Another Jerry Reese stinks article.

[JMFP]

Take if for what it's worth...from Bleacher Report, but covers alot of the things I've thought about.

 

I won't use quotes, because it fucks up the formatting. Everything below this is from the article.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2193972-jerry-reese-is-at-the-root-of-the-problems-plaguing-the-new-york-giants

 

The New York Giants are an old-school organization. And being old school goes hand in hand with being loyal, which is why it isn't surprising that the G-Men have a head coach and quarterback who have served for 11 consecutive years and a general manager who has been with the team since 1994.

 

But as the Giants stumble out of the gate to kick off what's shaping up to be another lousy season, it's become fair to wonder whether the franchise is being too loyal to its key cogs.

 

There's no doubt general manager Jerry Reese has given a ton of rope to head coach Tom Coughlin, who in turn has done the same with quarterback Eli Manning. But have co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch been too forgiving when it comes to handling Reese himself?

Reese is still employed for one obvious reason: The Giants have won two Super Bowls since he took over for Ernie Accorsi in 2007. But without those two Super Bowl runs—which, let's face it, had a lot more to do with Coughlin and Manning than anyone he brought to town—the Giants would have a mediocre-at-best track record during Reese's reign.

 

So, what's wrong with the Giants? Why are they likely to miss the playoffs in 2014 for the fifth time in six years? It can't be Coughlin, who is likely on his way to the Hall of Fame based on his ability to make something out of nothing. And it can't all be on Manning, who possesses that "clutch gene" and has the ability to make throws that almost nobody else in football can.

 

Frankly, the problem is that Reese has spent nearly his entire tenure as general manager building a shoddy, second-rate roster.

Big Blue isn't struggling because of that new scheme introduced by offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo or because of the coaching staff. This team is sinking deeper into quicksand because it simply does not possess enough talent.

 

Look at the current roster.

 

The offensive line has to be considered one of the worst in football, despite the fact Reese used a first-round pick on right tackle Justin Pugh last year, mere weeks after giving $37.5 million to injury-prone, ineffective left tackle Will Beatty. The interior of that line has been gutted, with Reese now relying on curbside pickups like Dallas Reynolds, J.D. Walton, John Jerry, Charles Brown and Adam Snyder—a band-aid solution that is clearly backfiring.

 

With Hakeem Nicks gone and top pick Odell Beckham Jr. dealing with the world's worst hamstring injury, the receiving corps is just as much of a mess. Recent Reese draft picks Rueben Randle and Jerrel Jernigan have done nothing to prove that they can be relied on to play major roles, and the team is now using its fifth different starting tight end in as many years.

 

In true football-dinosaur fashion, Reese and the Giants have refused to keep up with league trends by investing in that tight end position, which has only caused more instability for Manning in terms of both pass protection and his targets in the passing game.

 

The offensive backfield hasn't been any more stable. Newbie Rashad Jennings christened his $10 million contract with a 46-yard performance on 16 carries in the season opener, while rookie Andre Williams—who has become the latest great running back hope only two years after injury flameout David Wilson was selected in the first round—is clearly a work in progress.

 

For several years running, Reese has completely disregarded a laughingstock of a linebacking corps while paying little attention to the quickly deteriorating defensive line that was once this team's bread and butter. Justin Tuck and Linval Joseph were the latest escapees from that unit, replaced by...who exactly?

 

Suddenly this past offseason, Reese and the front office went on a shortsighted shopping spree, basically addressing the secondary and nothing else. They brought in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Walter Thurmond and Zack Bowman, which won't hurt but also seemed aimless and inequitable based on how many needs the team had elsewhere on both sides of the ball.

 

I know, I know. This team has always rebuilt itself primarily through the draft, which is absolutely the most appropriate method for doing so. The problem is that Reese has never fared well in that area, either.

 

Since he took over as general manager in 2007, only three of Reese's 53 draft picks have gone on to become Pro Bowlers. Only two (Steve Smith and Jason Pierre-Paul) are position players (two-time Pro Bowl long snapper Zak DeOssie was a fourth-round pick in '07), and JPP is the only Pro Bowler he's drafted in the last six years.

