The only other sport represented is basketball, with two NBA coaches – Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers, in the top 10. It’s worth mentioning that Phil Jackson, who wanted $10 million a season to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the season, would have ranked number one on this list.

Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs, $6 Million

The second highest paid coach in the NBA, Gregg Popovich is a four-time NBA champions with the San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007), winning 68.1% of his regular season games with the team. He led them to their 16th consecutive playoff appearance this season, currently leading 2-0 in the conference finals.

Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles, $6.5 Million

Sometimes you don’t need experience to earn big money. The Eagles needed to make a special offer to draw Kelly away from Eugene, where he turned the Oregon Ducks’ football program into a national powerhouse, winning two BCS games in four years and putting up a 46-7 record.

Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, $6.7 Million

Coughlin, 66, has 17 years of NFL coaching behind him. He was with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995 till 2002, and has been with the New York Giants since 2004, winning two Super Bowls (XLII, XLVI), both against the New England Patriots. He has won 57.6% of his games as head coach of the Giants.

Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins, $7 Million

After three seasons with the Washington Redskins, Mike Shanahan finally reached the playoffs and got his first winning record with the team: 10-6, mostly thanks to the success of Robert Griffin III. He previously worked 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos, winning two Super Bowls and 138 regular seasons games.

Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics, $7 Million

Despite losing Rajon Rondo midway through the season and other role players along the way, Rivers managed to lead the Boston Celtics to their sixth consecutive playoff appearance (all during the Kevin Garnett era). Rivers, an NBA champion in 2008 with Boston, is going to oversee a rough period for the C’s as their biggest stars are growing too old and an immediate fix doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.

Jeff Fisher, St. Louis Rams,$7 Million

Fisher was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans (previously the Houston Oilers) for 17 seasons (1994-2010), leading them to a Super Bowl appearance and five more playoff berths. His first season with the Rams ended with a 7-8-1 record. He’s signed with the Rams for 4 more seasons.

Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks, $7 Million

After nine mostly successful seasons with USC, Pete Carroll returned to the NFL in 2010, taking on the Seattle Seahawks job. After two 7-9 seasons, his work has started showing in 2012, winning 11 games and reaching the NFC divisional game, losing to the Atlanta Falcons.

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs – $7.5 Million

Andy Reid will try and turnaround the fortunes of the last couple of years, going 12-20 with the Philadelphia Eagles after years of success, which included reaching the Super Bowl in 2005 and making the postseason 8 more times.

Bill Belichick, New England Patriots – $7.5 Million

When it comes to accomplishments, no one deserves the money as much as Belichick, who has won three Super Bowls with the Patriots (the last of which in 2005) and has won at least 10 games in the regular season for 10 consecutive years. His 12-4 Pats ended up losing in the AFC title game last season.

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints – $8 Million

Sean Payton got a year off in 2012 due to a suspension brought upon him by the dictator of the NFL. Since becoming the head coach of the Saints in 2006, New Orleans have become one of the more consistently successful teams in the NFC, going 62-34 until last season, including winning the Super Bowl in 2010 and making the postseason three more times.

Of all the players on this list, Rajon Rondo is the only player to pull off a triple double more than once in the same series. Of the 39 triple double achieved since and including the 2003 NBA Playoffs, 10 have come in a losing effort. If you need more stats in your life, than take this one: a player with a triple double has a 74.4% of winning a postseason game.

Paul Pierce (Celtics), 5/7/2003

The Boston Celtics got swept by the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference semifinals, losing game 2 of the series 104-95 despite Paul Pierce pulling off a 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists triple double. Jason Kidd, who’ll show up later on the list, missed out on a triple double by 2 assists.

Steve Francis (Rockets), 4/19/2004

The Houston Rockets didn’t get very far in the 2004 NBA Playoffs, losing in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1. In Game 2 of the series, won by the Lakers 98-84, Francis pulled off an 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists triple double, but 36 points from Kobe Bryant were too much for the Rockets to overcome.

Chris Webber, Kings, 4/20/2004

Webber finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and assists (while shooting a horrible 6-for-19 from the field) as the Sacramento Kings beat the Dallas Mavericks 83-79 in game 2 of their first round series. The Kings ended up winning 4-1.

