The impressive aspect to this story is that Jeremiah polled executives, coaches and scouts around the league and he came up with these seven based on his findings.

Here is what he had to say about the Giants’ Pro Bowler.

Pierre-Paul is the defensive version of Calvin Johnson. His physical size and athletic ability are so off the charts that it is tough to come up with a defensive comparison from the present or the past. His length and ability to corner the edge is similar to Jevon Kearse, but he’s much thicker and stronger. In 2011, JPP was a dominant force with 86 tackles and 16.5 sacks. He creates major matchup problems no matter where he aligns. From the outside, his power is a major issue for offensive tackles, while his quickness gives interior offensive lineman fits. One highly respected NFL defensive line coach believes he’s the best pass rusher to enter the league in the past 10 years.

You won’t find many people who don’t attribute the mere fact the Giants even made the playoffs to JPP’s dominant play in 2011, especially down the stretch. He had a monster game against the Dallas Cowboys in their first meeting, blocking the potential game-tying field goal. JPP forced teams in the playoffs to pay so much attention to him, it allowed Osi Umenyiora to go off with 3.5 sacks in four games.

Those 86 tackles led all defensive lineman, and his 16.5 sacks ranked third. The scary part? JPP hasn’t even come close to reaching his full potential. We could be talking about a future first ballot Hall of Famer here.

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It is clear the word complacent is not in any of the player’s vocabularies.

“You get that first time and you’re in awe, like, ‘Oh God, this might not ever happen again,’”Justin Tuck said at the ceremony. “You win a second one and you’re like, ‘Hey, maybe we can do something here.’ Our thing now is we want to make it a dynasty.”

If the Giants were to turn this into a dynasty, it would be unlike most others in that there were a couple years in between championships in which the Giants did not even make the playoffs. Two championships in five seasons is certainly dynasty worthy, but they will have to be competitive over the next several years before the term “dynasty” will be thrown around.

And that’s exactly what the Giants intend on doing.

Tuck said to Eli Manning in a private conversation “we have to play the games, we might as well win them.” Eli responded to reporters after sharing a laugh.

“Well, I thought that was a confidential conversation. Justin was talking to Mr. [John] Mara and he was saying no Giants player has three championships with the Giants. So we’re setting the stakes high and make sure we stay motivated.”

Engraved on the rings are the words “finish” and “All-in,” both of which were motivating words of wisdom for the Giants last season. They define what Tom Coughlin wants this team to be about, and he loves the fact that they are on the ring.

“It means everything to me. The word ‘finish’ in there really captures a lot of emotion for me. …The fact our players can quote to you what this means to them and how they were reinforced by this over and over, I think that says a lot. I’ll always look upon that.”

Antrel Rolle had perhaps the best quote of the night, encasing the team’s attitude in one concise sentence.

“You can always have more rings. Just ask Michael Jordan.”

Indeed. Hopefully the Giants can bring New York fans another reason to parade the Canyon of Heroes.

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“I’ll wear it that day and put it away,” he said. “I’ll probably never wear it again. That’s just the competitor in me. I want to have my own. I thank my teammates for it and everything, but it’s a goal that I want to reach on my own.”

The Giants are apparently excited with his rehab, as they rewarded his past production by giving him a four year deal that can be worth over $28 million. Many have speculated whether he’ll be 100 percent enough to hold off Prince Amukamara for the starting corner job opposite Corey Webster. Thomas is not one of those people.

“I am [the starter], I don’t care what they say. It’s just my mentality. As a rookie I said I was going to be a starter. I just worked my butt off and finally became one. Especially at the corner position you’ve got to be confident in that manner in my opinion. I can’t be sitting here saying, ‘Well, we’ll see.’”

Both Thomas and Amukamara are health concerns entering camp, but the two will definitely be competing for that starting job. Thomas has the aforementioned knee recovery and Amukamara had an injection to help recover from his broken foot he suffered in training camp last season. Both are question marks to attend mandatory workouts starting in June, but they should be ready by Albany’s camp this season.

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“It ain’t that we don’t care. We just understand it’s a part of the game, and why make it bigger than what it is? You can add fuel to a fire and make it huge. Right now, it’s just smoke, you don’t even see the flames yet. So we’d like to keep it that way.”

The Osi situation has gotten out of control before, and it certainly is not that way now, but he has taken us on a roller coaster ride this off season. First he said he would stay quiet this off season, then he broke that promise saying he wanted and deserved an extension, then he said he wants nothing to do with a short term extension, then he referred to himself as a greedy pig in response to Jerry Reese‘s comments after the draft, and finally he said Reese was “his guy” in a tweet recently.

At this point, it’s anyone’s guess how he is feeling. He is sending a message by not showing up to team workouts, though none have been mandatory as of yet.

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However, it was making fans uneasy that the team had yet to sign one of their best and most popular players. Welker has been a monster since joining the team, using his shiftiness and small stature to be a force over the middle of the field. In four of his five seasons he has had at least 111 receptions and 1,165 yards.

He was one of the best receivers in 2011, helping Brady cross the 5,000 yards passing barrier. Welker had a monster year, catching 122 passes for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns.

