The New York Giants have the ninth-best roster in the NFL, according to Bucky Brooks of NFL. com. Wait. What? Really? Is that a joke? Nope. Brooks actually listed the Giants among his top 10 most talented teams in the league.
That just a few months after NFLN analyst Heath Evans said the Giants "roster is the weakest in the league, by far" and after another ranking listed Giants GM Jerry Reese among the league's worst general managers.
So, what gives? Was the Giants' offseason really that good? Mind you this ranking doesn't even include the 2016 rookie class. Here is what Brooks said:
Blue chips: Eli Manning, QB; Odell Beckham Jr., WR; Damon Harrison, DT; Jason Pierre-Paul, DE;Olivier Vernon, DE; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB; Janoris Jenkins, CB.
Despite all of the criticism general manager Jerry Reese has received for failing to add a host of premier players in recent drafts, the Giants sufficiently filled the voids on their roster through aggressive free-agent additions. The acquisitions of Harrison, Vernon and Jenkins immediately upgrade the play-making potential of the defense. With Pierre-Paul poised to bounce back from a subpar season following his self-inflicted hand injury and Rodgers-Cromartie regarded as a premier cover corner, the Big Blue defense could return to the ranks of the elite this season. Offensively, the combination of Manning and Beckham strikes fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators around the NFL. If the Giants get any contributions from Victor Cruz and/or Sterling Shepard opposite OBJ, this offense will be a problem for opponents down the stretch.
So, yeah, wrap your head around that. One analyst says they have the worst roster in the league and three free agents later they are among the best? OK. Just remember it's the offseason and web sites like this one -- where we try to give you credible, thoughtful insight -- aren't the only ones with lots of time and space to fill.