The Giants' new regime is officially underway with the team's three-day minicamp on Tuesday, led by new head coach Pat Shurmur. It is a fresh start after an atrocious 2017 season. 

For defensive end Olivier Vernon, the team's fresh start involves a position change under new defensive coordinator James Bettcher. Vernon will now work in a 3-4 defense, but how the team will exactly utilize the veteran lineman is yet to be seen. 

Vernon doesn't even know how the Giants will use him in this new system. 

It isn't a secret that CB Janoris Jenkins and former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant are heated rivals between the hashes. They have exchange verbal bouts over Twitter, and of course, physical ones on the field. 

But that doesn't mean Jenkins would be opposed to Bryant being his teammate next season. In fact, he has been trying to recruit him to New York. 

The Cowboys decided to release the 29-year-old veteran receiver, and he has yet to find a new home in the NFL. Like many other players around the league, Jenkins has thought about the prospect of pairing Bryant up his team's wide receivers, which in this case includes Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram.

The Giants are expected by many to take RB Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick in Thursday night's NFL Draft. Or to perhaps trade back and take DE Bradley Chubb or OL Quenton Nelson.

One thing the Giants aren't expected to do? Take one of the highly-touted quarterbacks. And if they do pass them up, they will be showing confidence in the future of Eli Manning. And perhaps Davis Webb as well.

The 23-year-old Webb was selected by the Giants in the third round (87th overall) of the 2017 Draft. And in a peculiar move, he didn't see the field last season after Manning was benched. So what can he show new head coach Pat Shurmur during this week's voluntary minicamp that concludes on Draft Day?

More good news comes from the Giants' East Rutherford facility Tuesday regarding star WR Odell Beckham Jr., as he showed up for the team's three-day minicamp ahead of the NFL Draft. 

Head coach Pat Shurmur, who is leading his new team over the three days, also said that Beckham will "absolutely" be on the Giants for the 2018 season. 

Shurmur added that he and Beckham "constantly communicate" since he was placed in his new position. Their conversations -- with the latest right before the minicamp -- are "open and honest with each other" whether it is over text or a phone call. 

The Giants are looking to trade OT Ereck Flowers during the 2018 NFL Draft, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed.

Flowers is not in attendance at the Giants' voluntary Minicamp that began on Tuesday, and head coach Pat Shurmur is not pleased. 

After three seasons of sub-par play on Eli Manning's blind side, new Giants GM Dave Gettleman decided to go get free-agent LT Nate Solder, signing him to a four-year, $62 million deal. In turn, Flowers was shifted to the right side where he is expected to vie for the right tackle position in training camp. 

What is NFL Draft week without some drama over the No. 1 pick?

With reports circulating Monday that Wyoming QB Josh Allen is no longer in consideration for the Browns' No. 1 pick, ESPN's Adam Schefter is now reporting that Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield is "definitely" in the conversation. 

Schefter continues by saying the Browns may have their choice in mind for their first overall pick, and before that decision was made, Mayfield was a player in the mix.

The bulk of the attention has been on who the Giants will do with the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday night's NFL Draft.

Will it be RB Saquon Barkley? One of the highly-touted QBs? Will they trade back and take DE Bradley Chubb or OL Quenton Nelson?

Lost in the shuffle a bit has been the fact that the Giants have a very high (34th overall) second round pick as well. And SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano and SNY NFL Draft Expert Rich Cirminiello recently discussed who the Giants will take with that pick.

Last week, Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was seen using a battle rope to train alongside free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant.

On Monday, he used a different kind of rope and a different prop: a car.

Beckham posted a workout video of him pulling a GMC Denali that, according to TMZ Sports, weighs between 5,600 pounds and 5,800 pounds, as he looks to return from injury.

The Buffalo Bills are reportedly unlikely to trade up with the Giants for the No. 2 pick, NFL Network's Ian Rapaport reports.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman has said the team "can't get too cute" with what they will do with the No. 2 pick in Thursday's draft, especially given he feels the team could pick a future Hall of Famer.

