Bleacher Report - New York Giants

Why Aaron Curry Will Face Uphill Battle to Make the New York Giants

Benjamin J. Block — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:04:55 -0400

Injury and opportunity are the driving forces of the NFL, and as a victim of the former and blessed with the latter, linebacker Aaron Curry is a member of the New York Giants—for now.

Curry signed a one-year deal worth $780,000 to join Big Blue, according to Spotrac, as he looks to salvage being referred to as a bust.

Curry hasn't lived up to being picked fourth overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2009 draft, and the 27-year-old comes into Giants minicamp fresh off a knee injury that limited him to just two games with the Oakland Raiders in 2012.

The Wake Forest product was a can't-miss commodity five years ago, but according to Michael Eisen of Giants.com, the team's official website, as Giants general manager Jerry Reese now puts it, Curry is a "we'll see" addition.

He was the fourth pick in the draft a few years ago, so obviously we think he has some talent. We had him graded high back then. We’ll see what happens this spring with him.

He passed the physical for us and had a pretty good workout. We think we have a good opportunity for him here to see if he can reinvent himself a little bit and bring something to this linebacking corps.

There's a lot of "if's" surrounding the ex-Seahawk and ex-Raider, and joining an already overcrowded Giants linebacking core while trying to rebound from knee problems, far from guarantees Curry a spot when the team breaks camp.

The Giants already have a linebacker who hasn't panned out to be what he was supposed to be—the ninth overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Keith Rivers.

Who's to say that there will be room for Curry on the final roster? He's already starting to garner the bust legacy.

Big Blue also brought in Dan Connor from the division rival Dallas Cowboys to compete for a starting job.

Mark Herzlich, Spencer Paysinger and Jacquian Williams are also starving to assert themselves, and the addition of a one-time fourth overall pick will only fuel that desire more.

While it's yet to be seen who will be the winner of this linebacking circus, the loser might be defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

Fewell showed an inability to draw up a variety of schemes last season, so what's he going to draw up when his six best linebackers are all average on a good day?

In the end, the Giants took a very low financial risk on Curry, but making the teams' final roster will be one of the toughest obstacles he'll have to face—the comeback.

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New York Giants Quarterback Breakdown: Evaluation and Depth Chart Analysis

Tamer Chamma — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:26:10 -0400

The New York Giants have their fair share of questions heading into the 2013 season.

Who will be the starting right tackle? Can David Wilson excel as the feature running back? Will the defense bounce back from a miserable performance in 2012 that saw them allow the second-most yards in the NFL?

One question that won’t need to be answered is “Who will start at quarterback?”. Eli Manning is the undisputed signal-caller and leader of the offense, as he has been since the middle of the 2004 season.

Despite the lack of a quarterback controversy on Big Blue, there is still some intrigue at this position. The aggressive selection of Ryan Nassib in the fourth round of the NFL draft has allowed Giants fans to ponder “life without Eli” for the first time in nearly a decade. In addition, Nassib’s presence all but guarantees that there will be a new backup to Manning in 2013.

New York currently has four quarterbacks on their roster–Manning, Nassib, David Carr and Curtis Painter. They have only carried two signal-callers in the regular season since the start of the 2008 season.

It would be strange for them to alter this strategy now, considering Manning’s durability (135 starts in a row and counting). Not carrying a third quarterback opens an extra roster spot that can be filled by another position—a luxury that teams with an injury-prone quarterback don’t enjoy.

Therefore, it is a virtual certainty that two of the remaining three quarterbacks not named Manning won’t be on the team when the Giants open the season against the Cowboys in Dallas on Sept. 8.

It is hard to imagine a scenario where Nassib isn’t the survivor. For starters, New York was giddy to get him in the fourth round–so giddy, in fact, that they surrendered a sixth-round selection to move up six spots to make sure they got him with the 110th overall pick.

Also, Carr and Painter are signed to one-year, non-guaranteed contracts. The Giants could cut both players without incurring any future salary cap damage.

The icing on the “Nassib will be the backup quarterback” cake is that Tom Coughlin, who is usually hard on rookies, is already showering him with compliments. Check out Coughlin’s assessment of Nassib at rookie minicamp, courtesy of Dave Hutchinson at The Star Ledger:

I think probably one of the things that continues to grow on you is the way the quarterback is. He responded to a new system — first time ever and was showing some ability to lead in the huddle and the huddle pays attention to him. The offensive line seems to have responded pretty well to him.

