The New York Giants front office and upper management have a lot of work to do this off-season. Management can either reconstruct or revitalize the current roster. I’m quite sure General Manager Jerry Reese is already hard at work. Pending the current CBA talks and a possible lockout, certain issues will arise. What I respect about the Giants management is that they do a fine job of preparing. Preparation has been the cornerstone of the Giants success throughout their history. The tradition and practice won’t cease this off-season. I carefully analyzed the roster and the challenges ahead for Big Blue and came up with a few recommendations.
Bring back Ahmad Bradshaw! This will be one of the most important re-signings the Giants will conduct in the coming months. I understand that he has put the ball on the ground during critical times and in critical games. However, the upside is whats important. Given Bradshaw’s work ethic and commitment to excellence, he will address the issue and solve the problem. Keep in mind, he is also young and durable. Ahmad will only get better and in my view he is already a franchise running back.
The verdict is still out on Brandon Jacobs. However, I believe retaining him will be an important insurance policy down the line. Remember, all NFL teams, have dream teams on paper. We must remember that injuries are what bring us back to reality. Depth is more important in this league than a featured lineup. Some have suggested releasing Danny Ware. I’m not so sure, I’ve seen a lot from him in the limited capacity he was used. In case of an injury to a starter, he could provide depth at RB and prove to be a gem for the G-men.
WR Steve Smith and TE Kevin Boss are also a concern. I respect Kevin Boss but Steve Smith is more of a priority in needing to be re-signed. Smith is the best possession receiver in the game. Boss has value but you can create packages for his loss. The Giants coaching staff did a fine job at putting TE Bear Pascoe in as a blocking tight end and using Beckum in the slot. It has worked and with time and repetition it will only get better.
We now have DE Mathias Kiwanuka and LB Keith Bullock to look at. Kiwanuka has more stock than Bullock because of youth and versatility. However, Kiwanuka’s stock value has dropped because of the neck injury. I would still let Bullock go instead of Kiwanuka because he hasn’t shown me any reason why the team should retain him. He looked confused at times in the defense and much too slow in coverage. Mathias has more value, period. A one year contract would be a safe and wise bet to determine his future as a Giant. I wouldn’t give up on LB Clint Sintim. I have a sixth sense about his potential in the defense and think they should give him another chance.
The signing of DT Barry Cofield is a must. Cofield’s production this season has been stellar. Big Blue’s front four is the bread and butter of the defense, so they need to maintain the core of the defense. This signing is just as important as Steve Smith and Ahmad Bradshaw in my opinion. I think there is a project in progress with DT Linval Joseph and it might take a while. As for the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft, we need to take a cornerback in the first round and offensive tackle in the second. OL Will Beatty has potential but still needs work and the team needs protection at his position.
“Heaven Yeah”
Andrew G – nygreporter.com
nygreporter.com 
Hey Andrew, good stuff buddy. I think the team will trim some of the dead weight this offseason too. I completely agree with you about bringing back Cofield. He has become one of my favorite players and I would hate to see the team bust up that front four chemistry on defense.
Kevin Boss has a lot of fans questioning his abilities this off season as well. It’s not that they dislike him but rather they feel he has been banged up way too much and may be a different player now. It will be fun to see what direction the team decides to take.
Good points raised. I also believe bringing Deion Grant back is crucial for this defense. Grant was, in my view, one of the best players in our defense and we need him. As for Kevin Boss, I don’t see why not bring him back, as he is a solid TE, good blocker, good receiver, practices hard, plays hard, and never complains about anything.
On the draft needs, I would still rather see the Giants get a LB at the first round. Maybe someone like Akin Ayers from UCLA, and then go and get a FA, maybe Paul Posluszny of the Bills or David Harris from the Jets. I’m just sick of bad LB play in this team. We need an impact player at that position, I think an impact LB is what’s keeping the Giants defense from becoming an unstapable force like the Steelers’ D.
I agree we need o-linemen drafted too, and would get one at the 2nd round as well. As for Ahmad Bradshaw, I don’t know how durable he is. The guy has had surgery in both his feet and one ankle. He has potential to be great, even with the fumbles, but I don’t know how long his body will last.
Re-signing Steve Smith is MUST. The guy is a beast and Eli tends to get a little lost without him. This trio of Giants WRs has the talent to become a perennial force on our offense.
Hey Saulo, good to hear from you buddy. How is traveling the world going for you? I hope your doing well as always. That is a huge point about re-signing Deon Grant. I had no idea how important he would be when I first heard of his signing but I like the way he plays and he has earned my respect. I also agree with all of the other important signing mentioned in this article and still say we will draft a OL/Center or LB in round one but fans are starting to convince me about grabbing a true cover cornerback on day one.
PS – we eclipsed 20,000 all time views for nygreporter yesterday!!
@Rob@Padua! Thank you all for your brilliant commentary! We do have several needs with O-Line/LB & also Corner. I strongly believe if we can get a qualtiy corner or LB with the 19th Pick! We should grab a decent player that come in right away and contribute!
What’s going on Andrew? I agree with you buddy about the 19th pick. I normally do a needs assessment for the 18 teams in front of us to try and figure out which positions are being drafted first. This way if there were more LB’s drafted then CB’s, I would predict a CB to be taken and vice versa. Better to have a 2nd ranked CB then a 6th ranked LB you know what I mean? God Bless!
Mighty useful. Make no mistake, I appraeicte it.
Thanks very much Kylia. Enjoy the weekend and God Bless!
Go Giants!