RoanokeFan
06-12-2012, 07:09 AM
GIANTS WAIVE JAKE BALLARD; RE-SIGN ROCKY BERNARD (http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/06/giants_waive_jake_ballard_re-s.html)
"In a move that pretty much makes official what was clear back in February
when <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/02/giants_jake_ballard_suffered_t.html">Jake
Ballard tore his anterior cruciate ligament</a> in Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants (http://www.nj.com/giants) have waived Ballard with a
failed-physical designation.
The transaction means Ballard is headed to the
physically-unable-to-perform/reserve list once he likely clears waivers. The
third-year tight end will likely eventually be placed on injured reserve, where
he'd then remain for the entire season.</p>
"Thanks for (the) love everyone but don't worry, its a business," <a href="https://twitter.com/NYG_J_Ballard85/status/212290565767831553">Ballard
tweeted minutes ago</a>. "I'm on the road to recovery, and I believe I'll be in
a Giants uniform in '13"</p>
Even Ballard, who helped offset the loss of Kevin Boss last year by grabbing
38 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season, admitted
recently there was <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/04/giants_travis_beckum_further_a.html">a
good chance he wouldn't play a down in 2012</a> after undergoing surgery to
repair his ACL and a microfracture procedure as well.</p>
Ballard's agent, Blake Baratz, noted on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/the_ifa/status/212287670276198401">the Giants "did the
(right) thing"</a> by signing Ballard to a one-year deal as an exclusive-rights
free agent this spring and "intend on him being with them for a long time."</p>
Ballard's fellow tight end Travis Beckum, who also tore his ACL in the Super
Bowl, continues to hope he'll be back on the field at some point this season</p>
Meanwhile, the Giants have re-signed defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, whom
they cut and then re-signed before last season. Bernard rejoins a corps of
defensive tackles that is currently without starters Linval Joseph (ankle) and
Chris Canty (knee), as well as newly signed Shaun Rogers (elbow), heading into
this week's full-team minicamp. Canty and Rogers have sat out recent OTAs that
were open to the media; Joseph has done light work on the side. Both Joseph and
Canty had offseason surgeries.</p>
Bernard signed a four-year deal with the Giants before the 2009 season. He
played the first two years under that contract before being unable to reach an
agreement on a pay cut last summer. <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2011/08/giants_re-sign_defensive_tackl.html">He
was then re-signed</a> in early August at the veteran minimum. Last season, he
appeared in all 16 regular-season games and the team's four playoff games.</p>
* * * *</p>
The Giants have released a statement on David Diehl's DWI:</p>
"Obviously we are aware of the situation, although we have not yet had a
chance to discuss it with David. Since it is an ongoing legal matter, we will
refrain from comment at this time, although we will say that David has been an
outstanding representative of this organization for the past 10 years, and
nobody knows more than David does what is expected of our players both on and
off the field."</p>
"In a move that pretty much makes official what was clear back in February
when <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/02/giants_jake_ballard_suffered_t.html">Jake
Ballard tore his anterior cruciate ligament</a> in Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants (http://www.nj.com/giants) have waived Ballard with a
failed-physical designation.
The transaction means Ballard is headed to the
physically-unable-to-perform/reserve list once he likely clears waivers. The
third-year tight end will likely eventually be placed on injured reserve, where
he'd then remain for the entire season.</p>
"Thanks for (the) love everyone but don't worry, its a business," <a href="https://twitter.com/NYG_J_Ballard85/status/212290565767831553">Ballard
tweeted minutes ago</a>. "I'm on the road to recovery, and I believe I'll be in
a Giants uniform in '13"</p>
Even Ballard, who helped offset the loss of Kevin Boss last year by grabbing
38 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season, admitted
recently there was <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/04/giants_travis_beckum_further_a.html">a
good chance he wouldn't play a down in 2012</a> after undergoing surgery to
repair his ACL and a microfracture procedure as well.</p>
Ballard's agent, Blake Baratz, noted on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/the_ifa/status/212287670276198401">the Giants "did the
(right) thing"</a> by signing Ballard to a one-year deal as an exclusive-rights
free agent this spring and "intend on him being with them for a long time."</p>
Ballard's fellow tight end Travis Beckum, who also tore his ACL in the Super
Bowl, continues to hope he'll be back on the field at some point this season</p>
Meanwhile, the Giants have re-signed defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, whom
they cut and then re-signed before last season. Bernard rejoins a corps of
defensive tackles that is currently without starters Linval Joseph (ankle) and
Chris Canty (knee), as well as newly signed Shaun Rogers (elbow), heading into
this week's full-team minicamp. Canty and Rogers have sat out recent OTAs that
were open to the media; Joseph has done light work on the side. Both Joseph and
Canty had offseason surgeries.</p>
Bernard signed a four-year deal with the Giants before the 2009 season. He
played the first two years under that contract before being unable to reach an
agreement on a pay cut last summer. <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2011/08/giants_re-sign_defensive_tackl.html">He
was then re-signed</a> in early August at the veteran minimum. Last season, he
appeared in all 16 regular-season games and the team's four playoff games.</p>
* * * *</p>
The Giants have released a statement on David Diehl's DWI:</p>
"Obviously we are aware of the situation, although we have not yet had a
chance to discuss it with David. Since it is an ongoing legal matter, we will
refrain from comment at this time, although we will say that David has been an
outstanding representative of this organization for the past 10 years, and
nobody knows more than David does what is expected of our players both on and
off the field."</p>