 

Only five NFL teams have fewer drafted Pro Bowlers on their current roster, according to an offseason study conducted by Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, and a Forbes study of drafts between 2007 and 2012 found that Reese's draft picks fared worse than the league average in almost every measurable way.

 

I mean, how is this acceptable?

 

Justin Pugh 19, 2013 Starting right tackle

Johnathan Hankins 49, 2013 Starter but jury's still out

Damontre Moore 81, 2013 Can't crack starting lineup

David Wilson 32, 2012 Out of football (injury)

Rueben Randle 63, 2012 Flirting with bust label

Jayron Hosley 94, 2012 Third-stringer

Prince Amukamara 19, 2011 Decent starter

Marvin Austin 52, 2011 Long gone

Jerrel Jernigan 83, 2011 Career backup

Jason Pierre-Paul 15, 2010 Pro Bowl ability when healthy

Linval Joseph 46, 2010 Solid starter on Vikings

Chad Jones 76, 2010 Never saw the field Hakeem

Nicks 29, 2009 Brittle starter in Indy

Clint Sintim 45, 2009 One sack in three years, gone

Will Beatty 60, 2009 Struggling starter at left tackle

Ramses Barden 85, 2009 29 catches in five years

Travis Beckum 100, 2009 26 catches in four years

Kenny Phillips 31, 2008 Couple good years, out of league

Terrell Thomas 63, 2008 Up-and-down career

Mario Manningham 95, 2008 Somewhat of a disappointment

Aaron Ross 20, 2007 Now a journeyman S

teve Smith 51, 2007 One good season, out of league

Jay Alford 81, 2007 Long gone

 

 

Fourteen of those 23 picks are off the roster, and only three "reliable" present-day starters—Pierre-Paul, Beatty and cornerback Prince Amukamara—can be found on that list. Sadly, Pierre-Paul's shine has come off since a huge 2011 season, the overpaid Beatty has become a major liability and Amukamara isn't living up to predraft expectations.

 

And aside from Ahmad Bradshaw (seventh-round pick in 2007), Victor Cruz (undrafted free agent in 2010) and maybe Jacquian Williams (sixth-round pick in 2011), it's hard to identify any diamonds Reese has been able to find in the rough.

 

Considering all of the problems on this roster, how can Reese get away with drafting three backup quarterbacks in a six-year span, with 2013 fourth-rounder Ryan Nassib serving as the icing on that mystifying cake.

 

Perspective on that Nassib selection from B/R's Patricia Traina:

"Why, with the Giants having concerns about the offensive line, did they spend a draft pick to develop a quarterback who, in a press conference following the pick, Reese told reporters that he hopes “'doesn’t ever play?'"

 

This isn't all on Reese. Coughlin has a say, as do the owners. And technically, vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross has been running the draft since 2008. But this has always been a collaborative effort, and it's Reese who has the final say.

 

"We have missed on guys, no question about it," said Mara in February, per Giants.com. "There are a few cases where we took a chance, knowing that we were taking a chance, thinking that if we hit on this guy, maybe we’ll knock it out of the park. If we miss, we miss, and we missed a few times, but that’s going to happen."

 

Sure, but when it happens so often that your roster begins to take on a carcass-like form, it might be time to consider giving the bat to someone else.

 

Reese played a major draft role in 2004, 2005 and 2006. And so yes, he deserves some credit for fruitful picks like Manning and Chris Snee in 2004, Corey Webster, Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs in 2005 and Barry Cofield in '06. Without those guys and a solid 2007 draft class, this team doesn't win Super Bowl XLII.

 

But if we give him some credit for those guys, he'll also have to take some heat for Sinorice Moss and Gerris Wilkinson in '06. And the reality is Accorsi spearheaded that '04 draft-day trade for Manning, and there's no indication Reese had any say in the decision to hire Coughlin that same year.

 

He inherited those guys, and all he's done since then is swing and miss at an unacceptable rate while somehow digging a deep cap hole that caused the team to lose respected veterans Bradshaw, Osi Umenyiora and Martellus Bennett as the fecal matter really began to hit the fan one year after that second Super Bowl.

 

That 2013 trade for Jon Beason has panned out well, and the jury's still out on this year's free-agent haul, but it's quite possible that punter Steve Weatherford is the best free agent this team has acquired in the last three years.

