New York Giants Draft Preview: Secondary

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This is the 9^th and final installment of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The last position is the secondary.

Currently, the Giants have Corey Webster, Terrell Thomas, Prince Amukamara, Antwaun Molden, Bruce Johnson, Brian Witherspoon, Michael Coe, Justin Tryon and Brandon Bing at corner back on the depth chart.  At safety, the Giants currently have Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips, Tyler Sash, Stevie Brown, Chris Horton and Chad Jones on the depth chart.  Currently un-signed from last season for the Giants is Deon Grant, Will Blackmon and Derrick Martin.

Most moves made by the Giants so far this off-season has come in the secondary, albeit they were minor ones.  Thomas was re-signed after suffering an ACL injury during the preseason last year.  The Giants are hoping he can return to his old form as Thomas was really starting to come into his own along side Corey Webster.  Amukamara is looking to improve off what was a disappoint rookie season that was derailed by injury from the start.  Amukamara broke a bone in his foot in his second practice last off-season, and is looking to bounce back.  Recently, Amukamara received an injection to help the foot heal, but should be ready by the time training camp roles around.  Having him healthy would be a huge benefit as the Giants could use some help at cornerback after Aaron Ross left this off-season to join the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Molden, Brown and Horton were added mostly for depth.  All three have potential to help the team on special teams since cracking the rotation will be tough.  Johnson, Coe and Tryon were all re-signed from last season.  The secondary, even though from the looks is deep, has its question marks.  Thomas, Johnson, Coe, Witherspoon and Tryon all suffered season ending injuries, so no one knows for sure how effective they will be once training camps open up. 

Rolle and Phillips return for the Giants this season, giving the Giants one of the best safety combinations in the NFL.  Popular veteran Deon Grant though still remains unsigned and it remains to be seen what the Giants do with him.  His veteran leadership is a quality that would not hurt the Giants adding.  There is a possibility the Giants bring him into the fold later in the off-season, but they do like what they have in last years 6^th round pick Tyler Sash.  Adding linebacker Keith Rivers may make Grant expendable also because he should not need to use three safeties on the field together as much. 

Chad Jones suffered injuries in a horrific car accident after being selected by the Giants in 2010.  The accident almost cost Jones his life and left leg, but he is attempting to return this off-season.  If Jones is able to return and give the Giants anything, it would be considered a huge bonus.  Jones is an inspiration to everyone in the organization attempting a comeback from such a life changing experience. 

The last time the Giants went secondary in the draft was last year, when they selected Amukamara in the first round out of Nebraska and Sash in the sixth round out of Iowa.  The Giants have been taking a look at a number defensive backs and it makes sense. 

The front office will have a lot of decisions to make after this season, having only six defensive backs under contract past this year (Webster, Amukamara, Thomas, Rolle, Sash and Jones).  The Giants would like to retain Phillips as his contract is up this season, but you never know.  Reese always has an eye on the future, which is what the draft is for so seeing the Giants take some secondary players would be a surprise to no one.  The fact they have so many players returning from injuries is also a concern and reason for the Giants to look secondary in this year’s draft. 

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There are a number of options for the Giants in the draft this year.  If Notre Dame Safety Harrison Smith is there at 32, the Giants will have to take a long hard look at him.  Another player to keep an eye on is Dre Kirkpatrick out of Alabama.  He has told the Giants they will need to trade up to get him, but there are a few people that think he may be in for a fall down the draft board.  Janoris Jenkins formerly of Florida University, out of Northern Alabama comes with a lot of baggage but is highly talented.  ProFootballTalk.com has said that the Giants have had Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden for two visits, so keep an eye out for him on draft day. 

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With so many question marks surrounding the secondary this season and into the future, it would seem like drafting a cornerback or safety would be a logical move.  I would place the necessity for a player in the secondary to be drafted at a 5 for the Giants.

So there it is the last installment of the NFL Draft preview for the New York Football Giants.  Leave comments to let us know what you thought of the coverage and how you think we did.  Hope you all enjoy watching the draft this weekend. 

New York Giants Draft Preview: Linebackers

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This is the 8^th installment in the series of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The next position up is linebacker.

