4 New York Giants Who Will Struggle in 2012

The party is over for the defending Super Bowl champions and the preseason preparations are soon to be underway.

The Giants' roster hasn't seen dramatic changes on either side of the ball and the core starters remain essentially the same.  They lost Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham but bolstered their depth with the addition of linebacker Keith Rivers and a much-needed tight end in Martellus Bennett.

However, New York is bound to have some players have an off year after a wildly successful hot streak led them to their fourth Super Bowl ring.  Let's take a look at four players on the New York Giants who may struggle next year.

1. Terrell Thomas, CB

Thomas was a very solid cornerback for the Giants before he tore his ACL in the preseason last year.  He accumulated five interceptions in 2010 to go with 101 tackles and four forced fumbles.  The Giants gave Thomas a four-year extension during the offseason before he hit the free-agent market.  

However, his recent injury is why it will be hard for the 27-year-old back to rebound into his true form.  Thomas struggled with injuries in his rookie season when he was constantly hampered by them, causing him to miss four games.

The departure of Aaron Ross means that Thomas may have to step up to a larger role behind Corey Webster as the No. 2 cornerback.  If he isn't fully healthy and back at 100 percent by the first part of the season, he may end up losing his job to young cornerback and recent first-rounder Prince Amukamara.

2. Victor Cruz, WR

The salsa-dancing sensation of last year may be in for a slump this upcoming season.

Cruz caught 82 passes for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season last year, but his numbers hit a steep decline in the postseason when teams started figuring him out and putting tighter coverage on him.  

He posted just 269 yards and a touchdown in four regular-season games.  This small sample may just be insight into what teams are going to be doing to him next year.  With a lot of the defense's focus being on Hakeem Nicks last season, it's possible they might zero in on Cruz more due to his big-play threat.

Unless Cruz can find a way to continue to dance around tackles and defenders, I foresee a drop-off for him next season when he starts facing tighter coverage.

3. Osi Umenyiora, DE

Last summer, Umenyiora wanted out of New York and the Giants were willing to grant his wish.  However, a high asking price from New York did not draw any fitting deals, so Umenyiora suited up and played another season for the G-Men.  

Fellow defensive end Justin Tuck was struck by lingering injuries last season, which allowed Umenyiora to see time in the starting lineup alongside breakout star Jason Pierre-Paul, and together they formed a fearsome tandem. 

Umenyiora compiled nine sacks and 25 tackles last year and added three-and-a-half more sacks in the postseason.  With Pierre-Paul now the clear No. 1 on the line and Justin Tuck back and healthy, Umenyiora may be looking to skip town again if he wants a larger role.  If he does stay with New York, he will be on the bench, playing limited snaps, which could make him want out more than ever.

At 30, he doesn't have a whole lot of career left and he may struggle to produce in his role off of the bench.

4. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB

Bradshaw was responsible for one of the most awkward game-winning touchdowns in Super Bowl history, but he is still a fine running back nonetheless. 

However, the departure of Bradshaw's partner in crime, Brandon Jacobs, may affect Bradshaw the most.  The power-speed combo gave Bradshaw a nice edge when playing against defenses that Jacobs wore down with his brutal power running.  Even though Jacobs had lost a step in the past couple years, he was still a power back, and it gave good variety to the Giants' run game.

Now that the variety is gone and Bradshaw has no power backs behind him, his speed is less effective against defenses that will now not have to deal with a multifaceted attack from the Giants.  This is all on top of his injuries last season that cost him four games.  

Unless the Giants find a nice backup halfback in the draft this year to play behind Bradshaw, we may see his numbers go down.