New York Giants Official Website

Combine Thoughts
Coach Tom Coughlin met with the media at the NFL Combine to discuss many topics
By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

Take this story to go! -    RSS |  Podcast |  Mobile

February 22, 2008

EAST RUTHERFORD - A year ago, Tom Coughlin visited the media room at the NFL Combine and parried with reporters seeking explanations why he was given a one-year contract extension after an 8-8 season and a first-round playoff loss. Coughlin returned there today to face a more accommodating press, less than three weeks after winning Super Bowl XLII.

So, did Coughlin know last year he'd be standing there 12 months later as a world champion?

"I had it all mapped out," Coughlin said. "I knew this would be taking place."

Yes, he was smiling. He'd have to look for excuses not to. Coughlin is on top of the football world after the Giants upset previously undefeated New England in the Super Bowl, 17-14. He has a team set up for continued success and team president John Mara said "there's just a couple of minor details that need to be worked out" on Coughlin's new contract extension.

"I'm trying to make sure that all the things along the way that you don't read about or see on TV or whatever, the interviews and that type of thing, I don't want to miss out on anything that was really good," Coughlin said. "Hopefully, that's not going to happen, but it's a blur the way that goes. But it's wonderful to hear people say 'Super Bowl champions' and 'champions of the world.' It's kind of nice to get here and be back in the football environment and see so many friends from years gone by, people that have been in the league for a long time. It's just a nice thought."

Coughlin is not one to dwell on the past, even when it is worth celebrating. So he was happy to travel to Indianapolis for the combine, where he can begin to gauge more than 300 draft-eligible players and start preparing in earnest for the 2008 season.

"You really don't ever stop," Coughlin said. "We got back (from the Super Bowl) on a Monday night, we had our exit meetings, etcetera, on Tuesday morning, we had a magnificent experience in the Canyon of (Heroes) over there in New York and we had a great session when we came back to the Meadowlands with the fans being there. Then, all of a sudden, the next day we had to do (player) rankings and evaluations and write-ups and needs and things of that nature. So we went right ahead and did that. And then, as soon as we got back (from vacation), we continued along those lines with the information coming about the combine and free agency and started the evaluation of free agents, started our cut-ups. So we jumped right back into it."

Because the Giants season ended so late, and the coaches were given much-deserved vacations last week, Coughlin did not have as much time as usual to prepare for the combine. But he'll gladly make that tradeoff every year.

"I've got lists and information and all of that stuff," Coughlin said, "but I like a good first impression and then I like to go back and do as much research as I possibly can to develop my thoughts about what our needs are and what we're trying to accomplish, whether it be free agency or the draft. This is the process and the beginning of it for me. I'm very grateful I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for this."

Because of the late start, the Giants have altered their offseason schedule. The Giants must complete their evaluations prior to the beginning of the free agency signing period on Feb. 29. The offseason conditioning program, which usually begins in mid-March, will kick off on the 31st. The NFL Draft will he held on April 26 and 27.

"We have to push the start of the offseason program back a little bit," Coughlin said. "We'll still get the 10 weeks in, but just barely. The way I look at that question is a good one because, even if you take just the first week of the playoffs, after that there's some 15 practices and three really exciting, competitive, difficult football games. So I think our young guys have benefited, all our guys have benefited from that. So we'll approach it from that standpoint. We'll certainly throw as much at them as we can in textbook area, do an outstanding job with our young guys once we get them in there. But I'll take into consideration everything, the calendar date, etcetera, and point towards our mini-camps and then our training camp.

"I think everybody is in that same position because you now become very vigilant about making sure that, even though you had some time that's gone by and you have to do things on a little different schedule, that you do it right. Because you have so many guys on your roster, when you go down to the evaluation that you identify that need, the physical development, the opportunity to be with the coaches more in a one-on-one situation in the classroom. You have so many people that have that design, so you really got to get started on that. And you're very vigilant in making sure that everything is done in accordance with what you believe in and that no stone is left unturned, even though you just got done playing."

Coughlin addressed several other subjects during his combine interview. Here's a sampling...

*On the Giants being the team everyone will want to beat: "I haven't obviously sat down and spent a lot of time about the formulation of the theories and context that I'm going to approach in terms of opening training camp with the players. But one of the things this team did very well was they continued to look forward. They never sat and overanalyzed the last game, for example. They always looked forward. And having something to prove is always something that we challenged them with. And the fact that we are Super Bowl champions is not going to change that. We have so many new teams that we're playing next year, so much preparation that has to be done. This is a team that I hope will grasp that concept as well."

