New York Giants Fans: Get Your Hopes Up

Nov 30, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) returns a kicks during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. The Jaguars won 25-24. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

2. Young Talent On Offense

For the first time in a very long time the Giants seem to be stacked with young players who are already performing at a very high level or on the verge of doing so. First up is Odell Beckham. We all know about the wide receiver. Offensive Rookie of the Year, that insane catch, break-away ability, game changer. 91 catches 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. Oh yeah and he missed 1/4 of the season. Enough said. Then there is Andre Williams. Williams may not have had the most spectacular rookie season, statistically, but the rookie didn’t play bad behind a bad offensive line, piling up 721 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. As a 4th round pick who was tossed into action much earlier then expected I think he filled in admirably and as the season rolled along he got better. Over the last 4 weeks of the year he averaged 21 carries for 82 yards. That may not be overly impressive for all you fantasy dorks out there but thats a pretty nice clip for a complimentary rookie running back. His bruising play style will pay dividends for the Giants. Tight End Larry Donnell had a very productive season. Especially for a converted quarterback. Donnell took advantage of his playing time in 2014 catching 63 passes for 623 yards and 6 passes. He was very inconsistent last year, though that can be a red flag, I sum it up to a general lack of experience and opposing defenses keying in on him. In all honesty I didn’t think he was all that great but his stat line disagrees. With the return of Victor Cruz, Donnell will see a lot more single coverage; either vs. a smaller corner or a slower linebacker. Both are matchups I’ll take any day. There a few youngsters on the offensive line that are very promising. Justin Pugh is going into only his 3rd season, though he may have taken a step back last season, I think his problems were more reflective of the entire unit. Center Weston Richburg will be playing his natural position after shifting to guard for his rookie campaign. Richburg has a mean streak in him and always seems to be getting very rough with opposing defenses. Thats something we’ve been missing for a bit now. Finally 1st round pick Ereck Flowers is a massive young man with the potential to be a real anchor. If he can learn the system quick the offensive line may turn into a strength pretty soon.

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