5 Things Giants fans should look for early in the season.
1. Eli Apple and Sterling Shepard’s production
Okay here we go. I’m going to come out and say it, because apparently it’s not the favorite opinion out there: Eli Apple doesn’t look like a top 10 pick to me. Yes, he’s a versatile corner and he’s rather big, but when you look at his tape, he often times has trouble against elite talent. And let me tell you something you fruit man, it’s only gonna get tougher in the NFL. I think Apple would have been a great addition if the Giants had traded down to get him, but he was picked with the overall mindset that he would become a cornerstone player at the cornerback position for years to come. I don’t think he has the talent necessary to strive and blossom early on in his career. If he doesn’t produce early and often this year, just know I saw this coming a mile away.
On the other side of the ball, Sterlin Shepard is one of the most incredible pickups the giants have made in recent years. Yes, I am biased, as I have watched this kid grow for the last two years. He has the necessary tools to become Victor Cruz 2.0, and how scary would that be considering we have Victor Cruz himself? If Shepard has the motor and the drive that many project him to have, and he has consistent attention from his veteran quarterback, then he should be able to play his way to rookie of the year
2. The Offensive Line Situation
So the giants didn’t address the offensive line in the draft, which surprised me a lot. Our offensive line has been average at best in the running game, and I’m not exactly jumping out of my chair that Marshall Newhouse is one of our starters. Should the Giants not add any more help in the upcoming months to the season, I expect the same type of production from our offensive line which should scare Giants fans. Yes, we have new toys to play with in Jerrel Adams and Sterling Shepard, but our running back group is pretty much the same except for the addition of Paul Perkins. Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg better give their all to lead the way for the Giants, or this could get ugly real quick. Also, expect this to be a hot topic issue if the Giants struggle to run the football in the first half of the season.
3. Ben McAdoo and how he plays the role of Head Coach.
So, we have a new guy running the show huh? Ben McAdoo’s first season as head of the New York Giants could be exemplary, or but who knows? It’s one thing to call plays for your team on the offensive side of the ball with guys like Beckham and Manning, it’s a completely different thing to run the whole team. Not to say McAdoo is not the right guy for the job, but I was pretty disappointed the giants didn’t give Coughlin another year with the massive amount of money they spent to rebuild their whole defense. I mean, what else could the guy have done with a makeshift defensive line and only 1 pro-bowl safety who constantly asks to be taken out of the game to stretch? In any case, McAdoo’s handling of the team should be something to watch out for early in the season to see the direction in which this team is headed.
4. The spending spree on defense, and the possible impact it could have.
Wow, did we get the wallet out or what? With over 200 million dollars on the books for the next couple of years to guys like Olivier Vernon and Janoris Jenkins, the Giants were not messing around when it came to rebuilding their defense. And why not throw in some money? This team was ranked one of the worst, if not the very worst, defenses in football last year, and they cost the team more games than any other ball club in 2015. One of the most painful ones to come to mind might have been that Patriots game, where safety Landon Collins dropped the interception that could have put the game away for good. But no matter, this team should be ready for battle come week one against the cowboys. A particular group to watch should be the defensive line. Jason Pierre Paul, Damon Harrison, Jonathan Hankins, Olivier Vernon. Good Luck NFC East.
5. The safety Battle: Here comes the BOOM!
This might be the topic I’m most excited about. The safety help came in the draft on the third round in the form of Darius Thompson from Boise State. This kid can definitely ball. After watching some tape, I could see him beating out the current safeties on the roster and pairing him with the hard hitting Landon Collins could make for an excellent match. But one cannot forget about guys like Bennett Jackson, Nat Berhe, and Cooper Taylor. These guys will not let their opportunities slip away just because this guy was drafted early on by the Giants. Should Thompson beat them out for the starting job, however, look for him to be as impactful on that defense as he was during college. If all goes according to plan, we may be looking at one of the best play-making defenses in the making in this Giants team.
