Forecasting the Future of 7 Key New York Giants
In less than three weeks, the disastrous 2014 New York Giants season will be over—and not a moment too soon either.
For as disappointing of a season as this has been to warrant a complete overhaul—and that will include several coaches as part of the cleanup—there are enough bright spots on the roster to form a foundation for 2015 and beyond.
This list looks at the valued pieces of the puzzle who must be protected at all costs when the dynamite is detonated and what prospective roles these individual pieces might have starting next year.
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
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In the “no-brainer” category, receiver Odell Beckham Jr. officially needs to be designated the team’s No. 1 receiver.
Seriously, each week this receiver unveils a new talent that sticks a dagger in the heart of the opponent, be it making amazing one-handed receptions, showing off a pretty good arm or just mixing things up with the opponent when it tries to push him around out there.
The scary thing is that Beckham’s hamstring, which earlier in the season had people wondering if he would ever amount to anything as a rookie, can only get better with a full offseason of rest.
The thought of what Beckham—who has six consecutive games with 90 or more receiving yards—can do at 100 percent is a tantalizing one.
Even if defenses do find a way to shut Beckham down, if Victor Cruz can come back and be effective, it’s going to be fun to watch defenses try to figure out which of Beckham and Cruz to double cover.
OL Weston Richburg
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If there is a silver lining to a season of struggles for Weston Richburg, the Giants’ second-round draft pick this year, it’s that he gained some valuable experience which is only going to serve him well in the future.
Starting all but one game to date—he was benched against the Dallas Cowboys but ended up playing that game anyway when injuries hit the offensive line—Richburg has had more downs than up, particularly in run blocking, where his lack of NFL strength has been apparent in his inability to dominate in the pit.
Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Richburg has a minus-13.6 grade overall (the third-worst overall grade on the Giants offense), and he also has a minus-8.2 run-blocking grade.
The thing to remember about Richburg is that he played out of position due to preseason injuries suffered by the projected starting guards, Chris Snee (now retired) and Geoff Schwartz.
That the coaches thought enough of Richburg to start him ahead of veterans such as Dallas Reynolds and Brandon Mosley despite the lack of NFL experience speaks well of Richburg’s abilities.
However, Richburg probably won’t really start to scratch his potential until he gets a solid offseason in the weight-training program and is moved to his natural center position.
Given the play of center J.D. Walton, whose minus-14.9 PFF grade indicates that he has struggled even more so than Richburg, a swap at center involving Richburg for Walton seems like one of the biggest no-brainers in 2015.
TE Adrien Robinson
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No, do not adjust your computer screen. That is indeed Adrien Robinson, the “JPP of tight ends,” listed as a player who should have a key role with the Giants moving forward.
Why Robinson? Because it finally looks as though, after three long years, he could be getting it.
Last week, Robinson was given 13 snaps in his first career starting assignment, per PFF, primarily as a blocking tight end.
Very quietly, Robinson delivered some of the better blocks seen from the position all season.
For as good as Larry Donnell has been as a receiver, his run blocking has lacked bite.
If the Giants’ 21st-ranked rushing hopes to continue its rise up the rankings, it needs to have a consistent run-blocking tight end.
It might not be known if Robinson can contribute in the passing game, but last week’s performance—yes, it was against an inferior opponent, but the technique and results were solid—offered some very encouraging signs of what the 6’4”, 264-pound Robinson might be able to contribute to the offense in 2015.
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OL Justin Pugh
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After an impressive rookie season, it has been an up-and-down sophomore year for right tackle Justin Pugh.
A gritty blue-collar type whose work ethic and demeanor reminds one of a young David Diehl, Pugh battled an elbow injury for which he wore a brace during the earlier part of the year. He also recently missed two games due to a quad strain.
The question moving forward regarding Pugh is what exactly his best position is. Per B/R’s Ryan McCrystal, that position might be guard.
"Pugh is a guard/tackle 'tweener due to his physical tools. At first glance, the 6'5" Pugh appears to have the length to play tackle, but his 32" arms raise some doubts.
