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Last offseason, New York Giants General Manager Jerry Reese received a significant amount of criticism for the decisions he made regarding many of the team's free agents. By not bringing back wide receiver Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss, there seemed to be glaring holes on the depth chart at two key offensive positions.
However, in Week 3 of the 2011 season, an undrafted free agent out of UMass by the name of Victor Cruz had a coming out party against the Philadelphia Eagles. Cruz caught three passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns while going up against one of the most talented defensive backfield's in the league. From there on out, Cruz went on to break Big Blue's single season record for receiving yards while becoming an indispensable aspect of the offense.
It would be foolish to say that we should expect the Giants to have another player come out of seemingly nowhere to step-up and have a Pro-Bowl caliber season; however, the team has a core of young players that have not yet reached their full potential. Below, we will examine a few members of Big Blue's core of younger players that could surprise us and surpass their respective expectations throughout the 2012 campaign:
Linval Joseph (DT) – After being drafted with the 46th pick of the 2010 draft, the 6'4/ 323lb defensive tackle out of East Carolina saw little playing time for the duration of his rookie campaign. It was not until the last two games of the 2010 season that Joseph began to crack the defensive line rotation (44 snaps over two games ). For his entire rookie season, Joseph accumulated six tackles while seeing action in eight games.
However, with the departure of Barry Coefield last offseason, the team promoted Linval Joseph to the starting defensive tackle position alongside Chris Canty. Although Joseph played inconsistently for the majority of the regular season, he was dominant in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers. For the duration of the game, Joseph overmatched the Green Bay offensive line, helping to allow only 2 yards per carry between the tackles. Furthermore, Pro Football Focus rated Joseph as the best defensive tackle in the playoffs, causing more pressures on the quarterback than any other player at his position.
A full year of NFL experience could allow Joseph to drastically improve throughout the 2012 season. With the Giant's extremely talented defensive line, teams will have no choice but to consistently leave Joseph in one on one matchups. With his size and overall talent, do not be surprised to see Linval Joseph wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines this season.
In today's NFL, where many high octane passing offenses rely upon delayed runs out of the shot-gun to facilitate an effective rushing attack, having a run-stopping defensive tackle in the heart of the defense can take a serious amount of pressure off Big Blue's elite pass rushing defensive ends.
Prince Amukamara (CB) – Needless to say, Prince Amukamara's professional career has gotten off to a rocky start. He lost all of his first offseason due to the lockout, got injured in his second NFL practice and missed the first nine regular season games. When he did see action in regular season games last season, Amukamara struggled mightily. Opposing quarterbacks boasted a 125.0 QB rating and a 70% completion percentage on balls thrown in his direction. Many have already labeled him as a bust. While talking about how Amukamara looked hesitant at times last season, Head Coach Tom Coughlin stated the following:
“That will happen. If he gets himself in position where he is comfortable and knows what he’s doing, we have seen that other aspect — the physical part of the play. You saw it, too. As a collegiate player (at Nebraska), that’s what he was. He was a physical player. He was a corner.”
Prince is finally expected to be healthy and able to contribute this season. Just a year ago, he was a first-round pick and being heralded as the "steal of the draft." He is finally going to have his first full offseason to learn the playbook and better understand the defensive schemes. With starters Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas ahead of him on the depth chart, Prince will have time to ease into the season and learn the playbook. It would be preposterous to expect Prince to have a Pro-Bowl caliber 2012 campaign; however, we can expect him to come into the season as the nickel cornerback and steadily improve throughout the year.
Da'Rel Scott (RB) - Although Scott showed promise during the 2011 preseason, he produced very little in regular season play. Furthermore, this season he will be buried on the depth chart behind Ahmad Bradshaw, David Wilson, and D.J. Ware. He will struggle to get carries early on.
However, Scott has blazing speed (4.34 40 yard dash) and a year of experience under his belt. When comparing him to starter Ahmad Bradshaw, Scott is about the same size as him, just younger and faster. If he can learn the Giants protection schemes, as well as improve his field vision with the ball in his hands (these are big "if's"), he has the athletic ability to become a great player.
In the NFL, speed kills, and Da'rel Scott has a lot of speed. Although the fastest running backs are not always the most productive, we saw flashes of greatness in last year's preseason. If the Giants suffer any injuries to the running back position (i.e, Ahmad Bradshaw's chronic foot issues) do not be surprised if Da'Rel Scott bursts onto the scene in a big way.