Rapaport said he would be "surprised" if the Bills, who have the Nos. 12 and 22 picks in the first round, and the Nos. 53 and 56 picks in the second, traded a bunch of assets to move up to the No. 2 slot.

The Browns' choices for their No. 1 pick seem to have come down to two choices just three days away from the NFL Draft: Sam Darnold or Josh Allen?

Yes, there is always the prospect of the Browns going with RB Saquon Barkley with their first overall selection, knowing they have the No. 4 pick later on. However, experts including SI's Peter King see Cleveland getting their quarterback first before addressing anywhere else. 

Recently, rumblings about Allen going No. 1 have gained some steam. But King's most trusted source says Allen is too much of a risk, and the Browns don't want to get another quarterback pick wrong.

Former Jets QB and current SNY analyst Ray Lucas is pretty firm on who he thinks Giants GM Dave Gettleman should select with the second pick in the Draft on Thursday night.

"He's been funny in the papers, joking around and stuff -- it's a very important pick," Lucas said about Gettleman on Sunday night on SNY. "And if he doesn't take Saquon Barkley, somebody should get him drug tested."

Barkley, 21, is viewed by most as the best player in the Draft, and Gettleman didn't try to hide his feelings about him when speaking at his pre-Draft press conference last week...

For most players participating in the Giants' three-day minicamp that begins Tuesday, it is just another offseason workout. 

But, for backup QB Davis Webb, it may be the only opportunity to impress new head coach Pat Shurmur. 

The debate since the Giants received their No. 2 overall pick following an atrocious 3-13 campaign last season has been whether or not to take a quarterback to be Eli Manning's successor when his time is up. But many forget that Webb has yet to prove himself in a regular season game after seeing nothing but the bench in his rookie season. 

Giants S Landon Collins underwent his second surgery to repair his right forearm on Monday, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. 

It was reported two weeks ago that doctors didn't see Collins' forearm healing the way they had hoped, and a second surgery to repair it again was recommended.

Now that it is complete, the expected recovery time for the All-Pro safety is 6-8 weeks, which will have him recovered before the start of training camp. 

He might want to see a deal get done, but the Giants currently don't have any interest in employing former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant next season.

At least, not right now.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport went on "NFL Up to the Minute" Friday night, and said the Giants haven't been among the teams he has heard looking at the wideout at the moment.

The Giants have finalized a trade for Broncos P Riley Dixon, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

In return, the Giants sent a conditional seventh-round 2019 draft pick to Denver.

After the release of P Brad Wing, the Giants have been in search of a new punter. Well, with former Raiders P Marquette King joining the Broncos this offseason, Dixon was on the trading block and the Giants appear to want his services for next season. 

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Giants are sitting in the power position of the NFL draft, holding the fates of several teams and players in the palms of their hands. And everyone is watching, waiting and guessing, because no one is really sure what Dave Gettleman is going to do.

And that, by the way, is just how the Giants GM likes it.

Dave Gettleman held his pre-Draft press conference on Thursday, and as he usually does, fired off a bunch of awesome one-liners, had fun with the reporters in attendance, and poked fun at his heavy Boston accent.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Giants may spend part of their summer in the suburbs of Detroit, holding a few days of joint practices with the Lions.

The two teams are in talks about holding the joint workouts, according to a source, which would take place sometime during the week of Aug. 12-18. The training camp sessions would lead up to the Giants' Week 2 preseason game against the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. 

Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was featured alongside free agent Dez Bryant in an Instagram video of the two of them working out together Thursday night.

Bryant, the former Cowboys wideout who has said he would be interested in coming to New York, posted a video of the two of them using battle ropes to train.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The entire NFL world seems to know that the Giants are in love with Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. It's so obvious that even just a week before the draft, Giants GM Dave Gettleman isn't trying to hide it.

"I'm not going to lie. He's a tremendous talent," Gettleman said at his pre-draft press conference on Thursday. "You put the film on of a defensive guy and if they're playing Penn State, then I'm watching Saquon. He's one of those guys that my mother could have scouted. She could have figured that one out."