Kevin Garnett (Timberwolves), 4/21/2004

Kevin Garnett was winning his playoff series ever when the Timberwolves were playing Denver in the first round, and took a 2-0 lead, winning 95-81, scoring 20 points, adding 22 rebounds and 10 assists. Carmelo Anthony scored only 15 points on the other end, while non other than Voshon Lenard was the one taking most of the shots for the Nuggets.

Steve Nash (Suns), 5/18/2005

Playing against his former team in the Western Conference Semifinals, Steve Nash put the Suns up 3-2 with a 114-108 win, leading his team with an amazing performance, scoring 34 points, adding 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Amare Stoudemire finished with 33 points, while Dirk Nowitzki scored 34 for Dallas. The Suns won the series 4-2.

Russell Westbrook (Thunder), 5/15/2011

It was one of those nights when Russell Westbrook got the feeling he wasn’t going to outscore Durant, and settled for only 12 field goal attempts. He finished with only 14 points, but added 10 rebounds and 14 assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched a game 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies in a 105-90 win. Kevin Durant led the way with 39 points.

Andre Bynum (Lakers), 4/29/2012

Bynum had an excellent 2011-2012 season, and got off to a flying start in the postseason as the Lakers took a 1-0 lead over the Nuggets (eventually winning the series in 7 games), by scoring only 10 points (Kobe Bryant led the way with 31), adding 13 rebounds and 10 blocks in a 103-88 win.

Paul George (Pacers), 4/21/2013

The Pacers opened the playoffs with an impressive 107-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks, eventually winning the first round series 1-0. Paul George kicked things off by leading his team in scoring (23 points), rebounding (11) and assists (12).

Pau Gasol (Lakers), 4/26/2013

The Los Angeles Lakers were no match for the San Antonio Spurs during the first round series, as Gasol’s triple double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists couldn’t prevent the Spurs from winning at the Staples Center 120-89 and take a 3-0 lead.

Chris Paul (Hornets), Twice

The first CP3 triple double came as the Hornets clinched their 2008 series against the Dallas Mavericks in game 5, winning 99-94, as Paul scored 24 points, adding 11 rebounds and 15 assists, aided by David West with 25 points. Almost three years later, in a series against the Lakers, Paul tied their series at 2-2 (before losing in 6) with another huge night, scoring 27 points, adding 13 rebounds and 15 assists.

Tim Duncan (Spurs), 3 Times

Tim Duncan’s first two triple doubles came in the 2003 NBA playoffs. The first came on May 1, 2003, in a first round series against the Phoenix Suns. The Spurs won game 6, clinching the series, as Tim Duncan scored “only 15 points, adding 20 rebounds and 10 assists. In the Finals, beating the New Jersey Nets Duncan closed the series to win his second NBA title ring on another game 6, finishing with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 blocks in a 88-77 win. His third came in the 2008 Western finals, in another final game of a series, losing to the Lakers in 5 despite his 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

Jason Kidd (Nets), 6 Times

May 1, 2003 - 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 113-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the first round, clinching the series. May 11, 2004 - 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in game 4 of the conference semifinals against Detroit, winning 94-79 but losing the series in 7 games. April 28, 2005 - 16 points, 16 rebounds and 13 assists in a 108-105 loss to the Miami Heat in game 3 of the first round, with the Heat sweeping the series. May 14, 2006 - 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a 102-92 loss to the Miami Heat in game 4 of the conference semifinals, eventually losing 4-1. April 27, 2007 - 16 points, 16 rebounds and 19 assists in a 102-89 win over the Toronto Raptors in game 3 of their first round series, which the Nets won 4-2. May 12, 2007 - 23 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists in a 96-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, eventually losing in six games.

