Departures don't have Giants Super worried

Departures don't have Giants Super worried

JOHN G. MABANGLO/EPA

After last year’s Super season, David Diehl is not ready to kiss off 2012 campaign.

A few familiar faces were missing when the Giants returned to work on Monday. Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs had left for San Francisco. Aaron Ross was in Jacksonville. Kareem McKenzie and Deon Grant had not been re-signed.

It wont be easy for the Giants to replace the missing pie ces.

Then again, thats what people said about the Giants last year, too.

Look at going into last season, people were asking, What were we going to do without having Steve Smith? What were we going to do without having Kevin Boss? said Giants tackle David Diehl. It was the same questions. And look at it. Guys stepped up. Victor Cruz, Jake Ballard.

The same thing is going to have to happen this year.

It will be a long time before the Giants know just who will step up into the various vacancies the defending champs have to fill. They have already brought in some new faces linebacker Keith Rivers, tight end Martellus Bennett and tackle Sean Locklear and they will add a few more in the draft next week.

Speaking on Wednesday at BTIG Charity Day in Manhattan, Tom Coughlin said rebuilding is not the right word for what the Giants are doing, but that doesnt mean they will not have to do some retooling along the way. He said he has an idea of ho w hell deploy his new players, especially at linebacker and along the offensive line, but he also expects to be tinkering with combinations for months, starting in the spring.

The goal, of course, is to have the best lineup assembled in time for the start of a brutal schedule ranked the roughest in the league that definitely caught the attention for the Giants who were in for voluntary workouts this week.

We all saw the schedule, and its a tough one, said Diehl, who was at the event to help earn money for Project Sunshine. But to be the best you've got to play the best. (And) unlike last year we're going to have a target on our back as the defending champs.

Ill just tell you what I always tell you, added Coughlin, who was there on behalf of The Jay Fund. You cant get to where we want to go without playing the best, and we certainly are playing the best.

WAIT FOR IT
Coughlin indicated there was no news about his soon-to-be extended contract, which likely will be finalized sometime next month. Itll get done," Coughlin said. Theres nothing to worry about. . . . Diehl said his left hand is 100 after he had surgery to replace a broken bone that required six screws. He also said he has not been told whether he will be playing right tackle or guard this season. . . . Diehl said hell be in the audience on May 5 when Eli Manning hosts Saturday Night Live. Coughlin said he will be watching. Hell do a great job, he said. Once you're around him, once he gets into that certain personality mode like he is when hes with his teammates, hes very funny.