Last season, the Giants had to incorporate three new starting linebackers with a new system and a new coach. This year, the players and system will primarily remain intact, but once again there’s a new coach: Bill Sheridan, a longtime college assistant, was hired to coach the Giant LBs.
Sheridan replaces Billy Davis, who left Tom Coughlin after one season, promoted to defensive coordinator under Mike Nolan in San Francisco. Sheridan, 46, has no NFL experience. He most recently was at Michigan as the defensive line coach.
“Bill has a burning desire to coach in the NFL,” Coughlin said. “That was very important to me as I evaluated prospective linebacker coaches.”
Sheridan has also been an assistant at Maine, Cincinnati, Army, Michigan State and Notre Dame.
“In terms of total number of years, I’ve coached linebackers more than any other position,” Sheridan said.
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The Giants allocated nine players to NFL Europe for its 2005 season: RB Clarence Farmer, OL Morgan Pears (Rhein), WR Ataveus Cash, WR Tony Johnson (Amsterdam), WR Michael Jennings (Berlin), CB/KR Lamont Brightful (Frankfurt), DT Ahmad Childress (Hamburg).
K David Kimball and P Eddie Johnson have been allocated to the league, but have yet to be assigned to a team.
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Giants were awarded FB Luke Lawton off waivers from the Falcons.
DREW MOVIN’ ON
ORCHARD PARK (AP) – Unwilling to accept a secondary role with the Bills, quarterback Drew Bledsoe is seeking a new team for another shot at being a starter.
Granting Bledsoe’s request to be cut, the Bills announced yesterday they will waive the 12-year veteran Feb. 22, the first day NFL teams are allowed to officially release players. The decision came after the Bills informed him last week of their plans to give the starting job to J.P. Losman, Buffalo’s second of two first-round draft choices last year.