Mark Herzlich (MLB) – Out of the several young, talented players the Giants have at the linebacker position, Mark Herzlich is perhaps the biggest mystery in terms of how he will develop. In 2008 at Boston College, he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. However, he missed the following season while battling bone cancer in his leg. Through hard work and dedication, Mark Herzlich proved his critics wrong and made an NFL roster last offseason as an undrafted free agent. He played in 12 games and showed that he has potential; but , like any other player, still has areas in which he needs to improve.
The question with Herzlich is how high his ceiling is. He has shown that he has the potential to become a good, perhaps even a great linebacker in the NFL; however, nobody knows how cancer treatments could effect his long-term development as an athlete.
If Herzlich is healthy, look for him to vastly improve throughout the course of this season. With a full year of NFL experience, as well as a full offseason to help him better understand the defense, there is no reason why he can not become a major contributor to the 2012 New York Giants.
It is not every year that a team has a player like Victor Cruz come out of nowhere to have a record setting campaign. In fact, players like that are very few and far between. Although it is unrealistic to expect another player to accomplish what Victor Cruz did last season, there are several young players on the Giants' roster that have the potential to become pleasant surprises throughout the course of the 2012 season. All of the above players have obstacles they need to overcome in order to fulfill their potential; however, it should not surprise anybody to see some of the young players who are buried on the Giants' depth chart to step up and produce in a big way this year.
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Also just want to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there.
My choice is Will Hill. To me, most of the guys above, save for Herzlich, don’t really fit the Cruz mold. They were at least drafted. I’m looking forward to the preseason, I think Hill has a shot to make the roster.
I was mainly going for guys who have the ability to be great players; but have either been inconsistent and/or face a series of adverse circumstances that have prevented them from fulfilling their potential. Your right in the sense that if any of the above players were to become Pro-Bowl caliber players ( except for Herzlich), it would not be as great of a story as Victor Cruz.
Lastly, there are several more players on this team that are young and have the ability to become great players, These were just the four I thought have the most potential and have yet to show it; however, you can certainly make the argument that there are other players on the team that better fit that description.
Keith Rivers would also have been a great guy to put in here.
My choices are either Ramses Barden (simply because he either has a breakout season or his career will be over) or Keith Rivers (in that if he stays healthy, he has all the talent in the world).
Here was coach on Barden…..
http://sulia.com/post/new-york-giants/80c88bea-5ed6-4013-bbee-e68abc138379/
“I think he’s figured it out and that’s a good first step,” Coughlin said on @SiriusXMNFL. “He’s had some really good days in practice and done a really good job. I really do think that he’s right there. He’s got to do it with consistency. There can’t be any shortcomings. You’re a big receiver. You must excel in the green zone (and) as a blocker. I do feel good about where he is. I really feel good that he feels good about where he is.”
If Barden is finally able to tap into his 6’6 athletic potential AND stay healthy, I honestly think he could be a beast on the WR corps. The talent, athleticism and physical skills along with knowledge of the offense are there, its a matter of being consistant, healthy, and motivated.
I have no doubt someone will have a breakout season, not necessarily pro bowl wise, but someone will, and I would not rule a guy like Bennet out either, since he has oodles of talent and a QB who knows how to tap it.
We have been hearing that on Barden forever. He was a good player at Cal Poly; however, he has never really excelled against elite competition. That, along with his injury issues, make me have a hard time believing that he will have a break out season. That being said, I am rooting for him and would love to be wrong about my prediction.
Happy Father’s Day!
I must say I never recall so much quality discussion in June. Both the writters and the posters are really on their game.
I think what you can’t argue with concerning our LBs is that they are light years better than 2009. I was never big on Boley but anyone that argues he wasn’t very good last year just wasn’t paying attention. The reason why many believe in the further improvement our LB group has little to with our current starters. Williams, Rivers and Herzlich provide the talent and upside to push this LB corps to an upper tier of 4-3 groups in the NFL. It’s not fair to compare 4-3 LBs to 3-4 LBs because the 3-4 defense is designed for LBs to make plays.
On our 4th DE spot don’t think the battle is serious between Trattou and Tracy because I believe like last year we will keep 5 DEs. I think the battle could be who’s active on game day. If cleared by our doctors I think Sintim could join this mix as well, though he probably would be competing more with Tracy.
I think Hendricks is a long shot to make the team. Maybe he can play and maybe he can’t but his real problems are Austin is a roster lock and I can’t see more than 4 DTs making the team. The issue then becomes carrying 2 inexperienced DTs as your backups. I just can’t see that unless Austin is really great in preseason. Otherwise I can’t see Hendricks being in trusted when we have solid vets.
