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This is the first of a series of off-season posts that will delve into "Game Changing" off-season moves by our New York Giants. Yes, the series is sponsored by Sprint. And, yes, you will find similar posts at all of the SB Nation football blogs.
We, of course, occasionally do have to pay some bills around here. None of that, however, means we won't find some interesting topics to discuss throughout the series.
The first post in this series is a pretty obvious one. The biggest "game-changing" move made by the Giants to date this off-season is without doubt the firing of Bill Sheridan and the hiring of Perry Fewell as defensive coordinator.
Sheridan helped turn a good, and sometimes outstanding, Giants' defense into a disaster in 2009. It is Fewell's job to fix it.
The former Buffalo Bill defensive coordinator and, in 2009, interim head coach, has described what he wants this way.
"I want to be fundamentally sound. I want to be multiple in what we do. I want to attack. I want to be aggressive in what we do. I want our players to play fast and have fun playing the game. Definitely create turnovers; I believe you score on defense," Fewell said. "I think you have to be physically tough. We have to play with discipline and we have to play as a team on defense."
The injury-depleted, and often schematically challenged, Giants were none of those things on defense last season. Fewell, at the least, brings experience and a knowledge of exactly what he wants. He also brings a reputation as a motivator.
With improved health, free-agents additions Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant, and likely some help forthcoming from this weekend's draft, the outlook for the Giants defense has to be much better in 2010.