Canty optimistic about lockout, Umenyiora
New York Giants defensive end Chris Canty before a game against the Washington Redskins in East Rutherford, N.J. (Sept. 13, 2009) Credit: AP
WAYNE, N.J. -- Chris Canty offered a prediction and a hope at a charity golf outing here Monday. The prediction: the Giants would be at their Albany training camp come end of July; the hope: an appeased Osi Umenyiora would be there with them.
"We need him. We need him," the defensive tackle said of Umenyiora, whose request for a contract extension has been publicized during the NFL lockout. "He's a terrific football player . . . he's a tremendous asset on and off the field.
"I just hope the situation gets resolved."
On the labor negotiations, he added: "There has been progress made in the past couple of days. We're optimistic that everything will get started on time and that training camp for the New York Giants will start July 30 in Albany."
Umenyiora's situation has taken on heightened significance during the lockout after he claimed in a court affidavit that was made public that Giants general manager Jerry Reese is unable to keep promises he made about renegotiating his contract because of the lockout.
According to the affidavit, Umenyiora, one of the 15 plaintiffs in Brady et al., vs. the NFL, said Reese told him in 2008 that, were Umenyiora to maintain a high level of play by 2010, the Giants would renegotiate his contract to be equal to that of the top five defensive ends in the league. Barring that, the Giants would trade him to a team that would pay him accordingly, he said. Umenyiora is coming off a career year during which he tallied 111/2 sacks and an NFL-record 10 forced fumbles.
The two-time Pro Bowl defensive end is in the fifth-year of a six-year, $41-million extension, and has claimed no contract talks took place. The Giants can't open discussions with Umenyiora until the lockout is resolved and have declined to comment about the situation.
When asked if he believed the team treated Umenyiora fairly, Canty said "the Giants are going to keep doing what's in the best interest of the organization.
"Obviously, he's a big part of our football team, so we look forward to having that guy around."
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