Giants wonder about life after this season
Head coach Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants congratulates Hakeem Nicks (88) after Kevin Boss scored a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field. Credit: Getty
It's been the talk of the week, but barring a humiliating loss to the Redskins Sunday, this is unlikely to be Tom Coughlin's final game as Giants coach. For others, however, their tenure in Blue could be coming to an end as they walk through the tunnel at FedEx Field.
"I have thought about that," said defensive tackle Barry Cofield, one of several potential free agents heading into this offseason of uncertainty. "We've done some good things, and that's another reason I'd like to go out with a win."
Players such as Cofield and Ahmad Bradshaw will land on their feet, whether it's with the Giants or elsewhere. Some NFL team will be willing to offer them a long-term contract with a sizable signing bonus.
But not all free agents are going into the offseason so optimistically. Chase Blackburn is a special-teams captain for the Giants, a key player for them. But the market for a player at his level isn't exactly robust.
Just this week he was talking with his wife, Megan, about what they'll do this offseason. For the Blackburns, who have a 5-month-old son, free agency means putting their house up for sale and maybe having Chase go back to school to pursue a master's degree and a teaching certificate.
"Saving money, getting ready for the long haul," Blackburn said. "Obviously, there have been no talks about [re-signing with the Giants]. I don't see it happening. They'll tell me one way or another, I guess."
Whether they win or lose Sunday, whether they make the playoffs or not, the Giants will face many decisions this offseason regarding players they would like to keep and those they believe they can afford to lose or not afford to re-sign.
They have two big-time contributors who are out for the year with major injuries - defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and receiver Steve Smith - whose contracts will expire at the end of the season. Bradshaw, their leading rusher this year, will be eligible to hit the market. So will tight end Kevin Boss.
Making their situations even murkier is the looming lockout and what a new collective-bargaining agreement will say about free agents. Some of those players could wind up as restricted free agents, as Cofield was last offseason when he signed a tender offer from the Giants and almost was traded to the Saints.
"We have quite a few free agents this year," Blackburn said. "Everyone's kind of the same thing, wait and see. Obviously, a lot of teams don't want to make moves, make a lot of re-signings right before a possible lockout. I don't see a lot getting done right now."
"There's a lot of uncertainty right now," Boss said. "I've thought about it a little bit, but until they get things figured out, it's hard to put a whole lot of thought into it."
Boss hopes to reach an agreement to remain with the Giants. But he knows at least half of that decision lies with the front office, and he hasn't heard anything about their thinking.
"I'm a little nervous about it because I want to stay here, but at the same time, it could be something different," Boss said. "It'll keep me busy this offseason with different thoughts running through my head."
That offseason could begin as soon as the train ride to New Jersey Sunday night. If the Giants make the playoffs, there probably will be a party-like atmosphere on those chartered rail cars. But even if they win and don't get in, the commute should be a little easier to take - even if the final destination is uncertain.
"If nothing else, we should enjoy our time together, go out here and win," Cofield said. "And if this is the end of my time, I've definitely enjoyed it."
