NY Giants: 3 things that went well in 2020 that will set the tone for 2021
The NY Giants came up one game shy of breaking a three-year playoff drought, but some positives from last season could carry over into what could be a promising 2021
The 2020 season was not what any fan envisioned for the NY Giants.
Quarterback Daniel Jones did not take a huge leap forward, Evan Engram made the Pro Bowl, but certainly was not the weapon he was drafted to be, and the Giants‘ best player, Saquan Barkley sat most of the year with a torn ACL.
New York had a 6-10 season with an offense that struggled to score and an extremely young defense who took awhile to learn their new system.
All that and they still managed to be a game away from the playoffs.
So much went wrong for the NY Giants in 2020, but here’s a look at three things that went right that could set the tone for the 2021 season:
2020 Free agent class
Dave Gettleman has had some serious ups and downs with the fanbase during his tenure as General Manager. No fan could, however, find fault with his 2020 free agent class.
Starting with cornerback James Bradberry.
Bradberry signed a three-year, $45 million contract, and was worth every penny. He quickly proved he was a true number one corner with his shut down ability. He led the team with 3 interceptions and chipped in with 64 total tackles.
Next came Blake Martinez, signed the same day as Bradberry. He signed a three-year $60 million contract. Martinez was brought in to be a tackling machine and he earned that nickname registering 151 total tackles on the year.
Logan Ryan signed a one-year $7.5 million contract on September 5th, 2020 (he has since signed a three-year, $31 million extension). Ryan fought through some off the field personal issues on the year, as well making the hit on Dak Prescott, that caused a season ending injury for the Dallas quarterback. His stats spoke for themselves with 94 total tackles, one sack, and one interception.
How they set the tone for 2021
The Giants have quietly assembled, on paper albeit, a top tier secondary.
Keeping Bradberry at the No. 1 outside cornerback spot, and adding free agent Adoree Jackson this offseason, the NY Giants should be able to control the outside of any passing game they face.
With Logan Ryan secured, the all around defensive back can man the outfield with Jabrill Peppers and a healthy Xavier McKinney. Blake Martinez will no doubt continue being a tackling machine and with him mentoring the young linebackers (Cam Brown, Tae Crowder) the NY Giants will look to restore the history so richly ensconced in the Giants lore.