Reese: It's not personal with Umenyiora
Osi Umenyiora answers questions from the media during Media Day ahead of Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Jan. 31, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
Jerry Reese made it clear that decisions regarding Osi Umenyiora will be based on personnel and not personal feelings.
The Giants general manager was on ESPN Radio Tuesday discussing, among other things, the growing acrimony in negotiations with Umenyiora. Reese reiterated that all options are open for the team and again expressed a desire for Umenyiora to retire as a Giant as he did this past weekend. But he also addressed the comments that Umenyiora has made.
"We'll get through this and we'll see what happens . . . but it's just part of the business," Reese said when asked about Umenyiora's affidavit last spring that essentially called Reese a liar and Umenyiora's most recent comments that accused the general manager of making him look like "a greedy pig."
Reese described those comments as merely "offseason chatter" and said: "I don't carry grudges.
"It's not a big problem for me to have people say things. I think sometimes people say things they really don't mean, but everyone is trying to make as much money as they can for themselves and their families and everybody understands that. It's not personal."
Umenyiora has one year remaining on a seven-year contract. It's almost certain he'll not report to -- or at least not participate in -- next month's minicamp without a new deal. The Giants have made Umenyiora offers in the last two offseasons, Reese said this weekend. Umenyiora called those offers unacceptable.
"I'm not going to discuss Osi's contract situation but I can say this: The New York Giants were a better football team with Osi Umenyiora on our team," Reese said. "We respect him as a football player . . . All of our options are open like I said before. But Osi makes us a better football team, I do know that."