So the Giants are taking him with the second overall pick in the NFL draft, as long as the Cleveland Browns don't take him at No. 1, right?...

The Giants will open the 2018 season at home against the Jaguars, and wrap things up at home against the Cowboys.

The schedule will also include a primetime game against the Cowboys in Dallas in Week 2, and Monday night games at Atlanta and San Francisco.

Their full schedule is below, confirmed by SNY's Ralph Vacchiano...

On Thursday the Giants' released WR Brandon Marshall and the general speculation immediately was that the team might try and pursue ex-Cowboys WR Dez Bryant. 

Well, there's another receiver that has noticed the opportunity. Free agent WR Victor Cruz tweeted that he heard there was an opening in New York...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Dave Gettleman understands the high pressure of making the second overall pick in the draft, where he's said he expects to find a Hall of Fame-caliber player. It's even more intense this year, with so many quarterbacks potentially in play.

Pick the right one, and Gettleman could set the Giants up for the next decade. Pick the wrong one, he said, and "You've really hurt the franchise for probably five years. It's a five-year mistake."

But don't pick one at all, and let a great one slide past him - particularly with the Jets picking at No. 3? That's a mistake that could hurt the Giants for a decade, or maybe more...

The Giants have released WR Brandon Marshall due to a failed physical, GM Dave Gettleman said on Thursday. Marshall had agreed to take a pay cut, but was released anyway, reports Kimberly A. Martin of The Washington Post.

Marshall signed a two-year deal prior to last season, and his release frees up $5.1 million in salary cap space for this season. 

The 34-year-old Marshall missed the majority of the 2017 season due to season-ending ankle surgery after tearing ligaments in Week 5.

SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano and SNY NFL Draft Expert Rich Cirminiello discuss who the Giants will select 2nd overall in the NFL Draft next Thursday.

The question all along, according to Vacchiano, has been whether the Giants will tab their next franchise quarterback or Penn State RB Saquon Barkley.

"If the Browns go with Sam Darnold, which I expect to happen, I don't think the Giants take a quarterback," said Cirminiello, adding that at that point, the Giants should take the best player available -- which is Barkley...

Saquon Barkley can already envision himself in the Giants' offense. And it looks scary good. 

Barkley recently spoke about the prospect of joining the Giants, which some believe is a lock next Thursday. Having his versatile skill set in the backfield to go along with Odell Beckham and Co. on the outside has a good ring to Barkley's ears. 

"I think Eli Manning definitely has a lot in the tank left," Barkley told Penn State Live. "He's still an extraordinary player. You have Odell Beckham, one of the most exciting players in the NFL for three or four years. Then you talk about Sterling Shepard and the tight ends...

It isn't a smokescreen. Saquon Barkley appears to be the guy the Giants want at No. 2. 

At least, that's what ESPN's Todd McShay feels from the Giants' camp. News has swirled around the Giants wanting to take Barkley with their first-round selection, with fellow ESPN analyst Louis Riddick saying there is a "strong sentiment" for Barkley in New York's building. 

But McShay topped Riddick's opinion by saying it is "inevitable" the Penn State running back will be daunting a Big Blue jersey next season. 

The Browns have the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks in next Thursday's NFL Draft, and it is widely expected that they'll take a quarterback with the No. 1 pick. But if they opt to take Penn State RB Saquon Barkley -- whether it's at No. 1 or No. 4 -- his handlers reportedly won't be happy.

"They don't want him in Cleveland," writes Ben Baskin for SI in a wide-ranging piece. "They want him to go second to the Giants and play in the media capital of the world. That's where you can become the Face of the League."

According to Baskin, Barkley's manager wanted him to demand that the Browns not draft him -- which Barkley was against, with him telling friends recently that if he brings a championship to the Browns, there will be a statue built in his honor.

Brandon Marshall isn't too keen on all the Dez Bryant-to-the-Giants talk. 

