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New York Giants Re-Sign Jasper Brinkley; Are They Set At MLB?

By Christopher Schwarz

Nov 29, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws the ball as New York Giants middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley (53) defends during the second half at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws the ball as New York Giants middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley (53) defends during the second half at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the New York Giants will re-sign Jasper Brinkley to a one-year contract for 2016. Brinkley will join newly-signed Keenan Robinson in manning the middle of the linebacking corps.

While neither the Brinkley nor the Robinson signing made huge waves, Jerry Reese may have filled what would have been a gaping hole at middle linebacker. Last year’s oft-injured MLB Jon Beason decided to retire and Uani ‘Unga is not an NFL starter. Many would argue he may not even be qualified to be an NFL player.

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

So, does that mean the Giants have solved their MLB problem? According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, Brinkley will serve as insurance behind Robinson. But both players have their concerns on the field. In 2015, Robinson was atrocious against the run. Pro Football Focus was pretty unkind to Robinson; he recorded the lowest grade of all linebackers against the run. He missed almost one fourth of his tackles, including nine in a four-game stretch.

If Brinkley was signed for “insurance,” it was probably because of Robinson’s injury history, which is lengthy. Robinson played in 12 games last season missing time with a shoulder injury. But he dealt with injuries to his right rotator cuff, labrum and biceps as well. He has missed 28 games in four years.

So re-signing Brinkley was a necessity, but he was far from a Pro Bowler himself. Unlike Robinson, Brinkley is decent at stopping the run. He had four forced fumbles and was third on the Giants with 67 tackles in 2015. But he struggled mightily in coverage and the Giants were constantly vulnerable to opposing tight ends. Robinson, though, is above average in coverage despite his problems stopping the run.

If Reese is done addressing middle linebacker, is the combination of Robinson and Brinkley good enough for Giants fans? Isn’t it just an extension of the stop-gap philosophy that the Giants have employed for the past few seasons?

Perhaps a more intriguing question is if Myles Jack is available in the draft, would Reese select him or address another need? What say you, Giants fans?

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