A Look at the Giants Heading into 2008

This off-season saw many changes to the Giants roster mostly in terms of cutting players rather then adding them. They did end up picking up some quality talent in the draft. The younger players from last years draft should mature nicely and fill in some holes left by the departure of veterans.

So lets take a look at defense first, since that has been the key issue heading into the off-season, especially the secondary. The Giants selected Aaron Ross of Texas A & M and it is hoped he will be able to contribute immediately. Sam Madison, even at 33 years of age can still play at least one more season. Corey Webster was shaky last year but showed some improvement. Will Demps needs to get cut as soon as possible because the man can't make a tackle or cover. Gibril Wilson is solid and the most intriguing of the group. He has shown great promise through out his career but does have lapses in coverage. He also had a bad neck injury in the end of his rookie year. R.W McQuarters is nothing more then a nickel back at best although he was one of the best performers in the secondary last year. Kevin Dockery might have a real nice find as he came undrafted out of Mississippi State. Overall, this secondary should be sufficient heading into next season and the Giants will live and die with it.

The linebackers have been a problem for two years and the position is still a mess. Steve Spagnuolo did a great job with the Eagles line backing corps so it is hoped he can work well with this group.Antonio Pierce is in the middle, but who is going to start on the strong side? Lavar Arrington was released so that left a gigantic hole on that side. Right now it appears to be an open competition. The Giants drafted Zak DeOssie in the 4th round and Gerris Wilkerson last year and it should be interesting to see if either of them develop into anything. The Giants are also moving Mathias Kiwanuka, last years 1st round draft pick, to linebacker and that should be an interesting experiment to watch. He has the tools to play linebacker and may be better suited there then at defensive end. Kawika Mitchell, the one year one million dollar signing from the Chiefs will battle it out with the younger guys on the weak side. Overall, there is reason to be optimistic about the group but the last two years have been frustrating with injuries and poor play. Chase Blackburn may surprise people so watch out for him.

The defensive line looks like it's be solid, Osi Umenyora and Michael Strahan are Pro-Bowl players at the end spots. The defensive tackle position is filled with nice young talent and Fred Robbins surprised a lot of people with stellar play last year. Jay Alford was picked in the 3rd round this year and Barry Coefield was picked in the third round last year and Coefield did a good job starting every game last year. The line looks very solid this year.

Firing Tim Lewis was a good decision on the Giants part and Spagnuolo was a gutsy hire by the front office. Signing the division rivals linebacker coach as your defensive coordinator means the Giants thought very highly of the Eagles blitzing package and the work he did with the linebackers over there. It should be interesting to see how it works out. This really is a wait and see thing with the whole defense as a lot of young players are in the mix and there is also a new coordinator.

The offense took a huge blow at running back with the loss of Tiki Barber, a player with hall of fame caliber talent. A player that won games for the team and placed the team up on his shoulders when they needed him most. Brian Dawkins of the Eagles called him a warrior and he was giving it 110% every Sunday. There is absolutely no way to replace him but of course life goes on after Tiki Barber. Reuben Droughns was an absolute steal for Tim Carter, a player who was often injured and when he wasn't, rarely made plays. Brandon Jacobs is an absolute monster of a back and has the potential for a break out season. The big question is, is he durable and can he take the pounding of a whole season? Is he injury prone? We won't know if he is until he plays a full season as the starter. Droughns is the insurance policy and a pretty good one at that.

Eli Manning and his play will be determined a lot by the running game and if his play action passes can be effective. He has the tools at his disposal to be more successful then last year. His passing mechanics need to improve and he needs to settle down in the pocket at times but he looks like he's going to have some success in this league. He comes under fire and is criticized way too often. Anthony Wright will probably never see the field but he is an interesting pick up and Jared Lorenzen is a monster and a very interesting prospect especially in short yardage situations.

Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer make for a very solid 1-2 punch however, Toomer is getting older and older every year and is coming off a bad knee injury. The Giants drafted Steve Smith of USC in the second round and he is a very exciting pick and Sinorice Moss hopefully will see the field more this year and remains an intriguing prospect. Burress came back to work with Eli Manning in the voluntary program.

Jeremy Shockey the Giants Pro-Bowl tight end, stayed in Miami, and is back at the position next year. What can you really say about Shockey? He's Jeremy Shockey and he plays like an animal every Sunday. The Giants drafted Kevin Boss and he should be a good blocker in double tight end sets.

The offensive line is still looking solid even with the loss of Luke Petitgout, David Diehl will likely be moved to left tackle with Rich Seubert playing guard. Petitgout was an injury concern and that is why he was released. Bob Whitfield retired and will not be missed with his personal fouls and false starts. Kareem McKenzie, Chris Snee, Shaun O'Hara and Seubert are all solid blockers. Diehl will be an experiment like Kiwanuka, that hopefully pans out. The Giants drafted Adam Coats in the 6th round and have Guy Whimper from the 6th round last year.

The Giants lost Jay Feely at kicker on the special teams, and it is uncertain whether Feagles will come back for another year or not. The Giants currently have two kickers on the roster, Marc Hickok and Josh Huston. It remains to be seen whether they will battle it out or if the Giants will sign a veteran kicker. Aaron Ross was a stellar punt returner in college and could wind up returning kicks and punts along with Sinorice Moss. The Giants have Pro-Bowler David Tyree covering kicks and Zak Deossie can also be a long snapper.

The Giants season will depend on the play of the younger players. The front office elected to go with younger players instead of high priced free agent veterans. A lot will depend on whether Diehl and Kiwanuka can play out of position and how much the younger players can contribute immediately. The Giants could contend for a championship or end up at the bottom of the division this year. It should be a very interesting season to watch to say the least.

Sources:
http://www.giants.com