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Post by plax on Apr 16, 2014 17:58:53 GMT -5
QB - April 21st RB and FB - April 22nd WR - April 23rd TE - April 24th OL - April 25th DE - April 28th DT - April 29th LB - April 30th CB - May 1st S - May 2nd
[possibility: May 5th-7th - Draft Special]
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Post by Juggs on Apr 16, 2014 18:01:44 GMT -5
interesting idea.
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Post by EagleDomiKnation on Apr 16, 2014 19:35:42 GMT -5
I'll be here to downgrade those positions...
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Post by plax on Apr 21, 2014 10:59:57 GMT -5
New York Giants' Positional Review -- QUARTERBACKCan Eli Manning bounce back for a successful 2014 NFL Season?Today is the beginning of the ten day process in which I will go over all of the positions for the New York Giants and what to expect for the 2014 NFL Season. 2013 OverviewEli Manning was the only quarterback to get significant playing time all year, with the exception being Curtis Painter getting some action in three games (the Carolina and Seattle games where he came in with other backups on the heels of blowout losses and the Washington game due to an ankle injury to Manning). While not the only blame of the team, a big reason why the Giants struggled to win games early on in the season was the bad play of Eli Manning. And while there is blame on receiving targets Brandon Myers and Rueben Randle for failing to get on the same page as their quarterback, it is hard to look over the fact that Eli Manning is the one running the show and he needs to be the one to ultimately get the offense moving. Looking back, it is not hard to see why Eli struggled to lead the Giants to the playoffs, a place where they have not been since the 2011 season where they went on their second miraculous run in a span of five years. For one, two staples of their offensive line for several years in guard Chris Snee and tackle/guard David Diehl, look to be on the decline. I will go into a lot more depth on the offensive line this upcoming Friday, the 25th, but for now all I will say is that they both could not handle the opposition and Snee dealt with injuries most of the year. Overall, the offensive line struggled to hold down their assignments and left Eli trying to avoid his way into making a good throw. There is, however, an overlooked aspect of Eli's struggle that many do not mention; the loss of Ahmad Bradshaw and Martellus Bennett, two premier blockers at their respective positions. The both of them were key cogs in the offense and keeping Eli upright, and the absence of the two former-Giants were felt, causing Eli Manning to get sacked a career high 39 times (Eli was only sacked 63 times the prior three years, combined). Assessing each player at the position Eli Manning -- Manning will start the 2014 season at the age of 33 and who knows how much time he has left. He is coming off a career high 27 interceptions, a career high 39 times sacked, a career low 18 touchdowns (for when he plays every game [which is every year of his career save his rookie year where he only started nine (9) games]). Manning is coming off a 3,818 yard season (his worst total since 2007) with a mere 6.9 yards per passing attempt (his lowest total since 2008). To top it off, he recently had surgery on the ankle he injured against Washington - in the 2013 season finale - and will need to hold off from the voluntary off-season workout program that started today. Is Eli Manning on the decline? His statistics for the year would show that statement to be true, but when Eli struggles (2007 season and 2010 season), he has come back to have great seasons (with the 2008 season being the best record for the Giants in the Eli Manning era and the 2011 season producing another Lombardi Trophy). 2014 will be one of the biggest years for Eli Manning and the future of the New York Giants. Josh Freeman -- With the surgery on the ankle of Eli Manning, the Giants wanted to go out and pick up a veteran quarterback with experience to help with the first-team offense until Manning is ready to go, and Josh Freeman was ultimately the one to be signed to the team on a one-year deal. Freeman had a falling out with the Buccaneers last season, leading to a release and eventually being signed by the Minnesota Vikings, a place where he would like to forget in terms of play. Freeman has the ability to be a very good quarterback in the league with his combination of size, throwing power, and underrated ability to extend a play on his feet. He will be competing with Curtis Painter for the number two quarterback job for the upcoming season, it would appear. Curtis Painter -- Curtis Painter somehow beat out David Carr for the number two quarterback job last season and did not play like a guy who was worth it to keep around. Yet here he is today; getting another shot at the backup role to Eli Manning for 2014. As previously stated, he got action in three games last season and only mustered to get 50% of his passes completed while throwing two interceptions in only limited action. He appears to be a camp body at this point in time. Ryan Nassib -- While Eli will always be the "wildcard" on the team in terms of what you will get, Nassib is shaping up to be a real wildcard of his own. The trade that sent the 116th and 187th pick to the Arizona Cardinals (two