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
