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Terrell Thomas is trying to exert more self-control this time around.

Last year, Thomas busted his rear end to make it back for training camp after his second torn ACL. Now that he is attempting to come back from a third ACL surgery, Thomas is learning to try to be more patient.

“I’ve controlled myself a little bit more,” Thomas said. “Last year, I was killing myself. It worked out, when I went back I was in great shape, when I came back I was in great shape. This year, it’s just being a little more cautious.”

“There’s no dates at all,” he added. “There’s no hurry, no rush. There wasn’t one last year. I was just ahead of schedule last year. This year, we’re taking it slower, as far as rehab, building the foundation. I’m doing everything already. [Just] not in a rush to get out there for indoor, OTAs or whatever.”

Thomas’s rehab is slightly different this time around since he underwent a different procedure on his ACL.

“The first two were cadavers and this one was patellar tendon,” Thomas said. “That’s the part that makes it harder, because they open up the patellar tendon.”

Thomas said "the knee’s doing great" and that he may soon start doing individual work on the field.

When Thomas is ready to return, the Giants can add his experience and ability to a cornerbacks unit that includes Corey Webster, Prince Amukamara, Aaron Ross and Jayron Hosley.

General manager Jerry Reese raised the notion of Thomas playing safety to potentially lessen the wear and tear on his knee. Thomas said he just wants to be on the field again.

“All that safety talk, that was just based on my knee, how I come back,” Thomas said. “In that safety role, it’s kind of like the nickel. When we had the three-safety look, it’s pretty much nickel, it’s just a bigger nickel position. So I already know that position.

“That’s a position I played my first and second year at the nickel spot so it wouldn’t be a hard transition,” he continued. “I played a little safety in 2010. We had a package where I would go into the post. I had an interception, a couple tackles as well.”

So would playing safety be better for him in the long run?

"[Playing corner] it’s more being on an island,” Thomas said. “Your knee is in a more unstable situation. You have to react to the receiver. Safety is more you’re dictating. So I think that’s why Jerry Reese said that.

"But I already knew I’d switch to safety later in my career just because of my body type, the way I play. So I’m not scared at all. If they tell me I’m going to play kicker, I’ll play kicker.”

Thomas is optimistic about his latest return and is not worried about testing his knee even though he re-injured his ACL last year while losing his footing on the field early in training camp.

“You gotta get back out there,” Thomas said. “You gotta jump back on that horse. I’m not scared at all man. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.

“I’ve done everything I could last year,” Thomas added. “It just wasn’t meant to be. I’m taking that same attitude, just work my butt off, rehabbing. When the doctors say I’m clear, the Giants feel I can go out there, and I feel like I’m ready, then I’m good.”

Ramses Barden was back in the building on Thursday, smiling and hugging people.

The Giants' third-round pick in 2009 re-signed with the Giants. The Giants can use another body at receiver. Remember, they replaced Domenik Hixon with Louis Murphy but never really replaced Barden until now.

The Giants have Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle, Murphy, Jerrel Jernigan and Barden at receiver. They also have Kris Adams, Brandon Collins, Kevin Hardy and Jeremy Horne on the roster right now as well.

Don't read too much into Barden's signing when it comes to the Giants' ability to lock up Cruz and Nicks.

Rather, I think the Giants can use the extra experienced body. Cruz may not be at voluntary OTAs due to his contract. And Nicks will be limited as he makes sure he will be 100 percent healthy for camp. Certainly doesn't hurt adding Barden.

Tell us how you feel about Barden returning.

Henry Hynoski will have surgery Friday to repair a knee injury he suffered during Wednesday's OTA, but he hopes to be back for the regular-season opener.

The Giants said an MRI revealed an injury to Hynoski's MCL and a chip fracture to the lateral plateau. Fortunately he did not suffer a season-ending injury, and the fullback hopes to be ready on Sept. 8 at Dallas.

“I am going to set my mind to being ready for the first game of the regular season,” Hynoski said, in a statement released by the team. “They said that is not an unrealistic goal, and I will do everything in my power to be ready for the start of the season.”

The Giants may be able to get by through training camp with tight end Bear Pascoe playing some fullback. The team also could sign a fullback to play until Hynoski is ready.

