Monthly Archives: May 2009
Did I say Antonio Pierce was the biggest question mark on this list? Maybe I should have reserved that label for the guy who is actually coming back from a major injury that forced him to miss the entire 2008 season. Although a torn lateral meniscus kept the Giants without their best pass rusher in 2008 (Justin Tuck has since claimed that title), Osi Umenyiora should be at full strength by the start of the 2009 season. Still, it needs to be seen how Umenyiora responds, physically and mentally, to playing at full speed after sitting out an entire season.
Osi had one of his best seasons in 2007 with 13 sacks (although 6 came in one game), 2 below his career high. He forced a personal best 5 fumbles, including one he returned for a touchdown.
Towards the end of the 2008 season, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka started to wear down, combining for just 6.0 sacks in the second half, just 2.0 in the last 4 games and none in the playoff loss to the Eagles. A healthy Umenyiora will mean more rest for Tuck and Kiwanuka, which will keep everyone fresh down the stretch.
Osi will be 27 this season and could be entering his prime. He will be part of a rotation at defensive end, but he will start and see the field on just about all passing situations. With all of the weapons on the defensive line, Osi may actually receive fewer snaps than in 2007. But with offensive lines scrambling to account for the glut of Giants pass rushers including Tuck, Kiwanuka, Fred Robbins and newcomers Chris Canty, Michael Boley and Clint Sintim, Osi Umenyiora may be able to match his career high of 15 sacks. They can’t double team everyone.
Retooled And Ready To Go
Defensive Line Coach: Mike Waufle (5th Year)
Defensive Quality Control: Al Holcomb (1st year)
Defensive Coordinator: Bill Sheridan (1st year)
Ends: Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora (Starters), Mathias Kiwanuka, Dave Tollefson, Robert Henderson, Maurice Evans
Tackles: Chris Canty, Barry Cofield (Starters), Rocky Bernard, Fred Robbins, Jay Alford, Jeremy Clark
Overview
Ernie Accorsi always said, “You can never have enough pass rushers.” The Giants are trying to prove him wrong by bringing in any and every able body they can find. The Giants felt they needed to get the pass rush back to to 2007 production levels, when they led the NFL in sacks with 53. Last year, without injured Pro Bowl DE Osi Umenyiora and future Hall-of-Famer Michael Strahan, the pass rush declined, dropping to 42 sacks, which was good enough for 6th in the league, but way below what the team is accustomed to. It’s no secret the Giants are tougher to beat when their DL rotation is going great guns.
Ends
Justin Tuck led the Giants in sacks in 2008 with 12. He has become one of the league’s best defensive ends and the former Notre Damer has developed into a leader both on and off the field. Osi Umenyiora missed the entire 2008 season with a torn lateral meniscus. He remains a starter unless his recovery from that injury holds him back. Mathias Kiwanuka will see plenty of action as well. Last season, Kiwi registered a career high 9 sacks filling in for Umenyiora. Dave Tollefson has provided steady play and is becoming a valuable part of the rotation. Robert Henderson spent last season on the practice squad. The Giants will be interested to see how much this former 6th pick has improved since last training camp. Maurice Evans is an interesting undrafted free agent rookie out of Penn State. The highly-recruited 20-year-old from Brooklyn chose to forego his senior year to enter the draft. He was not chosen because of off-field issues even though he was a pre-season All-American selection.
Tackles
The Giants are thrilled with the way Barry Cofield has worked out. The fourth-year man out of Northwestern has been as steady as they come, playing in every game since he got here in 2006. He had a knee scoped in the off-season that concerned the Giants to the point where they felt they needed to acquire depth. He will also be a free agent this season. Chris Canty comes over as a free-agent from Dallas, The 6’7″ Canty will be taking the reins from 12-year veteran Fred Robbins, who is also coming off knee surgery. There were rumors the Giants might cut Robbins but thus far they have kept him on the roster. Jay Alford has also played well for the club. The Penn Stater has not missed a game since being drafted in 2007, where he also recorded a sack on Tom Brady in the final drive of Super Bowl XLII. Rocky Bernard was brought in to solidify the rotation after a seven-year stint with Seattle. Bernard can provide pressure up the middle and will be a valuable piece in most passing situations. Jeremy Clark, in his second year out of Alabama, began to see action late in 2008 and will be given a long look again in camp this season.
