Reese has been our recent punching bag, some deserved and some not. Although there was no major sexy moves, I feel he has done a decent job re-enforcing our roster and filling in holes during FA.
Really like the DL signings of the past days. I hated Harris on Dallas for a reason. What is not to like about Vereen. I even like the signing of the coverage Lber's.
The most disregarded signings of the off-season being C/G (Jones) and RT(Newhouse) with controversial Jerry and balance of our back-ups (Mosley, Hermen) should net us us a servicable 5th starter and workable depth. Don't, I know what you going to say, but I do not view the OL as dire as some....OL need time to gel as a unit.
The only major miss was McCourty, who elected to go back to his old team. Leaving the FS spot as our only glaring "perceived" hold. We have a couple a young unproven talented players on the roster....so there is a chance it plays out like last year with TEs. I suspect a safety or big corner will be drafted......but not as a desperate reach.
And don't get me wrong......Reese must hit big with this draft. We have not drafted in top 10 since we got Eli and Snee in2004! 2 future pro-bowlers would be nice!
I expect an infusion of needed talent from this draft......I am not one to claim I know what would be best..but maximising the value is key. For example,
If Cooper.....a top 2-5 player drops to us.....because of QBs and pass rusher need.....grabing him or trading down with someone who desperately needs him would make sense to me.
White
Gregory
Cooper
L Collins (OT)
Shereff
Beasley
I am not putting Fowler or Williams in here since they are the only ones I thing is a sure thing to go before us. The others we have a chance of getting.
For me, all of those guys carry risk and would concern me at 9.
The same is true for the OL. Get a competent OL and people will realize just how miserable this group is.
No depth and little talent. This team needs OL worse than any position, including safety.
George Selvie won't scare anyone. Same with J.T. Thomas. Or Dwayne Harris. Etc.
That said, BPA has always been in play at almost every position because this team doesn't have very many outstanding players.
This roster needs talent all over the place.
George Selvie won't scare anyone. Same with J.T. Thomas. Or Dwayne Harris. Etc.
That said, BPA has always been in play at almost every position because this team doesn't have very many outstanding players.
These pick-ups don't have to "scare" anyone, they just have to do their job..And stay healthy...Selvie is far better than Kiwi was last year, Ellis will help stop the run better than ANYONE we had last year and Thomas should give us better, perhaps much better LB play then JW and Paysinger did..Harris? 4th or 5th receiver? probably, but what a nice addition for Specials as gunner and return guy..Just keeping OBJ away from the return game is huge..
You'll notice I never used the word stud or great or anything close..You'll also notice that I never said they would scare anyone..Dallas' D, which was supposed to suck BIG TIME, scared no one last year..They just did their jobs, better than expected..
These pick-ups in the desired 26-28 range are perfect complements to the younger talents we've picked up in recent drafts and hope to continue to pick-up a little over a month from now..
The Dallas defense was protected by their running game and time of possession which was 3rd in the NFL. Which is a major point in favor of upgrading our O-Line. The Giants were among the worst in yards per carry(3.6) and short yardage success.
The Dallas defense was protected by their running game and time of possession which was 3rd in the NFL. Which is a major point in favor of upgrading our O-Line. The Giants were among the worst in yards per carry(3.6) and short yardage success.
No question..It certainly helped us during our recent runs..But let's alsogive tremendous credit to Marinelli and the job he did with what he had to work with
Somebody will get hurt. There is zero depth along the entire LOS. The RG cannot run block. Neither tackle has a backup, LG has no backup and the center has a CFL player. Simply adding a guard after Round 1 I don't see as the answer.
The salient point is that R&R have flunked their draft and roster management tests (other than first pick). Many of us, many observers: these FA signings are a use of scarce cap $$ that could have been applied to superior talent to upgrade the roster had Reese's drafts supplied the team with playable depth, special teamers, but the drafts from Round 2 and lower have, on balance, been abysmal since 2008.
