State of the Giants Offseason

I believe it's about as likely that we have a full NFL season in 2011, as it is that Godsmack will sing about a man desiring someone to come closer in proximity to him. But just for giggles, here is my assessment of the Giants coming into whatever the next season is.

Quarterbacks:

Obviously set with Eli Manning for another 5-7 years. He must cut down on the turnovers, but that will come with a more experienced group of receivers than he had in 2010. Eli has been super durable, with 110 consecutive starts trailing only his brother for the longest active streak. And if he gets injured for any prolonged period of time, the Giants are finished anyway. Still, I like Sage Rosenfels as a backup.

Running Backs:

They can squeeze one more good year out of the Jacobs and Bradshaw combo, but it's definitely time to start layering in new backs. I look for them to draft one in the middle to late rounds. This Giants team, as well as great Giants teams of the past, were all running teams first. And when it comes to running backs, you have to stay ahead of that inevitable sudden drop-off in their production.

Receivers/Tight Ends:

Just by getting healthy and a year older, they'll be better here. I don't think reinforcements are needed - and no, I don't think Burress will be back.

Offensive Line:

Whoever said a player shouldn't lose his job to injury, didn't watch this unit in 2010. Shaun O'Hara, who has had an excellent career, missed several games in the middle of the season. When Kevin Boothe or William Beatty took his place, and Rich Seubert was moved from guard to center, the line was flat out dominant. When O'Hara returned, they struggled. I don't know what to make of this, but it's a fact that this line is aging and is in dire need of young talent. I'd like to see at least two picks, one preferably a 1st or 2nd rounder, used on a lineman. The average age of the Giants' (non-injury altered) line in 2010 - McKenzie, Snee, O'Hara, Seubert, Diehl - was 30.8.

Defensive Line:

They're pretty set here. There is no reason Tuck and Umenyiora can't continue to dominate. Jason Pierre-Paul showed flashes, more and more as the season went on. Mathias Kiwanuka, if re-signed, would be gravy, but I wouldn't consider him a huge priority given he's coming off a major back injury. It would also be nice to see someone emerge from the tackle position, though I admit this is the most difficult position to evaluate from my couch.

Linebackers:

The position most sorely in need of difference-makers, and this has been the case for 3 years now. No one on the current roster interests me, nor scares any opposing offenses I assume.

Secondary:

I was impressed with the growth of Terrell Thomas in 2010. Corey Webster at the other corner spot is fine, and the safety triumvirate of Phillips, Grant, and Rolle are adequate.

One more thing on Rolle though: Shut up and play. Several times last year, having just arrived, Rolle popped off about a lack of leadership, Coughlin's coaching style, and even not having enough fun. I won't be too harsh on Rolle because I recognize the kind of organization he came from, but Tom Coughlin is a champion. Antrel Rolle is not. At least not yet. And I'm sorry you didn't have enough fun in 2010 Antrel - and here I thought the point of the NFL was to win games.

Notable free agents:

Ahmad Bradshaw, Mathias Kiwanuka, Steve Smith, Barry Cofield, Kevin Boss and Domenik Hixon.

I place the most importance on Bradshaw and Smith. Kiwanuka is expendable, as is Boss if they feel Travis Beckum is ready to assume all-around TE duties. They missed Hixon on special teams, but he'll have a hard time getting back into the WR mix. I expect Cofield will be back.

Buddy Blog Cross Promotion

My friend Drew is off to a terrific blogging start, with two great Tecmo-related items. I recommend adding him to your rolodex of "must-read" sports blogs that may not quite be updated every day...along with this one, of course.

Spring Training Quote of the Year

From an ESPN article titled, Joba Chamberlain obviously heavier - "Everybody's going to say weight, but you know what, scales are scales."

10 Worst Gut-Punching Giants Seasons

When you get right down to it, being a sports fan is a bad bet. With 30 or so teams competing with yours, even if yours is excellent your season is likely to end in disappointment. And with the past three Giants seasons ending in pretty agonizing fashion, I thought it would be interesting to rank the top 10 worst gut-punching ends to Giants seasons.

10) 1994

Regular season record: 9-7

Coach: Dan Reeves

The streakiest of Giants teams, they started 3-0, lost 7 in a row to fall to 3-7, including an awful 10-9 home loss to the 3-6 Arizona Cardinals, then reeled off 6 consecutive wins...but missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker to the Packers, Bears, and Lions, all 9-7 as well.

