Ranking the NY Giants' Biggest Needs Heading into the Offseason
The 2011 season and the spoils that came with watching the New York Giants came only four years ago.
However, given how things have evolved since then, it feels like an eternity, as once again, the Giants are headed for an early exit and a long, cold offseason that is sure to begin change at the coaching level, if not higher.
Lest this all be pinned on the head coach, the roster is headed for a massive overhaul as well.
Although there are needs from top to bottom on both sides of the ball, it would be unrealistic to think the team can address every single need in one offseason, regardless of the amount of cap space the Giants will have.
As the Giants brass will soon sit down and identify the squad's biggest needs at each position, I’ve gone ahead and ranked these in order of importance.
Because the final free-agent list isn’t set in stone, it’s difficult to match a prospective talent to a need—that’s an exercise for another day.
With that said, let’s count down the needs.
5. Wide Receiver
1 of 5
Sunday night showed Giants nation what life without Odell Beckham Jr. could be like.
I don’t know about you, but I never want to go back there any time soon.
The reality, though, is that injuries are going to happen—it’s rare that a player enjoys an injury-free stint like Eli Manning or former Washington linebacker London Fletcher.
Of course, if the Giants have another playmaking receiver to help take the burden off Beckham, that might—repeat, might—make things a little easier to swallow if the unthinkable should happen.
Right now, the Giants don’t have that second guy. Rueben Randle has proved without a doubt that he's not consistent, and he is likely about to finish his Giants career as another failed draft pick taken in the first three rounds.
Hakeem Nicks? Great to have him back, but his inability to separate from defenders on Sunday night is a big reason why, when I kept getting questions about him possibly returning, I was lukewarm on the idea.
Dwayne Harris? Maybe as a fourth receiver because, let’s face it, he’s helped rejuvenate a special teams unit that was awful for years.
Victor Cruz? It will be two years since he last played—can he ever be the same again? Moreover, will he have another setback the next time he takes the field?
Geremy Davis? The coaching staff might know what it has in him based on the practices, but what good is that going to do a new coaching staff, if there is one?
The Giants have Beckham and a group of pedestrian receiver types, and while players like Davis and Ben Edwards have shown potential in the preseason, this is a position that needs to be among the top ones the team addresses.
4. Linebacker
2 of 5
Much like the receiving corps after Beckham, the Giants have a pedestrian group at linebacker.
There’s Mark Herzlich and Uani ‘Unga, who are both better suited for special teams.
There is Jasper Brinkley, who has been solid in the middle, but he will be 31 on his next birthday.
There is J.T. Thomas and Jonathan Casillas, both of whom had mixed (and injury-filled) seasons in their first years as Giants.
Speaking of injuries, Jon Beason and Devon Kennard are perhaps the two most talented linebackers this team has but also two of the most oft-injured linebackers.
What should the Giants do regarding what they have versus what they need at this position? First, get a young stud in the middle to learn under Brinkley (assuming Brinkley re-signs).
Beason, unfortunately, seems to be done physically, and while it would be nice to have him around as a coach and mentor, it’s not going to happen at his 2016 cap figure of $6,566,668.
Kennard? There have been some who opine that a move to the middle might be in his future, but doing so would cause New York to lose what he brings to the edge.
If the Giants don’t want to spend on linebackers—and they’ve proved they are reluctant to go crazy at the position—then how about moving Landon Collins to the position?
Collins showed the other night against the Vikings that he’s far more effective down in the box than he is in coverage.
Whatever the case, they need an infusion of healthy talent at that position that they really haven’t had since the days of Antonio Pierce and friends.
3. Cornerback
3 of 5
On paper, the situation at cornerback seems clear-cut if the squad re-signs Prince Amukamara to team up again with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
In reality, it’s probably not that easy. First, Amukamara, who has made it through one 16-game season in his career, will hit free agency if New York doesn't re-sign him before then.
Should the Giants pay him like a top cornerback, especially considering he hasn’t looked the same since returning from a partially torn pectoral, or should they let him walk?
Even if they do re-sign Amukamara, what about the depth behind him and Rodgers-Cromartie?
Trevin Wade looks like a keeper, but Jayron Hosley, the third-round draft pick from 2012, has been a healthy scratch the last two weeks, which doesn’t bode well for his future.
Trumaine McBride also doesn’t have a future here after Wade passed him on the depth chart.
That’s a lot of question marks for a position that’s so important and has seen injuries strike down one or more starters at least once per season over the last few years.
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2. Defensive End
4 of 5
Maybe once Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand heals properly and he no longer needs that protective club, he can once again be the Pierre-Paul of old.
The question is, do the Giants want to be patient with the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent and franchise him again?
The answer, on the surface at least, is to see if they can get a contract done and save the franchise tag for another use.
There are two reasons for this.
First, if the team replaces the coaching staff, a new system will be implemented. Do the Giants really want to go through the same drill as last offseason where Pierre-Paul stayed away from the team with the initial intention of not signing his franchise tender until the latest possible date?
Second, unless the Giants’ medical team has a firm estimate in mind as to when that hand is going to be fully healed, it doesn’t pay to tie up big bucks in what has essentially been a one-handed pass-rusher.
Now, let’s look at the other defensive ends.
Kerry Wynn is a run-stopper, pure and simple.
Robert Ayers has stepped up as the team’s best pass-rusher, but he’s going to be 31 on his next birthday and could potentially be seeking big money based on the season he had this year.
The Giants still don’t know what they have in Owa Odighizuwa, who spent most of this year injured, and they’ll probably move on from George Selvie.
The bottom line is the Giants need a pass rush—they saw what this year was like without having a consistent pass rush, and it was as ugly as the offense not having a healthy Beckham Jr.
They cannot ignore this position—not if they want to upgrade the defense.
1. Safety
5 of 5
If you stayed up late to watch the debacle on Sunday night, you should no longer have any doubt about the glaring need at safety.
Let’s assume, just for a minute, that whoever is coaching here next year agrees that a move from safety to linebacker is in Collins’ future. That would then leave the Giants with no proven players at safety.
Sure, they have some young talent in Nat Berhe, Mykkele Thompson and Bennett Jackson, all of whom got long looks in the spring and summer.
However, all three are coming off injuries that make them a bit of a risk. It probably would behoove the Giants to bring in a veteran at this position—specifically someone who can excel in coverage.
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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