Tuesday, April 26, 2016

2016 Offseason / Draft Preview

A lot has happened to the Giants since the last time we talked.

First, Tom Coughlin fell on the sword, and “walked away” from the Giants’ organization after another disappointing season. By “walked away” I mean that he was thrown out like two week old Chinese food.
Ben McAdoo, who looks like that uncle who is in two bowling leagues, got the promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach. You know it’s funny, when everyone was throwing names around about who would be the next head coach of Big Blue, I thought that I’d rather have Coughlin over all of the suggested names. Even McAdoo's.
It’s unfortunate to see him go. True, it can be a reflection of his coaching for the Giants to lose a handful of games in the final two minutes, but to be fair he wasn’t coaching a team that was built to win a lot of games. Try painting a house when all you have are a couple of good brushes, but mostly you’re supplied with kid’s water color brushes. That’s what Tom Coughlin was trying to do, and the house never got painted.



But the one man who was responsible for building this team, Jerry Reese, basically said at Coughlin’s firing press-conference that although the team wasn’t perfect, but it was competitive. In fact, the team was so competitive that Reese spent this off-season throwing money around like Jordan Belfort. 
Here's Jerry Reese trying to save his neck by throwing money at free agents to help his depleted team.
They paid a Steinbrenner amount of money on a cornerback, Janoris Jenkins, defensive end, Olivier Vernon, and defensive tackle, Damon “Snacks” Harrison. They all got big money, and they are expected to make immediate impacts on defense.  
The Giants acquired a few other players. A couple of linebackers, a few offensive linemen, a running back, and a tight end. The biggest impact of this group will probably be the linebackers, Kelvin Sheppard and Keenan Robinson. The position is really thin from a talent standpoint, so I won’t be surprised to see these guys get a good amount of playing time.
Along with signing some new faces, Reese resigned a few people from last year’s “competitive” roster. JPP, Jasper Brinkley, and Josh Brown will all be back with Big Blue in the upcoming season. I’m expecting big things from JPP. He showed a lot of promise when he returned last year, and the additions of Vernon and Harrison will no doubt make his job a bit easier.

But in every off-season, teams lose noteworthy players. The Giants are no different. They had to say goodbye to the oft injured Prince Amukamara. It stings to see him go, but realizing that he only has one full season under his belt makes it a no-brainer to not give him a big extension. I can say the same thing about veteran linebacker, Jon Beason, who has since retired from football.
I am so mad that I didn't think of Roomba Randle until now.
They also got rid of my favorite route runner, Rueben Randle. He showed flashes of brilliance from time to time, but most of the time his routes were no more predictable than an automated vacuum cleaner's. I hope the Eagles will enjoy the five extra interceptions that Roomba Randle will give Bradford this year.
The Giants also got rid of offensive linemen Geoff Schwartz and Will Beatty.

Here’s a stat that will restore your faith in Jerry Reese. According to an article from nj.com, after the recent cuts of Randle, Prince, and Markus Kuhn, the Giants don’t have any players from the 2011 and 2012 drafts on their roster anymore. In those two recent drafts, nobody that was drafted was good enough, or reliable enough, to get resigned by the Giants. So there’s another feather in the cap of Reese.



Speaking of terrible drafting, let’s get to the 2016 NFL Draft...

Right now here are the Giants’ biggest needs; offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, running back, wide receiver, defensive backs, and safety. In other words, the team is doing great.
The good news is that because they have so many needs that they sucked their way to the 10th pick in the draft. This means they have a lot of options to get a player that can possibly be a cornerstone of the team for years to come. I feel like I said the same thing last year...
But who will they get? Will it be a defensive lineman like Shaq Lawson, or DeForest Buckner? Will it be offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley or Jack Conklin? Maybe a corner if Jalen Ramsey or Vernon Hargreaves falls to them? Maybe they’ll wind up taking linebackers Myles Jack or Leonard Floyd? Will they do something crazy like drafting running back Ezekiel Elliott or receiver Laquon Treadwell?

I think their best bet would be a defensive or offensive lineman. I know picks like that are as sexy as gym socks, but a deep and effective offensive or defensive line is what separates good teams from great teams. Eli and the running game will benefit from talented depth on the offensive line, and it would be great to see the Giants defensive line as the revolving door of pain that it used to be.
I really can’t see Jalen Ramsey falling to the Giants, but it is possible that Hargreaves will be there. But will there be more pressing needs for Big Blue available at that spot?
A linebacker like Jack or Floyd would be a good addition, even though Jack’s knee issue is a major concern. I’d be surprised if they take a linebacker since the last linebacker they took in the first round was Carl Banks in 1984. Having said that, Leonard Floyd would be a great pass rusher for the Giants.
ROOMIES!
I can’t see them picking up an offensive weapon with their first pick, but if they pick anyone, it’ll most likely be Laquon Treadwell. Odell, who spent his off-season at Drake's house, will see a lot of coverage this year (not that it really matters), and who knows what Victor Cruz will bring to the table this year? So a solid WR2 makes sense, but I can’t see Reese pulling the trigger on it.

The truth is that nobody will know what happens until Thursday night. Not me, not you, and not the bigwig mock drafters with their fancy suits and fancy networks. Just like those countless Star Wars or Game of Thrones fan theory videos on YouTube, it’s all speculative and ultimately pointless. What’s the point of trying to figure out if Jon Snow is dead, who Supreme Leader Snoke is, or who Rey’s parents are, when you’ll eventually find out? The same idea goes for these mock drafts. We’re all going to find out soon how the draft will go, but we all still read the articles, read the mock drafts, watch the draft shows on TV, and get excited or disappointed when we disagree on a hypothetical pick. I carry the blame just like everyone else. I clearly have an idea on who the Giants could/should get, and I have my own opinions on Rey’s lineage.
...Nerds... obviously Chewbacca is Rey's father, and Snoke is Jar Jar Binks.
We can talk about who will be drafted in the first round all day, but that’s not how a draft is won. If Reese wants to earn some pelts and save his job, he has to find great value in the late rounds, some diamonds in the rough.  For most of his time as GM, Reese had some major whiffs after the first two rounds.
Jerry Reese trying to swing for the fences in the later rounds.


No matter who they pick this week, there’s one thing that mostly everybody knows for sure... the Eagles really crapped the bed with their trade. I didn’t realize Sonny Weaver Jr. was the actual GM of the Browns this year. Giving up all of these picks for a possible franchise QB doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but then again, the hiring of Chip Kelly didn’t make much sense either.

Listen, if Reese screws this draft up, the Giants season will most likely suffer, and he’ll probably get the axe. Ya know, unless he doesn’t. Again, like the bigwigs, I can’t predict the future.
"Todd! This is the can't-miss, best beach day of the year!"