Joe Morris Expected to Be Among 11 Giant Cuts

A source within the New York Giants organization said that running back Joe Morris will be among the 11 players the team will release today to reach the 60-man roster limit.

“They’re going to cut Joe Tuesday,” said the source, who asked not to be identified.

Although there was no official confirmation from the Giants, Bill Parcells indicated Sunday that he was close to making a decision about his running backs. “I want to talk to my coaches first,” he said. Morris could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Morris, 29, is the club’s all-time leading rusher with 5,296 yards and 48 touchdowns. But he missed all of last season with a broken foot and hasn’t had an impressive camp. He has rushed 20 times for 47 yards, an average of just 2.3 yards a carry. Many of his rushes have been behind the second-team offensive line.

Parcells said that his decision at running back is not just a matter of whom he’ll keep but also how he’ll use them. “Do I have one starter and use him the majority of the time? Or do I have enough talent now that I’m going to use two or three guys (at halfback)? Right now it looks like we might use more than one on a weekly basis. Some of those kids have a lot of ability.”

It is unclear whether Ottis Anderson will survive the cut. He has rushed for 31 yards on 14 carries, a 2.2 average. Youngsters Rodney Hampton (15-141) and Lewis Tillman (15-67) have been more impressive.

It’s doubtful seventh-round pick Aaron Emanuel will make the club. His injured shoulder is a condition that has plagued him since college. Parcells is apprehensive about playing Emanuel. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with him,” the coach said.

Although the Giants beat the Jets, 17-7, Saturday night, Parcells was so troubled by the early performance of his offensive line that he summoned the unit to Giants Stadium Sunday to “get this straightened out one way or another.”

While the rest of the team had a day off, Parcells had his linemen watch videotapes of their performance, which included four sacks allowed, holding penalties on Jumbo Elliott, William Roberts and Bart Oates, and two false starts. Parcells said his line’s play was “not only disturbing, it’s a little bit alarming.”

“They weren’t ready to go. They weren’t alert,” he said. “The Jets ran by them early in the game. And penalties ... penalties are the players’ fault. I don’t take the blame for any penalties except for delay of game. They know what the rules are. They know they’re not supposed to hold.”

To get his point across, Parcells did something he hasn’t done in six years -- call a particular group of players in on their day off. His reasoning: “They’re not going to like to sit in there and watch the film with the rest of the offense, so we’ll do it quietly and try to get everything resolved.”

Two Giants who excelled Saturday night were defensive back Reyna Thompson and linebacker Pepper Johnson. Thompson made two tackles on punt coverage and showed some grit by getting into two scuffles with Jets safety Erik McMillan. “He’s a one-man gang,” Parcells said. “He’s absolutely the best special-teams player I’ve ever had. They made him mad (Saturday) night. He’s the wrong guy to make mad.”

Thompson was annoyed with himself, because dueling with McMillan cost him a chance to make another tackle on punt coverage. “I played stupid,” Thompson said. “I’m trying to get physical and play rough and tough with him and show him what Reyna’s all about, and I didn’t make the play. From now on, I’ll go down there and make the play, then show him what Reyna’s all about.”

Johnson, meanwhile, likes the new scheme in which he rushes the quarterback. He collected two sacks against the Jets and thinks he can get plenty more during the season. “If they keep me out there rushing like that, I think I can sneak into double digits this year,” said Johnson, who has eight sacks in four seasons with the Giants.

Carl Banks on the Giants’ defense, which has allowed just 23 points in three preseason victories: “It’s promising as long as we continue to execute. We’re not a gambling type of defense, so we have to rely on consistency and hard work. If we do that, we’ll have a good defense.”