Big Blue View - New York Giants position-by-position reviews: Looking back, and aheadYour place for year-round New York Giants discussion and informationhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47371/bigblueview_fave.png2016-01-28T08:08:24-05:00http://www.bigblueview.com/rss/stream/105738992016-01-28T08:08:24-05:002016-01-28T08:08:24-05:00Can Giants get Landon Collins some help at safety?
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<img alt="Bennett Jackson was one of many Giants safeties who ended up on IR" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cenRaaHFDByZtBSzZE945a5C0i0=/0x150:2168x1595/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48644265/GettyImages-484921060.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bennett Jackson was one of many Giants safeties who ended up on IR | Elsa/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Giants rebuilt the position in 2015, then watched their creation fall apart.</p> <p>The way the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Giants</a> approached stocking the safety position in 2015 was one of the season's great gambles. They shed overpaid or underperforming veterans -- including defensive captain <span>Antrel Rolle</span> -- after the safeties were awful in 2014. They basically started over, drafting <span>Landon Collins</span> and banking that other answers would emerge from a cadre of young, unproven safeties collected by GM Jerry Reese.</p>
<p>Injuries derailed the Giants' plan, however, leaving them scraping the bottom of the free-agent barrel as the season began. Let's look back at 2015 and ahead to how the Giants might aim to upgrade the position in 2016.</p>
<h4>2015 in review</h4>
<p>Collins, basically, was as advertised. He struggled in coverage, especially when asked to play the deep safety and cover more of the field. He got better and better in run support as the season wore on, and showed that he can be a valuable piece to the puzzle as the Giants move forward and try to put their league-worst defense back together. There really wasn't anything else good about the safety situation in 2015.</p>
<p>The Giants had hoped that someone from the young group of second-year players <span>Bennett Jackson</span> and <span>Nat Berhe</span>, third-year player <span>Cooper Taylor</span>, and 2015 fifth-round pick <span>Mykkele Thompson</span> would join Collins and become the team's free safety. The injury Gods had other ideas. Berhe basically didn't make it to training camp. Jackson, a converted corner who looked impressive early on and Thompson, didn't make it out of the preseason. Taylor got chances, got buried on the depth chart, got cut, got re-signed, finally got a little playing time, and got hurt. So it went with Giants' safeties.</p>
<p>Thus, they ended up trolling the street for veteran free agents. They tried Steve Brown and didn't like what they saw. They ended up with <span>Brandon Meriweather</span> and <span>Craig Dahl</span>, and both guys spent much of the season showing why they didn't have jobs in the first place.</p>
<h4>Is this a position of need?</h4>
<p>It sure is. There are some who would like to see the Giants move <span>Landon Collins</span> to linebacker, the way the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona Cardinals</a> moved 210-pound safety Deone Buccanon to linebacker. For the sake of this discussion let's consider Collins a safety. That still leaves the Giants, who like to employ the three-safety look when they remove a linebacker from the field, with a need for probably two guys who can play regularly. Could, at least, one of those, or maybe both, come from the Jackson-Berhe-Thompson-Taylor group? Sure, but it doesn't seem like the best plan to simply count on that.</p>
<p>First and foremost it seems the Giants could really use a free safety to pair with Collins, allowing him to spend most of his time closer to the line of scrimmage. Could a free agent like <span>Eric Weddle</span> or <span>Tashaun Gipson</span> be the answer? Could the Giants once again use an early-round draft pick on a safety?</p>
<p>We will find out over the next few months. It would be nice, however, if the Giants' safeties would actually afford them some protection in 2016.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/28/10833860/new-york-giants-position-review-safeties-landon-collins-craig-dahl-bennett-jacksonEd Valentine2016-01-27T07:50:43-05:002016-01-27T07:50:43-05:00When will the Giants really address linebacker?
