GIANTS 101

When the Giants drafted Clint Sintim in the second round of the 2009 draft, fans everywhere were extremely excited. Sintim looked the part of a star NFL linebacker at 6’3 256lbs he could rush the passer and stuff the run. Fans and writers were dubbing him the next great Giants linebacker, the next in a line of players that includes Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Carl Banks and Jessie Armstead. As a rookie, Sintim was learning how to play outside linebacker in the 4-3 defense (he played in the 3-4 at UVA) and he sat behind veteran Danny Clark on the Giants depth chart. Sintim finished the season with just 20 tackles and a sack, but did show flashes that he could be great one day.

The 2010 season was supposed to be the year that the Giants unleashed Clint Sintim on the NFL. When Sintim burst onto the scene pressuring quarterbacks and putting big hits on ball carriers each week. Veteran linebacker Danny Clark was gone and it seemed Sintim had zero challengers for the starting strong side linebacker spot. It was time for him to make an impact.

This has all changed over the last few days, as the Giants have been lining up several players other than Sintim on the strong side of the defense, and Sintim has been taking fewer and fewer reps with the first unit. Sintim has struggled during the preseason so far, failing to show flashes or make the significant impact that was expected from him in 2010. I focused on him on every one of his snaps, and he looks indecisive and has often been tangled up with blockers and driven out of plays. He needs to do a better job of shedding blockers and finding his way to the football if he expects to get significant playing time for the Giants this season. I cannot help but wonder if Sintim did not see any challengers to his starting position and assumed it would be handed to him on a silver platter. He does not seem to be playing with the fire or the urgency of Jonathan Goff, who has been impressive as the Giants starting middle linebacker, and looks like he held off all challengers for his starting position.

It looked like newly signed linebacker Keith Bulluck would be the Giants starting middle linebacker when he signed with the team on July 24th, but Ralph Vacchiano of The Daily News is reporting that the Giants informed Bulluck on Monday that he will not only be playing in the middle. Bulluck now will be learning the responsibilities of an outside linebacker in Perry Fewell’s defense, the position where he was a two time All-Pro as a member of the Tennessee Titans. The Giants have also been using defensive end Mathais Kiwanuka as a strong side linebacker in their Big Base defense, and speedy linebacker Gerris Wilkinson has been seen taking reps on the strong side with the first unit, all moves that take reps away from Sintim.

I do think that Sintim will likely remain the starter on the strong side of the Giants defense for the time being, and I hope that these personnel moves light a fire in him, and he starts making some impact plays. He is still very young and adjusting to the NFL, and I am by no means calling into question his long term potential, but he is still a work in progress and is far from a finished product. It does look like Sintim will be part of a rotation, and he may have a hard time holding onto his starting position unless he starts to make some strides and improves his play. It is clear however, that a position that once looked set in stone for the Giants now looks to be a question mark, and the Giants now have a competition on their hands.

Notes:

• It was very disconcerting to hear that defensive tackle Chris Canty injured his groin at practice today. Canty was the Giants’ big free agent last summer, but struggled with multiple leg injuries throughout last season, which stopped him from playing to his full potential in 2009. The coaching staff has praised Canty so far this preseason and he was playing much better on tape, but this injury is clearly another setback. Even if this injury proves to be minor, I hope the Giants shut Canty down for the next few weeks, so he can play in the opener at 100%.
• Another significant injury hit the Giants during the preseason showdown with the Steelers on Saturday night when cornerback Aaron Ross injured his foot. The injury was originally diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis, but he flew to Charlotte today for a second opinion on the injury. If Ross is out for a significant amount of time, it will be a big blow for the Giants, who already lack cornerback depth in 2010. Ross was slated to be the nickel back, a duty that would fall to the talented but unproven Bruce Johnson, and there is little depth behind him as Courtney Brown, D.J. Johnson and Seth Williams were battling for the fifth corner spot. Look for the Giants to join the Baltimore Ravens as teams scouring the waiver wire for experienced cornerback depth once teams begin to trim their rosters.

Tags: Aaron Ross, Bruce Johnson, Carl Banks, Chris Canty, Clint Sintim, Courtney Brown, D.J. Johnson, Harry Carson, Keith Bulluck, Lawrence Taylor, Perry Fewell, Ralph Vacchiano, Seth Williams

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