An Eclectic Mix Of Talent

Linebackers Coach: Jim Herrmann (1st Year)
Defensive Coordinator: Bill Sheridan (1st Year)

MLB: Antonio Pierce (Starter), Chase Blackburn, Johnathan Goff
WLB: Michael Boley (Starter), Bryan Kehl, Gerris Wilkinson
SLB: Danny Clark (Starter), Zak DeOssie, Clint Sintim

Overview

Jim Herrmann takes over for Bill Sheridan as LB coach, a position he held with the Jets the past three seasons. Herrmann played and coached at Michigan for nearly a quarter century and actually had Sheridan on his staff when he became offensive coordinator there in the mid-1990’s. The two have a long working history together as they bring their expertise to a potpourri of linebacker talent here in East Rutherford.

Middle Linebacker

Antonio Pierce is back as both the centerpiece and the captain of the Giants defense. Pierce is entering his 9th season and a pro and fifth as a Giant. He has led the Giants in tackles the past three seasons, but there has been concern in the media about his decreasing productivity. Bill Sheridan wasn’t concerned, though. He laughed when someone mentioned that to him at a press conference. Pierce is in the prime of his career and he will continue to be the quarterback of the defense for the foreseeable future.

Chase Blackburn serves as Pierce’s immediate backup as well as a valuable special teamer. Blackburn, a fifth-year free-agent out of Akron, has become a fan favorite with his aggressive style of play.

Jonathan Goff, the Giants’5th round draft choice in 2008, missed most of last season with injuries. The team is still curious to see if Goff can build on his stellar career at Vanderbilt and become a solid pro linebacker.

Analysis: Pierce will get all the reps unless something unforeseen occurs. Blackburn is an excellent backup with a great motor. As for Goff, the Giants aren’t the only ones who want to see what he’s made of.

Weak Side Linebacker

The Giants wasted no time inking former Atlanta Falcon Michael Boley once the free-agency period began last February. There is a lot to like about Boley. He’s durable -he has never missed a game in his four-year professional career; and he’s productive – amassing 334 tackles in 64 games. Although Boley had played the strong side for Atlanta, the Giants want to take advantage of his athletic ability on the weak side.

Bryan Kehl had a nice rookie season last year, playing mainly on special teams, but saw some time with the starting defense when the team got thin at LB.

Gerris Wilkinson is coming off a knee injury, but he remains very much in the team’s plans.

Analysis: Boley was signed because of the uncertainty of Kehl and Wilkinson. If you look at all three closely, you’ notice they are built more like safeties than linebackers. That is discussion for another day as rumors have one of these players being worked out in the secondary.

Strong Side Linebacker

Danny Clark was brought in last season to defray the loss of Kawika Mitchell. To many, he is a stop-gap player until the team can find a better alternative. That being said, they haven’t – and his play hasn’t warranted it, either. Clark is an old Coughlin guy from Jacksonville who is just a steady, reliable pro.

Zak DeOssie is a linebacker by trade but he’s on this roster mainly because of his Pro-Bowl special teams ability, especially at long snapper. He can play LB, but the Giant do not want to use him there if they don’t have to.

That is where Clint Sintim, the first of the Giants’ two 2nd round picks comes in. Herrmann raved about Sintim’s ability to cover and stop the run before praising his ability to rush the passer. Translation – he will play all three downs or in every situation. Sintim is an imposing figure at 6′3″, 260 and is exactly what the Giants were looking for to bolster their LB corps.

Analysis: The stage is set for Sintim to come in and rush the passer behind Osi Umenyiora. That won’t bode well for many quarterbacks in this league.

Outlook

Pundits slammed the Giants for being too thin at linebacker. You just read about nine exceptional men that comprise a talented, versatile group that can adapt and adjust to any situation and are under the tutelage of two extremely capable coaches. The focus in on Sintim, who the Giants hope will instill some fear in opponents.

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.

Earth and Fire Looking For A Mighty Wind

Running Backs Coach: Jerald Ingram
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Gilbride

Running Backs: Brandon Jacobs (Starter), Ahmad Bradshaw, Danny Ware, Andre Brown, Dwayne Wright
Fullback: Madison Hedgecock

Overview: the Giants are one of two teams that have had a 1,000-yard rusher each of the past two seasons (San Diego is the other). Ingram has been handling the backs since Tom Coughlin took over in 2004 and previously worked under Coughlin in both Jacksonville and at Boston College. He can be credited with turning Tiki Barber into a superstar, correcting his style to reduce turnovers, and transforming the Giants’ running game into the game’s best. Last season the combination of Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Bradshaw (known as “Earth, Wind and Fire”) generated almost 3000 yards from scrimmage. Ward left via free agency to Tampa Bay in March.

