Last year was a horror show for Eli Manning. He threw for 3,818 yards, averaged 6.9 yards per completion and 238.6 yards per game – his worst performance in those categories since 2008. His 18 touchdowns were the fewest he’s thrown since his rookie year, and he tossed a career-worst 27 interceptions. He comes into this season off ankle surgery and is toward the end of his prime at 33 years old. He’ll be learning a new system this year for the first time since 2007 as new OC Ben McAdoo will bring the West Coast Offense east. To top it off he gets the opposite of a vote of confidence when owner John Mara keeps saying things like “nothing ever changes” when asked about Eli’s interception problems. Manning comes into this season with something to prove to say the least.
Running the ball is an area the G-Men made a concerted effort to improve upon in the offseason. They signed Rashad Jennings from the Raiders and used a fourth-round pick on Andre Williams out of Boston College. Jennings has a career average of 4.3 yards per rush and 7.7 yards per reception, and is expected to be the No. 1 back. Williams was the leading rusher in the nation in 2013, however scouts say he can’t catch a cold. Nonetheless he should be able to develop into a nice rotation runner; look for him on the goal line this year. The biggest variable at RB is the returning David Wilson who missed the last 11 games of 2013 due to fusion surgery on a disk in his neck. If he can return to his 2012 production level – when he averaged 5 yards per carry and racked up over 1,500 kick return yards as a rookie – the Giant backfield will be a force to be reckoned with this year.
Not having a safety valve at the TE position was certainly a contributing factor in Eli’s nightmare season. That will almost assuredly be a problem again. It’s anyone’s guess as to who will start or even be in the rotation, but the available options are underwhelming to say the least. Daniel Fells got cut by the Pats and spent 2013 watching from his couch like the rest of us. Adrien Robinson ballooned to 290 lbs. in the offseason and got rewarded with the No. 5 spot on the depth chart by Head Coach Tom Coughlin. Kellen Davis is a blocker, Larry Donnell is a special teamer, and Xavier Grimble has a really cool name.
The Giants lost Hakeem Nicks but considering his attitude last year I doubt anyone in the Tri-State Area cares. With Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle, LSU first-round pick Odell Beckham, Jerrel Jernigan, and the reacquired Mario Manningham – Eli has oodles of excellent targets.
Big Blue revamped their atrocious O-line by wishing David Diehl, Kevin Boothe, and David Bass good luck with their future endeavors. The question is: How much did they really improve? New additions Geoff Schwartz from K.C. and John Jerry from Miami are average guards, and center J.D. Walton has played four games in the last two years. The Giants will surely be hoping second-round pick Weston Richburg out of Colorado St. can make an immediate impact.
On the D-line Jonathan Hankins has been turning heads in camp. He looks to be the most improved Giant defender and a possible candidate for a break-out year. Cullen Jenkins is going to be used at DE and DT this year in a similar role to that of the departed Justin Tuck. Add solid rotation tackle Mike Patterson and the Giants shouldn’t feel the loss of Linval Joseph or Tuck much at all. That is of course if Jason Pierre-Paul can return to form. He showed up to camp in superb condition and has vowed to “shut up” anyone who doesn’t understand the pain he has played through over the last year and a half.*
The Giants got some great news when they were informed that MLB Jon Beason’s foot injury won’t require surgery. The news got better as Beason is ahead of schedule on his recovery and it now seems he won’t miss much game time at all. The Giants don’t have much depth at LB but if Beason is healthy and newly acquired former Raven Jameel McClain can play his best position at the Will, it should make for a pretty stout front-7.
The G-Men picked up Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Denver and now have an excellent No. 1 CB to shadow their opponents No. 1 WR. They also signed Walter Thurmond III from Seattle and picked up the option on Prince Amukamara’s contract. Add them in with safeties Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown and all of a sudden the Giants appear to have a stellar secondary.
VERDICT: One playoff appearance in five years is not what Giant fans are used to, so the front office went out and spent over $100 million in the offseason to revamp the team. They should be much-improved and in the hunt for January football. If they miss the postseason again, heads will roll (here’s lookin’ at you Tom and Eli.)
*Ebenezer Samuel, “NY Giants Training Camp Preview: Five issues for Big Blue in 2014,” New York Daily News, July 19, 2014.
Article By: Anthony Schiano
