Giants 2009: Some Things Old, Some Things New

                As the Giants held their most inclusive off-season workout yet at their new practice facility yesterday, an optimistic picture of the upcoming season was painted.

                Quarterback Eli Manning was in the unusual position of having most of his offense on hand prior to the start of training camp, while Defensive End Osi Umenyiora took the field with the team for the first time since suffering a season ending knee injury and having surgery last summer.

                The Giants’ offense has made significant steps to add depth and fill the void left by parting with Plaxico Burress by drafting rookie wide-outs Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, as well as Tight End Travis Beckum.

                While acquiring Burress’ relative equivalent in size and physicality with the towering Barden and the powerful Nicks, and giving Manning a decent receiving TE option with Beckum; the fact that a sizeable portion of the offense is going into the season with no experience is the elephant in the 100-yard-dome.

                On the rushing front, the breakup of the “Earth, Wind & Fire,” trio that occurred when Derrick Ward signed with the Buccaneers was addressed with forth-round draft pick Andre Brown, who’ll likely battle it out with Danny Ware for carries.

                Meanwhile, taking the reins after the departure of Steve Spagnuolo; Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan has stated his desire to leave the things mostly unchanged on his end.  Besides plugging in additions like the promising C.C. Brown, he appears to be only looking only to ‘streamline’ the D in terms of play-calling. 

To that end, he’ll hopefully not have to make the make the kind of on-the-spot alterations Spagnuolo had to do last year when he re-adjusted Mathias Kiwanuka back to DE after starting out with the intention of him playing as the starting strongside Linebacker.

The Giants are coming off a strong season, and may end up only facing a challenge from Philadelphia in the NFC East.  With that, their aim seems to be to merely integrate the new parts as best they can. With regard to the old saying, they’re choosing to merely tinker, rather than fix, a makeup far from broken.