picks that ended up being the selections of OG Earl Watford and RB Andre Ellington) to move up a mere six (6) spots to the 110th selection to take the quarterback from Syracuse was a questionable one at the time and become a even bigger question mark with the way the season unfolded. Yes, Nassib was a second or third round talent that was ultimately taken in the fourth round, but he was not even the second quarterback on the depth chart in 2013, and now with the return of Curtis Painter and the addition of Josh Freeman, it has people wondering what the deal with Nassib really is. The Giants are not known to play rookies much and tend to ease them into the fold, but Nassib did not see any action at all in the regular season. The Giants are hoping he can progress this off-season to take the number two quarterback job, but what if he doesn't? Will the Giants carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster? The tracking of Ryan Nassib will be one of the more intriguing stories heading into the 2014 regular season. 2014 NFL DraftThere is no way the Giants address a quarterback in the draft unless there is insane value on a player. GM Jerry Reese stated that they won't hold back from nabbing a quarterback if the value and circumstances are right. One thing to watch is Ryan Nassib in relation to possibly being traded. The Giants might have drafted Ryan Nassib in 2013 to pull a New England and deal him off for a higher pick when teams see the big steps he has taken in his development. It would not be a surprise to see Nassib in possible trade talks come May. ConclusionWhile there are several questions regarding the Giants and if they can rebound as a team in 2014, the focus remains on the shoulders of Eli Manning and his ability to lead the team where it needs to go. In 2011, the team struggled but it was the play of Eli Manning that vaulted the Giants into the playoffs, where the team picked up their play and eventually beating New England in the Super Bowl for the second time in a five-year span. One last thing to keep an eye on is the departure of long-time Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride and the addition of former Green Bay Quarterbacks Coach Ben McAdoo. Eli Manning has played under Gilbride his entire career (Gilbride was the Quarterbacks Coach himself when Eli was drafted and eventually was named Offensive Coordinator during the 2006 season), so having to go into a new system in his 33-year old season will have many wondering whether it was too late his career to make such a big change to the offense. Kevin Gilbride was a big problem in the struggles of the offense last year, however, as the league adapted to his play-calling and he seemed oblivious to the fact, which ended up hurting the entire team. Ben McAdoo had great success with Aaron Rodgers, one of the premier quarterbacks in the league. Furthermore, McAdoo will base the offense off of fundamentals and not the complex routes and options that Gilbride ran; which can help Eli get the ball out quicker add to his career. Who knows if Eli will once again bounce back from a bad season, but with the Eli Manning/Tom Coughlin era closing, the Eli Manning debacle will be a bigger question mark than ever before.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 14:13:33 GMT -5
This would be a nice article for Giants fans to read on a Giants' fansite. Good job.
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Post by plax on Apr 21, 2014 14:16:43 GMT -5
I could if I wanted to, but I think this would serve more of a purpose here to get people to know more about the Giants.
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Post by plax on Apr 22, 2014 11:32:19 GMT -5
New York Giants' Positional Review -- RUNNING BACK & FULLBACK Will David Wilson be able to become the play-making threat the Giants hoped for when drafting him in 2012?Today is day two of the two-week process in which I will address the state of every position on the Giants by moving to the Running Back and Fullback positions. 2013 OverviewIt was an ugly year for the running back core for the Giants just for the fact that it became a revolving door of guys starting week in and week out. The season opened up against the Dallas Cowboys with David Wilson named the starter. The Giants, and their fans, had very high hopes for the running back out of Virginia Tech that was taken with the 32nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and for good reason; he is as explosive as they come and Eli simply never had a guy like him before in the backfield. The big negative to Wilson from the year prior was his ability to hold onto the football and it was all too apparent in the 2013 season opener, where Wilson fumbled once again, sending him to the infamous "Tom Coughlin doghouse". Coughlin did not have Ahmad Bradshaw anymore, so Wilson was still able to get some playing time, but it was a clear step in the wrong direction for the player who was supposed to rise to the occasion. The Giants used the tandem of David Wilson and Da'rel Scott for a few weeks, where Brandon Jacobs and Michael Cox eventually entered the fold. And shortly after that, Andre Brown returned from injury to become the starter while Peyton Hillis was also signed to be a part of the offense. By that time, Wilson was on IR for the year and Da'rel Scott was a free agent. The rushing game is a big part of an offense and having