Brandon Jacobs (“Earth”): From the day he was drafted in 2005 to this very day, no one knows what will happen when Jacobs touches the ball. They only know they don’t want to be in his way when it happens. The 6′4″, 260 lb Jacobs is a punishing, vibrant force that wears down defenses. If he gets past the line of scrimmage, he immediately becomes the biggest player on the field and there is little defenses can do except for batten down the hatches. He has been the anchor of the Giants’ backfield since Barber’s departure in 2006 and has racked up 2518 total yards and 21 TDs in his first two seasons as the featured back.

Jacobs came into the league a bit raw and is only now beginning to fine tune his skills and realize his potential. Teams that play the Giants must prepare for a physical battle first and foremost because of his presence, which sets the table for the slew of fleet backs that follow.

Ahmad Bradshaw (“Fire”): With his legal troubles hopefully behind him, Bradshaw can concentrate on becoming more of a presence in the Giants’ running game. He is ‘a change-up’ back, meaning his style is vastly different to that of Jacobs. Bradshaw usually catches defenses flatfooted when he enters the game. A multi-talented player, “Fire” has the ability to run effectively both inside and out as well as receive passes out of the backfield.  He has a knack for making the first defensive responders miss, which has resulted in several big plays for the Giants.  The key this season is to see how Bradshaw responds to the expanded role he will be given.

Danny Ware: Ware is a potential “Wind ” candidate who comes highly touted by the coaches and GM Jerry Reese. The 6′1″, 220 lb Ware is a product of the University of Georgia (Herschel Walker, Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst, Terrell Davis, Knowshon Moreno) and could fit nicely into the role played by Derrick Ward the past few seasons.

Andre Brown: Brown was taken in the 4th round this April and according to draftniks his talents are very similar to that of Ward’s. He is proficient at catching the ball out of the backfield and is extremely versatile. He will be in a battle with the others to see playing time, so it is important for him to get off to a good start in training camp.

Madison Hedgecock: The big fullback from North Carolina has proved to be an invaluable asset to the Blue. At 6′3″, 266lbs, having Hedgecock in the backfield is like having another guard in the lineup. He rarely touches the ball, but he has made the Giants’ running and passing game more effective. He slams into the line on running plays and watches Eli Manning’s back on most pass plays. As Jerry Reese likes to say “We’re a power rushing team”, and Hedgecock is at the forefront of that group.

Outlook: EWF is out to prove they can succeed without Ward. The expanded role of Bradshaw and the addition of Ware and Brown could make the Giants’ running game deeper than before by providing more options. In a season where the passing game is going through a transition, this group will undoubtedly take some pressure of that unit.

Eli At The Crossroads

• Quarterbacks Coach: Chris Palmer
• Offensive Quality Control Coach: Sean Ryan
• Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Gilbride

Quarterbacks: Eli Manning (Starter), David Carr, Andre Woodson, Rhett Bomar

Overview
Eli Manning is entering his sixth season as a Giant. He has already accomplished almost every goal the Giants had hoped. He has won them a Super Bowl and made the franchise one of the league’s most respected.   He is also in the last year of his current contract and there has been little talk of a new contract being negotiated. The Giants have brought back David Carr as the primary backup and are hoping they can groom a third stringer with the winner of the Andre Woodson—Rhett Bomar battle.

Eli Manning – as mentioned, he is a Super Bowl-winning MVP and the face of the franchise. His performance, however, other than the last five games of the 2007 Super Bowl run, has been average at best.  If he were not the younger brother of Peyton Manning one wonders if the Giants would be considering signing him to another long-term deal. He is also the legacy of the beloved former GM, Ernie Accorsi, who gave up so much to get him, so parting ways with Eli would send shockwaves through the Land of the Giants…

Since being given the starting position midway through the 2004 season, Eli has a regular season record of 42-29 with 98 TDs and 74 interceptions. Over that period, his completion rate is 55.9 and his QB rating is 76.1.  When it comes to passing yardage, he is averaging around 3300 per season.

These are not knockout numbers, but the contact he will be looking for will be somewhere near $100 million and the Giants will have no choice but to sign him.

The downside to Eli is that he may have plateaued as quarterback. The year-in, year-out numbers for his career are eerily consistent and disappointingly average. He is terrible at the Meadowlands due to his failure to throw spirals that cut through the wind.  This has lead to inaccuracy and way too many poor performances. His saving grace for most of his time here has been Plaxico Burress‘ ability to outjump defenses and Steve Smith and Amani Toomer’s ability to dive underneath them. Burress and Toomer are no longer with the club.   Also, the Giants did Eli no favors by not doming the new stadium, which they will move into in 2010.

