A 2007 Giants Retrospective

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Hixon wasn

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Jacobs joined the Giants from Southern Illinois in the 2005 draft class, which turned out to be a very quirky class.  Having traded the farm for Eli Manning the previous season the Giants only had 4 picks in 2005 with no first rounder.  Three of those four picks would become vital components to the 2007 team

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Johnson was a 7th round selection in 2007 out of Arizona and was expected to provide depth behind Gibril Wilson, Will Demps and James Butler.  With the late camp departure of Demps and injuries early in the season, Johnson ended up starting 5 games across from Craig Dahl, another rookie (undrafted) and steadied the ship until some of the

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: 

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Jared Lorenzen was an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky who signed with the Giants in 2004.  He was a backup to Eli Manning for those 4 years and given Manning

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Madison was a free agent signing in 2006 after the Giants decided to allow Will Allen and Will Peterson (both starting cornerbacks) to walk in free agency.  With Corey Webster still struggling to grasp the playbook and the pace of NFL play and Aaron Ross being a rookie -  the Giants saw Madison as a full-time starter going into the 2007 season, despite being long in the tooth (10 years).  He started 15 games and snagged 4 interceptions during the regular season before ceding playing time to the unexpected revival of Corey Webster and emergence of Aaron Ross.
Memorable Plays and Notes: Madison is seemingly just another ho-hum cog in the wheel that was the 2007 Giants, but he was truly sensational that season, both in his on-field play and what he meant to the clubhouse.  Consider the defensive backs on the 2007 team and their relative youth with Aaron Ross (rookie), Corey Webster (3rd year), Gibril Wilson (4th year) and James Butler (3rd year).  Madison was constantly coaching and teaching, relying on his 4 Probowls and 2 All-Pro experience to educate a secondary that by any standard should have had big growing pains.  His tutelage, coupled with journeyman R.W. McQuarters were a vital off-field story to the maturation of said unit.  Go watch America

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Manning was a 2004 first round pick of the Chargers but spent about an hour with that team before they traded him to the Giants for Philip Rivers and a king

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  McKenzie was a 2005 free agent signing under the Ernie Accorsi regime.  The offensive line play in the 2003-4 seasons had been poor and an upgrade was needed at tackle.  Kareem had started the previous 3 seasons with the cross-town Jets and was one of the highest rated free agents available.  The Giants signed him quickly and never looked back.  His first two season with the Giants had been great, and there was no expectation that his solid play at right tackle wouldn

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  McQuarters was a 2006 free agent signing and another journeyman who the Giants got lucky with.  Initially signed to provide some dime/quarter depth at defensive back while returning punts, he started many games in 2006 due to injuries and ineffectiveness.  In 2007 he was used most as a 4th or 5th option at corner. 
Memorable Plays and Notes:  R.W. was seemingly a small piece in 2007 but his tutelage and fostering of the younger defensive backs cannot be understated.  McQuarters was playing for his 4th team in 7 years, and taught many valuable lessons about the fickle nature of the NFL.  His most memorable play in 2007 was an interception off Tony Romo on their 4th down prayer to the end-zone that sealed the victory for the Giants in the playoffs (pictured above).  He was very visible on the field of play, with long dreadlocks and often wore a SpongeBob SquarePants Band-Aid under his eye.
After 2007:  McQuarters played one more season with the Giants before retiring.  Of his time in the NFL he remembers many things, including being highly aware of the fragile nature of his career,

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Mitchell was a 2nd round pick by the Chiefs in 2003 and had started at middle linebacker there from 2004-06, garnering 100+ tackles in the last 2 seasons.  Unexpectedly the Chiefs chose not to pursue a new contract with him and allowed him to become a free agent, where the market also soured on his services.  Late in the free agent period he signed with the Giants on a 1 year

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Sinorice Moss was a 2006 draft pick under Ernie Accorsi, a 2nd rounder after a solid collegiate career at Miami.  Moss had underwhelmed as a rookie in 2006 catching only 5 balls for 25 yards.  In 2007 he was expected to compete for the slot receiver position but was quickly surpassed on the depth chart by rookie Steve Smith.  He ended up starting 2 games in 2007, but his contributions were just over 200 yards for the entire season.  He did not play in the post-season.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Sinorice is the younger brother of standout Santana Moss, who spent his career with the Jets and Redskins.  Moss was not a memorable player in the 2007 season and if it weren

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: O

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Pierce was a 2005 free agent signing along with Kareem McKenzie and Plaxico Burress.  The Giants had struggled in previous seasons at linebacker with ineffectiveness (Nick Greisen, Carlos Emmons, Barrett Green) and departures (Micheal Barrow, Dhani Jones, Brandon Short) and Pierce shored up the MLB position quickly.  He was a one-year starter after some injuries ravaged the Redskins

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Robbins joined the Giants in 2004 as a free agent from the Vikings.  He was an imposing 3-technique defensive tackle who could push the pocket and rush the passer.  Given the depth at defensive end there was a need for an interior presence who could clean up when quarterbacks stepped up in the pocket and Robbins did that.  He garnered 5.5 sacks in 2007 and 40+ tackles.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Robbins was the kind of free agent signing that became one of the hallmarks of the Ernie Accorsi era.  Quietly very productive while providing excellent team leadership.  It

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Aaron Ross was the first round pick in 2007, and the first pick with Jerry Reese as GM.  A corner out of Texas, Ross was part of the 2005 team that defeated USC for a National Championship.  A tough, physical corner, Ross also ranked high on intangibles, having a girlfriend who was an Olympic sprinter and having won the Jim Thorpe award twice.  He was expected to start immediately