Moving Forward: Plan Of Attack
...posted by Anthony De Rosa...
It is still hard to believe that the Giants season is over, but I am starting to come to terms with the fact that the Giants lacked some key components, and made some serious mistakes this past Sunday that led to their demise.
It is time to start to reflect on the past season and look at what deficiencies the team has and where they need to improve. I’ll start by doing a high level overview of these deficiencies and over the next few weeks drill into them in more detail.
Gilbride needs to do a better job at realizing what he is working with.
The Giants strength on offense is their rushing attack. Brandon Jacobs is the battering ram that allows other offensive weapons a path of least resistance by wearing down opposing defenses. Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride made a crucial mistake in the loss to the Eagles by using Jacobs just nine times in the first half of the game. When Plaxico Burress was still in the mix, it would have made sense to go to the air more often, but in his absence Gilbride needs to realize that a run first offense is imperitive. It seems that Gilbride needs to improve in his ability to make adjustments. If he can’t make them, perhaps someone else should.
The Giants need to get Plaxico back or replace him with a top receiver.
The Giants were a different team without Plaxico. His height, athleticism and ability to break big plays was crucial to giving the Giants a balanced offense. While the Giants strength is in their rushing game, having the ability to go to a receiver like Burress forces the defense to back off and give the Giants even more room to run. If Plaxico is given a jail sentance, then the Giants will have no choice but to look for a big ticket receiver. They might consider cutting him anyway and going after a player like T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Anquan Boldin. Both of them give the Giants the big play receiver they lacked when Burress shot himself, and consequently the Giants, in the foot.
Sign Brandon Jacobs, let Derrick Ward go.
While it would be nice to have both Jacobs and Derrick Ward, I don’t think the Giants can afford to bring them both back and replace Plaxico with a player like Houshmandzadah or Boldin. If they bring back Plaxico, then perhaps they can consider it. However I think it is more likely, and perhaps better in terms of having a more balanced offense to let Ward go and bring on Boldin or Houshmandzadah. Plaxico brings too much baggage and causes too many distractions. If I was Jerry Reese I would move on. Danny Ware is starting to come into his own and should be able to pick up the slack along with Ahmad Bradshaw.
I think right now these are the top three items on the Giants list. Adding some depth at linebacker is a concern as well, which I will address in a future post. I would love to hear your thoughts on these three items first though. Lets put together a plan of attack for the Giants offseason. Consider this a fans summit meeting. Post your ideas in the comment section.
Gilbride just has to go.. It’s that simple. We have a good base of plays but lack the ability to call the correct ones and adjust to what defenses are giving us.
I think it would make sense to bring in a young offensive mind to take Eli to the next level.
Jeff Jogodzinski — recently fired by BC after interviewing with the Jets– would be just that person. He is 45 years old and has worked as an NFL offensive coordinator with Brett Farve and Michael Vick. He has also developed Matt Ryan at BC as head coach.
Gilbride has taken Eli as far as he can.. A fresh outlook is needed to address some of the mechanical issues and add some life to the play calling.
I like the idea of bringing in Jogodzinski either as OC or QB coach to start with or….
I think Gilbride, while deserving some blame, might be taking a bit too much of the blame. I don’t care if he stays or goes, but getting some youth in the coaches on the offensive sides would be nice. Palmer and Gilbride don’t have the fresh thinking.
As for getting a top WR. Just thinking. If the Cowboys gave up a 1st, 3rd, and 6th and 7th (in 2010) for Roy Williams are the Giants willing to give up that much for Boldin or Housh? Could it potentially cost the Giants a 1st and one of their seconds for Boldin/Housh? Is it worth it? I’d probably lean yes, but the Giants do have needs that draft picks would help (LB, OL youth/depth, TE)…
Housh is an unrestricted FA so we wouldn’t have to give up anything for him. He’s also 31.
Need to bring Plax back…no doubt about it.
He is the cheapest option.
Still need to draft another WR and definitely a LB….
But I want Plaxico back, the players want Plaxico back, the management knows its the best thing to have Plaxico back….all we need is for Coughlin and Reese to be on board…and after seeing what losing him has done, as much as they deny that it hurt the team directly, I can’t see how they can let him walk and join another team…
I think he is going to be exonerated via David Kopel’s defense. The NY gun law is unconstitutional in that no non-resident can ever be able to legally have a handgun within city limits…that is how Plax will get off.
