I guess we have to give Amani Toomer some credit for rethinking comments made yesterday that certainly seemed to blame the organization for not allowing him to play a larger role in a struggling offense. He even posted a number of clarifications on his personal website.

Of course, there’s no way to look graceful after you slip on the ice.

“I absolutely did not intend to criticize nor did I criticize the coaching staff’s game plans,” Toomer said on the site. “What I did say was that I thought the team as a whole had less focus this year than they did last year and that I almost could see this loss coming. That has nothing to do with the coaches.

“I do however feel that I was underutilized in the last few games and as I told you earlier in an interview, I thought it was probably to try and develop the younger players. But it is true that I believe I could have made a greater contribution than I did. So, I think some of what got reported was inaccurate.”

So there.

What comes across is the fact Toomer is not happy with the situation. Should the Giants even attempt to negotiate a deal with an influential wide receiver that may not be willing to play a supporting role?

Somebody has to bridge the gap on the field and off.

There’s a reason why people like Corey Webster and Michael Johnson and Kenny Phillips are developing so quickly. Veterans like R.W. McQuarters and Sam Madison were always in their ears. Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith and Mario Manningham need a similar voice of reason.

On the field, Plaxico Burress isn’t likely to be in the picture, so the Giants may be looking for a wide receiver in the draft. They would probably have to move up from No. 29 to grab an impact player. And while draft picks should be considered a precious commodity, the Giants are relatively young. The can afford to put off a couple of projects to fill a need in a hurry.

What might somebody like Michael Crabtree go for two years down the road?

They could also go for a Band-Aid, grab T.J. Houshmandzadeh on the open market and utilize him as the No. 1 target until somebody like Manningham or a lesser draft pick matures. A trade for Tony Gonzalez is also something Jerry Reese might consider to improve Eli Manning’s comfort level on third down.

Thoughts?

He didn’t speak after the Giants lost in the playoffs, and wasn’t in the locker room the following morning as teammates cleared out their lockers. Amani Toomer had plenty of time away from the spotlight to reflect and decide what’s next.

He spoke up today in Tampa while promoting an NFL charitable effort, and doesn’t sound optimistic about returning.

Toomer believed he would play a greater role in the offense after Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg and was suspended for the remainder of the season. He apparently isn’t feeling wanted right now. A lot has to happen before the Giants are in a position to negotiate with Toomer, but if they offer a better deal than another team, his feelings about last season are not likely to be a prohibitive issue.

I believe you can tune in FSN tonight and see Brandon Jacobs on The Best Damn Sports Show Period, which is being co-hosted this week by Antonio Pierce.

Can you imaging that conversation?

“So Brandon, if you’re out with a teammate who shoots himself in the leg, what do you do with the gun?”

Probably not.

Don’t forget to leave your pick for the Super Bowl on the last post. You can’t brag unless you’re on the record.

Just in case Kurt Warner engineers another upset, you need to go on the record with your Super Bowl pick. It’s the only way to prove you actually had enough nerve to pick the Cardinals, who are seven-point underdogs against the Steelers.

So before you reach for the snack foods, put your pick in writing.

Tell me who’s going to win and why. Don’t go crazy with the analysis, we’ll probably all be tired of the Xs and Os by kickoff. Give me a final score, too.

Maybe the person who’s closest to the final can do a guest blog and brag.

Before you begin to set up a run out for a big of chips and six pack of beer, get your pick on the record

According to the Associated Press, a moving company owner in Lynne, Mass. was ordered held on $250,000 bond after pleading not guilty to charges stemming from a July heist at the jewelry manufacturer that produced the Giants’ Super Bowl rings.

You can read about it here.

Police reportedly found a Super Bowl XLII ring at this gentleman’s home. I already know what number they need to put on his jumpsuit, 18-1.

By now, the Giants have crunched all the numbers and are likely working behind the scenes to implement a plan to lock up Eli Manning for years to come.

It’s payback time.

Manning has to be secured even before the Giants begin negotiations with Brandon Jacobs or any of their free agents. He gets the first piece of pie. So what’s a franchise quarterback who handles the pressure of playing in New York with remarkable ease worth?

I’m letting you decide.

Manning is probably on the verge of joining the $100 million club based on what he did last season alone. He showed even greater consistency this season, although the slipping and sliding after Plaxico Burress made the most unfortunate wardrobe choice in the history is a concern.

Who’s fault was that?

Manning didn’t look very impressive against the Eagles when it really mattered. It’s logical to assume he was less effective without a wide receiver capable of creating a mismatch.

So name a price.

It’s hard to judge the actual value of these deals because of the signing bonuses and payment structures, but Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got eight years and $102 million when he signed a new deal back in March.  Consider that a starting point, a number of agents say.