*On whether competing in the NFC East helped the Giants in the playoffs: "No question about it. No question about all the difficult games we played, all the different scenarios - playing the night games, the late games on Sunday afternoon, adjusting to all of that with our players. The London experience, the disruption of your schedule and then the quality of the teams we played week in and week out. That all prepares you. As I've said before, if you're going to do something difficult, you definitely have to prepare yourself in the same way - preparing with the most difficult opponent."

*On working with Jerry Reese, who is entering his second year as general manager: "Jerry came into that position with both feet on the ground, running full speed ahead. Because of the position that he held (Director of Player Personnel) he certainly had a great feel for the organization, for the players, for the coaching staff, if you will. And the thing that Jerry brings to the table is great energy, great passion, very, very positive - very positive - aggressive, aggressive with the roster, very supportive. So the idea that we both work together and the New York Giants being one, that was something that we did from Day 1. He's certainly been an excellent guy to work with."

*On whether winning the Super Bowl make him a better coach: "I don't think so. I don't think I'm any different than I ever was. I just had a good football team and we achieved the ultimate goal."

**Reese, who will meet the media at the combine tomorrow, sat down for an interview on the NFL Network. Some of the highlights:

*On what positions the Giants hope to strengthen in the draft: "We don't want to show our hand in this thing. We just like to create competition at every position. That's what we want to do going into training camp. We'd like to have depth at every position. You guys can see some places where we think we need some depth and we'll probably work on those positions."

*On whether moving David Diehl from left tackle back to guard is an option: "I've said this before, you win championships with David Diehl. All he does is come to work every day. Any position you want him to play, he plays. He plays every snap every day. He's not a blue goose left tackle, but we won a championship with him at left tackle. If you ask him, he'll tell you his natural position is probably left tackle. He likes to play out there. It's a challenge to him. He goes against Osi (Umenyiora) every day. You get some serious reps when you go against Osi every day. I love the guy. He works so hard. I think you win championships with guys like him."

*On Michael Strahan's future: "Michael and I haven't had a conversation since the Super Bowl. We were elated and happy for each other the night of the Super Bowl. We said we'd talk at some point. We do want him back. But 15 years is a long time down in those trenches. He's got the ring, he's first ballot Hall of Famer - so he has a big decision to make."

*On the school of thought that the offense began clicking when Jeremy Shockey went out with a fractured left fibula and Kevin Boss stepped is as the first-team tight end: "Jeremy is coming off the injury. Our doctors and trainers say he's going to be a hundred percent coming back. He's going to be our starting tight end, so we'll have two nice tight ends going into next season. We're looking forward to having him back."

*The Giants have made several roster moves since the Super Bowl, though none of them involved principal players.

*They terminated the contract of fullback Jim Finn, who was spent the entire season on injured reserve after undergoing shoulder surgery in June. While Finn was sidelined, the Giants acquired fullback Madison Hedgecock off waivers from St. Louis. Hedgecock was an outstanding blocker and capable receiver and the Giants expect him to man the position for many seasons.

The Giants released three players from injured reserve: safety Craig Dahl, defensive lineman Dek Bake and offensive lineman Todd Londot.

Dahl was the only one of those players to appear in a game in 2007. After making the team as a rookie free agent from North Dakota State, Dahl played in nine regular season games, including starts at strong safety at Philadelphia on Dec. 9 and vs. Washington the following week. Dahl finished the season with 18 defensive tackles (10 solo), plus five unassisted special teams tackles. But he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the first quarter of the regular season finale against New England and was on I.R. during the Giants' postseason run.

Bake (back) and Londot (neck) spent the entire season on injured reserve.

The Giants have signed 12 players, including eight who spent all or part of the season on the team's practice squad: defensive backs Darren Bennett of Missouri State and Andrew Shanle of Nebraska, tight end Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame, offensive linemen Na'Shan Goddard of South Carolina and Brandon Torrey of Howard, running back Kay-Jay Harris of West Virginia and wide receivers Brandon London of Massachusetts and Todd Lowber of Ramapo.

Also signed were linebackers Keith O'Neil of Northern Arizona and Rory Johnson of Mississippi, defensive tackle Rodney Leisle of UCLA and kicker Shane Andrus of Murray State. Andrus has since been waived