Next seasons outlook

[Lubeck]

Pretty much every starter will be back. Where a starter might be lost we have a young guy who has shown talent. If Reese does even half as good a job as he did in the last draft the team will be packed with Super Bowl champion veterans and young talent that will want to soak it all up.

 

I dare say name one position the Giants should be really worried about and there is a solution. From where I sit I see it like this:

 

QB - Set. Only real need is bring in a better backup. Eli is tough but why gamble?

 

RB - Set. Resign Ward and drop Droughns.

 

FB - Set. Hedgecock is a beast.

 

WR - Assuming Burress has no problems rehabbing, and I expect none, he is a great #1 guy. So long as Toomer doesn't fall apart he is a Giant legend that will keep his #2 spot another season. Smith had injury problems but I hope that isn't a regular thing because unlike his fellow round 2 pick Moss Smith showed a LOT in the playoffs as I expect him to. Burress-Toomer-Smith is not a bad 3-WR group at all.

 

TE - Shockey and Boss? What else can I say.

 

LT - Diehl did a really good job, far better than any of us could have expected and admit it.

 

LG - Seubert was like the rest of the line, pretty much mistake free and did a good job most of the time.

 

C - O'Hara leads the line that opens up a lot of holes for Jacobs and Bradshaw. I know line play is the most important part but I must admit I know little about it, but everything I read says he does a great job calling assignments at the line.

 

RG - I just hope that when TC retires Snee doesn't see a fall in production because he no longer has to meet his father-in-laws expectations.

 

RT - Like Seubert MacKenzie does his job and while he occasionally gets beat he does a good job.

 

LE - Assuming Strahan comes back....wow. The four aces package returns. But if he leaves, and there is a good enough chance that we should brace for it, Tuck will do a fine job replacing him. Either way, and I hate to say this, the Giants need to draft a good pass rusher. Strahan will be gone either this offseason or the next, and when he is gone they are going to be missing an ace.

 

DT - Robbins and Cofield get the job done. No need to upgrade. Alford is a good sub. They will need to get someone to replace the worthless Willie Joe.

 

RE - Osi.

 

OLB - I would resign Mitchell. His play picked up in the second half as he learned the system. The real question here is what to do with Kiwi. In the beginning he looked like crap. But over the next couple of games he showed rapid improvement. The injury robbed us of seeing what he could do and only adds to the "What do we do?" problem. I would keep him at LB and see where it goes, and continue to use him in the four aces so he keeps up his down-lineman skills.

 

MLB - Pierce.

 

CB - Webster deserves the start. Depending on how Madison is in training camp either he or Ross gets #2. Ross showed he can play the position but nothing motivates a player like competition. Dockery fits in somewhere again depending on Madison. Drafting a young prospect wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

SS - Resign Wilson. He knows the system and has played well.

 

FS - This is the one spot where I will say "Yes we need to do something." Butler sucks. Would Johnson work here? A veteran FA who wouldn't be the first choice as a starter but would be adequate would be a good pickup.

 

K - Tynes.

 

P - Thank you Giants organization for realizing this guy is just awesome. He was one of the players who for some reason came across as being so happy to be a Giant and loving the organization during the Super Bowl, including the run-up to it. A guy who is 41 turning 42 soon wanting to keep playing but only playing if the Giants want him to...well I am glad I am ending this post on such a good note.

[Storm]

I like your assessment and I constantly tell friends of mine that are opposing fans to watch out for the Giants again next year, because we're young, hungry, gelling and full of team chemistry, and, most importantly....SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER THE CAP!

 

I would also like to see us resign Gibril, though I know a lot of people here down him, I think he's a solid player that tackles well and very rarely gets beat up the middle.

[JayD]

I disagree with 2 things

 

#1 DT. When teams did run on us, they ran up the middle. Get a stud monster DT in there to stuff the run, and our already destructive front 4 becomes down right devistating.

 

#2 FS This kid Johnson played VERY well for a rookie. Kid has tremendous speed, and seems to be around the ball alot. And he is only going to get better. Butler does suck, so we might want to think about upgrading the rotation. But if we had to keep him at #2, it wouldnt be the end of the world.

 

Aside from that, I agree.

[BIGBLUE01]

I disagree with 2 things

 

#1 DT. When teams did run on us, they ran up the middle. Get a stud monster DT in there to stuff the run, and our already destructive front 4 becomes down right devistating.

 

#2 FS This kid Johnson played VERY well for a rookie. Kid has tremendous speed, and seems to be around the ball alot. And he is only going to get better. Butler does suck, so we might want to think about upgrading the rotation. But if we had to keep him at #2, it wouldnt be the end of the world.

 

Aside from that, I agree.

 

I agree with your #2 assesment. Im high on this Johnson kid, think he and Gibril could handle things back there. I dont agree with #1, our DT's are great IMO.

 

But I too agree with Lubecks analysis other than that.

[Nas]

I disagree with 2 things

 

#1 DT. When teams did run on us, they ran up the middle. Get a stud monster DT in there to stuff the run, and our already destructive front 4 becomes down right devistating.

 

#2 FS This kid Johnson played VERY well for a rookie. Kid has tremendous speed, and seems to be around the ball alot. And he is only going to get better. Butler does suck, so we might want to think about upgrading the rotation. But if we had to keep him at #2, it wouldnt be the end of the world.

 

Aside from that, I agree.

 

I agree with JayD here. Even though Robbins Alford and Cofield are solid, we do need a run stuffer.

 

I absolutely LOVED what I saw from Johnson at safety. I was impressed with Dahl also but I'd like to see them perform like that consistantly.

