New York Giants' roster in "shambles?" No, it's not that bad

In this week's Big Blue View mailbag, we address questions about the state of the roster, the draft, and how the Giants will address positions that still appear to need attention.

Ed says: "Shambles" is a difficult word, and probably too strong. A team that was in "shambles" probably would have won six games combined the past two seasons, not gone 6-10 both years. I mean, the Giants are not at Cleveland Browns' incompetency levels.

There are some building blocks. There is a franchise quarterback. There is a superstar wide receiver. There are some quality young offensive linemen. There are a few young "first contract" guys on defense like Johnathan Hankins, Landon Collins, and Devon Kennard. There aren't enough building blocks, however, and there isn't nearly enough depth.

Even after free agency, I believe you can make an argument that the Giants could stand to upgrade the personnel at every position except quarterback. That doesn't mean there aren't ANY good players. It just means there aren't enough good players.

Ed says: I get that there is concern in the fan base about the various positions that seemingly have not yet been addressed by the Giants. We are still, however, in March. The offseason program hasn't begun yet. The draft hasn't been held. There are still free agents on the market. There will be more guys cut after the draft, and even more during the preseason. Some of the answers will come from young players already on the roster.

I wrote recently that one short free-agency spending spree is not going to fix all of the Giants' problems. Maybe they can't all be fixed in one offseason. Not every free agent works out. Some draft picks fail. Guys get hurt. The Giants know they still have work to do. If they can find some help that makes sense both financially and in terms of roster fit on the free-agent market, they will make more moves. They'll bring in talented players in the draft. What you see right now won't be the finished product.

"Just because you don’t make a splash early doesn’t mean you can’t find a piece later on, and in the draft as well Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said during the NFL owners meetings. "There’s some nice players in the draft."

Ed says: In a vacuum, that is impossible to answer. Which players went with the first nine picks? Is UCLA linebacker Myles Jack still available? Did DB Jalen Ramsey somehow fall? Is OT Ronnie Stanley still on the board? Does WR Laquon Treadwell or DE Shaq Lawson make more sense? In the narrow scope of the question, though, I am going to agree with Alex and say "no."

I am not a big fan of taking a running back this early in the draft. The running game, and consequently running backs, are less and less important each year. If you take one this early, he better be a guy who quickly becomes a perennial All-Pro. Otherwise, he just isn't worth it. If you need a running back you can get a capable one later in the draft.

Personally, I would prefer to see the Giants either add to their defense or solidify their offensive line or receiving corps with the 10th pick.

Ed says: Obviously, I can't guarantee what the Giants will do. I'm not Jerry Reese, and I'm not in the draft prep meeting. That said, Reese's presence at the Georgia Pro Day tells you that the Giants are serious about Floyd. I don't know about Lee. His fit with the Giants might be a figment of the media's imagination, I really can't be sure. The Giants know they need play-makers. As much as fans want linebackers, though, I just can't be sure the Giants see the situation the same way.

Ed says: I think all of those are possible. I think wide receiver is possible. I think cornerback is possible. I think linebacker is possible. I'm not a big fan of making Elliott the pick, but I won't rule it out. The Giants may not see their needs, or the draft board, like fans do. The 10th pick is really interesting because you can make a good argument for a half-dozen different scenarios or choices.

Ed says: I seem to recall Tom Coughlin mentioning that they had done so about a year ago, but I'm not certain. To be honest, I can't imagine the turf at the practice facility having much to do with injuries. Everybody wants an answer. All I know is the Giants have tried a lot of things over the years and with a new strength and conditioning coach and a remodeled weight room they will try a lot more this year.