Many (myself definitely included) felt great about our draft class from last year. We saw several of the rookies flash potential and frankly Saquon gave us an amazing performance.
The most trouble I am having is the regression they are showing. There is a good article in the NY Post this morning
"Revisiting Giants' 2018 Draft Class" that really highlights how poorly they have performed this year.
I gave DG a ton of credit for the draft class last year, and I lean toward our coaches being squarely responsible for making sure our players improve.
What say you? Did we overestimate the draft class or are our coaches just not capable of taking these players forward? Maybe both? If history is an indicator of the future, next year DJ8 is going to look like Baker Mayfield if this continues . . .
The schemes impact position coaches and thus growth is stunted.
These are necessary growing pains for Jones, but don't discount the affect it has on other players.
I wanted Connelly to start Day 1 over Davis and sooner than later, supplant Ogletree. His preseason work was very well done and you could see his instincts shine.
In Barkley's case, it doesn't take a mastermind to figure out that stopping Barkley is Job #1 and forget the rookie qb and junky receivers. Has been working like a charm. Barkley had 2000 yards and 15 td's last season. This season 650 yards and 3 td's. What's wrong with Barkley? A rookie qb is what is wrong with Barkley.
Guys like Hill and Hernandez have been figured out and their weaknesses attacked. They either need to now shore up their weaknesses or they are not long for the League. That is the way of things.
These are necessary growing pains for Jones, but don't discount the affect it has on other players.
There are pluses and minuses there as well though - Jones' increased mobility makes it much easier for him to buy time to avoid sacks.
If you're referring specifically to Barkley, I think most would agree it's probably more his not being 100% and less anything else, although I think you have a point in that it's taking a weakness that was reportedly in his game since college (pass pro) and magnifying it.
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look at what a lot of people made out of BJ Hill based on one game. I continuously read about Connelly - who had a whopping 3 games to his credit, his best one against a Washington team that is awful and whose coach was about to get the axe.
I wanted Connelly to start Day 1 over Davis and sooner than later, supplant Ogletree. His preseason work was very well done and you could see his instincts shine.
The receiver corps was a really poor gamble on DG's part, I think he capitulated to Shurmur on trading OB, which is a sore spot. They did a poor job self-scouting the LB unit, FS, OL, and even their DL choices aren't performing great.
In Barkley's case, it doesn't take a mastermind to figure out that stopping Barkley is Job #1 and forget the rookie qb and junky receivers. Has been working like a charm. Barkley had 2000 yards and 15 td's last season. This season 650 yards and 3 td's. What's wrong with Barkley? A rookie qb is what is wrong with Barkley.
Guys like Hill and Hernandez have been figured out and their weaknesses attacked. They either need to now shore up their weaknesses or they are not long for the League. That is the way of things.
Barkley is also hurt. I guess that's on coaching too.
The receiver corps was a really poor gamble on DG's part, I think he capitulated to Shurmur on trading OB, which is a sore spot. They did a poor job self-scouting the LB unit, FS, OL, and even their DL choices aren't performing great.
That's interesting Jon - you think that DG capitulated on the trade and not the other way around? To me it seemed like once OBJ was traded Shurmur was screwed, and given the instability of his position in the org vs DG, he'd have much less incentive to move on OBJ than DG would.
The problem has been unrealistic expectations. The talent level has been and continues to be poor, so any glimmer of hope gets extrapolated too far out. You take a guy like Connelly, who flashes a bit and might be able to exceed expectations for a 5th rounder and after 3 games people are penciling him in as a long term solution expected to perform at a high level and solidly in the 'win' column for DG.
Let's hope he comes back without having lost any of his quickness and he at least turns out to be a solid contributor, which for a 5th round pick would be good.
Why does garbage round picks Jacobs and Bradshaw block like Mike Alstott, hell even Ward got in on the action, but Hand of God blocks like garbage? And Jamal Adams timing when we snap at near 0 secs, what's taking so long with a QB that doesn't audible?
However the regression of Hernandez Carter and Hill combined with Barkley’s injury have taken some of the initial gloss of the class and a factor in the poor team performance
Lauletta and McIntosh were mid to late round picks; one clearly a mistake and the other has been injured. Beal has also been consistently injured
Time will tell
apply that to coaches. Not good, exceptions Coughlin, Parcells, and Fassell lightly
then look at the whole body of work and the result. Not good
----> owners and decision maker issue.
- an organization tends to look and function as the ones that created it.
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get paid too. One of the items on their to do list is to watch film, break down tendencies and devise countermeasures. Sometimes, it takes a few games for them to figure it out, but they will figure out.
In Barkley's case, it doesn't take a mastermind to figure out that stopping Barkley is Job #1 and forget the rookie qb and junky receivers. Has been working like a charm. Barkley had 2000 yards and 15 td's last season. This season 650 yards and 3 td's. What's wrong with Barkley? A rookie qb is what is wrong with Barkley.
Guys like Hill and Hernandez have been figured out and their weaknesses attacked. They either need to now shore up their weaknesses or they are not long for the League. That is the way of things.
Barkley is also hurt. I guess that's on coaching too.
Yes, by constantly sending SB on flat routes to get his ankle mangled where tacklers can bring the wood with the sideline assisting. I mean, doesn't Shurnur notice this ffs?
The receiver corps was a really poor gamble on DG's part, I think he capitulated to Shurmur on trading OB, which is a sore spot. They did a poor job self-scouting the LB unit, FS, OL, and even their DL choices aren't performing great.
Jon - just out of curiosity - is it your sense it was Shurmur who pushed to get OBJ out this offseason? It's interesting if so, since the narrative has been for a while that DG was always interested in moving OBJ, and that it was Shurmur that prevented it from the get go.
