5 Things Learned from the New York Giants' 4th OTA

On Monday, the New York Giants completed their fourth of 10 OTAs, a session that was open in full to the media.

While they still have a lot more sorting out to do as far as who will handle what responsibilities, head coach Tom Coughlin and his staff are starting to get a better idea about whether they’ll be able to put the team they envision on the field come September.

On the following slides, I offer some firsthand observations from the fourth OTA practice, which New York held in the Quest Diagnostics Center field house on a rainy Monday afternoon.

In addition to these observations, let’s look at what it potentially means for the team moving forward, keeping in mind that it’s only early June and that things are subject to change.

The Tight Ends Are Getting a Lot of Looks in Different Roles

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Last season, the three Giants tight ends—Larry Donnell, Adrien Robinson and Daniel Fells—combined to play in 1,400 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, with Donnell (889) and Fells (434) getting the bulk of the snaps.

Also worth noting is that Henry Hynoski, the lone fullback on the roster, received just 209 snaps last year.

What’s so significant about this? During team drills in the fourth OTA, Hynoski didn’t get much in the way of snaps with the offense, the tight ends—Robinson, Jerome Cunningham, Will Tye and Matt LaCosse (Larry Donnell was injured and didn’t work)—lining up in-line as the H-back and at times as the fullback.

Might offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo be planning to reduce the packages in which he uses a pure fullback to just goal-line and short-yardage ones? That certainly wouldn’t be a surprise considering the versatility a tight end can offer, especially one who works from the backfield.

And what happens if the coaching staff finds that it has a tight end who can handle the blocking duties? Would that spell the end of the Giants’ use of a pure fullback altogether?

That’s certainly a possibility, though it probably won’t happen this year—not with the tight end group from last year likely about to undergo a face-lift if youngsters LaCosse (22 years old), Tye (23) and/or Cunningham (24) step up this summer.

Still, it’s something to watch closely once the pads go on, as right now it looks as though keeping a pure fullback might be heading toward that luxury label.

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo Is Putting on the Blitz

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

In the two OTAs to which the media has had access, the Giants defense has run several types of blitzes that have come from all areas of the field.

Before going any further, let’s gauge the frequency of the Giants’ use of the blitz under former defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. According to an April 2014 article by Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, the Giants blitzed on 31.62 percent of their pass-rushing plays, putting them 14th in the NFL in the 2013 season.

However, the Giants finished 26th in the league in final pass-rushing productivity (sacks, hits and hurries), which meant that the blitzes just weren’t hitting home.

Although the numbers aren’t available for the 2014 season, former safety Antrel Rolle made some telling comments during his weekly radio spot on WFAN.

Rolle’s comments, per Charles Curtis for NJ Advance Media, seemed to suggest that Fewell did call blitzes, but that if something went wrong or the blitz didn’t work, the defensive coordinator chose to retreat rather than to attack the problem at a different angle.

"

Well, in Perry Fewell’s defense, when certain things go wrong throughout the course of a game, as a defensive coordinator and as a play-caller, it then makes you hesitant to call certain things.

He had a couple of blitzes called during the earlier part of the game, and those blitzes were bust. I think we played a good defense for the most part, but there were a lot of times the defense has some mental relapses.

As a coordinator it just kind of puts you on your heels a little bit, because you’re kinda damned if you do, damned if you don’t.  

"

No, the blitz isn’t going to work every single time it's called. But to his credit, Spagnuolo doesn’t seem as a willing to abandon the concept; in fact, some of the blitzes shown during the OTAs have come from the cornerbacks, the slot cornerback, the safeties and the linebackers.

What’s more, Spagnuolo has been working with his defense—we’re talking hands-on coaching—demonstrating various techniques to help the players master how to disguise the blitz.

What does all this mean for the defense moving forward? Expect to see more blitz packages for starters.

Also, when assembling your final guess at the Giants' 53-man roster, in addition to looking at who’s healthy, it might be a good idea to pay attention to who has that first quick step off the snap, especially among the linebackers and defensive backs.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s Hamstrings Are a Big Concern

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

It’s usually premature to panic about a player sitting out of an OTA which takes place nearly three months before the start of the regular season—unless of course you’re talking about an injury such as what happened to left tackle Will Beatty, which has created a significant ripple effect across the offensive line.

