Category Archives: 2010 NFL Draft
The NFL has changed. Face it, this is not your daddy’s league and champions aren’t defined by which team can run the ball or stop the run.
It is all about the pass, baby.
Many Giant fans are worried that once again the team may not address the linebacking corps. I’m saying that linebackers in the 4-3 and inside backers in the 3-4 are having smaller impact on the game. Have you wondered why Ray Lewis looks like he hasn’t lost a step or how young players like Patrick Willis can step in right away and become all pros?
Teams aren’t building rosters for the ground and pound game, but rather for an aerial attack. The Giants chose another cornerback in the first round of this year’s draft. That gives them 6 DBs chosen in the first or second round of their respective draft classes. Yet, Keith Bulluck and Clint Sintim are the only ‘backers on the roster chosen in the first two rounds of their classes.
A group of intelligent linebackers that know the system is more important than the overall talent level of the group. If I were to grade the current Giants line backing corps consisting of Keith Bullock, Jonathon Goff, and Michael Boley I would have to give them a low grade. Keith is far passed his prime; Boley has never been accused of being a playmaker or game changer, and Goff is still growing into his role as a leader and consistent middle backer. For those reasons the Giants receive a 4/10.
Don’t be worried Giants faithful, teams have recently won championships with lackluster line backing corps. I’ve decided to take a look back at a few of the most recent Super Bowl winners and grade their line backers as well.
Tagged four one ent, giants, Giants Football Blog, Jonathon goff, Keith Bulluck, Kel Dansby, Linebacker, Michael Boley, New York Giants, New York Giants Blogs, NFL, Super Bowl |
We are less than 1 week away from the 2011 NFL draft and I already have the results…Well not really, but I do have my final mock draft ready for you.
I have rounds 1 through 3 listed below for all you NFL draft fans. Don’t worry about being busy on Thursday and Friday night, its fine. I am almost positive that I have predicted the unpredictable, and solved the unsolvable science, which is the NFL draft.
Enjoy!
Tagged New York Giants Blogs |
From our colleague in the Midwest – Don Stokes of Football Reporters Online
I can truly relate to being second. I was born the second of two boys. I got the hand-me downs clothes and shoes from my one year older brother. So I can really understand to being number two. No with the upcoming 2011 NFL draft just weeks away every team is crossing their collective fingers that they make the best 1st round choice. As every football executive knows making the wrong 1st rounder can put your franchise in a serious tailspin which can take many years to recover.
Ask the San Diego Chargers who chose QB Ryan Leaf with their 1st round pick in 1998. Or the more recent 1st round flop JaMarcus Russell by the Oakland Raiders in 2007. While no team has been totally picture perfect with their 1st picks this piece is not about that. But what of the second round pick? For this is about the 2nd round choices that some NFL executives have made and for some have ultimately lost their good reputations (or jobs) over. I have taken the time and looked for 30 years of data to choose the best and the worst of each NFL teams 2nd round picks.
Tagged New York Giants Blogs |
Giants Football Blog’s Partners at Football Reporters Online have made available the 2011 PRO DRAFT REPORT via a special agreement. Today FRO’s Anthony Carrillo ranks the top QB’s…
BY ANTHONY S. CARILLO-Contributing Writer/Reporter/Football Reporters Online
1. Blaine Gabbert-Missouri 6’ 4’’ 236 lbs 4.62 40 Junior
Gabbert is the most polished and NFL ready quarterback in this years draft class. He has great size as well as great speed, and can make every throw that a NFL quarterbacks needs to make. One knock on Gabbert is that in the Missouri offense there were only a few reads for him to make, and if you watch the game tape there are some points where his primary and secondary receiver are covered and he decides to run, but the third option is wide open on the weak side of the field. Coming from a shotgun spread offense does throw up some concerns, but during the combine and pro day process he has shown that he has the footwork and poise to be able to run a NFL style offense.
Tagged College Football, nfl draft, QB's |
The Giants were in attendance yesterday for Tennessee St OLB Sidney Tarver’s pro day.
Not sure he’s a first-rounder, but his stock rose after a stellar workout in inclement weather.
As per the National Football Post….
