Loading ...In last week’s pre-draft position-by-position look at the Giants roster, I mentioned that I thought the Tight End unit was an area of need that was going under the radar. Yesterday, G101′s Rich O’Callaghan took a look at the merits of TE Jermaine Gresham for the Giants on draft day. While the need doesn’t quite warrant using a premium draft pick on a player like Gresham, it wouldn’t be smart for the Giants to stand pat at the position and hope it works itself out in training camp.
First let’s take a look at the roster: Kevin Boss is the main man, no arguments there. Travis Beckum saw some field last year, but hardly lined up on the line of scrimmage. In short, he was a pass catching option, never a TE. Bear Pascoe seems to have decent physicality, and Darcy Johnson’s benching allowed him to see some time last year. Most fans concur that between Pascoe and late-season waiver claim Scott Chandler a run blocking 3rd TE will emerge.
Now the argument can be made that this works: 3 guys; one who can catch passes, one who can run block and one who can do both.
Well, here’s the problem: what if Kevin Boss gets hurt? Although he looked indestructible in taking a beating last year, I assure you, he’s not. So Boss is down for a few weeks; Beckum can’t hold down the full responsibilities; anybody hanging their hat on the Pascoe/Chandler combo?
I’m not trying to put any of these guys down. Beckum and Pascoe both showed enough last year to make us think they will be good at what they do, but neither have the skill set to replace what Boss does schematically. If the Giants don’t carry 7 WR’s this year, you could almost pencil Beckum into that roster spot and call him an H-back or WR or whatever you like; but he’s yet to be anything close to a TE.
Somewhere along the line the Giants need to pick up a poor man’s Kevin Boss. Someone with the physicality to run block, but also the athleticism to go out there and catch some passes in the middle of the field. First round or seventh round, that might be hard to do on draft day. The solution to this problem might be a veteran who gets cut after the draft or during training camp.
Other Notes:
- Dave Tollefson has signed his second-round tender. Gerris Wilkinson and Barry Cofield remain unsigned, however their agents say they have signed injury waivers that will allow them to participate in the offseason workout program..
- Be sure to check out our friends Pat Traina (Inside Football) and Ed Valentine (Big Blue View) tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EDT on New York Giants Talk. They’ll be joined by G101 favorite D.J. Ware and will also be taking live questions.
Related Videos
Returning Soon!!!!No related posts.
Short URL: http://www.giants101.com/3rdand1/nq
Agreed. I do like the idea of seubert as the sixth ol and plays te on running down which helps and make bekum what he is a pass catcher. I would love another boss but is there one available?
Problem with that is, you know its a run whenever Seubert is in the game. If the play is a pass, defenses know Eli is not threading the needle to Seubert for a first down.
Btw first lol
jay– I don’t know if there’s anyone available who’s as good as Kevin Boss. But there’s got to be a veteran out there (or who will be out there) who has a similarly well rounded skillset. Even if the Giants had to part with a late round pick for this simple Boss-insurance…I think it’s important.
Michael Hoomanawanui in the 7th.
Oh man, that’s a bad ESPN fantasy football commercial waiting to happen…
I pray the Giants don’t draft this guy. Typing his name every day would be BRUTAL.
Dr. Coughlin alludes to KP’s knee as “limited”. Looks like Taylor Mays is back in the Pick #15 discussion.
Read that too. At least the organization is being careful with their words about this
And being careful with phillips himself…
Could also be a draft day diversionary tactic.
just read that too and I agree…Mays/ WeatherSpoon/ Price if McClain is gone at 15.
Earl Thomas over Taylor Mays every single time.
I am so sick of this Taylor Mays nonsense.
As a Junior – NO INTERCEPTIONS, NO FORCED FUMBLES, Just 38 solo tackles
As a Senior – ONE INTERCEPTION, NO FORCED FUMBLES, Just 45 solo tackles
I wouldn’t take Mays in the second round. Workout warrior, huge size, NOT a great football player.
Give me Earl Thomas:
2008 – 52 solo tackles, 2 interceptions 4 forced fumbles
2009 – 44 solo tackles, 8 interceptions, 1 forced fumble
That is 9 more picks and 5 more forced fumbles than Mays over the past two seasons.
Thomas is a playmaker. Mays is not.
I respect your opinion, but my question is, dont we already have a FS like Thomas on our Roster in Rolle and Wouldnt a big hitting SS like Mays be the perfect compliment to him id KP is not ready? Wouldnt Rolle and Thomas be the softest safety duo in the NFL?
Except in todays NFL you dont want one and the other. You want two guys who are interchangeable.
Agreed.
There is hardly a split between free safety and strong safety anymore.
If KP can’t go, I am fine with Rolle and Johnson.
But I would rather a playmaker, like Thomas back there than Mays.
Simon- I think you are selling Beckum a little short man. He is not Michael Mathews as a blocker by any means but neither are Chris Cooley or Dallas Clark and their teams seem to be OK with them as the HBack/TE
I hope that they are just being overly cautous with how they discuss Phillips..Him back at anywhere near 100% puts this defense on another level entirely..
Even Phillips himself said he wasn’t going to be running until the end of this month, so yeah of course he is still limited. We should know a lot more come mini camp in May
I’d say I was going to pray for him to be healthy by camp but I dont want to get Tebowed:-)
Ben Roethlisberger suggested sacrificing a virgin.
LOL! Dont you mean Rapelisberger?
With Mays/ spoon/ Price all being possible late first rd picks and all the depth in rds 2-3 I could really see JR trading down to pick up an extra pick in one of those rds, especially if a talent falls and their is a team desperate to come up and grab him. I know that is not his normal MO but this is not a normal off season in either the NFL as a whole or NY specifically
I d only want a TE if it was later on in the draft after we sure up some need positions. I was gonna say maybe Ed Dickson since he’s from Oregon and so is Boss. Might be a good fit but ED will probally be gone too soon. Caught a piece on the TE’s in this draft on NFL network and the one guy I really really like was the TE from the U. Jerry something or other. He played BBall for 4 years and has a ton of upside. Someone will reach on him though. I think we are fine with Boss as the primary TE and maybe they will get their head out of their rears and figure out how to use Beckum!
The TE from Miami is Jimmy Graham.
He is a huge project, only played 1 year at the U after being a hoops player for a few years.
A Antonio Gates type project who needs to learn how to play football.
Just 17 catches last season, with 5 TDs. Most of them in the Red Zone on jump balls.