SFGiants Fan - pretty much, but the David Wilson pick, right after Martin had gone--was very questionable with Cordy Glenn sitting there, said by some to be at the top of Giants' board as BPA. I know it's easy to say in hindsight, but his college body of work described DW as a specialist, rather than an every down RB in the NFL.
I am with Bill2, and unhappy about it, but I think the Giants will go with a Cooper, Parker (I think White may be gone) at 1 and, hopefully, OG or OT at 2. I am hopeful that Brett Jones becomes a Reese FA success.
QB
HC
DC
Pass-rushers/DEs (if 4-3)
CB
WR
OL
Are there exceptions? If one facet of the team is so dominant like the 2000 Ravens, it can get away without necessarily having something else like a top QB.
However when looking at the SuperBowl winning teams over the last 10 years almost all had strong players at these positions and almost all had a quality DC.
On the OL: Not necessarily every lineman has to be great but they have to play collectively well.
On the DC: Right along with QB/HC this is just as critical especially if your HC is offensive-minded. The entire defense does not need all-stars at every position. However, what they do need more than anything is a defensive coordinator who gets them believing in his system, playing cohesively and on the same page. When combining that with strong players at the most critical positions on D and adequate players that can execute their roles elsewhere, that is usually a recipe for success.
However with some better fortune regarding injuries, I do believe this team has many of the components in place to be playoff-caliber next year. It maybe a bit hard to see due to our performances the last couple years, but if our players can string together some games where we aren't besieged by injury I think this team will surprise.
QB
HC
DC
Pass-rushers/DEs (if 4-3)
CB
WR
OL
Are there exceptions? If one facet of the team is so dominant like the 2000 Ravens, it can get away without necessarily having something else like a top QB.
However when looking at the SuperBowl winning teams over the last 10 years almost all had strong players at these positions and almost all had a quality DC.
On the OL: Not necessarily every lineman has to be great but they have to play collectively well.
Want a list of teams with better CB's and WR that stunk without an OL?
QB and the LOS is still #1, #2 and #3. It's not even close. At quick glance, both NFC/AFC Champs over the past 5 years were stronger on the LOS than they were better at WR.
This roster needs talent all over the place.
Isn't all improvement, by definition, incremental?
The Ellis and Selvie acquisitions have helped the defense in this regard.
Thus far we have done nothing to bolster the talent level of the O-Line and specifically to the running game. Are you comfortable relying on a rebound from Schwartz and a CFL standout to turn this thing around? That's a scary proposition imo.
The defense is the problem. It was in 2014 and 2013 and it really hasn't been upgraded at all, so far. The LBs are depth and specials players, perhaps Thomas can win the WILL gig and contribute. But, the defense badly needs more talent.
We won 2 Super Bowls with equal talent. We only won once with better talent in 1986. 2008 was our best team most recently and won zilch.
But I do feel we are resolving issues.
On Defense:
Stopping the run.
Selvie and Kendrick plus Beason will dramatically improve in that area.
3rd down efficiency.
I hope these coverage LB'ERS help cover the TE and RB that always seem wide open. But i really hope that Spags pressure defense will be the answer.
****The play that still haunts me was Romo in the pocket for what felt like 10 minutes before he finally tossed a game winning TD*****
that was the end of Fewell for me.
on Offense, which exceeded expectation last year.
Options beyond OBJ:
Randle, O'Donnell and Cruz but Harris in case Cruz does not make it.
3rd down efficiency:
Vereen adds a needed dimension
OL concerns:
Adding some more cogs and keeping core.
Special teams:
Harris keeps OBJ off specials and improves all phases.
Injuries:
Added depth across roster
Safety is stil a concern. I am confident in Berhe but that still leaves a hole beside him.
The Ellis and Selvie acquisitions have helped the defense in this regard.
Thus far we have done nothing to bolster the talent level of the O-Line and specifically to the running game. Are you comfortable relying on a rebound from Schwartz and a CFL standout to turn this thing around? That's a scary proposition imo.
