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The Giants biggest question mark going into last season was the play of their wide receivers. That question was answered in a big way, as there probably is no other position with as much talent and youth as the wide receiver position.
The Giants looked to address the position in the draft, nabbing Hakeem Nicks in the first, and Ramses Barden in the third round. It appears now they were playing with house money as they already had plenty of talented receivers on the team with pro bowler Steve Smith, second year player Mario Manningham, Domenik Hixon, and Derek Hagan. With those players alone the Giants had four solid receivers to trot out each week.
Hixon got hurt early this season and has been placed on the IR. Besides him all the receivers look healthy and look to improve on very good seasons.
Hakeem Nicks was hurt to start the season, but came on strong near the end eventually landing a starting spot. He is not extremely fast or tall, but he is a football player. He is extremely tough and has strong hands, catching a ton of passes in traffic. He runs good routes and is surprisingly fast in open space. He also is a good blocker in the running game. This season he looks to take the next step and move to the Giants number one receiver.
Ramses Barden is the lone tall receiver, and was drafted in an attempt to replace Plaxico Burress in the red zone. He had a great training camp, but could not play on special teams, costing himself the opportunity to dress on Sundays. He has polished his game in the offseason, an important thing for a player that did not come from a top college program. If he continues to show improvement in training camp, he should find himself with more playing time and plenty of touchdown catches in the red zone.
Steve Smith was one of the few Giants wide receivers to make a pro bowl, and deservedly so. He set a single season receptions record with 107 receptions, coming through countless times with clutch receptions. He is best compared to Wes Welker of the Patriots. He is not going to beat you deep consistently, but he has great hands and runs terrific routes so you can always count on him when you need a completion.
Mario Manningham was a prolific receiver for Michigan and after having a quiet first year for the Giants, broke out early last year. He made a lot of rookie mistakes, but he showed why he can develop into a top threat in the league. He has great speed and quickness and knows how to get open deep. If he can work on the little things and consistency he should take the next step and could emerge as a top target.
Finally Derek Hagan rounds out the group. He is the oldest member and a reliable receiver. He is not flashy but gets the job done and for a 4th/5th receiver is more than adequate.
The players I have left out on the roster (Sinorice Moss to name one) are players I don’t expect much out of. In fact if Hixon was healthy, I would be certain they all would be cut before the season started.
For the receivers I did profile you can see the Giants have tons of talent. They have three young receivers that showed the talent of number one receivers, not to mention a fourth that has yet to get the opportunity to showcase his talents. If Eli continues his great play, this should be a top passing attack in the NFL.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Finally some Giants news! Before the start of training camp the Giants have looked to address their need at middle linebacker by signing veteran free agent Keith Bulluck to a 1-year deal worth up to 2.5 million dollars. The signing fills the last major hole on the Giants defense, and if Perry Fewell can get these guys in order the Giants should have a dominant defense.
First off, I love the move. The biggest hole on the team was filled by a more than capable player and a possible team leader. Bulluck has been a big part of the Titans defense, a defense that has been one of the best, for years. He had a solid season last year, but missed the last few weeks with an injury. It was the first major one of his career and the Titans used it as an opportunity to cut ties with the veteran.
He and the team believes he has recovered nicely from surgery, and if he can perform as well as he did before the injury last season, he will be the steal of the offseason. Bulluck finished the season with 108 tackles and 3 interceptions in fourteen games played. For 2.5 million and only a year long commitment, Jerry Reese has shown why he is considered one of the best GMs in football.
The only other way I look at this is the Giants must have been very unimpressed with their young players. Bulluck is a good player, but Reese is a guy that likes to go young if he could. If the Giants believed either Goff, or rookie Phillip Dillard could handle the position he would not have made the signing.
This move is more of a detriment to Goff who has played enough time to compete for a spot if he showed the talent. Dillard, on the other hand, is a rookie and with Bulluck only blocking him for a year, should get a shot next offseason. Granted he’ll probably have to show something this season, or the Giants will have to look to find someone in free agency or the draft to avoid the same questions they had this offseason.
So for now, the Giants have made another step to improve their defense and have it return to one of the top units in the league. Sure it’s a one year deal, but for now they have an established guy manning the middle, and we’ll worry about next season…well next season.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
The Giants offensive line took a giant step back last season, and was one of the key components to a struggling running game. Kareem McKenzie and Rich Seubert each saw their play decline last year. Their struggles hurt the entire line and the Giants have realized it is time to mix some things up.
McKenzie looks like he’ll keep his spot, simply because the Giants have no better option. Seubert, however, will probably lose his to David Diehl, which will help improve two spots for the Giants. In the move assumed to take place, second year tackle William Beatty will take over left tackle and Diehl will slide into left guard, his more natural position. The move gives more strength in the guard spot, putting two pro bowlers in Diehl and Snee around Shaun O’Hara, a pro bowler in his own right, and the line leader.
