The New York Football Giants: Depth, Uncertainty, and Promise in 2009

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

"You are only as strong as your backups, remember that.  This is a team, and you are all a part of it." 

I heard this everyday for three years as a player and cannot help but reflect on it now as the New York Giants prepare for their 2009 season as defending NFC East champions.  Only a year removed from a Super Bowl title, this Giants team has a few weaknesses, if any, and is poised to make another run to the top. 

Despite a number of departures this offseason, most notably starting WR's Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, RB Derrick Ward, S James Butler, as well as backups DE Jerome McDougle, OL Grey Ruegamer, and CB's Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters, the Giants have one of the most loaded rosters in the league, top to bottom.

The Giants went to the defensive side of the ball early in free agency adding OLB Michael Boley, DT's Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, and S C.C. Brown before addressing the offense in April's draft.   Six of the Giants' nine draft choices were offensive players, four of whom, WR's Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, TE/H-Back Travis Beckum, and RB Andre Brown, will all be counted on to contribute early this upcoming season. 

Jerry Reese does a lot of things well, but excels at finding the right players for the Giants system.  Not many GM's could weather the storm of losing former players like TE Jeremy Shockey and RB Tiki Barber and live to tell the tale, let alone compete in the playoffs or win a Super Bowl title in such a short time.

On Offense

The Giants have more question marks than weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball.  They can look to build off of last season's league leading rushing attack with a stable of backs that includes Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Danny Ware, and Andre Brown.  With the exception of Jacobs, there is little experience.  But leading the way for them is one of the leagues most formidable and, most importantly, healthy offensive lines.

The veteran group, anchored by C Shaun O'Hara, has been playing together since 2005, and along with LT David Diehl, LG Rich Seubert, RG Chris Snee, and RT Kareem McKenzie, they have started every regular season game the last two seasons. 

Outside of the starters though, the backups lack experience.  This could be an issue if the injury bug decides to bite.  Youngsters Kevin Boothe, Guy Whimper, and rookie William Beatty will be expected to step in, but the Giants hope their reliable starters will continue to play at their high level and let the backups learn from the sideline.

No player possesses the skills and ability of former tight end Jeremy Shockey, but third-year starter Kevin Boss has developed into a reliable target that quarterback Eli Manning feels comfortable with when things break down. 

Boss is not the ideal tight end and has trouble setting the corner at times, but he gets the job done.  Newly acquired tight end/h-back Travis Beckum has some extremely intriguing talents and could do wonders for this team as well.

While his position is undefined, Beckum can lineup in the backfield or on the weakside of the formation and become another sure target for Eli, when things break down.  Too many times has fullback Madison Hedgecock dropped balls out of the backfield in this offense, and Beckum could be the answer to this problem.

Eli Manning and backup David Carr, both former No. 1 overall selections this decade, make up one of the best QB depth charts in the league.  Manning has never missed a start, and if the worst were to come true, Carr is more than capable of filling in.

Finally we come to the question marks.  Calling the receiving corps a weakness is premature since the only returning players with more than 15 catches last season are Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon.  But if forced to use the term weakness, this is it.  Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, and rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, have a combined 42 career NFL catches between them, and 38 of them belong to Moss.

Moss will mostly be used in sub-packages that work to his stengths of getting open deep down field or catching quick passes and taking off.  It is the other three that need to realize this team may only go as far they can take them. 

Nicks has the pressure of being a first-round pick on top of him, Barden is being viewed as a Plaxico clone, and Manningham has all the hype surrounding him.  Between them, the questions of who is going to be the man has to be answered. And if they are not, the Giants' offense could falter.

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