stability there can really go a long way in helping the offense. The running game for the Giants had no consistency and Eli Manning continuously had to look back and see who he had in the backfield on every given week. The revolving door of Giants running backs ended the year with a combined 356 carries for 1,239 rushing yards for a mere 3.5 yards per carry while totaling 11 rushing touchdowns. The backfield did produce a lot in the passing game for Eli, however, with 59 receptions for 365 yards. Andre Brown was the highlight of the group and was a big part of the improved Giants offense for the second half of the season. While the running backs were not something to rave about, the play of fullback John Connor has Giants fans excited for 2014. Henry Hynoski was the fullback on the team, and is among the best fullbacks out there (for as little as there are), but he suffered an injury in the Carolina Panthers game putting him on the shelf. John Connor, better know as the Terminator, found a home with the Giants and never looked back. He is one of the best, if not the best, blocking fullback in the league and with the Giants always having a philosophy of running the ball hard, Connor became a fan favorite for his superb blocking ability. Assessing each player at the position(s)
Rashad Jennings -- Jennings was one of the bigger free agent additions for the Giants this off-season, as he was signed to a four-year deal worth north of 13-million. Signing with the Raiders last year on a one-year deal, Jennings was able to show what he can do as Darren McFadden once again went down with an injury. The former Jaguar produced over 700 rushing yards and averaged 4.5 yards per carry, while adding on a very good 36 receptions for 292 yards; putting him over 1000 all-purpose yards for the season. Jennings is not great at any one thing, but he is very solid in just about every aspect of the game. As shown by his stats, he is a very good receiver out of the backfield. He is a grind-it-out guy; tough, physical. He is not the best pass-blocker, but he can certainly hold his own. Jennings is expected to be the starter for the Giants in 2014 and should have success with an improved offensive line (that will be expanded upon on this coming Friday). David Wilson -- Wilson was the first round pick for the Giants in 2012 and has yet to prove his worth. The Giants let go of Ahmad Bradshaw at the end of the 2012 season to give the keys of the position to Wilson. If he keeps fumbling, however, he will never show what he is capable of. In addition to the fumbling problems that he has not yet fixed, Wilson suffered a neck injury week five (5) against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles that put his career in jeopardy. As time went on, news came out that he will be able to play football again, but the situation all-around is not a comfortable one, for Wilson or the team. Wilson has all of the ability in the world to be successful in the NFL, but he needs to put the work in on his fumbling issues and his pass-protection deficiencies. With only 504 rushing yards (and 42 receiving yards) to his name in 21 career games in two years with the Giants, Wilson is officially on notice and this is possibly a make-or-break year for the running back. He will not have to be the starter, so this is the year to improve as a player and to get back in favor with the offense. Peyton Hills -- Peyton Hills was signed off of the street in 2013 when the Giants continued to have injury issues in the backfield and was given an opportunity to show the ability he showcased with the Cleveland Browns a few years ago. When he came into the fold in 2013, he was quite successful as a rotational back, showing superb pass-protection and fought for numerous first downs. His play caught the eye of the team, causing the Giants to re-sign Peyton Hillis for the 2014 season. He will not be any more than a back to step in for certain situations, but Hillis did enough to earn a shot at cracking the rotation and the roster next year. Michael Cox -- A seventh round selection in the 2013 draft, Michael Cox was not expected to do anything on offense and the only place where he was supposed to contribute was on Special Teams. With the injuries to the Giants backfield, the team had no choice but to give him some playing time. The inexperience and not being ready to play showed, as he averaged a mere 2.0 yards per carry in 22 attempts rushing the ball. Whether the Giants will continue to see him as a plus on Special Teams is up to them, but do not expect Cox to get any rub in the backfield for 2014. John Connor -- As stated already, Connor was great in 2013 and will come into 2014 most likely fighting for one roster spot at the fullback position with Henry Hynoski. If the Giants want to really rush the ball and set the tone in the running game, Connor will start out as the early favorite. Henry Hynoski -- The "Hynocerous" was a great piece of the Giants offense, but two injuries in 2013 caused him to hit the shelf, and now a once-secure roster spot has turned into a battle. He was a free agent this off-season, but the Giants re-signed him to give him a shot to get his job back. As Connor is the favorite if the Giants want to run the ball a lot, Hynoski will get the advantage if the Giants want to use their fullback in the passing game as well, considering the fact that Hynoski can catch the ball well out of the backfield and move the chains. 2014 NFL Draft