LeBron James (Cavs, Heat), 9 Times

April 22, 2006 - 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 97-86 win over the Wizards in game 1 of their first round series, Cavs eventually winning 4-2. May 13, 2006 - 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 86-77 win against Detroit in game 3 of the conference semifinals, eventually losing in 7 games. May 2, 2008 - 27 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in a 105-88 win over the Wizards in game 6 of their first round series, getting the ticket to the next round. May 28, 2009 - 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a 112-102 win over the Orlando Magic in game 5 of the conference finals, eventually losing in six games. April 25, 2010 - 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a 121-98 win in game 4 of their first round series against the Chicago Bulls, winning in 5. May 13, 2010 - 27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists and 9 turnovers in a 94-85 loss to the Celtics in game 6 of the conference semifinals, which was also his last game for the Cavs. June 9, 2011 - 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 112-103 loss to Dallas in game 5 of the finals, losing the next one and the series as well. June 21, 2012 - 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists in a 121-106 win against the Thunder in the finals, winning the NBA title in 5 games. May 22, 2013 - 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 103-102 win over the Indiana Pacers, taking a 1-0 lead in the conference finals.

Rajon Rondo (Celtics) – 10 Times

April 20, 2009 - 19 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists in a 118-115 win against the Bulls in game 2 of their first round series, eventually winning in 7 games. April 26, 2009 - 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 121-118 loss to the Bulls in game 4 of the same series. May 6, 2009 - 15 points, 11 rebounds and 18 assists in a 112-94 win against the Magic in game 2 of the conference finals, which the Celtics lost in 7. May 9, 2010 - 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists in a 97-87 win against the Cavs in game 4 of the conference semifinals, which the Celtics won in 6. June 6, 2010 - 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 103-94 win against the Lakers in game 2 of the NBA finals, which the Celtics lost in 7. April 22, 2011 - 15 points, 11 rebounds and 20 assists in a 113-96 win over the Knicks in game 3 of the first round series, which Boston swept. May 4, 2012 - 17 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a 90-84 win over the Hawks in game 3 of the first round series, which the Celtics won in 6. May 12, 2012 - 13 points, 12 rebounds and 17 assists in a 92-91 win over the 76ers in game 1 of the conference semifinals, winning the series in 7. May 26, 2012 - 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 85-75 win over the 76ers to take game 7. June 9, 2012 - 22 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in a 101-88 loss to the Heat in game 7 of the conference finals.

The Mavericks, after a 41-41 regular season that kept them out of the playoffs for the first time since 2000, aren’t planning on building through the draft, especially when their pick, the 13th overall after the results of the lottery, isn’t going to be bring them the player they want: Someone who can be just as good and dominant as Dirk Nowitzki, even more.

The Mavs have stated that their plan is to try and bring over somebody who can do more than just take the load off of Nowitzki, who missed nearly 30 games last season and finished averaging 17.3 points per game, playing 31.3 minutes a night. He’s getting older, and it’s harder for him and his legs to keep him effective in the closing moments of games, unless he gets some help that is more than just O.J. Mayo pulling up for jumpers.

Paul got Vinny Del Negro fired, which means the Los Angeles Clippers and him have an agreement on staying if a new head coach, which he’ll probably be a part of the selection comity as well, arrives. Dwight Howard pulled that trick on the Orlando Magic about 12 months ago and ended up being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, so you never know, but it does seem like Paul is happy in Los Angeles with certain terms being met.

Howard becomes available financially for Dallas if they give up on their first round pick (has a cap hold of $1,655,300) and get Dirk Nowitzki to take a paycut he said he’s willing to undergo in order to help the team pursue the top free agents on the market. The Mavs are listed for $43 million next season, unless Shawn Marion decided to enact the early termination clause on his contract, giving up on nearly $10 million, which is unlikely.

Howard would fit great in Dallas, who even their star player is the kind who prefers spending his time on the outside and won’t bother Howard with battles for positions in the paint. Nowitzki has an ego, but he’s not Kobe Bryant. The Dallas Mavericks might be third on his shortlist, but they might also be the best option for Dwight Howard and his NBA future.

A six time All-Star and someone who was regarded as the “savior” of the New York Knicks before the trade that brought over Carmelo Anthony came to pass, Stoudemire, if he’ll be healthy enough next season, doesn’t expect to be a bench player once again, seeing Carmelo Anthony “eating up” his minutes at the power forward position. His salary for the next two years, $45.1 million, also suggests he should be spending quite a lot of time on the court.

