Following yesterday’s organized team activity, rookie linebacker Phillip Dillard was shouting to get the attention of Barry Cofield, yelling “Cofield, Cofield,” but the veteran defensive tackle wasn’t exactly jumping to attention.
Shouldn’t the rookie have shown some more respect, perhaps adding a “Mister” before blurting out the last name of an established Giants starter?
“Nah,” Cofield said. “I’m not that old.”
GIANTS WON’T CEDE CITY TO JETS
Sometimes it seems as if Cofield is far older than his 26 years, because he has been a wise and mature presence since arriving in 2006. He likely will not be around in 2011 and nearly was gone from the scene this coming season, because on draft day, the Saints offered a second-round pick for him.
Cofield said he was disappointed the trade didn’t go down, but was glad he didn’t sign a bad deal.
“Absolutely,” Cofield said. “That’s the goal. When you enter the league, after four years if you do everything the right way there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I appreciate the Saints’ interest, but we couldn’t come to terms on a contract I felt comfortable with, so it fell through. Now I’m happy to be back here with my teammates.”
Recently, Cofield spent time in the office of general manager Jerry Reese to discuss the situation. The Giants did not shop Cofield, and the Saints made initial contact. The Giants certainly were willing to give up Cofield for a second-round pick and gave the New Orleans front office permission to work out a long-term deal with Cofield, who will make $1.7 million this season after signing his one-year tender as a restricted free agent. In rushed negotiations, Cofield didn’t like what the Saints were offering and the trade was shelved.
“I was on the clock, the draft had started, and it gave me less time to think, so maybe they thought I would succumb to the numbers they gave me, but it wasn’t the case,” Cofield said. “The Saints were giving up a second-round pick in a very deep draft. That shows a lot.
“Dollars and cents, that’s business, but giving up a second-round pick, that shows they value me,” he added. “A lot of quality players have been traded for a lot less than a second-round pick this offseason. That actually made me feel good someone had interest and someone would be willing to give up a second-round pick for me. When that fell through my attention immediately turned to what we have in this building and that excites me too.”
Not one to make waves, Cofield said he knows the Giants have no inclination to sign him to an extension, and he must prove himself yet again before he hits unrestricted free agency. When the first-team defense took the field during practice, Cofield and Chris Canty were the starting tackles.
“To me it’s kind of a dead issue,” Cofield said. “I’m so excited about getting into these meeting rooms and getting on the field with my teammates that it’s almost like a distant memory to me now. I know I’m going to be a Giant, and to me that’s all that matters.”
Cofield said he knows economic considerations are a big part of football.
“There’s a difference between having someone on the trading block and entertaining an offer they felt like they couldn’t refuse,” he said. “It’s a business. They made that clear when they tendered me a few months ago, so I wasn’t really shocked that it’s still a business. This whole offseason has taught me that more than anything. After going through this I’m prepared to handle everything.”