Giants' game-changing off-season moves: Antrel Rolle
by Ed Valentine on May 2, 2010 10:57 AM EDT
in New York Giants News
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This is the second post in our off-season look at "game-changing" moves made by the Giants this off-season.
In the first one, we looked at the hiring of Perry Fewell as defensive coordinator. The second, I think, has to be the biggest free-agent acquisition the Giants made this off-season.
That, of course, would be the signing of safety Antrel Rolle.
The Giants gambled at the safety position in 2009, and lost. Big-time. They began the year with just three safeties on the roster, and lost their best one, Kenny Phillips, after just two games with a potentially career-changing arthritic knee condition.
The Giants paid dearly for that, watching their over-matched remaining safeties get burned again and again for long, 'game-changing,' completions.
With Phillips' health and long-term future still a huge question, bringing in help at safety for 2010 was a must. The Giants also signed safety Deon Grant and drafted Chad Jones, but Rolle is the biggest acquisition.
Some think the five-year, $37 million contract ($15 million guaranteed) was excessive for a player who is not considered among the elite safeties in the league.
Rolle, however, is a good player. He was the best player available at a position of tremendous need for the Giants, and is easily the biggest "game-changing" personnel move they have made this off-season.
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I remember the days when Giants DB's
thought dropped INT’s were OK cuz they still count as passes defended.
Now we got a dude, Perry Fewell, who emphasizes INT’s and a player in Rolle (not to mention our shiny new SS who has hands like Egyptian cotton)……
Could the Giants actually get some picks this year?
Will Allen
Often in position to make a play….but rarely did
by Giants56 on May 2, 2010 2:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Sprint
Bigblueview is finally getting paid now. NICE!
Safety
If by some chance Kenny Phillips returns to form, our Safety group looks to be Rolle, Phillips, Grant, Jones, Ross, and Johnson, and darn that’s a pretty impressive group… well not Johnson, but still, in one season we turned our weakest position into one of our strongest. Aside from WR and DL no other group has as much depth as Safety does now. It still worries me that a few of our positions hang on our players being healthy (CB and LB particularly), but I’m glad the Safety position was addressed.
Ross
will be back competing for his corner spot now, won’t be at safety. Michael Johnson,
your bus will be leaving soon too.
It certainly looks like
Johnson and Grant battling for the last roster spot if Phillips is ready for the 1st game
Yeah
That’s great that we have safeties now. It will help the corners with some actual help over the top this year. Getting burned wasnt all the CBs fault last year. A lot of it came from no safety help. However I am still pissed at letting AP go. He may have lost a step but the guy is one of the smartest MLB’s in the game. He is way better than anything we hyave there now. Maybe we trade Osi for an MiddleLB since we have the beast from USF.
most of the time they got burned
it wasn’t even the CB’s coverage, it was the dumb cover 2 zone, which left CC Brown 1 on 1 with the other teams #1 corner
by mclaren_is_the_best on May 2, 2010 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions
....
Don’t do it Free…
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
Umm ... no
Why would any Giants fan ever actually hope for a bad season. And, we have been over and over and over this. Cowher is not a better coach than TC. The myth/legend just grows the longer he stays away.
by Ed Valentine on May 2, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
UH YEAH.
I say BC is a waaaaaaaaaaaaay better coach than TC. Let’s see now defense is our problem right? I think everyone wld agree that the O is ok where it is. Ok T.C’s D’s the last 14 years. 3 times in the top ten in the league in Total pts and yds allowed. Only once in the top ten in takeaways. 1 time he had a top ten rushing D and only once he had a top 10 passing D.
Now Cowhers D’s. 12 times top 10 total yds allowed and 10 times top 10 pt’s allowed. Top ten seven times in takeaway’s. 10 times top 10 rushing D and 8 times top 10 passing D.
Gee that seems like Cowher would implement a way better D than Coach Coughlin. I would rather have a guy yelling and spitting in the faces of our players when they screw up than a guy that goes " DUUUH WHAT WERE U DOING OUT THERE?" Thats what football is all about everyone respects Cowher noone except Chris Snee respects Tommy boy
Oh by the way Cowher has nine division championships and TC 5. He also has 1 more Conference Championship than TC.
quit while you're behind
Cowher is no better then Coughlin.
I wouldn’t tank for Bill Belicheck, let alone a coach as overrated as Cowher
Krizz
This is really not an argument you want to start here. We’ve had it before, and you’ll just wind up getting yourself hammered unmercifully.
