Every year I love reading BBI around this time as so many people have different opinions about each player...most of whom have never really seen these guys play (including some draft "experts"). Who knows who's right or who's wrong, but I certainly can't profess to know more than people who spend their time evaluating these players for living. Thousands of hours are put into evaluating hundreds of players..and it's still a crap shoot most of the time.
Anyway...a high school friend of mines father is a former employee of the Eagles. My buddy is a Giants fan (his dad grew up a Giants fan and later in life worked for Eagles) and each year I try and talk to him about the Giants draft and get some perspective from his dad..who is still connected to the Eagles in some capacity. I normally speak to him a few weeks after the draft, but this year it was last night. Here's some thoughts from his old man:
- Each year, teams think they found a few guys that are off the radar and can get them later in the draft for various reasons; Injury, small schools, overshadowed etc.. This year, one of those guys was Bromley. Said he there was a buzz about him in recent weeks and thought he would get drafted earlier that the so called draft experts projected. He's a "sleeper" and thought many teams wanted him. He said that he is the type of guy that no one talks about as so many teams are interested and they hope he slips. He said no one will work harder than him and Giants got a really good player. Said he was a sure 3rd round pick in his mind and also used the Chris Canty comparison as player type. Thought the Steelers or Bears would grab him in the 3rd which means that he didn't think it was a reach at all.
He loves Beckham and never thought they Eagles (or Giants) would get him as they were sure the niners would trade up to get him. Shocked they didn't. Thinks he's the 2nd best (and complete) WR drafted in the past few years and loves him.
Berhe is the type of player that fits the new NFL style. Five years ago, he would not have been drafted as early, but he's the type of player that teams want in todays NFL. Plays the run and pass well and also thought several teams liked him.
Williams is another guy that he liked and thought he fell because all RB's fell. Also said he's one of the hardest workers at the position and runs harder than any RB in the draft. Thought Giants might take him in the 3rd but not surprised he fell to the 4th.
Just to clarify..these are his opinions and his opinions alone; not the opinions of the Eagles organization.
I know this because Joey in VA knows this. And he works out.
I do see some positives, FWIW, so I can see why we might have targeted him on day 3 perhaps or as an UDFA: he has size, a high motor and is fairly good at keeping his feet. Those qualities can be had in DTs normally available in the later rounds/FA. What he lacks, in my view, is what sets the grunts apart from the greats.
Regards,
Football Guy n VA
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Neither did Hankins.
Beyond first rounders, but I expected you to understand that. Guess you did not. There you go.
Wasn't aware that Hankins was a 1st rd pick.
Ok sounds good.. now exactly how do you MAKE the draft work for you..
That kind of logic is how the team wound up with players like Cedric Jones and Thomas Lewis.. the player we wanted wasnt there so we MADE a pick at a position of need.. even though the player didnt warrant the pick..
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In comment 11671772 arcarsenal said:
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Neither did Hankins.
Beyond first rounders, but I expected you to understand that. Guess you did not. There you go.
Wasn't aware that Hankins was a 1st rd pick.
Kiss the ring, you fuck,
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In comment 11671894 mdc1 said:
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In comment 11671772 arcarsenal said:
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Neither did Hankins.
Beyond first rounders, but I expected you to understand that. Guess you did not. There you go.
Wasn't aware that Hankins was a 1st rd pick.
Kiss the ring, you fuck,
Modus, wrong poster
This draft is about Eli Manning and will be judged on the degree to which it assisted Manning in his attempt to regain his pre-2013 form. Everyone knows that Manning had an awful bottom third season and that the team can do no better next season than struggle life and death to make the playoffs if Eli does not make it back to the top third of quarterbacks.
No one is exactly sure of why Manning fell apart last season, but it does not seem to be due to a hidden injury. The premise of his breaking down under the constant pressure of opposing defenses pummeling him because his line could not protect him is plausible and is the only one over which the team has control this offseason.
The Giants made quite a few moves to shore up the line during free-agency. They signed Geoff Schwartz, a Chiefs UFA at guard. Most agree that this was a very good signing, and he will step in at left guard as an immediate upgrade. The Chiefs were sorry to lose him.
There were more questions about the signing of center JD Walton from the Broncos. A 3rd round draft choice of Denver in 2010, he started all 32 regular season games for the Broncos in 2010 and 2011. But bad luck caught up with him in 2012. After starting the first four games he had a serious ankle injury that required surgery. He missed the rest of 2012, and then needed additional surgery in June, 2013 causing him to miss that entire season on PUP. The Broncos had had enough and waived him. The Redskins claimed him but did not play him in the last two games of the season. So the Giants pretty well know what they are getting: solid player who has had serious ankle problems that have kept him from playing in a game since the 4th game of 2012.
To bolster offensive tackle the Giants signed another player with question marks: Charles Brown. Brown was drafted in the 2nd round by the Saints in 2010. He mostly sat out his rookie season but became the starter for the Saints in 2011. He then had the misfortune of being placed on IR after five games starting in 2011 and three games in 2012. These were lost years when he should have been learning how to play. He started the first 14 games of 2013 at left tackle, but felt the wrath of coach Sean Payton in a game against the Rams:
'I saw enough,' Saints Coach Sean Payton said. 'I saw enough, period. It was enough penalties, pressures, sacks. It was enough. At some point you can’t just keep watching it. Feelings get hurt, it is tough.'
For fans of Pro Football Focus, the news is not good. He received the lowest rating of any player on the Saints' offense for 2013 and was ranked 66th of 76 offensive tackles. His pass blocking was his worst fault.
So that's how the team addressed the offensive line in free agency. A solid starter and two question marks, with Brown being the bigger question mark. More to come was expected in the draft.
As it turned out the Giants only drafted one offensive lineman, but at least Weston Richburg appears to be a good one. He was a four year starter at Colorado State. Gil Brandt, the respected former player personnel VP of the Cowboys from 1960-1988, gave him a quick evaluation on Sirius. Undersized, very quick, and should be the Giants' center for the next 10 or 11 years.
But what of offensive tackle? As of now, the Giants seem to be rolling the dice with Beatty. With all the new people on the line, the cohesion that is so important to line play will not be there, which makes it even more important to put the best people out there.
And Snee and his ankle and other injuries and his age make him, well, less than even money to make it through the season with skills close to what they were in his prime.
So I rate this draft lower than most because it failed to sufficiently provide for the protection of Eli, and if the team has another season like 2013 and misses the playoffs for the third season in a row the Reese/Coughlin era will be over.
One last thought. Jerry Reese may yet pull a rabbit out of his drawers and pick up a Kawika Mitchell or Michael Boley.