New York Giants: Do I Hear Trade Talks?…. Again

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Hakeem Nicks went down with an injury in the first game of the season and is now out for two to three weeks. Do the Giants need something more to keep them as one of the best teams in the NFC? All throughout the off season there were talks of trading for Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin, and these trades talks may still be lingering.

Even without Nicks the Giants still have a solid receiving corps consisting of Mario Manningham, Steve Smith, Ramses Barden, Sinorice Moss,  Domenik  Hixon, and Derek Hagan. Yet this core is inexperienced and still has fans thinking, do we need an experienced, star receiver to lead this corps?

The Giants could be entering trade talks with either the Denver Broncos for Brandon Marshall or the Arizona Cardinals for Anquan Boldin. Either of these players would be extremely helpful and a great acquisition for the Giants.

Trading for either one of these players would cost the Giants a lot, most likely in draft picks. Anquan Boldin would probably be the better fit for the Giants because he knows how to be a team player, and he has more experience winning in the league. On the other hand Marshall is probably an all around better player, but he can bring a team down. He is looking a lot like the next T.O.

The likeliness that either of these teams is willing to trade these players is very little. As the days go by it becomes more and more unlikely and the price will continue to rise. If either of the deals is going to happen they would have to happen soon or else it would hurt the Giants, who do not want to have to work a receiver into their system any later than that.

Neither the Boldin nor the Marshall trades are likely to happen, although the trades would help the Giants along in their quest for a second Super Bowl in two years.  The Giants are likely to stick with the receivers they have and wait for Nicks to come back to have a complete unit.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Michael Boley: A Future Hero for the New York Giants’ Defense

The New York Giants’ defense has been known for their pass rushing ability. The defense has been known for its great defensive ends, Osi Umenyiora, Antonio Pierce and Justin Tuck who have led the team in sacks over the past two years.

Antonio Pierce has held down the line-backing corps, but during this off-season the Giants have added another weapon to their defense; this weapon is former Atlanta Falcons Linebacker Michael Boley.

Michael Boley is a 26 year old, 6’3″, 223-pound linebacker out of Southern Mississippi has five years of experience in the NFL. In 2008, Boley had 73 tackles, one interception, nine pass deflections, and was key to the Falcons playoff run last year. This loss severely hurts the Atlanta Falcons defense, but this addition adds a new factor for opposing teams to think about when facing the Giants.

The addition of Boley to the Giants’ defense is giving them another experienced linebacker. Last season the Giants’ line-backing corps consisted of Bryan Kehl, Antonio Pierce, and Danny Clark. Last season 200 tackles. Boley will be replacing Kehl at the starting weak side linebacker spot where he will replace Kehl’s 35 tackles with his 73.

The aspect of having another experienced linebacker adds a new facet to the Giants Strategy. The Giants can now add even more blitz schemes and blitz the linebacker more. Boley is also a great pass defender.

While playing the Eagles last year, the Giants struggled to defend Brain Westbrook when he ran receiving routes. Boley could be vital in the defense of Westbrook this year.

The Giants have improved their defense this year with the additions of Canty, Boley, and Bernard. They filled all their weak spots from last year, but Boley may be the best addition made by the Giants this off-season. Boley has a long career ahead of him, and he adds all sorts of aspects to the Giant’s defense.

Boley will be key in the success of the Giants this season, and if his career stays on the track that it is currently on, he will be a future hero for the New York Giants.

 

Why the New York Giants Will Return to the Playoffs in 2009

Today, Yahoo Sports featured an article called, “Six NFL playoff teams that might not make it back” written by Mike Florio listed the New York Giants as one of the six teams that will not make the playoffs this year.

He included the Giants in a list with the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, and the Arizona Cardinals.  

Some of the other teams in this list are understandable. The Dolphins could have been a fluke, the Chargers are aging, the Vikings have no QB (unless they sign Brett Favre), the Titans have an aging QB, and the NFC West is strengthening for the Cardinals.