Don't think the OL is in as terrible shape as many presume. As discussed pretty much ad naseum , we have 4 premium choices on the OL (3 top 2 round picks and a quality FA signing). Who knows, we may also go for another OL in the top 2 rounds in this draft. Would have preferred bringing in an Orlando Franklin or Newton but I certainly don't think the OL is in shambles (provided some health finally).
No, it doesn't, and the 2011 roster wasn't off the charts talented to begin with. This roster is an 8-9 win roster if health is intact and they get a couple timely bounces.
Hopefully they'll have a big draft and the class will contribute this season, but right now this roster isn't much better than 2014.
-Beatty is an average serviceable LT.
-Pugh is playing the wrong position as he lacks RT traits(size/power) in the running game imo.
-Richburg had a good rookie season but it wasn't like he took the league by storm as Zack Martin did.
-The Schwartz paycut following multiple leg injuries is concerning. Is he damaged goods?
This O-line needs an anchor, as most successful lines do. I don't think that guy is on the roster...yet.
No, it doesn't, and the 2011 roster wasn't off the charts talented to begin with. This roster is an 8-9 win roster if health is intact and they get a couple timely bounces.
Hopefully they'll have a big draft and the class will contribute this season, but right now this roster isn't much better than 2014.
I am not ready to agree with your last part. I know we havent add much talent in FA, but here's some things we have to count on.
Health: DRC and prince staying healthy makes for a very good CB tandem. Beason in the middle is better than McClain in the middle. Schwartz is an upgrade over Jerry. Cruz is a question mark. If all of them come back ready to play, right off the bat we are better.
Emerging players: Kennard, Richburg, Williams, Donnell, Randle?, and even Hankins should be better with another offseason.
Draft: Getting 1-2 player to contribute immediately will also help.
Now we lost Rolle, but other than that, its not like we are missing critical pieces from last year. I know its asking for the stars align, but even if half of those thing or half of those players improve, we could be a sleeper team.
Anything he provides this year is an upgrade over what we had last year.
As it stands, they look moderately better than last year. If they grab a Cooper/White/Parker, I have no doubt the offense will get better referencing Bill2's theory.
Mix that with a reasonable expectation that this year the Giants have an NFL average number of injuries and 10 wins is certainly a strong possibility. We still have Eli.
You can't count on him to provide anything. The bad contract Reese gave him made it nearly impossible to cut bait until next year. Do I and every Giant fan hope he stays healthy? Of course but his track record indicates this is a very longshot. The good news is we have better depth to replace him this time if he gets hurt. Thomas/McClain/Kennard.
Need (either this year, or next) also almost always factors in. Kiwi was the last player who was not also a need pick. But, it's rare that you can claim any given position is rock solid, and thus not a position of need.
The lines are so blurred it's easy to make a good case that any given player can be placed in either need or BPA category.
We rarely draft for pure need (I'd put Wilson and Pugh in this category) or for pure BPA (Kiwi). It's almost always a blend of BPA, need, and marquis position weighting.
But I don't think we are not that far away from competing in the NFC East.
Seattle concerns me but they should concern everyone in the NFC ......
and I know we are what our record says we are.
But another great draft.....we will compete with most.
I kinda, sorta know what you mean, but OUR core is hardly special, thus not much of a "core."
We need starting quality and depth for the worst POA offensive line in the NFL (and I include blocking TE in that assessment.)
I would not be surprised if they won the division. I expect nothing less after 3 years of shitty play and all the staff & roster turnover. The Giants are not in the same class as the Redskins.
As long as they play as a unit well.....
The same is true for the OL. Get a competent OL and people will realize just how miserable this group is.
No depth and little talent. This team needs OL worse than any position, including safety. [/quote]
that we did not draft Beason. He was practically discarded by his last team, and fell into our hands. We may still get a competent OL by trade or FA. What some bloggers fail to realize is that the Giants cannot plug every weak spot on this team in 1 or even 2 years. It looks like a 3 year job. I am content to wait for 2016 to judge how well the front office has done. This year, the sensible thing to do is to go for BPA in at least the first 2 rounds. Take a deep breath.