Thus far, the story of the 2011 Giants has centered on Osi Umenyiora. He is looking for the new contract he says General Manager Jerry Reesehad promised him. Umenyiora accused Reese of lying in a sworn affidavit during the lockout. After the lockout, he surprisingly showed up to training camp, with the Giants having given him permission to seek a trade. The first-round price tag, however, was too steep for the rest of the league.
Though present for camp, Umenyiora, a 29-year-old defensive end, did not practice with the team because, according to the Giant public relations staff, “he says he has a sore knee.”
The Giants are now in an ugly Catch-22. Trade Umenyiora and, in their minds, they set a precedent for rewarding disruptive players who break contracts. (They also lose an upper-echelon edge rusher from a defense that has long been built on pressuring the quarterback up front.) Keep Umenyiora and, well, they have a disruptive locker room presence. A super disruptive locker room presence.
That’s what makes this whole ordeal interesting. Umenyiora is not staging his protest peacefully. Throughout all this, he has publicly blasted Reese and questioned the organization’s integrity. What makes it dicey for the co-owner and team president John Mara, Coach Tom Coughlin, Reese and the rest of the powers that be is that Umenyiora’s complaints seem founded. He has become the screaming kid in the supermarket whose parents are looking around nervously, thinking onlookers might be siding with him.
In an Aug. 1 letter to The Associated Press, Umenyiora wrote: “What really annoys me is the hypocrisy of people clamoring for my head for asking for a new deal or to be traded. Saying I have 2 years left on my deal. These contracts only mean something to us? Where is O’Hara? Where is Seubert? True, inspirational football players, they were cut after being injured. They have years left on their deal.”
You think other Giants players aren’t thinking, “Hmmmm….Osi may have a point”? This is the type of drama that can fracture a franchise.
Doesn’t it always seem as if we’re hearing these kinds of stories with the Giants? Whether it’s Plaxico Burress or Brandon Jacobs or Michael Strahan and Tiki Barber or Tom Coughlin, who, by the way, has proved that no amount of short-term contract extensions, including his recent one, which lasts through 2012, can decrease the temperature of a New York coach’s hot seat. The Giants are always a source of back page fodder.
And it’s always relevant fodder that affects what happens on the field. This year is no exception. Look at the various story angles that protrude from the Umenyiora drama: Reese’s efforts to keep a perennial N.F.C. contender intact; the future of the much-ballyhooed defense minus perhaps its most explosive playmaker; the rebuilding of an offensive line that has been a beacon of stability but now must move on without veteran leaders Shaun O’Hara and Rich Seubert.
There’s a lot going on in New York. But let’s not get carried away. Drama can be a burden, but it’s nothing that can’t be overcome. Why, wasn’t 2007 the year Coughlin reportedly “lost the team”?
Offense
How about that, huh? An entire intro built around Giants drama and not one mention of Eli Manning’s demeanor, body language, leadership or whatever else the eighth-year pro supposedly botches or masters (depending on which arm-chair psychologist you talk to)? One reason Manning can be less analyzed these days is he has finally blossomed as a quarterback. At 30, it’s safe to declare him a finished product.
Over all, it’s a pretty good looking product. Manning is one of the toughest pocket passers in the league. His timing has sharpened over the years and his mistakes have decreased commensurately. (It was a mere aberration that he led the league with 25 interceptions last season; about half of those picks were a consequence of receivers tipping passes up in the air or running bad routes.) All in all, he’s a top 10 N.F.L. quarterback with a high-enough football IQ to run the whole show if needed (as opposed to only what coordinator Kevin Gilbride tells him to run).
Most impressive about Manning is that he has elevated his young receivers. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham have come to life in New York’s stable system – Nicks because of his strong, supple athleticism and big hands, and Manningham because of his all-around swiftness and excellence outside the numbers.
Manning will have to cultivate new relationships with other receivers in 2011. The steady slot outlet Steve Smith may be gone. As of early August, he remained a free agent and is just eights months removed from a sketchy microfracture operation. The Giants hope that third-round rookie Jerrel Jernigan, whom some have compared to Deion Branch, can fill the void. If he can’t, Domenik Hixon, who was emerging before a torn ACL last June, could get a shot, though more preferable would be for the big third-year pro Ramses Barden to stay healthy and start cooking some of his considerable raw talent.
Many have bemoaned the departure of the free-agent tight end Kevin Boss, but he actually has less innate talent than replacement Travis Beckum. Whether Beckum has Boss’s toughness down the seams remains to be seen, but in him the Giants have a receiver fluid enough to create more formation and route variations in the passing game. The abrupt retirement of Ben Patrick was offset by the addition of blocking tight end Daniel Coats. Fullback Bear Pascoe’s inexperience is no longer an issue after the solid work he did in 2010.
The magnitude of the personnel changes to this offensive line cannot be overstated. Giants fans are finally getting their wish with left tackle David Diehl moving back to guard to replace Seubert. At left tackle, Diehl was very average pass blocking on an island. But in the end, he almost always did his job. We don’t know if this will be the case with replacement William Beatty. It’s somewhat telling that Beatty, a second-round pick in ’09, wasn’t able to crack the starting lineup a year ago.
Revered as the gritty O’Hara was, he clearly lost a step because of injury last season. A change had to be made at his position. The Giants are hoping that the acquisition of six-year Niners guard/center David Baas will suffice. It might, but don’t bet on raving success. Baas can pull-block, but he doesn’t have the quickness to get to the second level (where O’Hara made his living). He’s not particularly strong, either.
