Giants hope new QB Rosenfels is a quick study

It's going to be a heady week for Sage Rosenfels. Not only does he have just a few days to learn as much of the Giants' offense as he can digest, but as the only backup quarterback on the roster, he'll also have to run the Panthers' offense for the scout team.

The Giants sent two draft picks to Minnesota Friday night in exchange for Rosenfels, a 10-year veteran who is joining his fifth NFL team, and special teams return man Darius Reynaud.

Saturday, they also waived Rhett Bomar, who some thought had played well enough to at least land a roster spot, if not the backup job outright. Bomar is eligible to return to the team on the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Rosenfels, though, will be the backup against Carolina a week from Sunday. If Eli Manning is unable to play for any reason in that game, the guy who just passed his team physical Saturday will be taking snaps and trying to lead the offense.

"I'm going to be spending a lot of time in that hotel room studying my tail off and trying to learn the offense as quickly as possible," Rosenfels said.

He won't be expected to learn the entire playbook. The Giants will condense it for him and try to have him master a handful of plays rather than digest the entire offense.

Tom Coughlin said he's had that work before and that with an experienced quarterback, it's that much easier. He also said the numbering system Rosenfels has used in the past is similar to what the Giants employ.

"They come in and learn just exactly what you want them to learn, first and foremost," Coughlin said. "You can't go back to Day One. But you have to build them a basic understanding and foundation, which is the way in which we communicate. Beyond that, you're only going to teach him the plays that are in that week's game plan."

Even without a firm grip on the offense, Coughlin thinks having Rosenfels working with Manning will make the quarterback room "more academic."

"Sage for a long time has had an outstanding reputation as a veteran quarterback who knows his role and is a true student of the game," Coughlin said. "He has been in the position of backup and will continue to be a great supporter of the starter."

"I'm hoping to play when the team needs me,'' Rosenfels said, "and when the team doesn't need me, I'll help out the players and coaches and Eli as much as I can."

Rosenfels was one of the backups to Brett Favre last year, and he appeared to be the Vikings' No. 3 quarterback this season behind Favre and Tarvaris Jackson. But with a contract paying him $2.6 million this season and $3 million in 2011, Rosenfels and many others figured he couldn't stay as the No. 3.

"Something was going to happen," Rosenfels said. "I thought I might be the odd man out. I was happy with the way I played in the preseason. I knew something positive was going to happen for me, whether it was staying there or going to a new location."

Like that hotel room, for some studying.