Offseason grades: PFF gives Giants a B-

The New York Giants completely overhauled their franchise this offseason. With a new coach, new general manager, and two top 10 draft picks, the team already bares little resemblance to last year’s 4-13 nightmare.

So, how successful were the Giants during the beginning of their rebuild?

Pro Football Focus released its offseason grades on Monday, and New York is stuck right in the middle of the pack.

Here’s what PFF had to say:

Offseason Grade: B-

Free Agency Grade: Average

Draft Grade: B-

The biggest offseason moves the Giants made were hiring new general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. That duo comes over from Buffalo, where they have been a major part of one of the best-run franchises in the league over the past few seasons. They didn’t have a lot of flexibility to make sweeping improvements in one offseason, but free agency saw them add a couple of bargain players that could help to shore up a problem offensive line.

In the draft, while the first round unfolded perfectly, leaving the Giants with both Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal, things got a lot more confusing once after Day 1 of the draft. Wan’Dale Robinson felt like a major reach in the second round, as he looks most likely to be more of a gimmick weapon than a true wide receiver. Additionally, they made several other picks that represented poor value relative to the PFF or consensus big boards. The most important picks they had were those two first-rounders, and those are the ones that look like the best moves, but the new regime may need a couple of years to begin to turn this franchise around.

The poor salary cap situation that former GM Dave Gettleman left behind prevented Schoen from making any splash moves in free agency. Instead, New York added serviceable veterans like tight end Ricky Seals-Jones, offensive lineman Jon Feliciano, and backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

Schoen was also forced to cut James Bradberry after failing to find a trade partner for the Pro Bowl cornerback.

In the draft, the Giants took home two of the top-ranked prospects in Thibodeaux and Neal. Both project as immediate impact players. Some of Schoen’s other picks were criticized for being drafted too early, so it will take some time before we can properly evaluate the rest of New York’s rookie class.

For now, all Giants fans can do is trust that Schoen and Daboll are making better decisions than the previous regime.