Spare Linebackers Anyone?

You know it's bad when you're bringing guys off the street a week before playoffs start.....From ESPN....

For the second time in two days, and the third time in less than a week, the New York Giants have made a roster move to address the team's injury-ravaged linebacker corps.

The Giants on Tuesday added seventh-year veteran Jay Foreman, who has played both inside and outside linebacker during his career, signing him to what is believed to be a one-year contract. On Monday, the Giants signed Kevin Lewis, who started 16 games for them in 2004. Last week, the team signed veteran Roman Phifer.

To accommodate the signing of Foreman, who was released by the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders this summer and has not played in the league this year, the club placed Carlos Emmons on injured reserve. A 10-year veteran, Emmons had played in just nine games this season, missing four of the last eight outings, and was plagued by a series of injuries, the most recent a strained pectoral muscle.

On Monday, the Giants placed Chase Blackburn on injured reserve to create a roster spot for Lewis. Blackburn had started the last two games at middle linebacker but suffered a neck injury in a loss Saturday to the Washington Redskins.

The Giants also placed reserve tailback Derrick Ward on injured reserve Tuesday and signed veteran free agent Mike Cloud. A seven-year veteran, Cloud played with the Giants in 2004, and carried 21 times for 90 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games. He had two different stints with the New England Patriots earlier this season, appearing in six games, rushing for 59 yards on 23 attempts.

The linebacker corps has been especially hit hard by injuries, arguably the most serious of which is the high ankle sprain from which Antonio Pierce is still trying to recover. A terrific unrestricted free agent addition in the offseason, Pierce made a profound impact on the New York defense from his middle linebacker spot before suffering the ankle injury. The team, which has clinched at least a wild-card berth and will win the NFC East with a victory at Oakland this week, is holding out hope Pierce can return for the playoffs.

Clearly, though, having to undertake such a far-reaching makeover of the linebacker corps in the past week is not ideal.

Foreman, 29, played the last three seasons with the Texans, who released him for salary cap considerations. In those three seasons, he averaged 118.3 tackles. For his career, the former Nebraska star, who began his NFL tour with the Buffalo Bills in 1999, has played in 81 games and registered 521 tackles, 4½ sacks and 14 passes defensed.

A solid defender versus the run, Foreman is a smart, versatile player who will quickly have to get up to speed with the Giants' scheme. Of the two linebackers signed in the last two days, Lewis is probably the more likely to play at Oakland on Saturday, because of his familiarity with the defense.

Foreman sounds like a good player. My question is, if he was so good, why didn't he pick up a job before now? This is a guy that got cut by the Raiders and Texans, hardly defensive juggernauts. I remember Kevin Lewis from his first go around here. He hardly invoked memories of Harry Carson and Pepper Johnson. Are they better alternatives than what we have out there now?

Apparently, Emmons is none too happy about being put on the IR. I have to agree with him on this one. Not on him being deactivated, but in the way it was handled. It's the coaches' perogative on who's active and who's not, but Coughlin should have let him know about it as soon he made the decision. Emmons deserved that much.

I've mentioned in the past that even before all the injuries that this might be worst linebacker corps the Giants have fielded in over 20 years. The only standout in the group was Antonio Pierce, who's hobbling around on crutches.

The lack of a first round pick limited what we could do in the draft last year. Our Swiss Cheese secondary needed even more mending than our linebacking corps. So I understood the logic of drafting Corey Webster. But this draft, the first priority has to be replenishing our linebacking corps. We've finally got a defensive line worth mentioning. Joseph has been practicing this week so we'll be at full strength up front. Even with Lamont Jordan possibly sitting out, we need them to get good push up front to stuff the run and put Kerry Collins on his ass.

I'm going to be watching the game at a rabid Raiders fan's house on New Years Eve. I might get stabbed in the neck for all the smack I'll be dishing out...but it'll be worth it for a division title.