January 14, 2005
Can the Giants compete with the Eagles?
Clark Judge from Sportsline notes that the Eagles are the winningest team over the past 5 years and says that them and the Patriots have followed the same model: draft well, lcok up the good ones long term and cheap, let the old expensive ones move on, fill in holes with free agents.
Can the Giants do that? Clearly they weren't drafting too well in the late nineties, but the last two years have been encouraging with good players taken in later rounds (think David Diehl and Gibril Wilson, both fifth rounders - if you can fill your roster with good players who come nice and cheap like a 5th round pick, you're doing pretty well.
Only 7 players remain on the Giants from the '96 thru '01 drafts. They are:
Amani Toomer (Let's hope he comes back stronger next year when he's healthy), Ike Hilliard (I'm not sure he needs to come back next year), Tiki Barber (nice one!), Shaun Williams (should have taken Faneca instead and shouldn't have overpaid to keep Williams around), Luke Petitgout (decent left tackle so decent #19 pick - may be slightly overpaid now but left tackles don't come cheap), Ron Dayne, the Wills (not so crazy about Will Allen but the Wills are good), and Jesse Palmer.
If anyone wants some homework, find out who the Eagles drafted during the same years and how many of them are still with the team. Or the Patriots.
The good news is that since our more recent drafts seem to have been better, we should improve moving forward. But there are problems looking forward. Shockey should be entering his prime, but who's are next running back? Our next wide receiver tandem?
Posted by James Trotta at January 14, 2005 3:10 AM1996
1st Round, Jermane Mayberry
3rd Round, Brian Dawkins
4 picks, 3 sacks this year. Great pick.
1997
3rd Round, Duce Staley
Great pick.
5th Round, Ndukwe Kalu
9th Round, Koy Detmer
I'd rather have him than Jesse Palmer.
1998
1st Round, Tra Thomas
3rd Round, Jeremiah Trotter
Worth noting that he went to the Redskins, who let him go
5th Round, Ike Reese
1999
1st Round, Donovan McNabb
Remember who Eagles fans wanted? I think it's now safe to say that Eagles management made the right choice.
2000
1st Round, Corey Simon
2nd Round, Todd Pinkston (36th overall)
Still can't even be considered a very solid contributor. Could be gone after this season.
2001
First Round, Freddie Mitchell
Other than the 4th and 22 catch, has not lived up to the hype.
3rd Roud, Derrick Burgess
4th Round, Corell Buckhalter
Probably would be considered a good pick if he hasn't been injured so much.
*5th Round, AJ Feeley
Not on the team, but worth mentioning, as they got better value for him from the Dolphins.
So a total of 14 picks from '96 to '01 are still on the roster, with one having left and come back. And one mid round pick that they got better value for.
My bad, make that 13. Duce Staley is still playing in PA, but the other side now. Still, hard to criticize that pick.
Posted by: Matt at January 15, 2005 3:11 PMVery nice work! And there we have it. The Eagles have been (or had been) outdrafting the Giants.
Posted by: James Trotta at January 18, 2005 9:28 AM