(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
By Die Hard Fan – InReeseWeTrust.com 2/14/12
Here is a player-by-player breakdown of who I believe should stay and who should go in the 2012 Off-Season. We will also dive into the potential free agent targets and priorities in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Current Players to Cut:
RB: Brandon Jacobs: This is purely a salary cap decision. Jacobs has stated that he wants to retire a Giant, but the reality is that the Giants cannot afford a backup RB making over $4 million that isn’t a top level RB in the NFL. Jacobs would need to take a very significant pay cut to remain a Giant, and I honestly don’t see him being that generous. As much as many Giants fans love him, I think his Giants career is going to come to an end this off-season.
K: Lawrence Tynes: Tynes has two of the biggest field goals in Giants History, yet he is one of the worst Field Goal kickers outside of 40 yards. Tynes also was in the bottom 5 in touchbacks this season. The Giants need to make a change here and the good news is there are a bunch of very good free agent kickers available this off-season.
Extend Current Players Contracts:
DE: Osi Umenyiora: Osi should be a New York Giant for his entire career. He consistently makes game-changing plays year in and year out. I was on the fence about him in the past, but when healthy, he pulls through when you need him the most. Yes, he is a liability against the run, but that’s why JPP & Tuck are on the roster as both are fantastic against the run. Extend Osi for 3 years and that should end his NFL career in a Giants uniform.
WR: Hakeem Nicks: Everyone talks about extending Victor Cruz because he only has 1 year left on his deal. Nicks also has only 1 additional year and has proven that he is one of the best WR’s in the NFL. The Giants should strongly consider adding a new 5-year contract to the end of his deal. Nicks has remained quiet about his contract and I would like to keep it that way but extending it before he says anything at all. He has been one of the best Giants year in and year out and he is only getting better.
QB: Eli Manning: The Giants need to restructure and extend Eli’s current contract for another 3 years, while working in easily-attainable bonuses to create more cap space. This will keep Eli under contract for 7 more seasons when he will turn 38 years old. This is a must in my opinion, as Eli’s cap numbers are ENORMOUS the next few seasons. To give everyone an idea, in 2012, Eli Manning’s total cap figure is $15,190,475. The next highest on the team is Antrel Rolle at $9,100,000. That is over $6,000,000 more than any of player on the entire roster. Trust me, Eli deserves everything that he is getting, but the Giants need to get that number down so they’ll have more money to play with over the next few seasons.
Contract Restructuring:
DT: Chris Canty: Many people have overlooked Chris Canty over the past few years. Like Osi Umenyiora, Canty finds a way to make a big play every few games. However, unlike Osi’s plays, Canty’s typically aren’t game changers. With that said, I do not believe Canty is worth his current contract. The reality is that the Giants need to either restructure his contract or be ready to cut him. Chris Canty has the 5th highest cap number on the entire Giants roster. The Giants love finding young defensive line talent in the draft and I think this might be a good opportunity to do just that if Canty does not restructure his current contract.
C: David Baas: Baas’ performance was flat out TERRIBLE this past season. In my opinion, he owes the Giants for giving him such a large contract and he completely failing to deliver. He is not worth his rather large cap value. He shouldn’t even be starting! Reese should even consider making a gutsy move and cut him, but I doubt he will. At the very least, I hope Baas is humble enough to restructure his contract to give the Giants more flexibility.
Current Player(s) to Trade:
RB: DJ Ware: Ware turned into a very reliable 3rd down RB this past season for the Giants. He also became a solid 2pt-conversion specialist. I think the Giants understand what Ware’s potential is and that he’s already playing at his highest level. I think there will be an NFL team that would trade a 5th round pick to the Giants in return for Ware and make him the team’s #2 RB. I think it is time for the Giants to move on and transition to Da’Rel Scott.
Giants Free Agents to Re-sign:
CB: Terrell Thomas: I have said this repeatedly to anyone that was willing to listen last season. I felt that, when healthy, Terrell Thomas was the best player in the ENTIRE Giants secondary going into last season and he was ready to become an elite CB in the NFL. Thomas’s career took a HUGE hit with a season ending injury last season. However, with a full year to rehabilitate, he shouldn’t need the “full season to return to form after a major knee injury.” I think Thomas must be resigned.
TE: Jake Ballard: Ballard had an unbelievable season for the Giants and gave the Giants a TE that might wind up being better than Kevin Boss. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in the Super Bowl and will most likely start the season on the PUP list. He is a restricted free agent this offseason but will definitely be back in blue. I hope he receives a 3-year incentive-laden deal.