 

Seriously, Cullen Jenkins has been OK, but David Baas, Shaun Rogers, Brandon Myers and Dan Connor were all clear strikes. Beyond that, nada.

 

Reese continues to get credit for a team assembled primarily by his predecessor, even as he pushes this franchise closer to rock bottom with poorly calculated decisions. And yet it doesn't seem as though his job is in any sort of jeopardy.

 

If only loyalty points existed in the NFL.

[Treehugger]

[Nas]

So far I have 2 problems with this article (I haven't finished it but I need to say this first)

 

 

So, what's wrong with the Giants? Why are they likely to miss the playoffs in 2014 for the fifth time in six years? It can't be Coughlin, who is likely on his way to the Hall of Fame based on his ability to make something out of nothing. And it can't all be on Manning, who possesses that "clutch gene" and has the ability to make throws that almost nobody else in football can.

 

Coughlin isn't perfect and his "doghouse" has kept talent from seeing the field... David Wilson sat there warming the bench forever and his way of rushing palyers back from injury has backfired... Eli... Eli.. for all the love he gets from being clutch, sometimes he flat out stinks.... I'm not defending Reese.. he should shoulder half othe blame for always looking for that home run type of draft pick that only he sees...

 

 

For several years running, Reese has completely disregarded a laughingstock of a linebacking corps while paying little attention to the quickly deteriorating defensive line that was once this team's bread and butter. Justin Tuck and Linval Joseph were the latest escapees from that unit, replaced by...who exactly?

 

Linval Joseph wasn't exactly all that... he was solid and in the era of salary cap, we simply couldn't afford him.. same goes with Tuck who let's face it.. sucked for the past few years till 2013 when he played good again... he's aging and on the decline... and we did have Hanking and Moore waiting on the wings.

[Mr. P]

I'd like to see some evidence that coughlin rushes players back from injury too soon (besides the fact it would be the doctors call and not his). Just a few years ago everyone said how the giants were more cautious than other teams and that's why Steve smith and Kenny Phillips left

But if there is some proof I'm wrong and they do rush players back quicker than other teams I'll eat the crow.

[Nas]

 

Justin Pugh 19, 2013 Starting right tackle

Johnathan Hankins 49, 2013 Starter but jury's still out

Damontre Moore 81, 2013 Can't crack starting lineup

David Wilson 32, 2012 Out of football (injury)

Rueben Randle 63, 2012 Flirting with bust label

Jayron Hosley 94, 2012 Third-stringer

Prince Amukamara 19, 2011 Decent starter

Marvin Austin 52, 2011 Long gone

Jerrel Jernigan 83, 2011 Career backup

Jason Pierre-Paul 15, 2010 Pro Bowl ability when healthy

Linval Joseph 46, 2010 Solid starter on Vikings

Chad Jones 76, 2010 Never saw the field Hakeem

Nicks 29, 2009 Brittle starter in Indy

Clint Sintim 45, 2009 One sack in three years, gone

Will Beatty 60, 2009 Struggling starter at left tackle

Ramses Barden 85, 2009 29 catches in five years

Travis Beckum 100, 2009 26 catches in four years

Kenny Phillips 31, 2008 Couple good years, out of league

Terrell Thomas 63, 2008 Up-and-down career

Mario Manningham 95, 2008 Somewhat of a disappointment

Aaron Ross 20, 2007 Now a journeyman S

teve Smith 51, 2007 One good season, out of league

Jay Alford 81, 2007 Long gone

 

Damontre Moore can't crack the starting line-up.. oh the tragedy... How old is the kid and how long has he been playing in the NFL? wtf is wrong with whoever wrote this shit?

Prince is "decent"

Linval Joseph did well for us... then he bolted for more money.

[Storm]

 

Damontre Moore can't crack the starting line-up.. oh the tragedy... How old is the kid and how long has he been playing in the NFL? wtf is wrong with whoever wrote this shit?

Prince is "decent"

Linval Joseph did well for us... then he bolted for more money.

 

I would put Amukamara in the medicore talent range, actually. Rodgers-Cromartie is much better.

