Only teammates know if Shockey problem beyond repair

I don't know what the New York Giants do with tight end Jeremy Shockey, but I know what general manager Jerry Reese should do: seek advice from his best and most influential players.

They're the guys he needs to hear from now.

Jeremy Shockey can be dangerous when he's on the field. (Getty Images)

Reese already knows what Shockey thinks. The tight end reportedly aired him out last week. Now I want to find out what Shockey's teammates think of him; if they respect him and if they think the Giants are better off without the guy.

Because if they do I'd drop him faster than you can say Cedric Benson.

A year ago, Giants' coach Tom Coughlin sought to improve the dialogue with his players by forming a leadership council to serve as a buffer between him and the rest of the ballclub. The move worked, with the Giants handling their gripes and suggestions away from the public.

So let's hear from these guys again.

I want to know what Eli Manning thinks. And Shaun O'Hara. And Amani Toomer. And Antonio Pierce. I want to know if they honest-to-goodness believe they're better off with Jeremy Shockey in their locker room because I'm not so sure they are.

Sure, I know, it's that time of year when there are complaints galore. Shockey's own teammate, Plaxico Burress, didn't participate in last week's minicamp because he wants a new contract. Chad Johnson isn't happy in Cincinnati. Jason Taylor wants out of Miami. And Anquan Boldin says he might boycott training camp in Arizona if he doesn't get a new deal.

Then there's Shockey. The Giants talked to New Orleans and Seattle about a trade during this year's draft but backed off after they were made an offer that included a second-round choice -- a deal that looks appealing today.

I don't know why they did it, but someone there must have thought Shockey has value. So the Giants kept him, and now they're stuck. Shockey is hurt. He's not attending workouts. And he's not doing what his head coach thinks he should do, which is to get in line with the program.

"There is an issue," Tom Coughlin said at last week's minicamp, "but it is not something that would prevent him from working."

That's not good. Because if there was one thing that characterized the Giants down the stretch last season it was a harmony and unity that seemed to engulf the locker room and swept the team to victory after victory.

That harmony is missing right now, but so what? It's June. What I want to know is whether Shockey continues to act up through August and September. More important, I want to know if somebody, anybody, on the New York Giants can rein in the guy and tell him to sit down and shut up.