Here's moves the Giants have made already:
- Tom Coughlin "resigns" as head coach
- Ben McAdoo named Giants Head Coach
- Jon Beason retired
- Geoff Shwartz and Will Beatty released
- Quarterbacks Coach Mike Sullivan promoted to Offensive Coordinator
Current Roster Decisions to be Made:
Jason Pierre-Paul
One of the toughest and most important decisions the Giants have to decide on is Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP and his agent are going to look for a contract that pays him within the top 10 alongside the leagues defensive ends. Is he worth that. After retartedly blowing up his hand in a fireworks accident, JPP had to play with a gigantic club on his hand that gave him no grip. The Giants did not use their franchise tag on once probowl defensive lineman. Had they given Pierre-Paul the franchise tag it would of cost the team around $15 million. If any team is willing to take a shot on Jason Pierre-Paul and pay him what he's looking for, the Giants will more than likely let him go. I'd hate to see him play for another team and do sick. It would absolutely kill me, but I'd hate for him to stay and suck. Decisions decisions....
Victor Cruz
Another really tough and important decision. The Giant told Victor Cruz to take a pay cut or be released. Cruz suffered a major knee injury in 2014 against the Eagles and hasn't played since October 12th of 2014. Today the Giants told him they want to restructure his 5 year $45 million contract extension that he signed in 2013 or the will release him. The Giants must really be looking to make a splash in free agency. We don't know if Cruz is going to be the same player he once was. The Giants feel is Cruz was a free agent that his value would not be crucial at all. Cruz will probably make more money staying with the Giants than exploring free agency. It all depends what the market for Cruz will be. The Wide Receivers in free agency is not very flashy.
I think Cruz still brings upside. He's proven the league wrong before by making it in the NFL and performing at a high level, now he has to prove the NFL wrong again showing that he can bounce back from a crucial injury that has kept him out of the league for over 20 straight games. If I ever saw the salsa dance done by Cruz in any uniform but the Giants, it will bring tears to my eyes. I absolutely love Victor Cruz. It's been a Giants fan dream to see Cruz as our #2 Wideout to Odell Beckham Jr. The best case scenario is that Cruz will still make more with the Giants than he will in free agency and he will take a pay cut giving the team more cap space and he can stay with the organization that gave him his golden opportunity in this league.
Prince Amukamara
Is Prince worth it? Is he worth signing to a long term deal like he wants? Prince is one of the most injury prone players the Giants had since drafting him in the first round in 2011. After Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the Giants are extremely weak at cornerback. I think he's a good player and I don't mind him as the 2nd cornerback but he's unreliable to stay healthy. The Giants may have to part ways with Amukamara unless the contract is right.
Robert Ayers
Ayers had a good season with the Giants. The Giants can't completely blow up their defense by letting all their players go. Ayers isn't going to be massively expensive but the question still arises of what the Giants do with JPP and who they are looking for in free agency.
Ruben Randle
If you have to question a players effort it's never a good thing. His production is very inconsistent. I like Randle as a 3rd wideout but he cannot be the teams 2nd. If the Giants let Cruz and Randle go, and Hakeem Nicks for that matter... Dwayne Harris will be the teams #2 wide receiver and that is a no-go-bro. Randle is not going to be an expensive player for any team. If Cruz takes the pay cut and stays and the Giants shop around for another receiver, Randle's time here is over. The decisions at wide receiver for Jerry Reese are not going to be easy.
