Loading ...Last offseason, the New York Giants had a three man rotation of Kenny Phillips, Antrel Rolle, and Deon Grant at the safety position. Due to injuries, the team often had to resort to three safety packages with Antrel Rolle playing the part of a nickel cornerback. However, with a the departure of Deon Grant, the Giants have a void to fill at the third safety position.
Although Tyler Sash is the favorite to win the battle, undrafted free agent JoJo Nicolas is hoping to at least turn some heads in training camp. When asked by Jorge Castillo of The Star-Ledger about how his first OTA's and mini camp went, Nicolas expressed his excitement.
"It's a great advantage being at OTA's and minicamp because you're able to learn everything and pick up things and then you get to interact with the vets. Even though the OTA's are voluntary, they still were there with the young guys showing us how things work. When you have a team of veterans like that, that's how you get your Super Bowl rings," he said. "So it's been great. I'm enjoying and just being able to come everyday and get better, it's a great opportunity and a blessing."
As a senior last season, Nicolas led the Miami Hurricanes in interceptions and ranked third on the team in tackles. Although he made strides in his final season at the collegiate level, the knock against Nicolas is that he is not explosive enough to take his game to the NFL. He has shown some extremely impressive football instincts; however, Nicolas has some major technique issues with his drop backs and does not change direction with authority.
But despite what the critics say, Nicolas has produced efficiently at a nationally recognized program, which happens to be the same university that the Giants current starting safeties Kenny Philips and Antrel Rolle attended. While talking how going to the same school as both starters at his position, Nicolas stated the following:
"Oh, man, it's the best. It just gives you that feeling of being more comfortable because there are guys that you have played with back in college and they've been here and everything you're going through now, they've already went through. It's a big advantage," he said.
Needless to say, the Giants have had some success with safeties that have attended "The U". In the NFL, players that come from Miami, whether it be Ed Reed and Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans, or even former New York Giant Jesse Armstead, always seem to have a unique "swagger" about them that distinguishes them from their peers. Nicolas agrees with this sentiment, and he hopes to have it carry over into his game.
"There is (a little more swagger) because where we come from being in Miami, most of us that are on the team are actually from that area and everything we come from so you'll see some of the same chemistry and type of swagger that you'll see just because of the fact that it's the University of Miami. It's a little different and we have great camaraderie between each other no matter if it's a guy who is five years ahead of you and you never even met or a guy you played next to in college, it's the same feeling of 'this is my brother, we're family because he's from the University of Miami,' " he added.
Swagger or no swagger, Nicolas is going to have a tough time making the team out of training camp. With an influx of talented corners, the team may elect to keep only three safeties while adding an extra cornerback that can also play safety if needed.
Furthermore, Nicolas is not the only long-shot candidate hoping to make the roster. Will Hill, an undrafted, but talented player out of the University of Florida is also vying for a spot on the roster. However, Nicolas is hoping to show defensive coordinator Perry Fewell that he is more than a one-dimensional player.
"Anywhere I can help. I'm playing safety so I'm doing everything I can to learn the plays and help out on special teams. Whatever it is I can do, I'll do my best to do it," he said.
With the uncertainty on the depth chart and the immense amount of competition, perhaps the best case scenario for JoJo Nicolas is that he makes the practice squad. However, this is a situation that will be interesting to follow as the team prepares to heads up to Albany on July 26th.
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I back from my summer break.
RIP JD in Dallas
Great piece by Dan on where the Giants stand in regards to expectations. I feel the best about this team than I have probably ever. In 2010, I was fairly close to this feeling but we didn’t have this Eli. We have a great QB that can win games by himself. But we have a lot of talent around Eli so this year we are not relying on Eli like Indy did with Peyton though Eli showed last year he is capable.
I see there’s a lot of concern about Beatty but call me crazy I’m not too concerned. The injury he suffered last year was a fluke and should have no long term effects. A back is a troubling injury but come on Beatty sat out of OTAs! If there’s any concern as with Canty, Prince, Webster or any numbers of players you don’t use players during OTAs. No one seems to have concerns about the other players so why should we have such great concerns about Beatty? I read he was doing individual drills at the end of OTAs so he could move. I think he showed last year he can play. Of course he needs to run block better but his pass protection will make Eli’s life easier as long as the rest of the line does its job.