The upside to Eli is that he is only 28 years old and he has never been injured. He has a new crop of receivers that contains players of all shapes and sizes. It could be time for him to turn the corner and become the elite player that he was destined to be. His laid back demeanor may be a thing of the past as well.   With each season, he becomes more and more entrenched in veteran ideology and he should assume more of  a leadership role from here on out.  Eli is also the penultimate role model for kids and is the most marketable player the Giants have had in decades.

David Carr – Carr was reunited with his old coach, Chris Palmer, last season when the Giants rescued him from a torridly brutal existence in which he was sacked 262 times in his first six seasons.

Carr was the first overall selection in the 2002 draft, taken by the expansion Houston Texans, and never had a chance to grow. In 2006, he became a free agent and signed with Carolina, which also turned out badly.  The Giants signed Carr last season and relegated him to backup status., where he has been given a chance to jump start his career.

Carr is only 29 years old and is still a very talented player. We’ve seen high draft picks get chewed up in their first few years and then turn into superstars. The Giants may see that in Carr, but he will only play if something happens to Eli.  He is currently signed to a one-year deal and will be a free agent again in 2010.

Andre Woodson – was taken in the sixth by the Giants in last year’s draft. He is a big, strong prospect that had a productive college career at Kentucky, but he is still considered quite raw although he is progressing according to sources. He is currently on the practice squad. …..Woodson was a longshot to make it to the NFL, but it appears he may still may get there. Whether or not that will be with the Giants remains to be seen.

Rhett Bomar – was taken in the fifth round this past April by the Giants out of Sam Houston State. Bomar is a product of Texas high school football, where as a senior he was ranked the nation’s top high school QB and even compared to John Elway.  That earned him a ticket to Oklahoma, where he became the starter in 2005. Bomar led the Sooners to Holiday Bowl victory and was named MVP.  Unfortunately, he was expelled after that season when it was discovered that he was paid for a no-show job at a car dealership – a clear violation of NCAA rules. That earned him a trip to Division II football………….Bomar may be a real find for the Giants. A real talented kid that lost his way. He’s on the right team, now, though and he can develop over the next few years into perhaps something special.

Outlook
Manning needs to be signed, and it is assumed that happen as soon as the CBA is extended or a new one is reached. With the new receivers, the onus shifts to him becoming a more accurate passer rather than constantly getting bailed out by his receivers…….Carr could start on many teams right now and will spend at least 2009 with the Giants. He might retained past that as long as no one else comes knocking—which is doubtful. When that time comes, perhaps Woodson or Bomar would be ready to assume the No. 2 role.

While I was happy with the selection of Hakeem Nicks, I was hoping that GM Jerry Reese would have acquired a taller receiver to replace Plaxico Burress. Reese was one step ahead of me, however, as he traded up in the third to draft 6’6 Ramses Barden. I wanted this guy so much that I was literally doing fist pumps on the bus back to New York while following the draft on my phone…what a sad image…

Barden is a project, and he may not see much playing time this year. But there is a reason that former Egyptian Pharaoh “Ramses II” was named after this guy (look it up, it’s a fact). He is an absolute monster in the red zone and could lead the team in RZTTT (red zone targets divided by total targets, a statistic I just made up).

Based on his body type and Division I-AA background, the best case scenario is that he is the next Marques Colston, my favorite player in the history of sports (Hofstra Flying Dutchmen Pride!). Colston had 70 receptions for 1,038 yards in only 14 games in his rookie season, and he set an NFL record for the most receptions in a player’s first two season (168). While this is obviously an exceptional situation, it does show that a rookie wide receiver from a small school can make a big impact right off the bat.

Possibly the most impressive fact about Barden is that he scored touchdowns in 20 straight Division I-AA games, breaking Jerry Rice’s record. Therefore, Ramses Barden > Jerry Rice.

Here is what I wrote about Barden in January in my Wide Receiver Preview: “Second Day Sleeper. At 6-6, Barden is already a Giant (hahahaha!) His gigantic body would provide a Plax-like target for Eli. He can catch, but has trouble separating due to below average speed.”

Click Here for more on Barden, as well as a YouTube highlight reel of fade after fade after fade, all similar to the Super Bowl 42 winning touchdown pass from Eli Manning to…umm…I can’t seem to remember his name.

In sifting through the rubble that the NFL Draft always leaves behind, I’m still feeling a bit empty. Perhaps its because the Giants didn’t pull the trigger on a deal that would land them Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards.

I’m not alone in thinking this. There are many who have given the Giants a B grade this past week, even though it appears that GM Jerry Reese has had another productive draft.  Yes, they drafted two highly regarded wideouts in Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden.  Yes, they got a potential seambreaker in Travis Beckum.  And yes, David Tyree is healthy and ready to return.