It might be a good decision for the Giants to nab a running back in the 2014 Draft. While there are no game-changing guys, the class is a deep one and the Giants can find themselves a good one in the middle rounds with players such as Davonta Freeman of Florida State and Terrance West of Towson, among others. Or if they want to get a better back, guys like Tre Mason of Auburn, Bishop Sankey of Washington, and Jeremy Hill of LSU could be options for the Giants. The fullback position is the only position on the entire team where I can confidently say that the Giants are fine at the position. The Giants have two of the top ten fullbacks in the league who will fight for the one available spot to lead the way for Jennings and Wilson next year while protecting and extending the career of Eli Manning. ConclusionThe Giants have always prided themselves on being a running football team that will run the ball down your throat. It was not too long ago where the Giants had two 1,000+ yard rushers in Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward (who both had over 5.0 yards per carry). The Giants will definitely not do anything like that in the near future, but if they are able to produce a stable rushing attack led by Rashad Jennings and David Wilson, the entire offense will prosper. One thing to watch out for is the new Running Backs Coach; Craig Johnson. Johnson was the man coaching Chris Johnson when he produced the 2,000+ yard season. And he has been around Adrian Peterson for a few years now, another back who produced a 2,00+ yard season. The Giants hope that his presence and experience with successful running backs can help the core guys at the position. Tom Coughlin has always said the running attack opens up the passing attack, and they aim to do that successfully in 2014.
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Post by plax on Apr 23, 2014 11:01:22 GMT -5
New York Giants' Positional Review -- WIDE RECEIVERWill Rueben Randle be able to fill the void left by Hakeem Nicks in 2014?Today we hit the third installment of the NYG Positional Review by moving on to the Wide Reciever position. 2013 OverviewThe 2013 NFL Season was one of inconsistency for the Wide Receiver position. Not one receiver was able to reach the 1,000 yard mark for the season, with the closest being Victor Cruz at 998 receiving yards. Hakeem Nicks was heading into a contract year and was expected to have the best year of his career; that was far from the truth. The North Carolina product was not as bad as people made him out to be, as he still posted 896 receiving yards while having the most yards after the catch on the roster and second only to Rueben Randle in catches 20+ yards down the field. with 14. Victor Cruz was supposed to be a top flight wide receiver after a 1,500+ yard year in 2011 and a 1,000+ yard year in 2012. One thing that no one mentions with Cruz in 2013 was that he only posted four (4) touchdowns the entire year - Three (3) of them came against Dallas on opening week and the other one (1) came against the Kansas City Chiefs in week four; so Cruz only scored in two games in 2013 with all of his scores being in the opening quarter of the season. Randle lacked chemistry with Eli Manning for most of the year and their disconnect caused quite a few crucial turnovers. There were a few positives for the Wide Receiver position in 2013, however. Randle, at times, really begun to show the potential and play he is capable of hitting on a regular basis. He was the leader on the team in touchdowns (6) and catches 20+ yards down the field (16). Victor Cruz went down with an injury week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks and had Giants fans worried. His replacement for the rest of the year playing the slot? Jerrel Jernigan, the third round selection for the Giants in the 2011 NFL Draft. In his first two seasons, Jernigan only managed to muster three (3) receptions on seven (7) targets for 22 receiving yards. Before the Cruz injury, Jernigan played in four (4) games in very limited action. What were his stats in the final three (3) weeks of the season? The former Troy product produced 19 receptions on 27 targets while posting 237 receiving yards and two (2) touchdowns. In his week 17 performance alone, Jernigan had six (6) receptions on seven (7) targets for 90 receiving yards and one (1) receiving touchdown while also rushing the ball twice for 57 yards, one of which a 49 yard scamper for a score. Jernigan definitely left Giants fans wanting more and are hoping to see Jernigan in a much bigger role in 2014. Assessing each player at the positionVictor Cruz -- Cruz is the star receiver on the team and he needs to play like it. When playing out of the slot, he is as good as they come with his ability to get breathing room to make the reception. He can also play on the outside and be effective, so his skill-set brings a lot to the table for the Giants. One thing he needs to look at is trying too hard to get the extra yard or two. At times in 2013, Cruz would make a grab and try to juke and run lateral to get space to gather more yards. While doing that can be very effective at times, doing it too often can be a bad thing; as there are many times where I can recall Cruz's lateral movement being a detriment as he would not get the two or three easy extra yards on 2nd and 10, and then