” Tuck told ESPN. “They’ve done a very good job protecting Ben (Roethlisberger) – they don’t hold on every play. But we’ve seen a whole lot of it.”

This isn’t the first time Tuck has called out an opponent. He called the Atlanta Falcons offensive line “dirtbags” prior to the Giants beating the Falcons in the NFC wild-card playoff game last season.

The Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin cannot find a New York-area hotel in the aftermath of the storm Sandy. (Jeff Gross, Getty Images)

The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot find a New York-area hotel in the aftermath of the Superstorm Sandy and will need to make a day trip to face the Giants at MetLife Stadium this weekend, according to reports.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette reported that the Steelers’ original hotel has no power, and they were not able to find another one with enough vacant rooms.

The Steelers checked area hotels and were unable to find one close enough with enough vacant rooms and also did not want to further disrupt an area where people whose homes were damaged are themselves searching for hotel rooms.

The Steelers and Giants will play at 4:25 on Sunday. Typically, the NFL mandates that a visiting team arrive the day before a road game. But in this case, Pittsburgh will fly  out mid-morning on Sunday, Bouchette reported. The team will fly back right after the game.

The unique situation will add even more complexity for a Steelers team that has struggled on the road this season, as they have gone 1-3 through their first four games away from home.

Though the Steelers-Giants game is scheduled as planned, the storm forced the postponement of the much-hyped NBA opener between New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz wants a long-term deal from the team. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is set to become a restricted free agent after this season, but he is hoping to get a new contract before then, reports the Star-Ledger. 

Cruz is making $540,000 this season and the team can sign him to a one-year tender after the season. But Cruz wants long-term security.

“We would like to get it done before the season’s (over),” Cruz told WFAN Radio. “We don’t want to drag it along, and (have it) become something that blocks the team in the offseason, and something that is in the media every day. We don’t want it to get like that. We want to just knock it out halfway through the season, or during the season at the very least, and put it behind (us).”

Cruz set the Giants franchise record with 1,536 receiving yards last season and made his first Pro Bowl. This season, Cruz has 50 catches with 7 touchdowns. His 627 receiving yards are 4th in the NFL.

DeMarco Murray hopes to return after suffering a foot injury. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Cowboys hope tests scheduled today will allow running back DeMarco Murray to return Sunday against the Giants, according to Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas.

Murray wore a protective boot and used crutches this week after suffering a foot injury against the Ravens on Oct. 14.

The Cowboys’ running game struggled in a 19-14 win over the Panthers on Sunday, gaining just 85 yards a week after amassing 277 rushing yards against the Ravens.

Murray has had success running against the Giants, gaining 131 yards on 20 carries in the Cowboys’ season-opening 24-17 win at MetLife Stadium.

Unlocked vehicles belonging to the New York Giants were reportedly burglarized early Sunday morning at the Timex Performance Center in East Rutherford, N.J. while the team was away in San Francisco getting ready to do battle with the 49ers, according to a report Tuesday morning from MSNBC.com:

Neither police nor the Giants team would confirm the names of the  players who reportedly had their cars broken into, but Polite  said the majority of the burglarized cars belonged to players.

The Giants ended up winning the game against the 49ers in rather convincing fashion, 26-3. Amid the reports of burlarized vehicles, there was also the news that one of the cars, a 1996 Chevy Caprice, was reportedly stolen off the lot:

Souped-up versions  of the vehicle are popular with sports stars and “very common” in  cities like Miami, Polite said.

Only in Jersey can someone be heartless enough to break into my car while we are in Cali making fans proud..geez get your life right in 2012—
James Brewer (@Big_Brewski) October 15, 2012