Giants needs
While some people say the Giants need a wide receiver since the Giants have no #3 (Tim Carter didn’t produce much in that role and who knows what happened to Jamaar Taylor or why David Tyree continues to excel on special teams but not at the third wideout spot) I think the Giants have three clear needs.
The two immediate needs are on defense (sure a receiver would be nice, but the Giants offens put up impressive numbers and averaged something like 26 points/game). Outside linebacker and defensive back.
Emmons, Pierce, and Griesen or Torbor, Pierce, and Emmons were effective combinations. However Emmons is getting old and Griesen is a free agent. I actually like Griesen and would be satisfied with Torbor or Emmons, Pierce, and Griesen or Barret Green (if he ever gets healthy).
The wildcard with Griesen is how much money he wants vs. how much it’ll cost to upgrade. San Francisco’s Julian Peterson is the best free agent outside linebacker, but he made $5.289 million this year. Plus the 49ers’ might franchise him again this off-season. If Carolina’s Will Witherspoon, a weak-side linebacker, became available I’d rather pay a bit extra for him and part ways with Griesen.
In my opinion, you never want to rely on the draft to find your starter at any position. Look how long it took Robert Gallery to develop and he was the “surest pick” of his draft. However there are some exciting linebackers available in the draft: A.J. Hawk and Iowa’s Chad Greenway will be off the board by time the Giants pick. However, Hawk’s teammate, Bobby Carpenter, might be available. I’d have no problem drafting him to compete for a starting spot. As long as we don’t need him to be a starter.
Then with defensive backs, Brent Alexander is really getting old. Can James Butler take over? Who knows? What I do know is that we should have a plan B in case he can’t.
Corner is by far the most pressing need in my opinion. Webster looks good for next season: “Webster, I think, came back up a little bit at the end of the year, which gives us a real good fit there,” said Coughlin. However since Coughlin put Terrell Buckley in at nickel over Deloatch one wonders if Deloatch will be joining Frank Walker (wherever he is).
That leaves Will Peterson, whose back makes him huge question mark and Will Allen whose looming free agency makes him a huge question mark. The best potential free agent is Buffalo’s Nate Clements, but he is going to be expensive. The Jets’ Ty Law and the Dolphins’ Sam Madison are likely/possible salary-cap cuts. Also not likely to come cheap.
To get a cheap corner you ahve to draft a corner. Virginia Tech’s Jimmy Williams is considered the 2006 draft’s best corner, but he’ll be long gone by time the Giants pick. Clemson’s Tye Hill, Ohio State’s Ashton Yoboudy, and Penn State’s Alan Zemaitis might be available. I like Alan Zemaitis as a cornerback but say you draft him. Now your corners are Webster (promising but unproven), Peterson ? Deloatch ?, Walker?, and a late first round pick. I don’t like it when you need your draft picks to start, so clearly a free agent corner is in order here. If he’s not too expensive Will Allen showed me enough this year to be resigned.
January 14th, 2006 at 5:34 am
I agree with just about every thing you say except for the idea of bring Allen back. I say let him walk! He can’t cover the big time receivers and he can’t seem to takle worth a damn. I do agree that conerback is a big need. Also we need depth at linebackers. Emmons could give us another good year and I think Greisen should be resigned. The one player that they should really start to think about replacing is Luke Petitgout. When he is fully healthy, he cost the team in yards and sacks. He seems to weak to be a LT. That is to important of a spot to be weak and slow. Just my thoughts on the matter.
January 17th, 2006 at 3:30 am
I don’t think the Giants will miss much if they don’t bring Will Allen back. I wouldn’t mind if they go out and pay big bucks to bring in a top notch corner from the free agent market.
February 14th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
I believe the giants needs are : CB,LT,OLB,
cb:pick up Nate Clements (FA), or draft a cb with the 25th pick, like Antonio Cromartie..he has good size and speed with good hands..cut Allen.. LT: Petitgout looks very slow and old lately. he been called for to much false starts lately which caused the giants..cut him..OLB: Pierce has done a great job at MLB, maybe pickin up FA Peterson or draft bobby carpenter or thomas howard..cut greisen..