With the starter entrenched and the depth chart heading toward a clear conclusion, evaluating Manning’s 2012 season makes sense at this point–especially as an indicator of future trends and ways to improve performance at the quarterback position in 2013.

Manning had an uneven 2012 season when you compare it to his production the previous three seasons.

On the negative side, he failed to throw for 4,000 yards for the first time since 2008 and broke a streak of four consecutive seasons where he completed at least 60 percent of his passes. Also, his 26 passing touchdowns was his lowest output in this category in four years.

Conversely, Manning was less error-prone in 2012. He had only 15 interceptions, the third-lowest 16-game season total of his career (he had nine interceptions in nine games in his rookie season). He also fumbled a mere four times, the fewest in his career, excluding his rookie campaign.

A game-to-game analysis, though, shows that, despite a better overall capacity to protect the ball, Manning’s season was ultimately a disappointment due to wild inconsistency.

His highs were in the clouds as he amassed 18 of his 26 touchdowns in five games. However, that means he only had eight touchdowns in the other 11 games and he compounded this lack of scoring by throwing nine interceptions in these games as well.

Manning also put together a terrible three-game stretch in the middle of the season that helped catapult Big Blue into another second-half swoon. From Week 8 through Week 10, Eli failed to throw a touchdown against four interceptions and he only averaged 177 yards passing per game.

Now that we’ve looked at the big picture, lets break down Manning’s performance in specific aspects of the position.

The nine-year veteran was phenomenal at avoiding sacks behind an average pass-blocking offensive line. He was corralled only 19 times, which was the lowest total in the NFL for a quarterback with a minimum of 400 dropbacks (number of times dropping back to pass).

This was the second time in three seasons he was sacked less than 20 times.

What is especially impressive about this league-leading performance is that only left tackle Will Beatty had a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking rating higher than 3.0. In fact, David Diehl, Kevin Boothe and David Baas all had negative ratings.

Manning’s elusiveness in the pocket and quick release were the main reasons why he avoided sacks, not above-average offensive line play.

Carelessness, unfortunately, also played a part.

Manning threw eight interceptions when he was deemed “under pressure” by Pro Football Focus. This was tied for the second highest total in the league with Philip Rivers and Andrew Luck. It seems that Eli would have thrown a few less interceptions if he had taken a few more sacks.

A big reason why the Giants won the Super Bowl two years ago was their ability to make plays down the field and in the passing game. In 2012, their downfield passing attack was less emphasized and also not as effective.

In 2011, Manning attempted 109 passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air. He completed 43 of these passes, despite eight drops, for 1,490 yards and 12 TDs.

Last season, his attempts on this specific type of pass fell to 68. He completed only 27 of them, while incurring six less drops then the year before, for 1,014 yards and eight TDs. Simply put, plays like this didn’t occur as much in 2012 compared to 2011.

Finally, a hidden bright spot in Manning’s game last season could be further exploited in 2013.

Play action passing was not a big part of the Giants offensive attack in 2012. Manning only attempted 79 play action passes, a low number compared to the rest of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL (for example, Peyton Manning tied for the lead-league in this category with Christian Ponder with 156 Play action pass attempts).

Despite the low attempts, Eli was tremendous on play action, throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions. He was the only quarterback with at least 68 play action pass attempts to not throw a pick.

Given this success, and the fact that the Giants running game was respectable, averaging 116.4 yards per game on 4.6 yards per carry, it is surprising they didn’t try to exploit this weapon more often.

Expect Coughlin and Kevin Glibride to go to school on these stats, if they haven’t done so already, which should translate into more play action pass attempts in 2013.

All advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

If you want more, follow Tamer's tweets at Follow @TamerC_BR

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Damontre Moore Could Buck Trend and Play a Big Role as a Rookie with the Giants

Brad Gagnon — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:33:10 -0400

Watch New York Giants rookie defensive end Damontre Moore on tape and you'll find it hard to believe the former SEC standout at Texas A&M dropped into the third round of last month's NFL draft.

Moore, who was at one point projected by many to be a first-round pick, saw his draft stock slide this spring because teams wondered about his commitment in practices and his work ethic in general. He may have had 21 sacks, five forced fumbles and 39 tackles for loss during his final 24 games with the Aggies, but embarrassed himself at the combine and couldn't run due to injury at his pro day, and as a result he fell into New York's lap in Round 3.

Oh, and a 2011 arrest on charges of marijuana possession didn't help his cause.

