Rebuild or Retool? 2004 Offseason as a Case Study

Rebuild or Retool? 2004 as a Case Study

There seems to be some argument here over whether the Giants are rebuilding or just retooling and what that portends for the Draft pick at 2.

I think a look back at the 2004 Giants offseason might offer some clues.

For one Dave Gettleman was part of it so it might give us an indication of what he might since it was so successful it lead to 2 Super Bowls.

The parallels are obvious. Both offseasons had a Head Coach search. Both involve potentially a QB draft pick. Collins had led an NFC Champion just 4 seasons earlier and a playoff team 2 years earlier.

The Giants locker room was in disarray and embroiled in an offense vs defense feud.

So what offseason moves did be Giants make? Rebuild or retool?

With their own free agents the Giants allowed Cornelius Griffin and Dhani Jones to walk. Both were 26/27 and they signed long term deals in division with Redskins/Eagles. Griffin was highly sought after getting 7 yrs 31 mil.

Letting this type of player walk to division rivals is not the type of move a rebuilding team would make. Hindsight proves they were the right moves but that was not clear at the time.

So who did the Giants sign as their priority free agents?

The biggest moves were Carlos Emmons, Fred Robbins, Shaun O' Hara and Barrett Green.

Emmons was 31 years old when we signed him to a 5 year deal 16.5 mil from Eagles.

O' Hara was not a high profile signing but a solid move to help the line as he was mostly unknown and unheralded. He was 27 and signed for just 3 yr 5.4 mil.

Robbins may have been the biggest move. He got 6 yrs and 20 mil. He was 26 and onsidered a bit of an up and comer.

Green was the young gamble. He was 26 and unknown and hadnt played and was given 5 yrs 13 mil.

Most of the signings were of 26/27 range with the one 31 yr old bigger signing.

I think this can mostly match tbe Giants moves of Solder (30), Ogletree (26), Omameh (28), and Martin (26)

I think these moves could easily be broken down to

Solder= Emmons
Ogletree= Robbins
Omameh= O' Hara
Martin= Green

When i say that i mean in terms of value when signed, age, contract invested.

I think from this that we can see a rather similar approach to the offseason so far in 04 and 18.

Both teams had a littany of stars with big deals. Strahan, Toomer, Tiki, Shockey, Kerry, Barrow

This team Odell, Landon, Eli, JPP Vernon, & Jenkins

Questions surrounding whether the players should be part of the new team.

As we now the result the Giants mostly kept them. They moved on from Barrow (31) . This team moved on from JPP (29)

Both teams have high failing draft picks. Dayne, Will Allen & William Joseph.

This team with Apple & Flowers.

That team did not immediately move on from those guys but over time. I expect a similar case here.

What we say in 2004 was not a great purge. Not an immediate rebuild.

It happened slowly over time that by 07 some pieces still remained. The big talent.

Now the question is about this years draft.

In 04, the Giants had 3 QBs available. Darnold is in the Eli position. Likely to be gone. The Giants were in position to take Rivers or Ben. They also had a stud skill position player who people thought (and were right) would be a Hall of Famer in Larry Fitzgerald. There was also the surest thing in tbe draft franchise OL in Robert Gallery and a stud defensive player in a big position of need in Sean Taylor.

The Giants were in position to get any if them with a trade up. The media was dead certain the player would likely be Gallery as he filled the biggest need on the team. Some said trade down and grab Ben at 7 (we know they had an offer and considered)

So was 04 a rebuild or retool? Id say it adds up to a rebuild by retooling little by little so that by 4 years later it was a very different team.

So what does it all mean for this year at 2?

The biggest thing that I see is that Giants moves didnt add up to a big trade for a rookie QB and rebuild the team. It is not obvious from the moves they made.

People are saying you dont sign a 30 yr old to big money in a rebuild. Well that team signed a 31 yr old to a long term deal on what was good money then.

The Giants have added s few mid20s guys just like that team. They let some dead weight go. They held on to young underperforming talent. They didnt immediately ditch their stars.

So I dont think these moves are likely to be the clue to the draft.

Anything is possible at 2.

Ultimately i think Giants go same route and draft QB and add their Snee in round 2.

Eli wont pull a Kerry and will play the Warner role but for a bit longer.

Follow the blueprint. It worked.