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Eli Manning Ezra Shaw/Getty Projected starting lineup Offense No. Player Pos. 81 Amani Toomer WR 88 Ike Hilliard WR 77 Luke Petitgout LT 69 Rich Seubert LG 60 Shaun O'Hara C 66 David Diehl RG 79 Barry Stokes RT 80 Jeremy Shockey TE 10 Eli Manning QB 21 Tiki Barber RB 20 Jim Finn FB 8 Matt Bryant K Defense No. Player Pos. 92 Michael Strahan DE 98 Fred Robbins DT 94 William Joseph DT 99 Keith Washington DE 51 Carlos Emmons SLB 54 Nick Greisen MLB 52 Barrett Green WLB 25 Will Allen CB 24 Will Peterson CB 23 Omar Stoutmire FS 36 Shaun Williams SS 17 Jeff Feagles P 2004 Draft Rd. Player Pos. School 1 Philip Rivers QB NC State 2 Chris Snee G Boston College 4 Reggie Torbor DE Auburn 5 Gibril Wilson S Tennessee 6 Jamaar Taylor WR Texas A&M 7 Drew Strojny T Duke 7 Isaac Hilton DE Hampton Outside the Huddle Shape up Tom Coughlin has always been a stickler for details, and he wasted no time putting his stamp on the Giants. No eating is allowed in the locker room, televisions have been removed from the workout room and there are no longer pictures of players on the walls of the complex. In the family The Giants' second-round pick, Chris Snee of Boston College, is the father of Tom Coughlin's grandson, Dylan. Coughlin's daughter Katie, a former student at Boston College, had the baby last fall. The Bachelor Jesse Palmer didn't get much playing time last year, but he got plenty of attention as television's The Bachelor. Palmer took some good-natured ribbing from teammates, but with Manning on board and the Giants in search of a veteran backup, his stint as a televised dating machine may be his lasting claim to fame. Victory for Accorsi Eli Manning was accused of trying to manipulate the draft when he said he wouldn't play for the Chargers, much the way John Elway did when he said he wouldn't go to the Colts. General Manager Ernie Accorsi was painfully familiar with Elway's power play. He was the GM with the Colts when they drafted Elway, only to watch as Elway was traded to the Broncos. Finally, he has gotten his man. 2003 Revisited The Prophecy: "[Jeremy] Shockey is the linchpin, of course, creating mismatches ... " The Lie: " ... they [Giants] appear to be an extremely dangerous team." --Athlon Sports Pro Football 2003

The Giants' collapse to 4-12, just three years after going to the Super Bowl, was so bad that executive vice president John Mara described the franchise at one point as "in trouble." But it may be the best thing that ever happened to the organization, because it put the Giants in place to swing the mega-trade on draft day for quarterback Eli Manning.

The team also hired Tom Coughlin, formerly the head coach in Jacksonville, to instill discipline and a sense of order into a team that was clearly adrift. His mantra, from the day he was hired, has been to minimize turnovers and dominate at the line of scrimmage.

If the Giants had done that last year, Fassel wouldn't be in Baltimore now.

The trade for Manning gives the Giants their first franchise quarterback since Phil Simms -- and a young star around whom to rebuild the offense. But that process may be on hold for at least a little while after they acquired veteran Kurt Warner.

Last year's starter, Kerry Collins, refused to restructure his contract to act as big brother to Manning, so the Giants jumped on Warner, who had worn out his welcome in St. Louis. After a couple of disappointing seasons, Warner is hoping for a new chance and the Giants are hoping the former grocery bagger returns to the form that won him two MVP awards.

The 33-year-old Warner will ease the rebuilding process and serve as a mentor to Manning, much like he did with Marc Bulger in St. Louis.

Scouts believe Manning has a stronger arm than his brother Peyton; he's also more mobile, and he'll get to prove it quickly.

"I think he'll be ready very shortly," Coughlin says of Manning. "There's a learning curve, a process everyone goes through. You can look at all the great quarterbacks along the line."

The way Manning turns out will likely dictate the course of this franchise for the next decade. But in the short term, Warner will likely be the starter and be responsible for resuscitating an offense that was 31st in the league in scoring, averaging just 15.2 points per game.

Tiki Barber remains a productive back with one significant problem -- he fumbles far too often. In 2003, he lost six fumbles for the second year in a row, but Fassel never benched him. Barber may not have that comfort level with Coughlin, who thinks he can teach Barber a few things in technique that might help.

