The NY Giants have fastest group of skill position players in NFL

According to research done by the NFL Network, the NY Giants have the fastest group of skill position players in the entire league.

You read that right. When evaluating 40 times of every team’s projected roster in ’11 personnel’ (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR), the NY Giants have the fastest group out of the whole NFL.

Now, obviously these 40 times occurred years ago for veterans as they have been in the league for quite some time now, but it is still an encouraging statistical discovery.

It also starts to get you to understand what GM, Dave Gettleman, and his coaches are trying to build on offense; a group of fast, shifty players to out-maneuver slower defenders.

I know, that seems like a basic strategy, but not when you consider the team doesn’t have a receiver over 6’1. I’ve been highly critical of the NY Giants brass for not bringing in a big-bodied wideout to complement the smaller, quicker pass-catchers the team currently employs, but while this revelation isn’t exactly earth-shattering, it does inspire at least a little more faith in the process.

Via Twitter:

It’s worth noting that even though the difference between 4.42 and 4.45 seems small, it’s actually quite significant in the ’40 time world’, and that’s just considering the difference between the NY Giants and the #2 team on the list.

How will this help the NY Giants’ offense?

Well, it’s quite simple; speed kills, particularly in the NFL. Now, most of us can agree that 40 times are an overrated statistic in general as many players play under or over their 40 times when they actually step on the field.

But still, you’d rather be the one on the top of the list, right? I’m eager to see what type of offense Jason Garrett will roll out with the NY Giants because it just can’t be the exact – or even really close to – the type he ran in Dallas due to vast personnel differences.

In Dallas, Garrett always had a big-bodied outside threat that was the focal point of the passing game, a varying type of #2 wideout, and then always a shifty killer in the slot (mainly Cole Beasley).

Oh, and that super slow tight end that was routinely one of the worst at getting yards after the catch in Jason Witten.

With the Giants, he’ll have almost the exact opposite – save for the electric runningbacks – as he won’t have a starting WR bigger than 6’1, and his other two starters are 5’10.

In addition, instead of an uber-reliable, perfect route-running tight end with amazing hands, he’s going to get the keys to the Lamborghini of tight ends that is Evan Engram.

It will be fascinating to see what Jason Garrett drums up this offseason with the new tools he has to work with, and speed will be the main one.