Our squad isn’t perfect and it does have some legit concerns like the OL. But I don’t think any of the concerns too big, especially when you look at other teams. Really, my main concern is as it has been the last 5 years is injury. I think it’s about time we get some last year SF type of injury luck. Even if we don’t we should have the depth to overcome nearly any injury. At this point other than injury I can’t why we won’t be a SB contender. As a returning champ it’s strange not to be thought as not top 2 or 3 SB contenders by everyone is unsual. Look at GB last year. We have motivation combined with the confidence that if we play our best we will beat anyone. It’s 2008 all over again but with a more talented deeper team. Besides Plax in 2008, I think one of our issues was we did begin to wear down due to lack of quality depth at some spots. I don’t see that as an issue this year.
Okay, you are now officially the first guy on my bus. Actually, I think Dan is there too, but he has to pretend he’s a skeptic in order to maintain reasonable objectivity. And just btw, his comment last thread regarding Dave Brown completely crack me up.
Wait, I forgot Dirt. He took a front-row seat too.
I’ll ride that bus too, even if I can’t sit up front with the cool kids. Even the skeptic in me says the Giants win the division and make another run. The optimist in me says greatest team of all time.
I’d love to buy a ticket on that bus… I really would.
But I think I’ll wait until the day following the Jets preseason game – at the earliest – before doing so.
Seeing as how the that game seems to always result in at least one horrific season-ending injury, I’ll refrain from any expressions of optimism prior to then.
Obvious point being that things tend to look awfully rosy before them ACLs start a-tearin’ and them hamstrings start a-strainin’.
But should the Giants manage to get through much of the preseason with most of their key pieces intact, I’ll happily buy that ticket on the ff55 Sunshine Express. Provided there are any left to purchase, of course.
Dumbest thing John Mara does is agree to keep playing those low-class bums each pre-season. He should just go to the Commish and say “Sorry, we’re done with that because they treat it like it’s an important game and they have a history of hurting my players when the outcome doesn’t matter a whit”.
I will never understand why this game continues to be scheduled.
If Will Hill can get his head screwed on straight he is a great candidate to either make the roster or the practice squad. He was already good enough his senior year of high school to beat out some NFL safeties. His college exploits proved he was obviously a moron, and I am not convinced that tigers can easily change their stripes, but if the Giants’ “culture” can corral him his talent is unquestionable.
I know absolutely nothing about JoJo except that if that’s his real name he should sue his parents for child abuse.
In regards to Coe I think he will make this team as a 6th CB. I know we only kept 9 DBs last year but I think due to our talent at DB and the ability our the end of the roster players to play special teams we will probably keep 10 DBs. We kept 7 WRs last year but I don’t think our 6-9 guys at WR are as good as they have been the past few years. So I expect us to carry only 6 WRs though I expect someone like the PS kid from last year or Collins to be on PS this year.
As someone mentioned last post keeping 3 safeties could also be possible if CBs like Coe, Prince or Thomas show he ability to help in a pinch at safety.
We could keep only 8 DL. If the Trattou and Tracey loser is even with someone like Marshall then we could keep Marshall on PS and cut Trattou/Tracy.
In any case I think there is enough roster flexibility to keep a player like Coe as our 6th CB. Plus with the durablity concerns of Thomas and Prince more numbers than normal may be prudent. I understand that Coe and Tryon are also returning from injury but their injuries were to the upper body which I think is not nealry the concern for a CB that knee, ankle or foot injuries provide.
Ah, I keep forgetting to mention this: I met both Terrell Thomas and Keith Rivers at an event the Giants organized for a certain group of fans. I only went because my son was interested in meeting Rivers, whom he had heard was trying to do some film work during off-seasons (by film work I mean entertainment movies, noy homework for football players).
Two things:
1) Both are HUGE. Rivers is a lot bigger than I expected with very broad shoulders and a strong lower body (and gigantic hands). Thomas looks like he could play weakside linebacker in a pinch;
2) Both are very intelligent. Anyone worrying about Rivers picking up the defense needn’t worry. He seems pretty comfortable with most of it already. And Thomas looks absolutely great. Of course he wasn’t running around but he said he was ready to go, was making radical cuts while training and was feeling no stress on his knee. He also made it clear he thinks HE is the best corner on the team and talked about how he and Webster will be having a friendly competition this season for picks and tackles. He also said Prince is a smart kid who absorbs a lot of teaching well but was in WAY over his head last season and froze a lot because of uncertainty. One last thing: Rivers said Fewell is installing a lot of linebacker blitzes. I got the impression that he won’t bring any of his defensive backfield on most blitzes, instead relying on the quickness of his linebackers to get to the passer while asking the defensive backs to get aggressive about meeting the ball. Could be a lot of fun.