The 6-1, 266-pound Hynoski has become an integral part of the Giants' running game. Both Hynoski and Pascoe are key pieces because of their blocking.

To give you an idea of how much the coaching staff thinks of Hynoski, coach Tom Coughlin said he was praying that Hynoski would be OK after the fullback went down on Wednesday.

Tight end Brandon Myers may be called on to do more blocking as well in the meantime. The good news is Hynoski didn't suffer a more devastating injury.

UPDATED: Yahoo! Sports has corrected its recent report, saying now that it erroneously reported Hakeem Nicks' absence from the OTA on Wednesday was contract-related.

When an agitated Tom Coughlin said he was fully expecting Hakeem Nicks to be at the first day of OTAs, I began to wonder why Nicks was absent.

Sources also said on Thursday that Nicks isn't expected to be in attendance for the Giants second voluntary OTA workout. But it appears none of this is contract-related. Nicks had been with the team previously in the offseason and isn't the type to just pull a no-show. He was in town the night before, being honored by the United Way for providing backpacks of healthy food and snacks for disadvantaged kids in the area.

Initially, Yahoo! Sports reported that Nicks wanted to send "the team a little message by not showing up for practice Wednesday." But on Thursday, Yahoo! corrected the story, saying that Nicks' agent, Peter Schaffer, strongly denied the receiver's absence from OTA was contract-related and that the report's source didn't know why Nicks was not there and was making an educated guess.

So, even with that cleared up, Nicks' absence still forced us to start thinking about his contract. After all, on Wednesday we got a glimpse of life without Nicks and Victor Cruz. It was a lot of Rueben Randle, Jerrel Jernigan, Louis Murphy and Brandon Collins. While Jernigan and Murphy showed flashes, the Giants and Eli Manning need their best playmakers on the field.

Fortunately, Nicks and Cruz aren't the type of personalities to try to wreak havoc or act like diva wide receivers. Sure, Cruz is not participating in OTAs thus far because he is trying to negotiate a long-term extension. But these OTAs are voluntary. Nicks is under contract but entering the final year of his deal and he, too, doesn't absolutely need to be at OTA since he would be limited anyways as he recovers from a minor offseason knee scope.

So it might not be a big deal if they aren't around for now. But all this brings us to the attention the Giants will have to give their two star receivers.

The Giants usually have a number they are willing to pay their star players and try to stick to that scale, which makes sense and has worked for them. With a ton of money tied to Manning and with Jason Pierre-Paul eventually up for a considerable raise in the future, the Giants have to be fiscally responsible.

But in my mind, it's imperative they keep Nicks and Cruz, two young stars entering their prime. Both receivers deserved to be paid within reason. Keeping the tandem together with Manning would keep the offense humming for several more years. Can the Giants keep both without breaking the bank? When all is said and done, my guess is yes. But it won't be easy.

BThe Giants are willing to pay more to Nicks. The Giants consider their former first-round pick their No. 1 receiver. The Giants also want to keep Cruz and appreciate all he has done for them, but knowing they have to pay Nicks means they only want to give Cruz so much. The Giants also probably only want to pay a certain amount to Nicks, who has had a history of injuries.

Like with Cruz, there's no rush to get anything done right now with Nicks. But it's also not good to have your top two receivers unhappy or worried about their futures or getting injured, which could be an issue the longer the negotiations go on. Will Nicks be content playing this season without an extension and having to try to increase his value? Will Cruz be content to do the same on a one-year RFA tender?

Next month, the Giants have a mandatory veteran's minicamp. Will Nicks and Cruz be there? My guess is yes with Nicks. Cruz's future is a little stickier since he hasn't signed his tender. But it wouldn't surprise me either way with Cruz.

I still don't foresee either receiver holding out of training camp in late July and August. But when will the two get the raises they deserve? That's hard to predict. Stay tuned.

Ramses Barden could be on the verge of rejoining the New York Giants.

A source confirmed that Barden is expected to be at the team facility on Thursday and he could re-sign with the Giants. The New York Daily News first reported that Barden will undergo a physical and if all goes well, the 6-6 receiver is expected to return.

Barden said earlier in the offseason that it was probably time for a change for the receiver drafted in the third round by the Giants in 2009. But he remains unsigned.