However, anyone who opted to worry about receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s hamstring issues would be justified given the circumstance.

To recap, Beckham has been limited in the last four OTAs, sitting out the team portion of the drills and doing very little other than fielding punts. This, per head coach Tom Coughlin, is due to some soreness Beckham developed in his hamstring (not the one that gave him trouble last year).  

The Giants, in an attempt to assuage public concern, distributed some quotes from Beckham to members of the media. In one of them, Beckham said that if the Giants were playing a game this weekend, he’d be out there practicing, adding, “That’s why it’s precautionary.”  

Realistically speaking, the Giants are going to be extra, extra cautious with their prized receiver, not just because of what they went through with him last year, but given Victor Cruz’s status.

Cruz is still hoping to be ready for training camp, but it remains to be seen if he meets that goal and, if he does, how close he’ll look to being his old self against live competition.

Getting back to Beckham, the fact that he’s again dealing with a hamstring issue, even if it’s to the other side, is concerning. The last time someone told the public not to worry, Beckham missed a large chunk of time.

While his numbers didn’t suffer, it’s not going to be a good thing if the Giants have to hold their breath every week, wondering if this young man’s hamstrings are going to flare up.  

The Defense Is Trying Different (and New) Looks

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Making sure he leaves no stone unturned, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has spent time trying out players at different positions in order to gauge firsthand who’s the best fit at what positions.

Rather than relying solely on tape from years past, the 55-year-old defensive coordinator is giving both his returning players and the new members of his defense a chance to perform in different roles in this system.

The defensive players have spoken about the differences in Spagnuolo’s system versus Perry Fewell's.

Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie suggested to reporters that the new system is a bit more tailored to the players’ strengths rather than forcing them into roles they don't fit.

“I would say this defense, some of the things they do here are things that are a whole lot more conducive things that really plays to our corners that we have skill sets,” he said.

Spagnuolo appears to have made some determinations regarding the deployment of personnel. For example, Mark Herzlich, who performed well last season as an outside linebacker, has been working almost exclusively on the outside.

Rookie safety Landon Collins, meanwhile, has seen a number of snaps on the strong side of the formation, while defensive ends Owa Odighizuwa and Damontre Moore have seen snaps at left and right defensive end, respectively.

Head coach Tom Coughlin, by the way, is impressed with Moore, who missed the early part of the offseason program in order to attend school.  

"I don’t think he is all the way caught up, but I was impressed. I was in the training room watching them exercise that shoulder and he has done well with that," he said.

With the numbers at defensive end being so thin thanks to the absences of Jason Pierre-Paul (contract) and Robert Ayers (injury), it's reassuring to know that Moore, who is entering his third season, has caught up with the playbook to where he can contribute in multiple roles as Spagnuolo takes notice.

Rueben Randle Looks Like He Has Finally Turned the Corner

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The Giants offense needs the Rueben Randle who posted consecutive 100-yard receiving games to close out the 2014 season badly.

That’s right: Despite having 12 receivers on the roster—a list that includes hungry rookies such as Geremy Davis and Ben Edwards and second-year players like Corey Washington and Marcus Harris who are vying for their piece of the pie—the Giants need Randle.

Forget about the fact that this is a contract year for Randle. With Victor Cruz’s status not a sure thing and with the news of Odell Beckham Jr.’s hamstring acting up again, Randle may find himself having to carry the receiving corps until the questions surrounding Cruz and Beckham are answered.

The good news is that so far he seems to have finally gotten it. Gone is the occasional lazy route running that used to find its way into his showing, as are the concentration drops.

In the two OTAs open to the media, Randle has looked very much like he has picked up where he left off. In Monday’s practice, he worked both as an outside receiver and from the slot, coming up with the bulk of the pass targets thrown his way.

He also came up with a couple of receptions, including one in which he had a defender nearly draping his back. 

For all the frustration Randle has caused with his inconsistency, he has at least been durable and has shown that he can be a solid receiving option.

While it’s still early in the process and the Giants have conducted the drills in shorts and shells, Randle’s performance in the OTAs thus far has no doubt allowed the coaches to breathe a sigh of relief as far as the receiving game is concerned.

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. 

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