Giants vets have yet to welcome Pierre-Paul

The Giants' front office may be raving about their first-round draft pick, but it doesn't sound as if the players are rolling out the red carpet for their newest teammate.

Jason Pierre-Paul, speaking in a conference call Friday afternoon, said he had not heard from any of the Giants' current players. "I'm still waiting for it," he said.

Pierre-Paul may not be Mr. Popularity when he arrives to work with the veterans. Many saw his arrival as a sign that Osi Umenyiora will be traded. Cornerback Terrell Thomas even tweeted that "my man Osi is probably gone" before learning that general manager Jerry Reese said he is not going to trade the defensive end.

According to a person close to Umenyiora, he was not surprised by the pick, given the Giants' interest in Pierre-Paul during predraft workouts. He also is wondering how the team's glut of defensive ends - besides Umenyiora and Pierre-Paul they have Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and Dave Tollefson - will all be able to get on the field.

Reese said he expects Pierre-Paul to contribute, and as a first-round pick, he should. "Whatever they want me to do, I will do," Pierre-Paul said. "I'm ready to learn. I'm ready to be a sponge."

He said he'll be looking to the veterans at his position for guidance. "I know they have a lot of defensive ends," he said. "I'm ready to learn from them, you know? I'm ready for them to teach me [how] the whole process goes because they have been there and they know the defense. I'm ready to learn and help."

Asked how he would handle a potentially frosty relationship with those veterans, though, Pierre-Paul said he hasn't thought about it.

"I'm going to come in and do what I have to," he said. "I can't really say anything about that."