The main argument against the Giants in the article is the loss of Plaxico Burress. The former Giants wide receiver who was cut from the team after an accidental shooting and legal troubles.

The article states that the Giants will miss the playoffs because of the loss of one player.

The article does not mention the key acquisitions by the Giants over the off-season. The Giants signed Rocky Bernard, Chris Canty, and Michael Boley to bolster the defense.

Along with this, they also had a pretty good draft, drafting two wide receivers, one of which may be the replacement to Plaxico Burress.

Without Burress, the Giants may not have someone who draws double coverage depending on the performance of Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden. Aside from this the Giants may have the deepest receiving corps they have ever had.

The Giants will make it to the playoffs in 2009. In 2008 they had one of the best defenses. This defense can only get better with their additions and the return of Osi Umenyioria. The new and improved defense can only help the Giants cut down the opposing team’s offense.

The Giants also are returning with one of the best running games in the league. The Giants have one of the best offensive lines and a returning 1,000 yard downhill rusher in Brandon Jacobs.

The Giants rushing game will be keys in their return to the playoffs, and the team has an opportunity for back-to-back years with two 1,000 yard rushers. This part of the offense will be the weapon of choice entering the season.

With the Giants playing in the best division in football, must play well the entire season to return to the playoffs.  The Giants will rely on their running backs and defense, but I can assure you they won’t shy away from passing the ball.

The Giants will return to the playoffs in 2009 and have another shot at a second Super Bowl appearance in three years.

How Will the Giants Fair Without New York Derrick Ward?

Last year running backs Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward became the first duo of running backs to have 1000 yard seasons since Warrick Dunn and Michael Vick did it in 2006.

This year though, the New York Giant’s no longer have Derrick Ward. He is now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, and the Giant’s are hoping one of their other backs can take the load.

Derrick Ward was a great change of pace back for the Giants and with his departure the Giants lose 182 carries, 1025 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 41 receptions, 384 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdowns.  Derrick Ward helped the Giants to the playoffs and his contributions to the team will be hard to replace in this upcoming season.

The Giants still have returning power-back Brandon Jacobs, but they have to replace Derrick Ward as the change of pace back. Ahmad Bradshaw seems like the obvious choice to fill the spot, but they can also look at rookie Andre Brown who is a very similar back to Ward.

Ahmad Bradshaw has great speed and is the exact opposite of Brandon Jacobs and would be a great change of pace back. When Jacobs is in the defense has to worry about getting run over by the 264 pound back, but when Bradshaw is in the defense has to be worried about him making you miss.

Last year Bradshaw averaged 5.3 yards per carry, virtually the same as Ward who averaged 5.6 yards per carry.

Bradshaw would fill the place of Derrick Ward pretty well. He is a bit faster than Ward and he can make people miss, but he is less powerful than Ward. To replace Ward though, they don’t need the power part that much because they have Brandon Jacobs.

Giants also have another choice to fill Wards spot. The Giants drafted Andre Brown running back out of North Carolina State with their fourth round pick. He is a lot like Derrick Ward in both running style and body type.

Both backs are almost identical in size. They both also run with good speed and agility. The most important part is that Brown is extremely hard to take down in the open field just like Ward.

Ahmad Bradshaw will probably take the place of Ward as change of pace back on the Giants roster.  Bradshaw will have a shot at his first thousand yard season, but he will probably settle for around 800 yards in his first season with an adequate amount of carries. Brown will fall into the role Bradshaw had last year.

He will be the third back, but will still receive a good amount of carries to get a chance to prove himself. If Bradshaw slips or gets injured Brown could slip into the change of pace role.

The New York Giants will still have a good rushing team this year. With the loss of Ward they may not be the top in the league though. The Carolina Panthers will be the real challenger as the best team with their combo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.  

2009 New York Giants’ Receiver Outlook

After the 2008 season ended, the Giants lost two key receivers. They lost Amani Toomer to free agency and cut Plaxico Burress due to legal problems (that we all know). 

