Just got off from our Giants/Jets web chat. If you missed it, you can see a replay later on at LoHud.com/protalklive.

EP

Yep. Jane and I will be doing our live chat at 1 p.m. today to set up the Giants and Jets training camps. Ought to be a fun time.

Send in your questions at LoHud.com/protalklive and we’ll be happy to address each and every one of them, as time allows. And, as an added bonus, you’ll get a chance to ogle two the paper’s most attractive people. A win-win situation, if you ask me.

EP

Just over 24 hours now until my gal Jane McManus and I go head-to-head on a Giants/Jets combined web chat to set up training camp. We’re going on at 1 p.m. tomorrow, and you can send in your questions and take a look at LoHud.com/protalklive.

EP

I’m not a huge Twitter guy, even though you’ll see my stuff on it from time to time. But I do follow Antonio Pierce, who seemingly can’t live without it. He tweets like 70 times a day, it seems. But it’s all good. Rah-rah Giants and all that stuff.

He did write something interesting today, though. He was heading out for his THIRD workout today. Talk about a guy eager to get going. He’s eagerly anticipating two-a-days by doing three-a-days. Nice ramp-up to Aug. 2.

The way I see it, it’s only more evidence that AP is taking even more of a leadership role on defense than he has in the past. With his Twittering, tweeting, teenying, whatever the heck it is, he gets easy access to any teammate with a Blackberry, which is, like, everybody. And they see he’s cramming in three workouts a day. Can’t get more motivational than that.

I’m one of those old coots who don’t see a lot of positives in these social networking sites. But I think in this case, Pierce is using it to do some long-distance team-building, and that’s a good thing.

So here’s the question. Can players and coaches use sites like Twitter and Facebook to bring their teams together before they actually, you know, get together? We already know Rex Ryan sent his guys an angry e-mail over predictions of a last-place finish this year. But these sites are different. Give me your opinion.

EP

Jane McManus and I will do a live web chat Thursday at 1 p.m. on the upcoming Giants and Jets training camps and we’ll be taking questions throughout. So tune on in. You can send your questions and watch the chat at http://LoHud.com/protalklive just by clicking in. So CLICK!

EP

Hey, Michael Vick was released from federal custody today. Now, you and I both know the Giants won’t touch him even as a backup to Eli Manning; not with the baggage he’s going to carry around for the rest of his life.

But let’s use our imaginations for a second. Let’s say he’s managed to stay in some semblance of shape since he went into the big house after the 2006 season. What kind of offense would the Giants be if they did take a chance on him? What kind of trouble would he cause? You think Tom Coughlin could turn him around?

Just a little conversation for an idle summer’s day, with no possibility of it happening at all. But I’d be interested to know what you think.

I know what I think. It has something to do with a doberman and a very, very small room.

EP

My good bud, Jane McManus, and I will be doing a live web chat on the Giants and Jets training camps this Thursday at 1 p.m. You’ll be able to send in questions, and if this thing goes as well as I think it will, we’ll be able to answer them. And if we can’t, you can always keep watching and say, “Hey, those two got a lot of color on their vacations. Must have been out in the sun.”

The link is LoHud.com/protalklive. Don’t worry. I’ll keep reminding you throughout the week.

EP

Had a great vacation, and now it’s back to work. Let’s see. What did I miss when I was away?

Well, Tom Coughlin went to Iraq and came back, fully awed by the servicemen he met over there. Oh, and he got back just in time to celebrate the birth of his seventh grandchild.

Third-round tight end Travis Beckum signed his contract.

I guess that’s about it. The players are still off until the Aug. 2 report date for camp. But until then, we’re going to be talking a bit about what issues await the Giants in Albany. Here’s a few things to keep in mind.

1. WIDE RECEIVERS: An old story that’s been retold countless times during the offseason, but looming large just the same. The Giants never did get that experienced pass-catcher through free agency, and it’ll be a huge surprise if they pull off a trade for one of them at this point. So, unless something strange happens, they’re going into camp with a bunch of young, mostly untested players. Sinorice Moss is the veteran of the group, which can’t be good news, especially after he ended minicamp with a nasty hamstring strain. Domenik Hixon stands as their Plaxico Burress-like downfield threat, and Steve Smith could be looking at filling the Amani Toomer role. Then there’s last year’s third-rounder, Mario Manningham, coming off a very productive minicamp, and first and third-round rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, both of whom showed ability in minicamp but whose true potential should come out once the pads go on in the upstate heat.

2. WEAKSIDE LINEBACKER: Free agent pickup Michael Boley was supposed to be the answer to their problems over there, but now he’s had hip surgery and will miss at least half the camp, if not the whole thing. And he definitely won’t be there for the regular-season opener as he sits out a one-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. That means Gerris Wilkinson, Jonathan Goff and Chase Blackburn will get plenty of time over there. Have to see how long it’ll take Boley to come back from missing all that work in a system he was just starting to learn and enjoy.

3. DEFENSIVE LINE: There’s all kinds of talent up there, with free-agent newcomers Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard joining, on paper, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Dave Tollefson, Jay Alford, Fred Robbins, and Barry Cofield. Problem is, Bernard didn’t do a thing in minicamp because of a shoulder injury. Cofield sat after microfracture surgery and may be very limited during camp. And there’s a good possibility Robbins, also a microfracture guy, may wind up on PUP. It’ll be interesting to see how Coughlin and new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan plug that middle.

4. SAFETY: Michael Johnson could be the breakout star this year, but all eyes will be on strong safety and Kenny Phillips. He’s a starter now, and appeared to be getting more comfortable with his assignments after a rookie year in which he looked a bit lost at times. If he gets it all down, the missile-like hitter is going to become a terror.

5. Tight End: They’re expecting Kevin Boss to take the next step. He’ll have injury-prone Darcy Johnson breathing down his neck the whole time. The real question, though, is how they’ll use Beckum. He’s more of a move guy, and they could turn him into an H-back. Makes for a lot of interesting personnel packages if he shows any quality at all.

We’re still two weeks away from camp, but it’s never too early to comment on any of these things. So let’s start talking.

EP

In the summer sun….

In all the Subway Series madness last week, forgot to tell you guys I’m on vacation for the next three weeks. So feel free to chat among yourselves and discuss any news that happens while I’m gone.

See ya later,

EP