On the outside Beatty provides a quicker and more athletic tackle who can handle the speedy pass rushers seen at right end more easily than Diehl. Beatty also proved to be a pretty effective mauler in the running game from his time playing the right side when McKenzie bowed out with an injury late last season.
The move leaves one weakness in McKenzie, who they can probably sneak one more year out of. I was hoping the Giants would draft a lineman in the draft, which they did, it just happened to be on the defensive side.
As much as I like Pierre-Paul, if they got Iupati or Bryan Bulaga they could have formed one of the best offensive lines in football. Iupati could have filled in for Seubert allowing Diehl to slide over to right tackle instead, a position he played very well in when given the opportunity. Or they could have taken the good, but less talented, Bulaga to take over the right tackle position and keep Diehl at guard. Either way, just by sliding Beatty into a starting spot should improve the line greatly.
The depth still isn’t great, but definitely improves with fifth round pick Mitch Petrus. He is a hard worker and was a standout in Arkansas. He also tied the combine lead with 45 reps, proving he can be a mauler in the run game. His addition along with the players position flexibility should keep the line afloat through injuries, as long as there aren’t too many of them.
The line changes along with the re-emergence of Jacobs should see the return of the Giants running game and give balance to their offense.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
With Tom Coughlin’s arrival as the New York Giant’s head coach, the team has had a run first approach. That approach has seen Tiki Barber’s career reach Hall of Fame levels, and has lead to a SuperBowl victory. Last season, however, it was not as effective. So what will the Giants do differently this season to help return its running game to prominence?
First of all, Brandon Jacobs has to return to the style of running that made him one of the top backs in the league. Listening to Tiki Barber, and trying to avoid injury, Jacobs started to tip toe around the line, instead of hitting the hole hard. His strength has nothing to do with how quick he is, or his vision, it has everything to do with his strength. It is very rare to find a guy as big as he is, who can run well enough to be declared a running back. If he doesn’t get moving at the line he is a lot easier to take down. It might lead to more injuries, but if he doesn’t run that way it won’t be his health that lands him on the sidelines.
Second, there needs to be improved play from the offensive line, something I’ll go more in-depth with in a later article.
If those two things can happen the Giants should see a revival with their running game.
Another thing that can help is Ahmad Bradshaw staying healthy. Bradshaw proved when healthy he can be the focal point of the Giants running game. When Jacobs struggled early, it was Bradshaw who provided the spark on the ground. He was also the guy responsible for the running attack that helped the Giants in their playoff run, and that is without mentioning his break-away run against Buffalo that helped the Giants get into the playoffs in the first place.
Bradshaw has been great and if he can return healthy this season should be a great pairing with Jacobs to give the Giants a top running game to go along with their promising passing attack.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
The Giants go into the season with one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Eli had a career year last year and will look to build upon that production this season.
Eli led an offense that lost its identity last year. A team that likes to run the ball down its opponents throat, failed to establish that smash-mouth style and went to the air more often than not.
Eli played his part nicely, stepping up and having some huge games. Even without the support of a solid running game the Giants could have made the playoffs had their defense resembled anything besides a revolving door.
Eli became the leader of the offense, helping young receivers Manningham, Nicks, and Smith take the next steps in their career, and there is no reason to think that the Giants passing game can’t evolve into one of the top units in the league.
Saying all of that, the Giants are not in a good position should anything happen to Eli. They allowed David Carr to leave in free agency and plan to replace him with last years 5th round draft pick Rhett Bomar and former Colts backup Jim Sorgi.
Anyone who believes those guys can lead the Giants to any wins is completely alone. While I don’t blame the Giants for letting Carr go, it is never smart to go into a season without a good plan b. We saw what happened last season when the Giants failed to get depth at safety.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Adding to the incredible depth the Giants display at defensive end is a ton of talent stock piled on the interior. All in all it should make a pretty complete and deep defensive line for the Giants this season.
At defensive tackle the Giants have second-round draft pick Linval Joseph, Barry Cofield, Jay Alford, Chris Canty, and Rocky Bernard. Just like with the defensive ends, these players could easily be starters on other teams.
Rocky Bernard was one of the three free agents the Giants brought in last season that disappointed them. Like the other two he had his share of injury problems and should look to bounce back this season. It is possible what the Giants got from him last year is what they will get in the future, but Bernard has played far better in each of his other seasons he has been in the league.
Canty was the second of the three picked up last season, and suffered from injury more than either Bernard or Boley did. In fact there were reports that his injury was season ending in training camp. He fought through it and eventually made his way onto the field when the team desperately needed him. While he did not make much of an impact he was not terrible, and with his second year in a 4-3 defense and a healthy start in training camp Canty should be able to improve his play.
