New York Giants: Kicking competition starts with Rosas

Big Blue allowed kicker Robbie Gould walk away in free agency, and he signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

In every way that was the correct move for the New York Giants. Gould was a stop-gap measure; brought in the aftermath of the Josh Brown debacle. For a team aiming for the playoffs, the G-Men were lucky to find Gould available when they did.

Back in 2014, I had the opportunity to see Brandon McManus at New York Giants training camp. At that time, Tom Coughlin was still the head coach, and the veteran skipper loved his veteran players.

At that training camp, McManus had invited some guests to watch the proceedings. After one look, you could tell that McManus was not a training camp body. He was going toe-to-toe with Brown.

Oct 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus (8) kicks the ball in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Falcons won 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

The McManus invitees asked me what I thought of him. Did I think he could win the full-time kicking job?

Without a doubt, I said yes. But I also cautioned them that Coughlin loved his veterans. But that McManus would find a job in the NFL, and he did.

Youth Movement

The moral of the story is that sometimes a youth movement can help a team. Even without the transgressions of Josh Brown, McManus would have been an upgrade for the New York Giants. He was younger and had a stronger leg.

We fast forward to the current situation. Folks are clamoring for Big Blue to sign a veteran like Mike Nugent. But is that an upgrade?

Fans also have their eye on the situation in Tampa Bay. Will Nick Folk make the Buccaneers? Will Roberto Aguayo get cut in Tampa?

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Roberto Aguayo (19) kicks a field goal against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 16-11. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Hopefully it shouldn’t matter. The New York Giants already have Aldrick Rosas on the roster. Rosas kicked for tiny Southern Oregon University and won an NAIA National Championship in 2014.

New York Giants /

New York Giants

But general manager Jerry Reese is right to keep a keen eye on the situation.

"“We’ll continue to look at that,” Reese said according to the team’s official website. “We have a young kid (Rosas) on the roster with a big leg that we want to take a look at and see how he looks in the spring. There’s always going to be veteran kickers out there available. We will see where that goes. There will be free agency after the draft here, and we will see what’s left out there after that as well.”"

Strong Leg

In a season where NFL kickers hit from 60, 59 and 58 yards, Gould’s longest kick was a mere 47 yards. Touchbacks on kickoffs were the exception, not the rule.

For a championship caliber team that has to change.

Rosas made it through until final cuts with the Tennessee Titans last season. That’s saying something because incumbent Ryan Succop has been a solid NFL performer. He was 92 percent successful on field goals last season.

If the New York Giants were not serious about this guy, then why waste the critical acclimation of OTAs and mini-camp? Rosas knows this.

"“Meeting Zak DeOssie and Brad Wing, these guys are great,” Rosas said. “All I have to do is go out there and swing. These guys are pros at the highest level. I’m excited to learn under them and get it going. The chemistry between us has to be there. It has to be tight. Brad depends on Zak, I depend on Brad and they all depend on me to make the kick.”"

Rosas still has to make the team on merit, and that’s a long process. But based upon the initial feedback, he’s not simply keeping the seat warm.

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