ALBANY, N.Y. -- Eli Manning has agreed to a new six-year, $97 million contract extension with the New York Giants that will make him among the highest-paid players in the NFL with an average salary of roughly $15.3 million, a source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

There is a chance the deal could be signed Wednesday, but both sides wanted to review the contract, The Associated Press reported.

Manning, who led the Giants to a Super Bowl upset of the New England Patriots in February 2008 and was named the MVP of the game, was in the final year of the contract he signed as the No. 1 overall pick in 2004. He will make $9.4 million under that deal this season.

Tom Condon, Manning's agent, was not immediately available for comment. The Giants had no immediate comment.

This deal will give Manning an average salary that is roughly $200,000 higher than the one earned by All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha of the Oakland Raiders. He agreed to a three-year, $45.3 million contract this year.

The salary obviously also is higher than that earned by Manning's big brother, Peyton. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback earns an average of $14.17 million annually.

The two sides have been discussing a contract for months, but they worked out the last details in recent days.

While Manning's contract was to expire at the end of this season, there was little chance the Giants would lose him to free agency. They could have named him a franchise player and Manning has long said he wants to remain with the Giants.

Eli Manning took over as the Giants starter midway through his rookie season and he has led New York to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons.

Manning went to the Pro Bowl for the first time last season, completing 289 of 479 passes for 3,238 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also threw only 10 interceptions, 10 less than the previous season.

Manning has started the last 71 games for New York, the third longest streak among active quarterbacks at the end of last season. During that span he has also become the first Giants quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards and at least 20 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Posted by TMS:

the G-Men had to get that contract done... no way u can let Eli go to another team.

Posted by jazz74:

Posted by SupremeCommander:

Posted by TMS:

the G-Men had to get that contract done... no way u can let Eli go to another team.

of course but there's gonna be debate over whether or not he's worth being the highest paid player in the league

well, in three years, it will be obsolete since other players will demand higher salaries. i dont have problem with it especially since ha is a super bowl mvp and pro bowler and will get better with time. he will really earn his money worth this season turning these receiving core into something.

GIANTS MATES: ELI DESERVES BIG BUCKS

By PAUL SCHWARTZ

August 7, 2009 --

ALBANY -- The pass from Andre Woodson hung in the air and then descended into the end zone. Hakeem Nicks was there, but his body on this play in yesterday morning's practice was not in complete control and his arms weren't positioned correctly.

GIANTS BLOG AT CAMP

The ball slipped through the big hands of the first-round pick and onto the grass.

Nicks trotted off the field and stood off to the left, in line with the other receivers. In an instant, Eli Manning made the walk to seek out Nicks.

Motioning with his arms, Manning was busy with a tutorial, actually animated in his gesturing as he spent several minutes with the rookie receiver.

"He was telling me, basically, I could have stayed more away from the defender," Nicks said. "The play went across the safety's face, but he told me he would read it if I was just to stay vertical instead of covering myself up.

"It's a good feeling, him directing me on that route, helping me out. I feel like that's what leaders do. Not coming at you the wrong way, he did it in a respectful manner."

After he was finished with Nicks, Manning trotted over to his customary spot with the other quarterbacks and began waving his arm and discussing the play with Woodson.

"He does it in such a way that he doesn't offend anybody," coach Tom Coughlin said. "They're all looking for that and they get it. The more you take charge the better off you are."

This is the side of Manning that is largely unseen on the outside, but one of the reasons why the Giants are on the verge of signing him to a six-year, $97.5 million contract extension. The deal is not official, but it will be.

Manning's statistics do not warrant him vaulting near the top of the NFL in salary, but his value is incalculable to the Giants. He has been in the playoffs four consecutive years. He has been a Super Bowl champion and MVP, and he is such an agreeable marquee player that there's no concern about the money or the fame or the big city making him anything other than who he already is.