OT: Tony Ugoh: Ugoh played well in his short stint as a 6th O-Lineman/4th TE on the Giants roster and I think he has the talent to be a solid backup OT for the Giants for years to come. He will be a cheap backup option for the Giants that can step in when called upon.
P: Steve Weatherford: One of the MVP’s of the Giants last season. He played on a 1-year contract and has probably earned a new 4-year contract. He is a fan favorite and has made Giants fans miss Jeff Feagles a little less.
WR: Devin Thomas: On special teams alone, re-signing Devin Thomas is a no-brainer. In one game Thomas had the 2 biggest special teams recoveries of the entire season for the Giants. He is also pretty reliable as a 4th or 5th WR option too. He might garner a 2-year deal.
TE: Bear Pascoe: Good ol’ Mr. Reliable. Bear has shown that he can come in and play not only TE, but FB on any given play. He is by no means a good FB option, but he knows the playbook inside and out and is a very smart football player. His biggest game of the season happened to be the most important game of the season. I think a new 2-year deal is in order.
DE: Dave Tollefson: I have no idea why not a single team in the NFL signed him this past offseason. I have no idea how Tolly doesn’t get more credit either, because I don’t know many players in the NFL that can play a better backup DE than he can. He put up very solid numbers and I hope that can continue with a new 2-year deal.
LB: Chase Blackburn: One of the Super Bowl heroes. Chase Blackburn deserves a contract to compete for a LB position on the Giants. I don’t think he should be a starting MLB in the NFL. However, Chase is the PERFECT backup MLB for any team. He might not get more than 1-year at the minimum, but I bet he would take it to come back to the Giants.
CB: Michael Coe: Young CB with talent that has potential to be a solid nickel for years to come
CB: Justin Tryon: same as above…
Free Agent Targets:
WR: Steve Smith: If Smith is healthy; it is a no brainer to bring him back to the Giants, as he would fit in perfectly with Nicks & Cruz. The biggest upside to signing Smith, is the ability to move Cruz and Smith into and out of the slot very easily. Not many WR’s in the NFL have the ability to play the slot effectively, and both of these players can do just that.
TE: Martellus Bennett: Bennett has been a very solid under-the-radar TE in Dallas over the past 4 seasons. With Jason Witten, a future Hall-of-Famer, ahead of him on the depth chart, it was very hard for Bennett to showcase his real ability as a pass catcher. However, he is a very effective run blocker that I think has 40-50 catch ability, playing with Eli Manning. This is not a flashy move to replace Ballard and Beckum for the first quarter of the season, but a move that is not costly and could prove to be very effective.
TE: John Carlson: At one point or another Carlson was probably on most people’s fantasy rosters over the last two seasons. He is a player that has great hands and was expected by many to break out last season until his season-ending injury. I think he will resign with the Seahawks, but could be a solid fallback option for the Giants.
K: Connor Barth: I love this kid. I think he is NFL mainstay for the next 15 years. He has a very solid leg and is incredibly accurate in the 40-50 range, which is something the Giants haven’t had since Matt Bahr. Man, I miss him.
DT: Pat Sims: Not many people know about this player, but I think he will fit PERFECTLY in Perry Fewell’s defensive schemes. He is very good against the run and has the potential to have 4 or 5 sacks in a season as well. His numbers were not big in Cincinnati, but keep in mind that he was on a team that was set at DT and only played him every few downs. With the Giants DT rotation, he would have every opportunity to become a difference maker.
MLB: Dan Connor: I have liked Dan Connor since he was drafted by the Panthers right out of Linebacker U aka Penn State. I think Connor, like most Penn State LBs, is very smart and understands the NFL game well. He isn’t the most athletic or quickest LB, but he finds ways to make plays. I think he has the potential to have a career similar to Antonio Pierce when the Giants signed him away from the Redskins way back when.
MLB: Jameel McClain: This is a move that I would be interested in only if Osi leaves and Kiwanuka is moved back to DE full time. McClain is Kiwanuka and Bart Scott rolled into one. He has all the skills to become a pro bowl LB in the NFL if he becomes a better player in pass coverage. However, he is top notch against the run.
QB: Brady Quinn: No one will ever want to see a New York Giants QB take the field not named Eli Manning at least for the next 5-10 years, with the exception of pre-season. However, if the worst happens (knocking on wood over and over again as I write this), and the Giants need a QB to step in, I think Quinn would be a good (and relatively cheap) option here. Quinn and Carr are very similar; both were high draft pick QBs that did not pan out to their expected potential. The difference with Quinn, is that he is still young at 27, while David Carr is 32 (1 year older than Eli Manning).
