New York Giants (Last Year: 10-6)

2008 NFL Draft Grade:

Good Moves: No surprise that Jerry Reese had another Jerry Reese draft. He managed to acquire the top safety prospect at the bottom of the first round, which was a position of need in the wake of Gibril Wilson leaving for Oakland ... Something else New York had to address was its lacking cornerback depth, and they did that with Terrell Thomas ... Reese found two mid-round linebackers who were major steals; Bryan Kehl and Jonathan Goff wil make a serious case for playing time ... Andre' Woodson, ranked as the No. 1 quarterback prospect in October, was a major steal in the sixth round ... And speaking of steals, how about Mario Manningham at No. 95? I'm not a fan of Mannningham's, but getting him that late was a gift.

Bad Moves: None.

Grade give on 4/28/08: A+



2008 NFL Draft Picks:

31. Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami
I've had Kenny Phillips going to the Giants for a while. It makes sense - the only significant loss they suffered this offseason was Gibril Wilson. (Pick Grade: A)

63. Terrell Thomas, CB/FS, USC
Giants fans wanted Dan Connor, but Terrell Thomas is a really solid player at a position of need. Another solid draft by Jerry Reese. (Pick Grade: A)

95. Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
I don't like Mario Manningham as a player or an individual, but there's no argument that he's somewhat of a steal at the bottom of Round 3. (Pick Grade: B)

123. Bryan Kehl, OLB, BYU
A solid strongide linebacker. The Giants don't really need one, but they didn't have many needs to begin with. I guess Mathias Kiwanuka is moving to end? (Pick Grade: A)

165. Jonathan Goff, ILB, Vanderbilt
Inside linebacker isn't a need, but Jonathan Goff is a steal because he was a third-round prospect going into the draft. (Pick Grade: A)

198. Andre' Woodson, QB, Kentucky
It's amazing that the Giants may have landed the best quarterback in this class at pick No. 198. Give Jerry Reese a ton of credit. (Pick Grade: A)

199. Robert Henderson, DE, Southern Miss
Robert Henderson is another prospect whose height is listed at 0'0". I guess Jerry Reese used up all his energy on pick No. 198. (Pick Grade: D)





Season Summary:
Like the rest of the country, I didn't give the Giants much of a chance going into the 2007 season. Tiki Barber was gone, Tom Coughlin's job was in jeopardy and Eli Manning's habit of fading down the stretch was a huge concern. They started 0-2 and were trailing the Redskins at halftime during the third week of the season. They deserve all of the credit in the world for regrouping, playing all of their starters in Week 17 (when the Buccaneers and Colts foolishly rested theirs, resulting in an instantaneous playoff loss) and knocking off the first team to ever achieve an 18-0 record. Eli's now the man; Steve Spagnuolo the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL; and Michael Strahan a Super Bowl champion.

Offseason Moves:

Giants cut QB Jared Lorenzen

Giants sign WR Craphonso Thorpe

Giants announce retirement of DE Michael Strahan

Giants sign DE Renaldo Wynn

Giants re-sign SS James Butler

Giants cut DT Manuel Wright

Giants re-sign Derrick Ward

Giants sign OLB Danny Clark

Giants sign QB David Carr

Giants sign SS Sammy Knight

Giants cut FB Jim Finn

Giants re-sign K Lawrence Tynes

Giants re-sign P Jeff Feagles


Offseason Needs:

1. Re-Sign Gibril Wilson: Gibril Wilson improved so much to the point that he is now considered one of the top free safeties in the game. He's the elite free agent at his position this offseason. New York's top priority is to re-sign him. Drafted Kenny Phillips
   
   
2. Strong Safety: While Wilson improved tremendously, the Giants' weak link in the secondary was James Butler, a restricted free agent. I'd simply let him go and pursue someone like Tom Zbikowski at the bottom of the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Re-signed James Butler; signed Sammy Knight
   
   
3. Strongside Linebacker: In the wake of winning his first Lombardi trophy, Michael Strahan is likely to retire. He'll probably be signed as a TV analyst. I just hope he doesn't replace Emmitt Smith on ESPN. If Strahan leaves, Mathias Kiwanuka will slide back into the defensive end position, leaving a hole at strongside linebacker, especially if Reggie Torbor signs with someone else via the free-agent market. Dan Connor could be available at No. 31. Drafted Bryan Kehl; signed Danny Clark
   
