Only teammates know if Shockey problem beyond repair

That's why I want to hear from his peers.

Manning last week said the club was better off with Shockey than it was without him, but I want him to tell Coughlin and Reese away from reporters, scribbling notebooks and TV cameras. I want to hear it from running back Brandon Jacobs, too, instead of having him glare at reporters who question Shockey's value.

"I think it is about the bigger picture," said center O'Hara. "It is about the team, the New York Giants, and I think we stressed that last year. And I think we are going to continue to do that."

Makes sense to me. It was what San Francisco did when I covered the 49ers in the 1990s, with veteran leaders making sure the locker room never tilted in a direction that could distract or harm the team.

On one occasion, the 49ers added a wide receiver they believed could help. He was talented, but he wasn't cooperative, jogging through scout-team practices when the first-team defense took the field. When safety and team spokesman Tim McDonald complained to the front office, the guy was gone.

No questions asked.

The same thing happens in New England, where veteran leadership allowed a misfit like Corey Dillon to settle in, settle down and stay out of trouble. That same leadership is one reason the Patriots didn't shy away from Randy Moss, and I don't need to tell you what happened there.

Like Moss, Shockey can be an impact player. But he can be a distraction and a disruption.

A distraction I can handle. I disruption I can't. That's why Jerry Reese needs to convene another meeting of the team's leadership council.

"I would've gotten rid of Jeremy Shockey months ago," said a general manager I've known for years. "I get rid of players I don't think can help me anymore." That's one man's opinion. Another is a personnel director I trust.

"If I'm the Giants I do what they're doing now," he said, "and that is nothing. Shockey is a good player with a great contract. Why get rid of him? Trust me, he'll get happy by training camp. Look what happened with Kobe and the Lakers. What you're getting now is a paid political announcement."

Maybe. Maybe not. Shockey's teammates know. So let's hear from them.