Last season, these two receivers combined for 83 receptions, 1034 yards, and eight touchdowns.  These two receivers were the top producers for the Giants this year, and they will clearly be hard to replace.

Rumors swirled about the Giants trading for Anquan Boldin, Braylon Edwards, or Chad Johnson. As the draft rolled closer, the trades did not work themselves out, and the Giants were forced to look to the draft to replace their star receivers.

The Giants drafted two receivers in this year’s draft, Hakeem Nicks in the first found and Ramses Barden in the third round.

The Giants currently have eight receivers on the payroll. It is likely that only five of the receivers will make the team and the rest will be placed on the practice squad.  The eight receivers are Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden, Dominick Hixon, Steve Smith, David Tyree, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, and Derek Hagen.  These receivers will all enter summer camp on the same level and will be fighting for these five spots on the team.

This article will analyze each receiver and decide who these five roles go to and which of these receivers get to spend their season on the practice squad at this moment in time.

 

WR 1: Dominick Hixon  (Height : 6-2 ; Weight: 182)

Dominick Hixon became the replacement for Plaxico Burress after he went down with his bizarre injury.  Hixon ended the season with 596 receiving yards, two touchdowns, and 42.6 yards per game. Hixon had a great season, and his stats are skewed by the fact that he was not a starting receiver the whole season.  Hixon is a big target like Eli Manning likes, but he is no Plaxico Burress. He does not have the leaping and the ability to catch any ball like Burress.

Hixon will more than likely enter the season as the Giants No. 1 receiver. As the season goes on, he might not prove to have the talent for the No. 1 spot, and by the end of the season, he may be replaced by rookie Hakeem Nicks.

 

WR 2: Hakeem Nicks (Height: 6-1 ; Weight: 212)

The Giants selected Hakeem Nicks with the 29th pick in the draft. The Giants selected him hoping he could fill one of the holes at wide receiver after departures of Plaxico Burress and Armani Toomer.

Nicks had a great career at UNC, and experts believe he is the most NFL-ready receiver in the draft. Nicks received for 2,840 yards and 21 touchdowns during his colligate career.

He has good leaping ability and may be able to run Burress’ patented fade route.  Nicks also has great catching ability, making several amazing catches during his career at UNC. If he brings this into the NFL, Eli Manning would really appreciate it.

Hakeem Nicks will start the season as the No. 2 receiver in the depth chart.  As the season progresses and he becomes more experienced and better at running routes, he may surpass Hixon as the No. 1 receiver on the team.

 

WR 3: Steve Smith (Height: 5-11 ; Weight: 195)

Steve Smith is a steady receiver who puts up steady numbers in the NFL.  In the 2008 season, he received 574 yards and one touchdown. Smith has proven in his two years in the NFL that he is a good receiver that can run routes and catch the ball over the middle. Steve Smith has a playing style that can be compared to Wes Welker—a possession receiver that can put up yards.

Steve Smith will fall back into a well known role in the Giants’ depth chart.  He will be a solid receiver in this spot, and Eli Manning will look to him on third-down plays.

Smith may be Manning’s new Amani Toomer in third-down situations. Smith is a receiver that will put up good numbers, even in the third spot.

 

WR 4: Ramses Barden (Height: 6-6 ; Weight: 229)

In the third round of the draft, the Giants selected Ramses Barden. After losing Eli Manning’s favorite target, 6-foot-5 receiver Plaxico Burress, they may have drafted his future replacement.

The 6-foot-6 receiver has great jumping ability and can probably out-leap any defensive back in the league. He will come in handy in the red zone, where the Giants struggled after losing Burress.  Although he is not completely pro ready yet, he will gain experience as the season goes on.

Barden will start the season in the No. 4 receiver spot. He will get most of his playing time in the red zone, and we may see that corner-fade being thrown to him. If he proves that he can beat defensive backs and can catch a ball at its high point efficiently, he may be able to work his way up the depth chart. If he does not prove himself, he may find himself on the practice squad.