FREE PLAXICO!!
Everyone keeps saying that we need to draft another WR, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. WR is such a fickle position and generally take years to develop (with the rare exception of players like Colston and Cal Johnson, who still managed to fall short of expectations). The Giants have plenty of WR projects who are making fine strides already. If the Giants want to make a serious run next year, it would be in their best interest to go out and get a polished WR like Boldin or Housh. Will they be able to afford it? I really don’t know. If they cut Burress, I think any remaining bonuses all have to count against the cap for next year and it may well cost more against the cap to cut him than to play him (provided he can play). I think in order to get a deal done, the Giants may have to go Jerra on someone and promise big money in uncapped 2010 as well as the “opportunity” to play on the best team in the NFL. That said, it would seem extremely uncharacteristic of JR to possibly mortgage the future to buy a championship.
As for Gilbride, while it was very painful to watch the offense this past Sunday, he did coach the offense to be one of the very top units in the league – cut him some slack. Execution was more of a problem than game planning, although neither were stellar this week. It seemed like Gilbride was trying to conserve Jacobs for the playoff run instead of just trying to win the game. I would only want to see him go if they had a significant upgrade waiting in the wings.
Execution was more of a problem than game planning, although neither were stellar this week.
running QB bootlegs deep in your own red zone?
giving the ball to Jacobs 9 times in the first half?
three empty backfield shotguns on 1st and 5?
QB sneaks when you have over 500 lbs of running backs behind you?
insisting on passing deep instead of working the middle?
playing Smith on the outside instead of the slot where he is more effective?
pulling gaurds and tackles inside the 5 yard line?
running sweeps with a 265 lb RB with a bad leg?
When Plax went out Gilbride lost a huge crutch that he could lean on to cover up his mistakes in imagination and play calling.
Gilbride run Coughlins offense. He is a dime a dozen OC, who thinks that throwing a wrench or trick play in every 20 is a nice mix. Reading the earlier comments, the Jags at OC seems to work, but again its Couglins O style. He will teach it to whoever comes in or they will be out.
The Giants strenght was on both fronts and with the D front being tired beat up and a few men short then we have lost our one significant advantage for helping our slow LB. On the play where Westbrook caught the first down (3rd Qish), he ran an angle out route and cut back in almost making a triangle. On that play, Pierce was covering him for about 5 seconds until the in cut and then West was wide open. It looked like Pierce almost expected a sack and then was shocked to see the ball in West hands. We need back Umi, With Kiwi almost turing himself into that flex LB/DL position, allowing Tuck back to making those amazing mismatches agains slower larger men.
I Giatns need a #1 rec but a rookie, high draft pick would be a mistake. We do not need a player that will need time to grow into that player. A FA or trade for that player needs to be made to fill that gap, pending Burress, to bring in an expierenced reciever. The draft should be used for D, bringing in more speed at LB. We have had a slow LB core for too long now. I also feel some consideration needs to be added to the OL. They are great and work well together but some are on the wrong side of 30 and prior planning seems to be JR’s style.
It was a great year with an upsetting loss, but pending any unforseen circumstances, the GMen will be back and around for a good bit of years to come. GO METS!
I think the G-MEN should look for a wide receiver via either bringing Plax back, or getting a guy like Housh or Boldin. They need to let Ward go, although it would be nice to have him back, and let Bradshaw develop and get more carries.
As far as the draft, if the take care of WR via the market, with their first 3 picks, I;m thinking LB, DE, and an O-Lineman for some depth (sorry Boothe just didn’t look good when he came in off the bench).
Gilbride…eh, whatever, I think if he gets a WR he’ll be more effective at play calling.
Thoughts?
I agree with pretty much all the points. If Plaxico is cleared of his legal issues, bring him back. If not, explore a trade for Boldin but do not mortgage the future like the Cowgirls did for R. Williams. Try to get Housh for a reasonable price if that’s the case.
In this year’s draft, let’s get some linebackers with some speed. This coming draft is deep at the LB position too – Florida’s MLB Spikes, Ohio State’s MLB Laurinaitis, and the pair from USC. It’s a stretch but hopefully one of these guys can fall into our laps. Also the guy from USC Cushing is a local product having gone to BC for high school so it would be nice to have that.