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<img alt="Devon Kennard" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7oFVjfABGxrRNiotFT_io-5Xyjw=/0x193:2601x1927/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48642071/usa-today-8764286.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Devon Kennard | Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Beezer Brigade, this is for you.</p> <p>Year after year we come back to this same topic when we discuss the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Giants</a>. The patchwork approach to the linebacker position that leads to sub-par linebacker play. Such was the case again in 2015. Let's look back at the 2015 season, ahead to 2016 and talk about ways the Giants could finally solve their ongoing linebacker problem.</p>
<h4>2015 in review</h4>
<p>The Giants started the season with <span>Jon Beason</span>, <span>Devon Kennard</span>, and J.T. Thomas III as their linebackers. All three ended up on injured reserve. Beason (5), Kennard (9) and Thomas (12) played just 26 of a possible 48 games combined. The Giants ended the season with <span>Jasper Brinkley</span>, <span>Mark Herzlich</span>, and <span>Jonathan Casillas</span> playing. Undrafted free agent Uani 'Unga was mixed in there somewhere as well. Even with the three starters healthy, you can make a case that this group wasn't very good, with Kennard being the only impact player of the bunch. With the trio playing barely more than half the games? The position was a complete disaster. The Giants were the worst team in the league covering tight ends, giving up the most catches (101) and yards (1,303) to opposing tight ends, a lot of that was due to the problems at linebacker.</p>
<h4>Is this a position of need?</h4>
<p>Of course, it is. I recently described the Giants' approach to linebacker as an effort to cap a geyser with a Band-Aid. The Giants have drafted 15 linebackers since 2000 with only two (<span>Gerris Wilkinson</span>, Round 3, 2006 and <span>Clint Sintim</span>, Round 2, 2009) taken in the first three rounds. We have pointed out again and again that the last time the Giants drafted a linebacker in the first round was 1984 when they selected Carl Banks.</p>
<p>Does the organization have an unwillingness to recognize the importance of the position? Watch the <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Carolina Panthers</a> with Luke Keuchly, <span>Thomas Davis</span>, and <span>Shaq Thompson</span> and you see the value. Same with the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Denver Broncos</a> and their duo of <span>Von Miller</span> and Danny Trevathan. Are the Giants' college scouts unable to properly evaluate players at the position? Have the Giants coaches been unable to develop whatever players they have been given? Is the team's approach in free agency wrong? A guy like Thomas is OK, but he couldn't start for the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Lions</a> or <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Jacksonville Jaguars</a>. He had one nice game in 2014 against the Giants and earned a rich three-year contract from them. When will the Giants stop trying to piece the position together with late-round draft picks and free agent scraps tossed to the curb by other NFL teams?</p>
<p>What will the linebacking corps look like in 2016? Kennard will be part of the answer -- if he can stay healthy. He played only 12 games as a rookie and nine games in 2015. There is some speculation that Kennard, who was calling the defensive signals for a few games before being injured last season, could move to middle linebacker. The gamble, of course, is in building a defense around a guy who has proven to be a health risk.</p>
<p>Beyond Kennard and probably Thomas because of the contract he was given, I have no idea who the Giants' linebackers will be. We will spend a ton of time discussing draft prospects like Myles Jack, Jaylon Smith and Reggie Ragland, and potential free agents like <span>Bruce Irvin</span> or Trevathan.</p>
<p>Let's just hope that this time the Giants finally apply more than a Band-Aid in trying to fix the problem.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/27/10828164/new-york-giants-position-review-linebacker-devon-kennard-jon-beason-jt-thomasEd Valentine2016-01-26T09:00:06-05:002016-01-26T09:00:06-05:00Cornerback: Prince's pricetag, other Giant issues
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<img alt="Prince Amukamara making a tackle" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pI6BtjrvMZAk0pm-5NCZGY1VOs8=/0x331:1767x1509/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48629777/usa-today-8801678.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Prince Amukamara making a tackle | Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Will Prince be back? How much help do the Giants need at corner?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> had the worst pass defense in the NFL in 2015. That means their cornerback play stunk, right? Well, not necessarily. Let's look at cornerback as we continue our position-by-position reviews, looking back at 2015 and ahead to 2016.</p>