On a better team Hill and Carter probably don't get on the field last year. Beal and McIntosh were virtual redshirts.
Barkley and Hernandez were quite good, the league has adjusted to them I assume to some extent, they look to have the physical talent to counter punch.
The others, I am not confident they have the talent to become NFL starters.
Agreed. I think we heard how great it was, but didn't actually see any positive results. At some point, these "great classes" need to produce in the W column. Perhaps we need to stop putting W's in DG's win column until the results on the field change?
Week 15 and Week 16 combined, SB had 74 rushing yards total on 35 carries.
The highlights and home runs are what people remember but, in retrospect, the lack of consistent rushing production looks like a warning sign.
Hernandez - Same as last year. I firmly believe this one is coaching.
Lorenzo Carter - Same as last year. A mix of coaching and this is just who he is as a player. His pass rush moves are not good. If we had better coverage, he'd be a guy getting a lot of sacks because he is a high hustle player.
BJ Hill - Same as last year. I think this is the player he is. He isn't going to be someone who is a pass rush specialist, but he's a solid DLineman.
Kyle Lauletta - Bust.
RJ McIntosh - Better, only because he's playing a little more.
What argument is to be made to Mara for another year?
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It's part coaching, part what Homer pointed out about scheme to attack weakness, and part the talent on the whole is severely lacking.
The receiver corps was a really poor gamble on DG's part, I think he capitulated to Shurmur on trading OB, which is a sore spot. They did a poor job self-scouting the LB unit, FS, OL, and even their DL choices aren't performing great.
That's interesting Jon - you think that DG capitulated on the trade and not the other way around? To me it seemed like once OBJ was traded Shurmur was screwed, and given the instability of his position in the org vs DG, he'd have much less incentive to move on OBJ than DG would.
I can't say with certainty but heard PS pushed to trade him. He was apparently a huge energy suck off the field, and also most believed he could've played in games he missed at the end of the season. That was the fuel on top of the fire lit by the interview. I think he also wanted out which greased his exit, but don't think he expected to be traded to Cleveland.
I'm surprised they traded him, it suggests to me there was even more going on off the field, which is often the case. As big a headache as he could have been, giving him the extension and then trading him doesn't add up to me as smart decision. I think the trade return was meh, and having him locked up on a new deal should've helped in trade. $.02
What argument is to be made to Mara for another year?
The only argument for keeping both is continuity, which in itself is a pretty bad argument.
Both Gettleman and Shurmur have unquestionably failed at their jobs, and I find it impossible to think that better alternatives aren't available this offseason.
This is the dilemma.
It's promising. It still is. But they need more time.
Its like if you took LT and made him a fulltime down lineman, instead of realizing his special ability as a rusher. Or making Barkley repeatedly run up the centers butt even though the D is playing 8 or 9 in the box (or wait, thats real).
I feel like I'm watching Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer. Shurmur has our team looking like the Pistol that squirts grape jelly, or the train with square wheels (or the boat that can't float, etc).
1. Don't sign Barkley and let him go into 2021 still on his rookie contract, which he probably won't like much - not a great option
2. Trade Barkley for 75 cents on the dollar (like we did with Beckham when we missed his optimal trade window by a couple years) - bad option
3. Make Barkley the richest RB in the league - worst option
We're soon going to see just why that pick didn't make sense. To justify the pick Barkley had to help elevate this team to a playoff contender right out of the gate. That didn't happen his first two years and looks unlikely next year.
So where do we go from there?
Not at all. I think you captured the key elements perfectly.
It was time to move on from TC, but cant help but think back to TC's resignation press conference when he walked past Mara and didnt shake his hand. Defining moment of the franchise to me since 2011. Mara cant beat his own D&ck!
AND if this was a really committed fan base they would have pocked better owners!!!
Next year let's get better fans who can make some noise and watch the team turn around!!!
1. Don't sign Barkley and let him go into 2021 still on his rookie contract, which he probably won't like much - not a great option
2. Trade Barkley for 75 cents on the dollar (like we did with Beckham when we missed his optimal trade window by a couple years) - bad option
3. Make Barkley the richest RB in the league - worst option
We're soon going to see just why that pick didn't make sense. To justify the pick Barkley had to help elevate this team to a playoff contender right out of the gate. That didn't happen his first two years and looks unlikely next year.
So where do we go from there?
You hit the nail on the head on all points. As long as Gettleman is here, Barkley's not going anywhere (at least while on his rookie contract). After all of his bluster about Saquon being a "gold jacket guy" and "touched by the hand of God", there's no way his huge ego will allow him to admit that the pick was a mistake.
I didn't like the Gettleman hire when it was made and the moment I read the Gettleman quote below (regarding his drafting of Saquon)was the moment I thought "we're *ucked!"...
Yet, Gettleman simply doesn’t buy the argument about positional value.
“I think a lot of that is nonsense,” Gettleman said. “I think it’s someone who had this idea and got into the analytics of it, and did all these running backs and went through their whatever.r Hey, Jonathan Stewart is in his 10th year and he hasn’t lost anything. I don’t believe in it [positional value].”
It was a 2-fer. He didn't get that shoudn't pick an RB #2 overall and he actually though J Stew hadn't lost anything.
Parcells would have motivated him or get him off the team. Imagine if milquetoast low emotional intelligence Shemur is trying to motivate you, sheesh?
AND if this was a really committed fan base they would have pocked better owners!!!
Next year let's get better fans who can make some noise and watch the team turn around!!!
This was a great funny post. Thanks. You made me laugh this afternoon.