Barry Cofield has been the teams top defensive tackle for a couple seasons now, but had a rough start to the season last year. He was coming back from off-season surgery on his knees and claims that had a big part to his slow start. He did pick up his play as the season progressed and has big motivation to take his play to the next level this season. In the off-season the Giants did not talk long-term with Cofield and when the Saints tried to trade for him, they low balled him with the contract offer. Cofield believes he is worth more and if he wants a larger contract he will have to earn it on the field.
Jay Alford is a penetrating defensive tackle that is probably the best pass rusher of the tackles. He showed promise in the preseason last year but got injured before the season started. If he comes back without delay from the injury he should be able to make an impact this season and show why so many people were talking about him early last year.
Finally Linval Joseph is an exciting player. He is a big body that can clog things up allowing the other line-men to get favorable blocks. He should be great against the run and prove to be a steal in the second-round. In mini-camps he outplayed first-round pick Pierre-Paul who has worlds of talent. The team speaks highly of his play and his attitude and could find himself in the starting line-up when the season starts.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
For the Giants season to be a success the defensive line needs to elevate its level of play to ones we saw in the 2007 and 2008 season. Under Spagnuolo there was an emphasis on getting pressure on the quarterback, but under Sheridan the line took a step back and his blitzes failed to do really anything.
This season the Giants boast the most depth they’ve had on the defensive line since 2007 when they won the SuperBowl. They have Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora, Dave Tollefson and first-round pick Jason Pierre-Paul.
Justin Tuck was instrumental in the 2007 season and proved to be a star in 2008. An injury in early in the 2009 season hampered Tuck from putting together another impressive season, but the injury seems to be behind him. Having Tuck return to the form we’ve seen from him in the past would, alone, vastly improve this unit.
Mathias Kiwanuka will now be in his third full season as a defensive end following the experiment at linebacker. He was more than solid in 2008 when he was the starter, proving to be a good pass rusher, and more importantly great against the run. Right now he is the favorite to win the spot opposite Tuck and if he can make some improvements from last season could be ready for a break-out season.
Osi has been a Pro Bowler in the past, but had some problems last season. He had some disagreements with then-defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan and was demoted halfway through the season. What is important to note was Osi had missed all of 2008 with a knee injury and was making his way back from the injury last season, one that usually takes a full season to recover from. With the added time off Osi should be back to his explosive self and help restore this Giants pass rush.
Then there is Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul is a freakish athlete that has been compared to Jevon Kearse. He is a little raw but has enormous potential. He has a non-stop motor and long arms that should help get to the quarterback this season. As a member of the rotation he probably won’t make a huge impact in the form of a 10-sack season, but should play well enough to garner some attention and allow the Giants to employ the four defensive end front they like to use.
All in all the Giants have a deep and talented set of defensive ends that should help restore the Giants defense to greatness this season.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
For quite some time now the linebacker position has been the weakest on the field for the Giants. They have had countless players try to fill in throughout the years from Barret Green to Nick Greisen. While I won’t say the unit the Giants are planning to trot onto the field are going to change that, I believe there is reason to believe they will be an improvement over last season.
First there is Michael Boley. Last season he was a free agent pick-up from the Atlanta Falcons and failed to impress. What people forget, though, is that Boley had surgery and missed training camp and the preseason. When he managed to make it onto the field he played great.
He had the making of the next great Giants linebacker. He had the speed to cover the running back and tight end down the field, yet still had the strength to run up and put on a great tackle.
After only a few starts, Boley was injured again and only returned when the Giants defense was in shambles and in desperate need of help. When Boley returned he did not perform as well.
His play the latter half of the year is all people remember and that is unfortunate. If Boley can stay healthy I have no doubt he will have a standout season.
On the strong side, Clint Sintim is favored to win the job. He was a starting outside linebacker playing in the 3-4 for Virginia in college. He fell to the Giants in the second-round of the draft after reports that they were contemplating taking him in the first-round.
After the draft the Giants talked up his long arms and his ability to pass rush, much like they did when they attempted to convert Kiwanuka to linebacker a few years ago.
Sintim failed to make a big impact in his rookie season, having trouble getting on the field. While he had played outside linebacker in college, switching to a 4-3 was still an adjustment for him, and hopefully the year of learning helped out.
This season Sintim is set up to win the starting spot, and if he can play up to his talent level he should really take off.
Finally there is the middle linebacker position. This is the biggest question on the team. Antonio Pierce has long held the position, and while there are potential candidates to replace him, no one has separated himself from the pack.