   
4. Cornerback Depth: Aaron Ross and Corey Webster played extremely well during New York's remarkable postseason run. Unfortunately, R.W. McQuarters and Sam Madison are both old and will not be around much longer. The Giants could grab one of the corners in the third round of this deep draft class. Drafted Terrell Thomas
   
   
5. Wide Receiver Depth: Amani Toomer won't be around much longer. Steve Smith, who caught 14 passes in the postseason, will be able to replace him in the starting lineup. Depth will be an issue, however. The Giants should utilize a mid-round selection on a wide out. Drafted Mario Manningham; signed Craphonso Thorpe
   
   
6. Interior Line Depth: The Giants were lucky they didn't sustain any major injuries to their offensive line this year. I'm not sure they'll be as fortunate in 2008. They need depth at guard.
   
   
7. Running Back Depth: With Derrick Ward leaving via free agency and Reuben Droughns all but cut, the Giants will need depth behind Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. This draft class is so deep at running back, New York can take one in the fourth or fifth round.
   
   

New York Giants Free Agents:

Salary Cap (As of Feb. 11): $24.47 million

1. Gibril Wilson, FS. Age: 26.
   Signed with Raiders (6 years, $39 million)
   
   Gibril Wilson is coming off the best season of his career, notching 92 tackles and four interceptions. The Giants will likely sign him to a huge deal.
   
   
2. Kawika Mitchell, OLB. Age: 28.
   Signed with Bills (5 years, $17.5 million)
   
   Kawika Mitchell had a great season in New York, and will likely be re-signed.
   
   
3. Lawrence Tynes, K. Age: 30.
   I was never a big fan of Lawrence Tynes' until he nailed the decisive field goal in the NFC Championship Game. The Giants have to keep him.
   
   
4. Derrick Ward, RB. Age: 28.
   Re-signed with Giants (1 year, $1.1 million)
   
   Derrick Ward was averaging 4.8 yards per carry prior to his season-ending injury (fractured fibula). In eight games, he gained 781 total yards, caught 26 passes and scored four touchdowns, while fumbling only once.
   
   
5. Reggie Torbor, OLB. Age: 27.
   Signed with Dolphins
   
   Reggie Torbor started at strongside linebacker late in the year, but only because Mathias Kiwanuka fractured his leg.
   
   
6. James Butler (RFA), SS. Age: 26.
   Re-signed with Giants (1 year, $1.417 million)
   
   While free safety Gibril Wilson has really stepped up, strong safety James Butler has been a liability in New York's secondary.
   
   
7. Jared Lorenzen, QB. Age: 27.
   It's too bad for the Hefty Lefty (or the Pillsbury Throwboy, or J-Load) that eating cheeseburgers doesn't count toward the NFL's passer rating. If it did, Jared Lorenzen would be the best quarterback of all time.
   
   
8. Jim Finn, Giants. Age: 31.
   
   
9. Manuel Wright, DT. Age: 24.
   Safe to say that Manuel Wright cried after he was cut by the Giants.
   
   

Divisional Rival History:
Dallas Cowboys: Peyton Manning couldn't get past the New England Patriots for years, and it looked like Eli would have similar problems with the Cowboys. Dallas swept the Giants in the regular season, but the latter claimed revenge in the playoffs en route to a Super Bowl victory.
Philadelphia Eagles: The Giants swept the Eagles last season, probably because their defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, used to work with Philadelphia and was very familiar with its offensive and defensive schemes.
Washington Redskins: The visitor won in the two meetings last season. That's not surprising, given how much better the Giants play on the road.



Features to be Posted This Offseason:

1. Detailed season preview
2. Fantasy football projections
3. Positional rankings
4. Daily updates on free-agent signings

More 2008 NFL Offseason Pages:

DAL / NYG / PHI / WAS
CHI / DET / GB / MIN
ATL / CAR / NO / TB
ARZ / SF / SEA / STL

BUF / MIA / NE / NYJ
BAL / CIN / CLE / PIT
HOU /IND / JAX / TEN
DEN / KC / OAK / SD


Back to the 2008 NFL Offseason Page

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