Unfortunately his season was marred by a crucial mistake in the Super Bowl. With the Patriots up on the New York Giants 17-15, 4:06 remaining and the ball on the Giants’ 44, Brady looked for Welker down the left seem. Though the ball was a bit high, Welker made an adjustment and got both hands on the ball.

But the sure-handed wide receiver with the reputation for having flawless hands let the ball fall to the ground. You could see the agony in his body language as he got down on both knees and put both hands over his head. Had he made the grab the Patriots likely would have been able to run out the clock, score a touchdown, or at the very least run the clock down and kick a field goal.

Either way you look at it, that catch could have won the Super Bowl.

“That’s one I’ll have to live with.” Welker said while holding back tears in the locker room.

Despite this play likely standing the test of time, Welker deserves a long term deal, and will hopefully be rewarded for his dominant production on the field.

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Hosley was met with equal or more skepticism, but not due to his ability. Most agree he should have been a second round pick, but he reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Combine. Hearing Jerry Reese and director of college scouting Marc Ross rave about Hosley makes you ignore any doubts about his ability.

Not only were these two players teammates in college, but they were roommates and good friends. There are already expectations, but with them pushing each other they will surprise a lot of people in 2012.

None of Reese’s first picks have made an immediate impact with the Giants in their first year. Yes, most of them got playing time as rookies, but the impressive stats usually did not come until year two.

Maybe Wilson more so than Hosley, but I expect both players to have a huge impact this season. Hosley and Wilson were No. 1 and 2 punt returners at mini-camp this weekend, and Wilson should have little competition for the backup running back spot.

If Hosley is as feisty and competitive as Reese and Tom Coughlin said, he has a chance to be the team’s third or fourth corner right off the bat. The Giants love to use as many corners rotating as possible to keep them fresh. Hosley led all of college football with nine interceptions during an All-American 2010 campaign. As teams threw to him less, he only had three interceptions in his junior season.

Knowing the opportunity is there, having a familiar face in the locker next to them and pushing each other to excellence will allow the former Hokies to shine.

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“I know it has been a rough week, so I wanted to reach out. Players dying, players suing and on top of that my peers are just going off on you in the media,” Ochocinco wrote in a letter to the commissioner. “It does not help that ESPN has all of a sudden become Medical TV with damn near every brain expert on the planet. This has got to be the worst week ever. Since no one is showing any support, I figured I would be the first.”

It is no secret the NFL has been criticized for its handling of concussions in the past. Goodell has actually taken steps to reduce the effects of concussions for active players, but that has not stopped former players from demanding action regarding their healthy. A major lawsuit is in the works against the NFL from former players, and the recent deaths and suicides are not helping the NFL’s case.

“Y’all do a darn near perfect job at portraying this game as one played by heroes,” Ochocinco continued in the letter. “But let’s be real dad. This is a nasty, dirty and violent game with consequences. Sign up or go get a regular job. Watch it or turn off the TV and go fishing with your kids. It is really that simple.

“I know there are probably legal and financial implications that prevent this blunt depiction, but [I] am not sure if you have a choice. If you don’t say it now, the mounting evidence being revealed publicly will say it for you very soon.”

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He is expected to appear in court on May 31, and the authorities have not yet released his blood-alcohol level to the public. Not that Raider fans needed any more reason to hate this guy, but this is not going to help his favor among the silver and black.

The former No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft was relatively non-existent his first two seasons in the league. To say the pick was questionable by Al David is an understatement. Heyward-Bey ran a blazing 40-yard dash at the combine, but he was not expected to go in the top 10 or even the first round.

Heyward-Bey went ahead of Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks, and Kenny Britt. I’d argue all but Crabtree have been wildly more successful than Heyward-Bey to this point.

Ironically people thought the Raiders were nuts for passing on Crabtree, but he has been underachieving in San Francisco as well. I guess there is something in the water in the Bay area.

DHB, as he has become affectionately known among Raider Nation, showed signs of improvement this year. He finished with 64 catches for 975 yards, displaying the deep play ability Davis envisioned. He still has yet to prove worthy of his draft position, but maybe a full year with Carson Palmer can change that.

If this DUI doesn’t cost him a roster spot, that is.

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As more and more players from the old era get up in age, we’re seeing more take their own life as a result of concussions they suffered in their playing days. Just in the past two weeks we’ve seen multiple suicides. The aforementioned Seau and former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling took their own life. Easterling was part of a major lawsuit against the NFL related to how they handle concussions for former players. According to his wife, Easterling suffered from depression, insomnia, and dementia.

Cases like Easterling’s are popping up everywhere. Dave Duerson shot himself in the chest last year, leaving a note indicating he wanted his brain analyzed. Seau left no note, but the gun shot went through his chest as well.

Most of these players have suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, which is a sophisticated way of saying dementia caused by blows to the head. Also in most of these cases, the CTE was not discovered until after they died.

The NFL has made several advancements to avoid problems for active players. There are new rules that prevent players from re-entering games unless they pass a concussion test on the sideline, and they have to pass a similar test before taking the field in the following weeks.