The Giants currently have Michael Boley, Keith Rivers, Mathias Kiwanuka, Chase Blackburn, Jacquian Williams, Greg Jones, Mark Herzlich, Clint Sintim, Spencer Paysinger and Adrian Tracy on the depth chart at linebacker.  The only linebacker that remains unsigned for the Giants is Jonathan Goff.

Last season the Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was most comfortable going with two linebackers on the field, opting to using a third safety instead.  The addition of Keith Rivers should have an effect on that philosophy, enabling the Giants to go to a more traditional three linebacker set.  Rivers gives the Giants a third true linebacker to go along with Boley and Kiwanuka.  Rivers had a rough go of it in Cincinnati, but was a top 10 pick when he came out of USC in 2008.  The Giants like his speed and the sideline to sideline ability Rivers has and are hoping that a change of scenery in combination to a fresh start can help him reach his potential.  The acquisition of Rivers gives the Giants new found flexibility at the linebacker position giving them plenty of options.

Kiwanuka could be seeing more action at his more natural defensive end position this season.  The loss of Dave Tollefson and the addition of Rivers, the defensive line is in need of Kiwanuka more than the linebacking corps. 

Jacquian Williams was a nice surprise last season for the Giants.  A product coming out of USF like Pierre-Paul the season prior, showed elite athleticism.  His speed and ability to play coverage really helps the Giants, and should only get better with a full season behind him and his first full training camp ahead of him.

GM Jerry Reese is also very high on the potential middle linebackers Jones and Herzlich posses.  They were pressed into action last season because of injuries and responded much better than you would expect from a 6^th round rookie and an undrafted free agent.  Look for them to have their biggest impact on special teams throughout the season. 

Another player to keep an eye on is Clint Sintim.  He will be returning from his second consecutive season ended prematurely because of an ACL tear.  Sintim was penciled in as one of the starting outside linebackers last season and should come out aggressive wanting to get his spot back. 

Paysinger and Tracy are two more young players the Giants like and will add competition in training camp.  Paysinger had his biggest impact on the team last year as a valuable member of the coverage teams.

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The last time the Giants drafted a linebacker was last year, when they took Williams out of USF and Jones out of Michigan State, both in the 6^th round.  This time around, the Giants are well stocked at linebacker, but that does not mean they still are not looking.  Draft experts have the Giants linked to a number of linebackers.  One is Dont’a Hightower out of Alabama, who if falls in the draft is expected to be snapped up for the Giants.  Another name to pay attention to is Lavonte David of Nebraska.  Draft expert Todd McShay is very high on him and very well could be available to the Giants at 32 or in the second round.  I would place the necessity of the Giants adding a linebacker at a 3 on a scale of 1-10.

New York Giants Draft Preview: Special Teams

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This is the 6^th installment in the series of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The next position up is special teams. 

The Giants depth chart currently includes Kicker Lawrence Tynes, Punter Steve Weatherford, Long Snapper Zak DeOssie, Punt Returner Domenik Hixon, and Kick Returners Jerrel Jernigan, Da’Rel Scott and D.J. Ware.  Will Blackmon is the only current special teamer still on the free agent wire for the Giants.

Last season the special teams saw a vast improvement throughout all aspects in 2011 compared to 2010.  One area that saw a glaring improvement was in the punting game.  After beating out Matt Dodge in training camp, Weatherford provided clutch and outstanding punting.  Tynes was efficient, going 19-24 on his Field Goal attempts and kicking 34 touchbacks.

The coverage teams were also vastly improved.  Neither the punt return or kick off coverage allowed a return touchdown on the season.  A reason for this was the infusion of young talent through the draft in Greg Jones, Jacquian Williams and Tyler Sash and the signing of undrafted free agent Mark Herzlich. 

At times superstars Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck were seen on the special team units attempting to block field goals and punts.  Giants’ fans will remember JPP blocked field goal against the Dallas Cowboys in week 15 that very well could have saved the Giants season.  Let’s not also forget to mention Corner Back Justin Tryon, who contributed in his short amount of time before suffering a season ending injury.  I distinctly remember the play he made on a punt against the Miami Dolphins and Reggie Bush.  It was the play Tryon sadly got hurt on, but he was still able to make the play and stop the explosive Bush. 