If there was one player happy to see a new regime it had to be Ron Dayne. The former first-round pick has gotten progressively worse and received less playing time in each of his four seasons in the league. Dayne was inactive for all 16 games in 2003, but if the Giants keep him around, he'll get a fresh start.

Fullback Jim Finn played in 15 games and did not carry the ball once, though he did catch 14 passes for 115 yards.

Amani Toomer caught 63 passes for 1,057 years and five touchdowns, but that was not up to his usual standards. Ike Hilliard came back from a shoulder injury but was banged up most of the year and caught 60 passes for 608 yards. Tight end Jeremy Shockey, who had a monster rookie season that took him to the Pro Bowl, nearly disappeared last year. He got into trouble during the offseason with comments about Bill Parcells, and it was all downhill from there. He scored two touchdowns and played in just nine games because of injuries.

There are no significant changes with the receiving corps, but the addition of Manning and the bolstering of the offensive line should help this talented group to return to form.

The Giants now have a pocket passer, but the pocket is still a concern. Last year, the team allowed 44 sacks -- only two other teams gave up as many. Manning and Warner may be good, but no quarterback can withstand that barrage.

Injuries and ineptitude made the line a disaster area from the first day of the 2003 season. The restructuring of this unit has been one of the focal points of the offseason, but most of those signed are journeymen who even general manager Ernie Accorsi has admitted are just short-term solutions.

Among the newcomers are: Shaun O'Hara, who will probably start at center; Barry Stokes, a candidate to start at guard; and Ed Ellis, a tackle.

The Giants drafted guard Chris Snee, considered by many teams to be the top guard on the board, in the second round. If Rich Seubert, who broke his leg last season, isn't healthy, Snee could start as a rookie. That could free up right guard David Diehl to slide over to tackle, where there is still some concern. Left tackle Luke Petitgout is back, but his back is a perpetual concern. If it holds up, this unit may be okay.

This is a vastly different unit. Keith Hamilton retired. Cornelius Griffin is now with the Redskins. Michael Strahan is back, and the team re-signed Keith Washington, presumably to play right end, because Kenny Holmes has not signed.

The Giants added tackles Norman Hand and Fred Robbins, one of whom will likely start. William Joseph, their 2003 first-round draft pick, appears to be the other starting tackle. Joseph tore a pectoral muscle during offseason workouts and underwent surgery, but he's expected back for training camp. He was a bit of a disappointment last year, but he'll get a chance to prove his worth this season.

All of the starters are gone.

The Giants signed Carlos Emmons from Philadelphia to replace Brandon Short on the strong side. He was the Eagles' defensive MVP last season, with 123 tackles. "He hasn't been pleasant to play against," says Accorsi.

Barrett Green will replace Dhani Jones on the weak side. Green started 16 games for the Lions and had 117 tackles and three sacks.

There's still one big hole -- middle linebacker. The Giants haven't signed anyone to replace Micheal Barrow, and it looks as if Barrow's backup, Nick Greisen, will have a chance to win the job. "Yeah, it is a concern," says Coughlin. "We're going to have to keep shopping."

The secondary was riddled by injuries and was a mess by the end of the 2003 season. But everyone is back. Cornerbacks Will Allen and Will Peterson, when healthy, form a solid duo. They played together for just five games last season. Peterson missed the final 11 games with a stress fracture in his veterbra, while Allen was out with a foot injury for the final four games.

Shaun Williams and Omar Stoutmire will be the safeties once again, and the Giants signed Terry Cousin from Carolina as a nickelback. Gibril Wilson, a fifth-round draftee from Tennessee, could play his way into the rotation.

There's finally some stability to the Giants' special teams. Placekicker Matt Bryant converted 11-of-14 field goals (including 4-of-5 from 40 yards and beyond) and all 17 extra points. Directional punter Jeff Feagles averaged 40.5 yards and landed 31 punts inside the 20.

The Giants made a move for the future by trading for Manning on draft day, a move that angered some of the team's veterans who still believed in Collins. The acquisition of Warner seemed to placate everyone and gives New York a little more hope this season.

Quarterback, however, isn't the Giants' only concern. They still have holes on the offensive line, and the linebacking corps will feature three new starters.

Coughlin, a former assistant with the Giants under Bill Parcells, has vowed to restore order in the Meadowlands, but there are too many issues with this team to expect anything more than six or seven wins. A last-place finish in the spicy NFC East appears likely.

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