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Porkins: Catches bullets said 06/16, 01:41 PM
Ah..Shockey. Always a distraction. But I don't think he's the Giants' most important problem.

Although Shockey is a proven producer, the Giants know that they can win without him. They proved it last year after week 15.

Even prior to his departure, Shockey was doing very little to help the team. From December on, Shockey had a total of 5 receptions, and did virtually nothing to contribute to a 7-2 record, monstrous playoff run, and stunning Superbowl victory.

The G-Men can succeed without the services of their loudmouth tight end. In the back of their collective mind, the Giants must know that regardless of how the situation plays out, the team will be ok.


Two key contributors are demanding renegotiations on their contracts- Osi Umeniyora and Plaxico Burress. Having to pick one of these, I'm going with Burress being the bigger issue.

You say that "we all know that will be resolve before the season starts", but don't forget that Plax also has a history of disgruntled and selfish behavior. He has already indicated he'll sit out until he gets his way. And these problems CAN linger.

Look at their roster. WR could be a real problem.

More in #2.

Porkins: Catches bullets said 06/16, 06:08 PM
Shockey has been a distraction from DAY ONE. Nothing has changed. The Giants have proven their ability to deal with his nonsense.

And his stats DO matter, because the Giants have also proven that they can succeed without him and his production. If Shockey WERE to move on, there's every reason to believe that the team would be fine.

On the other hand, a reliable WR is somewhat more critical to the Giants' success, and look beyond Plax:

-Manningham has shown little in camp, and even if he improves he's still a rookie.
-Tyree may start the season on PUP list following knee surgery
-Toomer will be 34 years old
-Steve Smith is emerging, but unproven

Despite his success in the playoffs, Eli Manning is still a young guy, and is NOT the type of QB who's going to win it on his own. He needs solid targets at the WR position.

With Rosenhaus in the mix, this COULD be a typical contract dispute, or it could linger well into the regular season, affecting Plax's production and the team's chemistry. THAT is something that NY cannot afford.

Plax's "holdout" has already drawn criticism from Sean O'Hara and other players. His selfishness is bigger threat at this point.

Porkins: Catches bullets said 06/17, 08:52 PM
Hey, I hope everything's ok- I don't know if I've ever seen you miss a turn.

Since you didn't get a 3rd, I'll just use this to sum up rather than argue more.

-Shockey is a distraction, but he's always been a problem
-The Giants have proven that they can succeed with or without him
-Plax is more critical to the team than Shockey, particularly with regard to Eli
-Plax has a track record of the type of behavior that could allow this to carry over into the season
-His actions are already causing problems among other team members and affecting chemistry

Bottom line: They won a Superbowl without Shockey. Whatever happens with him, they'll be ok.