Finally, some news has arrived on the Giants coaching front as Robert Nunn has been hired to replace Mike Waufle as Giants defensive line coach (Waufle was fired in early January among rumors that he had grown too close to his players after six years of service with big blue).
It is a near consensus that the Giant defensive line has underachieved and clearly regressed from the 2007 unit which, along with the maturation and steady play of Eli Manning, was most responsible for the 2007 Giants Superbowl run. It is imperative that the Giants bolster the trenches on both sides of the ball during this off-season.
Nunn will be responsible for improving a defensive line which contributed to a mediocre run defense and failed to consistently generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Who will Nunn be working with? That is another question whose answer is not yet clear.
It is widely assumed that Rocky Bernard and big Fred Robbins will not be returning to the Giants defensive line rotation in 2010, which leaves Jay Alford (returning from IR), Barry Cofield (who will most likely return as a restricted free agent), and Chris Canty (who never fully got acclimated to the 4-3 defense after dealing with a nagging hamstring and calf issues for most of the year). I would guess that Canty’s spot is safe, for now, and obviously Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka will be back.
What the G-men do with Osi Umeniyora remains a mystery, but I have a hard time believing that the G-men will trade Osi, unless they receive an offer they can not refuse, which is unlikely given Osi’s struggles against the run last year. Look for the G-men to add a defensive lineman or two through the draft or free agency to help bolster both the run defense and the pass rush. This is not an area without talent, but the depth needs to be improved and, most of all, the G-men will need to stay healthier in 2010 than they did in 2009.