Jay Alford

[osi724dasack]

With Fred Robbins not getting any younger its time to focus on who is replacement will be whenever his productivity fades away which is probly gonna be next year or the year after.

 

Now Coefield is solid and is a legit starter.

 

but we need an impact DT like Freddy to step it up once he becomes innefective.

 

Can Alford become that guy?

 

Will Coefield step it up?

 

Do we have to risk a 1st rounder on a DT (always a big risk since alot of them dont pan out)

 

Hit up the F/A market (big bucks there)

[BleedinBlue]

With Fred Robbins not getting any younger its time to focus on who is replacement will be whenever his productivity fades away which is probly gonna be next year or the year after.

 

Now Coefield is solid and is a legit starter.

 

but we need an impact DT like Freddy to step it up once he becomes innefective.

 

Can Alford become that guy?

 

Will Coefield step it up?

 

Do we have to risk a 1st rounder on a DT (always a big risk since alot of them dont pan out)

 

Hit up the F/A market (big bucks there)

You're singing the same song I was singing before the draft. I'd really love to get a solid DT in there because Robbins has to be nearing the end of his career. I was hoping like hell we'd be able to get Red Bryant in the draft, but he went a lot higher than expected and was off the board quickly. I think Alford is pretty good and his obliteration of Brady in the SB at the end of the game kind of made him a legend. Of course, he had the luxury of the offensive line of the pats trying to stop Osi, Strahan, and Tuck.

 

The Giants have 3 new undrafted DT's in camp that they picked up after the draft:

 

Nate Robinson - Akron__6-4, 320lbs (more of a run-stuffing, hole-filling type lineman - very talented, but some major attitude issues that caused him to be thrown off Miami U.'s football team, then Rutger's team - was ranked in the top 10-15 DT's in many scout services)

Eric Butler - Washburn__6-2 300 lbs (very talented, but raw athelete with potential - small school kid - at least 2 or 3 years of seasoning needed to be NFL ready)

Ogemdi Nwagbuo - Michigan State__6-4, 290 lbs (the most heralded of the three players. Other teams fought for his services, but he chose the Giants. He was projected to go somwhere between round 4 to the 5th round pick, but he fell through the cracks - )

 

I suspect Ogemdi Nwagbuo will make the team for no other reason than his unpronouncable name. We could have a def. line with Kiwinuka, Umenura, and Nwagbuo. That would give the announcers fits when covering the Giants game as they have to be prepared to pronounce all the players from both teams.

[gmenroc]

With the DEs we have, we can afford to forego the top notch DT. Cofield, Robbins, Tuck (on occasion), and Alford is not a bad rotation at all at the DT position.

[gateb]

I actually read somewhere after the SB a scout commented on how his first step off the line is comparable to Tommie Harris's.

 

His pass rush skills are undeniable, a major reason why we reached for him slightly in the 3rd.

[BlueInCanada]

I actually read somewhere after the SB a scout commented on how his first step off the line is comparable to Tommie Harris's.

 

His pass rush skills are undeniable, a major reason why we reached for him slightly in the 3rd.

 

Didnt they say he had the most sacks out of all DTs the year going into the draft?

[Blue Jeans]

j0nas

[BIGBLUE01]

j0nas

 

Jonas Seawright??

 

 

Anyway, I thought Alford already proved he can fill in. I mean, in the limited playing time he's gotten, he's performed nicely including the SB. But I agree with gmenroc's assessment, that rotation is nice even with robbins getting older. He's not showing signs of aging, to me at least.

[Nas]

I don't know what's the point of this thread... I don't think we drafter Alford to be a career back-up.

[BIGBLUE01]

I don't know what's the point of this thread... I don't think we drafter Alford to be a career back-up.

 

Consider the source bro, consider the source.

[Money]

I was cruising through my DVR the other night and found the NFC Championship Game. I only watched the first half, but Alford played a lot -- he routinely played DT (in place of Robbins) on passing downs along with Tuck. With the proactive way we rotate DL, qualifying some as a starter or reserve can be a bit misleading (Justin Tuck, by definition, is a back-up), but it seems evident that Alford will be a 25+ snap guy for us in the very near future.

[NeMesiS]

I was cruising through my DVR the other night and found the NFC Championship Game. I only watched the first half, but Alford played a lot -- he routinely played DT (in place of Robbins) on passing downs along with Tuck. With the proactive way we rotate DL, qualifying some as a starter or reserve can be a bit misleading (Justin Tuck, by definition, is a back-up), but it seems evident that Alford will be a 25+ snap guy for us in the very near future.

If you look at the Giants vs Dallas game. You will see Alford putting some pressure on Homo towards the end of the game. I was very impress by his performance in that game. I don't reember seeing him in the Greenbay game though.

[JMFP]

I suspect Ogemdi Nwagbuo will make the team for no other reason than his unpronouncable name. We could have a def. line with Kiwinuka, Umenura, and Nwagbuo. That would give the announcers fits when covering the Giants game as they have to be prepared to pronounce all the players from both teams.

LOL

 

[Money]

Didnt they say he had the most sacks out of all DTs the year going into the draft?

 

I don't think he had the most in 2006, but he certainly had a lot sacks and TFLs over the course of his career:

 

Although my friend Jerry lamented the Giants “new tradition of drafting anonymous DTs from the Big 10 that sound like white guys,” I can be sold on this pick, especially if Alford brings an interior pass rush that the Giants have lacked since Keith Hamilton’s heyday. Truth be told, I haven’t seen enough of Alford to have a strong opinion, which is odd considering that I had seen more than enough Penn State games (particularly their losses to Michigan) to decide that I wanted nothing to do with Paul Posluszny in the 1st round.

 

Anyway, Alford’s measurables aren't great, but you have to appreciate his production: 16.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in the past two years was the best among draft-eligible DTs. He probably needs time to develop as a run defender, but he figures to contribute immediately as a rotational player that enters the game on passing downs. He’s exactly the type of quick, penetrating DT that the Eagles feature, thereby providing further confirmation that Spagnuolo will employ a derivation of Jim Johnson’s defense, which I described in detail 10 weeks ago. Overall, even though some draft analysts have suggested that Alford was a bit of a reach at 81, I’m on board with pick primarily because there was no one I loved at this spot. All of my targets (notably Justin Durant, Lorenzo Booker, and Quincy Black) were off the board.

 

Notice a common theme among the first day picks? They are each top performers from major programs. They seem to have good character and useful skills. They fill clearly defined positions of need and can contribute early in their professional careers. And in case you were wondering, yes – both Reese and Coughlin complimented Alford’s motor.