Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerGiants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and linebacker Antonio Pierce

Reports suggest that New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can begin talking to teams about head coaching opportunities as soon as next week. Whether he will or not remains in question.

AP File PhotoPlaxico Burress after Super Bowl XLII last February.

I'm waiting to see the Plaxico Burress surrender this AM in New York City, though the celebri-site TMZ.com says he has already surrendered. The Star-Ledger's Jenny Vrentas has a wrap of all things Plaxico here including the scene outside his mansion in Totowa:

According to SNY.tv, a warrant will be issued soon for Plaxico Burress' arrest for carrying an unlicensed handgun.

The Giants' wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the thigh Friday night at the Manhattan nightclub Latin Quarter. He was hospitalized overnight and released Saturday, but the injuries are said not to be life-threatening.

Numerous reports claim Burress possesses an expired concealed weapons permit issued in Florida, which would not be valid in New York or New Jersey even if current.

AP PhotoPlaxico Burress sat during the first quarter Sunday and then caught three balls for 15 yards vs. Pittsburgh.

Plaxico Burress' latest suspension is a big sidebar to the Giants win over the Steelers, which is part of the problem.

Star-Ledger File PhotoNew York Giants WR Sinorice Moss was a healthy inactive Monday in Cleveland.

With this afternoon's NFL trade deadline looming, The Star-Ledger's Mike Garafolo thought he caught a tip that the Giants might be prepared to trade WR Sinorice Moss as part of a Tony Gonzalez deal. Did you see this item he had last night?

Chris Faytok / The Star-Ledger

That shuffling noise you hear this AM is everyone getting off the New York Giants bandwagon after the MNF loss to the Browns. Farewell, top spot in NFL power rankings, goodbye Eli is better than Peyton chatter. All that will have to wait a few days at least.

Chris Faytok/The Star-Ledger

In Mike Garafolo's recent Star-Ledger video with Jenny Vrentas, the New York Giants beat writer mentioned player reactions to Plaxico Burress. Out of 24 people surveyed as to whether or not the team would be better off without him, every player agreed they needed him around. A popular football website disagrees.

Chris Faytok/The Star-LedgerMike Garafolo says the New York Giants will need a team effort to replace Plaxico Burress.

Check out the full video clip. (may require Windows Media to open)

Here is Mike's preview with fellow Star-Ledger reporter Jenny Vrentas:

Joe Epstein/The Star-Ledger

In Monday's Star-Ledger, Mike Garafolo mentioned the New York Giants' defense spent the bye week trying to reinvent itself. In Wednesday's Newsday, the Giants' D admits after looking back on tape that they may have tipped off some signals to the Bengals.

METAIRIE, La. -- Tight end Jeremy Shockey, the Saints' second-leading receiver through three games, is expected to be out for three to six weeks because of a sports hernia.

Shockey, who was acquired from the Giants in a trade shortly before training camp, had 16 receptions for 151 yards during the Saints' first three regular-season games. He played Sunday in New Orleans' 34-32 loss at Denver, catching five passes for 56 yards.

On Monday afternoon, Saints spokesman Greg Bensel confirmed a report on the (New Orleans) Times-Picayune's website that Shockey was scheduled to have surgery this week.

AP PhotoNew York Giant Fred Robbins collects one of the Giants' six sacks of Rams' QB Marc Bulger.

Nice work by The Star-Ledger's Mike Garafolo, pointing out that New York Giants DE Justin Tuck had his iPod swiped from his locker following the Giants win over the St. Louis Rams. Based on the way Tuck played Sunday, the thief ought to go into hiding. Tuck and the Big Blue defense were devastating.

Star-Ledger File PhotoThe new Giants / Jets stadium under construction in the Meadowlands.

Allianz is the German corporation that is the front-runner to secure naming rights to the new NFL stadium in the Meadowlands that the New York Giants and New York Jets will share. Allianz acknowledges its historic ties to Nazi Germany, so when the news about the potential naming-rights deal was released, opinions about the deal began appearing on the web.