The 6-foot-3, 236-pounder registered a 32-inch vertical leap, a 10-6 broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times…..Tarver had a 4.24 20-yard shuttle, a 7.30 L-drill and an 11.7 60-yard shuttle, excelling in his linebacker drills…..Last season, he started every game and had 62 tackles, 7 1/2 for losses, 3 1/2 sacks, a pass deflection and two quarterback hurries…..At TSU, he lined up at several positions and was utilized as a 4-3 outside linebacker and a 4-3 defensive end.
For your viewing pleasure…..
Tagged New York Giants Blogs, Sidney Tarver |
Let me premise this by saying that Jason Pierre-Paul is a special athlete. There is no denying that. 
The Giants selected him with 15th overall selection in April’s NFL Draft and have received mixed reviews thus far. JPP was considered too raw by some and not worth such a high selection.
To be truthful, JPP has been a monster on special teams but has yet to make his mark on the Giants’ defense.
He will get that opportunity now that Mathias Kiwanuka has been shelved for the year with a neck injury. Had Kiwi not gotten hurt, JPP would have relegated to spot and mop-up duty. Not exactly the apropos assignment for a new millionaire.
On draft day, when the Giants were about to make their selection, a few other writers approached me and asked what I thought.
“If they’re smart they’ll take Pouncey,” I said, referring to the big center from the University of Florida. “But knowing them, they won’t.” (more…)
Tagged Maurkice Pouncey, New York Giants Blogs |
Cannot Report to Camp Until Signed
The Giants open camp this Sunday and they have yet to reach contract agreements with their top two draft choices, Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph.
Things may loosen up in the next dew days, however. The player selected directly before Joseph, Zane Beadles, signed a four-year, $4.2 million deal with the Denver Broncos today.
It is suspected that Joseph will be signed by Sunday, but JPP may end up missing time – something many agree he cannot afford to do.
Tagged Jason Pierre-Paul, Linval Joseph, New York Giants |
The Dallas Cowboys are finally getting serious. In years past, they let the media, the players (and their girlfriends) and their agents dictate to their organization. It was a complete carnival.
No longer.
Today the team announced they have signed their second round selection, Sean Lee, a promising LB from Penn State. The signing comes one day after the Pokes wrapped up first-rounder Dez Bryant and means the Cowboys have all of their rookies and draft choices under contract going into camp this week.
Lee will challenge the veteran Keith Brooking for the MLB spot. I was on the floor of the draft on Penn State radio when Lee was chosen by Dallas. The show’s hosts were certain the Giants were going to take Lee, but the Giants opted for Linval Joseph instead. They were a bit taken aback when Dallas selected Lee – with a pick they got from Philadelphia in a trade, btw…..
Tagged Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Sean Lee |
One of the things that surprised me about the Giants 2010 draft was that they neglected to get a RB prospect. It’s not that a team has to walk away from every draft with a back (though they should at least take a viable UDFA every season), but considering both the lack of production in the 2009 season run game and the fact that every giant RB was coming off of a major injury in 2010, it would have been prudent to walk away with something. I’m big into the prospects that make a name for themselves with production in college and I was hoping especially for Joique Bell out of Wayne State.
At any rate, let’s take a look at some of the reasons that the running game fell apart in the 2009 season:
When the Giants drafted a 6’4”, 264 lb running back, I certainly had my doubts about his ability to be successful in the NFL. Primarily, not having much game tape available of Brandon Jacobs, I thought he would be too slow, too lanky, and too heavy to produce consistently. I didn’t even think of the concept that such a huge back with such a punishing style would, in turn, take a lot of extra punishment. I did wonder if he would take too many blows to the legs. He certainly proved me wrong in respect to being too slow, lanky, or heavy. Jacobs has been good for at least 800 yards the past 3 seasons.
The problem with Jacobs, I’ve come to realize in watching the Giants offense last season, is that featuring a back of his size ties you to the power running game and an offense built around said power running game. And that’s fine. That’s my favorite kind of football and it is among the biggest reasons for the Giants success in 2007 and 2008. However the Giants franchise QB is Peyton Manning’s little brother and the offensive planners, which I’m sure include Eli, want to spread it out and they want to air it out. What you and I witnessed last season was an offense that ran out of single back and shotgun formations more than in the past two seasons.
