Loading ...Not much going on today so I wanted to pop in with a question for G101ers and see what you guys think. If Aaron Ross is totally healthy and performing like his old self come training camp and preseason, does he return to the starting role that he surrendered to Terrell Thomas last year?
First of all, let’s get the jokes out of they way: yes, Aaron Ross being healthy is a huge if; yes, his hamstrings might be made out of rubber bands. But remember, this is the same guy who willingly threw an already subluxed shoulder into Marion Barber’s thigh in a playoff game, and dropped Barber in his tracks. The guy’s a warrior, not to mention that he probably has the best hands in our secondary.
Of course, this doesn’t take anything away from Thomas, who could very soon be the best cornerback on the Giants if he continues progress at the rate he did last year. Thomas rarely gets caught out of position, and last year made big strides towards plugging the biggest hole in his game: tackling the ball carrier. He came out of college with a history of injuries, but has remained healthy so far in the pros. Does Aaron Ross’ faded pedigree knock this clearly deserving kid out of a starting role?
Time (and Perry Fewell) will tell, but I think I’m going to have to side with T-squared on this on. Not that he’s far and away a better corner than a healthy Ross (although he may well be), but Ross fits into the nickel role better. Ross has played a lot of different positions in the secondary and so he’s got the versatility to wear many hats, which would prevent Thomas from trying to get used to things he probably didn’t do alot of last year as the main guy. The kicker: Ross might as well take the smaller defensive workload if he’s going to be returning punts (as I think he should be).
What say you, G101?
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June 22, 2010 at 2:03 PM
wat up ken folks!
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jcharles says:
June 22, 2010 at 2:04 PM
reading that last posts comments and…..
all i gots to say is that if yall want to go back into the archives and find gold, yall need to check out my predictions from around this time last year and tell me i aint the man! lol
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jcharles says:
June 22, 2010 at 2:07 PM
kyle if you go back and look at the tape from the last two years, Kiwi gets WAY more pressure and wreaks havoc alot more that osi. osi was on the field more, but KIWI has been holding it down since 08. you can’t compare numbers if one is a starter and the other is not. osi got more snaps over the last few years minus the year he was injured.
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jcharles says:
June 22, 2010 at 2:07 PM
im just saying, watch the film.
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Grateful Giants says:
June 22, 2010 at 2:09 PM
so how we finishin this year?
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jcharles says:
June 22, 2010 at 2:09 PM
watch the film and tell me who you would rather block.
Last year i remember tuck saying he did not care if he started and he wouldn’t mind comming off the bench. why don’t they just let osi AND kiwi start and play tuck off the bench in a ton of plays?
I don’t want tuck on the bench, but if there is going to be a problem we need to avoid it at all costs.
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jcharles says:
June 22, 2010 at 2:09 PM
12-4. write that down folks.
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Grateful Giants says:
June 22, 2010 at 2:16 PM
Thats what I thought too…12-4 13-3
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im first up in here!!!!
It’s a tough decision, because of something you only lightly covered – Ross’ potential as a punt returner. If Ross’ role as a PR is the #1 guy for that job, then I think the starting CB spot goes to Thomas. But should Ross really be the #1 PR? He may be the best for the job, but as far as injuries are concerned, after CWeb, Ross & Thomas, there isn’t much to write home about at the CB position. Manningham, however, may be better suited as the PR. He doesn’t have the hands that Ross has, but he’s more elusive. I’m not sure who’s faster, they’re probably both wicked fast. But if Manningham gets hurt, there’s more depth at WR – Manningham is the 4th best receiving option on the team, and for an offense that is usually built around a dominant run game, there shouldn’t be all that many opportunities for 3 WR sets. Losing Manningham would be less detrimental to the offense than losing Ross would be to the defense.
So I say that Ross should not be the primary PR, and that it should be an even competition for the starting CB spot between Ross and TT. Who would win that battle, if it were straight up, I have no idea. By far the most interesting camp position battle (besides Kiwi vs Osi – only because of the drama), and even though I’m a bit of a Ross homer since I was pulling for the Giants to draft him, I think the edge might go to Thomas. He had a breakout year amid a horrid defense last year. I can only imagine how much better he might do with a solid defense around him.
I like the ability to cover in my corners. Therefore its Thomas. By a considerble margin imo. Thomas was also one of only a couple of defenders from last year that Id give a passing grade..
ross was only hurt one season and it was a hammy. yall are acting like he has sinorita-itis or something. he had a tough injury….. A (singular) injury and i do not think it will have ANY bearing what so ever on this year and his being on the field. TT is great web is great and ross is prety darn good too. how quickly we forget.
Actually, the 08 season is fresh in mind..
I’ve always thought that Ross would be a great nickel-corner while Thomas seems suited to line up with those bigger, more physical receivers.
Mario would scare me though. I d like to see a mix of both ross and mario. T2 starting with ross seeing plenty of time with lots of nickel packages
Manningham would terify me to death. At the end of the day, the risk/reward on punt returns so heavily lean toward the risk side…I just can’t put a fumbler or any guy with inconsistent focus (which Manningham has clearly displayed) in that role. Sure, he may break one or two, but fumbling one or two inside the twenty will erase the joy of watching him take it 60 yrds to the house…
Levito– I guess I just disagree as to how important the punt returning is. To me, it’s more of the clincher than the first step in the debate (although, I’ll grant you that I would be far more reticent to send Ross out there for punts if he is a starter).
As to the injury thing, I’m just not sure it’s anywhere as big a deal on punts as it is on kickoffs. Plenty of coaches have put immeasurably important players to handle punts: DeSean Jackson, Ed Reed, and broken-arm Steve Smith to name a few.
That said, I don’t think you decide the punt return job on whose loss would be easier to deal with. Just like you insinuate with the starting CB jobs, the punt return should go to the best guy out there (IMO Ross, don’t trust Manningham). And if Ross is going to return punts, then he shouldn’t be the starter.
did Levito just say that manningham was the fourth best option ok….. i can give you nicks and definately smith, but who else has proven to be a better option that manninham?
I suppose he meant Boss…
um…. i love boss but in killdrives system he is far from a recieving THREAT. especially not over a guy who could have easily put up a 1000 yd season and has the elusiveness and quckness that manningham has. don’t get me wrong. he gets on my nerves ALOT, but Boss is not more of a threat or a better receiving option that manningham.
it also seems that the coaches have been leaning more towards opening up the passing game more and not being so run heavy. just reading between the lines here folks.