Loading ...The Giants secondary struggled mightily last season, partly due to the loss of safety Kenny Phillips to a knee injury following a week two win at Dallas. How sad is it that Phillips only played in two games and he still finished tied for second on the team statistically with two interceptions? The secondary was terrible without their best playmaker following week two, but I feel as though they will take a huge step forward during the 2010 season for many reasons:
- The Return of Kenny Phillips - The loss of Phillips, the best player in the Giants secondary, following week two of the 2009 season doomed the Giants defense. After two games Phillips had two interceptions and 13 tackles, leading the entire Giants team in both categories. Without Phillips, Michael Johnson was forced to be the best safety on the field, which he was incapable of doing, and the horrible C.C. Brown was forced into action. We all know what happened next. The Giants organization is being cautiously optimistic with Phillips and will limit him in training camp and the preseason, but it looks like he will be ready for action by the season opener. I think it will take the Giants talented young safety a little time to become confident in his knee again, but his return will be a huge boost to the secondary. I just wish the Giants would give the fans an honest answer on how hurt Phillips is and what we can expect from him in 2010, but we should know what we are getting during training camp.
- The Addition of Antrel Rolle – The Giants free agent prize this off season was the talented and super athletic Antrel Rolle, a former cornerback who moved to safety in Arizona. Rolle has a nose for the ball (10 interceptions the last three years), is blessed with great vision and speed after an interception (four interceptions returned for TDs) and can make a big hit in the open field (as he did on Giants tight end Kevin Boss last season). If Rolle is paired with a healthy Kenny Phillips, the Giants likely have the most talented safety tandem in the entire NFL. He also is insurance that, if Phillips is not healthy, the Giants will still have a Pro-Bowl caliber safety on the roster. I expect big things from Antrel Rolle in 2010.
- The Development of Terrell Thomas - A second round in the 2008 draft pick out of USC, Terrell Thomas has quickly developed into one of the better starting cornerbacks in the league, and is ready to become a star. Thomas led the Giants in both tackles (85) and interceptions (5) during the 2010 season, running one of those interceptions back for a touchdown. I think Thomas is ready to burst onto the national scene, and he will look even better surrounded by Rolle and a healthy Phillips and Corey Webster.
- New Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell - One reason the Giants defense was so horrendous in 2010 was defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, who was unqualified for the position and was totally overwhelmed. The Giants fired Sheridan this off season and brought in the fiery Perry Fewell, a high energy coach who was the former defensive coordinator and interim head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Fewell came into the league as a defensive backs coach, and from what I’ve heard, he is focusing heavily on improved play in the secondary during practices. The addition of Fewell could be a huge boost to the Giants secondary, and he is getting rave reviews as the defensive coordinator thus far.
- Corey Webster’s Health - The Giants best corner entering 2009, Webster struggled with a knee injury that ended up costing him the final three games of the season. He had a limited impact with just 51 tackles and one interception, and he was clearly not the top flight corner the Giants expected him to be. When Fewell discussed his impressions oft he Giants during OTAs, he talked about Webster standing out and making great plays, and mentioned that he is perfect for his style of defense. I think that a healthy and motivated Webster has a huge comeback season under Fewell and surrounded by much more talented players in the secondary.
- Signing Deon Grant - The Giants signed veteran safety Deon Grant this off season following his release from the Seattle Seahawks. The 31 year-old Grant has clearly lost a step from his younger days, but he is regarded as one of the brightest players in the league, who can still get the job done on smarts. He still managed three interceptions in 2009 while making 78 tackles, was a leader on and off the field for the Seahawks, and he will bring some much needed experience to the secondary. Grant is also amazingly durable, never missing one of his 144 career NFL games due to injury.
- Improved Pass Rush – Most of the Giants defensive lineman (Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Canty, Barry Cofield, Fred Robbins, Rocky Bernard, Jay Alford) were either playing hurt last season, were placed on injured reserve, or were coming off a serious injury in 2008. Really, everyone except Mathais Kiwanuka and Dave Tollefson, which is an amazing case of bad luck. Due to these injuries, the Giants pass rush was non-existent in 2009, and quarterbacks had all day to pick apart the secondary. The Giants will not only have all of these players healthy in 2010, but also added defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul in the first round and defensive tackle Linval Joseph in the second round of the draft. So the Giants pass rush should once again be ferocious in 2010, which will obviously make the secondary look better. Quarterbacks under duress make many more mistakes.
- Aaron Ross’ Health – The Giants talented but injury plagued former first round pick, who seems to be cursed with deformed hamstrings is finally 100% healthy. Of course he now wants to return punts, a terrible idea in my mind. Why put a valuable player who cannot stay healthy in such a high risk position? Ross needs to realize that he is the nickelback which is basically a starter in today’s passing league NFL. The Giants need him healthy, because the only other non-starting cornerback currently guaranteed a roster spot is the promising Bruce Johnson. The one thing the Giants lack in the secondary is cornerback depth, but Rolle could get back to his roots and slide down to play some dime corner on sure passing downs, with Phillips and either Johnson or Grant deep. The team also has undrafted rookie free agent Seth Williams from Richmond, a player who really impressed the staff during OTAs.
- Michael Johnson – When Kenny Phillips was injured last season, Johnson was asked to be the best safety on the field, and he was not up to the task. After two good games next to Phillips, Johnson was terrible when paired with C.C. Brown and Aaron Rouse for the remainder of the season. Unlike many of this sites readers, I think that Johnson has a good chance to win the third safety spot behind starters Phillips and Rolle. Although Johnson will never make a Pro Bowl and is a will never succeed if he is the best safety on the field, if he is able to play pressure free next to either Phillips or Rolle, he will be fine.