Especially when you make general, uneducated statements
I think the not- respecting- Coughlin ship sailed when he got a ring. Incidentally the same number of rings Cowher has. And while you point out the Cowher defensive stats, let’s not forget this is a man that stuck with Kordell Stewart at QB for what, four seasons?
Homer: Aw, twenty dollars! I wanted a peanut!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!
Homer: Explain how!
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services!
Homer: Woo-hoo!
by bigbluethruandthru on May 2, 2010 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I like Cowher
Always has physical defense and a power running game. With that being said I would rather win the SB then have a bad year. John Fox would prob be the next coach over Cowher anyway.
by Giants56 on May 2, 2010 2:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Maybe because TC is an offensive coach and BC is a defensive coach?
if we hired BC then maybe our offense will start to suck like the Steelers offense did in the 90s while our defense plays better
by mclaren_is_the_best on May 2, 2010 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions
why would you
say anything about wanting the giants to lose on a site that is filled with giants fans? i know some people like BC, but dont wish a loseing season on the giants just so we get a diffrent coach, if the giants had a superbowl season this year, would u still want BC?
I don’t think any real Giants fan would either secretly or not hope for them to lose. I personally get mad as hell when we do lose my wife and kids know when they lose cause I’m pissed off. But I got a really good feeling about this year we have the talent on offense and some depth on D now only if our LBs can play up to their potential and we can stay healthy even with a so called tough schedule I can see us doing really big things. But that could just be the fan in me either way I can’t wait for the season to get here
by g-men_fan on May 2, 2010 1:17 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I wouldn't root for the Giants to
by Giants56 on May 2, 2010 2:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I wouldn’t root for them to lose, I don’t think I could. Coughlin is a good coach. If however for whatever reason this is his final year I would take cowher or fox. Fox would probably be a better fit.
by Giants56 on May 2, 2010 2:48 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Is Michael Johnson even good at special teams?
Yeah, I think his roster spot is definitely in danger. He’s a below average player. He has poor instincts and poor ball skills. His play in 2009 was unacceptable. Johnson did play well when our defense was getting a lot of pressure, but he wasn’t a playmaker then.
Anyway, I’m excited about Rolle. Some Cardinals fans say he doens’t have good range, misses a lot of tackles, and can get ocassionally burned. I tried to watch some cardinals games, and he seemed fine to me. There’s one thing you can’t deny with Rolle: he’s a playmaker. The ball just has a knack of naturally getting to Rolle’s hands and he has the potential to take it to the house at all times (whether that’s fumbles, interceptions, or blocked FG’s). That’s something we haven’t seen from our secondary in a while. I’m looking forward to see him in a Giants jersey.
I'm going to be on record
and say I don’t think Michael Johnson will be on the roster come opening day.
KP, Rolle, Grant, Jones are four safeties that are better (or in jones case, ~ the same but with bigger upside).
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
The real important question is...
…he we gonna take w/ the 32nd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft?
Fewell said it best, we are playing ball again, c’mon, let’s get excited!
Anyone else watching the Giants-Cardinals game on NFL replays?
CC Brown really was quite a hinderance on our defense. He was picked on repeatedly in the game. Good thing Antrel Rolle looks damn good, he’s around the ball a good amount of the time.
This game also gets me excited to see Ham and Nicks with another year of practice and training. Nicks is going to be a star next year.
- Mohamed Sanu: A Giant in Two Years-
yeah I'm watching it
Rolle is such a huge upgrade over CC Brown and M. Johnson that its not even funny
by mclaren_is_the_best on May 2, 2010 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions
i actually have it on DVR still!
everything from that game that he did impressed me. didn’t miss a tackle, made a few on Big Boy head on, interception to seal the game. he only missed one hit in coverage that allowed steve smith a huge third and long.
i actually forgot about this part tho, did you see when he was in the wildcat? he threw a tight spiral to Larry F, who unbelievably dropped it. can you imagine if KG pulled that play out of his ass? someone get that tape to him, stat!
that game is so disappointing
our defense didn’t even play that bad, but KG was so predictable and bad and it made our offense very easy to shut down
by mclaren_is_the_best on May 3, 2010 3:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah I watched the whole game
It’s funny cause even though I knew the outcome of the game, I was still watching it as if it were live action. We had wayyy to many 3 and outs in that game it was terrible. Manning actually led Manningham out of bounds on a throw, if he would have made a better throw it would’ve been a nice deep completion, but Manningham did whiff on that dropped ball that would’ve went for a TD, he has to really limit the drops this season. And Hixon, just let DRC take his cookies, c’mon you gotta fight for that ball Hix! I think Hixon has done some nice things but I won’t be upset if he is not in a Giants uniform next season. Rolle looked real good the whole game, he’s not affraid of contact at all either.
