Kevin Walter

• The New York Giants may have lost a pair of veteran wide receivers, but the team believes quarterback Eli Manning will be able to make up the different with experience, the New York Post reported. “We’re going to put more of the onus on him,” Giants GM Jerry Reese said. And how did Manning respond? “I think you got a quarterback going into his sixth year and . . . some young receivers,” Manning told The Post Tuesday. “It’s my job to make sure those guys are on the same page and my job to be a leader and take control of the offense and the passing game. “As a quarterback you’re always going to be a leader, but now I’m one of the older guys on the offense.”
• Free agent RB Edgerrin James‘ agent, Drew Rosenhaus posted on his Twitter page that James has been training hard and as a result is in great shape. “I can tell you that Edgerrin James is in great playing shape. He weighs 216lbs and is training hard. He is excited about this season!”
• The Redskins drafted Kevin Barnes in the third round out of Maryland to compete with Fred Smoot at nickel corner, and the local product was impressive during OTAs, snagging several interceptions and winning the defense’s competition on the final day of the practices with four picks. Barnes projects confidence and immediately declared he was ready to compete with anybody on the roster, and his size may help him match up against some bigger wide receivers in the NFC East. But Barnes is coming off of an injury, and he’ll have to prove himself in the preseason.

• Texans Wide receiver Kevin Walter put together a career season in 2008, finishing with 60 catches for 899 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a fantasy football goldmine. This season, he plans to boost those stats by increasing his yards after the catch. “Each year I have improved. Last year, I worked on my yards after the catch and I think I continue to do a better job with that. This year, I really want to work on my stiff arm and other moves that get you a few more yards after the catch. Once you get the ball in your hands, you have to do something special with it. Obviously, protecting the ball is the most important thing; turnovers can change the momentum of a game. But I do want to improve my yards after the catch.”
• In the weeks following the Falcons trade for 10-time Pro Bowler Tony Gonzalez few details emerged on how he’ll integrate into the team’s offense. He’ll catch passes, but the Falcons built the offense around Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner. ”Tony will help our offense in a number of ways,” Mularkey said at the close of June organized team activities. “One thing he’s going to do is that he’s a productive blocker and that’s important in our offense… As successful as he’s been as a receiver, he’s a good blocker too and he really doesn’t get the credit that he should.” At 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, Gonzalez has size to push people around but his ability to shake defenders and soft hands made him the most prolific pass catcher at his position. “If you double team somebody, someone’s going to get open,” Gonzalez said. “If it’s one-on-one, we have to get open. Do I think I’ll catch 100 balls? I don’t have to. This is something we’re all going to work together on. I’ve been fortunate to have such a good career. It’s not about breaking records and all that stuff. It’s about going out there and moving those chains… I’m going to help those guys. I feel like I’ve got some stuff they can learn and I’m going to learn from them. I don’t mind putting in the work, I never have, and hopefully they feel the same way I do.”

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