The Giants signed Louis Murphy during free agency. And with the loss of Domenik Hixon to Carolina, the Giants could use another body for depth at receiver.

Victor Cruz has not participated in the voluntary OTAs while he tries to work out a long-term extension with the Giants. Hakeem Nicks, who is entering the final year of his deal, was absent from Wednesday's OTA practice to the surprise of Tom Coughlin. Nicks had participated in previous offseason activities with the team and even if he does participate in future voluntary OTAs, he will likely take it slow coming off a minor offseason procedure on his knee.

So Rueben Randle, Jerrel Jernigan and Murphy will see added snaps in the meantime and perhaps Barden will join the mix shortly.

Barden had nine receptions for 138 yards in a start against Carolina last year but only finished with 14 catches for 220 yards on the season.

How do you guys feel about a Barden reunion? Let us know below.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Linebacker Aaron Curry was among the players making their Giants debut Wednesday in the team's first organized team activities of the offseason.

Curry lined up with the second unit, but his performance in the locker room after practice was starter-worthy.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 draft was refreshingly candid about why he hasn't lived up to expectations thus far in his NFL career.

"I knew I could do it, and I knew I would do it. I just don't think at the time I was interested in doing it," Curry said. "I think I was interested in other things, and at the time football just wasn't my top priority, to be honest."

Curry signed a six-year, $60 million contract in 2009 after Seattle drafted him out of Wake Forest. By the middle of the 2011 season, the Seahawks had seen enough, shipping him to Oakland for a pair of draft picks. He played in just two games for the Raiders last season before being released.

"When I played in college I was motivated by many things," Curry said. "I was motivated by poverty. I was motivated by being overlooked. I was motivated by being the underdog and all that stuff. And then [I] get picked fourth overall, and the money replaced the poverty, and solved a lot of problems that I had. So the status kind of got rid of all my motivations, and I lacked the motivation that was pushing me out there to drive me to be my best every day.

"What's driving me now is just that God's given me a second chance. Every day I wake up, I think about how I could be somewhere else. God has a plan, and my job every day is to go out there every day and take every opportunity that God has given me to bring praise to his name."

Curry also credits Ken Norton Jr., his position coach in Seattle.

"He was just honest with me," Curry said. "He would never let me slide on anything. He was harsh. But at the same time, I knew it was because he cared. All along he was just trying to get me to the point where I understood that there’s a certain way to be an NFL player, there's a certain way to be a linebacker."

Curry's struggles last season were also due to an injury to his right knee.

"I showed up to offseason program last year, and my knee, it just wasn't right," Curry said. "I couldn't do anything that I was used to being able to do.

"Because I had gotten to the whole team-first mentality, I kinda tried to tough through everything, which I believe set me back. I think one of the best things that happened to me was when I got released, it gave me time. I didn't have a team, so I was able to focus on myself, I was able to go get it taken care of."

Curry had surgery on the knee in December, and said his rehab and physical therapy has been "amazing."

"Now I'm able to go out there, run around, drop my hips, change direction and just give the Giants everything I have," he said.

The Giants, who gave up 383.4 yards per game last season -- second-to-last in the NFL -- could use some help at linebacker. Two starters from last season, Michael Boley and Chase Blackburn, were not re-signed.

Coach Tom Coughlin lined up Keith Rivers, Mark Herzlich and Spencer Paysinger as the starters on Wednesday. But Rivers has been injury-prone, and Herzlich and Paysinger are rather inexperienced.

Coughlin said he needs to see more from Curry, but admitted being intrigued by his talent.

"The feeling is that maybe this time around the player has figured it out," Coughlin said. "Maybe he didn't have it all in the proper perspective the first time around."

It certainly sounds like Curry has the proper perspective now.

"I approach everything different," Curry said. "I see details now. Football is important now. It has a priority in my life. I'm willing to do whatever it takes that's gonna help the Giants be successful.

"Now I'm more about finding a way to just put out a lot of effort and a lot of energy, and just cause havoc."

Curry said approximately 10 teams expressed interest in him this offseason, but once he visited with the Giants two weeks ago, he was sold.

