By Ed Valentine
COMMENTARY | The 2014 Super Bowl has come and gone. Not that it mattered to the New York Giants, who have been in the throes of offseason mode for a loooong time already. Anyway, here are five Giants' storylines to follow between now and the beginning of the NFL free-agent signing period next month.
1. Tom Coughlin's Contract -- Coughlin has said he wants to continue coaching the Giants beyond the 2014 season. Co-owner John Mara has said he intends to discuss a contract extension with the 67-year-old Coughlin. Between the overhaul of the offensive coaching staff and hosting the just-complete Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium, Coughlin and Mara have not had time to talk about it. Between now and the NFL Scouting Combine later this month there should be time to do just that. It would be hard to imagine the Giants allowing Coughlin to head into the 2014 season as a lame-duck coach in the final year of his contract. The question really is how long of an extension the Giants give him.
2. Early Free-Agent Signings -- The Giants have a long list of free agents. Will they get any of them re-signed before the start of free agency on March 11?
The trio of Browns -- safety Stevie Brown, placekicker Josh Brown and running back Andre Brown -- might be the most likely to re-sign without testing their value on the open market. Least likely? Defensive end Justin Tuck has seemed conflicted, but best guess is that he wants to at least know what his market value us. The story is probably the same with linebacker Jon Beason and defensive tackle Linval Joseph.
