Giants: 5 Defensive Weapons Steve Spagnuolo Would Love to Have in New York
The offensive skill positions get all the love.
A go-to receiver, a workhorse running back or even a game-changing tight end is considered a weapon. Last season, the New York Giants had one in rookie wideout Odell Beckham Jr., and that smoothed over Ben McAdoo's first season as the team's offensive coordinator.
Now, Steve Spagnuolo should be afforded the same luxury in his second stint as New York's defensive coordinator.
There are a few options Spagnuolo may already have his eye on, both in free agency and in the draft. Based on his past experience with the Giants, we can make educated guesses as to the potential defensive weapons on his radar.
In the slides ahead, see which players Spags is likely pining for in 2015.
1. DE Jason Pierre-Paul (In-House Free Agent)
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Spagnuolo must have been watching the Giants longingly during his final season in St. Louis. While his Rams went 2-14, New York's Jason Pierre-Paul was taking over the league as he led the Giants back to the Super Bowl.
Spags could only wonder what he would have done if only he had a weapon like that on his roster.
Wonder no longer, so long as New York finds a way to retain Pierre-Paul. The mutual interest exists for the defensive end to become a "Giant For Life," according to a December report from Bob Glauber from Newsday and another from Connor Orr of NFL.com.
Making him the team's franchise defender is now just a matter of dollars and cents.
The injury risk is there, but it has to be one Spagnuolo's dying to take. Forget the back and shoulder concerns for a moment and try to imagine a hulking defense rebuilt around a healthy, disruptive Pierre-Paul (6'5", 278 lbs). The franchise tag could make this a $15 million gamble, but the maximum payout would be a Super Bowl run and another All-Pro bid for JPP.
With Pierre-Paul more than two years removed from back surgery come this fall, the odds are in New York's favor.
2. DL/LB Pernell McPhee (Outside Free Agent)
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Spagnuolo's going to want a veteran who can be effective from multiple positions. He used to have this defender in Mathias Kiwanuka, but the soon-to-be 32-year-old is probably not the player Spags remembers.
The Giants can update this dream by reeling in Pernell McPhee, who is expected to hit free agency after four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. McPhee won't come cheap, but the price tag is justified when the product can play multiple positions.
Last season, McPhee played mostly outside linebacker on both sides of Baltimore's 3-4 base defense. However, the former fifth-rounder out of Mississippi State was versatile enough to step in and play defensive end and even nose tackle when needed.
"I think you can put Pernell anywhere and he's going to get pressure," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun last October. McPhee managed to collect 7.5 sacks in 2014, and Spags should be well-aware of his impact since he last coached for the Ravens.
With players like Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and Elvis Dumervil layering Baltimore's defense, McPhee enjoyed few opportunities to start (only six career starts, all in 2012). If the Giants can acquire him in free agency, though, Spagnuolo should have no trouble finding a use for the thick 280-pounder somewhere in New York's starting lineup.
3. S Da'Norris Searcy (Outside Free Agent)
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When talking about defensive weapons, pass-rushers always come to mind. They are more attackers than they are responders, and the disruption they cause can be the difference between a serviceable unit and one that is feared.
That's not to say, however, that defensive backs can't serve as weaponry as well.
The Giants, who could lose Antrel Rolle, Stevie Brown and Quintin Demps to free agency next month, can replenish the safety position a bit by signing Da'Norris Searcy, assuming he reaches the open market. The Buffalo Bills have already committed quite a bit of cap space to Aaron Williams, and Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings has documented the team's reluctance to tie up more money in the safety position.
Searcy didn't become a regular starter until a season-and-a-half ago. Since then, he has become a useful—but not crucial—cog in Buffalo's defense. If the team brings Searcy to New York, Spagnuolo would need to maximize the safety's potential for him to be considered a true weapon.
History shows that growth is possible. In 2013, Searcy was used a lot as a strategic blitzer, snagging 3.5 sacks. He was a difference-maker, returning an interception and a fumble for touchdowns that year. Then, in 2014, he upped the ante by picking off three passes and forcing a fumble.
The only concern when it comes to Searcy is his affinity for playing close to the line of scrimmage. What the Giants really need is someone who can be a center fielder for them. Searcy has done it, but it's definitely not his specialty.
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4. LB/S Shaq Thompson (Draft Prospect)
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Where is Shaq Thompson's best fit as a professional?
NFL executives, including Giants general manager Jerry Reese, are trying to solve that question right now. Thompson worked out as a linebacker, one of the positions he played at Washington, at the NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend. While Thompson projects to play the weak side in a 4-3 base defense, Tom Rock of Newsday reports that he's open to the idea of playing strong safety.
A testament to his intrigue, Reese referred to Thompson as a "Swiss Army Knife kind of guy," according to Dan Salamone of Giants.com. (Now might be a good time to note that Thompson also played running back in college.)
Spagnuolo should have a vested interest in a project like Thompson. He has the versatility to be tested in several roles, and the defensive coordinator could look like a genius by finding the perfect way to utilize his athleticism.
Once Spags finds the best fit, he'll need Thompson to build the frame to match. If he is, in fact, an outside linebacker, he'll benefit from packing on a few more pounds than the 228 he currently carries. Otherwise, Thompson will forever be a 'tweener, wasted athleticism trapped inside a body that fits nowhere.
It will be Spagnuolo's job to be decisive and stay on top of this development if New York drafts this Husky.
5. DE/LB Vic Beasley (Draft Prospect)
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If Vic Beasley wasn't on Spagnuolo's radar before this weekend, he certainly is now. The former Clemson Tiger destroyed the competition at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Although he played outside linebacker in college and projects to do that in a 3-4 base defense as a pro, Beasley is classified as what's become known an "edge" defender. All that means is this guy knows how to rush the passer—no nonsense.
Beasley can still be valuable to a team that runs a 4-3 base. At defensive end, Beasley (6'3", 246 lbs) could be Spagnuolo's Osi Umenyiora, a slender, unabashed QB chaser with a penchant for the game-changing play. Spags loves him some strip-sack.
But Beasley has the potential to be so much more than Umenyiora ever was for the Giants. It wasn't just his speedy, 4.53-second 40-yard dash and his explosive, 130" broad jump that blew scouts away; it was also his insane 35 reps on the bench press.
Those numbers should get Spagnuolo's mind racing; they already have for one anonymous NFC East scout.
"I know everyone will have him pegged as a 3-4 edge guy," the scout told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, "but I think 4-3 defenses would be crazy not to consider him as a WILL or SAM who can bump down as an edge-rusher in third downs. Denver does it with Von Miller, so why not consider it?"
Might Beasley be the Giants' pick at No. 9 overall?
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