--The Giants were awarded a third-round draft choice as a compensatory pick for their losses in the UFA period of 2008 (LBs Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor and S Gibril Wilson). It is the 100th pick in the draft, and the total of picks now comes to 10. More important, the Giants have five selections in the top 100.
--The Giants' game scheduled for Thanksgiving night in Denver marks their first Turkey Day participation in 17 years, when they were throttled by the Cowboys, 30-3, in 1992, in Dallas.
--FS Michael Johnson was paid an additional $315,650 under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and its Performance Based pay schedule. He was paid $370,000 for the season and so nearly doubled his income. Among four others who earned additional monies, TE Kevin Boss received $224,955 (on top of his $370,000 base salary).
--DE Osi Umenyiora thinks his knee surgery and the missed 2008 season will make him a better player this year. "The injury forced me to work on my legs," he said. "That's something I never used to do because I had knee problems. So now I have been working on it and I feel quicker."
--Not only does WR Plaxico Burress have a court hearing March 31 on charges of felony possession of a handgun, he has a date the next day with the Giants and the NFLPA to contest the team's decision not to pay him a $1 million bonus that was due Dec. 10 but withheld because of his suspension.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I keep hearing about moving back to guard, but I am a tackle and that is where I am going to stay. Am I the only tackle in the league to get beat (for a sack) by DeMarcus Ware (of the Cowboys)?" -- Giants' OLT David Diehl.
