Last night on his radio show on NFL Radio, a caller asked about the Giants draft (of course the caller asked about Tight End in the 1st round- I still dont understand how Giants fans don't get this will not happen!!!! anyway) Brandt said the Giants would probably look to take a tight end in the 3rd or 4th round area and he talked to Pope. Pope had his eye on someone but Brandt "wouldn't give away any family secrets"
Brandt then said the Giants will draft BPA in the 1st as they normally do because they have a tendency to have someone fall to them while others reach. He gave Wilson as an example last year and someone who he thinks will be a "pretty good player in this league"
He then discussed Kevin Boothe and said its a player they want to re-sign but is already getting a lot of attention as a free agent. First I've heard of this in the media that Boothe will be a target of other teams, so we may want to temper our expectaions that Boothe is going to come back for a cheap contract after receieving little interest.
No link- it was on the radio.
KWALL, they won't pick a TE in Rd 1 because TE is not a priority position for them in this offense. And Pope has proven that he can take low-round picks and UFAs and turn them into productive players. Even Bavaro was just a 4th round pick.
The only constant in the Giants draft philosophy has been that they love to take DL, DB and WR in the first 3 rounds but they don't always take ALL THREE positions in the first 3 rds. Some years they take two of the three. Some years all three but never less than 2 of DL, DB and WR go in the first 3 picks. It's how the Giants roll.
With that said, they will add a random position into that mix just about every year. Sometimes they take the OL. Sometimes they take the RB. Sometimes they take the LB.
This year is no different. Expect to see the Giants draft 2 of DL, WR and DB in rounds 1-2-3 and then sprinkle in a random position. They have done this every single year since 2005 with ZERO exceptions.
And the Giants do in fact value the TE position as much as any team in football. They took Beckum in rd 3 one year. They took the kid last year in RD 4. They spent money on Shockey for a few years.
You don't think the Giants would taylor the offense towards the TE if they had a Jimmy Graham type on this team?
The Giants are no different than any other NFL team. They value positions based the talent at that position. This is not the run n shoot Oilers we are talking about. Not in the least.
And again, NY wasn't taking a RB last year until they did draft Wilson in RD 1.
If NY loves the TE at 19 they would draft him and adjust their offensive philosophy accordingly. Like they do every year.
They don't "not" pick players because of their position in the first round. It depends on how the chips fall on draft day and no one has a clue what the Giants will do.
If there is an impact player at TE you draft him in round 1. Why? Because it works for ANY NFL offense.
But 2007 was a HR in terms of rookie impact. And Nicks, Snee, Jacobs, Kiwi, Phillips, Thomas and others all played as rookies. Just because Wilson and Randle had to wait doesn't mean the future class will wait.
Bring in all the evidence you want I, have examined the rosters and draft under JR as well. All the DE, WR and CB talk could have easily been BPA as well as filling needs. BPA is such a non-sense blanket statement from a bunch of talking heads.
Also, I seem to remember the times that there were Tight-end talents worthly of a first round pick, they either went earlier than the Giants' pick or were the more one dimensional reciever type.
If a WR or DT is there at 19 that have equal value, you can bet that need will factor into things.
If your answer is no, your just plain dumb.
So if the the Giants happened to draft Gronk at pick 42. Are you saying they wouldn't use him similar to the way the Pats do? If you believe that again your clueless.
2. When people debate about whether the Giants will draft a certain player or a certain position, some folks get annoyed and respond by saying "They'll draft the BPA. Period." That's saying nothing. What fans like to discuss, even if it's speculation, is WHO the BPA will be.
It's a bit like responding to the question "who will win the game" by saying: "Dumb question. The team that plays better will win."
True enough most of the time, but where's the fun in that?
No one? I'll give it a go - Escobar. Yeah if he's there in the 4th...
I find it hard to envision a case where a tight end is in a tier (remember the Giants grade their players in tiers) above the other prospects left on the board when the Giants draft in the first round. In the case the tight end is in the same top tier as a DL, CB, WR or OL, the Giants will then apply THEIR positional importance on the above positions.
Just because the Giants picked a RB that fell to them doesn't mean they're going to fall all over themselves to pick a TE in a class that quite frankly doesn't have the same talent level as the RBs who went last season.
An obvious case of a player being the only one left in his row unexpectley was Prince, he was the only one left in his row, hence the pure BPA pick.
With David Wilson last year, there have been reports there were four players in his row. Cordy Glenn, Reuben Randle were two of the three. Never heard the other. Its obvious the Giants at the time last year viewed running back as a higher need then WR and Oline, coupled with the face they saw an an opportunity to get a dynamic player at running back that they wouldnt have been able to get later in the draft.
Dion Simms? Big fella who can run.
-eli manning
He wasn't a reach, no, but it also wasn't BPA at a "premium" position like so many feel the Giants live and die by, in absolutes, either. If this year there was a TE that truly tickled them, they'd take him... it's just probably very unlikely that there's a TE in this draft that does that at #19.
Although having a young guy come in would be best...
Snee ain't gonna last much longer.
IN other words, they just might take DE again this season. If they took DE in 2006 and 2010 why wouldn't they take DE this season? Osi is gone. Tuck is heading into the final yr of his contract...
DE is a distinct possibility.
And there are some really good DEs in this draft. I'd actually be surprised if a good one is there, which I expect in Rds 1 or 2, maybe 3, they DON'T take one. We'll see