[Herc]

yeah cromartie is better but prince is still a plus corner. pff graded them out to about the same in the two games so far.

 

joseph's been exactly average in two games with the vikings. either way the guy has a point though he assigns coughlin 0 blame which is assinine

[BlueInCanada]

I'd like to see some evidence that coughlin rushes players back from injury too soon (besides the fact it would be the doctors call and not his). Just a few years ago everyone said how the giants were more cautious than other teams and that's why Steve smith and Kenny Phillips left

But if there is some proof I'm wrong and they do rush players back quicker than other teams I'll eat the crow.

 

[BlueInCanada]

 

Damontre Moore can't crack the starting line-up.. oh the tragedy... How old is the kid and how long has he been playing in the NFL? wtf is wrong with whoever wrote this shit?

Prince is "decent"

Linval Joseph did well for us... then he bolted for more money.

 

Prince is a pretty average corner in all honesty, he's not really anything special despite how highly people think of him on here for some reason.

 

Moore is a talent at DE, he's a third round pick (yes they can start) that for some reason Fewell refuses to put on the field to let develop.

[Sephiroth]

Allow me to propose a new nickname: Jerry Reeks.

[Tempest]

Hell half the people on this board have said that already and been saying it for years. They even say it when we win the fucking super bowl. There is a damn good reason for Mara and Tisch running this organization the way they do, because it works better than what everyone else is doing. Goal is to win games to win super bowls and who has done better than the Giants in the last 10 years? Nobody in our division thats for sure. If people want to cry about the draft, injuries, and linebackers then go watch another team with a better draft this year, with less injuries and better linebackers. Lets see them put together a better 10 year record.

 

We go through bad seasons without a doubt but some teams are in the middle of a bad decade, a bad generation, still haven't played in a super bowl, etc.

[Storm]

yeah cromartie is better but prince is still a plus corner. pff graded them out to about the same in the two games so far.

 

joseph's been exactly average in two games with the vikings. either way the guy has a point though he assigns coughlin 0 blame which is assinine

 

Even in run support and tackling for Prince? It seems to me like Prince just isn't a very physical presence out there in general.

[Herc]

he actually had the highest grade among all corners in football last year in run defense (surprises me too) and was average in coverage and pass rush

[gmenroc]

Article has a point that Reese hasn't been stellar, but the article misses on several levels. First, and most glaring, is that it lacks any comparison to other teams. Ultimately, if the Giants draft as well as other teams, than it completely discredits the entire basis of the article. But secondly, the article refuses to place as much credit as is due in the case of several draft picks. Hankins...though not completely proven, he played very well in spurts last season and has looked good so far this year. 'Jury still out' seems too negative. Wilson and Jones...can't fault Reese for Wilson breaking his neck or Jones his leg. Wilson was a talent when healthy and Jones, well, while we can't assume he'd be great, we can't assume he'd have been terrible either. I could go on.

 

Point is, the article was written to criticize Reese and it did a poor job substantiating that argument.

 

That said, if the article does make any valid points, it's highlighting Reese's ignorance of certain positions...LB, TE...and waiting too long to infuse talented youth into the offensive line. But again, I'll state that without comparison to other teams...it'd be tough to argue one way or the other.

[Nas]

Hell half the people on this board have said that already and been saying it for years. They even say it when we win the fucking super bowl. There is a damn good reason for Mara and Tisch running this organization the way they do, because it works better than what everyone else is doing. Goal is to win games to win super bowls and who has done better than the Giants in the last 10 years? Nobody in our division thats for sure. If people want to cry about the draft, injuries, and linebackers then go watch another team with a better draft this year, with less injuries and better linebackers. Lets see them put together a better 10 year record.

 

We go through bad seasons without a doubt but some teams are in the middle of a bad decade, a bad generation, still haven't played in a super bowl, etc.

 

Very true.. sometimes we react on emotion... we expect great performance all the time... but this is the NFL. I'm reminded by the Tuna and what he told his team during half time in the SB... "Men, I don't care if you win or lose; just don't stink up the joint".