This Ballard discussion is overblown. At best he’s a marginal starter in 2013. Basically if a player like Boothe was going to miss 2012 and we cut him would anyone care? No. And we shouldn’t about Ballard. Plus as another poster stated look at JR’s track record on the players we lost over the years. What players did we lose to another team that we actually missed? The good players we lost like Cofield we replaced with equal production.
Honestly I don’t consider Joseph in this discussion because he was a starter all last year. Prince and Herzlich are the leaders of Cruz/Ballard club. Scott is a dark horse. Jernigan is another player who deserves mention. Williams would be my pick but I’m just not sure if he will see the field anymore than last year.
I will go with a guy that is maybe just 50-50 to even make our team. I’m going with Tracy. I think at DE his poor man Osi like pass rush skills will finally be used. Much like Tollefson last year he will benefit from all the great players around and have something in the 5-7 sack range. Tracy has more pass rushing talent than Tollefson did or than Trattou brings. I think his special teams skills will make him active game day over Trattou.
Another pick who fits the profile of Cruz/Ballard is Hopkins. Hopkins is probably only a 25% chance to make the team. But he’s a more experienced TE than Bennett or Robinson in our system. Beckum is no long to be healthy and Pascoe is a JAG who can be beatten out.
Just because Joseph was a starter last season does not mean he can not have a break out year. The reason I put him in here is because I truly believe he has the potential to become a force on the defensive line.
I agree that Joseph can clearly get better but he has already showed he’s a good player. I agree he can definitely improve. When I think of Cruz or Ballard these are guys that only showed preseason flashes. Joseph was one of these guys last year.
I’m not sure it should matter when they showed their potential; rather that they showed how good they can be but at times were inconsistent. Linval Joseph fits that description. We can argue this forever; however, the point is that Linval Joseph could become a force on the defensive line this season.
I really don’t understand the love affair with Herzlich. Actually I do. He’s white, and he’s a supposed hard worker and “leader”. He beat cancer so umm…….what am I missing here?
The guy hasn’t looked like an NFL player since he injured his leg. The NFL graveyard is filled with thousands of these guys, players who had a great college season or 2, were on their way to becoming good pros and got hurt. Herzlich would not be on this team if he didn’t go to BC. Thats a fact. The guy is a nobody, a has been, a never was. In fact lets not even call him Herzlich. Lets call him “White LB from BC” because thats the only reason anyone talks about him.
Potential breakout players:
Bennet: great physical tools, a 2 cent head. Maybe he gets a nickels worth out of his brain and has a nice season, then gets overpaid by Carolina.
Petrus: Has the tenacity you want from an OL. Can get out and pull and run. Apparently needs work as a pass blocker.
Jaqaun Williams: You want to talk about actual physical skill. This kid has light years more talent than “White LB from BC”. Has all the skills necessary to be a top notch OLB. Probably needs to work on technique and add some size, but he can get out and run with the best of them.
David Wilson: His ceiling is Chris Johnson from Tenn. Will he get there? Probably not, but he’s got big time play making ability. In the same way Victor Cruz does.
Marvin Austin: This kid was a big time pass rusher coming out of college. I don’t expect him to do much early on, but could possibly come on late in the way JPP did the last 6 games of his rookie year.
Jernigan: Doubtful as he might just be too soft for the NFL. But he has almost identical physical tools as Mario Manningham.
Herzlich was a blue chip prospect before his health issues. That’s what makes him intriguing. The rest is just extra.
He was touted as a first round pick. Most likely the first LB off the board.
If … BIG IF … if he can regain that form then he’s a huge steal. But like I said … that IF is big … real big. He has to show something this year.
I don’t think Amukamara will be the nickel CB. He will (if healthy and ready) come on the field on nickel packages, but I believe he’ll see more time on the outside with Thomas (if healthy …) taking care of the slot.
Obviously it would depend on who the opponent slot receiver is as well.
I don’t think he’ll have a breakout year at all – though at this point, it’s a feeling not based on much hard evidence.
Joseph is already a stud. This article says he was ranked #14 DT in the NFL.
http://besttravelcoupon.com/blog/giants-football-2012-preview/
This article above also points out a good breakout candidate. Rookie TE Robinson. He’s going to get a shot to see the field a lot. Last year they started trying to get some matchups for Beckum. This year it will be for Robinson who is bigger and faster then Beckum.
The breakout player to look for on the Giants is this rookie TE.