"When I got here to do my workout, I just saw some stuff -- how people were talking and interacting with one another," Curry said. "And I see how they handle things around here. I don't understand how people come in here and leave."

Sounds like a player thrilled to be in New York, and thrilled to have a second chance.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Giants opened their first OTA practice with Keith Rivers, Mark Herzlich and Spencer Paysinger as the starting linebackers.

Jacquian Williams is expected to start, but he only participated in individual drills as he continues to take it easy with a PCL knee injury that slowed him down and forced him out of six games last year.

"Just kind of taking my time with it," Williams said. "It is a day to day thing. It is getting better. Definitely better than it was. That’s all."

With Williams watching, the Giants lined up Aaron Curry, Dan Connor and Etienne Sabino with the second team. The linebackers unit is going to be the most competitive unit in training camp. Herzlich, Connor and perhaps Curry could compete for the middle linebacker spot. If healthy, Williams and Rivers could start on the outside. Curry could also factor in as a SAM linebacker as well.

Mathias Kiwanuka, who could still see some snaps at linebacker, is expected to play mostly at defensive end with Osi Umenyiora gone.

"There’s plenty of opportunities," Coughlin said of competition at linebacker. "Everybody has got an opportunity. There is nothing in concrete there and as a matter of fact I speak about that all the time. I think it is a great opportunity."

For Williams, this could be a big season if he can stay healthy. Williams has the speed to be able to play all three downs for the Giants, who often like to use three safeties on passing downs.

"Right now my focus is just on getting back out there," Williams said. "We had some guys that got released, so older guys have an opportunity to step up. I just take it day by day and see how it goes when I am out there."

So, tell me what you think of the linebackers situation and Herzlich getting the nod at MLB.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Fullback Henry Hynoski injured his knee and was carted off the field during Wednesday's OTA.

Hynoski was set to undergo an MRI on his knee. The Giants fullback has become a valuable component of the offense and head coach Tom Coughlin said he was praying for the best.

"They are taking a look at that and I will say a few prayers," Coughlin said. "And I’ll continue until I hear what it is."

Hynoski went down in the backfield after running into a teammate. The fullback quietly had an impressive season last year. If Hynoski has to miss time, tight end Bear Pascoe could fill in as a blocking fullback or the team could look to sign another fullback.

"I handed the ball off and I just saw him on the ground after," Eli Manning said. "So I don’t know exactly what happened. Haven’t seen the film yet. I don’t know how severe the injury is, but hopefully it’s not too bad and he can be back either for the spring or at least for training camp."

Herman signs: The Giants signed seventh-round pick Eric Herman to his rookie deal. Only first-round pick Justin Pugh and fourth-round pick Ryan Nassib remain unsigned among the Giants draft picks.

OTA report: Louis Murphy had perhaps the most impressive showing on offense during the OTA. Manning looked often for Murphy deep and the two connected on a 50-yard bomb after the speedy Murphy got behind the secondary. Jerrel Jernigan and Brandon Collins also saw plenty of action at receiver... When asked about how Rueben Randle did in practice, Coughlin replied, "OK. He did fine. We haven’t seen a whole lot. Check with me in about five or six practices"... Prince Amukamara had a nice breakup on a deep sideline pass intended for Jernigan... Safety Junior Mertile had an interception return for a would-be touchdown off a deflected pass... Tight end Brandon Myers made an impressive diving catch over the middle from Manning in 7-on-7's... Aaron Ross, Randle, Jernigan and David Wilson took turns fielding punts... David Baas, Chris Snee, Terrell Thomas and Markus Kuhn did not participate in the practice. Jacquian Williams went through individuals.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The biggest story of the Giants' first organized team activities of the offseason was the absence of Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.

The biggest opportunity went to the wide receivers who got increased reps in their places.

Rueben Randle and Jerrel Jernigan served as the starters in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills, and new addition Louis Murphy saw plenty of action too.

"I saw a flash play here and there. So that’s a good thing," said coach Tom Coughlin, when asked about Jernigan and Murphy.

"He did fine," Coughlin said of Randle. "We haven’t seen a whole lot. Check with me in about five or six practices."

