The New York Giants won their fourth Super Bowl championship in 2011, but in the three seasons since, the team hasn’t even made the playoffs. They’ve certainly had the talent to do so during those seasons, but they weren’t able to use it to its full potential. This 2015 team definitely has the talent to get over the hump, but there may be a few spots that could be detrimental to a playoff run.
Off-season Subtractions
During this past off-season, the Giants were able to add some good pieces, but also lost some important ones. One important loss for the Giants will be Antrel Rolle. People might say that he would have cost too much and the Giants were right not to pay him, especially with his age, but he was the captain of that defense. Like the quarterback position, safeties are not easy to find, and the Giants are finding out the hard way at this moment. They were able to draft Landon Collins from Alabama, who should fit right in, but Mykele Thompson was injured in the first preseason game and will miss the rest of the season. New York also has Cooper Taylor, Nat Berhe, and Bennett Jackson, but they only have three years experience between them all.
Another player that the Giants will miss in 2015 is Walter Thurmond III. He was a key signing for the Giants last year, but was knocked out in the second game and was forced to miss the rest of the year. You might say that is not enough time to judge whether or not a player is important, but Thurmond was great as a nickel corner for the Seattle Seahawks in 2013, and showed glimpses of that with the Giants in just six quarters. And with Thurmond now gone, the Giants will need Trumaine McBride to step up, along with Jayron Hosley, who has been nothing short of a bust since the Giants drafted him out of Virginia Tech.
Off-season Additions
It wasn’t all negative for the Giants this off-season, as they were able to add some key pieces to their roster. The first player that comes to mind is Shane Vereen, who was a jack-of-all-trades player for the New England Patriots. Vereen was used in every aspect, anywhere form running back to pass blocker, and then as a slot receiver. He will give Eli Manning and the Giants another toy to play with and should have a big role in their offense.
The Giants were also able to add two wide receivers in Dwayne Harris and James Jones. Harris is one of the better special teams players in the entire NFL, and the Giants are hoping that they stole him away from the Cowboys. At this moment in training camp, Harris is New York’s kickoff returner, punt returner, primary gunner on punt coverage, and an outside attack on kickoff. So as of now Harris has a huge role on this team, not to mention that he is a very good blocking receiver, which can help immensely on the outside.
James Jones was also a very solid pick up, and his signing kind of went under the radar. Jones had an okay season in Oakland last year, but if he can do half of what he did while he was in Green Bay, he will be a great addition to this offense. One of the reasons he signed with New York was because of offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, who was the quarterbacks coach with the Packers while Jones was on the team.
Players On The Hot Seat
One player that immediately comes to mind and fits all criteria, is Jason Pierre-Paul. While he was already on the hot seat because he was given the Franchise Tag, Pierre-Paul didn’t make a good case for himself after his Fourth of July actions, where he nearly blew his hand off, and managed to only lose a finger. 2015 will be an enormous year for Pierre-Paul, because not only is he an important piece to the Giants defense, but he will be playing for his next contract. He will have to prove to the Giants and the rest of the league that he can still be a top defensive end in the NFL.
Another player who needs to have a good year is cornerback Prince Amukamara. Since Amukamara was drafted by the Giants, he has been asked to be a top-2 cornerback, and rightfully so. He was selected 19th overall by the Giants, but he hasn’t lived up to that first round potential. Amukamara has been fine when he is on the field, but that’s been the main issue, his health. He has only played one full season since being drafted, and he has only appeared in 44 out of 64 possible games. His season was cut short again last year, due to a biceps tendon tear, so he will be looking bounce back in 2015.
A third player that needs to have a big 2015 is defensive end, and backup to Pierre-Paul, Damontre Moore. The Giants have been known to draft athletic defensive ends, and when they lost Osi Umenyiora to free agency, they drafted Moore in hopes that he would fill Umenyiora’s spot opposite of JPP. Moore has been nothing the Giants have hoped for, and he can’t seem to get himself off of Special Teams. The Giants also drafted Owa Odighizuwa out of UCLA, who seems to be impressing many people during training camp, and may hop over Moore in the depth chart.
Players To Look Out For
The first player to look out for in 2015 is linebacker Devon Kennard. For the Giants fans out there, they were able to see that Kennard has the potential to play at this level during the last month of the 2014 season. Kennard was drafted out of the University of Southern California, which is known for breeding big time linebackers. He has a great skill set, and has exceptional play recognition. Kennard should take a big step in 2015.
Another player to look out for, even though he has proven himself in the league, is Victor Cruz. Cruz is coming off of a huge injury and will certainly want to prove to everyone that he still is the same player. From the looks of it, Cruz seems to be up to speed at camp, and will get some burn in the preseason. He doesn’t necessarily need to have a huge year in terms of numbers, but if he can be the safety blanket for Eli, and get through a season with full health, it will be a benefit for this team.
Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins will also be someone to look out for as he is entering his third season. Hankins had a great season up the middle in 2014, as he recorded 71 tackles along with seven sacks. He has been solid player for New York since he entered the league, and can be one of the best tackles in the league. Hankins is great against the run, and will only get better in passing situations.
Offensive Outlook
This New York Giants offense has all the potential in the world, with Eli Manning at quarterback, and the weapons that he has surrounding him. With the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, and Larry Donnell, the Giants should be one of the best offenses in the NFL. But should is a big word to use here, and it is one of reasons why they play the games.
You take a look at those names, and you would probably say that this offense will score at least 25 points per game. They certainly could, but their offensive line could very well hinder that potential. New York signed Geoff Schwartz last year, but he missed most of the season due to injury. He will be an important piece for them because he has the most experience. This Giants line has potential, but each player is playing out of position, and the reason for that is because Will Beatty suffered a torn pec back in May, but he is expected back at some point during the season.
With that injury, it has forced people to get used to other positions in a short amount of time. Justin Pugh, who should be the left guard, may be put back to the right guard position, and then Weston Richburg, who had an okay rookie season, will probably be the center. Schwartz should be at his normal position at right guard, and then rookie Ereck Flowers will be thrown into the fire at left tackle, which is the most important position on the offensive line. That is what it looks like today, but a week from now, or by the start of the regular season, that line could look completely different.
Defensive Outlook
This Giants defense is probably one of the most interesting defenses in the league. They don’t have enormous talent like a Seattle or Houston team but they shouldn’t be bottom feeders either. Average would probably be the best word to describe them, but they have minimal upside.
The defense have guys that can make big plays like JPP, Hankins, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but then there are spots that could be real liabilities. The safety position will be a huge question mark because the Giants don’t even know who will be playing that position yet. The safeties that are on the roster are continuously working with the first and second teams, and no one has made a move for that starting spot.
New York did just sign Brandon Meriweather, so he will surely man one of the safety spots, but the other is up for grabs. Surely rookie Landon Collins should be on the other side, because that’s the reason the Giants drafted him, but who knows. However, if he is not the other starting safety, then the Giants definitely have a problem at that position.
Prediction
This 2015 New York Giants team certainly has the weapons on offense but both their offensive line and backend of the defense could really hinder their potential. But like stated earlier, that’s why they play the games. The Giants could win anywhere from 8-to-12 games, but the negatives will outweigh the positives, as this writer thinks they will finish 9-7.
Now the way the NFC East has played out over the last few years, that might be good enough to win the division, but the Giants will probably have to fight for a Wild Card spot. And as history shows us, all the Giants need to do is get in, and then anything can happen.