- C.C. Brown and Aaron Rouse – No longer with the team. This can only pay huge positive dividends for the secondary.
- NOTE: Expect wide receiver Domenik Hixon to clear waivers and land on the Giants IR. His release was really a formality, because this is the final year of his contract. If another team wanted Hixon, they would need to pick him up, then place him on IR and sign him to an extension. Nobody is going to do that for a return man with a blown out knee. As you know, Hixon tore up his knee fielding a punt untouched on the Giants new stadium turf during OTAs.
- NOTE: I was just reading that former Giant C.C. Brown is expected to win the Lions starting safety spot next to young star Louis Delmas. Don’t they know C.C. stands for Can’t Cover? Detroit’s management had better be scouring the waiver wires for a safety during roster cuts.
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repost (sorry I keep missing the end of the threads):
be perfectly honest with you, i have two points to make about Hixon being released. He was a great St player for us, and I never felt completely out of any game as long as Hixson had a return coming. I am happy he was let go because, although I do love the loyalty that the Giants show to their players, and franchise, there is a point where it is a business, and winning has to be everything. I am happy to see that someone else is going to be given a chance to be a body on the field, instead of a body on a bike, as we have seen far too often with this roster.
Also, as happy I am that they brought that body in for Hixon, Jennings (I will be honest I know nothing about) does not really create that warm and fuzzy feeling on ST for me. I would personally like to see someone like Tim Brown make the team. Between Jennings, Moss, and Brown, I think that only one of those three will make it because they all sound like a very similar build, speed, ST player, and Catching ability. If I had to pick one, for a WR position I would go with the youth… I understand what FF55 was saying about Moss knowing the playbook, and having “good” hands, I just would rather not have him on my roster anymore. Jennings seems like a ST hero, and with Tol, Black, DeOssi, we have plenty of those. I would prefer hixon 100% over any and all three of them BTW.
ST is just as important as Offense and Defense, and with an unknown punter, a RETARDED coach, Laurence “I cant do half my job” Tynes, and a big ? on returns, it is good to know that there are guys that will be fighting for spots, and hopefully making the entire unit better. What I am most concerned about is not the returns though, its the coverage/kicks. I think we upgraded out ST through the draft,and expect our youngsters to fly down that field and make tackles. I have nightmares about that return that Jack-assson from philly returned on us last year…
Alright well the move is pretty much done. The place is pretty much set up except for our dining room table (a big as thing from Ikea that was just to damn ridiculous for me to set up yesterday), a few shelves (my leveler broke during the move so I gotta get another one today) and the cable. I wanted DirectTV but it didn’t work out, so we’re getting Uverse. I’ve head good things about it, specifically that the HD stuff is phenomenal. I sure hope so; I just dropped almost $600 on a new TV!
All in all, the place looks great and is really nice. But for those few things, we’re done and back to normal life. That means my G101 privileges have been restored. So you’ll be treated to more inane comments from yourstruly!
Giants Pro Bowl Wideout Steve Smith via Twitter:
“Just a reminder, I’ll be in camp on time.”
Smith wants a new contract from Big Blue.
Wow, Dan was right…this site is DEAD!
yeah it is…
Go Giants!!!
Wait…Steve Smith made the Pro Bowl?
Having Aaron Ross return punts virtually guarantees he’ll end up on IR. I’ll go on record with that right now… if he’s catching punts then his 2010 season will be brief.
Krow – I totally agree with you.
If Coughlin lets him return punts, first cut of the first punt of the first preseason game he tears his hamstring. Mark it down.
I could have sworn I was going to get killed on here for talking up Michael Johnson again.
Where is FF55?
ok ROC Ill take the bait.
Michael Johnson, will be lucky(yeah lucky) to get the 4th Safety spot. There is no way in hell that he gets put above Deon grant on the depth chart. Aaron Ross should also be ahead of him on the Depth chart too IMO. Shoot, Chad Jones with one leg might even be better… Michael Johnson needs to learn a lot of fundamentals before he can be a starter in the NFL. He is satisfactory when surrounded by elite talent, and he his the weakest link on the field, but with Kenny, Antrel, and then Deon…he will be the odd man out, guaranteed!
Michael johnson sucks, was given a chance to lead a team when we needed him most, and what did he do? He pranced all over the backside of our defense liek a ballerina watching WRs fly right past him, missing tackles, missing assignments, and missing the ball… he needs to learn all three of those FUNDAMENTAL skills before he will upend ANYONE! Even on ST he needs those three things… good luck MJ!
And Adam Jennings is another half-as’sed Special Teams move that accomplishes little. For whatever reason our managament does not value this area of the team. Despite spouting all the proverbs, when it comes down to actually devoting resources to that area the only positive in recent memory is that 6th round punter. And they only did that because Feagles was classy enough to tell them he was retiring.
We’re well below average in virtually all aspects of ST play. Tynes is a decent FG kicker, but a poor KO man. We lack a top tier gunner. And no one is there to return anything. Even Hixon was a lucky break waiver pick-up. And now we don’t even have him.
Incredible… but they simply don’t give a damn.
then add the fact they did nothing to replace Tom Quinn, for as much stress that TC puts on field position… you would think that there would be some significant moves made. Maybe that punter was just the extent of their significant moves, I just hope not.