But Mike Woodson hasn’t turned to that option all season. For him, his lineup is at its best when Carmelo Anthony plays the ’4′, Tyson Chandler is the one and only big man on the court at center, while he has the option to play three guards in the other three positions. As he stated in a press conference last week after getting knocked out by the Indiana Pacers, he isn’t going to commit to starting Stoudemire next season, especially not in May.

Stoudemire averaged only 3.8 points in the postseason, but did look quite effective, at least on the offensive end, when he made his initial return from injury during the regular season before succumbing to his troublesome knees once more. He played only 23.5 minutes a night, by far the fewest in his career except for the lost season with Phoenix (2005-2006), but still averaged 14.2 points and 5 rebounds per game. As a sixth man, it seemed to be working, to an certain extent.

The Knicks cant’ trade Stoudemire. His contract makes it impossible for anyone to take him on, unless they’re half insane. When it’ll be closer to its expiring date, that might become a possibility for anyone looking to clear some cap space. Stoudemire also has an early termination option at the end of the 2013-2014 season, but no one imagines he’ll be giving up over $23 million just to find himself some more playing time.

No one says the Knicks have given up on Stoudemire still being a star on the team, but it’s clear that he’s playing second-string to Carmelo Anthony’s presence, which might not be the best thing for the Knicks. These playoffs have proved that focusing solely on Anthony is simply the wrong way to be carrying on with your basketball business. Stoudemire offers something no one on the Knicks, and few around the league, can offer in terms of inside scoring. It’ll be a waste to use him as a role player instead of making the most of his offensive capabilities, and recipe for another disappointing ending to a season.

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What’s Vogel’s explanation? He was afraid of Chris Bosh and Ray Allen. Maybe if Dwyane Wade was on the floor as well, the Heat would have had two slashers for Vogel to fear and Hibbert would have been on the scene, clogging the paint. But Dwyane Wade fouled out when he sent Paul George to the free throw line, where he calmly made all 3 shots, finishing with 26 points on an otherwise awful night from him (1-of-5 until that point) from the line.

The Indiana Pacers did so many things right. Their confident, almost surprisingly-arrogant approach, led by Frank Vogel, gave them the lead on so many parts of the game. George did an excellent job on James until the final two plays in which James had possession, while three point shooters like Ray Allen and Shane Battier were a non-factor, as the two combined for only 1-8 from beyond the arc.

They forced 20 turnovers off the Heat, something that rarely happens, while grabbing 17 offensive rebounds, 7 of them by Roy Hibbert who finished with 19 points. David West was impossible to stop for a long while, making the most out of the mismatch with Shane Battier, until the Heat finally wised-up to the situation late in the fourth quarter, as he led the team with 27 points, including 18 in the first half. But it wasn’t enough.

Because the Pacers’ post-up and pick & rolls, which were so good during the first half, stopped working consistently later on, as Hibbert faded away offensively as he tends to do during the second half. The Pacers turned the ball over 20 times, and while they did get 18 points off the bench from Tyler Hansbrough and D.J. Augustin, their guards, George Hill (2-of-9, 5 points) and Lance Stephenson (2-of-10, 7 points) were a non-factor offensively for almost the entire game.

West pondering why the hell wasn’t Roy Hibbert on the floor for the final play

At the end of the game, Frank Vogel said that the Pacers simply need to play better, and can play better. Looking across the board, despite the impressive performance on both ends of the floor from their frontcourt, he is correct. Only the Miami Heat can play, and will play better as well. Their role players, like Allen, Battier and Norris Cole will have better games.

The Pacers are a nightmare for the Heat, and we had 53 minutes to see why. Even after switching, they have so many answers to LeBron James and his supporting cast it’s quite easy to consider them as good enough to drag this series on to 6 and 7 games, maybe even win it. But for that, they need their biggest advantage the Heat can’t counter with something of their own – Roy Hibbert, to be on the floor as much as possible, while being as good as possible. Paul George is a revelation this season, but it’s not enough against a team that has the best player in the world at his position on the other side.

