Recently, ESPN ranked all 32 NFL teams off-season moves. Each team was put into a category: Elite, Above Average, Average and Too Soon to Tell. The New York Giants fell into the latter category of Too Soon to Tell, and the analysis says it all:
Offseason goals: Find a long-term answer at quarterback. It was time to get the succession plan for Eli Manning in motion. The Giants didn’t mess around in the draft, selecting Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall. The early returns have been positive. He threw the ball well this spring and displayed impressive athleticism.
Biggest question still to be answered: Can the defense be any good with so many young players? The Giants traded Olivier Vernon and allowed Landon Collins to walk. The Giants easily could have six first- or second-year players on the field defensively at the same time when the season starts without a true defensive difference-maker. That seems to be a tough way to operate.
Honestly, the analysis isn’t terrible, but it may be more accurate to say that no one wants to take a chance on the Giants. The Giants tend to prove analysts wrong, one way or another, so no one wants to take a chance on predicting that they will have a good season only to see them tank. And no one wants to say that their season will be horrible only to be proven wrong.
The Giants made what some would call questionable decisions during the offseason, yet all of the news out of organized team activities and minicamp has been nothing but positive.
How the young players react on the field during an actual game remains to be seen, but there’s no reason for fans to be anything less than hopeful. There’s a succession plan in place for Eli Manning and the defense needed some youthful blood to sustain longevity, which it got.
It will be interesting to see how Pat Shurmur puts it all together this season. If he can get everyone on the same page and performing at their best, the Giants may have a better season than anyone anticipates.