Commissioner Roger Goodell took the Bounty Scandal very seriously, as the intent to injure opponents was at the forefront of that debauchery. He used his harsh suspensions as a deterrent, sending a message to every player in the league that bounties will not be tolerated.

Unfortunately, concussions are never going to be fully removed from the game. Football is a violent, aggressive sport played by some of the strongest and fastest men in the world. The mentality of players will never allow the NFL to completely take care of the problem.

The solution to this problem is telling a player to retire early. Good luck with that.

Good luck telling guys making millions of dollars and providing for their family to step away from the game when they still have juice left in the tank.

Good luck telling an ultra competitive guy to step away from the game in his 20s.

Good luck telling someone to quit the game they’ve played, in most cases, for 20 years.

Finally, good luck expecting players to change the way they play the game. These guys are professionals for a reason, and expecting a radical change in philosophy is ludicrous.

Commissioner Goodell has his heart in the right place, and they are taking measures to reduce the risk, but no one can or should force these players to quit, and that’s the reality of the situation. Players are willing to sacrifice their bodies.

As hard as it is to accept, the league will never be able to eliminate the problem, though hopefully they can continue to make steps that significantly reduce it.

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What were the most exciting moments of the 2011 season? Victor Cruz’ 99 yard catch? Jason Pierre-Paul’s blocked kick? Here are the top 10 most exciting moments for the New York Giants last year.

No. 10 – Domenik Hixon’s Circus Catch vs. St Louis Rams

In Week 2 the Giants were on Monday Night Football and Domenik Hixon made a circus bobbling catch at the end of the first half to give the Giants a two point lead. Unfortunately he tore his ACL on the play and had to sit out the rest of the season. He expects to be back at full strength this year and compete for the No. 3 receiver spot.

No. 9 – Victor Cruz Catch and Run for 74 yard Touchdown vs. Dallas Cowboys

In the season finale with the Dallas Cowboys, Victor Cruz got the scoring started with this incredible catch and run. He took a five yard out route 74 yards to the house, outrunning any Cowboys player who attempted to chase after him. The game was for all the marbles, and Cruz’s 178 yard performance proved he was ready for the big time.

No. 8 – Eli Manning Leads Improbable Comeback vs. Arizona Cardinals

This game featured one of the controversial calls of the season. During the Giants final touchdown drive of the quarter, Cruz makes a catch and goes to the ground untouched. He leaves the ball on the ground, and the Cardinals pick it up thinking they recovered a fumble. However, the officials ruled that Cruz “gave himself up” therefore he is considered down. Moments later Eli threw the game winning score to Hakeem Nicks, capping off an incredible come from behind victory. The Giants were down 27-17 with 5:16 remaining.

No. 7 – Victor Cruz’s Incredible One Handed Grab vs. Seattle Seahawks

It’s amazing how many times Cruz is on this list, and could be on it even more times if I was being biased. Although it was in a losing effort, Cruz makes this incredible catch between two defenders as he tips the ball to himself and then reaches out with one hand to secure the catch. He went 68 yards for the score on the play.

No. 6 – Jake Ballard Game-Winning Catch vs. New England Patriots

Jake Ballard officially broke out with his performance against the Patriots in Week 9. He made two incredible catches on the game-winning drive including the touchdown catch with 15 seconds remaining.

No. 5 – Jason Pierre-Paul’s Blocked Kick vs. Dallas

Just one of the many great moments for JPP, this one allowed the Giants to cling to a three-point win at the new Cowboys stadium, at which they’ve never lost. He had an incredible game and this was just the icing on the cake.

No. 4 – Hakeem Nicks Hail Mary Catch in Knocking Off 15-1 Green Bay Packers

Should we create 15-2 shirts? The Packers were basically handed the Super Bowl before the playoffs started, but the Giants had other plans. JPP guaranteed victory, and the Giants came through in the biggest way, knocking off the Packers 37-20. The score should not have been that close. Hakeem Nicks highlighted the game with two incredible touchdown catches, including a hail mary at the end of the first half.

No. 3 – Victor Cruz 99-yard Touchdown Catch vs. New York Jets

Cruz makes the list for a third time with his monumental catch and run against the Jets. With the Giants dead in the water and accomplishing nothing offensively, Cruz put the Giants ahead with a 99-yard catch and run. The Giants had not moved the ball the entire first half, and this put them up 10-7 at halftime.

No. 2 – Mario Manningham Late Game Heroics Super Bowl XLVI

People seem to forget that Manningham made more than just one incredible catch on the final drive of Super Bowl XLVI. He made three catches on the first four plays of the drive, totaling 56 yards. The Giants would not have won the Super Bowl had Manningham not stepped up in the biggest way. It’s a shame the Giants could not afford to keep him.

No. 1 – Eli Manning Late Game Winning Drive in Super Bowl XLVI

Was there any doubt in your mind this is where I was going for No. 1? Eli carried this team on his back all season long, so it was no wonder he would carry them to a Super Bowl with late game heroics…again. With all the pressure on him, Eli was as cool as ever, leading the Giants 88 yards on nine plays. The drive was capped by the strangest game winning touchdown in Super Bowl history.