The Giants have taken plenty of criticism for trading their best player http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey , and staking the team to a 38-year-old quarterback.But for Giants tight end Evan Engram, having Eli Manning under center is no reason for concern.Via NFL Media, Engram said Manning still has what it takes to make the Giants offense effective.“One-hundred percent,” Engram said. “Eli picks up every blitz. He knows who’s coming. We hold protection meetings. He still can throw the ball and drive the ball down the field and give us opportunities to go up and make plays. So, 100 percent, he still has it.”Of course http://www.houstontexansteamonline.com/kahale-warring-jersey , Manning’s going to be the focus of any problems the Giants have because of their decision to keep him at the helm and trade wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Engram thinks that comes with some unfair expectations.“[Fans and the media] just see Eli [Manning] make a bad read or Eli getting sacked,” he said. “They don’t see that maybe there was a missed block here or a dropped ball there or a wrong route. One person’s success is a lot of times based off the man next to him. A lot of people don’t see that; they just see where their eyes are taking them. It’s easy to do that when you’re watching from your couch or if you’re at the game when everybody is flying around. I get it, but it’s the bigger picture.”Of course, for Manning to succeed this year, it would help for Engram to play more of a role. The former first-rounder missed five games and had 45 catches for 577 yards and three touchdowns, well off a promising rookie season. But he played well when Beckham wasn’t on the field http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/bobby-okereke-jersey , which could be a good sign for the future. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings and wide receiver Adam Thielen have agreed in principle to a four-year contract extension valued at $64 million.The Vikings announced the deal on Friday. Thielen’s agency, The Institute for Athletes, posted the terms on Instagram , including the potential through incentives to earn as much as $73 million over the life of the contract covering the 2021-24 seasons.Thielen has two years left on the deal he signed in 2017, which easily made the Minnesota native one of the best bargains in the NFL after averaging 102 catches and 1,325 yards over the past two seasons. He was picked for the Pro Bowl both years http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , further enhancing one of the league’s best underdog stories.He needed a pay-your-own-way regional NFL combine and a Vikings rookie tryout camp to make the practice squad in 2013 out of Minnesota State, an NCAA Division II school that offered him a mere $500 scholarship out of Detroit Lakes High School. Thielen made the active roster in 2014 and contributed mostly on special teams for two seasons until becoming a starter in 2016.The $16 million annual average value of Thielen’s new contract would rank him sixth in the league , behind Odell Beckham, Antonio Brown, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins and Brandin Cooks http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , according to figures compiled by the sports salaries database Spotrac.com.The 28-year-old Thielen had 113 receptions last season, the third-most in Vikings history and tied for fourth in the NFL. He had nine touchdowns, tied for 10th in the league with teammate Stefon Diggs. Thielen became the first player in NFL history to record eight straight games with 100-plus receiving yards to start a season.Diggs got his megadeal, valued at $72 million over five years, at the beginning of training camp last summer. He established career highs with 102 receptions and 1,021 yards in 2018.With big-ticket contracts for Diggs http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey , quarterback Kirk Cousins, defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebackers Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr all on the books in the past 13 months, the Vikings have moved up close against the salary cap.