NFL Team Previews: New York Giants
With the last team in the NFC East, I bring you the New York Football Giants, coached by Ben McAdoo and with Jerry Reese as the general manager. Even after winning Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011, the outlook for the Giants always seems to be murky. Nobody really knows what to expect, which Eli Manning will be there, will they have a defense, a running game? Now, it's will Ben McAdoo be able to replace longtime coach Tom Coughlin? So, with a revamped defense and talented offense, here we are trying to dissolve the mystery that is the New York Giants.
DRAFT RECAP: Eli Apple was the top guy in the Giants draft in 2016, a cornerback and first round pick from Ohio State. Nobody had him going that high, especially to the Giants, and even Eli Apple was surprised he got selected (maybe it has to do with the name Apple, since he's in the Big Apple...never mind, I'll stop). Anyways, the pick everybody is talking about is WR Sterling Shepard from Oklahoma, taken 40th overall in the second round. Obviously, Odell Beckham Jr will be their number one receiver for the next 55 years, but that made people forget about a more than decent player named Victor Cruz, who was out due to injury. If he returns to full strength, Eli Manning might have the best receiving squad he's ever had. He might even already. The Giants also selected S Darian Thompson from Boise State, and safety is a pretty big need for the Giants as well.
FREE AGENCY: Does anybody know if the Giants did anything to improve their dead-last defense this offseason? Anybody??? Okay, the Giants brought in DE/OLB Olivier Vernon from Miami on a huge deal, DT Damon Harrison from the cross-stadium Jets, and CB Janoris Jenkins from the now LA Rams. All three have Pro-Bowl capability, and all three were signed to massive contracts. The Giants also brought in ILB Keenan Robinson from the division rival Washington Redskins. Only Robinson does not have a secure starting job, as he is battling Kelvin Shepherd for the starting role. Everyone else should be in line to start, and they better be with the contracts they received.
PLAYERS LOST: The Giants actually have quite a bit of players that are still free agents, mainly from that porous defense. Among them are CB Prince Amukamara, ILB Jon Beason, DE George Selvie, DE Cullen Jenkins, and CB Trumaine McBride. All of them are still available should the Giants need help in training camp. Along with them, DE Robert Ayers signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but should not be missed with the addition of Vernon and the return of Jason Pierre-Paul. They also let WR Rueben Randle walk away to the Philadelphia Eagles, but with Victor Cruz back and Sterling Shepherd returning, the Giants will be fine.
STRONGEST POSITION: It's obviously wide receiver, when you have arguably the best wide receiver in football, arguably the top receiver in his draft class, and a former top 10 receiver before injuries tore him apart. That three headed monster is Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepherd, and Victor Cruz. If that's not enough, you have Dwayne Harris who had 400 yards and 4 touchdowns as a third receiver, and Myles White, who was let go by the Packers, who (outside of last season) are known for having quality wide receivers.
WEAKEST POSITION: Linebacker. It's not necessarily a weak group of players, it's a group with a lot of uncertainty and a lot of question marks. All three linebacking spots are (or at least should be) up for grabs, and they have no household names at the position. Kelvin Sheppard had 105 tackles last year, but cbssports.com projects him to be the backup to the former Redskin Keenan Robinson. The rest of the linebackers include JT Thomas, Jonathan Casillas, Jasper Brinkley and Devon Kennard. If anybody has heard of any of them, that is not a Giants fan or knows where they went to college, please speak up. They are solid players, but uncertainty never bodes well in football.
FIVE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYERS TO THE GIANTS SUCCESS: QB Eli Manning, WR Odell Beckham Jr, DE Olivier Vernon, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, S Landon Collins. Obviously, if this passing game is going to tick, Odell Beckham Jr. needs to put up big numbers with or without Eli Manning. However, Eli Manning is necessary to spreading the ball around, being a veteran, and bringing this passing game to the next level. On the defensive side, DE Jason Pierre-Paul needs to come back strong from his freak firework accident, and Olivier Vernon needs to prove his contract was worth the money he received. And, despite all of the changes in the secondary, Landon Collins may be the most important piece back there, and he is the last line of (the lack of) defense.
PREDICTIONS: Despite my somewhat harsh criticism of the defense, I think that the Giants should be the favorites to win the NFC East. To start off, the division is not that good, and there is no true contender, or true bottom feeder in the division. Also, the offense looks pretty daunting, and the defense, despite still not looking that great, is definitely not the worst in football anymore. I think the max is 11-5, but 9-7 and a division crown seems the most likely.
