Football is finally back people!! And that means it’s time for the New York Giants to put last season’s disaster behind them and attempt to improve on a couple of consecutive 6-10 seasons. With Ben McAdoo in at head coach, and a shopping spree free agency, there’s a new wave of energy surrounding MetLife Stadium. With the Giants kicking off the 2016 preseason against Miami on Friday here’s a couple things to watch out for during this game and the rest of preseason:
Revamped Defense
Did I mention that the Giants spent a TON of money in free agency this summer? OK just making sure. New additions Olivier Vernon, Damon “Snacks” Harrison, Janoris Jenkins, and re-signing Jason Pierre-Paul were all huge moves by the Giants(No PUN intended Snacks). This defensive line was a significant liability last season but could quickly turn into one of the key strengths of this team. Harrison is one of the best in the business at stuffing the run along with Jonathan Hankins as his partner at defensive tackle. With the way they have been able to put pressure on Eli Manning in training camp, JPP and Vernon looks like they are ready to combine for at least 20 sacks this season. Another early strength seems to be the new look secondary. With Jenkins and first round draft pick Eli Apple plugged into the secondary that adds some versatility along with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Also the recent addition of veteran Leon Hall is a great pick up with his experience, especially if the other Eli struggles early on at nickel corner. It seems like 3rd round pick rookie Darian Thompson is the early favorite to start next to Landon Collins at the free safety spot. He has been receiving high praise and is labeled as a “playmaker that doesn’t make many mental mistakes” which is exactly the type of player you need in the secondary next to second year strong safety Landon Collins. There’s a lot to be excited about with this defense, now we just have to wait and see if they can put it all together.
Who steps up at Wide Receiver
I believe Odell Beckham knows a little something about rookie receivers having breakout campaigns. After a recent practice Beckham spoke about rookie receiver Sterling Shepard and had a glowing review of his progress thus far in training camp. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but he’s going to be a special player. I kind of want to keep him on the down-low for right now, so that way he just jumps out the first couple games, has some big plays, touchdowns, all of that.” Beckham isn’t alone in this train of thought; everyone you ask around Giants camp has similar high praises for the rookie that’s not looking so much like a rookie on the field. Making plays is going to be key for Shepard once the real games start because the Giants desperately need weapons to pair with Beckham. Shepard looks like he’s ready to step into that role and produce right away. OK, stop me if you’ve heard this before, Victor Cruz is missing time because of an injury. Although no one seems to believe that the tightness in his groin is anything serious, it’s been enough to keep him out of the last couple of practices and will keep him out of the first preseason game. This is definitely something we have to keep an eye on the next couple of weeks. All of Cruz’s injuries seem to start off as minor and then end up holding him out for months. With Cruz out the Giants will need other receivers to step up if he isn’t able to go. Dwayne Harris is as tough as they come and will certainly see time in the slot, but look out for Geremy Davis. He’s had a solid camp and looks like a lock to make the roster and more importantly looks ready to step up and make some plays. Let’s say Cruz is healthy is at least 70% of his old self, Odell is Odell, and Sterling Shepard is as good as everyone says he is, this Giants passing attack led by Eli could be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses all season long.
New Staff Bringing in New Energy
Hip Hop music and TV timeouts during practices, Coach McAdoo pushing practice back to allow the players to get extra sleep. These are probably things that have never happened in Giants history. This is a fun atmosphere now, not always business all the time the way things were with well-respected Tom Coughlin. This team is loose, their fresh, and quite frankly they’re better than they have been in years. Adding offseason talent with free agency along with a sneaky good draft class, and having most of the main guys fully participate during camp aside from a couple missed days with minor injuries has been key to the growth of this team. Coughlin did a great job bringing two Lombardi trophies to the Giants, but a change was necessary and it’s evident with the new attitude from these Giants in training camp. The Giants have always had high expectations of themselves but couldn’t always put it all together consistently mainly due to injuries. But this year’s team has the talent to go along with the attitude to not only win the NFC East, but maybe even win a game or two in the playoffs. One things for certain though, everyone around this team is really, really excited about the potential for this season.
