What a ride 2011 was for the New York Giants.  

No one would have predicted a Super Bowl victory or the amazing year Victor Cruz, Jason Pierre Paul and Eli Manning had.

After all the celebrating, the work will begin for players in March. So where do the NY Giants go from here? 

How do they get better in 2012? There are 24 potential free agents on the New York Giants' roster.

Start by taking care of your house.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese is of the belief of starting from the inside out.  When someone goes down with an injury or leaves via free agency, you look to your own roster for someone to step up. 

1. Mario Manningham: Sign him

The unsung hero of Superbowl XLVI should be the team's No. 1 priority this offseason.   Receivers get hurt all the time and having three receivers that could all be a No. 1 downfield threat is a difference maker.

The Giants collect pass rushers.  When someone gets hurt, another defensive end steps in.  Manningham should be considered an equal to Mathias Kiwanuka on the offensive side of the ball.  When a receiver gets hurt, another steps in.

While Manningham has dropped a few balls, the receiver has made numerous clutch catches down the stretch, including the amazing Super Bowl sideline grab. 

No. 82 has the amazing ability to walk the tightrope down the sideline as well as drag his feet when he needs to stay in bounds.  In 2009 he had 822 yards and five touchdowns.  In 2010, he had 944 yards and 9 touchdowns.

While his numbers were down in 2011 (523 yards, 4 TD), be certain it was only because he missed four games.  Replacing him with Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan is not the answer and Jerry Reese should not be considering it.

2. Mitch Petrus:  Start him

It is time to put the young guard to work.  He received a good smattering of play this year when Kevin Boothe slid over to center after David Bass' injury, however, the powerful and agile lineman's time has come to be a full-time player. 

The Giants might not be known as a smash mouth offensive team anymore, but having the worst rushing attack in the NFL is pitiful.  At the end of the day, having no push up front only puts more pressure on Eli and his receivers.

Petrus brings a nastiness to the big boys and cements the inside protection.

3. The Prince:  Start him

With Aaron Ross most certainly leaving via free agency, the Prince Amukamara Era should begin.  In 2012, the New York Giants get will only improve now that Prince can reap the benefits of a full offseason training program. 

The more physical Amukamara will be a huge upgrade over Ross.  Receivers will not run freely across the center of the field and when catches are made on the left corner, receivers will be tackled instead of having a shoulder thrown at them.

4. Linebacking Corps: Create competition

The much maligned linebacker group did a nice job down the stretch stuffing backs like Atlanta's Michael Turner, San Francisco's Frank Gore, and Dallas' Felix Jones.

The Giants will come into 2012 having proved that you don't need a first-round draft pick or a huge free agent signing to play linebacker to make a team successful.  The Giants have 11 linebackers on the roster and two are free agents. 

Chase Blackburn, who returned to the team in Week 13, made an instant contribution and deserves a contract.  Jonathan Goff, who was injured early in the season, also deserves a contract.

Jacquian Williams, Mike Herzlich and Greg Jones were all stand-out rookies.  They have separated themselves from bubble-dwellers Adrian Tracy, Clint Sintim and Spencer Paysinger.

5. Osi Umenyiora/Dave Tollefson: Pay them

The team is just flat out better with Osi on the field.   He is always around the ball and his high energy, high-flying ability makes it easier for Justin Tuck and JPP to do their job.

Even with No. 72 hurt for a large chunk of the season, he managed to record nine sacks in nine games.  In the playoffs, Osi had 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.    

And to maintain greatness upfront, Dave Tollefson needs to be signed to an extension.

6. Coby Fleener: Draft him

The tight end from Stanford is stud.   Of course he has Andrew Luck throwing him the ball, but with the same body style as Greg Olsen (first-round pick for the Bears in 2007), Fleener would be a great pick in the first round for the New York Giants.

Fleener is projected for the second round, however, with performances like he had against UCLA this season, it's hard to see how the tight end makes it out of the first round.  Against UCLA the tight end stabbed a one-handed touchdown catch on a deep post pattern while the safety was draped all over him. 

The 6' 6" 248-pound tight end will look great in Giants blue while Jake Ballard heals from offseason knee surgery.  Pascoe can hold down the fort while Ballard heals and Fleener gets his feet wet.

7. Free Agents: Don't sign them

Aaron Ross, Domenik Hixon, Adrian Tracy, Clint Sintim, Tony Ugoh, Stacy Andrews, Jimmy Kennedy, Justin Tryon and Derrick Martin.