J.T. Thomas emerging as a vocal leader on Giants’ defense

...make plays, not noise.

In most cases there are limits to the leadership a player who is a non factor on Sunday's can have.

.

...I put a lot of effort into that soothing green escarpment.

Leadership is great no matter how you slice it. From the field or the sidelines. JT might not be the stud LB the fan base wants, but glue-guys like this are the type that can help steer the ship in the right direction.

Play the game

The LBs including Thomas will play better if the opposing OL doesn't always get free shots at them. I'm hoping that the upgrade on the DL will give fast LBs like Thomas a better chance to make some plays. Plus Thomas had to stay healthy as does Kennard

Did this guy even play last year

Except for Vernon mentioning Thomas as a locker room leader, I haven't seen or heard anything to justify this statement.

I think the new guy Vernon may have created a case of mistaken identity.

I was hoping Thomas would be a 3-down LB. Even when healthy, he was the first LB off the field.

Play like a leader first, then talk..

In comment 12972615 ghost718 said:

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Did this guy even play last year

My thoughts exactly....he was horrendous last year, a total non-factor.

Oh that scrub linebacker who could be cut in preseason?

You don't have to be a plus starter to have a leadership impact. "Talk is cheap, play the game" has no relevance here. If the guy is in the weight room and a leadership in the film room and he's being vocal to make his teammates accountable, then he's a leader.

He's not talking shit and calling for a super bowl, he's being a vocal veteran presence, not a blowhard trash talker.

In comment 12972651 Patrick77 said:

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Oh that scrub linebacker who could be cut in preseason?

this^^

He can lead the march to the unemployment office

I'm not sure why you would connect the two.

was falling behind Casillas on the depth chart.

When he was playing at JAX. He's a good player. Hopefully he can shake the injury bug.

In comment 12972752 Ten Ton Hammer said:

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I'm not sure why you would connect the two.

Usually a leader is at least a good player, or a guy who starts. Thomas could very well be off the team or be a backup at some point this year. Unless this is like a Rudy and Notre Dame type of leadership I don't follow why any player would follow Thomas.

who desperately wanted to be a leader but just sucked? He was all rah rah and doing his best and people just tuned him out? Thomas might be that guy.

this isn't high school where even the garbage players can hold a roster spot. These are professional athletes who do this for a living.

It's actually absurd to me that people on an online message board take an article talking about a guy being a locker room leader, from the mouths of their teammates and coaches, and try to belittle it.

Why would you diminish a guy who is being held in high esteem by his peers and the very players that you root for on Sundays? It's just weird.

In comment 12972787 LI NHB said:

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this isn't high school where even the garbage players can hold a roster spot. These are professional athletes who do this for a living. It's actually absurd to me that people on an online message board take an article talking about a guy being a locker room leader, from the mouths of their teammates and coaches, and try to belittle it. Why would you diminish a guy who is being held in high esteem by his peers and the very players that you root for on Sundays? It's just weird.

Mostly because I think he sucks. I'd love to see the guy cut because then it would mean the team is improving at that position with someone better than him. He and Casillas had potential when they came here, now I view them similar to John Jerry, Herzlich, Newhouse, etc... marginal starters who ideally would provide depth. I'm rooting for Brinkley, Goodson, Sheppard, Robinson, and Kennard to stay healthy and take up all the playing time at LB.

I think following the leadership of a bad player doesn't produce many championships but I'm open to being wrong on that one.

He CAN play. I think he impressed the Giants making plays (especially in this game against them in November 2014).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1RkmF4wypA

In comment 12972775 Patrick77 said:

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In comment 12972752 Ten Ton Hammer said: Quote: I'm not sure why you would connect the two. Usually a leader is at least a good player, or a guy who starts. Thomas could very well be off the team or be a backup at some point this year. Unless this is like a Rudy and Notre Dame type of leadership I don't follow why any player would follow Thomas.

A leader to me is anyone who sets the example with their behavior and effort, who's willing to help out younger players trying to get better, who keeps the locker room running smoothly.

