This team is going to go down as a team that had a shot to make a run, but kept succumbing to its achilles heel (OL).
If there is anything comforting about the OL however, it's that Eli generally steps up into the pocket and needs better interior OL than T. Well, right now, our weaknesses are at tackle, so maybe Eli can make it work like he did in 2011.
is the only word to describe this possibility.....adding Vereen and a healthy Donnell and RR playing in a contract year, does raise optimism for this offense.....
But an OL , with new players at every position, and lack of depth, could rear it's ugly head.....
The Giants gave Will Beatty a sizeable contract, signed Schwartz and have three others players who are third year or younger picked in the top 10, top 20 and the top of the 2nd rd.
You may not agree with the pieces they've chosen but how much more can they possibly invest in the position?
is the only word to describe this possibility.....adding Vereen and a healthy Donnell and RR playing in a contract year, does raise optimism for this offense.....
But an OL , with new players at every position, and lack of depth, could rear it's ugly head.....
I think the OL is a little underrated. If Flowers can step in and perform and Schwartz can be the player we signed, it's pretty good, if not very deep.
I know some might say "big ifs," but are they? Are they big ifs if a solid guard plays solid and a 9th overall pick has a good season?
The depth is bad and we're vulnerable to injury, but if we can stay relatively healthy, the line should be at least average, IMO.
There are plenty of resources invested in the O-line
The depth has been poor and Beatty getting injured is obviously a major hit. Let's not act as if they haven't tried to address the problem. It just hasn't come together yet due to injury and a few bad decisions...Walton for instance.
I personally think the unit will have it's struggles but if they can stay the course and work at it together they can be effective as the season progresses. A Beatty return could give them a boost mid-season if he can get back and be effective.
I expect to see a 4-4 split or 5-3 in the first half
- TT, Steve Smith, Phillips, Hixon as unfortunate examples.
- Of course AP & Welker who blew up the league about a yr after (AP's near rushing record no less)
Cruz' wasn't the same injury, and even if so it doesn't mean the same results. Certainly treatments have improved so that's a little more general optimism. But I'll always think of TT and remember we have to wait and see. Running was a start. Then camp day 1 and full contact in general. Then preseason games. Then how he is 2-3-4 games in the season and even then how it changes his game if healthy (cutting, accel, speed etc). Great if he's 10x faster today, but he still has a decent uphill climb to go
#Cowboys RB was released today. His career has been ruined by a torn patellar tendon, same injury as Victor Cruz
Jordan Raanan added,
Todd Archer @toddarcher
Ryan Williams had a second knee surgery after June minicamp. Faced uphill climb to make roster anyway.
Wow, shows how hard Cruz has worked, how much of an uphill climb he faced, and how lucky the Giants are at the present moment. Keeping my fingers crossed that he has an injury free camp and a successful season.
RE: I am utterly baffled that we did not put more resources into the OL
No one knows til he steps on field, and stays there for awhile, to say he's as good or is going to be alright. All for optimism, and as players they got to be..but I'm wait and see with Cruz..and the rest.
#Cowboys RB was released today. His career has been ruined by a torn patellar tendon, same injury as Victor Cruz
Jordan Raanan added,
Todd Archer @toddarcher
Ryan Williams had a second knee surgery after June minicamp. Faced uphill climb to make roster anyway.
I would think although the injurious are the same that is a different hill to climb for a rb than a wr. Running backs legs are built more for power and receivers ate more speed. I'm not saying the strain on that pay off the knee isn't equally as big a factor but different. Not to mention the amount of contact each position takes isn't even close. I'll remain cautiously optimistic and can't wait to see him and obj together.
with or without cruz this offense will be dynamic. randle in a contract year, vereen, and of course OBJ is enough to win consistently with without cruz. yes cruz will make it better, but it all comes down to the OL.
This team is going to go down as a team that had a shot to make a run, but kept succumbing to its achilles heel (OL).
If there is anything comforting about the OL however, it's that Eli generally steps up into the pocket and needs better interior OL than T. Well, right now, our weaknesses are at tackle, so maybe Eli can make it work like he did in 2011.