Expect the Giants to run right even more frequently in 2011. Guard Chris Snee is elite in every sense, and tackle Kareem McKenzie, while a somewhat stationary player, at least offers familiarity and the strength to anchor in his phone booth. In part to take advantage of the underrated power of Ahmad Bradshaw and punishing power of Brandon Jacobs, the Giants employed more six-man lines than any team in the N.F.C. last season. This year they can keep referring to utility backup Kevin Boothe in these sets, though don’t be surprised if free agent pickup Stacy Andrews, or more likely, massive fourth-round rookie James Brewer, find a niche here.
Few who would have ever guessed that Jacobs would take a pay cut so the team could re-sign Bradshaw – the man who stole his starting job? (Jacobs maybe didn’t have a choice, but to his credit, he was publicly supportive of the idea.) Bradshaw is the No. 1 back not just because his receiving skills and shiftiness lend more versatility to the offense, but also because he’s the more powerful runner. This may seem absurd given the 264-pound Jacobs freight train running style, but the tape doesn’t lie: Bradshaw, who is compact and low to the ground, is tougher to tackle.
Defense
We tend to think of the Giant defense as being about a great front four. Jerry Reese has followed in the footsteps of Ernie Accorsi (who followed in the footsteps of George Young) by building his lineup around the defensive line. Hence the 2010 first-round draft pick he invested in Jason Pierre-Paul, despite already having first-round pass-rusher Mathias Kiwanuka and bookend stars Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora on the roster.
But as important as the front four is for New York, this defensive unit under Perry Fewell has become more about highlighting the versatility and athleticism of its top players by using a multitude of presnap looks. Tuck, the best right end in football, is frequently used as a standup linebacker and joker. Antrel Rolle, the prized free-agent safety from a year ago, plays a flexible Charles Woodson-like role on most downs. It works because Rolle has the man-coverage skills to guard receivers in the slot and he’s an excellent all-around tackler.
Furthering the emphasis on versatility and athleticism, the Giants were frequently in nickel defense last season and basically ran a 4-2-5. With Rolle so often aligned in the run front, the Giants kept explosive hitter Kenny Phillips and veteran Deon Grant in the deeper safety slots. With Grant now replaced by rookie Tyler Sash (a sixth-round pick but someone who could one day develop into a starter), the Giants’ nickel package this season will shift to more traditional three cornerback personnel. Corey Webster will often be asked to shadow the opposing team’s best receiver. Terrell Thomas will see plenty of one-on-one matchups as well (the Giants put a lot of stock in the coverage abilities of their defensive backs). The addition of physical first-round rookie Prince Amukamara could land Thomas in more of a safety-esque role, as Amukamara is most likely best suited for the outside, and Rolle is too valuable to relocate from the slot. However, Amukamara will begin the season on the mend after breaking the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot early training camp, so expect lanky dime back Aaron Ross to fill Grant’s old third safety chores.
Generating a pass rush shouldn’t be a problem with Tuck and (we assume) Umenyiora up front. The expected maturation of Pierre-Paul should help, too. But a legitimate concern is this defense’s ability to stop the run. Tuck is phenomenal in all forms of run defense, but the rest of the line is up in the air. Underrated defensive tackle Barry Cofield is gone and will be replaced by rookie Marvin Austin, a first-round talent who dropped to Round Two because of character. Generally, the transition to pro football is extra difficult for defensive tackles (probably due to the difference in competition they face; in college, the interior line is usually just made up of the fattest players a team has, while in the pros, the interior line is loaded with outstanding athletes.)
In order to start, Austin must beat out Linval Joseph, last year’s second-round pick who rarely got on the field. At the other defensive tackle position, it’s time for ex-Cowboy Chris Canty to earn his money (believe it or not, he’s the highest-paid defensive lineman on this team…which Umenyiora, and the less-disgruntled Tuck, have surely noticed). At 6’7”, 304 pounds, Canty has a rare build that can be used for creating congestion.
He’ll need to congest because middle linebacker Jonathan Goff offers little playmaking flair. The methodical Goff plays slowly when having to make reads. This is an issue because, as talented as Mathias Kiwanuka is, he’s still playing out of position as a strongside linebacker. If Kiwanuka proves to again be tentative in a two-point stance, or if he’s not the same player after last year’s neck injury, the coaching staff may have no choice but to put the insanely athletic though thus far non-achieving Clint Sintim on the field. Weakside starter Michael Boley is one of the best coverage linebackers in the game, but his output tends to waffle at times and he makes too many costly missteps against the run.
Special Teams
Matt Dodge needs to either make the Pro Bowl four straight years or date a Kardashian if he wants to ever be known for something other than booting the ball down the middle to DeSean Jackson. That was the mistake that drew the headlines in ’10, but Dodge’s problems actually ran much deeper than that. Simply put, his height and placement must improve. Otherwise, former Jet Steve Weatherford will steal his job. Kicker Lawrence Tynes has a big enough foot. Middling return specialist Darius Reynaud may have to fend off Domenik Hixon.
Bottom Line
There’s not a lot to suggest that the Giants will be better in 2011. They’ve lost a few minor role players and are counting on completely untested youngsters to take their place. But the core of the club remains intact, so if players who have elevated their games before can band together and do so again, a playoff run is certainly possible. Last season, guys elevated their game, but just not all at the same time.
Predicted: 3rd N.F.C. East
Andy Benoit is the founder of NFLTouchdown.com and covers the N.F.L. for CBSsports.com. He can be reached at andy.benoit@NFLtouchdown.com.
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