The now former Cowboys receiver said he wants to stay in division next season, and he has been hinting that the Giants could be a good destination for him. The social-media savvy Bryant has been on Twitter regularly since being released by the Cowboys last weekend, and the Giants are among the teams he has flirted with on his page. 

Giants players have expressed their own interest in Bryant as their teammate next season, with one being CB Janoris Jenkins. 

Projecting trades in a Mock Draft is a futile effort. There are too many variables and rumors. It's mostly speculation. And really, it's just an exercise in fantasy football.

But … well, who doesn't love fantasy football?

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The winds of the Meadowlands certainly seem to be blowing in Saquon Barkley's direction. He was caught on camera wearing a Giants hoodie. Louis Riddick, one of the men who interviewed to be the Giants GM, is sure they're taking the Penn State running back. So are many around the league who claim to know GM Dave Gettleman well.

And when the Giants are on the clock next Thursday night, Barkley may indeed be the pick.

It would just be a mistake to completely rule the quarterbacks out yet.

Following his appearance at the Giants' facility for voluntary offseason workouts, the Odell Beckham Jr. trade talks have died down. 

That is why Beckham's best friend and former LSU teammate in Browns WR Jarvis Landry is done trying to orchestrate a reunion. He believes Beckham will be in a Giants jersey at least for one more season. 

"You know what, I think that period is over," Landry told ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi on lobbying with the Browns to trade for Beckham. "He's gonna be a Giant for another year."

In his latest mock draft, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer sees the Giants grabbing Penn State RB Saquon Barkley with their No. 2 overall pick. 

There has been tons of hype surrounding the connection between Barkley and the Giants ever since his private workout last week. GM Dave Gettleman has spoken publicly about the running back's "unique" skill set, and head coach Pat Shurmur has made it known that a versatile running back would be a vital asset to his offense. 

But most importantly is the fact that Gettleman has said a pick as high as No. 2 must warrant a Hall of Famer in the future. Breer sees Barkley being that guy. 

Less than two weeks away from the NFL Draft, the Giants continue to get their last looks at the top quarterback prospects with USC's Sam Darnold concluding his visit with the team on Tuesday, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed.

Monday's visit with Darnold was a dinner, which is being followed by a facility tour on Tuesday. He already had dinner with the Giants brass before meeting with newly appointed head coach Pat Shurmur following his Pro Day in March. 

Darnold has touched on the prospect of playing in the Big Apple, specifically with the pressure of wearing a New York jersey carries. He said he wouldn't be scared with the spotlight on him...

Former NFL exec and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick would be taking Penn State RB Saquon Barkley at No. 2 if he was in Dave Gettleman's shoes. 

Riddick, who interviewed for the Giants' GM vacancy last year, says Barkley is "a special kid" that he wouldn't pass on. 

"I think Saquon Barkley is just a special kid," he told NJ.com's Ryan Dunleavy. "I think he will help Eli because he will give him someone who he can turn around and hand the ball to 25-28 times a game."

Free-agent WR Dez Bryant continues to hint that he wants to stay in the NFC East, and the Giants may very well be the team he wants to sign with. 

"The Giants got a helluva defense, they're going to pay OBJ (Odell Beckham Jr.)" Bryant told Mike Fisher of CBS Sports on Monday. "Playing with him, Sterling (Shepard) ... the tight end (Evan Engram), (QB Eli) Manning? Crazy. They draft (Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick)? That'd be crazy!''

Bryant also discussed the potential of joining the Texans and Rams, though Fisher views the Giants as Bryant's top choice.

The Giants are less than two weeks away from choosing their first-rounder with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft. And though many believe drafting Eli Manning's successor is in order for Big Blue, GM Dave Gettleman's "win now" mindset may not warrant a gunslinger in the end.

New York has been setting up private workouts with the top quarterback prospects in Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Baker Mayfield, with Darnold visiting the team on Monday followed by Allen Tuesday. But all the quarterback visits may be smoke and mirrors if the Giants have their heart set on another position instead.

