Personnel Decisions the New York Giants Need to Consider
When it comes to personnel moves, hindsight is 20/20, a lesson the New York Giants, in particular, are finding out this season.
While it’s too late to get a mulligan on gaffes such as cutting receiver James Jones in favor of Preston Parker, here is a list of three decisions that could potentially help the Giants moving forward.
Send WR Victor Cruz to Temporary Injured Reserve
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By now everyone knows the story with receiver Victor Cruz and his balky calf. The Giants, for whatever the reason, have been stubborn in insisting Cruz’s injury is not of the long-term variety; thus, they have resisted using the short-term injured reserve designation on him.
The problem is Cruz’s calf continues to keep him off the field.
In his press briefing with reporters on Thursday, head coach Tom Coughlin said the receiver is not yet cleared to go, though we should note that Cruz has at least been out on the field working off to the side under the watchful eye of a trainer.
“He still has a little bit of an injury there,” Coughlin said.
If Cruz still has “a little bit of an injury,” it’s time to consider using the temporary injured reserve tag on him (which, unlike in baseball, is not retroactive).
By continuing to carry Cruz, the Giants are, in essence, working with a 52-man roster. Sooner than later, they are going to find themselves in a pickle as far as having to find roster spots when they really need them, such as when offensive tackle Will Beatty is ready to come off the PUP list.
Cruz is fast becoming a luxury New York just might not be able to continue to carry, especially as injuries eat into various positions.
A good example is the linebacker unit, which this week lists four of the seven players at the position on the injury report: Jon Beason, Uani 'Unga, Jonathan Casillas and Devon Kennard.
Kennard should be good to go; however, with hamstring injuries, the Giants are no doubt holding their breath that if he does indeed suit up Sunday that he doesn’t come out of the game so sore he needs to rest again.
'Unga should also be good to go given the degree of confidence he expressed when he spoke to reporters Thursday.
Beason? Sadly, the handwriting is on the wall for the Giants defensive co-captain, who with each passing day looks like he’ll be a long shot to be on this roster in 2016.
Casillas? This is the second time he’s had to deal with a neck issue. While he’s been able to do some work in practice, the Giants have drawn the line at putting him at risk for any contact, which is perplexing since his job involves contact.
Getting back to Cruz, it could be just a matter of time before the Giants’ hand is forced and they put him on the temporary injured reserve list. It’s just surprising they didn’t do it sooner.
Cut Ties with Defensive End Jason Pierre-Paul
Yes, the pass rush is non-existent. And no, it’s not wise to cast aside a 26-year-old pass-rusher in his prime just for the heck of it.
In Jason Pierre-Paul’s case, an already strange story seems to be getting even stranger, thanks to some excellent details provided by Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, who dropped the following information nugget:
"The first thing you need to know is that there's not a lot of trust between Pierre-Paul and the Giants at the present time. This isn't a new development. Pierre-Paul didn't like the way the Giants handled his back injury in 2013, and he felt he didn't get enough credit for rushing back in time to start the season and playing through pain.
This is part of the reason he didn't want the Giants' training and medical staff involved in his recovery immediately following the July fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger and part of the reason he turned team trainer Ronnie Barnes away from his hospital room.
"
If Pierre-Paul doesn’t trust the Giants, how exactly are the two sides expected to collaborate, let alone coexist, on any kind of long-term deal moving forward?
The lack of trust combined with the continued concern regarding the condition of Pierre-Paul’s right hand seems to point to the ultimate conclusion that he might very well have played his last down as a member of the team.
The Giants have likely kept the franchise tag on the table because they were of the opinion that they didn't need the money, plus to yank it after Pierre-Paul's accident and subsequent treatment of the team would have made an organization renowned for taking care of its own regardless of the situation look bad.
With that said, it would not be a surprise if with each installment of the $14.8 million initially set aside for Pierre-Paul rebated weekly, the Giants pursue a pass-rusher via free agency this coming offseason.
Revamp the Running Backs
This last decision is more geared toward next year, but it could well be worth considering.
The Giants right now have an abundance of talent at the running back spot with Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, Shane Vereen and Orleans Darkwa, along with fullback Nikita Whitlock.
Like last year’s offensive line, there are legitimate questions as to whether the Giants currently have their running backs in the right spots.
Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and Coach Coughlin seem to be firmly committed to using the “by committee” approach with their running game.
That’s all well and good, but the idea behind using a committee is to have guys with different skill sets who can make the group well-rounded.
The problem is that in Jennings and Williams, the Giants seem to have two running backs who are nearly identical as far as their running styles go.
The main difference is the 30-year-old Jennings is the better receiver of the two. Also, with Williams, Coughlin admitted that the second-year player needs to get more carries to be effective.
“I do think that, quite frankly, Williams probably needs more carries,” he said. “But under the present system, it’s something that we have to deal with.”
If Williams isn’t going to get more carries in the present setup, a system that makes a heavy use of three wides, then it might behoove the Giants to rethink the second-year running back’s role moving forward.
So why not consider having Williams, listed at 5’11”, 230 pounds, add just a little bit more bulk in the offseason and move him to fullback?
At fullback, Williams would give the Giants the option to hand the ball off to him and, if he can improve his pass-receiving abilities, maybe catch a pass or two out of the backfield.
What about Whitlock, the current fullback? He is still trying to learn the fullback position, but it’s clear to anyone who watches him that he’s much more comfortable playing on the defensive side of the ball.
So why not move him to that side permanently, where he can continue to participate in spot duty as a defensive tackle and perhaps add to his repertoire as an inside linebacker—where his size and skill set might be better put to good use?
Such a move could help the running game because whenever the Giants trot the fullback onto the field these days, teams almost never worry about defending the spot as a potential ball-carrier or receiver.
If Williams were to make the switch, his skill set might just change the way opponents defend the Giants running game moving forward.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.
Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.
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