GFB Fan Feedback: Grading Jerry Reese
I think we can all agree that Jerry Reese is a good GM, who has mostly done his part in providing the Giants with the players that the team needs to win. On the surface it would seem that little of last season’s shortcomings were due to Reese’s personnel decisions, and are more attributable to injuries and bad coaching. But I wonder, if I were to put a number to Reese’s draft and offseason moves, would he average out among the better GMs in league history? Mediocre? Or just plain terrible? Over the next four weeks I intend to apply a letter grade and GPA to Reese’s off season moves and draft picks in order to more realistically tag him as a GM.
2007
1) Aaron Ross, DB, Texas – Ross was a lockdown corner for a little while there and contributed steadily until he got debacled by some injuries. Reese could have gotten all hot and bothered and threw away a whole bunch of picks to get Darelle Revis but he showed great restraint in taking Ross: A
2) Steve Smith, WR, USC – Money in the bank baby: A+
3) Jay Alford, DT, Penn State – Alford committed arguably the most spectacular sack in Super Bowl history against Tom Brady and the Pats during Super Bowl 2007. Then he summarily disappeared of the face of the earth. In Reese’s defense, Alford did not have an injury history in college: C+
4) Zak DeOssie, LB/LS, Brown – I don’t want to underestimate the quality of a good long snapper. But draft your long snapper in the 7th round or draft an offensive lineman that can snap: D
5) Kevin Boss, TE, Western Oregon – Boss continues to be a solid contributor, nothing spectacular, but a good pick: B
6) Adam Koets, OL, Oregon State – The only real non-contributor in 2007. We’re still waiting for some good stuff from Koets. If 2010 isn’t his year he doesn’t have a year: C-
7) Micheal Johnson, DB, Arizona – Another disappearing 2007 contributor. At least he was 7th rounder: C
7) Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Marshall – Bradshaw’s got it all. I don’t know why he actually fell to the 7th round. He had good numbers and Marshall has some descent visibility. At any rate, Bradshaw has to be in the top five change of pace backs in the league and you got him very late in the draft, a Jerry Reese home run: A+
Off-season Moves – Quiet Off-season. It has to be said that Reese ignored the fact that Antonio Pierce’s skills were deteriorating and he was the only starting MLB in the NFL with a beer gut. I think this is the season that the Giants signed Gibril Wilson to a one-year deal instead of a long term contract. In 2008 he got an offer too expensive for the Giants to match: C- (For a lack of foresight)
-Season GPA: 2.6
I’m just saying…
WR Steve Smith wants a raise. And doesn’t he deserve one? Has any Giant ever deserved one more?
Godspeed to AP in his career as a broadcaster for ESPN. Hopefully he shows a little more restraint than Tiki-bear did. And hopefully, he especially shows more restraint than his old club-spelunking days with Plaxico Burress.