Outlook
As stated, when this unit gets cooking, they overwhelm opponents and take over games the 4th quarter. The Giants may have won 12 games last year, but they only won 1 game in the final five. That was due to the lack of depth and production on the defensive line. The return of Umenyiora and influx of new bodies should get them back to that jailbreak-style rush that won them a Super Bowl two years ago. Coach Mike Waufle now has enough in the arsenal again to get that done.
Antonio Pierce’s 2008 season left Giants fans with a number of questions. Was he distracted by the Plaxico Burress saga? Has he really lost a step? Is he allergic to Brian Westbrook? Pierce’s performance fell off in the latter stages of the season, leaving even more questions about which Antonio Pierce we will see in 2009. Although the Giants have retooled and restocked much of the front seven, depth at middle linebacker does not go far beyond Pierce.
Pierce recorded 95 tackles last year, which is an impressive number by itself. But it should also be noted that this is his lowest total since becoming a starter in 2004 with the Washington Redskins. He also failed to record an interception for the first time since 2004. In a game against the Philadelphia Eagles the week after the Plaxico Burress incident, Pierce looked out of place and a step slow on two long Brian Westbrook touchdowns.
We’ve all heard about how having a smart leader like Antonio Pierce at middle linebacker is like having another defensive coordinator on the field. And while this may be true, intelligence and leadership can only get you so far when the speed of the game has passed you by. On one hand, I believe Pierce is a passionate player who will make the necessary adjustments and should not be counted out. He’s only 30, so he should still have some gas left in the tank. On the other hand, he does have an increasingly pudgy physique, leading some to believe that his body is ripe for a breakdown.
Of all the players on this list, Pierce may be the biggest question mark. It is easy to be optimistic and say that last year’s uninspired play was an anomaly, and that he will play with a chip on his shoulder this season, but we just won’t know what to expect until the season is underway. If he returns to form, he will be the captain of what may be the league’s best defense. If he is up and down like he was last year, the free-agent additions and the return of Osi Umenyiora may be able to make up for it. But if he continues his late season decline and loses another step, the defense could be in big trouble.
A Model Of Consistency
Special Teams Coach: Tom Quinn (3rd Year)
Asst Special Teams Coach: Thomas McGaughey (2nd year)
Kicker - Lawrence Tynes
Punter - Jeff Feagles
Kick Returner - Ahmad Bradshaw
Punt Returner - Domenik Hixon
Long Snapper - Zak DeOssie
Holder - Jeff Feagles
Others: Chase Blackburn, Terrell Thomas, Michael Matthews
Overview
Lawrence Tynes returns as the full-time kicker, taking over for 44-year-old John Carney who made the Pro Bowl with an NFL third best 143 points. The Giants are also looking to build on a successful season both returning kicks and defending punts.
Kicker
It’s a shame that John Carney had to go. He had a Pro-Bowl season after the Giants made him the starter hitting 35 of 38 FG attempts plus all 38 extra points. The downside to Carney was that he had only 1 touchback in 79 kickoff attempts. Lawrence Tynes had one in 14 attempts but averages 64 yards on his kickoffs to Carney’s 60. Mysteriously, Carney’s kicks were returned for an average of 21.8 yards while Tynes’ kicks averaged 26.8 yards per return. Bottom line: The Giants had to bring back post-season hero Tynes, who is healthy and is in only the second year of a 5-year, $7 million deal.
Punter
You can go on forever praising Jeff Feagles, who is entering his 22nd season in the league and 7th with the Giants. Feagles went to the Pro Bowl in February and is still the master of placing punts inside the opponent’s 20 yard line. Last season he netted a 40.2 per punt, which was good enough for 4th in the NFL, plus only allowed 24 of his 64 punts to be returned. His prowess gives the Giants a huge advantage in the field-position aspect of the game.
