Reassessing New York Giants' Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What's Left to Add
The New York Giants’ 2015 offseason has been active but not quite as exciting in terms of a roster overhaul as some believed might have been necessary following a 6-10 season.
Unlike 2014, when the Giants signed 15 free agents from other teams because general manager Jerry Reese felt the roster had aged and needed to be turned over, this year, the Giants signed seven free agents from other teams.
In looking at the path the Giants took, they used free agency mostly to upgrade depth at certain positions—more on that in a moment.
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Still appearing to be missing, though, are starters at key positions such as the offensive line, defensive end and free safety.
Are these starters currently on the roster? Will there be a late free-agency signing, or will the draft yield a new piece of the foundation?
Let’s run down what has been done and what remains to be done—and how the Giants are likely to accomplish what's left to be done before opening day.
Who’s Going
Before free agency even began, the Giants purged two starters from last year’s team—center J.D. Walton and defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka—both of whom had high salary-cap numbers for 2015.
At center, it’s expected that Weston Richburg will move into that spot. Meanwhile, the picture at defensive end is still unclear—more on that in a moment.
Other key losses via free agency include safety Antrel Rolle (Chicago Bears) and slot cornerback Walter Thurmond (Philadelphia Eagles).
The Giants appear to have candidates to fill both vacancies. Nat Berhe, who was one of two fifth-round Giants draft picks last year, is projected to be the early favorite to succeed Rolle as the strong safety, though Berhe told me that he could play either safety position.
At the slot cornerback spot, Trumaine McBride, who spent part of last season on injured reserve with a hand injury, will probably be the favorite going into camp.
Who’s Coming
Reese is usually tight-lipped regarding what the team’s thought process is when it comes to personnel moves.
However, he did admit that the team would be looking to find a receiving threat out of the backfield to replace running back David Wilson, who was forced to retire because of spinal concerns.
The Giants found that replacement in Shane Vereen, formerly of the New England Patriots. According to Pro Football Focus’ signature stats, Vereen led all Patriots running backs with 53 receptions on 72 pass targets.
In addition to his pass-receiving skills, Vereen tied with former Patriots teammate Jonas Gray for creating the most missed tackles (12) beyond the point of help received from his blockers. Vereen also led the Patriots running backs with an average of 8.4 yards per reception and 7.4 average yards after the catch.
Vereen can also run the ball. He is averaging 4.2 yards per carry in his career and has just one fumble when rushing the ball.
Given the durability issues the Giants have had with their running backs, Vereen is insurance in case either Rashad Jennings or Andre Williams has to miss any time.
Rounding out the offensive side of the ball, the Giants added tackle Marshall Newhouse, who is projected to be the swing tackle, and receiver Dwayne Harris, who thus far is known more for his return skills than his receiving skills.
Harris, who told Tom Rock of Newsday that he hopes to contribute as a receiver, received the richest contract of the incoming free agents signed.
Per Over the Cap, Harris’s five-year deal includes $7.1 million in guaranteed money, an amount that would appear to suggest that the team plans to use him more than just a half-dozen times a game as a return specialist.
Sure enough, that is what head coach Tom Coughlin confirmed would be the case to Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media, telling Powell that Harris’ role could evolve into something similar to the one previously held by former receiver David Tyree.
Moving to the defensive side of the ball, the Giants swapped out linebackers Jacquian Williams, their starting weak-side linebacker last season, and Spencer Paysinger, a depth and special teams player, for J.T. Thomas of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jonathan Casillas of New England.
Thomas, who started 10 games for the Jaguars last season, is projected to replace Williams as the weak-side starter, a position he last played in 2013.
Casillas, who, per Pro Football Focus, was a solid special teams player for the Patriots last year, will likely factor into several sub-packages against the pass.
The additions of Thomas and Casillas, both of whom are smaller linebackers who can run, could yield a clue into how defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo plans to deploy his linebackers.
Former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce told me that having guys who can run should help with some of the underneath stuff that gave the Giants trouble last year.
New York added two defensive linemen to the roster.
The first is former Jets defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis, a big-bodied man who is projected to play the role of a space-eating run defender who takes on multiple blocks, the role Shaun Rogers once held.
Last season, the Giants run defense finished 30th in the NFL, a sticking point in Coughlin’s craw and a top priority to get fixed this offseason.
They also added defensive end George Selvie, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, and a former college teammate of Jason Pierre-Paul’s. Selvie has 10.0 sacks over the last two seasons, including a career-high 7.0 sacks last year.
While it’s too soon to say for certain if he’ll replace Kiwanuka as the starter opposite of Pierre-Paul, Selvie figures to have a nice-sized role in that defensive line rotation Spagnuolo is likely to deploy.
Who’s Staying
The Giants re-signed seven of their own free agents from last year’s team—they franchised defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, but he has not yet put his name on a new contract; once he signs he’ll become the eighth returning Giants free agent.