All of that should allay my fears that the Giants sufficiently backfilled the loss of both Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.

But it doesn’t.

Even those combined with their other receiving options – WRs Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss, Domenik Hixon and TE Kevin Boss – the team is still lacking that standout receiver that keeps opposing defensive coordinators up at night.

That is where Edwards comes in. He would be that guy.

According to ESPN’s John Clayton, the deal could be done if the Giants were willing to pay the price.  According to Clayton, right now that price would be a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick.  The Giants will not submit to that, and I agree that they shouldn’t – and they may not have to.

Edwards is a free agent after this season, and it is widely known that he would love to come to New York. Bottom line -he’s likely to be a Giant in 2010, anyway…… but the team really needs him now.

The Giants will wait until after mini camp to decide if they want to still deal. If the new receiver group looks like it could work out, the team will wait for Edwards to become a free agent and attempt to sign him then.

But there are several factors that still lead me to believe that the Giants may not wait until next year to get Edwards and that this could get done in some form in the next few weeks.  It will not be a first round pick, I assure you that. Perhaps a 2 or a 3 along with a player at the most.  It appears the Browns know their leverage is slipping and will listen to a trade offer since they have recently been beefing up their receiving corps.

The life-after-Braylon groundwork is already being put in place by the Browns.   Last week, Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Edwards had stopped participating in the team’s off-season conditioning program – perhaps to keep him from getting injured and reducing his trade value.  Last Saturday, the Browns drafted two receivers in the 2nd round (Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi).  This week, they brought in 6′5″ veteran Drew Bennett for a look-see. Let’s not forget they signed former Giant David Patten as a free agent this past winter as well.

All of this leads us to Braylon Edwards leaving Cleveland for New York.  Its not a matter of if, but a matter of when.…

Eli Optimistic About Giants’ Receiving Options

Eli Manning said he was “confident” that the Giants’ receivers would be competitive and and play at a high level but warned that it was important for the rookies to get off to a fast start.

Injuries and holdouts are the most difficult obstacles for rookies, but Eli emphasized that there is also a “learning curve” for new players coming into the league and tempered expectations by adding “We’ll try to see what they can do and how they can help us next year.”

David Tyree, Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon are three returning veterans who vowed to assist the new players in any way possible. Smith and Hixon are currently penciled in as the starters and Tyree is returning from a knee injury that cost him the entire 2008 season.

Tyree, he of the most famous catch in recent NFL history, praised top pick Hakeem Nicks‘ circus catch in the Meineke Care Bowl last January as “one of the best I’ve ever seen”.

“It’s all about competition and we’ve got a lot of at this position,” added Tyree. “If you’re not hungry enough – especially with the way things have shaken out at our position with last year’s starters being gone – to just come in and compete and give it your all, then you don’t have the right mind-set.”

“What Plax and Tooms did for us, I’ll try to pass that on and give some advice,” Hixon said.

Sheridan Era Begins

Bill Sheridan, the Giants’ new defensive coordinator, assured the fans, the media and the team that the transition to him from Steve Spagnoulo would be seamless. Sheridan said a few changes would take place such as coaching from the booth rather than from the sideline and not requiring defensive ends to drop back in pass coverage as often.

When asked about the role of 2nd round pick, LB Clint Sintum, Sheridan vowed to play to Sintum’s strength as a pass rusher. He also affirmed Mathias Kiwanuka’s status (“He’s a defensive end”) and laughed off the suggestion that Antonio Pierce’s performance was declining.

Gregg Rosenthal and Evan Silva of Rotoworld gave the Giants their highest rating for their selections in the 2009 NFL Draft, an A+ rating. Here is what they had to say about the Giants picks:

GM Jerry Reese stuck to his value board throughout. LB Clint Sintim would’ve fit better in a 3-4 scheme, but Reese could afford the luxury pick because his roster is so loaded. Failing to land Braylon Edwards was a bit disappointing, but Hakeem Nicks comes from a pro-style offense, offers terrific hands and route running, and may be the draft’s most NFL-ready wideout.

OT William Beatty was a projected first-round pick and robbery at No. 60. Small-school receiver Ramses Barden is a long-term project, but has a Plaxico Burress-like body. TE Travis Beckum is a poor man’s Kellen Winslow. Late-round DBs Stoney Woodson and DeAngelo Wright are long shots for roster spots, but RB Andre Brown and QB Rhett Bomar will add healthy competition at skill positions.

ESPN News’ Sal Paolantonio says the Cardinals have lowered their asking price for WR Anquan Boldin. Paolantonio believes the Cards are now seeking a second round pick and a player.

One team is reportedly “all over” Boldin now. The Eagles and Giants may have entered the race along with the Ravens, Jets, and Titans now that a first-rounder isn’t required.

via Roto World