The candidates are Jonathan Goff, Gerris Wilkinson, and fourth-round pick Phillip Dillard. Goff started last season after Pierce got hurt, and Wilkinson has shown flashes but an inability to stay healthy, but it is rookie Phillip Dillard that seems to have the inside track.
Despite only being a rookie, the coaching staff has talked very highly of him, and has tried to get him reps with the first-string unit during mini-camps. He has a high football IQ and can tackle. He also has enough quickness to make an impact in coverage down the field. If he can learn the defense he has a chance to win the job and have a solid year.
Rookies have recently had a fair amount of success at the linebacker position and Dillard has a chance to join them. He will have a top defensive line in front of him like he did at Nebraska so hopefully the transition is not too hard.
The unit is not spectacular and will probably still be the weakest unit on the field, but there is talent there. If everything comes together the Giants can have a solid core of linebackers, something they haven’t really had for some time.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Outside of the safeties, the Giants also boast top-notch cornerbacks. They have three corners in Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, and Terrell Thomas who have the ability to be Pro Bowl starters.
Under Steve Spagnuolo, Corey Webster took off and became a shut-down corner for the Giants. Often maligned earlier in his career the aggressive press defense Spagnuolo ran allowed Webster to be more physical with the receiver, and play more man-to-man situations playing to his strengths. He took off in the playoffs in 2007 all the way to their SuperBowl victory. Since that point he has not looked back becoming the top corner the Giants have been looking for.
Before the 2007 season the Giants drafted Aaron Ross with their first round pick. His insertion into the line-up directly coincided with the Giants turnaround that season when they were able to stage a huge comeback against the Redskins to avoid an 0-3 hole. The season ended with a SuperBowl victory and Aaron Ross solidifying himself as a rising star. 2008 was another good season as Ross alongside the surging Webster helped lead the Giants to a 12-4 season and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Unfortunately for Ross and Giants fans, Ross had hamstring issues in training camp that never worked itself out in 2009. Ross managed to make it into the starting line-up only a few times and, due to problems at safety, was forced to play out of position. This season Ross is healthy and hopes to return to the form he showed fans in his first two seasons.
Terrell Thomas was a second round pick for the Giants following their SuperBowl victory. Like Webster and Ross, his big strength is his arms and ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. He had minimal impact his rookie year as Ross and Webster handled the starting spots and Kenny Phillips, the first round pick that year, was awarded the snaps in the nickel package. Last season, however, in his second year Thomas broke into the starting line-up due to Ross’ injury. Thomas took advantage of the opportunity having the best season of any Giant defensive back and leading the team with four interceptions. He had such a good season that coaches refused to give the starting job back to Ross this year, insisting the two will have to fight it out in training camp.
These three corners have all had Pro Bowl type seasons at one time or another and are all still relatively young. If they can stay healthy they will have a great competition in training camp, and more importantly will provide the Giants with amazing depth and talent at the position.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Last season the Giants got scorched by the big play, and it lead to one of the worst defensive performances the Giants have had in their history. With the departure of James Butler and the season ending injury to Kenny Phillips the Giants were left with Michael Johnson and journeyman C.C. Brown, two men who obviously were not ready for the job. In the off-season upgrading the safety position became a top priority, and the Giants responded by bringing in the best safety free agent Antrel Rolle and veteran depth with Deon Grant. If all goes according to plan the Giants could have one of, if not the best secondary in the NFL.
Last season Antrel Rolle made the switch from cornerback to safety for the Cardinals and responded with his first Pro Bowl appearance. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, because of some contractual issues they released Rolle and the Giants were able to swoop in and pick him up before the Cardinals were able to re-sign him. If Phillips can return healthy, and in the form he showed at the start of last season, the Giants could have the best safety tandem in the league. Both players cover a lot of ground and are true ball-hawks. Not to mention their ability to come up and support the run, as sometimes I feel Phillips is a better tackler than most linebackers are.
Seated behind these two is veteran safety Deon Grant, best known for his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A few years ago he hit free agency and the Giants failed to sign him, with Grant signing with the Seattle Seahawks instead. Grant is not the player he once was and is getting up there in years, but has more left in the tank than people give him credit for. He had a down year in Seattle but a lot of his problems came from an inexperienced secondary and a horrid pass-rush. With Rolle and Phillips slated to start, Grant should be able to go out and make plays in nickel and dime packages.
With these three players, last year’s starter Michael Johnson gets pushed down to the bench and fourth on the depth chart. He should see some time in a rotation on dime packages, and also provides pretty good depth for a fourth man. Remember, Johnson played a lot better under Spagnuolo and with Butler by his side. Perhaps he can pick up his play with newly signed defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and the veterans in front of him.
After Last seasons performance the Giants have made sure the safety position will not be a liability. Teamed with the corners the Giants already have the secondary should be a big strength going into the season.
by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network
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