Not coming back to New York is "just an unfortunate situation," said former New York Giant and current Philadelphia Eagle Rueben Randle.

Randle, the former LSU wide receiver whose four year with the Giants netted him 188 receptions, 2,644 yards and 20 touchdowns, says he was "disappointed" by the Giants lack of any attempt to re-sign him after his contract with the team expired. That sent him to free agency which ultimately landed him in Philadelphia to play for his former team's division rival, the Eagles.

"It was weird coming here, I'll admit that," Randle said. "I'm still sorting it out to be honest. It's taken some time to get used to a different locker room."

#Eagles and WR Rueben Randle agree to terms on a one-year contract. Welcome to Philadelphia!#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/CDfVv0cxya

- Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 23, 2016

John Fennelly, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | | Archive Posts

Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz has missed the past season and a half, first with a torn patellar tendon and then with a calf injury. As a result of missing so much time and an uncertain future, Cruz and the Giants have restructured his contract to where his deal is only guaranteed for this season and the guaranteed amount has been reduced to $2.4 million.

Cruz can earn up to $21.5 million over the next three seasons if he hits all the bonuses and incentives.

New York Giants president John Mara said the organization was "pretty successful" in restocking its roster through free agency over the past few weeks.

Free agent WR Rueben Randle will visit with the Rams on Monday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (Mar. 14).

After surveying league sources last month, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com projected that Randle would receive a three-year contract worth $18.8 million, with $8.5 million in guaranteed money.

Randle, 24, had 57 receptions for 797 yards and eight TDs last season for the Giants.

Giants WR Rueben Randle is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

After surveying league sources, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com projects that Randle will receive a three-year contract worth $18.8 million, with $8.5 million in guaranteed money.

Randle, 24, had 57 receptions for 797 yards and eight TDs last season for the Giants.

The New York Giants are expected to target wide receiver Mohamed Sanu once free agency begins, according to CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora.

Sanu, 26, had just 33 catches for 394 yards with no touchdowns with the Cincinnati Bengals last year, playing behind A.J. Green and Marvin Jones. He has played 57 games through his first four seasons, totaling 152 catches for 1,793 yards and 11 touchdowns.

A third-round pick out of Rutgers in 2012, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Sanu signed a four-year, $2.7 million deal after the draft. He could earn $5 million annually, La Canfora writes.

When you're 13-0 and will likely be the NFC's top seed, it's hard to get excited about playing a 6-7 team that is riddled with injuries and has continually shot itself in the foot.

That seemed to be the attitude of Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera towards the Giants in his conference call with reporters on Wednesday. Rivera's team is vying to stay undefeated when they come here Sunday to play the Giants, who managed to win for only second time in six games this past Monday.

"I think they're a team that's still finding their footing in some respect," Rivera said of the Giants. "A team that's had some unfortunate losses, but then you watch them on Monday night and you see the explosiveness of what they have the ability to do."

The Giants' resiliency was tested on Monday night. They got down early against the Miami Dolphins and were forced to come back several times. Players were exhausted from the heat and humidity, and they picked one another up. Head coach Tom Coughlin was knocked off his feet on the sideline by a charging Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but got right up.

"Actually, it helped. It snapped my neck," Coughlin said after the game as per NJ.com. "It feels a whole hell of a lot better right now. Thanks for asking."

The team took on the personality of its head coach the rest of the way, getting up, dusting off and willing itself to a win over a Miami team that inexplicably wilted in their home environment. The Giants finally held on to a fourth-quarter lead and won a game they deserved to win for once.

The New York Giants are a shell of the team that GM Jerry Reese and head coach Tom Coughlin thought would make a run at the NFC East title this past summer.

They needed every player left in uniform to give it everything they had to get past a sloppy Dolphins team Monday night in Miami with a 31-24 win. The Giants remain tied with the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East at 6-7.

Monday's win was one generated out of survival. The offensive line has been decimated by injuries and was hurting again last night, but they overcame the heat and humidity to get the better of the home team.

In a season marked by inconsistency, the New York Giants haven't failed to squander chances to take command of the NFC East.

It's been the constant in what is proving to be a frustrating season for Tom Coughlin, his team and its fans.

Every time the Giants (5-6) have a chance to open daylight, they have come up short.

As the Giants were unraveling in Washington Sunday afternoon, their one true star managed to stand tall.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the player who makes the cost of the tickets worth their face value, gave the fans something to cheer about with another one-handed, eye-popping TD catch in the Giants' embarrassing 20-14 loss to the Redskins.