<h4>2015 in review</h4>
<p>Cornerback was far from the biggest problem on the Giants' defense in 2015. Considering, the paucity of pass rush, the issues at safety and the inability of Giants linebackers to cover anyone the Giants were going to give up a lot of yardage against the pass in 2015 regardless of how good their cornerback play way.</p>
<p>Both Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are good but not great corners. Rodgers-Cromartie occasionally flashes elite ability, but not always. Amukamara has never made the jump from good player to elite, shutdown corner. The real issue at this position was depth. Going back into the last offseason we pointed out that the Giants needed better depth at the position. With Amukamara missing five games due to a pectoral injury, and no true quality slot corner to begin with, that became an issue. <span>Trevin Wade</span> and <span>Jayron Hosley</span> played OK at times, but each was often exposed by opposing quarterbacks. <span>Trumaine McBride</span> became a mostly forgotten man as the season wore on.</p>
<h4>Is this a position of need?</h4>
<p>The belief here has always been that in the pass-oriented NFL with receivers spread all over the place you must place a premium on the cornerback position. The Giants did that before the 2014 season, but injuries decimated their depth. They basically ignored the position last offseason and paid for it. So, yes, it is a position of need.</p>
<p>How big a need will depend on what decision they make with Amukamara. The 2011 first-round pick can be a free agent, and the Giants have a difficult decision to make. How much is Prince really worth? He is undoubtedly a good player. He competes, he tackles well, he supports the run. He doesn't have the elite physical traits -- the size, speed or quickness -- to make him a top-tier corner, a guy you would want shadowing the opposition's best receiver. Plus, he has a lengthy injury history. He has played in only 19 of 32 games the past two seasons, and only 55 of 80 (68.8 percent) of regular-season games in his career.</p>
<p>Let's use the five-year, $35 million contract Rodgers-Cromartie got from the Giants. That makes him the 14th highest-paid corner in the league based on contract value. Is Amukamara worth that much, or more, to the Giants? He's younger than DRC, but not as talented as a cover guy. If another team offers Amukamara that kind of money do the Giants try to compete? It really isn't an easy call</p>
<p>If the Giants don't sign Amukamara they will probably be in the free-agent market looking for an immediate starter on the outside who might be less costly. Even if they do ultimately keep Amukamara they need to address the slot and add some quality veteran depth. Finding a young player in the draft who might develop into a starter would also be nice.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/26/10822490/new-york-giants-position-review-cornerback-prince-amukamara-drcEd Valentine2016-01-25T07:29:10-05:002016-01-25T07:29:10-05:00Giants' defensive tackles didn't hold up in 2015
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<img alt="Markus Kuhn" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vUoRSDhJnFpMBonA3SnH06HIfm8=/0x93:2388x1685/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48620481/usa-today-8764279.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Markus Kuhn | Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Kuhn is easy to blame, but he wasn't the only problem. Honest.</p> <p><span>Markus Kuhn</span> is a player <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> fans love to hate. When it comes to the team's defensive tackle position, though, Kuhn's shortcomings aren't the only cause for concern. Let's look at how the players at that position performed in 2015, and what the Giants need to do to address the position going forward.</p>
<h4>2015 season in review</h4>
<p>When looking at the shortcomings of the Giants' defense in 2015, most of the attention goes to the defensive end, linebacker and safety spots. Defensive tackle, however, is another position where you can argue that the Giants simply weren't good enough.</p>
<p>The team's best defensive tackle, <span>Johnathan Hankins</span>, played in only nine games before suffering a season-ending pectoral injury. Aging veteran <span>Cullen Jenkins</span> and 2012 seventh-round pick Markus Kuhn were try-hard guys who really didn't have much to give. <span>Jay Bromley</span>, the 2014 second-round pick, didn't earn consistent playing time until Kuhn went down with a season-ending knee injury.</p>
