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With Kenny Phillips likely to leave via free agency and many other question marks at the cornerback position, the New York Giants are in need of some veteran help in the secondary. One potential option, which has already been widely discussed, is Charles Woodson. As it turns out, the Giants are already doing their due-diligence on him, and have reached out to his agent, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN Bureau.
They'll have some competition however, as the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets have also inquired about Woodson.
With so much uncertainty, getting a veteran like Woodson would be an ideal scenario for the Giants. Even at 36 years of age, Woodson offers a lot of versatility, experience and leadership. He could play safety if the team needed him to, or he could play a Sam Madison-like role and fill in at cornerback.
A lot of what Woodson would mean to the Giants hinges on other variables. How is Terrell Thomas handling his return from three ACL tears? Is he playing safety or cornerback? Does Phillips leave via free agency? Do the Giants tender Tyler Sash? And does the team keep Corey Webster or take a chance releasing him to save money?
The variables and possibilities are endless, which is why contacting Woodson makes legitimate sense. However, it's only worth pursuing further if 1) he's healthy and capable and 2) if he comes at the right price. The latter will ultimately make or break any potential pursuit by General Manager Jerry Reese & Co.
Of course, an agent saying a team has called to discuss a free agent is hardly groundbreaking. It doesn't even mean the Giants have significant interest, just that they're doing what Reese always does: "investigate everything."
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I am totally convinced that this year will turn out to be a buyer’s market for free agents. On the 12th there will be a frenzy to sign a handful of the top ones to huge, impressive contracts. But after a few days it will calm down … the big money will disappear … and the sharks will start circling.
Look for Reese to sign several attractively priced free agents to fill a variety of holes. All funded by restructures and cuts. Write it down.
In other words, just another year under Jerry Reese.
Yup. I said this a few days ago. The “mid-level” free agents are dead men walking. The top guys will get money (albeit perhaps not as much as they hoped), but then the cards will all be on the GMs’ side of the table. This cap situation that won’t be relieved for two years means a lot of good players are going to be hosed and have to play for anywhere from veteran minimum-to-double-that. Lots of players are going to want to kill De Smith for having allowed this to happen.
It’s why I STILL retain some hope that Boothe and Phillips wind up back with us. Brown and Hixon too.
Contrary to the natural conclusions being drawn here and elsewhere, Pat Traina speculates that signing Woodson could be linked to a cutting Corey Webster, and have nothing to do with KP.
Really? Wow. Woodson hasn’t played CB in awhile.
Too slow to play CB nowadays
Not really a corner type anymore, but certainly a perfect 3rd safety/roving linebacker type in Fewell’s nickel look.
Not gonna happen, of course. But interesting nonetheless.
The logic that makes little sense to me. Woodson isn’t a CB at this stage of his career and even without KP I feel better about of depth a safety than CB with Webster. Quality reporter, but I think she’s wrong on this.
Patricia Traina ?@Patricia_Traina
Woodson could be a swing man. Giants depth at corner non-existent save for Hosley.
THAT is correct. It’s why I think they should draft 1-2 corners, including one with their first pick unless a stud has dropped to them at DT or O-line.
btw, I don’t see Woodson as a member of the Giants. Frankly, if Reese is serious I see it as a signal that he isn’t sure he’s going to keep Brown. He simply cannot be thinking Woodson can play corner. Traina is reaching.
See above. I think he’s more of a 3rd safety/roving linebacker type in our nickel look. I’ll be that’s what she’s thinking.
Sounds like she’s unaware he’s a safety now.
repost:
fanfor55years says:
March 7, 2013 at 10:46 AM
Reese said it, we didn’t. And if you’re referring to my post, I even put it in quotes. So you can stop whatever you like. All I know is that I’m betting the kid will be very good, and he should be playing in 2013, not sitting.
Reply
BigBlueGiant says:
March 7, 2013 at 10:57 AM
I know who said it. And, I wasn’t referring to your post. Just think it’s a ridiculous thing to be saying about a kid who hasn’t gotten on the field yet.
Also, might I add, while I’m sure the kid has potential, let’s just put things in perspective for a second, the kid has starter only his Senior Season at Cincinnatti.
His career high’s are 10 catches for 185 yds and 3 td’s. That’s for ONE season.
Yeah, he was drafted on his potential, his 40 time and verticle leap. But TE is a little different than DE. And the learning curve is a lot more difficult to adjust to the NFL game as a TE than a DE with the same freak ability.
I’m not calling Robinson anything but a project. A bit skeptical on this kid.
Reply
Agreed with your skepticism on Robinson, though I’ll trust Reese, and more so Tight End Coach Pope, in their assessment and coaching of this kid.