9) 1997

Regular season record: 10-5-1

Coach: Jim Fassel

The first Fassel season. In the wild card round, the Giants led Minnesota 16-0 in the 2nd quarter, and 19-3 at halftime. Randall Cunningham led the Vikings back, and the Giants lost 23-22.

8) 2005

Regular season record: 11-5

Coach: Tom Coughlin

A promising Giants team, shut out 23-0 at home by Carolina in the wild card round. Luckily, it would only be two more seasons until the greatest victory in the history of sports.

7) 2000

Regular season record: 12-4

Coach: Jim Fassel

Yes, it was a Super Bowl loss, but the Giants not being expected to beat the juggernaut Ravens keeps this season from being higher on list. Plus it's still overall a good memory, with Fassell's "raising the stakes" speech, and the 41-0 beating of the Vikings in the NFC Championship.

6) 2003

Regular season record: 4-12

Coach: Jim Fassel

Just ugly to watch. It became quite obvious that the team was not playing for Fassel anymore. After starting 4-4, they finished with 8 consecutive losses, outscored by 141 total points. However, this season came with a silver lining: they finished with a bad enough record to be able to trade up for Eli Manning in the 2004 draft.

5) 2009

Regular season record: 8-8

Coach: Tom Coughlin

After a disappointing end to 2008 (see below), the Giants appeared to put it all behind them and resume their winning ways, starting 5-0. But it was all downhill from there, as they went on to finish 8-8. The season finale was an embarrassing 44-7 home loss to Minnesota to close out the old Giants Stadium.

4) 2008

Regular season record: 12-4

Coach: Tom Coughlin

This team started 11-1, and looked downright unstoppable and on their way to repeating. Then Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg. After losing 3 of their final 4 games but still earning a 1st round bye, they suffered a 23-11 home loss to Philadelphia. In my opinion, the passing game still hasn't been quite the same without Burress.

3) 1989

Regular season record: 12-4

Coach: Bill Parcells

My first vague memory of watching the Giants was this game. An overtime loss to the 11-5 Rams, in which Jim Everett (bet I don't call him Chris) threw a 30 yard TD pass to Willie "Flipper" Anderson.

2) 2002

Regular season record: 10-6

Coach: Tom Coughlin

The disastrous 39-38 wild card loss to San Francisco. The Giants blew a 38-14 lead, and the game ended with an egregious no-call pass interference on a botched FG attempt.

1) 2010

Regular season record: 10-6

Coach: Tom Coughlin

Still so fresh in my mind, therefore resonating the most. In Week 15, they blew a 31-10 lead at home against the hated Eagles, losing 38-31 on a DeSean Jackson punt return TD with no time remaining. Having lost their hold on the NFC East but still controlling their playoff fate, they followed that up with a 45-17 loss in Green Bay, in which they let Aaron Rodgers do whatever he wanted.

The Giants are an interesting organization. They've won just enough championships to be rightly considered in the upper echelon of sports franchises...but as the marquee franchise in the marquee city, it seems they should win even more. I wouldn't expect Yankee-level dominance; but at least Steeler-level excellence. So, here's to hoping they live up to that pipe dream in the future...and that they provide no more seasons to land on a future list like this.

Hall of Shame

Yesterday, the NFL's Hall of Fame class of 2011 was revealed. For Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, and Ed Sabol for what he did for the league with NFL Films, these honors are well deserved, and in Sabol's case long overdue. I take nothing away from these three in the following rant...

Curtis Martin not getting in on the 1st ballot was a travesty. This is officially the end of the Hall of Fame as a legit, upstanding vote. Its new name, borrowed from Steve Czaban: The Hall of Unaccountable, Biased Sportswriters.

Shannon Sharpe was going to get in eventually, but over Curtis? No way. Jerome Bettis not making it was also proof that these voters are idiots.

Richard Dent was one part of a great defense (for a short period of time). Big deal. You don't vote for people because they've been waiting a long time, you vote for the best. And those other two old jabronis who made it, I am not even going to bother to look up their Wikipedia pages because they are irrelevant.

Funny side note: knowing the kind of person Curtis Martin is, I realize I am way more angry over this than Curtis himself, who by all accounts is ridiculously kind and humble. So this snub was in no way a punishment to Curtis Martin himself. But it is a slap in the face to anyone who watched Martin play...or anyone who understands football, really.