How did we not put enough resources in the OL? This is a mantra repeated over and over here and it simply isn't true. Every move may not have worked out and injuries after the draft may have changed things. But, we have 3 starters who were 2 1st round picks and a 2nd round pick in the last 3 years. The remaining 2 starters are likely veterans. 1 (schwartz) was signed to start at RG, which is where he is starting. The other is either Newhouse, who was signed for depth but has had some success in the past, or someone else who beats him out.
Again, you may not agree with all the moves, but they have invested both high picks and FA signings over the last few years. A little better depth would be nice, but that is a luxury most teams do not have with the cap these days. This starting 5 should be better and more talented than anything we have had in the last few years.
The only think the giants need to do is clean up their game a little. by finishing tackles/sacks, not fumbling (donnell) or jennings against ARZ (and take a safety), Make tackles on specials. Just little stupid things that really hurt us last year.
Assuming we can control the game on offense and just be sound on D, we should be more like a 2011 team than 07. eli will be a candidate for MVP this year.
Is it possible that Cruz had a small tear before last season,
and that didn't bother him immediately? If so, he could easily be stronger and more injury-resistant than he was. I'm both hopeful and doubtful. I share Eric's concern.
we will have one of the best, if not the absolute best, WR corps in the league this year. This offense could put up scary numbers if the O-Line can get its shit together.
pass blocking OLine has a much better chance to succeed under McAdoo than it did Gilbride. it's why I'm not really worried about Ereck Flowers.
3- and 5-step drops and lots of play action and changing lauch points. McAdoo does a nice job with that
You really think that team doctors just get him to heal and do not pay attention to loss of agility and flexibility? Steve Smith we knew was never right in his rehab, same with Kenny Phillips. I was expecting them to play like damaged goods and unfortunately they did. I do not read 1 article or listen to 1 report that has me going uh-oh. I refuse to buy into the fear that he might not be the same.
Can return.. Let us hope and pray he may be able to resume his career and be an asset to the team. Can we just root him on until we have reason to believe otherwise?
Flowers- 1st rounder....9th pick
Pugh- 1st rounder....19th
Richburg- 2nd rounder....43rd
Beatty- 2nd rounder.....60th
Schwartz- well paid free agent....7th round, 241st...9 starts in last 4 seasons...
So Beatty 6 years ago, Pugh 2 years ago, and Richburg last year, Flowers this year.....so it's only been the last two years the Giants have made some sort of "effort" to fix the line via the draft...and while I'm sure each is talented in their own way, effective lines are made up of players that play together as a unit, not individually.....repetition in practice, playing one or two quarters in preseason games will not cut it......it's playing games over the course of a season....if we are lucky, they progress, along with the season....it's not going to happen overnight for 5 guys playing new positions.....by the end of the season, they should be solid...it's just a matter of if we are playing meaningful games at the end of the season.....
If we get a slightly above average running game, this is a 10 win football team. I don't care what none of y'all say!
If there is anything comforting about the OL however, it's that Eli generally steps up into the pocket and needs better interior OL than T. Well, right now, our weaknesses are at tackle, so maybe Eli can make it work like he did in 2011.
Wonder if the orthos will recommend he wear a brace for prophylactic/preventative purposes
But an OL , with new players at every position, and lack of depth, could rear it's ugly head.....
You may not agree with the pieces they've chosen but how much more can they possibly invest in the position?
But an OL , with new players at every position, and lack of depth, could rear it's ugly head.....
I think the OL is a little underrated. If Flowers can step in and perform and Schwartz can be the player we signed, it's pretty good, if not very deep.
I know some might say "big ifs," but are they? Are they big ifs if a solid guard plays solid and a 9th overall pick has a good season?
The depth is bad and we're vulnerable to injury, but if we can stay relatively healthy, the line should be at least average, IMO.
Pugh- 1st rounder
Richburg- 2nd rounder
Beatty- 2nd rounder
Schwartz- well paid free agent
The depth has been poor and Beatty getting injured is obviously a major hit. Let's not act as if they haven't tried to address the problem. It just hasn't come together yet due to injury and a few bad decisions...Walton for instance.
I personally think the unit will have it's struggles but if they can stay the course and work at it together they can be effective as the season progresses. A Beatty return could give them a boost mid-season if he can get back and be effective.
- TT, Steve Smith, Phillips, Hixon as unfortunate examples.