Kickoff Returns
Ahmad Bradshaw is the primary kickoff returner. Last year, he was paired with either Reuben Droughns or Domenik Hixon and occasionally Sinorice Moss. Droughns is gone and Hixon has been used more as the punt returner, even though he racked up 180 yards in his only three kickoff returns last year, including an 83-yarder. Bradshaw averaged 22.2 yards per return in 39 attempts, good enough for 16th in the NFL. The Giants want Bradshaw to take more reps at running back this season and Hixon is temporarily listed as a starter at WR, so it remains to be seen if they will keep both players in these roles.
Punt Returns
This is Hixon’s job unless one of the three young receivers unseats him as a starter at WR. The Giants believe that least two of their young wideouts will emerge from the pack, so Hixon will probably have a backup role on offense and a major role as a returner. That’s good news for the Giants who are a better team with Hixon as a special teamer. Hixon averaged 10.1 yards per return in 24 attempts with 9 fair catches last season.
Outlook
The Giants never look to hit it big on special teams. The philosophy is to win the field-position war. The returners will be affected by the lack of the wedge, which has been outlawed. The other specialists are all professionals with proven track records. Long snapper Zak DeOssie was also a Pro-Bowler last year. He will be back along with veteran Chase Blackburn to lead a very capable group.
Give me a shut down cornerback over a hard-hitting safety any day of the week. While Corey Webster may not be a “shut down” corner quit yet, he has developed into the best cover corner on the team and one of the most important players on the defense.
The 2005 second round pick looked to be a bust until he picked it up during the Giants’ late season run to Super Bowl 42. Webster’s career highlight to this point is his overtime interception of Brett Favre that set up Lawrence Tynes’ NFC Championship-winning field goal, Favre’s last pass as a Packer. If not for a little Eli Magic, Webster would currently be remembered as the guy who fell down, allowing Randy Moss to catch the Super Bowl 42 winning touchdown pass.
Some were unsure whether his great playoff performance would carry over into the 2008 regular season. Well the season is over and it seems that Webster has finally put it all together (to the tune of $43.5 million over 5 years). Along with 2007 first round pick Aaron Ross and 2008 second round pick Terrell Thomas, Webster is part of a young and exciting stable of cornerbacks. But at this point, there is no question as to which is the most valuable. The Giants feel comfortable with Webster guarding #1 receivers, Ross guarding the #2 guy and Thomas in the nickel. If anything were to happen to Webster, Ross would suddenly be faced with guarding premier wide receivers and Thomas would be thrust into a starting role. As excited as I am about Ross and Thomas, I do not think they are ready for that type of challenge.
With Kenny Phillips coming into his own and Aaron Ross, Terrell Thomas and Michael Johnson continuing to develop, Corey Webster could be the anchor of an excellent young defensive backfield for years to come. If the pass rush is as ferocious as many think it will be, the improved defensive backfield will see an increase in interceptions, giving the Giants a more balanced, more tenacious D.
Not much going on right now in Giants country — there are a couple of charity golf outings coming up, one on May 20th (Shaun O’Hara‘s charity event) and the team’s annual Giants Foundation Outing on May 26.
So while we have some downtime, I thought I’d go back into my blog archives to see if I had anything that might be of interest to you. I actually have loads of topics that can do the trick — more than 500 pieces since I started the blog last June. So in choosing a topic, I thought I’d pick one that’s near and dear to my heart: The NFL Salary cap.
I have done a lot of research on the cap both on my own and by picking the brains of current and former NFL front office people who gave me a great overview of how it works.I compiled a breakdown of every Giants’ player’s contract. While I might be off by a few bucks here and there, I’m fairly certain I’m in the right zip code with my data.