The return game was the only thing that was not so stellar for the Giants. They averaged only 6.1 yards per punt return and 23.3 yards per kick return.  Hixon is a capable return man and his return is nothing but positive for the team.  But he is a huge injury concern, and the other main kick and punt return men all either left the team in free agency or remain unsigned.  Hixon, Jernigan and Scott are all capable of being good return men because of the tools they posses.  Ware also has experience as a kick returner.

The last time the Giants selected a special teamer in the draft was 2010 with Matt Dodge and we all know how that ended up.  Don’t expect the Giants to take any special teamers outside of possibly an electric return man.  The Giants are more than set at Kicker, Punter and Long Snapper.  Some possibilities are Arkansas’ Joe Adams who led the FBS in yard per punt return at an average of 16.9 or Keshawn Martin from Michigan State who was mentioned earlier in the WR post.  Another return man to keep an eye on is Florida’s Chris Rainey, who is dangerous in space and is capable of being a good return man in the NFL. I would put the need for a special teamer at a 4 for the Giants, only because it would be beneficial to add a spark plug in the return game.  Other than a returner, the need for special teamers would be a 1 on a scale on 1-10.

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New York Giants Draft Preview: Wide Reciever

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This is the third installment in the series of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The next position up is Wide Receiver.

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The depth chart for the Giants at WR includes Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Domenik Hixon, Jerrel Jernigan, Ramses Barden, Isiah Stanback and Dan DePalma.  The Giants also have Michael Clayton who is currently still an unrestricted free agent. 

Going into this season, the Giants will employ one of the best receiving tandems in the NFL in Nicks and Cruz.  Cruz could experience a rough path this season, at least at the start, as teams now start to focus game plans on him more than last season when he really came out of nowhere.  Another thing on the agenda for the Giants will be to find that third weapon with the departure of Mario Manningham.  The front office is hoping that the available in house options of Jernigan and Barden are ready to assume bigger roles and step up much like Cruz last season.  Do not put it past the Giants to throw these guys into the fire and let them work.  Eli Manning has a knack for developing receivers and turning them into valuable weapons. 

This is a huge opportunity for Barden.  The Giants selected him in the 3^rd round in 2009 out of Cal Poly.  The Giants were hoping he would replace the void of size and a red zone threat after Plaxico Burress was sent to jail.  Barden has not yet shown his full potential whether it is because of injuries or just not enough of an opportunity.  But in limited action he has flashed good hands and obviously has the size. 

Jernigan has experience working the slot in college at Troy University.  A full training camp and off-season under the watch of the coaching staff will do him a lot of good. 

Hixon will also have his fair share of opportunities to take over the third receiver role, but cannot have much trust put into him.  He is coming off his second ACL surgery in as many seasons, so a slow easy process of working him back into the lineup will probably ensue this season to help ensure there are no setbacks.  Last season, Hixon had the first crack at securing the third receiver job until the knee injury ended his season and opened the door for Cruz.

The last time the Giants selected a WR was last years draft with Jernigan.  Before that it was Barden, both 3^rd round picks.  The Giants could use another receiver this year even if it is just for depth because both Mario Manningham and Devin Thomas left via free agency and played key roles on the team.  Thomas was also the main kick return man for most of the season, something the Giants could look for in the WR they have on their board.  The Giants are not going to break their philosophy of taking the best player available, but there is a good chance that player could be a WR.

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Two potential targets for the Giants are Kendall Wright out of Baylor and Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech.  Currently, both are rated to get taken before the Giants selection at 32.  It would be a pretty safe bet though that if either of them fall that is the player the Giants will select.  More realistic options later in the draft include New Jersey product Mohamed Sanu from Rutgers Keshawn Martin from Michigan State.  Adding a WR definitely would not be a bad thing for the Giants, so I will rate the necessity of adding a WR at a 6 on a scale of 1-10 because of the ability Eli Manning has to develop what they already have.

New York Giants Draft Preview: Running Back

This is the second installment in the series of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The next position up is Running Back.

