Chris Snee has retired

Giants Notebook

By Michael Eisen

April 21, 2014

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Chris Snee believes the Giants should accessorize their usual offseason workout attire of T-shirts, shorts and sneakers.

“Name tags would be a nice addition,” Snee said.

Snee is preparing for his 10^th season with the Giants, but found a very different team than the one he’s accustomed to when he reported today for the beginning of the offseason conditioning program. Longtime teammates like Justin Tuck, David Diehl, Kevin Boothe and Hakeem Nicks have moved on and the team signed 15 veteran free agents since mid-March. The program began with far more first-time introductions than in the past.

“It’s unprecedented, the percentage of change in this locker room,” said defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who is entering his ninth Giants season. “Those of us who are still here are excited for the start of a new season, but obviously it’s changed a lot. A lot of changes needed to be made, but whenever you’re a member of a team, it’s tough to see people go.”

“This is the most change I’ve been part of, for sure,” Snee said. “It’s going to take me a few weeks to learn all these guys’ names.”

Quarterback Eli Manning said, “I tried to meet a lot of guys, tried to introduce myself to a lot of guys and start learning a little bit about them – where they’re from, are they married. Just little things like that, so hopefully these next weeks I’ll get to spend more time with each of the players and get to know them on a personal side.”

The roster isn’t all that is significantly different about the Giants. They have a new offensive coordinator in Ben McAdoo, who succeeded the retired Kevin Gilbride. McAdoo is installing a system that is unfamiliar even to players like Snee and Manning, who have been here for a decade. Manning also has a new position coach in Danny Langsdorf.

“That’s just kind of become football,” Manning said. “Sometimes you need change. We have a new offense, a new quarterback coach, a new offensive coordinator. It’s a learning experience for me, getting adjusted to that, having a lot of new teammates and new faces. There’s a lot of work to be done here, not only learning an offense but getting familiar with your teammates, building relationships there. It also is exciting. I think sometimes you’ve got to mix things up and change things up a little bit in your career. It will be a great challenge, but I’m looking forward to that.”

“I look forward to learning the new offense,” wide receiver Victor Cruz said. “I’m enjoying the fact that I’ve got to really study again, really look into the books again. Before, Gilbride’s offense was so innate for me that I kind of understood it, but this time I’ve really got to hone in and study every night. It’s like I’m back in college, so I’m excited about it.

“It’s cool. You understand this offseason we made some changes, we got a lot of guys through free agency and we’re looking to kind of change the mold of our team a little bit, at least from a visual standpoint; different guys, different positions. I’m excited. Any time you bring in guys, new energy, new people, it’s always a good thing, so we’re excited.”

The newcomers certainly are. They’ve waited for weeks to meet their new teammates and settle into their new professional home. Some are experienced at changing teams. For others, coming to the Giants was the first move of their career.

“It’s an adjustment but not a big one,” said linebacker Jameel McClain, who spent his first six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. “My personality, I just go with the flow and see how things are done here and fit in as time goes on. But it is different. I’ve been in Baltimore for six years, so that’s a change of scenery for me.

“Everybody is eager to see how it all falls together. That’s every NFL season. You come into the next year with a different team. There are a lot of moving parts and it’s good to see how it all comes together. So far there are a lot of great personalities, so that’s a winning combination by itself.”

Guard Geoff Schwartz previously played with Carolina, Minnesota and Kansas City.

“It’s exciting to finally get here after all of the buildup of signing and everything,” Schwartz said. “It was great meeting some of the guys and getting going and kind of building toward the future. Right now it’s so early that it’s the getting to know each other phase. As we continue to work and go through stuff, you bring it all together. The guys I’ve met so far today seem to fit that personality of wanting to build chemistry.”

First, they have to learn everyone’s name.