Reese: Possibility Kiwanuka Won't Play Again

[Mr. P]

GM Jerry Reese says "its a possibility" DE Mathias Kiwanuka won't play again. He's still seeing doctors, gathering info

 

More Reese on Kiwi: "He has to decide 'Do I want to play.' There's some risk involved." Then #NYG have to decide if they want to sign him.

[Guest StrahansGap]

Whew!! Thank God. I love Kiwi.......

 

 

 

 

From Rotoworld:

 

Giants GM Jerry Reese issued a statement Saturday, announcing that free agent DE Mathias Kiwanuka (neck) has received medical clearance to continue his career.

Clarifying earlier comments that suggested Kiwanuka's neck injury was career threatening, Reese also said Kiwi is "fully committed to returning to football." Kiwanuka is a five-year NFL veteran, so the Giants could attempt to keep him with a restricted free agent tender. He's not going to get a long-term extension considering his injury and the Giants' line depth.

[Storm]

Ya, keep him so he can ride the pine or let him go so we can draft our 10th defensive end in the top half of the draft. I don't know which path is better. For Kiwanuka's sake, since I really liked him as a player and think he's continued to get shafted, even after he played better the Osi for a whole year, I hope he decides to go somewhere else where he can be an immediate starter and not be restricted to the backup role that doesn't really fit him.

 

It's a shame he's had a hard time staying healthy...this was part of the reason he's gotten the shaft...but even when we could have kept him on the field as a linebacker (he's probably better than all the linebackers we currently have) they moved him back to a rotational defensive end.

[BlueInCanada]

Kiwi is gone this year, plain and simple.

 

There is no way he signs with this team with Tuck, Osi and JPP all gunning for playing time.

 

Kiwi knows he's a solid DE in the league and there are alot of teams out there looking for a good proven pass rushing DE that can guarantee Kiwi starting time.

 

It's a shame to I really liked Kiwi, hope he does well wherever he goes.

[Sephiroth]

If he's an RFA, he'll stay... I think if he leaves we'd get compensation for him, and with his injury history there's no way anyone (except maybe Spags) is willing to part with picks.

 

I really like Kiwi. He's done everything the staff has ever asked of him, and he's an above-average player when healthy. Getting bumped around position-wise and injuries don't help, but I always thought if they had just kept him at one spot and he was healthy he'd be a borderline Pro Bowl player.

 

You have to love his work ethic and attitude as well. The guy has never once complained about anything.

[RandolphScott]

Ya, keep him so he can ride the pine or let him go so we can draft our 10th defensive end in the top half of the draft. I don't know which path is better. For Kiwanuka's sake, since I really liked him as a player and think he's continued to get shafted, even after he played better the Osi for a whole year, I hope he decides to go somewhere else where he can be an immediate starter and not be restricted to the backup role that doesn't really fit him.

 

It's a shame he's had a hard time staying healthy...this was part of the reason he's gotten the shaft...but even when we could have kept him on the field as a linebacker (he's probably better than all the linebackers we currently have) they moved him back to a rotational defensive end.

 

You can bet that defensive end will be a priority in the draft. Osi has 1 year left on his contract and is recovering from hip and knee injuries. He'll also be 30 years old during the season.

 

JPP is still relatively unknown commodity, but he did play very well during the latter part of the year.

 

Dave Tollefson is white.

 

Oh...and Kiwi wasn't a very good linebacker. He was awful in coverage. You want to put your players in positions in which they can excel in...linebacker wasn't it for him.

[Storm]

You can bet that defensive end will be a priority in the draft. Osi has 1 year left on his contract and is recovering from hip and knee injuries. He'll also be 30 years old during the season.

 

JPP is still relatively unknown commodity, but he did play very well during the latter part of the year.

 

Dave Tollefson is white.

 

Oh...and Kiwi wasn't a very good linebacker. He was awful in coverage. You want to put your players in positions in which they can excel in...linebacker wasn't it for him.

 

He played well at linebacker, I don't remember him being a liability in pass coverage at all. Besides, we kept linebackers that were awful in pass coverage and kept them as starters for YEARS....read: Antonio Pierce and every Giants linebacker of the 2000s. It's hard to point out a linebacker that we've had that wasn't a liability in pass coverage. Certainly Kiwanuka wasn't any worse than Michael Boley and Keith Bulluck were last year.

 

And Dave Tollefson really doesn't play bad at all. Why the hell do we need 4 starting quality players at one position, anyway? It baffles me that other teams have 2 good defensive ends and 1 possibly 2 quality but not starter quality back ups and here the Giants are with 2 players they constantly keep on the bench and who play MAYBE 10-15 downs a game behind 2 Pro Bowlers. It makes no sense. I've said it before, we don't need 4 top 3 round players at the same position. I would be perfectly happy with a Tuck, Osi, JPP, Dave Tollefson depth chart at D End. You CAN have too many pass rushers when they all play the same position and are wasting money for other positions (linebacker, defensive tackle).

[RandolphScott]

He played well at linebacker, I don't remember him being a liability in pass coverage at all. Besides, we kept linebackers that were awful in pass coverage and kept them as starters for YEARS....read: Antonio Pierce and every Giants linebacker of the 2000s. It's hard to point out a linebacker that we've had that wasn't a liability in pass coverage. Certainly Kiwanuka wasn't any worse than Michael Boley and Keith Bulluck were last year.

 

And Dave Tollefson really doesn't play bad at all. Why the hell do we need 4 starting quality players at one position, anyway? It baffles me that other teams have 2 good defensive ends and 1 possibly 2 quality but not starter quality back ups and here the Giants are with 2 players they constantly keep on the bench and who play MAYBE 10-15 downs a game behind 2 Pro Bowlers. It makes no sense. I've said it before, we don't need 4 top 3 round players at the same position. I would be perfectly happy with a Tuck, Osi, JPP, Dave Tollefson depth chart at D End. You CAN have too many pass rushers when they all play the same position and are wasting money for other positions (linebacker, defensive tackle).

 

 

Pierce was the QB of the defense and he wasn't THAT bad in pass coverage...I've seen worse.

 

How are the Giants waisting money at the defensive tackle position again?

[Storm]

Pierce was the QB of the defense and he wasn't THAT bad in pass coverage...I've seen worse.

 

How are the Giants waisting money at the defensive tackle position again?

 

I didn't phrase it right...we're wasting money at DE that we could have for other positions...like DT and LB.

[NightFire]

I didn't phrase it right...we're wasting money at DE that we could have for other positions...like DT and LB.

 

I got it and I concur.

[RandolphScott]

I didn't phrase it right...we're wasting money at DE that we could have for other positions...like DT and LB.

 

 

I'll give you the linebacking core.

 

But not defensive tackle. We just signed two guys two years ago for big multi-year contracts in Canty and Bernard.

 

Only one of em is any good. Canty.

[Storm]

I'll give you the linebacking core.

 

But not defensive tackle. We just signed two guys two years ago for big multi-year contracts in Canty and Bernard.

 

Only one of em is any good. Canty.

 

Well, that's another thing...the roster in general has quite a bit of dead weight. The Bullucks and Bernards of the team....cut your losses at positions and try again during this offseason....with younger, less injury riddled players. It's GM 101. I could run this team better than even Antrell Rolle :smartass:

[RandolphScott]

Well, that's another thing...the roster in general has quite a bit of dead weight. The Bullucks and Bernards of the team....cut your losses at positions and try again during this offseason....with younger, less injury riddled players. It's GM 101. I could run this team better than even Antrell Rolle :smartass:

 

I completely agree with that.

 

I'd have cut Bernard last year.