"Do we think it's a big deal? No, we realized this was coming a long time ago," defensive end Justin Tuck said of Manning's mega-deal. "It was just when and how much. I think he deserves every cent of it."

Of course, Tuck couldn't stop there, because players rarely stop there when it comes to chiding Manning. There's no pedestal for the son and little brother of football royalty.

"Eli's a cheap guy," Tuck added. "He's still driving around in that Toyota."

There was never a feeling that this contract wouldn't get done or that Manning, heading into the final year of the deal he signed in 2004, would ever go elsewhere. Nevertheless, having Manning contractually bound through the 2015 season did resonate with the veteran players.

"It's always nice when you see good guys like that rewarded," center Shaun O'Hara said.

After offering his congratulations, O'Hara quickly asked Manning where he's taking the offensive line on vacation.

"It's almost too easy. . . . I like to be more creative when I'm teasing Eli," O'Hara said. "I'm just glad he one-upped Peyton.

"Eli is always very classy about it. He feels a little bit awkward about the new contract, for people to know what you're making," O'Hara added. "Let's not forget this isn't his first big contract. His rookie deal wasn't exactly peanuts, so I don't think anything is going to change for him. You're not going to see him show up in fur coats and Bentleys with diamonds all over his chest. We're not worried about it going to his head, and if it does, we'll be glad to bring him back down to reality."

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

Giants' WR Smith isn't feeling pressure

August 12, 2009 6:00 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Giants wide receiver Steve Smith isn't the kind of person who feels a lot of stress. In fact, he doesn't seem fazed by the fact that he'll likely begin the '09 season as the Giants' de facto No. 1 receiver.
Steve Smith
#12 WR
New York Giants

2008 STATS
REC YDS TD AVG LNG
57 574 1 10.1 30

Smith's already emerged as a clutch player on third downs. When the Giants had a third-and-6, Eli Manning often went to Smith. Now, the former USC star wants to show that he can be more of a downfield threat. But first, he needs to get back on the practice field. He's missed the last couple of days with a knee injury, but there's a chance he returns for tonight's 6 p.m. ET practice.

Smith had a quick answer when I asked him if things felt different without Plaxico Burress in camp.

"No, because he never really practiced anyway," Smith said. "But he did sit in meetings with us, and he could really help me out in that regard."

Smith said he hasn't spoken to Burress since he was released by the Giants. And by the way, Smith's younger brother, Malcolm, will be a weakside linebacker for USC this season. So how does he think the Trojans will do this season?

"No. 1 for sure," Smith said. "We have the early game against Ohio State, but after that, it should be fine."

Smith and fellow Pac-10 receiver DeSean Jackson (Cal) have a friendly rivalry dating back to their high school days. Smith, who was a year ahead of Jackson in school, said he always checks out Jackson's stats to see how he's doing. And he'd read reports that Jackson is tearing up Eagles camp right now.

I also talked to Justin Tuck and Hakeem Nicks. You'll be reading more about them Thursday. Now I have to head out to the afternoon practice.

Update: Smith (knee) wasn't able to practice in Wednesday's second session. He did catch balls out of the JUGS machine for about 20 minutes after practice.

New York Giants, Giants Day, Steve Smith, Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, DeSean Jackson

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One-on-one Giants coverage: GM Jerry Reese

August 12, 2009 4:34 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

ALBANY, N.Y. -- One of my favorite things to do in training camp is watch practice through a scout's eyes. I've watched college football with Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland before, and he's always noticing things that go way beyond whether a guy catches the ball or misses a block.

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to stand next to Giants general manager Jerry Reese for about 30 minutes during the team's morning session. He watched intently to see how this year's rookies reacted to certain situations -- and he attempted to temper my enthusiasm for third-round pick Ramses Barden, who's on the verge of being named camp MVP -- by me.

Anyway, here are the highlights from my epic interview with Reese:


AP Photo/Bill Kostroun
Giants general manager Jerry Reese is keeping a close eye on the rookies.
MM: Is it just me or is Ramses Barden taking over this camp right now?