the Giants would not convert on third down, forcing them to leave the field. Expect him to have a bounce back season. Rueben Randle -- I am extremely high on Rueben Randle, and apparently so are the Giants, as the team did not even offer Hakeem Nicks a contract, according to reports. Randle will enter the season as "the guy" on the outside barring a selection of a receiver in the first round of the draft on May 8th. I still do not know why he fell to 64th in the 2013 NFL Draft, and I could care less because Giants fans are thrilled with him. Randle would severely benefit from working with Eli Manning in the off-season, if possible. He is the X-factor in the offense this season. Jerrel Jernigan -- As stated, Jernigan really opened the eyes of not only Giants fans, but the Front Office as well. Owner John Mara did not understand why Jernigan did not get much playing time before the Cruz injury, and no one could really answer the question. With Nicks gone, Jernigan will definitely get more playing time and more opportunity to shine. He should benefit greatly from Ben McAdoo taking over the reigns as Offensive Coordinator as it will be assumed that the Giants will run more 3-WR and 4-WR sets. Mario Manningham -- "Super Mario" was a key cog of the Giants offense for many years and had the biggest reception of Super Bowl 46 when the offense was backed up against their own endzone. Manningham bolted to San Francisco after winning the Super Bowl and struggled with numerous injuries. With a lack of a market, the former Giants returned back to Big Blue on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. No one knows if he can stay healthy or not or if he can contribute, in general. One thing, though - if he can contribute, the Giants found themselves a steal not only financially, but with play on the field. Trindon Holliday -- Holliday was other Wide Receiver signed by the Giants in free agency (along with Manningham). Unlike Manningham, I expect Holliday to make his mark with the Special Teams unit as a returner. The Giants Special Teams unit on returns was among the worst in the league in 2013 (and for many years prior as well), so having an electric returner such as Holliday is a breath of fresh air for Giants fans. Snatching him up for a paltry $730,000, the only reason Holliday lasted as long as he did in free agency and why he went for as little as he did was due to his fumbling problems. Tom Coughlin has always been one to fix fumbling issues (with the big example being Tiki Barber, who transformed into one of the better Running Backs in the game in the mid-2000s), so if he can fix some of the issues Holliday has holding onto the ball, he can potentially be the biggest signing the Giants made this past off-season. NOTE: There are other Wide Receivers currently on the roster, but they are not worth discussing due to the fact that they will most likely not be making the team.2014 NFL DraftI am in the "draft a Wide Receiver" boat with many other New York Giants fans. It would be in the Giants' best interest to draft a wide receiver that can play on the outside in the fourth round at the latest. And with the 2014 Wide Receiver class being one of the deepest I could ever remember, this would be the year to strike on one. Wide Receiver's such as Donte Moncrief of Mississippi, Allen Robinson of Penn State, and Kelvin Benjamin of Florida State are all first round talents that can be there in the second round of the draft. If the Giants really want to go big, they can go for Mike Evans of Texas A&M, Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU, or even make a splash by trading up for Clemson's Sammy Watkins in the first round of the draft. All in all, there are a number of ways the Giants can go here, and adding one more receiver who can help Eli can really do wonders for the offense. ConclusionThe play-calling of Kevin Gilbride was not a friendly system for the Giants Wide Receivers due to the implementation of multiple option routes, causing a lot of dysfunction between Eli and his targets in 2013. The Ben McAdoo addition is a great one for not only the offense as a whole, but for the Wide Receivers too. With the shift to playing based on fundamentals, the Giants Wide Receivers can now play to their strengths and give Eli Manning what he needs to have a bounce-back season. The big thing to keep an eye on is Rueben Randle taking over the number one Wide Receiver spot on the outside. The Giants feel he is ready, and hopefully Randle is as well. To a lesser extent, the play of Mario Manningham will be a key factor in the offense. Victor Cruz is a safe bet to have a very good season, and Randle, in my opinion, is in line for a breakout year. If Manningham can produce like he did in 2010 and 2011, the Giants can have a potentially great passing attack. Overall, the Wide Receiver position is currently the biggest question mark on the team. The potential is most certainly there to be a top 10 Wide Receiver core. But with there only being one sure thing, it can be a year to forget for the guys on the outside.[/quote]
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2014 12:02:27 GMT -5
Good writing Plax. Where did Nicks go? I forget.
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Post by plax on Apr 23, 2014 12:25:49 GMT -5
Good writing Plax. Where did Nicks go? I forget. Indianapolis.
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