But extremely early signs indicate that the Giants might have wound up with a steal, with Moore possessing the ability to replace the departed Osi Umenyiora for years to come. If he can stay focused and continue to produce on game days despite the transition from Saturday to Sunday, superhero pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul could have his edge-rushing sidekick.

"That wasn't one of my strong fortes," Moore said Friday regarding his preparation and practice mentality, according to the New York Daily News. "But I'm here to work and I'm trying to make my weakness my strong point."

I can't imagine there's a better place to make that happen than in the Giants dressing room. This is a veteran team with good influences outnumbering bad influences by a wide margin. Coughlin commands respect and requires discipline from his men. It's the kind of no-nonsense atmosphere that serves to rehabilitate football troublemakers while squashing egos.

Just ask Michael Strahan, who didn't get along with Coughlin at first but who eventually was tamed by the man in charge.

"I know it's time to get to work," Moore said Friday, "so I'm ready to come in and listen to him."

Good start.

Now, a first-team All-SEC defender has added motivation to succeed and is in the perfect environment to do so.

Since Coughlin took over in 2004, only two Giants have started more than eight games as rookies (Chris Snee in '04 and Aaron Ross in 2007). But with Umenyiora gone and 30-year-old Justin Tuck a question mark after putting up just nine sacks the last two seasons, there's an opportunity for Moore to play an unusually large role from the get-go in 2013.

It hurts that he's only 20 after coming out early, but it helps that Moore can also rush the passer standing up. That's something Moore did during his first two years at College Station, and it means he can be used in the joker rule we've seen Mathias Kiwanuka play the last few years. The linebacking corps is New York's thinnest area, so there's even a chance Moore gets reps back there this year.

"Our coaches are excited to use him in different ways," Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross said after drafting Moore, per the Newark Star-Ledger. "You've seen some of our guys do that hybrid role. He has a skill set to do a little bit of both."

How quickly can he do it? That all depends on how well he practices between now and Week 1. Moore might have to bulk up and prove that he has the frame and the explosiveness to succeed in this league, but his focus right now has to be on proving that he has the right mentality.

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New York Giants Players Feeling the Most Pressure Heading into Camp

Kevin Boilard — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:24:17 -0400

A swollen version of the New York Giants’ 2013 roster will take the field for training camp at the Timex Performance Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, later this summer. With a limited amount of roster spots to claim, many Giants will already be feeling the heat on day one of camp.

The Giants have specific areas of play in which they must improve, and several key players who have kept the team competitive have since departed. For the players expected to pick up the slack, hiding from the heightened media scrutiny of training camp will not be easy.

This slideshow will highlight the Giants players feeling the most pressure when training camp begins on July 26.

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5 Reasons Why the New York Giants' LB Situation Is Not OK

Scott Carasik — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:06 -0400

The New York Giants have one of the worst current linebacker corps in the entire NFL. And that's being nice about it. They have some solid talent, but it's all either unproven or out of position.

There are seven reasons why the Giants' linebacker situation is just not ready for the 2013 season. Follow along as we reveal all five of the issues within the 2013 Giants group.

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5 New York Giants Poised for a Breakout Campaign in 2013

Pete Schauer — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:15:00 -0400

After a down season in 2012 that saw the New York Giants miss the postseason after winning the Super Bowl the previous season, the G-Men need multiple players to have breakout campaigns in 2013.

We're all looking for the Giants' defense to improve upon its 31st-ranked total defense from last year and help Big Blue secure a playoff seed, but in order for that to happen, there are a number of players who need to break out and make those feats possible for New York.

Who am I talking about?

Scroll on through, folks.

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The Syracuse Connection Hits Giants' Rookie Minicamp

Bleacher Report Productions — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:33:46 -0400

They both grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, about an hour away from each other. They both attended Syracuse and spent countless times in the huddle together and spent hours off the field as friends.

For quarterback Ryan Nassib, the NFL draft ended up being disappointing. For his Syracuse teammate, Justin Pugh, the draft was just the way he played it out in his dreams.

Pugh was the 19th overall player taken in the draft. Nassib, who many projected to be a first-rounder, dropped to the fourth round.

Unexpectedly, they both ended up playing for the New York Giants, and they'll both find themselves in different competitions.

Nassib will be battling veteran David Carr as Eli Manning's top backup. Justin Pugh will be competing against 11-year vet Dave Diehl for the starting right tackle position.

Both Pugh and Nassib spent their first weekend at the New York Giants' rookie minicamp.