 

WR 5: Sinorice Moss (Height: 5-8 ; Weight: 185)

Sinorice Moss has been somewhat of a bust in his career as a Giant.  He is still a good receiver that can come in and catch the deep ball.  He will not rack up the stats, and he hasn’t since entering the NFL. He can also return kicks if the Giants ask him to.

Moss will earn the final receiver spot on the depth chart. He will be used to catch the deep ball in desperate situations; otherwise, we won’t see him on the field that much.  He may also return kicks for the Giants, which may give them another reason for him to be on the team.

 

Who’s Left Out?

David Tyree—The receiver whose catch once won the Giants a Super Bowl will be left off the roster for the second straight season. Although he made that catch, he is still not a great receiver in the NFL and won’t make the 2009 roster.

Mario Manningham—It was once thought that last year he could be the replacement for Burress, but it never happened. Now he will be riding the pine again, because he has very little chance of making the team.

Derek Hagan—He has had a short career and it is already on a downward slide. He only had three receptions in 2008 with the Dolphins. He probably will make a good receiver to let the cornerbacks defend on the practice squad.

Breaking Down the New York Giants’ Draft

The New York Giants went into the draft knowing what they needed. They needed to fill two huge losses at the Wide Receiver Position.  They also wanted to beef up their line-backing core. The Giants needed this draft to be a big one if they want to be successful in the upcoming 2009 season.

The Giants had nine picks in the 2009 draft and they selected wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, linebacker Clint Sintim, tackle William Beatty, wide receiver Ramses Barden, tight end Travis Beckum, running back Andre Brown, quarterback Rhett Bomar, defensive back DeAndre Wright, and defensive back Stoney Woodson.

The Giants are hoping these nine selections lead them deep into the playoffs and hopefully to the Super Bowl.

The Giants selected Hakeem Nicks with the 29th pick in the draft. Nicks is a 6-foot-1 212 pound wide receiver out of the University of North Carolina. The Giants selected Nicks hoping he could fill the huge hole at wide receiver left by the departure of Plaxico Burress and Armani Toomer.

Nicks received for 2,840 yards and 21 touchdowns during his career at UNC. Nicks could become a star in the NFL with his big play capability and good hands. Nicks is a decent leaper and could fill the role in the Giants famous fade play.

Nicks is a good selection for the Giants, the pick was obviously between him and Kenny Britt. Either receiver would have been a suitable and supported pick. Nicks could be stepping into the Giant’s number one receiving slot in his rookie season.

Giants fans hope that Nicks will be a dominant receiver and help Eli Manning out.

Clint Sintima 6-foot-3 256 pound linebacker out of the University of Virginia was selected with the 13th pick in the second round received by the Giants from the Saints. This is a good second round pick for the Giants.

Although the Giants have one of the better defences in the league you can never have enough, we all know the saying, “Defence wins championships.” Sintim had 246 tackles in college and can really stop the run.

In 2008 he also proved he can get to the quarterback producing 10 sacks. The downside to Sintim is that he is not a good coverage type linebacker and will have trouble  covering tight ends and halfbacks in passing situations.

The bad part about this is that Mathias Kiwanuka is also a weak coverage linebacker and you don’t want two on the field at the same time. Sintimcomes into this season with a good chance to start and accumulate a good amount of tackles.

He will probably get most of his opportunity in running situations or blitzing the quarterback, but he could be targeted as a weak spot in the defense when he drops back into coverage. He will probably sit behind Danny Clark until he proves himself.

The Giants selected William Beatty with their second round Pick. Beatty is a 6-foot-6 307 pound offensive tackle out of UCONN. Beatty is a big man witha lot of raw talent. He couldn’t be falling into a better situation.

He has the opportunity to be tutored by a line, who some experts, consider to be the best in the league. He is agile, has good length, and is a very good pass blocker. He is very raw at this point in his career and if he started now he would be way overmatched by any defensive lineman in the NFL.

If he sits on the bench for a few years he could learn from the starters and eventually take over for the aging Kareem McKenzie.  