At Running Back, the Giants depth chart currently includes Ahmad Bradshaw, D.J. Ware, Da’Rel Scott, Andre Brown and Henry Hynoski.

Last season the running game for the Giants was non-existent, finishing with 1,427 yards, which was the least in the NFL.  The outlook for the Giants running game is murky currently with Brandon Jacobs leaving in free agency and Andre Brown being suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season.  It also does not help that Bradshaw received an injection to help the healing process of the fracture he has in his ankle.  Bradshaw says he is capable of a bigger work load with Jacobs leaving town, but it is one thing to say something; showing it is a whole different case.  Bradshaw has surgically repaired feet and ankles and can break down at any second. 

Ware got sporadic playing time last season, seeing his most action in garbage time.  Ware was also seen a lot for draw plays and on screen passes. 

Scott was a burner at Maryland University and has shown that speed in the action he has gotten in pre-season games.  The coaching staff though does not have trust in him, something he will have to earn if he wants to get some serious playing time that means something in the regular season.  Scott making the team was impressive enough as a 7^th round pick.  Without much of an off-season to work on his game because of the lockout I give Scott kudos for making the team at all and being talked about now.  He will be given all the opportunities to make a positive impression on the coaching staff this time around. 

The Giants drafted Brown in the 4^th round out of North Carolina State in the 2009 NFL Draft.  The Giants like the skills Brown brings to the table, but will be without him for the first four games of the season as he serves his suspension because he violated the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances. 

Hynoski was a nice surprise for the Giants last season.  He was yet another shrewd move by GM Jerry Reese, adding Hynoski as an undrafted free agent during the off-season.  Hynoski should only improve as a blocker going into his second season.  What the real surprise was the hands he has coming out of the backfield.  As the season wore on, Hynoski showed good hands coming out of the backfield as a safety option for Eli Manning.

Running Back is an interesting position for the Giants heading into the draft.  They need to prepare themselves in case Ware and Scott are not ready or capable of increased roles in the offense.  They could, at the very least, take a running back to groom, much like the same situation they can have at Quarterback.  Bradshaw is a huge injury risk as well, so they need to protect themselves in case an injury occurs to their starting running back.  Tom Coughlin likes the speed and power combo Bradshaw and Jacobs provides, but there are not many running backs that are 6’4 and 265 pounds like Jacobs available. 

The last time the Giants selected a running back in the draft was last year, 2011, when they selected Scott in the 7^th round.  Do not be surprised if the Giants snag a running back this year as well.  It is not the Giants M.O. to spend high picks on running backs, (Ron Dayne was selected in the first round by the Giants in 2000.  Since then, they have not selected a running back higher than the 4^th round) instead finding gems later in the draft like Bradshaw (7^th round pick) and Jacobs (4^th round pick). 

Some names to keep an eye on are David Wilson of Virginia Tech and Lamichael James of Oregon.  Both are explosive runners who could be available when the Giants turn to pick comes around in the 2^nd round.  The Giants strategy is usually to take the best player available, but this is definitely a need position for them this season.  With so much uncertainty surrounding the backfield, I would put the necessity of adding a running back at 9 on a scale of 1-10 for the Giants. 

New York Giants Draft Preview: Quarterback

This is the first in a series of posts where I will discuss the Giants current outlook and needs for the upcoming NFL Draft position by position.

The first position I will be taking a look at is Quarterback.

At quarterback, the depth chart for the Giants goes Eli Manning, David Carr and Ryan Perrilloux. 

Eli Manning is coming off his best season as an NFL quarterback and no longer has to answer questions about his standing amongst other QB’s in the league or how elite he is.  Manning is coming off his second Super Bowl MVP award and is in the prime of his career.  Manning cut down his career high 25 interceptions from 2010 to only 16 in 2011, not only improving his ball control but making everyone around him better; a sign of a great leader and quarterback.  New pieces were all over the offense, and Manning still managed to put up career numbers and keep everything clicking.  From undrafted players Victor Cruz and Jake Ballard becoming major contributors to playing behind what was a makeshift offensive line at time, Manning never broke stride and kept the team moving. 