<p>There wasn't enough ability from this group to collapse the pocket in passing situations or to hold the point of attack against the run. It's in vogue, and correct, to pick on Giants linebackers. When you don't have defensive tackles who can give them a clean path to the ballcarrier, though, it doesn't help.</p>
<h4>Is this a position of need?</h4>
<p>Yes. First and foremost, the Giants need a healthy season from Hankins. He is easily the best player they have at the position. Secondly, it would be nice to see Bromley get an extended opportunity. He did not play regularly until the final four weeks of the season, and that is unfortunate.</p>
<p>At this point, it is hard to believe that either Jenkins or Kuhn will be back next season. <span>Montori Hughes</span> and Barry Cofield might be able to provide depth, but it's doubtful either can be a difference-maker. Here is a list of the <a href="http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/defensive-tackle/">defensive tackles scheduled to become free agents</a>. Whether it is via the draft or free agency the Giants can't overlook their need to improve the interior of their defensive line.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/25/10815716/new-york-giants-2015-review-defensive-tackle-markus-kuhn-johnathan-hankins-jay-bromleyEd Valentine2016-01-23T07:51:52-05:002016-01-23T07:51:52-05:00Giants need to bolster disappointing WR corps
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<img alt="Rueben Randle" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oWI1SJ6gSfxUz8lcSLBf5-5rMFY=/0x369:2676x2153/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48613961/usa-today-9007194.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rueben Randle | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>What went wrong? A lot.</p> <p>Wide receiver was supposed to be a position of strength for the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Giants</a> in 2015. We know it didn't work out that way. Let's look back at what went wrong last season and ahead to what the Giants need to do in order to bolster the position for next season.</p>
<h4>2015 in review</h4>
<p>The Giants were loaded at wide receiver, or so everyone thought, coming into the season. Odell Beckham Jr. was coming off a historic rookie season. <span>Rueben Randle</span> had a breakout 2014. <span>Victor Cruz</span> was coming back. <span>Preston Parker</span> had been good in 2014 as a Cruz fill-in. <span>Dwayne Harris</span> had arrived via free agency. <span>Corey Washington</span> still had supporters. Rookie sixth-round pick <span>Geremy Davis</span> caught everything in training camp. Veteran James Jones was in camp. The Giants were STOCKED. Things didn't turn out that way.</p>
<p>Beckham was Beckham, showing that his extraordinary rookie season was no fluke. Harris was good. Nothing else, however, went as the Giants had hoped. Jones and Washington got cut. Parker dropped a boatload of passes in the first two games and got dropped from the team. Cruz never played. Davis disappeared. Randle disappointed. The Giants ended the season with retread <span>Hakeem Nicks</span> on the roster along with <span>Myles White</span> and Ben Edwards. Geesh!</p>
<h4>Is this a position of need?</h4>
<p>Yes. Randle is a free agent and it's anybody's guess as to whether new coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese will want to continue to deal with the inconsistencies of the 2012 second-round pick. Cruz is an unknown, and might not even be a Giant next season. Harris is a dependable receiver but not a game-breaker. Nicks doesn't have much left. White and Edwards are replaceable parts.</p>
<p>The Giants need a dependable second option, maybe even a third, to help Beckham. Tight end <span>Will Tye</span> might be part of the solution. So might running back Shane Vereen. The Giants, though, need more players on the outside. A tall wide receiver who could be a red zone threat would be nice. So would a pure speed guy who could threaten defenses vertically. In reality, anyone who can be a reliable No. 2 and gave the Giants options beyond Beckham would be welcome.</p>
<p>The biggest name among available free agents might be <span>Alshon Jeffery</span> of the <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bears</a>. Would the Giants chase Jeffery if he reaches the open market? No idea at this point. The Giants, though, cannot go into 2016 banking on the idea that Cruz -- after a season-and-a-half away from the game -- can be their second option.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/23/10810472/ny-giants-wide-receiver-odell-beckham-victor-cruz-rueben-randleEd Valentine2016-01-22T06:57:17-05:002016-01-22T06:57:17-05:00Can Will Tye stop Giants' tight end shuffle?