The Indiana Pacers lost the game because of Frank Vogel making silly decisions regarding his biggest asset on defense – Roy Hibbert. Instead, he left his team exposed in the paint because he feared the shooters the Miami Heat had on the floor, and especially Ray Allen and Chris Bosh, and paid for it by dropping a win that was already in their hands thanks to the ice in the veins of Paul George.

There was a moment, a single moment, when people actually worried that James’ layup was taken after the buzzer went off. But the replays showed he took the shot with 0.4 seconds still on the clock, blazing by George after being unsuccessful in that aspect for long periods of the game as both Allen and Bosh cleared the path by drawing away the help defender. Finishing with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, James won the opener 103-102 but also became the first player in playoff history to record a triple double while also hitting a game winning shot.

It didn’t go as planned for Miami, giving up 17 offensive rebounds and turning the ball over 20 times. But they got just about enough from the guys around James in order to create mini breaks that kept them ahead for certain stretches in the second half, and have the feeling of some control against a Pacers team that exposed a lot of problems and mismatches, but failed in key moments during the game they should have won.

One heroic medal goes to Chris Andersen, finishing with 16 points on a perfect shooting night: Seven-for-seven from the field and adding two more free throws, giving the Heat during his 18 minutes the ability to crash the boards (16 offensive rebounds) and make the most in the paint after drawing Hibbert away. All of their pick & rolls (the Heat used that play on more than 30% of their possessions) weren’t always perfect, but they did get better as the game moved on.

Dwyane Wade was limited because of his knee, which does provide bad news for the rest of the series, but was excellent in almost everything he did during his 41 minutes. He scored 19 points on 9-of-15 from the field, adding 3 steals and 5 assists, willing to drive to the basket against Roy Hibbert when it looked like LeBron preferred to take contested jump shots that stopped falling after the first quarter.

Nobody in the NBA has made more game-tying and go-ahead shots in the final 24 seconds of playoff games than LeBron James, making 7-of-16 in those situations. That 43.8% ranks the best in the NBA since his rookie season among players with at least 10 attempts. He had a layup that gave the Heat the lead with 11 seconds to go, before Paul George hit three from the line which sent Wade out of the game.

The Heat found a way into the Pacers’ paint eventually, making 72.2% of their field goal attempts from close range during the fourth quarter and overtime. They outscored the Pacers 40-26 in the paint in the 2nd half and overtime, as they finally found an answer to David West (27 points), and especially enjoyed LeBron James being much more aggressive during the fourth quarter and overtime, driving to the basket more than he did in the first three. A lot of it, especially his two lead-giving and eventual game-winning layups, had to do with Roy Hibbert not being on the court.

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The best and biggest sign? Vick is being paid more than all other quarterbacks on the team combined, which is always a good way to realize in which direction the wind is blowing. The other is Vicks’ style. There’s a lot of read option in Kelly’s system, which usually means a quarterback who can run. Vick might not be the best at that anymore, but he’s certainly an excellent quarterback when it comes to rushing and extending plays outside the pocket.

However, there are things about Vick’s personality and work ethic that might turn into a problem. The man doesn’t love to watch film, and isn’t the most consistent of passers over the last couple of years. Yes, being able to put doubts into the minds of a defense comes with having a quarterback who can get first downs with his own legs, but one of the reasons Robert Griffin III and Colin Kepernick were so good last season was also in their accuracy and throwing ability. Vick, possibly due to a crumbling offensive line, hasn’t had that kind of consistency since getting the huge deal from the Eagles.

While not everything from Kelly’s offense will probably be incorporated into the pro-scheme, one of the major factors it won’t work without is speed. Kelly’s offense is about running 80 to 85 plays per game, which is something that will mean Vick, not exactly an expert in making quick reads, is going to excel at early on or even at all. Matt Barkley can do that job quite well also, and he isn’t so un-mobile as some attribute to him, but it’s hard seeing Vick giving up the starting job at this point.

But the Bucs don’t seem worried, or otherwise they wouldn’t have given Revis $16 million a season. Revis played only two games last season for the Jets before tearing his ACL, but that hasn’t hurt his reputation as the best cornerback in the NFL, or at least his attempts to get paid like one.