What makes Manning’s season that much more impressive was the performance of the Giants running game, or a lack there of.  This season Manning will be relied upon heavily again, as the Giants are in the midst of a changing of the guard on the offensive line and new players will need to be worked into the offense.  Much like last season, Manning will need to develop chemistry with new receivers.  With Mario Manningham leaving via free agency, the Giants are looking for a new third receiver.  Also, the Giants signed new Tight End Martellus Bennett to solidify the position after injuries ravaged the Giants during the Super Bowl when Ballard and Travis Beckum both went down with knee injuries.  Thankfully for Manning and the Giants, they will have a full off-season to work everything out unlike last year because of the lockout.

God forbid if Manning was ever injured, the Giants could do worse than David Carr.  The former number one pick out of Fresno State has starting experience and is a seasoned veteran.  Carr also plays an important role during practice and on the scout team.  Perrilloux has something the Giants must like because they signed him back to the practice squad numerous times this past season.

The last time the Giants drafted a quarterback was Rhett Bomar out of Sam Houston State in 2009 in the 5^th round.  If the Giants are to take another quarterback this year, it will not be more than a developmental pick.  It is safe to say the Giants are pretty set at QB currently.  If they were to look at a QB in this year’s draft, Darron Thomas of Oregon and Jordan Jefferson from LSU are two names to keep an eye on.  They are both great athletes, but could use some time to learn the position and who better to learn from than two former number 1 overall picks? 

The necessity of a quarterback on a scale of 1-10 for the Giants I would put at a 1.  Manning isn’t going anywhere and is here for the long run. 

New York Giants Start to Free Agency

There was a ton of euphoria surrounding the Giants following their rousing Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots for the 2nd time in 4 years. Eventually you have to move on and start focusing on next season. That time is now for the New York Giants. 


Tuesday, March 13, the free agency period will open up in the NFL and players will begin flooding the waiver wire and open market. But for certain teams, like the Giants, tough decisions and hard work are already being put in before free agency begins. 


The Giants have over 20 free agents, and it will be impossible to retain all of them, so they will have to pick and choose smartly which players are worthy of keeping, and which they will need to let go and eventually replace. The Giants have already re-signed Wide Receiver Domenick Hixon, who is coming off his second ACL tear in back-to-back years, Cornerback Bruce Johnson, who is coming off an ACL tear suffered in the pre-season, and Tight End Jake Ballard, who suffered an ACL tear during the Super Bowl. 


One player who may not be lucky enough to return is Wide Receiver Mario Manningham. After having a so-so season, dealing with multiple injuries, Manningham may have priced himself out of the Giants price range because of his performance in the Super Bowl and throughout the playoffs. There have been conflicting reports as to the percent chances that Manningham is leaving, but general consensus is that Manningham will leave because he believes he is worth top receiver money, and the Giants will need to find a way to pay Wide Receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz in the next two off-seasons. 


To free up some cap space, the Giants and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning agreed to a restructuring of his contract. They were $9 million over the cap at one point, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. But Reese the restructuring of Eli Manning's contract has given them some relief; approximately $6.75 million in cap space according to reports. Manning's base salary is now $1.75 million, down from $10.75 million, according to the NFL Players Association. The franchise quarterback will still get all of that money with $9 million of that $10.75 million being paid up front and guaranteed according to the Newark Star-Ledger. Manning's 2012 cap number counts for $9.6 million now, down from $16.35 million according to the New York Daily News. 


Restructuring Eli’s contract alone will not get the Giants the cap relief they need, so other tough decisions needed to be done. Some high profile moves the Giants made were releasing long-time Giants Brandon Jacobs and Kareem McKenzie. The Giants and Jacobs could not agree to a restructured contract, ending his seven year tenure with the team. The Giants were going to be on the hook for a 4.9 million dollar base salary and $500,000 roster bonus, so releasing Jacobs saved the Giants $5million in cap. Just like in years past, the Giants are taking the approach to add younger talent to the offensive line, telling Kareem McKenzie that he can go shopping to find a new team. McKenzie joined the Giants after 4 years with the New York Jets, and was a very important piece to both Super Bowl victories. Giant fans will miss McKenzie, who was both a warrior and mentor on the field for eight seasons.