Offseason '07: Giants in disarray

What's he so mad about?

Last off-season, the Giants were in trouble: Tiki Barber criticized the coaching staff by telling the New York media the Giants were "outcoached," Coughlin was losing the locker room, Jeremy Shockey couldn't stay healthy long enough to let his hair run wild, their linebackers were all backups because the starters (who weren't that good to begin with) were all injured, and aging D-backs were getting outrun and outsmarted. As a result, the whole team was bitching about Coach Coughlin.

Fast forward to this year, and the Giants are still in trouble: Tiki is criticizing Coughlin because he "made us practice too hard the whole time and that took its toll on my mind and body," Coughlin is still losing the locker room, Shockey still can't stay healthy enough long enough to let his hair run wild, their woeful linebacker backups are the starters for now, and they still have those same aging D-backs. So what is the result? Of course! The players are bitching about Coach Coughlin again.

The only changes are that Eli Manning has another year under his belt as the starting QB, they found their man at free safety, and discovered great depth at DE. Oh, and let's not forget that they no longer have Tiki, their best player, on the team to bail them out of games with his outstanding individual efforts. On Valentine's Day, Tiki came out and said that Coughlin's crazy training and practices were what did him in, both physically and mentally. It's no wonder why so many players on their defense got injured. Think back to the '05 season when they were left with 3rd and 4th string linebackers as starters. It wasn't pretty.

The players were doing everything they could to keep winning. DE Michael Strahan is old, but he was in the best shape of his life at the beginning of the season. He had dropped 20 lbs which made him quicker off the snap and faster overall. He seemed primed to repeat a 14-sack season, or even improve upon it. Eli Manning was making significant progress in '05, but he seemed to take a step back this year. His statistics are similar between this year and the year before. This season, he had a higher completion percentage, but a lower yards per attempt. His TD/INT ratio was 24/17 compared to 24/18 a year ago. If you watched him play though, he was a different player. He seemed to continually have what was previously known as the "Manning Face." Now that Peyton has won the big one, it will be known as the "Eli Manning Face." Maybe big bro Peyton can give him some tips, most importantly to let other players make plays, instead of trying to be the hero on every down.

It isn't all on the players though, but it certainly isn't all the coach's fault either. His team won some big games this season. Over the first half of the season, they were far and away the class of the NFC East. Some even thought they had Super Bowl potential. Tom Coughlin has made some great strides with the Giants during his tenure, but you have to wonder if he will ever take them past the first round of the playoffs?

As we wonder about the future of the Giants, let's take a quick look at the most recent departures from the Giants roster:
Tiki Barber-one of the greatest RB's not just to play in NY but in the NFL.
Carlos Emmons-starter who was an occassional playmaker
LaVar Arrington-pass rushing LB that just doesn't have the same fire anymore.
Chad Morton-a has-been returner who just couldn't break the bank anymore.
Luke Petitgout-stalwart LT that solidified a pretty solid O-line.
Bob Whitfield-great backup LT that filled in nicely when Petitgout went down. Had a problem that earned him the nickname "Headbutt Bob"...

All of those players are no longer with the team. Don't fret yet Giants fans, you still have Pro Bowl MLB Antonio Pierce and former Pro Bowler Will Demps. Pierce is developing nicely with Big Blue and doesn't show any signs of stopping. Demps will be a force in his second year with the G-men. Strahan, Umenyiora and Kiwanuka will dominate off the edge. Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins will continue to get good push up the middle. Jeff Feagles will continue to amaze everyone with his coffin corner punts. Freak of nature Jared Lorenzen will blossom in his role as a 6'4", 285lb QB-sneak waiting to happen.

For the rest of the offseason, there are some positions that should be of great concern to the Giants. Here is a list of those positions, along with some analysis:

1. Outside linebacker: Specifically, one with size and strength that plays the run tough. They need playmakers at OLB. Nick Greisen was underrated, they just didn't realize that until he was gone. It is true that he did not do much for Jacksonville this year, but who could forget his dreamy beach boy muscles and looks? If Brandon Short can stay healthy this season, he would certainly be an upgrade.

2. Running back: A smaller, faster RB who can catch passes out of the backfield. Brandon Jacobs is a power runner and he functioned well in a 1-2 speed/power punch with Tiki (although he can't punch it in with three tries inside the 5). Besides, the 1-2 RB tandem is all the rage in the NFL today. Manning gets frazzled easily and needs an RB to dump passes off to. The Giants screen too well to let that aspect of their offense retire with Tiki.

3. Offensive Tackle: With starter Luke Petitgout's release and key backup Bob Whitfield's announced retirement, there is a gaping hole at left tackle. David Diehl has filled in well in their absence but is not the long-term solution. A premier player at left tackle is something the Giants must find.

4. Strong Safety: One that can play in the box and stop the run. Gibril Wilson has done a decent job, but they need a dominant force in there to disrupt opposing QB on the blitz and make some plays near the line of scrimmage.

5. Cornerback: Behind R.W. McQuarters, there's not much at CB. Sam Madison is old and slow, just as he was with the Dolphins before joining the Blue Men Group, and now he's even more so. Kevin Dockery has some potential, but he bites on too many pump fakes and double moves. He also needs more work in the film room before becoming a starter. Frank Walker hasn't shown enough on the field, other than his special teams play, to get a good idea of his potential.

6. Slot receiver: Sinorice Moss was drafted last year to play this spot. He is admittedly quick, but not shifty and elusive enough to play the slot. Perhaps, if the Giants put Moss on the outside and moved Plaxico Burress to the slot, they would be more successful. Burress has the big body to play across the middle and can make the tough catches. Moss has been getting too much of a pass in his rookie year because the coaches and GM suffer from the Manning Effect: they think the little bro will be as good as the big bro, or better. They were right...Tiki is much better than Ronde Barber.

7. Kick Returner/Punt Returner: Chad Morton used to be feared whenever he returned the ball. He seems to have lost a step, so the Giants seem ready to hand the return duties over to Sinorice Moss. He didn't show enough "wiggability" when he returned the ball in '06 though. As with most rookies, he needs to improve his patience; he needs to let his blocks develop and find the seams. On the rare return he found the seems, his shiftiness seemed to disappear. He needs to figure out where it went.

With a solid draft (one that includes Paul Posluszny, if the football gods smile on the Giants) and a couple of adequate free-agent pickups (Marcel Shipp or Dominic Rhodes would be a good start), the Giants could return to the playoffs for a third year in a row. If they do, then maybe this time the always angry Coughlin can lead them to their first playoff win since the days of Kerry Collins.