Camp opens in 2 weeks, let's talk Giants. the 1 position ( not group) that you feel
needs to be solidified by opening day. Middle linebacker. Who is going to be the guy? He doesn't have to be Ray Lewis, but he can't be getting engaged by blockers and driven backwards 2 out of 3 plays. Number of candidates, hopefully one will step up and grab the role
Oh, and thanks HH, I was feeling pretty good about this season until this post ;)
The bigger LB (the WILL in our D) is a bigger question
CB - injury and age question marks
OL - see CB
•Other than that, backup Center also worries me. I don't trust this Cordle kid. We all know Baas has a history for being dinged up.
•A reliable 3rd veteran RB would be nice to have too. Da'Rel Scott hasn't shown much the last two years. That potential replacement might come off the final cut list for teams at the end of August.
•Right Tackle worries me because of two things: the inexperience of Pugh, and the coaching staff's undying love for Diehl. I just don't think they'll pull the plug on Diehl right away. It's for this reason that I believe that he'll be the starter on opening night in Dallas. When things start to go south for him though, we know the staff will be reluctant to replace him until at least some time passes by. My guess is that the soonest that they'd insert him into starting lineup would be after the bye week, which occurs in week 9, with the next game taking place on Nov. 10th at home against the Raiders. This bears watching.
•The Cornerback position, surprisingly, doesn't worry me all that much. I think the Giants can get by this season with what they have. It's not a strength of the team, but by no means is it bad. It's average. If the pass rush is doing what it needs to do, and if Webster is healthier than last year and plays better, than I'm okay with what we've got back there this coming season. 2014, on the other hand, is another matter entirely with 3 vets up for free agency (T2, Webster, and Ross). We'll table that discussion for another thread.
Strength - a lot of weapons on offense
Worry - Will OL blocking hold up ? Both potential age and inexperience problems there ... If blocking is poor - weapons like TE and Wilson will be minimized also if they have to do more blocking ...
Strength - Big strong DL bodies
Worry - will they be neutralized by 1) poor linebacker coverage or 2)DB communication breakdowns
On offense, I think everything looks solid, except RB depth. I'm OK with the OL, because based on history, I expect the addition of quality veteran depth, if the organization sees that as necessary.
I'm not sold on Josh Brown at all, and Buehler doesn't excite me either,and I know nothing about the other(s).
I am confident that concerns about center, RG, RT, and LB will get resolved;maybe w/o any superstars/superstar camp performances.
Right Tackle concerns me the most because I believe that the Giants drafted Pugh to play that position, but hearing that he's also going to be working at Left Guard this summer could mean that the team is not sure that Bass will be good-to-go when camp begins, and they plan on having Boothe play Center while Pugh fills in at Left Guard.
So who's left to play Right Tackle...Diehl? Yikes. Brewer, Mosley, McCants? Eek.
That guy and that position worries the most along with CWeb and the Mike and the Sam
2. Middle Linebacker.
Feeling pretty good about where we are at just about every other position (barring injuries to starters, of course). If we can stay fairly healthy I think we are in a position to go deep into the playoffs.
Very deep.
We do not really too much on our Lb'ers so we should be able to fine serviceable Lb'ers and to be honest.....I think that unit will play much better than we expect...because
We are certainly putting pressure on the DT position this year to step up....with 6 NFL quality DTs battling for spots.
The corner position has become the toughest in the NFL due to the rules, the talent level of the WRs and QBs. Is Prince a true #1 corner? Webster was disappointing last year and is a year older. T2, Ross, Holsey all have concerns, and the game plan against us with the quick throws does not allow the DL to disrupt the passing game.
2. MLB
3. SAM
4. RT
Another concern is how the pistol neutralized our DEs last year. I'm hoping that we come up with a way to change that.
I understand the concern about CB, too, but I figure that the success or failure of the pass-defense is going to be more about the pass-rush than coverage and I'm optimistic about the DL.
Beatty has all the physical tools to be a top-tier left tackle, but it takes more than talent to get the job done in the NFL and that is especially true for offensive linemen, where work ethic and consistency are just as important as size and athleticism. In my opinion, Beatty still has much to prove.
But I'm rooting for the guy as much as anyone, because he's the one protecting the franchise's blind side.