I wrote these two articles in response to the misconceptions I saw on the Internet. I’ve been told they’re pretty informative, but I’ll let you be the judge (the second article, by the way, gives you an estimate as to where the Giants stand cap wise as of May 1).
- An In-Depth Look at the NFL Salary Cap
- Crunching Numbers: A Projected Update on the Giants Salary Cap
Our next media access won’t be until June 1, so it should be relatively quiet for the next two weeks. The team is moving to its new practice facility this weekend, and the veterans will be joined by the rookies, who are due to show up starting May 18. If anything new breaks before then, I’ll let you know.
The last pick of the first round in 2008, Kenny Phillips is a hard hitting safety with the ability to make the big play. Coming from the University of Miami, Phillips follows in the footsteps of other talented Hurricane safeties to impact the NFL in recent years, such as the late Sean Taylor (whose number he wears in tribute) and Ed Reed. Phillips shined in college and was impressive enough to be selected in the first round after only his Junior season.
Faced with the pressure of living up to the standards of these past Miami greats, Phillips did not back down. He was one of the most exciting players in training camp, showing great speed and a nose for the ball. It seemed like wherever the play was, there was #21. Although he did not break camp as a starter, he was a solid contributor backing up both James Butler and Michael Johnson. When he finally did take over as the starter for the injured Butler, he was effective, but not spectacular. He did, however, show flashes of brilliance that makes me believe he could soon become a star safety that will draw the ire of division foes and their fans, a la Brian Dawkins…
With James Butler departing in free agency, Phillips is likely to take over a starting gig opposite Michael Johnson, with newcomer CC Brown rotating in at times. Phillips needs to keep building on his solid rookie campaign if he is ever to fulfill the promise we saw from him in training camp. Like all good safeties, he will need to straddle the line between hard, message-sending hits and illegal neck breaking hits. He needs to be a consistent tackler and not always look to blow up the receiver. But if he keeps improving, he could be the team’s best safety in years, as early as this season.
Although the 2007 Giants showed a great pass rush can make up for a mediocre secondary, the development of Phillips into a pro-bowl caliber safety would give them a true play-making force in the defensive backfield, adding another dimension to their already outstanding defense.
(Yeah, he’s a punter. So what? Wanna fight about it?)
If football years could be converted into regular-people years, Jeff Feagles would be Rip Van Winkle’s grandfather. A few years ago, then a spry 40 year old punter, Feagles flirted with retirement, an idea that seems almost unfathomable at this point. Over the last two seasons he won his first super bowl and made his second pro bowl appearance; his first in thirteen years. At this pace, I would be surprised to see him retire before his sixty fifth birthday.
Feagles is an absolute weapon in the punting game, adept at pinning opponents inside their own ten yard line. Although he does not have the strongest leg, he is still a serviceable long-range punter. But when Giants drives stall around mid-field, Feagles is almost a lock to down the ball deep in the opponent’s territory.
If the Giants offense and defense are hitting on all cylinders, it is a luxury to have a pro bowl punter like Feagles. A great special teams unit can be the difference between a good team and a Super Bowl team, and Feagles’ accurate punting gives everyone else a little more room for error. But if the Giants offense struggles and points are at a premium, the Giants could be playing a lot of defensive struggles, making field position that much more important. If that is the case, Feagles’ will be more valuable than ever.
Apart from all that, he’s the best damn coin-toss-caller I have ever seen.
Jeff Feagles takes a short half-time nap.
It was a busy Tuesday at the stadium – it usually is when we get all of the assistant coaches. But with that said, there was a ton of great information shared by the coaches, some of which is below.
You can get the full flavor of what was said, my reflections of the place we beat writers refer to as “the dungeon” and a nice feel-good story about WR David Tyree, by visiting me over at Inside Football’s blog.
Don’t forget you can also follow my updates on Twitter. My ID is Inside_Football.
* * *
Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan
On possibly moving one or more of the excess corners to safety:
“One guy I thought about was Vince Anderson from Webber Int’l because he is so big.”