Being able to run out of those formations is important for the element of subterfuge, which is of growing importance in today’s NFL, but how well does it serve the Giant’s overall game? Jacobs doesn’t get the running start that a guy his size needs to push the pile or break tackles. And he’s a liability in the passing game to boot. Madison Hedgecock, who is built like a textbook linebacker spends way too much time on the sidelines. And the offensive line isn’t run blocking as much. We all know run blocking makes offensive linemen happy. We also know that the Giants line is exceptionally good at it.
Then we have to be aware of how that affected a defense that was already a liability, due to injuries. I thought the 2009 defense took way too much flak coming out of the season. Injuries are injuries. You can’t do anything about guys getting hurt. But you can do something about keeping a hobbled defense off the field. And you do that with the power running game.
Ahmad Bradshaw is my personal favorite RB on the team. He has a great running style. One of the habits that great backs have is that they keep their feet moving. Well Bradshaw keeps both his upper and lower body moving at all times and it gives him incredible balance and tackle breaking ability. He’s also a better passing option than Jacobs. That being, I don’t think Bradshaw is a starter. I think he needs a sizeable contribution from another back to be at his best. Think of how effective Marion Barber when he doesn’t have to be a full-time back.
DJ Ware? Phooey. Has this guy ever not been hurt? Would any team give a player this many chances?
Gartrell who???
Andre Brown has the potential to be a feature back. But at this point that’s all he has, potential. He wasn’t very productive at N.C. State – partly due to injury – and he was hurt coming into his rookie season. He has flashed some good rushing and good receiving skills, but how will a year off affect him and will he ever be able to play a full season?
A major key for the Giants in 2010 will be figuring out the identity of their running game, and transversally, their offense overall. Then they will need to bring in personnel that fit that offensive mode. If they can move in that direction, an X receiver really emerges as a dominant weapon, and the Giants line gels again like it did in 2007, then the offense will be, as they say, good money.
What do you think? Do you see the Giant rushing attack having a bounce back season? Do you trust in the health of the players? Should the Giants have drafted a RB in 2010?
Keep an eye on – Dominik Hixon is out for the season. That was the Giants’ most developed split end. It’s all about Super Mario Manningham now.
Tagged Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants, New York Giants News |
So how good is the Giants second round draft pick, Linval “The Anvil” Joseph? The Giants must have thought pretty highly of the young defensive tackle from East Carolina if veteran DT, Barry Cofield became trade worthy.
Similar to the safety situation of 2009, The Giants are very thin at Defensive Tackle and putting Barry Cofield out there to the point where the New Orleans Saints and the Giants agreed to send Cofield to “The Big Easy” in exchange for the Saints’ second-round pick in 2010 has me scrathing my head.
The talks only fell apart because the Saints’ contract offer to Cofield wasn’t even close to what he wanted otherwise Mr. Cofield would have been wearing black & gold this season. Loosing Fred Robbins was disappointing because he was a fan favorite; however, understandable because of his age and his recent knee surgery, but loosing Cofield just doesn’t make sense.
Without Cofield, the Giants would have started the season with Canty, Alford, and Benard as their experienced starting three. That my fellow Giants fans is sorry. Canty, who accepted a huge payday to come to the Giants in 2009 was non-existent all year and rumors of him being soft, so far ring true.
Alford is coming off knee surgery and his production and health are yet to be measured. Rocky Bernard…well, the 8 year veteran from Texas A&M looked out of shape last season and produced only sparingly in limited playing time. If you’re looking for a bright side…he couldn’t play any worse than he did in 2009.
Outside of that…the Giants are bringing two “rookie” defensive tackles, Collins(Virginia) and Hendricks(Miami) to camp to join second round draft pick, Linval Joseph.
The ’09 season was a terrible showcase for the Giants defense. Rookie Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan was a disaster, MLB Antonio Pierce aged before our eyes, safety James Butler left for St, Louis, Osi Umenyiora all but disappeared and former first round draft pick, Kenny Philips had a season ending knee injury. And lets not forget the CC Brown/Arron Rouse experiment.
Yes, the trade offer fell through but I have to ask, “What is Jerry Reese thinking?”. We need the big boys upfront.
Tagged Barry Cofield | ← Older posts
