Kicking the tires and looking under the hood is the way of life in the NFL this time of year as the few remaining desirable free agents try to find new homes and teams attempt to fill nagging holes.
The Giants yesterday were visited by two NFL vets, linebacker Aaron Curry and kick returner Josh Cribbs. Both remain on the market with lingering questions to answer about recent knee problems. Both came and went without immediately being offered a contract.
Curry saw fit to recount virtually every move he made via his Twitter account. Not long after his visit was completed, Curry tweeted that the meeting with the Giants “went well’’ but made it clear “I have not signed.’’ He worked out for the Giants and wrote he was “a little rough around the edges’’ and seemed impressed with the organization. He tweeted, “My few hours with the #Giants staff and players explain everything to me. #firstclass.’’
Curry, 27, did not pan out after entering the NFL as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He spent two years with the Seahawks before he was traded to the Raiders during the 2011 season. He hasn’t played since he was released by the Raiders last November after playing in only two games, slowed by chronic knee injuries. Although he didn’t sign, there’s a chance Curry and the Giants could come to an agreement in the near future.
The Giants expressed interest in Cribbs early in the free agent signing period but opted to wait, as did the Cardinals, who came to a contract agreement with Cribbs back in March but then pulled back because of concerns about his knee. Cribbs had surgery after the season to repair a damaged meniscus. The 29-year old receiver has 11 career touchdown returns (eight on kickoffs, three on punts) and last season averaged 27.4 yards on kickoff returns, good for fourth in the league. The Giants no doubt remember the 74-yard kickoff return he broke against them back on Oct. 7 in a 41-27 victory over the Browns.
Cribbs visited with the Jets on Wednesday. He met with the Raiders earlier in the week and reportedly received a contract offer. If Cribbs is healthy he would give the Giants a formidable returner, but he’s making the rounds, with Detroit his next stop. Adding a quality returner would certainly be helpful, as Domenik Hixon signed with the Panthers and running back David Wilson, entering his second year in the league, is expected to move into Ahmad Bradshaw’s vacated starting role. Wilson was a record-breaking kickoff returner as a rookie but the Giants likely want to ease the load on him as he prepares for a full workload on offense.
* Quarterbacks new to the scene usually attract more than their share of attention and that figures to be the case with Ryan Nassib as the Giants today open up a two-day rookie mini-camp. All eyes will be on Nassib, taken on the fourth round out of Syracuse, even though the Giants selected three players ahead of him in the first three rounds of the draft. Those three players are linemen – offensive lineman Justin Pugh plus defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and defensive end Damontre Moore – and it is often difficult for the big guys to show their stuff in a rookie camp devoid of any hitting.
* Chad Jones, the Giants third-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, has given up his football comeback attempt and will try to play pro baseball. Jones, a safety (and pitcher) at LSU, never played for the Giants. He was involved in a serious car accident before his rookie season, nearly losing and severely injuring his left leg. He was released by the Giants in May of 2012. … The Giants will remain on WFAN after agreeing to a multi-year extension with the station, which has been the radio home of the team since 1997.