Notable players the New York Giants could go for in Free Agency:
Linebacker: Bruce Irvin, Tahir Whitehead, Danny Trevathan, James Laurinatitis, Jerrell Freeman, Mason Foster, Stephen Tulloch, Rolando McClain
Defensive End: Mario Williams, Oliver Vernon, Jason Pierre Paul, Greg Hardy, Aldon Smith, Chris Long, Mark Barron, Tamba Hali, Danny Trevathon, Chad Greenway, Zach Brown, Sean Witherspoon
Defensive Tackle: Malik Jackson, Haloti Ngata, Damon Harrison, Charles Johnson, Nick Fairley, Robert Ayers
Running Back: Doug Martin, Matt Forte, Doug Martin, Arian Foster
Wide Reciever: (WEAK) Marvin Jones, Anquan Boldin, Rishard Matthews, Brandon LaFell, Percy Harvin, Roddy White, Marques Colston, Mohamed Sanu, Andre Johnson, Rueben Randle
Cornerback: Janoris Jenkins, Sean Smith, Prince Amukamara, Casey Hayward, Adam Jones, Brandon Boykin, Patrick Robinson
Saftey: Eric Weddle, Tashuan Gipson, George IIoka, , Walter Thurmond III, Reggie Nelson
Offensive Lineman: Kelechi Osemele, Russel Okung, Alex Mack Mitchell Shwartz, Bobbie Massie, Jeff Allen
Tight End: Antonio Gates, Ledaius Green, Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, Marcedes Lewis, Jermaine Gresham
My Top 5 Players I want the Giants to target:
1. Oliver Vernon - The Dolphins placed a transition tag on Vernon which means the Dolphins will have 7 days to match any offer any other team sends to Vernon. The Giants have the cap room to give this 25 year old pass rusher an offer the Dolphins would more than likely not match considering the contract Suh has.
2. Bruce Irvin - The Giants best linebacker since Antonio Pierce was Jon Beason and he could never stay on the field. Irvin comes from a great defense and can really help out the Giants in their 4-3 defense. Linebacker is a position the Giants will more than likely get in free agency than the draft.
3. Malik Jackson - The draft is pretty deep with defensive end pass rushers. Malik Jackson is a versatile interior lineman. He had an awesome post season for the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. Jackson is going to get a big payday from somebody and it's not going to be the Broncos. The Giants can give him that money. The Giants could sign Jackson, draft a defensive end, and sign Robert Ayers and establish a defensive front line pass rush again.
4. Kelechi Oemele - This would set the Giants up at offensive line perfectly. Oemele is the best run blocker on the market and would immediately give the Giants offensive line a name. The Giants had one of the worst rush attacks in the NFL last season and gave a lot of money to Rashad Jennings and Shane Vereen. Oemele will not come cheap and I don't know if the Giants top priority is to pay an offensive lineman via free agency. Oemele will be an instant upgrade for whatever team snags him.
5. Mario Williams - Some people are down on Williams after just having the worst season of his career. I'm not so quick to downgrade a #1 overall draft pick. Williams was unhappy in Buffalo and now he's leaving and starting a new slate. The Giants are visiting with Williams so they are certainly interested in the multi time probowler. He'd be moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3 which he'll be much more comfortable with. He'd be cheaper than Oliver Vernon and brings an upside to the Giants defensive line that they really need.
The NFL Draft
After a second consecutive 6-10 season. The New York Giants will have the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft. As much as I preach how much help the Giants need defensively and on the offensive line. The G-Men should really just take the best and most immediate impact player that falls to them at #10. This is a draft pick Jerry Reese cannot mess up. Outside of Odell Beckham Jr. the Giants haven't had strong drafts like they use to. The Giants are usually not making splashes in free agency because their usually resigning their drafted players. All this cap space that Big Blue has this offseason shows that their drafts have not been very successful. Whoever the Giants draft at #10 needs to be big part of the team this year. Here are some potential players the Giants could put a blue helmet on:
DE Shaq Lawson (Clemson)
A lot of mock drafts I see have Shaq Lawson falling past the #10 pick. I don't understand why he should fall past the New York Giants. This is exactly who I want the Giants to draft. The Giants need pass rushers. Lawson was the best player to the National Championship runner up Clemson Tigers. This kid and by kid I mean 6'3 270 pound young man should provide an instant pass rush. Lawson alongside JPP or Ayers would give the pass rush the credibility it needs.