Randle, the team's second-round draft pick in 2012, figured to play a prominent role this season no matter what. He caught 19 passes for 298 yards as a rookie, including two touchdown catches in the final game of last season. Given the departures of Domenik Hixon and Ramses Barden, Randle is the clear front-runner to serve as the team's third wide receiver behind Nicks and Cruz.

But Jernigan, the Giants' third-round draft pick in 2011, has just three receptions for 22 yards in two NFL seasons. It's make-or-break time for Jernigan -- and he knows it.

"I’ve been here three years. I know all the offense," Jernigan said. "It’s time for me to go out there and make some plays, contribute to my team."

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said last week that, with Cruz out, Jernigan would be the Giants' main guy inside at the slot position.

"I think it's about time that he steps up," Gilbride said.

Jernigan had already heard about Gilbride's comments.

"I don’t think there’s pressure," Jernigan said. "I agree with him. It’s time for me to go out there and start making plays."

He had several catches during Wednesday's practice. He was also one of four Giants who returned punts at the start of practice, along with Randle, Aaron Ross and David Wilson.

The Giants drafted Jernigan in part because of his special-teams abilities; the 5-foot-8 speedster had both a kick-return touchdown and a punt-return touchdown in his senior year at Troy. But he has gotten limited opportunities in the return game in his first two seasons with the Giants.

Jernigan revealed that he has made a change to his kick-receiving technique at the coaches' urging -- bringing the ball into his body as opposed to catching it like a pass.

"It’s been coming along very good," he said.

As for Murphy, the Giants signed him as a free agent in March. The 26-year-old was Oakland's fourth-round draft choice in 2009 out of Florida, and he played last season for the Carolina Panthers, with 25 catches for 336 yards. His best season was in 2010, when he caught 41 passes for 609 yards for the Raiders.

Murphy is much bigger than Jernigan (6-2), but speed is his greatest asset. He showed it off Wednesday, getting behind the secondary and hauling in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning during an 11-on-11 drill.

"That’s what I like to do, stretch the field," Murphy said. "But I can do a lot of things."

Murphy traveled to North Carolina last month to work with his new quarterback at Duke University, and he said he has been studying his new playbook for the past six weeks or so.

"It just felt good to get out there and run through the plays," Murphy said. "[The offense] is definitely a little different, but I like it a lot. It does a lot of different things that work to my benefit."

Nicks and Cruz will be back eventually, but in the meantime, the competition at wide receiver will be among the most exciting things to watch at Giants camp.

Opportunity knocks, and Jernigan and Murphy are the prime candidates to bust through that door.

Justin Tuck is entering a contract year in what will likely be the biggest season of his career.

Tuck has acknowledged that he needs to play better and has tried different training methods and altered his nutrition. In March, he went to see Tony Robbins, the renowned peak-performance strategist and life coach, and even walked over hot coals that hovered around 2,000 degrees. Tuck and his wife, Lauran, spent a weekend attending Robbins' "Unleash The Power Within" seminar.

While it remains to be seen whether Robbins and firewalking will help this season, Tuck deserves credit for trying something new to snap out of this slump.

He could easily stick to his usual offseason routine since he's won two Super Bowls doing what he's done. But Tuck recognizes that a total of nine sacks in the last two seasons isn't going to get it done.

"I realize I haven’t played my best the last two years," Tuck said. "Whether it be injuries or the circumstances surrounding this team. Who knows? I knew it was time for me to try something different.

"I've had people telling me to get my butt to Robbins for two to three years now," he continued. "I finally said if I am going to be dedicated to my craft and to being the best that I can be, then this has to happen."

Interestingly, Robbins pointed out some things that might be holding Tuck back mentally. Tuck feels the responsibility to perform and and be the defensive leader that Michael Strahan and Antonio Pierce were before him. And, as Robbins indicated, Tuck is aware of how some people have felt about his recent play.

"He’s a really responsible guy," Robbins said. "He is not the kind of guy to swat that off. He feels it. He feels like he is responsible to carry things to some extent. So he fails and he’s down in that state of frustration and failure and then not feeling appreciated for what he doesn’t do. And all that gets in the way of just doing your job!"

"My expertise is the human psyche, which is the very thing that [fans] were complaining about with him," Robbins later added. "Being beat up by the very people that he wants to please was definitely a conflict for Justin. It is like, 'I can't win.' That [becomes the] mentality. This happens to many athletes."