Goff or Dillard? That is the question.
by I_Formation27 on May 3, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
No more 40+ yard strikes...
killing our momentum. With Role, Grant, and KP our corners can play up on WR’s now without fear of no help over the top. I anticipate a lot of HUGE hits laid out by our secondary this year….even willing to accept a few 15 yarders if they send a message.
Special teams
In some limited situations, he might have some 3rd down reps and some 4th quarter blowout reps.
Partly depends on his camp
He will see the field in pass rush at least. I think Fewell may implement the 4 DE pass rush like Spags just because he can. Tuck, Kiwi, Osi, & JPP not sure who will go interior though because JPP isn’t the strongest.
probably something like
Ramses Barden last year
You play to win the game!
by Simms-McConkey on May 3, 2010 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions
speaking of which
it’s year 2, let’s get the PHARAOH on the FIELD
You play to win the game!
by Simms-McConkey on May 3, 2010 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah yayeah! (in my best ice cube voice)
Its time to unleash the great pharaoh like the mummy returns!
by wilddre22 on May 3, 2010 9:12 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
if he's healthy...
right away in passing situations.
If he’s hurt a bit, more like Hakeem Nicks last year..more as the season progresses.
Interesting that in a thread on Safeties
Most of the chatter is not about safeties
Must mean most here think that those moves are the right ones
Aside: All the talk about overpaying for Rolle is silly. He is often compared to safeties that have far slighter coverage responsibility. Of course the safety that draws a good TE or RB is going to give up more catches. Rolle is exactly the kind of player the Giants needed and it was either dumb luck that the Cards decided to let him go or Reese is an evil genius practicing mind control.
This years Giants
The Giants did not do enough this off season to get back to the playoffs. The draft was really a mess. When do the Giants ever reach for players in a draft like in this one. Taking DT Dillard in the 4th round does not even upgrade the position over what is already on the team. The #1 pick was a reach and could have come after a trade down in the first round but as was said he is a boom or bust player. In the first round the Giants should have traded down and picked DT Price. The Giants should have saw what Denver was doing in the draft { trading down } as the NE Pats have done in the past. The Giants needed another OT in the draft but took a OG. OT Beatty is going to start at Left Tackle this year and what is last years starter going to do??? Move over to Left Guard and be an all pro at the position. The Giants had more of a need at OT. Also the Giants could have picked a Center in the later rounds for position need as a backup. The Giants still need help on both sides of the ball that could have been cleaned up with this draft. The only true hit was at DB with Jones. One other thing the Giants should have traded Osi to avoid problems with him if he does not start. The Giants biggest needs going into camp this year: MLB’er, OT, and Safety. Hope the URFA list gets another look real soon, I’m seeing a 4 to 5 win season if the needs do not get addressed.
Dillard
My mistake Dillard is a ILB with no D – Unit play calling skills. Typed to fast and missed it. Real world the Giants could have had OT Cambell, DT Price, MLB Spikes or even DE Morgan in that mix of players. All in All for the Giants this was a Trade down draft to fit needs and not reach for the picks. Osi trade could have gotten Giants the extra Mid level first round pick.
by jerseyjoehaven on May 3, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
how do you go from a 12 win team to a 8 win team with bad injuries to a 4-5 win team because of 1 "bad" draft
LB aren’t even that important anyway, we won the SB with AP. This years SB champs didn’t have an all-pro MLB either, Vilma is very mediocre. I’d take Goff over Vilma any day of the week.
by mclaren_is_the_best on May 3, 2010 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
So an 8-8 team
with no defense, will drop to a 5-11 team with all their uninjured players back.
Whatever floats your boat
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
The Giants actually didn't reach for anyone...
in fact, at least judging by the JPP pick…they got extremely good value going by their board.
When you get your 6th best player at #15…you may be lucky…but well, reach is probably the last thing I’d call it.
Donovan Warren
Giants missed on an extra pick, CB Donovan Warren. The Giants should have kept an eye on falling players, Warren for one fell out of the draft and into the Jets lap. The same was almost said about OT Ciron Black who was picked in the late 7th round. The Giants could have passed on Punter Dodge for a shot at Black or even Warren. Dodge could have been picked up as a free agent along with a few other punters.
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