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No more positive season since 2016, only 22 wins in 5 years, the last years of the Giants follow and resemble each other with the constant of choosing very high during the draft. But with coach Joe Judge fired and general manager Dave Gettleman retired, a new cycle begins in New York.
A duo from upstate now hold the keys to the franchise. Joe Schoen must build the team and Brian Daboll lead it. Faced with the scale of the work to be done, especially offensively, patience will have to be the mother of wisdom. With the exception of the quarterback who has 17 games to convince.
Last season: 4-13, no playoffs
Movements in the off-season
Notable arrivals: Mark Glowinski (G), Jon Feliciano (G), Matt Breida (RB), Tyrol Taylor (QB), Justin Ellis (DT), Jordan Atkins (TE), Ricky Sials-Jones (TE)
Re-signatures : Korey Cunningham (OL), Casey Kreiter (LS)
Draft : Kayvon Thibodeaux (Edge), Evan Neal (OT), Wan’Dale Robinson (WR), Joshua Ezeudu (G), Cordale Flott (CB), Daniel Bellinger (TE), Dane Belton (S), Micah McFadden (LB), DJ Davidson (DT), Marcus McKethan (OL), Darrian Beavers (LB)
Notable losses: James Bradberry (CB), Logan Ryan( DB), Jabril Peppers (S), Evan Engram (TE), Kyle Rudolph (TE), Austin Johnson (DT), Dante Pettis (WR), Will Hernandez (G), Lorenzo Carter (Edge)
If no high-sounding name came to animate the spring of the GMen because of a ceiling salary cap, the main movement came off the field. After two disappointing seasons, Joe Judge was fired and the reins of the team handed over to Brian Daboll, the man behind Josh Allen’s magnificent progression at Buffalo. The former offensive coordinator of the Bills will have to move quickly and well to extract the quintessence of a stagnant Daniel Jones and in his last year of contract.
The big attraction on the field side will be rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux. The former Oregon star arrives in the Big Apple with big ambitions and his duo with sophomore Aziz Ojulari could quickly become the driving force behind the defense. A defense in which the defensive backfield has undergone profound changes with the departure of three starters. James Bradberry and Logan Ryan thanked for saving money, no veterans were signed to compensate. The front office turned to the draft to renew the squad.
It is on the offensive line where the main arrivals of experienced players are. Mark Glowinski and Jon Feliciano will be the new starters at the center of the O-line. Another player drafted in the top 10, Evan Neal, also reinforces this sector of play and should take the right side and pair up with Andrew Thomas, also drafted very high two years ago. In terms of targets, the departures of tight ends Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph were compensated numerically by former Commander Rock Seals-Jones and promising rookie Daniel Bellinger. The surprise of 2ndturn Wan’Dale Robinson integrates a body of receivers in lack of playmaker.
The strong points)
The defense has performed less stat-wise in 2021, but the solid foundations are in place. The defensive line led by Leonard Williams remains reliable and solid. The recent additions to the exteriors of Ojulari and now Thibodeaux even give a new dimension. Playmakers on the trenches and a promising youth on the last curtain, the ingredients are there. The arrival in the staff of Don Martidale, former coordinator of the formidable defense of Baltimore, to lead all this can portend a bright future on this side of the ball.
If a few veterans supervise the workforce, the group remains very young and especially in key positions. The vast majority of incumbents are under 26 and Leonard Williams or Kenny Golladay who serve as elders are still only 28. This suggests a good margin of progress and the possibility of seeing a group grow together.
The weak spots)
In the bottom of the league standings in all categories for several seasons, the entire attack of the Giants is a huge building site. Only 15 points on average, 4 matches with more than 20 points, including only one after week 5, the inability to score is prohibitive to weigh or even exist in matches.
Behind an offensive line that is still fragile and which will be renewed by 80% of its starters this season, Daniel Jones shows no sign of progress. So much so that the old 6e 2019 draft pick saw his 5 optione year declined by the franchise. Lack of production, loss of balls, physical glitches, questionable leadership, nothing seems to make the former Duke quarterback a solution for the future and above all for success. Unless Daboll holds the key?
Recruited at great expense last season, Kenny Golladay disappointed, like a group of receivers limited in efficiency and above all in talent. His friend Kadarius Toney drafted in the top 20 a year ago has shown almost nothing to justify such an investment. Harmless in the air, New York is not much more threatening on the ground with an average per game below 100 yards. Saquon Barkley is no more than a shadow of himself and each passing season seems to push him even further into uncertainty and comfort the critics of his choice in 2e position of the 2018 draft. This offensive weakness is also characterized by the inability to keep the leather where the Gmen are last in class with 30 lost balls (20 interceptions, 10 fumbles).
X Factor: Brian Daboll Attack
Josh Allen’s mentor, the man who turned an awkward and erratic quarterback into a feared and respected pitcher and MVP contender arrives in New York. Its mission is simply to bring to life an attack at the bottom of the bucket for several seasons. Easier said than done as the task seems immense.
At first, he will have to transform a Daniel Jones who has not progressed since his arrival in the NFL. (Re)starting Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney could definitely help the quarterback get on better terms. Like what he had put in place in Buffalo, the ability to diversify the targets and multiply the options for his launcher will be one of the keys to success. If the chemistry takes quickly, the progress, if only statistical, will necessarily be notable as the team starts from afar.
Saquon Barkley is talented, he has shown it. But between injuries and loss of confidence, the runner lost what made him a special player. His restoration of confidence would be a fundamental asset, not to say essential in the construction of a powerful and balanced attack. The scale of Daboll’s mission is pharaonic, but the coach has shown he knows how to build from the nothingness that was the Bills offense in 2018.
Player to watch: Xavier McKinney (safety)
With the departures of James Bradberry and Logan Ryan, the Giants secondary is looking for a new taulier. At just 24 years old (today!), Xavier McKinney has all the qualities to take on this role. A former handyman in the Alabama backfield, the safety had a first season disrupted by injuries before showing the full extent of his talent in 2021. With 93 tackles and 5 interceptions, McKinney conquered Big Blue to the point that the new sports regime decides to part ways with the former strongmen.
Now coached by Martindale, the 2022 season could allow the safety to express his full potential and invite himself to the top of his position.
Calendar
@Titans, Panthers, Cowboys, Bears, @Packers, Ravens, @Jaguars, @Seahawks, Bye, Texans, Lions, @Cowboys, Commanders, Eagles, @Commanders, @Vikings, Colts, @Eagles
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In summary
At the start of a new cycle under the thumb of Brian Daboll, the Giants still seem above all in transition. The site is vast but the experience and quality of the staff is a real reason for hope. The still young workforce does not lack talent. In a division that knows how to reserve surprises and with an affordable calendar, New York could finally leave the bottom of the balance sheets that they have occupied for too long.
The Daniel Jones case and his room for improvement in the hands of his new coach will be fundamental. But his ability to transform into an elite player so quickly should limit ambitions, however.
Prognosis: 7-10, no playoffs
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