On his impressions of the draft picks after the mini camp:
“Clint Sintim definitely has a natural pass rushing ability. He has some shake to him and he did a really nice job. He is going to be a very good outside linebacker as well because he is such a big, thick kid. He is smart; he can pick the stuff up. He will do a real good job up over the tight end as far as playing run defense.
“The two corners, Stoney Woodson and De’André Wright almost look like clones in uniform. They have the same kind of body types, 5-11ish, 195. They are good size corners.”
* * *
Quarterbacks Coach Chris Palmer
On the noticeable difference in André Woodson:
“His mechanics were better. A year ago he wound up and brought the ball and twisted it around his ear. He completed 72% of his passes in the camp with receivers that he really hadn’t worked with. So we were very, very pleased there.”
* * *
Defensive Line Coach Mike Waufle
On Penn State DE Maurice Evans:
“Maurice is a local kid who showed some pass rush ability at the point of attack. He’s going to be pretty strong against the run, so he’s promising.”
On the message he gave his players regarding earning playing time:
“If we can remain unselfish, then we can be more durable at the end of the season, and the plays you do play will be more productive.
* * *
Special Teams Coordinator Tom Quinn
On the challenges posed by the new rule eliminating the three-man wedge:
“It will be an adjustment on both sides of the ball, on kickoffs and kickoff returns. You have to adjust as to how they’re attacking you. It will be interesting to see how teams install kickoff returns and how they place their players, and you’ll have to adjust your fits to that.”
On whether the change to the wedge affects what qualities they will look or in a kickoff returner:
“It could because in the past you’d have four big guys and you’d have the returner run right behind them, so he was protected. Now you’re going to have two guys and another guy two yards apart, so there’s more seams so you might need a little more elusiveness back there.”
Quinn also did not rule out having Domenik Hixon or Ahmad Bradshaw as punt and kickoff returners despite their anticipated increased roles in the offense.
* * *
Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride
On the state of the receiving corps:
“Losing Plax was huge. I don’t know if you replace a guy like that. But hopefully, collectively, we have enough quality young players.”
Gilbride also confirmed that, as of right now, Domenik Hixon is the X receiver and Steve Smith will play the Z. In three-receiver sets, Smith will move inside with Sinorice Moss playing outside.
On the role for TE Travis Beckum, who will be used from the slot:
“I don’t know that he is big enough to be an every-down point of attack tight end,” Gilbride said. “In fact I know he is not big enough to be an every down point of attack. He has exceptional quicks and athleticism when you look at what he showed on film. So he is more of a glorified slot.”
* * *
Offensive Line Coach Pat Flaherty
On the plans for the backup center:
“Richie (Seubert) has played center, Chris Snee has snapped the ball – center/quarterback exchange. Adam Koets is the candidate that we want to get a lot of work this spring in the OTAs and going into training camp at the center position.”
On whether they would consider shuffling the line in the event of an injury in order to get the most experienced guys in there:
“It is always the old adage, ‘you want to replace one with one’ without shuffling everybody around. Sometimes you don’t have that luxury, depending on the chemistry that you have going into that particular week. You like to plug one for one when possible.”
* * *
Running Backs coach Jerald Ingram
On the comparisons between rookie draft pick RB Andre Brown and former Giant Derrick Ward:
“I just see Derrick has quicker feet. But it’s hard to compare right now. In the NFL you don’t want to compare anyone from that stand point because everyone has their own style.”
On whom the third down back will be:
“Ahmad (Bradshaw) will start in there, Danny (Ware) will be in there and we’ll go from there.”
* * *
Wide Receivers Coach Mike Sullivan
On whether Steve Smith can be an outside receiver:
“Steve has primarily had great success inside as a slot receiver in the sense that he’s been cast in that mold. In my opinion, he’s certainly one of the best in that role as a slot receiver. I think when you look at some of things he’s able to do outside – his patience in his route running, the quickness, being a very smart player, and being someone who has shown great commitment. However, one of the things he needs to work on is ball security.”
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