The Giants definitely know how important Tuck is to their success. Toward the end of the 2011 season, Tom Coughlin sat Tuck down for a personal pep talk, which helped turn his and the Giants' season around. And this offseason, Jerry Reese and Tuck had a sit down as well. They'll need him to step up even more with Osi Umenyiora gone.

We'll see what Robbins can do for Tuck and the Giants.

"You will see him go out and lead and he will be 'all-in' to use the Giants metaphor," Robbins said. "He will be 'all-in' putting everything on the table, every damn day because he won't have some story (excuse) about whether or not he is appreciated or whether or not things are going his way or whatever the case may be."

"I just saw him [last week]," Robbins later added. "He was just off the charts with his passion for what he’s going to do this year."

So, what do you guys think of Tuck going to see Robbins and walking over hot coals? Think it will help?

There was a lot of speculation last week that Victor Cruz was close to an extension with the Giants.

Looks like it's going to take some more time for both sides to come to an agreement.

"We're talking," co-owner Steve Tisch said at the NFL meetings in Boston according to USA Today. "(Cruz's agent) Tom Condon is talking to (general manager) Jerry (Reese) and I'm personally confident that Victor wants to be a Giant, will be a Giant.

"He's a great guy. It's just taking its time."

Again, there's really no rush right now for Cruz to sign a deal. Sure, he would like to participate in voluntary OTAs with his teammates. But he doesn't have to. Both sides are still talking and it certainly feels as if they will eventually reach a deal.

The Giants have a mandatory veteran's minicamp in June and the team also can reduce Cruz's one-year RFA tender from $2.879 million to $630,000 on June 17 if they choose to. But it would be surprising if they opted to take that tactic.

BOSTON -- With a little more than eight months until the New York City area hosts the NFL's first cold-weather Super Bowl, New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch discussed the region's preparations at the NFL spring meetings on Tuesday.

"I would like a cold, blue sky, great, sort of beautiful New York/New Jersey evening," Tisch said. "I think it could be great."

Yet that sort of weather is far from a sure bet in February, and Tisch noted that other owners with teams in cold-weather cities will be closely watching how New York handles Super Bowl XLVIII.

"I think we're going to be ready for any contingency," Tisch said. "The one thing that I think would hurt us is a serious midweek blizzard."

One of the hurdles facing the league is planning for the game with an outgoing New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who will be replaced in office by February.

"The challenge of an outgoing mayor in New York is something we have to deal with and work with," Tisch said. "Bloomberg won't be mayor Super Bowl week. So we have been talking to the potential mayoral candidates, bringing them up to date."

Beyond needing to play the field in the mayoral election, Tisch noted the NFL also has to coordinate the event between two states and numerous agencies.

"Both states are cooperating. There's a lot to organize, a lot of coordination. State agencies and city agencies have to agree to agree," Tisch said. "The city is going to be ready. I think the fans are going to be into it. I think it's going to build even more towards the kickoff and really the first cold-weather Super Bowl ever."

Tisch spoke Tuesday against a backdrop of heavy fog on Boston Harbor, a reminder that weather in the Northeast does not always cooperate, even in late spring.

"It's tough to predict the weather in May," Tisch joked. "But [February's weather] is going to become a preoccupation once we get into the football season."

Tom Coughlin likes to read a book every offseason. Most of the time it is on a famous general or a legendary leader from history.

Coughlin always wants to better himself and perhaps incorporate something new for his team.

The Arizona State football coaching staff is doing the same thing this year. In fact, the the Sun Devils coaches are reading about Coughlin.

I saw the folks over at Giants 101 link to an Azcentral.com blog about how the ASU coaches are reading Coughlin's book, “Earn The Right To Win.”

Arizona State head coach Todd Graham said his coaches are listening to the audio book and will discuss it with the players later this summer.

“I think it really fits us right now,” Graham told Azcentral.com. “If you get a chance, just read the beginning of it. Michael Strahan says, ‘Hey, Tom Coughlin, I couldn’t stand the guy. He comes in here, he has all the stupid, petty rules. I didn’t understand why you had to wear the same colored socks to practice. What does that have to do with winning?’