[Nas]

Article has a point that Reese hasn't been stellar, but the article misses on several levels. First, and most glaring, is that it lacks any comparison to other teams. Ultimately, if the Giants draft as well as other teams, than it completely discredits the entire basis of the article. But secondly, the article refuses to place as much credit as is due in the case of several draft picks. Hankins...though not completely proven, he played very well in spurts last season and has looked good so far this year. 'Jury still out' seems too negative. Wilson and Jones...can't fault Reese for Wilson breaking his neck or Jones his leg. Wilson was a talent when healthy and Jones, well, while we can't assume he'd be great, we can't assume he'd have been terrible either. I could go on.

 

Point is, the article was written to criticize Reese and it did a poor job substantiating that argument.

 

That said, if the article does make any valid points, it's highlighting Reese's ignorance of certain positions...LB, TE...and waiting too long to infuse talented youth into the offensive line. But again, I'll state that without comparison to other teams...it'd be tough to argue one way or the other.

 

Spot on... however I'll fathom to say that if I was a GM, drafting a RB in the first round will never happen... the risk/reward isn't in my favor.

[Herc]

yeah and now in addition to injury risk and shorter peak windows we have to worry about them beating people up too

[Nas]

yeah and now in addition to injury risk and shorter peak windows we have to worry about them beating people up too

 

oh shit lol

[gmenroc]

yeah and now in addition to injury risk and shorter peak windows we have to worry about them beating people up too

 

Don't have to draft those...they'll be available sooner or later on the waiver wire.

[Treehugger]

 

Even in run support and tackling for Prince? It seems to me like Prince just isn't a very physical presence out there in general.

 

Really? He's in on a lot of tackles at the line.

[Treehugger]

Point is, the article was written to criticize Reese and it did a poor job substantiating that argument.

 

Bleacher Reporting 101

[CrazedDogs]

 

Even in run support and tackling for Prince? It seems to me like Prince just isn't a very physical presence out there in general.

 

oh wow, thats not how I see Amukamara at all. Seems to me he's a very good in run support for a cornerback.

[Herc]

i didn't think he was bad at it but i was surprised to see he was the best at it last season. i would've thought someone like munnerling would've been #1

[fishgutmartyr]

I'd love to hear who that great replacement for Beatty was in 2013, either in FA or the draft.

 

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/3/25/4146792/nfl-free-agent-tracker-2013-sebastian-vollmer-elvis-dumervil

 

Note which OTs were signed at that point, and how much--Beatty's contract was not out of line, especially for a starting OT, who at that point, wasn't playing nearly as poorly as he has since.

 

Here's what was left in Sept. that year:

Jared Gaither
Barry Richardson
Wayne Hunter
Jammal Brown
Sean Locklear
Demetress Bell
D’Anthony Batiste
Jason Smith
Jordan Black
Pat McQuistan
Frank Omiyale
Jeff Otah
Tony Hills
Brandon Keith
Brandyn Dombrowski

 

Yum. Quite the selection.

 

There wasn't that much available at LT that year--and the ones that were didn't get signed significantly lower than Beatty, who was right in there with the typical signing.

 

This stuff doesn't happen in a vacuum. We don't spend a fortune on Baas if Seubert AND Koets don't suffer career-ending knee injuries the same season. We're not scrambling for linemen if any one of Brewer, Petrus, Mosely, McCants show something or (in the case of McCants) develop quicker. Baas had us bent over, and his agent knew it.

 

And before crucifying Reese about the current state of the WRs, you guys might want to take a walk down memory lane and check out some of the WR groups we had before Reese got the job--it wasn't all that long ago we were pinning our hopes on Tim Carter or Sinorice Moss...I'd take Manningham NOW over those two at their "peak", and he didn't even make the team this year.

 

If you want to fault Reese for anything, it would have to be for managing to find players with long development times and short careers. Maybe he should switch from Tarot cards to runes, or something.

 

This fanbase has the patience of a mayfly.

[Sephiroth]

And before crucifying Reese about the current state of the WRs, you guys might want to take a walk down memory lane and check out some of the WR groups we had before Reese got the job--it wasn't all that long ago we were pinning our hopes on Tim Carter or Sinorice Moss...I'd take Manningham NOW over those two at their "peak", and he didn't even make the team this year.

 

You fucking take that back about Sinorice Moss. You take it back right now.