GIANT NOTES

BALTIMORE – After Tiki Barber gets his hands on the ball a few times, after Brandon Jacobs gets to rumble some, Giants fans who invest time watching tonight’s preseason opener against the Ravens will get to see a whole lot of James Sims running with the football.

Who?

Yes, that’s often what these summer games are all about. Sims is an undrafted rookie free agent from Washington. He is a converted safety who last year led the Huskies with 495 rushing yards. With Derrick Ward out with a broken foot, everyone moves up on the depth chart and Ward’s misfortune is Sims’ reward, as he’ll get a chance to open some eyes running against the Ravens’ second- and third-string defense at M&T Bank Stadium.

“They’re going to see that I’m a hard runner, hopefully,” Sims said. “I want to make sure I don’t mess up and that I’m someone whose effort shows. Pretty much you have to come out and show the coaches what you can do, show the fans what you can do.”

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In addition to Sims, coach Tom Coughlin listed several young players he’s most interested in seeing: T Na’Shan Goddard, TE Darcy Johnson, DTs Marcus Green and Sir Henry Anderson, DE Willie Evans, CB E.J. Underwood and LB Gerris Wilkinson, a third-round draft pick who is assured of making the team.

“Some of those kids have done a nice job of making a favorable impression on us,” Coughlin said. “Everybody has a role. Everybody is going to have a role that makes the final roster, so what is the role of that individual? The faster we get started finding out about that, the better.”

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Starters who won’t play are LB LaVar Arrington, G Chris Snee, LB Carlos Emmons and TE Jeremy Shockey. Also out are WR Sinorice Moss and LB Brandon Short . . . The Giants are encouraged by the way Snee has responded to treatment of his injury, a cyst (an abnormal collection of fluid) on his right knee. If he continues to progress, Snee likely will return sooner than expected . . . DT Fred Robbins has the early lead for the starting nose tackle spot and will get first crack tonight.