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Let's start at safety, because that's where the biggest questions lie. Cooper Taylor and Nat Berhe are the only Giants safeties under contract for 2015. Neither projects as a starter, and safety is not a position (such as linebacker) where the Giants tend to look for cheap solutions. I believe they will work to land at least one starting safety via free agency and possibly even address the position early in the draft. We discussed in Saturday's mailbag the possibility of them using the No. 9 pick on Alabama's Landon Collins, and I don't think it's farfetched. The first issue is what to do with Rolle, a 32-year-old veteran captain who just played every game and earned every dollar of a five-year free-agent contract. They would bring him back, but it will have to be at the right price. And as they did with Justin Tuck a year ago, the Giants could lowball Rolle and send him into the arms of some team with a whole bunch of cap room and a willingness to spend for a big name. If that happens (and maybe even if it doesn't), the Giants may end up playing in the deep end of the free-agent safety pool, making an offer for someone such as New England's Devin McCourty or Buffalo's Da'Norris Searcy in an effort to replace Rolle. |
DE and DT are big needs.
OL is more likely to be fixed from within, pending a draft pick like Peat (OT, not OG) early in the draft.
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The O-line should be their first priority. Then the Defensive front seven. The DBs will benefit from a better front 7 even though I do agree that having Berhe and Taylor as starters would be a scary thought.
But my bigger concerns are the OL, DL and LB corps. Being able to run the ball and defend the run remain the two most critical tasks for a football team.
BTW, if we re-sign Thurmond and Bowman and keep the rest of the CBs, I wonder whether one of that group could be effective as a FS. Thoughts?
Bowman showed himself as an unwilling tackler this past season.
Safety is in pretty dire straits right now. Lots of holes on this team.
Regardless of how you rank the importance of positions the Giants need particular improvement in both lines,LB, and safety.
Maybe some of the improvement comes from within Bromley develops, Richburg and Pugh continue to improve. Walton after his first year after an extended layoff gets better, Schwartz stays healthy and plays to his contract.
Maybe it comes through FA or the draft but in order to even have a chance to contend these areas have to be addressed.
The defensive backfield has no safeties, two injured corners, and no backups....
The Linebackers have a questionable Beason(will he be asked to take a paycut?), a slow/average McClain, and a rookie in Kennard, who shows potential, but nothing more....
At this moment, the only decent starter we have in the DL is Hankins......JPP, I don't think wants to be franchised, and if he is, may pull a "Welker"......he wants to test the open market.....The rest of the line has an old Jenkins, Kiwi who just doesn't have it anymore(and I doubt will take another paycut), and the rest are just situational players.....none are starters....
The DC walking into this situation, has to depend on Reese....how has that worked out thus far?
Safety is a huge hole.
I'll take Rolle back. I hope they can work it out and keep him 2 more years.
At the other S spot we need to find an explosive athlete with range. The Chiefs have an interesting player. S Parker. He can really run. They had him matched up in one on one situations vs Watkins from Buf and he had a fine game.
Not a lot of exp but a young player coming off his rookie deal who could be a great value. And add tremendous speed at S.
I'll take Rolle back. I hope they can work it out and keep him 2 more years.
At the other S spot we need to find an explosive athlete with range. The Chiefs have an interesting player. S Parker. He can really run. They had him matched up in one on one situations vs Watkins from Buf and he had a fine game.
Not a lot of exp but a young player coming off his rookie deal who could be a great value. And add tremendous speed at S.
while he was a great signing and won here, it is most likely best to move on and let him cash in with a team like Oakland then to try and do it again
Stevie Brown was frustrating to have on the field half the season and was benched for it. Berhe isn't ready to start and Taylor is still a question mark. We need to bring Rolle back at a realistic price because he is declining. Devin McCourty is the best safety available in free agency but we can't afford him.
I understand that offensive line still needs to be fixed but that can and should be done in free agency. We don't need another rookie on that line, we need a young veteran for stability.