Chris Faytok/The Star-LedgerMichael Strahan was all Big Blue at Thursday's opener.

Boy, it didn't take Michael Strahan long to shed that New York Giants jersey, huh?

During his first appearance on Fox-TV's NFL pregame show, Strahan picked the arch rival Dallas Cowboys to win the Super Bowl, according to the Daily News.

"Dallas Cowboys, right now, the best team in the league. So I have to go with the Dallas Cowboys."

While Giants and Jets fans will have decidedly different rooting interests when the teams square off in their preseason game Saturday night, one Jets season-ticket holder is hoping that the Big Blue and Gang Green faithful form a united front before the game in protest of imposed Personal Seat Licenses.

Tom Coughlin, shilling his new book (published by a branch of the ESPN empire) and talking about last season's run to the Super Bowl, was pretty decent in SportsCenter's Sunday conversation.

Star-Ledger PhotoKenny Phillips adds speed and size to the Giants' secondary.

I spent several moments observing what I assumed to be the Giants' linebacking corps huddled up next to the practice field -- until I realized the group was actually the team's secondary. These guys are monsters (only cornerback Sam Madison is under 6 feet), but the most physically impressive of them all is safety Kenny Phillips, the team's first-round pick out of Miami.

Star-Ledger PhotoPlaxico Burress watches from the sidelines during a practice session at the New York Giants football training camp in Albany, N.Y.

The Star-Ledger's Mike Garafolo covered the course of events as they transpired yesterday.

At 11 a.m. Garafolo reports:

WR Plaxico Burress was on the sidelines watching practice this morning. No biggie, right? After all, he was listed on the injury report yesterday as a guy who would practice only once per day. So he must be scheduled to practice this afternoon, right?

Well, maybe not. In fact, even coach Tom Coughlin doesn't seem to know.

The Brett Favre saga -- which does nothing but get stranger and stranger nearly every day -- doesn't appear to be the only headache for the Green Bay Packers this summer.

Running back Ryan Grant, a Giant fifth-stringer this time a year ago but went on to rush for 956 yards and eight touchdowns as the Packers' starter, isn't pleased with how talks with Green Bay executives about a long-term contract are going.

Photo By Andy Mills/The Star-LedgerJeremy Shockey on crutches before Super Bowl XLII.

Fan blog Big Blue View shows its stance on the issue, even offering a small piece of recycling advice:

If you are bumming today because you own a No. 80 New York Giants jersey and you don't know what to do with it, all I can say is 'sorry.' Maybe you can cut it up and use it for rags.

AP PhotoJeremy Shockey to the Saints - beneficial for the Giants?

Giants team President John Mara discusses the buildup to the trade in today's Star-Ledger:

"Jeremy brought great energy to the game every time he stepped on the field," Mara said. "He had a close relationship with my father from the time we drafted him, and I had a couple of long conversations with Jeremy this spring and summer. From those conversations, it was apparent to me that a fresh start was the best thing for us and for Jeremy."

Best Game, Best Play, and Best Upset all go to the NY Giants

Who would think Dallas Cowboy Terrell Owens would hand over a piece of hardware to the conference rival Giants? Or that Eli Manning would actually crack a joke about his offense line?

During last night's airing of the 2008 ESPYs on ESPN hosted by pop icon Justin Timberlake, the Giants received three awards and Manning showed he could dish out jokes as quick as Timberlake dished a few out about him. To make winning an award even sweeter, Owens handed over the "Best Game" ESPY to Manning and the Giants for their win in Super Bowl XLII.

YouTube has clips of two of the three awards won by the Giants:
Best Game
Best Upset

ESPN will re-air the show five times this upcoming week according to TVGuide.com.

In a matter of hours, the Washington Redskins lost a defensive end and gained Jason Taylor.

The Skins acquired the long-time Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl defensive end for two draft picks today, the Associated Press reports.

The deal came only hours after the Redskins lost starting defensive end Phillip Daniels to a season-ending knee injury.