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Will Offseason Additions Equate to Success for Giants?

By Evan Graziano

Jan 5, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese addresses the media during a press conference at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
Jan 5, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese addresses the media during a press conference at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O /
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Traditional wisdom in the NFL is that the core of any good team is built through the draft and supplemented with free agency.  A quick glance at any great team shows a healthy mix of homegrown talent and carefully selected free agents to add to a nucleus of valuable core players.  The Seahawks and Patriots, two of the most successful and consistent modern franchises, are prime examples of this development and each have not only added key contributors through free agency, but have scouted, drafted, and developed exceptionally well.  The New York Giants, on the other hand, have been historically bad.  The organization is feeling the pressure, team owner John Mara said as much this offseason, and with Tom Coughlin reluctantly shooed out of the building, general manager Jerry Reese had been dealt the brunt of responsibility in resurrecting a once proud franchise.

Reese’s Rocky Start

Following a Super Bowl in his first year as GM, albeit with a roster largely of Ernie Accorsi’s molding, Jerry Reese has been anything but exceptional when it comes to the draft and acquiring college players that not only fit his team, but can be developed into valuable starters.  Only 6 players remain from the 6 years of drafts between 2007 and 2013, while only three of those picks could be considered valuable starters.

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Zak Deossie, taken in ’07, is not much more than a formality at this point, a player whose name resonates more than his play, and Cooper Taylor and Ryan Nassib have offered nothing more than depth in their three years with the team. All three of these players could find themselves off the roster completely by the end of the season, if not sooner.

Jason Pierre Paul, Justin Pugh, and Jonathan Hankins have all shown to be at least decent football players, but only time will tell if their presence, along with the nucleus created with subsequent drafts, will bring about a winning environment once again.

Underwhelming Results

Comparing the Seahawks 2012 class with the Giants is almost comical.  Not only did every player from Seattle’s 2012 class end last season as a member of the Seahawks, they outnumbered the Giants picks 10 to 7.  The players that ended 2015 with the Giants as members of the 2012 class are household names such as Jayron Hosley, Reuben Randle, and Markus Kuhn, three names that Giants fans cannot forget soon enough.  The Seahawks meanwhile acquired Russell Wilson, Bruce Irvin, who left for Oakland with a hefty contract this offseason, Bobby Wagner, Robert Turbin, and Jeremy Lane.  All are set to be starters for a competitive team this year, and represent a marked contrast in ability, scouting, or competence that Giant’s management has been lacking for years now.

Dec 7, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (78) scores a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (78) scores a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports /

There really is no excuse for this level of ineptitude from a professional sports organization, especially one as revered as the Giants, but apparently the organization found that excuse in Tom Coughlin, firing a coach who managed to assemble a team out of the scraps given to him and muster up two Super Bowl victories.

Those are long gone now, and after the cycle of “a championship every 4 years” was broken following this season, the team as a whole, and Jerry Reese in particular must show that they are deserving of their jobs.

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    • The other half of establishing a team is bringing in proven veterans who have shown not an ability to be elite, but have exhibited a sense of being a professional and making a team better.  From Plaxico Burress to Antonio Pierce and Kareem Mackenzie, and David Baas, Michael Boley and Chris Canty, effective, cost conscious free agents have been integral in the Giants most recent Super Bowl runs.  Acquiring key free agents without expending vast amounts of resources or draft picks is vital for any team’s success.  Where the Giants have deviated from recently, and this offseason in particular, is finding cost effective, starting caliber players.  The Giants broke the bank for three lucrative free agent deals, each a relatively young player with noticeable upside, but the desperation was evident.

    Pitfalls of Free Agency

    Much like recent drafts, the Giants free agency hauls have been largely underwhelming.  The Giants signed 7 players to one year contracts last year and none performed well enough to warrant another year with the team.  Marshall Newhouse has struggled mightily after being forced into a starting position, Jonathan Casillas has no business being considered for a starting linebacker role, and JT Thomas was hurt last year and made no real impact.  From 2014, the only real contributor worth the payday has been Dominique Rodgers Cromartie, and even his benefit to the team could be questioned after the abysmal defensive showing in 2015.  JD Walton and Geoff Shwartz are off the team after being signed to multi-year contracts, and Rashad Jennings has yet to become the solidified starter in a crowded backfield.  Again, vast amounts of resources used on players who have contributed, but have not amounted to dependable starters for even 16 games.

    Jun 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) runs with the ball during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
    Jun 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) runs with the ball during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /

    Which leads to this year’s free agency class, one that dwarfs the last two classes in both name recognition and money spent.  The players might not justify the money, but it appears the Giants are paying for the upside of these additions, and not necessarily their past achievements; after all not one has been to the Pro Bowl.

    It is a parity league, and the Giants have experienced success functioning as a result of both successful drafts and free agency hauls.  That is not a secret to success in the NFL, but recently the Giants have shown to be vastly inferior when compared to the league’s best.  A deviation in the script might have been necessary for the sake of Jerry Reese, but quick success is a rare occurrence in the NFL, and barring a substantial turnaround, it may be much of the same for the Giants.

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