"You got to do your due diligence when you're there at second," a source told The Post's Paul Schwartz," if you don't do to these workouts at No. 2 and you really don't have an interest in these guys, then you're tipping your hand."

Penn State RB Saquon Barkley was spotted wearing a Giants hoodie during a trip to the barber earlier this week, with TMZ snapping photos. Sources told TMZ that the hoodie was given to Barkley as a gift by the Giants when he recently met with the team.

The Giants, who have the No. 2 pick in the Draft later this month, have been linked to Barkley, but most believe they will draft a quarterback from the group of USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, and Wyoming's Josh Allen.

However, GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur heaped praise on Barkley earlier this month.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: It's not quite crunch time yet, but there are less than three weeks until the start of the first round of the NFL draft, which means draft boards are in their final stages all around the league. It also means that the truth about which players are being targeted by which teams is starting to leak out -- albeit slowly.

Still, there are a lot of variables, especially in the first two picks. But at the moment there aren't many changes to my latest Mini-Mock Draft. The Browns are still taking a quarterback at 1. The Jets are still definitely taking one at 3. And I still think the Giants will take one -- assuming the right one is available -- at 2.

Here's a full look at my new Top 10, with some updated inside information...

WR Dez Bryant was released by the Cowboys on Friday afternoon, with Bryant reportedly hinting afterwards that he might be staying in the NFC East.

Bryant, 29, had a down year in 2017, with 69 receptions for 838 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games.

"I let a lot of things get in the way that bother me mentally," Bryant said late last season. "I feel like, if anything, I need to deal with in the offseason - is that. Like I said, there's only certain things I can control."

Giants S Landon Collins said his fractured forearm was "100 percent" during his conference call with the media on Monday. 

That isn't the case at all.

Collins' forearm has not been healing as doctors expected it to, NFL Network's Mike Garafalo first reported Wednesday night. Now, the safety has accepted the recommendation to undergo a second surgery to plate the bone yet again, NorthJersey.com's Art Stapleton reported.

The Giants' preseason schedule has been officially released for the 2018 season. 

Kicking off their first contest of the season is a home game against the Cleveland Browns. Fans will certainly remember the last time the Giants faced the Browns in preseason. Odell Beckham Jr. sustained his ankle sprain that kept him sidelined until their Week 2 matchup against their second preseason opponent this year -- the Lions.

The Giants will travel to Detroit for this game before returning home for the annual Snoopy Bowl with the Jets at MetLife Stadium. 

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: It has been nearly three weeks since John Mara fired the starting pistol on the Odell Beckham, Jr. frenzy when he refused to commit to him being on the 2018 roster. Since then, the saga has taken dozens of turns -- some absurd, and some entirely predictable.

And the reports on whether he'll be traded or not just won't stop.

But Beckham is still on the Giants and still with no long-term contract. The only thing that's changed is that he showed up for the first day of the offseason program on Monday, which the Giants seemed to take as a very positive sign. And that's all the Giants wanted all along -- a sign that he was willing to be committed to their program...

In his latest Mock Draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. has the Giants selecting USC QB Sam Darnold with the No. 2 pick -- as SNY's Ralph Vacchiano projected in his Mini Mock 3.0.

Kiper opines:

I still think the Giants should grab a quarterback with their pick (unless they get blown away by a trade offer). Eli Manning is 37 and on the down side of his career, and New York has a talented roster that shouldn't be picking this high in the future. Is GM Dave Gettleman really going to pass on a signal-caller who could be Manning's ready-made replacement?

Appearing on SNY's Daily News Live on Tuesday, Hall of Fame RB Jerome Bettis offered his opinion on WR Odell Beckham's contract situation.

Former Giants RB Brandon Jacobs wants to know why people continue to harp on WR Odell Beckham Jr.

The star wideout has always had a New York media spotlight on him from the beginning of his career, but he has seen extra coverage this offseason due to trade talks swirling around him. 

Jacobs took to Twitter Monday to ask why everyone seems to be concerned about the 25-year-old...