Apple Turnover, Giants Looking at ex-Bengal Hall
By Curt Macysyn
According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the New York Giants are once again kicking the tires on veteran cornerback Leon Hall. The normally accurate Schefter said in a report dated August 3, 2016, “the free-agent CB is visiting the Giants today, while the Bengals remain interested. Hall has spent all nine years of his career in Cincinnati since being a first-round pick in 2007.”
It is likely that the Giants will say that teams cannot have enough depth at the cornerback position, and by today’s NFL standards that statement would be a truism. On the other hand, having expended the 10th overall selection on Eli Apple (Ohio State), questions will arise about what role Apple will play in 2016.
Currently, the G-Men have Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and newly signed Janoris Jenkins at the outside cornerback positions in their base 4-3 defense, and according to a training camp report on NJ.com on August 1, 2016, the defense started Trevin Wade in the slot in their nickel package.
“Right now, I think the Giants will go with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins on the outside, and Trevin Wade in the slot. DRC could see some time in the slot too, but my guess is we only see him take a tremendous amount of reps there if Wade either gets hurt, or just does not perform (and I think Wade will play well in the slot),” James Kratch wrote.
This defensive set, as outlined, would mean that first-round selection Apple would be exclusively an outside cornerback and be utilized only in case of injury to Jenkins or Rodgers-Cromartie, and in the Giants’ dime package. In addition, he would likely be expected to perform on special teams in kickoff and punt coverage.
Hall performed pretty well by Pro Football Focus standards with a 78.4 grade, that was slightly lower than former Giants’ defensive back Prince Amukamara (78.9) last season. Hall and Amukamara also have a similar inability to stay on the playing field throughout their respective careers, and the G-Men can ill afford to be constrained by injured players, after finishing dead last in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Games Lost (AGL) metric for the third straight year.
Reading the tea leaves, it would seem that the Giants are not going to force Apple into a slot position that he physically may not be able to handle. What that means to the long-term future of DRC is anyone’s guess right now. Right now, the eyes at training camp must be on how Wade performs in the slot over the next few weeks.