Shaun O'Hara was stunned and "sick to his stomach."

His good friend Rich Seubert had called on Tuesday to tell the veteran center the New York Giants were going to release Seubert after 10 seasons.

"I was so upset I really wasn't thinking about myself," O'Hara said on a conference call with reporters on Thursday. "It was like Richie fell in a hole and I was so worried about him that I fell in the same one."

The Giants said a painful farewell to two longtime favorites on the offensive line when they released O'Hara and Seubert, a guard. The Giants also officially cut left tackle Shawn Andrews, fullback Madison Hedgecock and running back Tiki Barber, who was on the reserve/retired list, on Thursday. Defensive tackle Rocky Bernard is expected to be released Friday after being unable to come to an agreement to restructure his contract.

Cuts are always difficult. But they are particularly gut-wrenching when a team has to sever ties with two players who have been fixtures on the offensive line.

"I love those two guys," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "Both will go down in Giants history. They are two unique, highly competitive personalities who were superior in the locker room. Rich has the ability to stir it up, and Shaun has a great ability to counter Rich.

"They are great friends, but there have been times when they got going, that it nearly ended up in a fight. They are two men with unique and different abilities, but as an offensive line, you have to operate as one, and these two guys are the most competitive, tough and efficient players as I have ever had the honor and privilege to coach. They both will be missed around here."

O'Hara had been the Giants' starting center since 2004. In Seubert's 10 years with the Giants, the gritty guard played in 104 regular-season games and overcame numerous injuries, including a triple fracture to his right leg suffered against Philadelphia on Oct. 19, 2003. Seubert missed all of 2004 but returned in 2005.

"We were both pretty emotional about it when it happened," O'Hara said. "I don't think either one of us want to see the other guy go through it but we do have a drinking buddy right now."

The Giants have been trying to free up salary-cap space to re-sign their own free agents like running back Ahmad Bradshaw, wide receiver Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss.

The Giants were having discussions with running back Brandon Jacobs about restructuring his deal, which has a base number of $4.65 million this season.

They did agree to terms to bring back defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and exchanged contract proposals with Boss, according to league sources.

"We are trying to re-sign as many of our free agents as we can and we are looking to the free-agent market for other needs that we have," team CEO and co-owner John Mara said on the Mike Lupica show on ESPN New York 1050. "And I am not entirely convinced at all that is going to work at this point either. So we got a long way to go.