The Giants came out flat and stayed there for three quarters. The Redskins, who also have no business playing for first place, managed to keep a depleted Giants team in the game as the fourth quarter approached.

The Giants head into this weekend's game against the Washington Redskins with a clear advantage: their wide receivers against the Redskins' banged-up secondary.

CB Chris Culliver tore both the MCL and ACL in his left knee in last week's loss to the Carolina Panthers and is out for the remainder of the season. Starting strong safety Trenton Robinson (hamstring) is also out this Sunday. In addition, CBs Bashaud Breeland (hamstring/illness) and Deshazor Everett (hamstring) are questionable. CB DeAngelo Hall (toe) and safety Dashon Goldson (knee/hamstring.wrist) are probable.

The Giants are looking forward to throwing the football this weekend. WR Hakeem Nicks is returning and Odell Beckham Jr. is also poised for a big afternoon. 

A familiar face was back on the field for the Giants at practice on Monday, one the team hopes can reignite his career and help them get to the playoffs.

Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, signed last week after the Giants placed Victor Cruz on season-ending injured reserve, is back with the team after two seasons. He spent 2014 in Indianapolis, then has been searching for a job since being cut by the Tennessee Titans this past summer.

"It feels good," Nicks said when asked how it feels to back in Blue. "Feels good to be back in the building, definitely feels good to be back in the Giants uniform. Just want to continue to make plays and be a great football player and a great team player."

The Giants offense has been effective even without a healthy Rueben Randle opposite Odell Beckham Jr.

Randle has continued to play despite a lingering hamstring injury, but the wide receiver continues to feel better on the injury front and believes he'll be a full speed after the Week 11 bye.

"It's still a little sore, but it's better than the past weeks," Randle said. "As much as I can rest it, I try to rest it to allow me to go longer in the game. Just trying to find a way to manage my way around it … hopefully, I'll be where I can go out there and play full speed (in) probably one more week and then after the bye."

Giants WR Rueben Randle is entering his fourth season with the Giants, a season in which just about everyone who follows this team has predicted big things from him. After the Giants made him the last pick in Round Two of the 2012 NFL Draft, Randle has shown improvement with each passing season.

The Giants hit the jackpot last year with WR Odell Beckham Jr. at the NFL Draft. With an improving Rueben Randle and Victor Cruz (knee), who is expected to return in time for the regular season, the Giants could be considered receiver rich.

GM Jerry Reese feels that way, too, but he's not averse to taking another WR high in this year's draft.

Two players we mentioned yesterday as keys to the Giants' season opened some eyes at OTAs on Tuesday. DE Damontre Moore and WR Rueben Randle.

Moore, according the John Schmeelk of Giants.com, looks to be in high spirits and is showing off that quick first step towards the QB again:

Victor Cruz had finally signed his contract; Hakeem Nicks appeared to be healthy; and Rueben Randle was ready to build on a few good games from last year.

However, through eight games, the receiving corps ? except for Cruz ? has been very inconsistent.

In Week 8, the Giants (1-6) head to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles (3-4) in an NFC East divisional showdown.

The Eagles earned a 36-21 victory over the Giants in Week 5 at MetLife Stadium. The Giants still lead the all-time regular season series, 81-74-2.

But let?s be brutally honest: It was anything but pretty.

The Giants missed plenty of opportunities on offense in their 23-7 win Monday night over the Minnesota Vikings. This really could have been a 44-7 game, but again, for the struggling Giants, a win?s a win.

The Giants turned the ball over six times en route to an extremely frustrating 36-31 loss Sunday night to the Cowboys. Dallas scored 17 points off Giants? turnovers.

For the offense in the preseason, the two main questions involved running back David Wilson adapting to a starting role and the offensive line trying to work through a multitude of injuries.

Second-year WR Rueben Randle comes into camp the favorite to win the third WR spot on the Giants' depth chart. He's angling for a bigger slice of the pie in the Giants' passing attack. Through two practices, nothing's changed. His progress is unfolding before our eyes.

"I?ve seen some good things out of Rueben. Hopefully he?ll keep it up," said Tom Coughlin yesterday. The coach elaborated on Randle's progress. He's taking the coaches' tutelage to heart and is justifying his high draft status.

On offense in particular ? looking past Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz of course ? a few young guns will be looked upon to shoulder the load.

And offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is confident that these young guns will come through.

Now, Cruz would have likely been here anyway had he not signed the five-year, $43 million contract extension, but a happy Victor Cruz means a productive, salsa-dancing Victor Cruz.

I wrote earlier this offseason that the Giants need Cruz in the mix for the receiving corps to reach its full potential, and that is now the case.

The New York Giants opened voluntary OTA's without the familiar faces of Hakeem Nicks or Victor Cruz. Neither have ideal contract situations, and both made their absences felt, at least initially.?

The Giants headlines were mobbed with the Nicks/Cruz drama, but as the days went on, the news slowly shifted from those off the field, to the ones actually on it. Giants wide receiver Rueben Randle seemingly stole the show with his performance during the OTA's, as Tom Coughlin and Kevin Gilbride constantly praised the second year man out of Louisiana State University.

From Dan Stack of GiantsRush.com

While all the talk this?off-season?is being centered around how the Giants will have to please both Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, with some thinking the team has the luxury to sign only one of them to a long-term contract (hence the reason why Cruz was tagged with a first-round RFA tender), the Giants may actually have an ace up their sleeve in Rueben Randle.

Yet that duo is in some jeopardy, with Nicks recovering from injury and Cruz?s contract status up in the air.

But all signs point to the Giants working out a deal with Cruz and Nicks being fully ready to go for the 2013 season.

In Big Blue?s win over the Packers, running Andre Brown broke his fibula and will miss the remainder of the season.

First-round pick David Wilson will finally be given his second chance. He fumbled his second career carry and was relegated solely to kick return duties.

But his efficiency in the Giants? 38-10 blowout win over the Packers was what led the Giants to victory.

On third and fourth down plays, Manning was 7-of-9, and all three of his touchdown passes came on third downs. Manning had been 0-3 against the Packers in the regular season before this win.

Not only did the offense respond in a big way, but they also played the most complete game of the season, other than the first five minutes, in the Giants? 41-27 win.

Bradshaw must have been really irked by his fumble because he turned into a different player for the remainder of the game. He finished the day with a career-high 200 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown.

All of a sudden, an area that was the Giants strength will rely on contributions from a medley of different receivers.

Victor Cruz is a given. After a few timely drops Week 1, he?s bounced back to show that last season was no fluke. However, if the Browns or any other opposing defense focuses on limiting Cruz, Eli Manning will need his other targets to step up.

Most position battles are relatively meaningless developments until late July, when training camps begin and players focus on preparing for the upcoming season. Coaches deliberating position competitions usually consider each players? entire body of work?career production, minicamp performance, injury history, work ethic, physical attributes, potential for growth?but the decision ultimately rests on a given players? level of preparedness heading into week 1. Whichever player best exhibits the qualities needed at his position to help his team win when the regular season begins should get the nod over his competitors. It?s pretty simple. These predicaments exist on most every NFL roster and they are for the most part altogether good problems to have. Multiple players fighting for a single spot leads to intense competition, the kind that brings out the best and most consistent effort in each competitor. Even defending Super Bowl champions need to resolve these sorts of issues, and the 2012 Giants are no exception.

With Hakeem Nicks' availability questionable for the start of the season, the Giants will turn to their reserves and rookies to take most for the reps at WR when training camp starts. One player that seems to have an inside track on those reps is second-round pick Rueben Randle (above), who is showing signs that he could come right out of the gate and become a productive receiver.

"I think he has a good feel for things." Eli said of Randle last week. "He is starting to understand some of the concepts and just the in?s and out?s of what his assignments are; what his options are. There is always a learning period with those guys. But you see some speed, some size, coming in and out of breaks, and just a pretty good feel and understanding of how to get open. So that is always a good start. And now just continue to learn. The more reps that he can get in live action, the better he will be."

Q. How do you feel?

RUEBEN RANDLE: Relieved. Sitting back there with my family, I was just anxious to get an opportunity to get into the NFL.

Excellent value...Giants fans at Radio City are thrilled, and I assume that this is a popular pick all around. ?Randle was projected to go late first or early second, and I wrote earlier today that it was unlikely he'd slip all the way 63, but I'm glad to be wrong.

At 6'3, 210 lbs., he has a true #1 receiver body. His 4.55 forty time is not bad, but he has been clocked in the mid 4.4s, so he has the speed to get deep. He has good hands and the ability to make catches in traffic.