Before the day goes by, allow me to make one more desperate plea for any resident of Westchester, Rockland or Putnam Counties who has a habit of doing the same thing religiously on Super Bowl Sunday, whether that’s going to the movies, cleaning out the garage, cooking the same family recipe, whatever … I need your help with a story I’m working on. Send me an e-mail at mdougher@lohud.com and I’ll rush a photographer over and get you in the story.

Is anybody knee deep in Super Bowl hype?

A friend who goes all the way back to my Sega Genesis days sent me this article from ESPN.com that had me laughing for a couple of minutes. EA Sports along with a sports marketing group from the University of Oregon surveyed 15,000 NFL fans and determined those who played Madden ‘09 were 60 percent more knowledgeable about the sport than fans who did not play the game.

Of course, to get the full benefit, you have to play the game 10 hours a week.

I believe they also discovered that 100 percent of the fans who play Madden ‘09 have opposable thumbs. Kidding. I may fire up the X-box this afternoon to see whether it helps me understand the ramifications of the Giants possibly franchising Brandon Jacobs.

And, no, that’s not a rumor I’m currently investigating. Just throwing something out there.

Now, on to serious matters.

I’m still looking for a couple of people from Westchester, Rockland or Putnam Counties that have some kind of Super Bowl Sunday tradition. We’re doing a Journal News piece I’m work on describing what you do year in and year out before or during the big game. My e-mail address is mdougher@lohud.com.

Yes, time is running out, so encourage your friends and relatives to contact me, too, if there’s a good story.

We’ll put up a post this weekends so anybody from outside the area can share whatever Super Bowl rituals they take part in.

There’s no reason to send in the resume, Tom Coughlin has filled the last opening by hiring Jack Bicknell, Jr. as the assistant offensive line coach.

You know the name.

Bicknell spent the last two seasons as the assistant head coach/offensive line coach at Boston College.

“He was the center when I was there (as the quarterbacks coach from 1981-83) and Doug Flutie was there,” Coughlin said. “He was a tough, totally unselfish player.”

Yes, he triggered the famous Hail Mary.

Coughlin succeeded Bicknell’s father as the head coach at Boston College in 1991. The connections almost forced Coughlin to state the hire was based on merit.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Bicknell said. “Obviously, the New York Giants are one of the top organizations in the NFL, and I feel like I am going to have a chance to work for one of the top head coaches in the NFL and for one of the top teams in the NFL. It really is exciting and at this point in my career it is something that I am looking to do. I have enjoyed working at the collegiate level, but I have never really had an opportunity to get into the NFL, and this is a chance for me to start to learn the NFL game and what that is all about.”

Instead of wandering through a mass of humanity next week in Tampa, I am staying home and working on a feature about local Super Bowl traditions.

Needless to say, I need a little help.

If you reside in Westchester, Rockland or Putnam County and take part in the same activity on Super Bowl Sunday year after year, I would love to include you in my Journal News story. And this goes beyond simply going to a party to watch the game. Unless it’s a really big party, with bleachers in the living room. Do you clean out the garage instead of watching pregame every year? Do you fire up the X-box and play the game on Madden in advance? Do you leave the husband at home and go to the movies? Do you get friends and family together and play touch football in the snow?

Please, drop me a line and I’ll get in touch with you. My e-mail is mdougher@lohud.com.

For those of you scattered elsewhere on the globe, we’ll put up a post closer to game day where you can all chime in and share what you do on Super Bowl Sunday.

Taye Biddle, a wide receiver who spent most of the season on the practice squad, has been shot twice, according to a report from Decatur, Ala.

You can read it here.

The report doesn’t include a lot of details. It says Biddle was shot on Sunday and was sent home from Decatur General Hospital earlier this week to recover from gunshot wounds to the hand. He was apparently visiting his hometown and told a local television station he went outside a residence to get something from his car.

No arrests have been made.

The Giants have been in contact with Biddle and continue to monitor the situation. They are calling the injuries relatively minor.

The news keeps on coming.

Jim Hermann was named linebackers coach today by Tom Coughlin, and will replace Bill Sheridan who was just promoted to defensive coordinator.

It’s not a big move, logistically.

Hermann spent the last three years in the same position with the Jets, and just happen to be looking for employment because of the regime change. He spent 20 years on staff at the University of Michigan, including nine as defensive coordinator.

And don’t you know Sheridan just happened to be on that staff.

“I’ve always been very much aware of Jim Herrmann and the job that he has done,” Coughlin said. “He was the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan for a lot of years and did an outstanding job. I was very impressed by not only the type of defense that they played but the aggressive style that they played. And he is a part of the Bo Schembechler tree. I have always been a great admirer of Bo Schembechler. … People that I have respect for in the business have coached with him and have nothing but outstanding things to say about him.”