September 7th, 2010 
Jesse Bartolis 
Posted in We have a bunch of stuff coming up for the start of the season, but I was wondering if there was anything left undone that you would like mine or any of our other writers opinions on.
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Have a nice day, everyone. Get ready for the start of the season.
I guess I should direct you to this “news” of Brandon Jacobs talking…again.
This time saying he’s happy and never said he was not happy, but that things got misconstrued. (I’m not sure how “backstabbing cut throat league” is easy to misconstrue). I think it might have just been frustration at not getting a carry in the last preseason game (weird to see a player get upset about not being in a preseason game).
Anyway here is Mike Garafolo’s report.
Can someone provide a good explanation for teams having different criteria for kick returners and punt returners since they essentially require the same skills?
Cactus Jack
Is there a good explanation for teams turning the long snapper into a specialty and why isn’t it a required skill in the regular Centers’ armory?
Cactus Jack
Why are players who are acknowledged “projects” permitted to take up valuable playing space on the 53 man squad instead of the practice squad ?
Cactus Jack
Normally a team likes a player, but isn’t willing to take the chance of exposing him to the waiver wire, which they’d need to do in order to sign him to the practice squad. Also teams have 53 man rosters but only activate 45 (plus an emergency qb I believe?) for each game. If you look into last year I believe the guys that you mentioned like Whimper, Koets, Barden, and Beckum were not activated on game day for a number of games. To be honest, Beckum could be a great player if they can find a way to get him on the field more, but I understand your frustration with the other guys, I’m glad to see Whimper cut, Koets is around as a necessity due to injury concerns on the O-Line, and Barden I’d say is going to spend another year inactive for the most part.
Jason C:
Thank you for responding but I failed to make my point clear.
Three years ago, the Giants ran out of Linebackers. Two years ago they ran out of defensive players. Last year they ran out of safeties and offensive linemen…all due to injuries. At the same time at least four or more “projects” took space on the roster only to be deactivated on game day. I know WHY this is done. It’s because of the RULES. My point is that a team should be allowed to field its best players on game day and if the rules prevent this, we must change the rules. If we want to “protect” players from being lost to other teams, create a new category to protect them. Simply stating the obvious…that we do something a certain way because we’ve always done it that way, is no answer. I’d like to know WHY it shouldn’t be changed.
Cactus Jack
When the offense has the ball on its own one yard line and has a false start, it is penalized half the distance to the goal line or one-half yard. If the Defensem however, commits an off-side ia similar situation it is penalized five yards. Why the inequality? Shouldn’t the penalty be twice the distance to the goal or the two yard line?
Cactus Jack
If QB’s, under center, are watched closely for deceptive movements why is there not the same rule applied when they are set up deep. Romo, in particular, seems to be allowed to make deceptive movements like lunges or the step forward with hands in reception mode along with head bobs? I see a wide variation in movement by most QB’s but Romo is at another level and I noticed that Roethlisberger was doing something similar but not as bad.
To catcyus guy… About center long snaping. Centers are not fast enough to tackle the punt returner so a lb is perfect. And punt and kick return is diffrent cause you get. More of a running head start on kickoff and on punt you need to juke someone instantly
Joe:
Good try but…The snappers primary job is to block and give the punter or field goal kicker time to get off the kick. Getting downfield quickly to get to the returner is less important where you have 10 other special teamers. And, of course, in a field goal situation, there is no return…usually.
As for punt and kickoff returners, why can’t the same runner get a running head start and juke a defender as well? Both jobs are not exclusionary.
Cactus Jack
Thought this was supposed to be about the Giants. Questions about snappers and kick returning should go to sites dedicated to football strategy.
My Giants question is: What’s up with Clint Sintim and Will Beatty? Are these two second rounders busts?
Frank R
You’re too sensitive. My questions had everything to do about the Giants. They’ve suffered with “projects” like Barden (2 yrs. and counting), Beckum (2 yrs.and counting), Whimper (4 yrs) and Koets (4 Yrs.), unecessary long snappers like DeOssie (4 yrs.) and a whole merry-go-round of punt and kickoff returners where one should handle both jobs. Just think about the possibilities if these players were relegated to the practice squad and their place was taken by players who actually played.
Cactus Jack
DeOssie is an extraordinary special teams player, and actually does take off down field after snapping on punts and makes a whole lot of tackles.
cactus, how do you suppose the giants would go about putting 53 players on the field each game? barden is just now beginning his second year. deossie is one of the best special teamers we have. kickoff and punt returners have different skill sets, otherwise they would do both. do you really think nobody has thought of that before?