WR LaQuon Treadwell (Ole Miss)
This rookie is probably better than any wide receiver in free agency this year. Despite how disastrous the Giants are on defense, they need a playmaker opposite Odell Beckham Jr. Treadwell is the best reciever in the 2016 class. He's 6'2 and can be the redzone target they desperately need. I'm sick of getting 3 points in the redzone. Defenses take away OBJ and the Giants have a revolving door at tight end and no runningback good or strong enough to punch it in behind a piss poor offensive line. If Treadwell falls to the Giants at 10 he may be the guy that can really open up the Giants offense with two great young wideouts to account for.
OT Jake Conklin (Michigan State)
The typical boring offensive line pick. I don't know if the Giants will go back to back years taking an offensive lineman in the first round. The Giants currently have Ereck Flowers at left tackle, Weston Richburg at center, and Justin Pugh at either left or right guard. Jake Conklin standing 6'6 out of the respected division 1 Michigan State University could take his natural right guard position and set the Giants offensive line up for time to come. Eli Manning and the run game would experience the best protection and holes to run through that they've had in years. Instead of a new lineman every week every year, the Giants offensive line can finally achieve consistency. Though back to back 1st round offensive lineman will surprise me, the problem at O-line will go away barring injuries or Conklin being a bust. Most experts aren't wrong about the top offensive lineman.
DE/LB Noah Spence (Eastern Kentucky)
Spence started his college career at Ohio State. After failing two drug tests, he received a ban from playing in the Big Ten. One failed drug test included ecstasy which occurred right before the Big Ten title game in 2013. After the ban Spence landed in Eastern Kentucky and dominated with 11.5 sacks. Noah Spence is going to be a player to keep your eyes on because his talent is tremendous but he brings some off-field baggage. Something the New York Giants are never quite fond of. I think the Giants should take a chance on this guy. He was worthy enough to be play for Ohio State and crushed his competition in Eastern Kentucky. The Giants don't need any more off-field incidents but they do need a pass rusher. This is one of those guys that will bring immediate impact. Jerry Reese will probably make a more conservative pick because his ass is on the hot seat and it's hotter than ever. If Spence stays out of trouble, he's going to wreak havoc on quarterbacks in this league.
RB Ezekiel Elliot (Ohio State)
Do I think Elliot is going to be one of the best runningbacks in the NFL? Yes I do? If he's not a New York Giant. Todd McShay (who I like 10 times more than Mel Kiper Jr.) recently made a new pick for the Giants at #10 and it was none other than Ezekiel Elliot. The Giants need to solve their problem at offensive line before investing in a runningback with the 10th overall pick. Runningbacks come and go and as special as Elliot is, he isn't the next Adrian Peterson. In the long run Ezekiel Elliot is going to be like every other runningback splitting carries. I love this kids talent but the Giants would waste their 10th pick by drafting him. The pick is too important to waste on a runningback when the team has o many more holes.
LB Myles Jack (UCLA)
A linebacker with quickness. More importantly, a linebacker. Only thing is he suffered a knee injury that ended his season. UCLA used Jack on both sides of the ball but that will not be happening in the NFL. Maybe for Chip Kelly but that's about it. Jack's intriguing because of his speed at the linebacker position. He extremely athletic and has a non-stop motor. Myles Jack is a player that will be all over the field. He's not afraid of contact but if his knee injury does not linger into his NFL career, he may be a good fit in a defense that needs all the help they can get.
The Giants can make a big impact this season with the right moves. Literally every move has to be right. I will miss Tom Coughlin, but the offense wont change too much even with a new offensive coordinator. The offense is still going to be McAdoo's offense which Eli Manning has put two awesome seasons together in. The NFC East is a weak division and the Giants have the best quarterback in it. With about $60 million in cap space and the 10th overall pick in the draft, the Giants can get back to having a winning season. All the pressure is on Jerry Reese. #MakeTheGiantsGreatAgain
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