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Frank Okam is one of several defensive tackles trying to earn a roster spot with the New York Giants.

Frank Okam is one of the bevy of defensive tackles the New York Giants added during the offseason. With the position now so crowded does the five-year veteran have a realistic chance of making the team? We look at Okam today as our player-by-player breakdown of the 90-man roster the Giants will bring to training camp continues.

2012 Season In Review

Okam, a five-year veteran, was out of the NFL last season after having been cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the end of the preseason. Okam, 6-foot-5, 350 pounds, is a run-stuffer who was drafted in the fifth round by the Houston Texans in 2008. He played three seasons with the Texans and two with the Buccaneers. In 25 career games (three starts) he has 33 tackles. Okam's forte is supposed to be run defense, but Pro Football Focus has never given him a positive full-season score in that department.

2013 Outlook

Is Okam in the wrong place at the wrong time in his effort to continue his NFL career? It might appear that way on paper since the Giants have eight defensive tackles on the 90-man roster, but maybe not. Who knows whether 13-year veteran Shaun Rogers, on IR last season with a blood clot, can still play? Second-year man Markus Kuhn might not be ready to start the season. Mike Patterson, a nine-year veteran, played only five games for the Philadelphia Eagles last season after undergoing brain surgery in January. Marvin Austin has shown nothing in two seasons. Perhaps if some of these players fall by the wayside and Okam, 27, shows something during training camp he could sneak onto the roster.

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Curtis Painter is next as we continue player-by-player profiles for the New York Giants.

Curtis Painter flopped trying to replace Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts. Could he succeed backing up Eli Manning with the New York Giants?

We look at Painter as our player-by-player breakdown of the 90-man roster the Giants will bring to training camp rolls along.

2012 Season In Review

Painter, 27, was out of the NFL last season after being released by the Baltimore Ravens at the end of training camp. In 2011, he was one of the plethora of quarterbacks the Indianapolis Colts used to try and replace the injured Peyton Manning. He played in nine games, starting eight. He completed 132-of-243 passes (54.3 percent) for six touchdowns, nine interceptions and a passer rating of 66.6. A sixth-round draft pick in 2009, he got into two games as a rookie.

2013 Outlook

When it comes to Painter, I have only one question. Why is he still on the roster? He was signed as insurance when David Carr, who eventually re-signed, was testing free agency and before the Giants drafted Ryan Nassib. Perhaps I already know the answer. Nassib still has yet to sign his rookie contract and it could simply be that Painter is on the roster as protection until Nassib puts pen to paper. No matter what, any scenario under which Painter were to make the 53-man roster is not a good scenario for the Giants.

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Our player-by-player look at the Giants' roster continues with a focus on Bear Pascoe.

Bear Pascoe will open training camp, and possibly the regular season, spending most of his time out of position at fullback for the New York Giants due to Henry Hynoski's injury. Let's look at the veteran Pascoe as we continue oour player-by-player profiles of the 90-man roster the Giants will bring to training camp.

2012 Season In Review

Pascoe caught only four passes for 35 yards and one touchdown, but was far more valuable than that as a blocking tight end and occasional lead blocker in the running game. Pascoe has now been filling the role of blocking tight end and occasional fullback for four seasons now in New York, and doing it well.

2013 Outlook

Pascoe will be the Giants' primary fullback until Hynoski returns from knee surgery, or until the Giants sign someone else to do that job. "We're very confident that Bear, no matter what role we place him in, he does an outstanding job," head coach Tom Coughlin said shortly after Hynoski was injured during OTAs.

It is possible that the amount of time Pascoe is spending at fullback will open the door for second-year man Adrien Robinson to steal some of his playing time at tight end. Whether or not that happens, Pascoe will still be a valuable player for the Giants in 2013.

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Mike Patterson was picked up by the Giants during the offseason to add depth at defensive tackle.

The New York Giants signed a pair of former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackles during the offseason. They made a big splash by signing Cullen Jenkins to a three-year deal. The Giants made a less-publicized more under-the-radar move by adding eight-year veteran Mike Patterson to solidify a group that under-performed a season ago.

As we continue our player-by-player profiles of the 90-man roster the Giants will bring to training camp it is time to focus on Patterson, who survived brain surgery to return to the field in 2012.

2012 Season In Review

Patterson played in five games with six tackles and one sack. The big deal was that he played at all after undergoing brain surgery in January to remove an arteriovenous malformation. Until being released after the season Patterson had spent all years of his career with the Eagles, who drafted him in the first round (31st overall) in 2005.

2013 Outlook

Entering training camp the Giants appear deep at defensive tackle with seven players who have NFL experience to go along with second-round pick Johnathan Hankins. Patterson, though, would seem to have an excellent chance at not only making the team but becoming a consistent part of the rotation behind starters Linval Joseph and Jenkins.

Quote (xnozx. @ Jul 13 2013 10:09pm)

I normally read and sometimes post a bunch of stuff when I take a lunch break

I hope Carr gets cut, we don't need him taking up a roster spot... Nassib can ride the bench by himself... let's be serious Eli is an ironman

Quote (xnozx. @ Jul 14 2013 09:51pm)

oops mean to to post in the Knicks thread

Quote (silent9 @ Jul 16 2013 05:50pm)

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g308/xxgoauldxx/superbowl-1-11.gif

saw somebody wearing this sig lol