A Giants Monday morning where the biggest news continues to be L.T., prostitutes, pimps, attorney statements, and quite a bit of conjecture on the same. On one note, former Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner has been signed and replaces undrafted free agent Dominic Randolph (from Holy Cross); undrafted free agent linebacker Micah Johnson out of Kentucky joins the training camp competition at linebacker and on special teams (if healthy, Johnson might be quite a find for the G-men at a position of need). So, how are the G-men faring this off-season?
John Mara’s opinion of the 8-8 finish in 2009: Feels like 2-14, in other words, Mara was and probably still is, pissed. After watching his high priced defense collapse and hemorrhage for most of the year, that’s about right. How hot are the seats that Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese occupy? Scalding hot, and rightfully so. So, Giant changes were in order and Giant changes were made:
New defensive coordinator? Check, meet Perry Fewell (who has already shown a passion and fire that seemed to be missing from the coaching staff and the team last year, got to love the attitude, at least it can’t hurt). Help in the secondary? Check, meet Antrel Rolle, Deon Grant, and Chad Jones (and yes, the official word/hope s that Kenny Philips returns to full health to team with Rolle and give the G-men an athletic duo at safety that makes plays all over the field). New middle linebacker? Check, but not so much really, call this a leap of faith that Jonathan Goff (showed some promise and some cause for concern) or Philip Dillard (who we think is going to take the reigns on this one and surprise alot of people) or yet to be named starter come in and replace and improve upon Antonio Pierce’s play last year. Improve the pass rush? Check, welcome JPP (forget about back issues at minicamp, the Fewell and the coaching staff have to find a spot in the pass ruch rotation and see what this kid can do). Also, welcome back Osi, subject of more rumors than Justin Bieber, Osi returns motivated and almost as important, healthy. Help in the middle? Check, going out on a limb, but Linval Joseph is a beast and is going to be a big-time player in the middle of the Giants defense.
Reese might not be done, though nothing new on the John Henderson front (would be a really nice run stuffing rotational lineman, though he might just be playing the waiting game before joining his new team, i.e., Henderson is looking for some coin. Coughlin is on a short leash, make the pieces fit, return the Giants defense to a championship caliber and all will be fine. Struggle out of the gate with a NFC East heavy schedule in the second half of the season, I smell trouble.
Programming note: Tune in tomorrow evening, 9:00 p.m. eastern time, we will be appearing on the internet radio show “The Sports Docket,” a popular sports show that covers NY sports on Blog Talk Radio to talk Giants draft