Project? Yes. Lot of talent? Absolutely. He did pretty well in the few preseason games he played once he started to realize where he was. Nice hands, big kid who can run, seemed to have pretty nice blocking technique. Not a lot to go on, but a year of tutelage under Pope couldn’t have hurt much. I’m betting they think he can take the position over at some point this season. I don’t expect them to spend a lot on a TE in free agency and assume they’ll stick by their “reasonable” offer to Bennett fully prepared to go with Robinson, Pascoe, the kid on their practice team and a draftee or a JAG as they go into camp.
Yup.
Yeah, Talent. Sure. Every player in the league has Talent. They wouldnt be in the NFL if they didn’t.
That said, I know i’m being a bit hard on the kid but his lack of inexperience is something that will hurt him. I hope im wrong.
I’d add that sometimes fans refuse to accept that a player labeled as a “project” is at least as likely to bust out as he is to make it big. For every JPP there’s a million anonymous players, widely viewed as risky for one reason or another (eg.- small school, “raw,” junior-college transfer, character concerns, health issues), who were drafted or signed by General Managers based on “potential.” But at the end of the day, it’s a crap-shoot, especially once you get into the 4th and 5th rounds, and beyond. We made it big in 2011 with late round guys like Williams and Paysinger, along with undrafted guys like Cruz, Hynoski, Brown, Hill and Herzlich. But that is far from the norm–more often then not, there’s very good reasons why players don’t get drafted higher than they do.
So yeah, Robinson is a project. He may turn out great, or good, or nothing. But he’s got a hell of a frame, and was definitely deserving of a selection in the mid to late rounds. Let’s hope our coaches can extract a diamond from the rough.
Your post doesn’t sound a bit skeptical, it sounds like you have already judged him. We are all a bit skeptical on him but it’s not like Ballard was a great player in college either. Hopefully, his development is like Joseph he went from barely playing as a rookie to starting as a second year player.
I’m not judging the kid at all. I hope for the best with him, I just have a hard time calling the kid “JPP of TE’s” When the kid has no highlight reel to speak of. Truth.
and Ballard was a good TE in college. And Linval was a beast at ECU.
It’s perception because we had at least heard of Ballard during his college years. Here’s Ballard’s college stats:
JAKE BALLARD STATS Receiving
Statistics No Yds Avg TD
2009 14 150 10.7 0
2008 5 73 14.6 0
2007 13 149 11.5 2
2006 2 5 2.5 1
Career 34 377 11.1 3
But he almost double his career stats in one year with us. I think most colleges nowadays don’t know how to effectively use the classic 2 way TE unless they can split out as a WR.
I’ll put the Ballard debate to bed. Ballard was hardly ever used as a pass catcher in college. I know because I haven’t missed an Ohio State game in years. I was the only one around here assuring everyone that Ballard would adequately replace Boss when everyone freaked about the loss of Boss. He was an above average blocker in college and even received the team award for best blocker which is almost exclusively given to an offensive lineman. But when he was used in the passing game, he was always Terrelle Pryor’s safety valve and had great hands. He wasn’t going to wow you and wasn’t overly athletic, but he made the plays he had to and rarely ever dropped a ball. We then saw my prediction come to fruition, to which, norm always gave me credit for.
Gotta wonder if the Woodson tease is JR playing head games with either KP or Rolle. With KP, perhaps trying to show his agent that we’re serious about moving on, so if you want us to increase our offer, it’s not happening? With Rolle, perhaps playing hardball on a contract extension/restructure?
Eh, scratch that. This is clearly coming from the Woodson camp.
I watched Woodson play CB the last few years and he should be swinging anywhere. I have more confidence in TT in that role than Woodson. And I’m not counting on TT at all. Woodson I think would be a big mistake for that role. I rather have Webster. Plus I don’t think Woodson will be cheap.
What’s the deal with Ballard. I thought I read the Pats released him.
No he’s still on the Pats. I remember hearing the same during the season but that report was false.
I would be surprised if JR were serious about Woodson. This is probably just JR staying sharp and signaling to his 2 unsigned safeties that there are other good football players out there.
@RVacchianoNYDN
More salary cap room: Looks like C David Baas has agreed to restructure his contract, lowering his ’13 base salary from $4.25M to $1.25M …
@RVacchianoNYDN
… If my math is right, that clears $2M in cap space, lowering Baas’ cap number from $6.725M to $4.725M. … I think. #NYG
Ahh…forgot you were back. Well played, sir!
Ralph Vacchiano ?@RVacchianoNYDN
More salary cap room: Looks like C David Baas has agreed to restructure his contract, lowering his ’13 base salary from $4.25M to $1.25M …
Ralph Vacchiano ?@RVacchianoNYDN
… If my math is right, that clears $2M in cap space, lowering Baas’ cap number from $6.725M to $4.725M. … I think.
@RVacchianoNYDN
And, if my math is right, the Giants now have about $6 million in room under the $123 million salary cap.
Restructuring Rolle and Eli, along with getting paycuts from Diehl and Webster, could open up another 6-8, at least. Could we actually be resigning someone like Cruz, Nicks, KP or the like?
Or cutting Diehl and Webster could leave us with roughly $23 mill no?