5 Key Players Returning from Injury That the NY Giants Must Have Healthy in 2015
Memo to the NFL injury powers-that-be: When it comes to injuries, the New York Giants have cried, “Uncle!”
As they should, especially after two consecutive seasons in which the Giants were, according to Football Outsiders, the team most affected by injuries.
If the Giants hope to end their three-year playoff drought, they need to keep everyone as healthy as possible on the roster.
It would also help things tremendously if they can get these five players who missed games thanks to injuries last year back as close as possible to 100 percent health—and keep them that way throughout the 2015 season.
WR Victor Cruz
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How badly do the Giants need a healthy Victor Cruz in the lineup this year?
Before Odell Beckham Jr. came along in 2014, Cruz, in 2013, was the only true and consistent receiving threat the Giants had thanks to the departure of tight end Martellus Bennett and the injuries suffered by Hakeem Nicks.
Because of that, opposing defenses doubled up on Cruz, minimizing the impact he had on the game.
For proof of that, let’s look at three stats from his 2011 season, when he had a healthy Mario Manningham and Nicks around, compared to 2013, when Cruz pretty much had to go at it alone.
Per Pro Football Focus, from 2011 to 2013, Cruz saw his average yards after the catch drop from 6.4 to 3.6, his touchdowns drop from 10 to four and his average yards per reception drop from 17.5 to 13.7 in 2013.
With opposing defensive coordinators now having had an entire winter to cook up plans to try to minimize the impact Beckham has shown he can have on a game, it would help if a healthy Cruz also looked like his old self in order to discourage opposing defensive coordinators from clamping down on Beckham.
OL Geoff Schwartz
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On paper, the Giants’ two-year offensive line renovation project is complete thanks to the addition of rookie Ereck Flowers.
While the coaches continue to keep people guessing as to who will play where, one player whose return to the starting offensive line lineup is vital is Geoff Schwartz.
Schwartz, one of the Giants’ top free-agent acquisitions last offseason, was initially penciled in to play left guard.
However, when incumbent Chris Snee, whom the team hoped would squeeze in one more year at right guard, retired early in training camp, the Giants coaching staff decided to leave Schwartz at left guard.
That was a curious decision considering he had played so well the previous year at right guard, where his 15.6 overall grade at Pro Football Focus put him as the league’s ninth-best guard and its fourth-best right guard among those who took at least 25 percent of their team’s snaps that year.
Anyway, before suffering a toe injury that landed him on the temporary injured reserve list, Schwartz’s move to left guard was a little rough. Per Pro Football Focus, he finished with a minus-2.6 overall grade in four games, including a minus-2.0 grade as a run-blocker.
When he returned to the starting lineup, albeit briefly as an ankle injury ended his season, Schwartz was inserted at right tackle, where he seemed much more comfortable. In 93 snaps, he allowed one sack and five quarterback hurries and finished with a 3.9 overall grade and a 4.0 run-blocking grade.
The Giants are no doubt hoping that last year’s injury-filled season was an aberration for Schwartz, who prior to 2014 had only one other shortened season, that being in 2012 when he played in 13 games for the Minnesota Vikings.
If Schwartz isn’t ready to go, that likely means John Jerry, who was re-signed this offseason, would have to step in again as the starting right guard. While he was a rock as far as durability last season, his minus-16.4 run-blocking grade wasn’t reassuring.
LB Jon Beason
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By now, linebacker Jon Beason’s lower-body injury history is well-known.
Beginning with the 2011 season, the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker has yet to appear in a full 16-game season and has, in fact, only played in 24 of the 64 regular-season games his teams have played over that period.
Despite not having Beason for 12 games last season, the Giants decided to give him another chance after he agreed to a salary reduction that slashed his original $3.6 million 2015 base salary down to $1.9 million, perhaps with the hope that they’ll get the same player they got in 2013 when they made a rare in-season trade for Beason from the Carolina Panthers.
That year, he finished with 93 tackles for the Giants and 104 tackles overall for the season, including the 11 he recorded prior to his trade from the Panthers.
Last season, former defensive coordinator Perry Fewell lamented the loss of Beason from the lineup, equating the loss of Beason to losing the starting quarterback.
Therein lies a big reason why the Giants need Beason on the field for all 16 games this year.
With a new defense being installed by Fewell’s successor, Steve Spagnuolo, Beason has the intelligence and the personality to get his teammates lined up, to engage in that “chess battle” as Spagnuolo recently referred to it and to be a difference-maker.
The only question is whether his body will hold up. History doesn’t favor the odds, but Beason, who didn’t get to where he did by taking shortcuts, told reporters at the end of last year that he realizes that he can’t do things the way he used to:
"You come in as a young guy, you don’t know anything. You are just kind of beating your head against the wall going as hard as you can, as often as you can. ... If you are going to play at a high level, often you have to be in the best shape, in my opinion. There is fine line between in the best shape and over training. With the injuries I have had, I have to definitely modify what I do.
"
The question is, did he follow through on his words and was it enough to allow him to get ready for his ninth NFL season while also playing at a high level?
The Giants are hoping that he did.
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CB Prince Amukamara
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Cornerback Prince Amukamara’s situation is interesting.
The 25-year-old corner and 2011 first-round draft pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him $6.893 million, according to Over the Cap.
That’s not bad for a player who, in four seasons, has only made it through one full campaign in 2013.
The potential has always been there.
Last year before his season was cut short due to a biceps injury, Amukamara had the 10th-best NFL rating (58.2) among cornerbacks who had taken at least 25 percent of their team’s defensive snaps through Week 9 of the season.
What also needs to be noted is that Amukamara was targeted just five more times than Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who played on the other side.
Amukamara had the better of the NFL ratings in coverage (58.2 to Rodgers-Cromartie’s 88.8); this was due in part to Amukamara allowing no touchdowns (Rodgers-Cromartie allowed three) and picking off three passes (Rodgers-Cromartie had one) in those first nine weeks.
Stats aside, again, the concern is keeping Amukamara on the field for 16 games.
When he last spoke to the media back in late April, he estimated that he was about 90 percent recovered from his biceps injury, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
That’s the good news obviously, but what remains to be seen is how quickly it takes for Amukamara to regain his full strength—it’s not known just how much he had to modify his strength training during his injury recovery—and his range of motion.
For everyone's sake, let’s hope it’s soon and that Amukamara doesn’t have to skip any of the spring workouts while the new defense is being installed.
RB Rashad Jennings
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Last season, the Giants’ rushing game had its share of struggles, finishing 22nd in the league with a 100.2 yards-per-game average.
While part of the blame for the running game’s struggles was on the offensive line, which Football Outsiders ranked 20th in run blocking, it probably didn’t help matters when starting running back Rashad Jennings had to miss five games due to knee and ankle injuries.
His absence forced the Giants to go with rookie Andre Williams, who also had his share of struggles in the beginning.
With no clear-cut third option—the Giants tried Peyton Hillis, Michael Cox and Orleans Darkwa as the third running back—the rushing game didn’t have much of a chance last year.
What did the Giants miss when they were without Jennings? Per Pro Football Focus, his yards-per-carry average (3.8) and average yards after contact (2.2) all topped Williams, though to be fair, Williams, who started out slowly, did pick up some steam in the latter part of the season.
This year, things should be different.
The Giants added Shane Vereen to the mix, but the key for New York is getting Jennings through his first 16-game season as a pro. He, Williams and Vereen all bring something unique to the table to where this running game behind the improved offensive line can be something special.
Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise specified.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise sourced.
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