Let Go:
WR: Mario Manningham: Giants fans know just how good Manningham can be, as shown by his postseason performance this past season. Good young WRs are hard to come by in the NFL and because of that, Manningham will demand a contract that is going to be way higher than the Giants can afford. He may be worth it, but the Giants will not overpay for a player that is now solidified as a 3rd WR in the Giants offense. It would not be a good football move to do so. Hate to see him go, but I don’t think we have a choice.
RT: Kareem McKenzie: McKenzie has had a fantastic 5-year career with the Giants. It doesn’t get much better than 2 Super Bowl rings in 5 years in the NFL these days. At 32, McKenzie has lost a step or two in the past few seasons. At this point, I think it’s only worth re-signing him at a low cost 1-year deal but I highly doubt McKenzie would sign at those terms.
QB: David Carr: Carr has done exactly what every Giants fan wanted of him this past season, not play a single down. I think at this point, there are better backup QB options available for a minimum $ amount, which the Giants will need if they want to secure other, needed positions. Quinn can give us a similar backup for less with the potential to be more productive than Carr.
CB: Aaron Ross: Ross came in with the Giants as a player that was always in Revis’ shadow. He was drafted a few spots after Revis in the same draft and never put together a fantastic season. 2011 was probably the best season of Ross’ career, and yet I think it was average at best. Ross gets beat way too easily against the second best receiver as Webster always plays the number one. I think Thomas and Prince will take the reigns as number 2 and 3 for the next many years to come. Ross had a solid yet injury-laden career with the Giants and I wish him the best of luck in the future.
LB: Jon Goff: He’s a solid LB but lacks the potential to become a major difference maker. I think Goff’s performance level is akin to a career backup MLB in the NFL. I think his time with the Giants has come to an end. It is unfortunate as this was the season for him to give it his all and show the Giants faithful fans that he belonged at MLB for years to come.
SS: Deon Grant: Time for Grant to retire and ride off into the sunset ending a very solid 12 year career on the highest note.
G: Stacy Andrews: His NFL Career might be over.
WR: Michael Clayton: Clayton might catch on as a 4th WR with another team. I can’t imagine the Giants resigning him
SS: Derrick Martin: Giants should move on and give one of the 2012 draft picks a shot to take over Martin’s role on special teams.
CB: Will Blackmon: Time for Jerrell Jernigan to prove his worth in 2012…
WR: Domenik Hixon: 2 horrific injuries to a player that coaches and fans love. I can’t see Hixon having a real impact again.
DT: Jimmy Kennedy: He should catch on as a backup on another team.
CB: Bruce Johnson: I like Bruce Johnson, but I don’t think there will be room for him if Coe and Tryon are resigned. If one or the other is not resigned, Johnson might get one more shot.
2012 NFL Draft Priorities (In Order)
1. OT: The Offensive Line is in need of 2 new tackles. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening this off-season. At the very least, the Giants need to draft an OT that can come in and start by year 2 at the LATEST. Diehl is not the answer at LT and who knows if Beatty is the guy either. I think Mitch Petrus should be the starter at LG next season. I think this kid has real potential to be an anchor at LG and secure the guard position for years to come along with Chris Snee. However, that only answers the guard position. Improving the O-Line is priority number 1 for the Giants this off-season.
2. TE: There’s only one healthy TE on the current roster. This need cannot be more apparent.
3. DT: Canty might not make it after next season. D-Line is always a major target for the Giants in the Draft and it wouldn’t shock me for it to be a target again in 2012.
4. RB: Bradshaw and Scott will be the only two RB’s on the roster if Jacobs is cut and Ware is traded/cut. I expect the Giants to look at a variety of big backs in the Draft to find someone to take 20-30% of the carries from Bradshaw. Scott should see a much larger role in the offense next season (to the fans delight).
5. LB: This will be higher if the Giants do not sign a Dan Connor or Jameel McClain type at MLB or if they don’t resign Goff. The Giants have been waiting for the next LT to come along for the last 10+ years. When that time comes, the Giants will pounce! Until then, the LB position will mostly likely always be a need.
6. WR: With Mario Manningham likely gone, the Giants will have a hole at WR. Jernigan has a ways to go at WR. Barden looks like his time with the Giants might be coming to an end too. A free agent might fill that hole but the Giants love drafting WR’s in the mid rounds. I would not be surprised with a possession type WR in the draft for the Giants.
ALLIN FOR 2012!!!
LIVE BLUE DIE HARD
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