It puzzles me that when football players do homework, they watch “film.” It’s probably been video tape since the mid-seventies, and now I’m sure it’s all digital.
I guess watching DVD sounds too recreational.
As we await the start of the pre-season and with nothing better to do (other than work for a living), I thought I would take a look back at the 6 Reese draft classes to see whose left and whose not (regardless of reason).
What these numbers seem to say is that regardless of reason (injury, contract, cut), the average length of time for most players with their first team is less than 5 years; and that Reese and Co. seem philosophically wedded to giving most players about 4 years to prove out
For example, this is the 4th season for the 2009 draft class and Sintim, Barden, Beckum and Brown all seem poised to get the axe unless they come up really big this year
2007
Remains: DeOssie, Bradshaw
Gone: Ross, Smith, Alford, , Boss, Koets, Johnson,
2008
Remains: Phillips, TT
Gone: Manningham, Kehl, Goff, Woodsen (Andre), Henderson
2009
Remains: Nicks, Sintim, Beatty, Barden, Beckum, Brown
Gone: Bomar, Wright, Woodsen (Stoney)
2010
Remains: JPP, Joseph, Petrus, Tracey
Gone: Jones, Dillard, Dodge
2011
Remains: Amakamura, Austin, Jernigan, Brewer, Jones, Sash, Williams, Scott
2012
Remains: Wilson, Randall, Hosley, Robinson, Mosely, McCants, Kuhn
The reason to stick with them is their relatively cheap contracts that more than justify a role as spot players who can perhaps help the team and, just maybe, prove late bloomers after benefiting from coaching. Good post.
What I
Oops… finger accidentally hit the “enter” key two words in…
Anyhoo… what I found interesting was that of the 31 players who were drafted prior to 2011, 20 of them are still playing somewhere in the NFL.
I don’t know how that stacks up against other GMs league-wide. My suspicion is that it’s pretty good. I think it was Polian who once said that 50% of drafted players wind up out of the league within a couple of years. That 2 out of every 3 of Reese’s selections are still on an NFL roster three or more years in seems a good track record to me.
This article should be titled “Jojo Nicolas Hopes to Do Something to Justify Anyone Ever Writing an Article Specifically About Him.”
Spent some time at the beach these last days. Took the wife’s car, which doesn’t have Sirius – horrible mistake. Anyway, yesterday I’m flipping through FM channels for the first time in 5 years, find nothing then land on The Herd. I like Cowherd. So he’s going on about something and makes a point that seemed so out of place:
The Giants won the Super Bowl because they were the healthiest team.
Let that sh|t marinate for a second.
He’s right.
Sure, they lost TT and a doormat in Hixon for the season. They lost two guys early not likely to get significant time anyway in Austin and Amukamara. And they certainly lost guys for spurts along the way.
But when you look at the top 22 or so on opening day, they only lost 1 for good along the way, Beatty.
That playoff roster was healthy, and it was, more or less, the full Giants squad, minus a top corner and offensive linemen. Fortunately, one had a 1st rounder as a backup, the other only recently replaced a guy who was still on the team.
And that full Giants squad wrecked the top competition in the league down the stretch. I sound like a broken record, but the defense held teams to under 14. The offense averaged 27. They outscored the best in the business by 2 TDs a game.
THAT is a great football team. And just like THAT team was more or less the full team going into training camp last year, THIS team going in to camp this year is more or less the same team as THAT team.
For sure I’m on the bus. Never felt better about a Giants team in my life as I do now. Sure, they’ll lose a few games, and probably a few in embarassing fashion, because that’s the Giants (like Cleveland in ’08 in an 11-1 stretch).
THIS team is going places, and is, without any doubt in my mind, the best football team in the world. No homer.
If they stay healthy. Which they did last year, despite our collective recollection to the contrary.
Oh the other “if” is if Randle can prove to be a threat like Manningham was. Because you know that role won’t be filled by Hixon.
First of all, who the f*** is JoJo Nicholas?
Second of all, Luv2salsa, the cool kids sit in the back of the bus. Who doesn’t know that?
Well, perhaps I’ll be seated in the right place then. I’ll leave my pocket protector home.