Spencer Paysinger works to stick on deep roster of linebackers

ALBANY -- A year ago, when Michael Boley was injured in training camp, Spencer Paysinger stepped in and played with the first unit. This summer, with Boley injured, Paysinger again has stepped in and played with the first unit.

But last November, when Boley was injured during the regular season, Paysinger was nowhere to be found. He remained a special-teams player and a backup as others rotated and shifted to try to make up for Boley's absence.

That kind of slight might stick with some football players, perhaps drive them to not be overlooked again. But Paysinger said he was not bothered by the bypass at all.

"It was my first year in the league and a few weeks into the season and we're playing real games now," Paysinger said. "I knew I could have probably done a decent job at it. But me being a rookie, I fully trusted the coaches to put me in the right position."

If Boley is unable to play this year, it might be different, of course. Paysinger would seem to be a natural replacement. But that's assuming he makes the team.

He's been running with the first unit for the last week but knows he could wind up as the odd man out when the roster gets trimmed for the regular season. The Giants are very deep at that position and it seems as though someone will have to be cut.

"Naturally, you do think about it," Paysinger said of cuts. "But when you go out to practice, you can't really think about that because then you've already beaten yourself.

"You just have to make sure that you know what you're doing on the field. You don't want to make it an easy decision for the coaches, who to cut. You want to make sure Greg [Jones] does his job, Jacquian [Williams] does his job, Mark [Herzlich] does his job, and so on, so when it's time to come down to cuts, that'll be the hardest decision, linebacker."

So far, he's doing well.

"He's much improved," Tom Coughlin said. "He's bigger, stronger. He's always been a very good special-teamer but he's contributing now on defense as well."

Of the nine linebackers with NFL experience on the roster right now, he's the only one who has never been a starter. He was an undrafted player a year ago, so the Giants have a minimal investment in him.

He also might be the most accommodating linebacker in the NFL. When the Giants acquired Keith Rivers in the offseason, Paysinger contacted the veteran and gave up his number 55 jersey. No negotiations necessary.

Paysinger went back to 49, an awkward number for a linebacker but one he embraces because it represents his grandmother's birthday, April 9, and also because he played his best football last preseason while wearing that number.

Paysinger gained about 12 pounds from last season, when he played at 238. He saw a picture of himself recently and could not believe he was an NFL linebacker at that weight.

"I was like, 'Damn, I'm small,' " Paysinger said. "Now I can't imagine playing at that weight . . . [Being that weight again], I'd probably feel like I would get blown away by the wind."

Paysinger has enough heft to him now to stick around in the face of breezy conditions. He's hoping it's enough in a month or so to keep him from blowing off the roster.