 

I will add that we need depth at WR. Get a player in the prototype of TO (without the big mouth of course).. big and athletic.

[BleedinBlue]

Pretty good assessment. I personally would like to see Kiwinuka moved back to the line and then rotate the stud pass rushers to keep them fresh all game.

 

I agree that William Joseph should be cut. He's awfully expensive to keep and he is below mediocre. I think just about any free agent with at least 4 years of experience would be better.

 

I would love to see the Giants pursue Asante Samuel and give one last kick in the groin to the patriots. He's a stud corner and would fit into the Giants defense like a custom made glove.

 

Come draft day, I see the Giants going after a saftey, a cornerback, a linebacker, a wide reciever, and maybe some additional line help. The good news about this coming draft is that it is absolutely loaded unlike a lot of previous years. There will be studs available by the end of the 2nd round that would have been a top 10 pick in previous drafts. The Giants should be able to pick up some excellent players in the draft, even at the position they are choosing. I see a bright future~

[Sephiroth]

#2 FS This kid Johnson played VERY well for a rookie. Kid has tremendous speed, and seems to be around the ball alot. And he is only going to get better. Butler does suck, so we might want to think about upgrading the rotation. But if we had to keep him at #2, it wouldnt be the end of the world.

 

Man, one play that jumps out at me was that tackle on the screen vs. Chicago. He's in space by himself, Peterson has 3 blockers in front of him... and Johnson makes a great open-field tackle that possibly saved a TD.

 

I like Johnson a lot, but insurance couldn't hurt either... let 'em both fight it out.

 

[Ditto]

The good news about this coming draft is that it is absolutely loaded unlike a lot of previous years. There will be studs available by the end of the 2nd round that would have been a top 10 pick in previous drafts. The Giants should be able to pick up some excellent players in the draft, even at the position they are choosing. I see a bright future~

That's also the bad news 'cause the other teams get the same look.

 

Sep, you gotta helluva memory.

[BlueInCanada]

I only have two things I want the Giant's to go for in the draft, a LB and a Safety.

 

I say both of these positions in our first two picks, I think we could get a solid starter/play maker at the LB in the draft and possibly get a starter or just some quality depth at Safety also.

 

With our other picks I would like to see one other WR just for depth and acouple OL as our O-line is starting to get up there in age.

 

But I'm sure whatever the Giant's decide to do I'll be behind them 100%. After last years draft and everyone screaming about them not taken who they wanted or what they thought would of been best, I really don't care what the Giant's do Reese has proven he knows what is best for the team and I'm sure this year he will prove it again.

[Lubeck]

I like Johnson a lot, but insurance couldn't hurt either... let 'em both fight it out.

 

That is why I would get a quality veteran who would be better than average to compete and if the vet wins we have a good player and if Johnson wins we have a good backup. Plus I would want a veteran to help out with the teaching aspect instead of drafting a player.

[fishgutmartyr]

Am I the only one here that thinks that it would be a good time to draft a DE?

 

Strahan has a year, at best. Osi is great, but he has been known to miss a few games during the last couple of seasons. That's not a bash on Osi, but if Strahan retires, Tuck is a starter, and we have no one except for Awasome or Tollefson to back him up. I suppose that we could move Kiwi back, but I'd rather him spend the time on the field, and he's going to get clobbered on the line playing at LB weight.

 

Personally, I think we're set at DT. Alford and Cofield are still in that developing stage, and somehow I think Robbins has actually improved from when we first signed him in 2004. (That from a guy who wanted him gone after 2005! I love it when I'm wrong this way.) OOPs! Just checked the roster--we have some UFAs at DT that I didn't realize, so we need a backup.

 

Thank god we have very few FAs this year. I think we're going to be picked clean of Wilson and Mitchell, especially after we won the big game. Somebody's going to overpay Gibril big time, especially since he had a good season this year. Mitchell was a noticeable presence as well, and I wouldn't be surprised if we were outbid for him. I'll miss him--he was an intense player. But then again, maybe it's time for Gerris to show up.

 

Oddly enough, if Webster continues to play as he did in the playoffs, we might actually be ok at CB. Ross is a definite starter, and I don't think Madison would be a bad 3rd, or Dockery 4th. We definitely need safeties, though. Assuming Wilson leaves, the only safety I feel comfortable with at the moment is Johnson.

 

You know, the more I look at the roster, the more I realize we are looking for quality backups, not necessarily immediate upgrades (except for safety). Couple that with our cap space, and maybe we do keep Wilson and Mitchell. If we do keep Wilson, then with Johnson improving, we can play best player available come draft time. And we have 7 picks, two of them in the 6th (traded our 7th for Tynes, got a 6th for Grant).

 

It's starting to look like we won't be seeing rookie starters again for some time.

[Lubeck]

LE - Assuming Strahan comes back....wow. The four aces package returns. But if he leaves, and there is a good enough chance that we should brace for it, Tuck will do a fine job replacing him. Either way, and I hate to say this, the Giants need to draft a good pass rusher. Strahan will be gone either this offseason or the next, and when he is gone they are going to be missing an ace.

 

Nope Fish you aren't alone.

 

And as far resigning Mitchell and Wilson, hopefully they will realize that they can still make good money in NY and be on a competitive team.

[fishgutmartyr]

Nope Fish you aren't alone.

 

And as far resigning Mitchell and Wilson, hopefully they will realize that they can still make good money in NY and be on a competitive team.

Wow, how did I miss that?

[Sephiroth]

That's also the bad news 'cause the other teams get the same look.

 

Sep, you gotta helluva memory.

 

Haha thanks.

 

 

You know... we might actually once again be in the "draft the best available player" position. If someone falls... we take 'em.