Safety is one of the worst positions.
I have some hope for Taylor, but you can't count on him.
There is no way that player is going top 10. Giants won't consider him there. Even in round 2, the Giants can do much better.
I don't even see a shot as a first round player for Collins.
He has the look of average NFL player. There is nothing he does that pops and a few things that look like a future problem in the NFL like his closing speed to the ball.
I wouldn't consider Collins until the mid rounds.
'' STRENGTHS: Possesses a legitimate NFL frame with good height, broad shoulders and a tapered, well-defined musculature. Uses his length and physicality to harass receivers at the line of scrimmage and throughout the route. Extends an arm to jam opponents and disrupt timing.
Good balance and coordination to turn and run, showing steady acceleration and at least functional straight-line speed to remain at cornerback. Good hand-eye coordination to >>disrupt passes at the catch-point, >>showing no panic when the ball is in the air and the >>strength to rip it out of the hands of receivers as they attempt to secure the catch.
>>Aggressive in run support. Fights through would-be blockers, including offensive linemen. Physical tackler who lowers his shoulder and drives through ballcarriers.<<
Good awareness and aggression on special teams. Blocked a kick in 2014 and is a cognizant, physical blocker on the return unit.
WEAKNESSES: May project better to the NFL back at safety than at cornerback. Like many taller corners, Rowe has a slight hitch in his transition, leaving him vulnerable to double-moves. He rides the receiver throughout the route and too often extends his arms to limit their movement.
Does not possess ideal hands, dropping several potential interceptions on tape.''
We had been talking about it during the season about how his play had dropped off dramatically. The numbers seems to confirm what the eyes may have been telling us.
Was it due to age? Injury? Not having a safety the caliber of Will Hill next to him and playing next to Stevie Brown and Quentin Demps, two terrible football players? Who knows?
Here is how it broke down week-to-week:
'' S Brian Blechen, Senior (6-2 | 215 | 4.60 | #4)
Blechen missed the entire 2013 season with knee tendinitis, which will obviously warrant investigation from any NFL team looking to add him to their roster. He is an instinctive, physical defender who has shown a knack for making big plays throughout his career, notching eight interceptions and six forced fumbles in 35 career starts. Blechen was recruited as a quarterback but his blue-collar style and grit earned him a spot on defense and he won the strong safety role in his first week of practice. Blechen has 'tweener traits but has been too productive for too long to ignore.
OL Jeremiah Poutasi, Junior (6-5 | 345 | 5.29 | #73)
Poutasi spent his first two seasons at Utah playing tackle, first at the blindside as a freshman before moving to the right side last year. The Utes are considering him at his natural position of guard in 2014. Poutasi has struggled with his weight (he's reportedly down to 330 now) but is surprisingly quick and light on his feet. He does not possess ideal flexibility or length and struggles a bit with leverage bu
t could emerge as a draftable commodity if he takes to the new role.
''
then there is Nate Orchard- a bit small for my prototypical DE but one never knows.
but hey, why not just drive up to Syracuse instead?
while he was a great signing and won here, it is most likely best to move on and let him cash in with a team like Oakland then to try and do it again
He had a terrible year and my heart says yes, but my mind says no. I believe he can rebound and be solid again, but for how long and what's his ceiling?
I think we need to see what is on the market.
As for JPP, do we let him hit the market and see if we can make a play for Houston?
Reese has his work cut out for him.
Safety is a big need, and I doubt they'll spend to bring Rolle back. They'll need two safeties at a minimum, and CB has many UFAs to potentially backfill.
Whether Cruz can come back as a reasonable facsimile of himself is a huge question. Walton, Brewer, Mosely, Jerry, Herzlich, Paysinger, Robinson..so many players who arguably do not belong on an NFL roster.
I hope Giants fans are realistic about how talent-deprived this team is.
This made me spit take.... No we probably should not try the guy who when full on matador on Marshawn Lynch at a position that requires good tackling.