- Of course AP & Welker who blew up the league about a yr after (AP's near rushing record no less)
Cruz' wasn't the same injury, and even if so it doesn't mean the same results. Certainly treatments have improved so that's a little more general optimism. But I'll always think of TT and remember we have to wait and see. Running was a start. Then camp day 1 and full contact in general. Then preseason games. Then how he is 2-3-4 games in the season and even then how it changes his game if healthy (cutting, accel, speed etc). Great if he's 10x faster today, but he still has a decent uphill climb to go
I agree -- but for a different reason -- D transitioning to Spag's system and the O getting more reps with McAdoo's.
Jordan Raanan retweeted Todd Archer
#Cowboys RB was released today. His career has been ruined by a torn patellar tendon, same injury as Victor Cruz
Jordan Raanan added,
Todd Archer @toddarcher
Ryan Williams had a second knee surgery after June minicamp. Faced uphill climb to make roster anyway.
Jordan Raanan retweeted Todd Archer
#Cowboys RB was released today. His career has been ruined by a torn patellar tendon, same injury as Victor Cruz
Jordan Raanan added,
Todd Archer @toddarcher
Ryan Williams had a second knee surgery after June minicamp. Faced uphill climb to make roster anyway.
Wow, shows how hard Cruz has worked, how much of an uphill climb he faced, and how lucky the Giants are at the present moment. Keeping my fingers crossed that he has an injury free camp and a successful season.
You are? Seems fairly typical of this team to me.
Jordan Raanan retweeted Todd Archer
#Cowboys RB was released today. His career has been ruined by a torn patellar tendon, same injury as Victor Cruz
Jordan Raanan added,
Todd Archer @toddarcher
Ryan Williams had a second knee surgery after June minicamp. Faced uphill climb to make roster anyway.
I would think although the injurious are the same that is a different hill to climb for a rb than a wr. Running backs legs are built more for power and receivers ate more speed. I'm not saying the strain on that pay off the knee isn't equally as big a factor but different. Not to mention the amount of contact each position takes isn't even close. I'll remain cautiously optimistic and can't wait to see him and obj together.
The piece of shit that puts a helmet on his knee should be immediately lifted to the middle of nowhere with Kathy Bates. Odds it's Meriweather?
Quote:
Cruz takes a hit on the knee. Thats not gonna tickle.
The piece of shit that puts a helmet on his knee should be immediately lifted to the middle of nowhere with Kathy Bates. Odds it's Meriweather?
He's a free agent and not on any team so the odds are pretty high.
if he does get signed by someone things could change, but right now it won't be Merriweather.
If there is anything comforting about the OL however, it's that Eli generally steps up into the pocket and needs better interior OL than T. Well, right now, our weaknesses are at tackle, so maybe Eli can make it work like he did in 2011.
Again, you may not agree with all the moves, but they have invested both high picks and FA signings over the last few years. A little better depth would be nice, but that is a luxury most teams do not have with the cap these days. This starting 5 should be better and more talented than anything we have had in the last few years.
Assuming we can control the game on offense and just be sound on D, we should be more like a 2011 team than 07. eli will be a candidate for MVP this year.
Big if, I know.
3- and 5-step drops and lots of play action and changing lauch points. McAdoo does a nice job with that
Pugh- 1st rounder....19th
Richburg- 2nd rounder....43rd
Beatty- 2nd rounder.....60th
Schwartz- well paid free agent....7th round, 241st...9 starts in last 4 seasons...
So Beatty 6 years ago, Pugh 2 years ago, and Richburg last year, Flowers this year.....so it's only been the last two years the Giants have made some sort of "effort" to fix the line via the draft...and while I'm sure each is talented in their own way, effective lines are made up of players that play together as a unit, not individually.....repetition in practice, playing one or two quarters in preseason games will not cut it......it's playing games over the course of a season....if we are lucky, they progress, along with the season....it's not going to happen overnight for 5 guys playing new positions.....by the end of the season, they should be solid...it's just a matter of if we are playing meaningful games at the end of the season.....
The success of the Giants O has more to do with a younger Randle continuing to progress.
I wish Cruz well, for sure, though it may be sooner than later the Giants secure a slot WR who has the necessary burst.
Tough business the NFL.