So how far along is his progress? Well, he’s been cleared by the doctors to make cuts and change directions when running on the joint. There’s still a long way to go, but at least the Bucs can get him on the field and start working out their most expensive investment ever in a year they’ve really put a lot of money into.

At this rate, Revis will be ready for when the Buccaneers open the season (September 8) against (who else but…) the New York Jets at Metlife stadium. He might not be at his 100%, but it’s hard to believe he won’t be a part of Greg Schaino’s plans by then.

I’m OK with Revis not being 100 percent on opening day because 85 or 90 percent of Darrelle Revis is still better than most 100 percent other corners.

Revis is a four time Pro Bowl selection (2008-2011) and a three time first-team All-Pro (2009-2011), being in the best form of his life heading into the 2012 season before the injury that eventually not only ruined the year for him, but also pushed him out of New York, with the Jets not willing to take the financial risk on him.

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There isn’t a lot of quality left on the free agency market to fill in for Crabtree’s Achilles tear with Lloyd probably being the number one option, although that would mean he’ll just be a serious addition to the depth chart, and not the number one option. Anquan Boldin is likely to be promoted into something he knows how to play, although he provides a different kind of receiving target than Crabtree does at his best.

While the 49ers aren’t too worried about Boldin’s ability to take more of a load (had an excellent postseason and 65 passes for 921 yards last season), the other players on their wide receivers list are more of a question mark. Manningham is still recovering from his ACL tear, and wasn’t too impressive in his 12 games last season, catching 42 passes for 449 yards. Their 2012 first round pick, A.J. Jenkins, didn’t catch a single pass last season (targeted only once in three games), but the Niners are expecting him to take a major step in his development, and will probably get a lot more playing time than expected.

There’s also Quinton Patton, a fourth-round pick in 2013, who wasn’t expected to see a lot of the field this season, but will now probably elevated to a more prominent role if Crabtree is indeed out for a long time. However, the returns from Achilles tears last season by the likes of Terrell Suggs and Da’Quan Bowers, both injured during the spring but back in time to take part during the NFL seasons makes the Niners hope Crabtree goes through the same kind of speedy rehabilitation process, preferably without antler spray.

Colin Kaepernick made Crabtree his favorite target while sorta neglecting Vernon Davis as the season progresses. Davis, who some think he is the best tight end in the NFL, will probably see more passes going his way as long as Crabtree (who caught 85 passes for 1105 yards) remains on the injury list.

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So why? Well, Nicks is heading into the final season of his contract. All the signs from the Giants suggest that they see Nicks as their number one wide receiver, and intend to pay him that way, as long as he shows he’s healthy. He missed a few games last season, and that might have gotten the Giants a little bit worried about his long-term suitability, probably pushing back their deadline to begin negotiations with him.

He waited and waited, but Nicks never showed up…

I don’t know why he’s not here. He should be here. I expect everybody here. Trying to get our team better here. He would have some kind of limitations I am sure right away, but that is not the reason for his absence.

Nicks played quite a few games with his knee and foot bothering him, something that dropped his production to only 692 yards on 53 catches after two consecutive 1000 yards seasons. It has been known that his intention was not to get on the playing field without being 100% sure he’s 100% healthy. According to everyone with a little bit of insight on his injuries in 2012, they are not the reason he didn’t show up, which makes everyone point fingers to the contract issue.

Nicks, who has been with the Giants since 2009, is due to make $2.7 million in 2013 before his deal expires. He’s looking to get a deal superior to what Cruz will be getting, and probably will, but it’s not quite clear what his demands will be. Cruz is looking to get signed for around $10 million a season for the next four years, but the Giants aren’t going above $8 million per annum at the moment, and are unlikely to budge further.

Cruz is on a RFA tender, which pays him $2.8 million, but if he doesn’t sign a new contract, the Giants have the right to wave that tender and pay him only $600,000 next season, which will turn things very ugly between the two sides. They’re hoping that they don’t find themselves with their top two wide receivers in some sort of strike mode by the time the season begins.