This is just my opinion.
While I didn't have extremely high expectations for Free Agency, I walk away thinking the team enters the draft in a similar situation as they entered the 19 season. The one obvious upgrade in my mind is on DL which is Williams. Let's examine the moves with a look at 19 in mind.
CB & gt; Bradberry for Jenkins & gt; Slight upgrade
DL & gt; Williams for No one & gt; Upgrade
LB & gt; Martinez for Tree & gt; Upgrade (and better be more then it looks on paper)
LB & lt; Fackrel for Golden & lt; downgrade (10 sacks vs 1)
ST & gt; Ebner for Thomas & gt; Slight Upgrade (based on system fit)
OL & gt; Flemings for Remmers & gt; Slight Upgrade (Positional versatility)
RB & gt; Lewis for No one & gt; Slight Upgrade (experience only)
TE & gt; Toilolo for Ellison & gt; Slight upgrade (blocking only)
DL = Johnson for No one = Roster Competition
TE = Tomlinson for No one = Roster Competition
CB = Askew-Henry for Hamiltion = Roster Competition
These moves show that for the Giants to be better 3 critical things have to happen. Williams and the DL excel. Martinez ascends in the defense being more effective with cleaner lanes towards ball carriers. And Bradberry elevates the entire secondary.
All three of those things have to happen for even a marginally improved team.
There is a lot riding on the coaching staff, which is a lofty expectation any year, but this year even more so with a crazy off-season.
The team seems to be treading water. The pass rush is next to non-existent, there's no deep safty, and the middle of the OL is weak at best.
IMHO
A dominating center someway somehow would greatly help this team's chances. I come back to it every few days and to me there is no more important position to solidify. Center play has been sub-par for years. If they can someone get a great center I think the entire OL is improved. The entire offense is improved. And even Richburg was a smaller move center. They need to get a strong , physical smart center and start to turn this team around. Strong up the middle.
What do you think of the FA moves and what do you think is the #1 thing to address?
Let me add something you neglected to include.
Eli and the whole cloud of what was to happen to Eli is no longer hanging over this team.
While Colt McCoy underwhelms as the #2 qb I think it is beneficial for the whole team that everyone knows who the #1 qb is from the get go.
Not having a qb controversy is just such a plus.
We can all go about our business this year in arguing over whether it is more important to drat an OT or a defensive whiz in the first round and that is just a breath of fresh air from the past years of endlessly arguing about Eli's status.
There is improvement in this
The next one is playing with 11 players on defense. I am sure he was a good player but Bethea was MIA. I felt they were playing with one arm behind their back.
Not sure if it qualifies, but they are very young, babies everywhere.....the future, I think and hope looks bright.
Potholes getting filled.....a few more is needed
I have no doubt the Special Teams will be special.
The offense will improve. The draft will get us a WR...opening uo Barkley, the OL if not playing better with better players...will have 2 massive blocking TEs to assist. Big year for Jones.
The defense needs to figure it out.
1. Jones - I saw enough to believe he has "it" to lead
2. Lawrence - I see a top level run stuffer with the ability to penetrate and keep blockers off the LB's.
3. Baker - up and down rookie, he'll improve
4. Ximes, Love, Smalley, Ballantine had their moments and here is where you hope to see a high level of growth.
5. K. Smith - you need to get lucky and this TE will take 50% or more of or offensive snaps as a top blocker and intermediate receiver
I think LB Martinez is only a slight improvement over Ogletree. Bradberry is better than Jenkins at this point. The rest are bodies really to compete and fill holes.
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Above all else, this coaching staff has to be as good as we are hoping.
That does not mean that it will not be a better team. It likely will be. Playing mistakes will be made as the staff see what each player can do.
I am absolutely torn between Simmons and the best OT. I think that 1st pick will tell us a lot of where they go in building this team.
The familiar hires. Coughlin was good, great, then awful. McAdoo was good for 1 year (by a fluke) and then awful for two years. The Giants screwed Shurmur with the late hiring and then he screwed himself with his selection of coaches.
Players have very little to do with a 4 win team becoming an 8 win team. Players make the difference between an 8 win team and a 12 win team. Good coaching could have made the 2016-2019 teams respectable. We want that and more.
I'm hoping that we focus on building one strength, offense, this year. If we do that we might be able to overcome our defensive woes by doing a better job of keeping the other teams' offenses off the field.
For example, Bradberry is 26 vs Jenkins @ 31 - did that get taken into account? Or the fact that Bradberry was in the same division with elite WR's (Thomas, Jones, Evans) while Jenkins wasn't?
Fackrell vs Golden: Is the sack count the whole thing? In 2018, Golden had 2.5 sacks while Fackrell had 10.5. If we had a choice last year between Fackrell or Golden and we chose Golden like we did, would you be all upset that we didn't get Fackrell b/c 10.5 sacks vs 2.5?
What about that the entire offensive and defensive schemes this year will be different, meaning players will be asked to do different things?
You have new players, young ones from the past 2 years, and a brand new coaching staff and philosophy. Let it play out. Players on paper tell a very small part of the story.
+1
I do have a hard time with "best player available" for any pick outside of the top pick in the draft. For them to compete they need to take best player at position of need.
Mind the gap.