Coughlin's leadership council didn't just have stars on it. DeOssie was considered a leader. Beatty was on it. Chase Blackburn was on it.

The idea of your all stars also being leaders is often times more hollywood than reality.

He wasn't a locker room saboteur. He wasn't signed to be a savior at the position like Barrett Green or Kenny Holmes or Will Demps and sucked. He wasn't a shit talker.

Every time I saw JT Thomas, he was playing quite hard. Running down plays, blitzing hard...I think a lot of his problem last year was that our D line sucked shit through a tube. When guards and centers are continuously able to get to the linebacker level, that's tough for a 235/240 lb player to deal with.

Exactly. If the team accepts him as a leader, who the hell here knows anything more than they do. Christ,the mindless bullshit here gets deeper every day.

Many times, it is about the defensive line holding their ground and not letting the big offensive linemen at the line backers.

After all, isn't that what Tom Landry did, when he invented the 4-3 defense (when he was Giants defensive coordinator in the 50s). He transformed Sam Huff from an average to a great player with the help of the scheme and an excellent defensive line.

I remember when Michael Barrow came here, I thought he was destined to be the next Sam Huff; instead he never played to his potential because the Giants' piss-poor defensive line couldn't keep the offensive linemen off him. How many concussions did he suffer (and played through), who knows.

This year, we have three big boys in the middle that demand double-teaming - Harrison, Hankins and Hughes. That will help all our linebackers a whole lot.

You guys never miss an opportunity to bitch. Since when is a player showing leadership skills a bad thing? Holy shit

+1

Said it best.

Are not many teams that have pro bowlers at every position. All that you can ask is that they play hard and stay out of trouble.

The entire Giants defensive team stunk like shit last year, and people kill a vet who brings some attitude and leadership to the table? Fuck you guys.

McQuarters and Sam Madison weren't very good when we got them either, but they brought a ton of intangibles.

All right JT! Fire m up! Let's go!

Some of you putzes would bitch about anything.

In comment 12973025 prdave73 said:

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+1 Said it best.

Huh?

Lol?
prdave73 : 2:09 pm : link : reply
Play like a leader first, then talk..

When I hear or see nonsense like this I just laugh.

It's what you do between the white lines that counts so for so much more.

cannot be leaders. Like I said earlier this week, as long as guys like Thomas and Casillas figure prominently in their plans on defense, there has been no improvement at linebacker.

In comment 12973093 RetroJint said:

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cannot be leaders. Like I said earlier this week, as long as guys like Thomas and Casillas figure prominently in their plans on defense, there has been no improvement at linebacker.

Riiiight.

in sub-packages, do the Giants have any LBs who would be considered good in coverage? Or anyone who is even better than the LBs on the roster who are definitely not?

In comment 12973093 RetroJint said:

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cannot be leaders.

What do you have to support that theory?

In comment 12973185 Glover said:

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in sub-packages, do the Giants have any LBs who would be considered good in coverage? Or anyone who is even better than the LBs on the roster who are definitely not?

Robinson is supposedly good in coverage. Sheppard may be decent as well. Goodson is a thumper but I've read he won't embarrass in coverage. The rest are generally known to be poor in coverage.

Sh*t Sandwich

but you would like it to be somebody who is a lock to be a starter...

Make plays, not sound waves.

In comment 12973023 AP in Halfmoon said:

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You guys never miss an opportunity to bitch. Since when is a player showing leadership skills a bad thing? Holy shit

It has nothing to do with Thomas. It's about the article being a dumb off-season reach. I hope Thomas and every Giant is awesome and we never give up a first down and win 19 games.

the bitching about this only reinforces that opinion. There are plenty of average players who are considered leaders in the locker room. Also, it's tough to really evaluate Thomas' play last year with the lack of quality DT's keeping the LB's clean. Snacks and Hankins could make him look like a completely different player.

Health issues - we really have no info to evaluate the effect on a player's performance except of course if he is out.

Some people take some time to adapt to new schemes (even if we would like this not to be so).

If Thomas is reasonably healthy this year, the end of this season is the time to make a definitive value evaluation.