By comparison, the 6'2" Chance Warmack has arms that measured 34.75" in length. Only three offensive linemen at the combine had arms as short or shorter than Pugh's, and all three are considered interior linemen.
As an interior lineman, however, Pugh's athleticism will be considered an asset.
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It’s still early, but it isn’t completely out of the question to see a revamped 2015 Giants offensive line featuring Will Beatty at left tackle, Pugh at left guard, Weston Richburg at center, Geoff Schwartz at right guard and a player to be named later at right tackle.
LB Devon Kennard
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In Devon Kennard the Giants might have finally struck gold not just in the middle-to-late rounds of the draft, but also at linebacker, where they really haven’t had success drafting for the position.
According to Michael Eisen of the Giants' official website, Kennard’s four sacks over two games (two per game) make him the first Giants defensive rookie to accomplish that feat since defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, 2010.
Kennard is also the first Giants linebacker with back-to-back multi-sack games since Jessie Armstead on Oct. 3-10, 1999.
Not bad company, right?
Moving forward, Kennard should be part of the starting linebacker unit. The question is, where will the Giants have him play?
The most logical landing spot for Kennard, currently a strong-side linebacker, is in the middle, a spot that he hasn’t really worked at much this year.
If the coaches move Kennard there next year, that would come at the expense of Jon Beason, the highly talented defensive leader who has struggled with lower-body injuries since the 2011 season.
Remember, Jacquian Williams, currently dealing with a concussion, is in his contract year this season. While he is athletically gifted, Williams hasn’t really made as many impact plays and is not a lock to be re-signed.
So where does Kennard fit into the starting lineup if next year the Giants go with him, Jon Beason and Jameel McClain? Kennard’s best fit would probably be in the middle, with Beason moving to the weak side.
RB Andre Williams
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In an ideal scenario, the Giants probably would have liked for Rashad Jennings to be the bell cow while Andre Williams slowly worked himself into the mix.
That didn’t pan out, largely due to the injuries suffered by Jennings that forced Williams into taking on a larger role sooner than he was probably ready to do so.
To his credit, Williams has been doing a better job of late, which begs the question: Given that Jennings has yet to make it through an entire NFL season, might it be a better idea to divide the snaps at running back more evenly between him and Williams?
This is what the Giants did when they had Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs until one distinguished himself as the “hot hand” in a game.
Such an arrangement might be able to work again for the Giants—and above all, keep both running backs fresh for what is usually a long season.
DE Damontre Moore
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Up until two games ago, the highest number of snaps that second-year defensive end Damontre Moore received, per PFF, was 25.
Thanks to the season-ending injuries to defensive ends Robert Ayers Jr. and Mathias Kiwanuka, Moore has seen his snap counts increase, albeit with mixed results.
That is because, according to defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, Moore still isn’t quite where he needs to be to play the run and hence be an every-down defensive lineman.
"He's a better pass defender than a run defender," Fewell told reporters last week. “We’d like for him to play the run stouter than he plays it right now."
What’s interesting about Moore is that at 6’5”, the same listed height as Jason Pierre-Paul, he is only listed at 250 pounds to Pierre-Paul’s 278, making the second-year defensive end seem a little light for a run-defending defensive end.
When I asked Moore about that last week, he said, “It’s not the size of the dog; it’s the fight in the dog. It’s about the will and want-to and I feel like my will and want-to will crush anyone else out there.”
The coaches apparently disagree, and the fact that PFF has Moore at a minus-0.7 run grade would seem to support that opinion.
So what does the future hold for Moore? Last offseason he had shoulder surgery which cut into his offseason training time, perhaps even keeping him from gaining the 15 pounds of muscle that he identified as an offseason goal to Conor Orr, then with The Star-Ledger.
Assuming Moore doesn’t need any surgeries this offseason, he should be able to add as much muscle as necessary to improve his anchor against the run and ultimately become more of an every-down defensive end.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and The SportsXchange. All quotes and information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.
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