Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora is still upset with LeSean McCoy over comments the Eagles running back made about him during the summer. While Osi was trying to get a new contract from the Giants, McCoy said Osi was overrated, soft, and probably the third-best lineman on his team. Umenyiora says the criticism, at a time when he was trying to get a new deal, crossed the line.
“He ran his mouth, he crossed the line that shouldn’t have been crossed,” Umenyiora said Friday. “If he was going to say something, this should’ve been the week he should’ve said some things like that. I’m not really concerned about that. I’ll see him on the football field, and we’ll go from there.
“What he did was unforgivable. You understand what I mean?” Umenyiora said. “Whenever you see a man in a contract dispute, a fellow football player, you don’t take that opportunity to take your shots at him. You wait until you’re about to play him, then you take your shots.”
The Giants and Eagles meet Sunday night for the second time this season so they’ll be able to square things on the field. As far as Osi’s logic goes, I understand his point. McCoy is trying to get a new contract from the Eagles and has fired and rehired his agent several times. Would he appreciate it if other players criticized him and expressed doubt in his abilities, suggesting the Eagles don’t give him a big contract? Of course not.
It’s one thing for the fans, media, and team to evaluate if a player deserves a new contract, but players should not interfere with their peers’ negotiations (unless the player has become a bad teammate as a result).