Check out the video above to see how they responded to putting on the Giants helmet for the first time and hitting the field as pros.

Let us know in the comments below if you think the Giants had a good 2013 NFL draft.

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How Does Aaron Curry Fit with the New York Giants Defense?

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:38:26 -0400

Aaron Curry is a former top-five overall pick who's still scratching and clawing to live up to his draft expectations heading into his fifth professional season on his third team.

In short, he's been a bust to start his career.

But the linebacker-needy New York Giants decided the athletic, yet underwhelming Curry was worth the risk—a rather low one at that—after he was released by the Oakland Raiders this offseason.

With an open competition at a few of the linebacker positions, the former Wake Forest star, who dealt with knee injuries during the 2012 campaign, has a legitimate shot to carve out a niche on the G-Men's defense.

How does Curry fit in?

Giants Depth Chart

According to the highly respected OurLads.com, a site that updates the depth charts of NFL teams, Curry is listed as the Giants' backup strong-side linebacker behind Keith Rivers—another defender who's looking to revitalize his similarly disappointing career.

Free-agent acquisition Dan Connor is penciled in as the middle linebacker, and the young but productive Jacquian Williams is slotted at weak-side linebacker.

Behind Curry at SLB is Etienne Sabino, an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State who struggled during his stay in Columbus despite being a prized high school recruit.

Though Mark Herzlich is listed as Connor's backup in the middle, he has some experience on the strong side, so he could provide more competition for Curry.

At the very least, Curry will be given a fantastic opportunity to win a backup role behind Rivers.

With the variety of four- and five-receiver spread formations surfacing in the NFL, there is less of a concrete distinction at the three traditional 4-3 linebacker positions. But Curry was drafted to be the more aggressive, downhill strong-side linebacker; that's where he played in Seattle with the Seahawks and in Oakland with the Raiders.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Bleacher Report's NFC West Lead Blogger Tyson Langland wrote the following to me about Curry via Twitter:

Curry's an able and willing run defender. His pass-rush skills need a lot of work. Lacks initial burst off-the snap. He’s actually above average in coverage for short periods of time. He has elite size and strength, but his ultimate demise has been his knees. I think if he could have stayed healthy he would have turned into a takeo spikes type.

Curry is only 27, and if his knees are indeed fully recovered, he could rediscover some of the quick-twitch athleticism that vaulted him so high in the 2009 draft.

Remember, though, he appeared in only two games for the Raiders last season.

The Giants' defensive scheme relies heavily on the disruptive nature of their defensive line—a unit that collectively regressed in 2012. However, when Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Co. are playing well, New York's linebackers are provided tremendous freedom to make plays near the line of scrimmage.

The likes of Antonio Pierce, Michael Boley, Mathias Kiwanuka and Chase Blackburn were never considered elite linebackers, but the Giants always got considerable production out of them playing behind an assortment of talent on the defensive line.

While he was clearly inconsistent in Seattle and Oakland, Curry can be effective with the proper talent around him.

Here's a screen play he blew up against the San Diego Chargers in 2011. At the snap, Curry took a moment to decipher the direction of the play:

But when he recognized the screen to Ryan Mathews, he quickly sifted through traffic and executed a form tackle which resulted in a one-yard loss:

Nice work.

Conclusion

It's difficult to say that Rivers is distinctly better than Curry at this point, as the two have similar skill sets and have dealt with comparable struggles at the NFL level.

If his knees are recuperated, and if the Giants' defensive line returns to its typical form in 2013, Perry Fewell can tap into all of Curry's potential as an attacking outside linebacker who plays on run downs and occasionally drifts into coverage.

Will he emerge as a Pro Bowler in New York?

Probably not.

But we've seen mediocre-to-slightly-above-average linebackers produce with the G-Men over last five years, and Curry could be next in line to do so.

Follow @ChrisTrapasso

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The 5 Biggest Takeaways from New York Giants Rookie Camp

Steven Goldstein — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:55:32 -0400

Two days. That's all it took to get scrutinized first-round draftee Justin Pugh into the fold up front. That's all it took to get hyped about the upside of Damontre Moore. Two days have the Giants' rookies already involved in a bounce-back 2013.

Despite its brevity, Giants rookie camp provided a swarm of highlights and exciting moments. Two-a-day sessions were held Friday and Saturday, with a group of undrafted free agents invited to try out as well.

Check out the five biggest takeaways from camp this weekend, starting with Pugh's first reps in Big Blue.

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