With the exception of fullback Henry Hynoski, a starter, every other re-signed Giants free agent is primarily a depth player, including offensive lineman John Jerry, who—while having started at right guard for the Giants last year—is probably going to be more of a depth player this year than he is a starter.
Other notable players the Giants re-signed include tight end Daniel Fells, who, per Pro Football Focus, was the Giants’ highest-graded tight end, and linebacker Mark Herzlich, who had his best season as a pro last year, logging career highs in tackles, sacks and passes defensed after starting a career-high eight games at outside linebacker.
The Injury Situation and Its Potential Impact
For the second straight season, the Giants, who, per Spotrac, placed 20 players on injured reserve last year, led the league in that category.
That startling count served as an encore to the 2013 season, one in which Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News published a study that showed the Giants had 91 games lost by starters due to injuries.
This year, the Giants have crossed everything from their fingers to their toes to their eyes that they do not end up as the most injured team for a third straight season.
The good news is that most of the Giants who finished on injured reserve last year should be good to go for 2015. While some might be limited or not even active in the spring, really the only player who has a significant question mark hanging over his head is receiver Victor Cruz.
Cruz continues to target training camp; to show he is serious, he has been sharing pictures and videos of his rehab and progress.
While there is optimism among the team’s brass that Cruz will meet that goal, Coughlin told Dan Graziano of ESPN that the team isn’t about to rush Cruz back.
"We're not going to just throw him to the wind,” Coughlin said. “He'll work his way through. But I hope that would be the target."
If Cruz isn’t ready, the Giants' top three receivers could end up being Odell Beckham Jr., Rueben Randle and whoever shines from a group that right now has Harris, Corey Washington, Kevin Ogletree, Marcus Harris and Preston Parker.
Another player who should be ready to go but who is a question mark as far as making it through a 16-game season given his recent injury history is middle linebacker Jon Beason.
Beason, a three-time Pro Bowl inside linebacker, has played in just 24 games since 2011 thanks to numerous lower-body injuries that have seen him make three trips to the injured reserve list in the last four seasons.
If Beason is due to snap his string of bad luck concerning his health, the 2015 season would be the time for him to have it.
With Antrel Rolle, a defensive co-captain, gone and the team about to install a new defense, the Giants need Beason’s leadership and football intelligence more than ever before, both on the field and in the locker room.
Addressing the Remaining Needs
With the Giants having put more of a focus on upgrading their depth on the defensive line, the offensive line, linebacker, running back and receiver, let’s look at top three remaining needs.
Free Safety
The most likely scenario for the Giants at free safety is that they will re-sign Stevie Brown after the draft, when veteran free-agent signings and losses don’t affect the formula used to determine compensatory picks for the following year.
Brown probably isn’t the long-term answer, but he can certainly help hold down the fort while a draft pick—Damarious Randall (Arizona State), Cody Prewitt (Ole Miss) and Derron Smith (Fresno State) are all possibilities—learns the ropes.
Offensive Line
The big question the Giants need to answer before they go into the draft is where they think incumbent starting right tackle Justin Pugh’s best position is.
Let’s assume the coaches prefer Pugh at guard, which would probably make drafting a tackle a strong Day 1 likelihood.
Some Day 1 prospects who could draw consideration include Iowa’s Brandon Scherff (assuming the Giants view him as a tackle), Andrus Peat (Stanford), Ereck Flowers (Miami) and La’el Collins (LSU).
Might the Giants be open to trading down a few spots if they think they can get an offensive tackle a little later in the draft and pick up an extra draft pick in the process?
It’s certainly possible, as, according to CBS Sports’ Rob Rang, the Miami Dolphins have reportedly made inquiries of the teams drafting in the first through 10th spots regarding what their respective asking prices are for the Dolphins to move from No. 14 overall into the top 10.
Regardless of what happens, it would be surprising if the Giants don’t draft an offensive lineman at some point with their first three picks.
Defensive Line
Will the Giants draft a defensive end, where the only players under contract beyond this season are Damontre Moore and Kerry Wynn?
Or will the Giants instead look to renovate the depth inside where Cullen Jenkins, Markus Kuhn and Ellis are all set to be unrestricted free agents after this year?
The answer will depend on how the Giants view the draft prospects and if they view them as better fits for a 3-4 or the 4-3 defense they run.
The answer will also depend on how they view the long-term futures of Moore and Wynn. If the coaches believe both players can be solid contributors with a legitimate chance to compete for a starting job, the need for a defensive end might not be as pressing to warrant spending a first- or second-round pick.
Conclusion
Although the overall roster picture is a little clearer following the bulk of free agency having played out, there is still a lot more work to be done by Reese and his staff, who need to get solid producers out of this year’s draft class.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes, stats and other information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.
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