In the third round the Giants picked another wide receiver. This 6-foot-6 229 pound receiver out of Cal Polytechnic named Ramses Barden is a good pick for the Giants. This could be the New York’s smartest pick during this draft.

After losing Eli Manning’s favorite target, 6-foot-5 receiver Plaxico Burress, they may have drafted his replacement. Bardenis a tall receiver with pretty good speed. His ability, which Manning will really like, is his jumping ability. He has the ability to catch the touchdown pass which is what the giants need.

He caught 50 touchdowns in his career at Cal Poly. He has good control and knows how to catch a ball at its highest point.  He doesn’t have the greatest speed so he will be more dependent on his jumping abilities in the NFL.

He seems to be one of the more underrated receivers in the draft. The draft saw two similar receivers to him go in the first round. Bardenwill probably start as the Giants third receiver but by the end of the season he may surpass Steve Smithfor the number two spot on the depth chart.

With their compensatory third round selection the Giants drafted Travis Beckum, a 6-foot-3 243 pound tight end who played for Wisconsin University. He will be a good tight end to play opposite of Kevin Boss.

He is a good receiving tight end, whose speed could be compared to a young Jeremy Shockey at this position. He has good catching ability and continues to run hard after the pass. He had 2,149 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns in his four years at Wisconsin.

One downside is that he only played six games in his senior year, and could be injury prone, much like Jeremy Shockey. Beckum will fall into the number two tight end spot opposite of Boss quite well, and don’t be surprised if you see him make a few big catches this year.  

In the fourth round the Giants selected running back   Andre Brown out of North Carolina State. This 6-foot 224 pound running back could be Derrick Wards replacement. Brown will probably fall into the role that Ahmad Bradshaw had last season.  He will get into the No. 3 running back position for the Giants. 

Brown consists of both good size and speed. Along with this he is extremely hard to take down in open-field situations.  All these qualities gives him a very similar running style to Derrick Ward. He is a good pick in the fourth round and does have a shot to play for the Giants this season.

The Giants selected former Oklahoma University quarterback Rhett Bomar. This 6-foot-2 225 pound quarterback finished his colligate career at Sam Houston State. Rhett Bomar was once a Hiesman Trophy candidate who was compared to John Elway until he encountered some problems in his career.

In August of 2006 he was dismissed from Oklahoma after he received payments for work not completed from a car dealership owned by Oklahoma University donors. Bomar is a sneaky pick and could be a sleeper pick in the 2009 draft. If he gets the opportunity to play he could put up numbers in the NFL.

In three years at Sam Houston Bomar threw for 7,632 yards and 47 touchdowns. He did this at a division 1-AA school so he had less receiving, but also less defense. There are reasons to be skeptical about Bomar, he has not played a good defense since his freshman year.

This is why he was a fifth round pick, if he remained at Oklahoma he could have been number one.

Although he has a chance to have a good career, he will probably spend most of it as a backup. In his rookie season he probably will only make the Giants practice squad, but does have the opportunity to play as high as second string.  

In the sixth round the Giants elected to choose DeAndre Wright. This defensive back out of New Mexico weighs in at 5-foot11 198 pounds. Wright has very good talent, natural ability, and ball hawk skills, but he is very undersized. He will most likely only make the practice squad because the secondary is already good in New York.

With their final selection the Giants selected 5-foot-11 195 pound defensive back Stoney Woodson out of South Carolina.  Woodson is similar to Wright. He has good ability, but is undersized.

He posseses good speed, but does not have the ability to change directions. One upside is that he has the skill to play safety as well as defensive back. Woodson is not likely to play a big role in this season for the Giants. Presumably he will only make the practice squad.

This year’s draft was a good draft for the New York Giants. They both filled roles they needed as well as thought ahead to the future. The receivers were the most needed position for the Giants and they went out and completed their goal to find good receivers. In the end the Giants draft deserves and A.

The only thing they could have done to better it would have been to trade up for Hayward-Bay or Crabtree.

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