Reese: He's big and he catches everything. He's a quick learner and he's gigantic. He's got a huge strike zone. He had the stigma of the small school, but so did [Kevin] Boss. If a guy doesn't jump off the screen at a small school, he can't play at this level. Barden jumped off the screen. And he didn't look out of place at the combine. And if you talk to him, he's very bright. We expect him to play right from the start.

MM: Do first-round guys like Hakeem Nicks not know how to pace themselves in practice? Is that why so many receivers get hurt in training camp? I remember it happened to Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas for the Redskins last season.

Reese: Yeah, especially your No. 1s. They think they have to be better than anyone else and they get overcooked. All he can do is take mental reps. But it's tough having guys like that out because quarterbacks have to get used to their body language. [A tremendous catch by Derek Hagan interrupts Reese's train of thought.]

MM: How's Steve Smith responding to becoming one of the "veterans" of the receiving corps?

Reese: He's very confident. He was almost NFL-ready when he came out of USC. He's not afraid of competition. People keep talking about how Smith and Domenik [Hixon] only combined for 50 catches or something, but they were only part-time players. You may end up doubling some of those numbers this season. And (Mario) Manningham and Sinorice Moss had good springs. We threw the ball to Moss 12 times last season and he had 12 catches. There were no drops, no missed assignments.

MM: How has David Tyree looked after the long layoff?

Reese: He's still coming off the injury, but he's back in a good position. He's a true gamer. You have to remember that he went to a Pro Bowl as a special teamer.

MM: Who's your No. 2 running back right now?

Reese: (Ahmad) Bradshaw's definitely our No. 2 right now. But the other two guys are nipping at his heels. We want to make guys earn their jobs. That's a heated position battle right there. Andre Brown is everything we thought he would be. He reminded us of Derrick Ward and we were giddy when he was there in the fourth.

MM: Is picking up the blitz one of the toughest things for rookie running backs?

Reese: Yeah, you can just look at a guy like Brandon Jacobs and know that. When he first got up here, he just wanted to run the ball. But one of my favorite things from the throw to Plaxico (Burress) to win the Super Bowl was when Jacobs slid over and blocked No. 37 (Rodney Harrison). No. 37 was getting ready to hit Eli in the earhole. That play never happens if Jacobs doesn't pick him up.

MM: Looking back, what was the biggest factor in you guys faltering down the stretch last season?

Reese: We were fine for three-quarters of the season and then we got banged up on the line and didn't have the firepower to get after the quarterback. (Fred) Robbins was playing with two broken hands, Tuck's foot and knee were banged up and (Mathias) Kiwanuka was fighting through things. We couldn't get Donovan McNabb on third-and-20 [in the Divisional playoff game]. There were a lot of turning points in that game, but that was a big one.

MM: Why do you think Chris Canty's a good fit here?

Reese: We liked his versatility. And we played against him twice a year and he gave us headaches. He and Tuck can go inside or outside.

MM: What's going on with Eli Manning's contract?

Reese: I told our guys here that the contract wasn't done. I didn't care what they wrote, but it's not done. No contract is easy to do, and nothing surprises me when it comes to personnel. Until you have a name on the dotted line, it's not done.

MM: Will you get it done before the start of the season?

Reese: I'm hopeful that will happen, yeah.

MM: I keep hearing people say that Kenny Phillips will have a breakout season. What sets him apart from other safeties in the league?

Reese: First of all, he's having a great camp. He's got some star qualities. There's just a calmness about him. It never looks like he's straining hard. Everything comes easy for him.

MM: Are you still hopeful that Michael Boley can be a productive player this season?

Reese: Yeah, he's outstanding in coverage. We think he can help us cover the running back in Philadelphia (Brian Westbrook), the tight end in Dallas (Jason Witten) and the tight end for the Redskins (Chris Cooley).

