Kiwi: Where should he play?
by ETVal
on May 20, 2008 7:00 AM EDT
in News
Between now and Week 1 against the Washington Redskins, I'm sure we will spend lots of time discussing this. Since Yahoo! Sports brought it up , though, let's talk about where Mathias Kiwanuka plays if Michael Strahan retires.
It would seem natural that Kiwanuka, drafted as a defensive end, would move back to his natural position if Strahan hangs up his spikes.
Not so fast, though. This is what defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had to say n the topic of Kiwanuka.
"If Michael does retire, I think we’ll try to leave Kiwi at linebacker. That was the original plan and he was growing into the position. Of course, in case of injuries, guys move around. And in our defense, he might be on the line now and then, but I would like to keep him as a linebacker."
If Strahan retires and Kiwanuka goes back to end, it's a move I certainly would understand. I hope it doesn't happen, though.
Despite his early struggles last season I maintain that Kiwanuka can be a tremendous force at linebacker given the opportunity to get completely comfortable there. I want to see him get that opportunity.
We saw before he got hurt last season that Kiwanuka was a force as a hybrid linebacker/defensive lineman, and the better he becomes as a linebacker the more devastating he can be in this hybrid capacity. The manueverability he offers is one of the things that can make the Giants defense special, and we have seen that Spags isn't afraid of doing unconventional things.
From Yahoo!
But the way Spagnuolo designs his highly unorthodox defense, there’s no telling where Kiwanuka will be coming from down to down. Several times last season the Giants’ front line consisted of Strahan, Umenyiora, Tuck and Kiwanuka.
“The goal is to get the best 11 players on the field,” Spagnuolo says. “We are fortunate in that we have several players who can play different positions and hence different roles.”
As he was last training camp, Kiwi will be one of the interesting players to watch this time around. I hope we are still watching him as a linebacker.
Your thoughts?
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I think
He will stay at linebacker for now, because I do believe Strahan is coming back
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by jrs1940 on May 20, 2008 8:57 AM EDT 0 recs
My concern with Kiwi at LB
has always been his pass coverage ability. He can rush the passer and help with the run, but he appears less capable of covering a TE or RB. It’s a trade-off Spagnuolo is apparently willing to make and it’s hard to argue with the results.
by rzor on May 20, 2008 9:21 AM EDT 0 recs
Pass coverage
I really don’t think it matters much. Kiwi is not usually in coverage in passing situations, anyway. He is usually in a position to attack the QB, and that makes him dangerous.
by ETVal on
May 20, 2008 9:35 AM EDT
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Pass Coverage
You are right he is not usually in on pass coverage, but the Giants have consistently shown to be vulnerable to the passing attack across the middle. Those short slants or quick turnarounds from the TE make passing on the Giants an every down option. The Colts and Patriots have proved that every down is a passing down. I am pretty worried that he does not have the speed to track an RB or TE coming across the middle.
by losangelesmets on
May 20, 2008 11:47 AM EDT
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Anywhere in the Box
I like the idea of teams always trying to figure out where specific personnel on the Giants are on any given down. Kiwi is such a talented pass rusher; wouldn’t it be great if they could ultimately utilize him the same way Parcells used LT? In the opening chapter of “The Blind Side” by Michael Lewis, they describe the way offenses would come to the line and frantically scan the defense to figure out where LT was. When you have a guy with the physical tools that Kiwi’s got, why not play him inside the DL on some downs and then dropping back further in the box and rushing the passer from the OLB position? That way Tuck/Osi/Kiwi/Strahan(hopefully)/Robbins/Alford et. al. can just overwhelm the offensive line.
(However, I definitely agree that Kiwi needs significantly more work on pass coverage.)
by Cody K on May 20, 2008 11:51 AM EDT 0 recs
two things
One, Kiwi is not nearly as talented as LT. To paraphrase someone from his era, he didn’t have a locker, he had a telephone booth. LT also played in a 3-4. Big difference
Two, Kiwi was used that way prior to the injury. Check out footballoutsiders.com and look up “Four Aces”.
by queler on
May 20, 2008 12:55 PM EDT
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Odell Thurman?
Hey, PS – what do you guys think about the Giants picking up Odell Thurman?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/05/19/bengals.thurman.ap/index.html
Now, granted – he was suspended for two years…but you gotta think that the Giants have such a strong locker room at this point that they feel like they could control him.
Besides, if the Giants don’t pick him up, you can bet the Cowboys would!!
by Cody K on May 20, 2008 12:07 PM EDT 0 recs
What on earth
would you want to do that for? No need at the position, and no need for the headache.
by ETVal on
May 20, 2008 1:13 PM EDT
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Tuck?
What about justin tuck? couldn’t he be a replacement for strahan if he retires? he clearly has the ability to be to be an all-pro DE as we saw his performance in the superbowl. so if strahan were to retire, why couldn’t he replace his spot and keep kiwi at LB?
by Makaveli8751 on May 20, 2008 2:56 PM EDT 0 recs
Tuck
He would, of course, move into the starting lineup. The question is, if strahan retires, who else plays there. If you recall, Spags rotated 3-4 guys all the time last year. Tuck & Osi can’t play every down.
by ETVal on
May 20, 2008 3:09 PM EDT
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hybrid
I was starting to like Kiwi in the hybrid role, particularly once the 4 aces alignment was introduced.
His pass coverage skills were improving as he got more comfortable last year. Remember, he got to camp last spring expecting to be a DE – This year he knows more
by NYERinSF on May 20, 2008 4:03 PM EDT 0 recs
As he acrrued playing time
I think Kiwi’s route recognition improved, but I believe his ability to run with pass catching TEs like Witten and Cooley 10 yards off the LOS will always hamper his effectiveness as an every down LB. This isn’t to say I hate the guy, but technique and strength DE seem to be a thing of the past and speed rushers at that position are now in vogue. His experience at LB also gives him an advantage when playing a zone-blitz. Kiwi fits the bill nicely and I hope to see him there post-Strahan.
by rzor on
May 20, 2008 4:21 PM EDT
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i was thinking of creating a new position for kiwi
ass-kicker.
i don’t care where they put him. i trust spags and i know that even though kiwi may be weak in pass coverage, he will rarely be put in those situations. plus, think about where kiwi was week 1 vs. the cowboys and witten compared to where he was at in detroit before the injury – it was like night and day.
once he works out the kinks and gets more experience under his belt, i think kiwanuka is going to be a pro bowl caliber player for years to come.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on
May 20, 2008 5:50 PM EDT
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Position
I don’t think we necessarily have to define a position for Kiwi. Let the so called experts do that. As far as Spags is concerned and as has been mentioned throughout this post, Kiwi is a hybrid that will play multiple positions and be great at it. I don’t think that’ll change if Strahan retires.
As far as his ability in coverage, I think it’s a concern as well. He’ll have to drop back during some plays, there’s just no way around it unless he rushes on every pass play. I hope he gets better at it or I think the Giants will have to lean more towards the DE hybrid than a LB/DE hybrid.
by potroast on May 20, 2008 4:46 PM EDT 0 recs
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