According to ESPN, the New York Giants did not win the 2012 NFL offseason. ESPN's Matt Williamson, in fact, is of the opinion that every team in the NFC East had a better offseason than the defending Super Bowl champions.
Williamson gave the Giants a C+ for their offseason work, calling it "somewhat curious" that the team did not use an early draft choice on an offensive lineman.
The winner of the offseason? The Philadelphia Eagles, of course, who were one of three teams to get an 'A'. The others were the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams.
Williamson practically gushed when discussing the Eagles:
A year ago, everyone was raving about all the fantastic free-agent moves Philadelphia had made. But to me, this is the year they'll pay off, and the Eagles very well could end up as my pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. ... I expect Philadelphia to make good on the hype it received one year ago.
Williamson gave the Washington Redskins a B+ based solely on getting Robert Griffin III as their quarterback. The Dallas Cowboys earned a 'B'.
Valentine's View: This is all old news for Giants fans, the same old song and dance. The Giants did not make the flashy free-agent signings or draft-day trades that inflate these kinds of ratings. They just took guys they believe will be good players in the draft and tried to fill holes with inexpensive, under-the-radar free agents.
It's an approach that has worked pretty darn well for Jerry Reese and the Giants the past five years.