“And so it really correlates to what our players went through our first year here and about building trust,” Graham continued. “Strahan said, ‘When I decided to start taking pride in those stupid, petty rules, that’s when I became an All-Pro and that’s when we won the Super Bowl.’ I thought it was a great testimony for us.”

According to Azcentral.com, Graham is a stickler –- like Coughlin -- for how his players wear their uniforms, even during summer workouts.

“We came in and tried to establish who we are,” Graham explained. “Our character, our discipline, our work ethic -– but we’ve just kind of installed the minimum. I want to be a smart football team. And there are just a lot of illustrations (in that book) that will be good for us. We’re just trying to get everybody to improve.”

Perhaps Graham might want to follow one of Coughlin's most well-known commandments -- to show up on time and have players all show up for meetings at least five minutes early. Coughlin would approve of that.

Aaron Curry is hoping to resurrect his career with the New York Giants.

And the linebacker says he will do so without the pressure of trying to live up to being the fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft.

Curry says that pressure overwhelmed him in Seattle.

“It was a burden early on in my career,” Curry told Giants.com. “It was a stress to me. I definitely felt a lot of pressure and I think the biggest mistake I made was I didn’t accept the pressure as a positive influence. I kind of saw it as a negative influence.

“Instead of accepting the role, I kind of wanted to be my own person,” he continued. “I didn’t want to be seen as just the fourth pick in the draft. I wanted to be seen as Aaron Curry. Early on, I focused a lot on my own individual success versus doing what it took to help the team be successful.”

His individual success wasn’t what anybody thought it would be coming into the league out of Wake Forest as the Butkus Award winner. He had 5.5 sacks in his first two seasons for the Seahawks but hasn’t had a sack since 2010. After three seasons in Seattle, Curry was traded to Oakland where he lasted less than two seasons before being waived.

Curry had knee issues that slowed him down and now he says he’s healthy and ready to reach the vast potential that the Giants thought he had coming out of Wake Forest.

“The knee is great,” Curry said. “I went from struggling with stairs to being able to come here and go through a full workout.”

The Giants want Curry to lose about 10 pounds and they believe he can help at either the SAM or middle linebacker positions. They currently have Jacquian Williams, Dan Connor, Keith Rivers, Mark Herzlich and Spencer Paysinger at linebacker. Mathias Kiwanuka may continue in his hybrid linebacker/defensive end role but the Giants will need somebody to fill Osi Umenyiora’s role as the third defensive end and Kiwanuka seems like the most logical choice.

“I really believe I have the ability to be an impact linebacker on this defense,” Curry said. “I feel like I can affect each play that I’m in the game.”

Perhaps Curry can finally play free now that he no longer feels the need to live up to enormous expectations.

“I feel like having been freed from that burden, that pressure and now I’m more interested in doing whatever it takes to help a team win,” he said. “And bring a positive energy and a selfless mindset versus being all about being the fourth pick in the draft. I think that’s allowed me to be more sociable with my teammates and not be so stressed out.”

“I’m not looking for any sympathy, but to me it became a job,” he later added. “My mom and my wife said, ‘You’re not the same person,’ and my response was because it became a job. But when I got to Oakland something just clicked. I just got back to having fun. I worried less about mistakes.”

Curry played in just two games in 2012 due to his knee issue. Curry and the Giants are eager to see what he can do pain-free and stress-free.

“The goal is to be the best Aaron Curry that I’ve ever been,” he said. “I have a different mindset on life and football. So I think I’ll handle the situation a lot better than I have before.”

Charles Woodson will continue to weigh his options and take another AFC visit out west.

According to NFL Network, the safety will visit with one of his old teams -- Oakland -- on Tuesday. And Woodson has received an offer from Denver according to NFL Network. The former Packers defensive back visited with the Broncos recently.

Carl Poston, Woodson's agent, told ESPN's Josina Anderson that the Giants "just put their toe in the water again for Charles Woodson" on Thursday. The Giants expressed an interest in Woodson earlier in free agency.

If Woodson, 36, still has something left in the tank and more importantly is willing to come for likely something close to the veteran minimum, the safety makes sense for the Giants for several reasons.