Dottino: Giants Still Have Questions To Answer

    By Paul Dottino
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EAST RUTHERFORD – So two big-name players have come and gone from Giants camp since Friday night. Who returns and remains for the season or does neither one? It's anybody's guess but either player could have a dramatic impact on the team's record.

      Osi Umenyiora ended his one-day holdout Saturday, but came in too late to take his physical and is expected to return Sunday - at which time his agent says the lineman will address the media. No one has said Umenyiora will practice, which is interesting since he's asking to be traded or given a raise based on a promise Jerry Reese said the GM made to him after the 2008 season. The defensive send asserts that Reese said he would make good on the promise if Umenyiora was performing at a high level after two years.

But what are two years? This is open to interpretation. Does this mean the player needed to be performing AT THE TIME the two-year window expired or DURING the entire duration of the two-year window? Umenyiora suffered through an injury-plagued 2009 season during which he clashed with then-defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan but rebounded with a dominant 2010 season. So which interpretation is to be used? It appears Reese and Umenyiora each believes the other party is wrong, but that's likely because each bases his feelings on an opposite interpretation.

       Plaxico Burress told the Star-Ledger he had a very positive meeting with coach Tom Coughlin and management on Friday and isn't ruling out a return to the Giants. Coughlin says it's possible the team will pursue Burress' return, although the receiver suddenly has other suitors in the Steelers, Jets, 49ers and possibly the Eagles. Burress met with the Steelers on Saturday and said that was a positive experience as well. The meetings with the Giants and Steelers were exploratory and did not involve negotiations or promises.

       Other items from Saturday's session:

       *First-round draft choice Prince Amukamara remained unsigned.

       *The Giants announced the signing of offensive linemen David Baas, Chris White and Brant Clouser, tight end Christian Hopkins and veteran punter Steve Weatherford.

       *Backup center Adam Koets (knee) was unable to practice, much to Coughlin's surprise and disappointment.