MM: Did it give the team a lift when Antonio (Pierce) wasn't indicted in the Burress case?

Reese: It gave us a little lift. It was a weight off his shoulders. We're happy he's here. It feels like he has something to prove.

MM: Why'd you finally decide to cut your losses with Plaxico?

Reese: You don't want to get rid of a good player. But you have to see the big picture. You've got these other 52 guys. We tried to make it work, but teams have to change sometimes.

MM: What did you learn from last season?

Reese: Well, I learned a lot of things. We got hit right out of the gate last year with a Hall of Famer retiring (Michael Strahan) and a Pro Bowler (Umenyiora) going down. We made it through three quarters of the season, but then we got worn down. I'll try not to let that happen again. We have to sustain the madness up front.

MM: What's the competition like between Rhett Bomar and Andre Woodson for the third quarterback spot?

Reese: Bomar looks like a rookie playing quarterback. But he's got good velocity on the ball. That will be a heated battle in the preseason. Bomar's just trying to figure everything out. Woodson's ahead of the curve because he's been around here. Both of them have good skill sets.

Giants Day, Rhett Bomar, Andre Woodson, Michael Strahan, Antonio Pierce, Jason Witten, Brian Westbrook, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Chris Canty, Mathias Kiwanuka, Donovan McNabb, Brandon Jacobs, Rodney Harrison, Ahmad Bradshaw, David Tyree, Mario Manningham, Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss, Derek Hagan, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, Ramses Barden, Kevin Boss, Jerry Reese

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Beast Special Report: The Coughlin interview

August 12, 2009 2:59 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Scott Boehm/Getty Images
Tom Coughlin says first-round pick Hakeem Nicks needs to find a way to get back to practice.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Giants coach Tom Coughlin is irritated that too many players are missing practices with bumps and strains. He thought he might see Steve Smith or Hakeem Nicks return to practice Wednesday, but it didn't work out that way.

As he wrapped up his daily news conference, Coughlin made a beeline for the locker room. I was told by Giants public relations chief Pat Hanlon to "put on my walking shoes" in order to stay up with the notoriously impatient Coughlin. What follows is the rapid-fire interview that took place during our post-practice power walk.

Obviously you're frustrated with some of the injuries. Is there anything you can do to guard against those things during training camp?

Tom Coughlin: The thing we tell them is not to be out of control. If one of the players is losing his balance, they have to recognize that and not take him down. It's not easy, though. There's a lot of physical work to do.

You guys added some firepower along the defensive line. How much of a difference do you think that will make this season?

TC: Well, [Chris] Canty's hurt right now. And the same thing goes for Fred Robbins. But you have a guy like Osi [Umenyiora] coming back and I think he realized how much he loved the game. Having him back just gives us more flexibility.

Ramses Barden appears to be having a strong camp. What have you seen from him and Hakeem Nicks?

TC: [Barden's] caught the ball and that's the one thing you can say about Nicks and Barden. They know how to catch the ball. Now they're not always in the right positions ...

How far does a guy like Nicks fall behind when he misses two or three days?

TC: You've got to be out there. You've got to be out there. No matter what they say, we have to see it on the field. I think sometimes [rookies] are overwhelmed by the learning. But they have to have that stay-power. We need to see them go through the entire preseason. These guys need the reps and it's so critical for them to have time with Eli [Manning]. You have to be able to move to the areas of reliability. [Manning] has to trust that [the receiver's] going to execute the play. Right now, some of those guys are fighting through heavy legs.

Is this the strongest you've seen the NFC East in a long time?

TC: No, it's always that way. With the addition of these players. Everyone in this division does a great job of trying to improve in the offseason. There's just so much at stake in all our division games, so much tradition. As Joe Gibbs used to say heading into division games, "I just hope we have enough players left for next week's game." That's sort of how it feels with these games.

Posted by GKFv2:

Posted by TMS:

dude's got some huge hands

NH.