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<img alt="Will Tye" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xwU8hjKjOBfDBhkDMgD_1Z4PACo=/0x145:4158x2917/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48595533/503282924.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Will Tye | Elsa/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Is Will Tye the long-term answer?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> have not done nearly enough things right in the past few seasons. One thing they seem to be able to do, however, is to unearth useful tight ends from unlikely places. Let's focus on the tight end position as we continue our look back at 2015 and ahead to what the Giants need to do to bolster their roster in 2016.</p>
<h4>2015 in review</h4>
<p>The Giants began the 2015 season with a former undrafted free agent filling the role of a productive pass-catching tight end. They ended the season the same way. They just didn't begin and end the season with the same player in that spot.</p>
<p><span>Larry Donnell</span> had 63 receptions in 2014. A neck injury, however, limited him to eight games last season and opened the door for Will Tye. The former Stony Brook Seawolf burst through the door with 42 receptions in 13 games, seven starts. He may well have also shut that door behind him and ended Donnell's time as a Giant. Tye was recently named to all-rookie teams by both the Pro Football Writers of America and by Gil Brandt of NFL.com.</p>
<p>The Giants did, however, miss the veteran presence and the blocking of <span>Daniel Fells</span>, who suffered a serious MRSA infection and likely saw his career end after just two games.</p>
<h4>Is tight end a position of need?</h4>
<p>Well, yes. But also, no. Tye looks like a player who could develop into an upper-echelon pass-catching tight end. Thirteen games and seven starts, though, isn't a big enough sample size to write that in stone. <span>Matt LaCosse</span>, another undrafted free agent from Illinois, impressed last spring, returned to the team after being waived injured and saw action in the final couple of games. He could be part of the 2016 group at that position.</p>
<p>The Giants could use a solid blocker at the position. <span>Dwayne Allen</span> of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> will be a free agent and is a player thought to be a fit to slide into the Fells role. With all the obvious needs the Giants have in other places it would be surprising to see them use a high draft pick on a tight end, but like everything else you never know what might happen.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/22/10793852/new-york-giants-position-review-tight-end-will-tye-larry-connell-matt-lacosse-daniel-fellsEd Valentine2016-01-21T06:58:41-05:002016-01-21T06:58:41-05:00Giants' offensive line remains a work in progress
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<img alt="Weston Richburg" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g43XwDdzC5X6DHJj_LBa2WaBjrQ=/0x248:1322x1129/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48595647/usa-today-8808959.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Weston Richburg | Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Giants have some pieces. They also have decisions to make.</p> <p>It seems like the New York Giants have been chasing stability on their offensive line for several years now. They got closer to that goal in 2015, but did not fully achieve. Let's look at how the line played in 2015 and what still needs to be done.</p>
<h4>2015 in review</h4>
<p>Things didn't work out the way the Giants had planned. When they made Ereck Flowers their first-round pick they expected him to play right tackle, with veteran Will Beatty on the left. Then, Beatty tore a pectoral muscle and things changed. Flowers was forced to left tackle and Marshall Newhouse was forced into the lineup. Neither move was in the Giants' best short-term interest. Right guard Geoff Schwartz finished another season on IR.</p>
<p>On the positive side, Weston Richburg emerged as one of the league's best center and Justin Pugh had solid season. Pugh transitioned to left guard, but also played some at both tackles as an emergency fill-in.</p>
<h4>Is this a position of need?</h4>
<p>Yes, sadly it still is. General manager Jerry Reese had hoped that drafting Flowers would finish the reconstruction of the line, but that won't be the case. Flowers, Pugh, and Richburg provide building blocks for the future -- especially if Flowers develops as the Giants anticipate. Elsewhere, though, there are plenty of decisions to make.</p>
<p>What about Schwartz and Beatty?</p>
<p>Schwartz has given the Giants 13 games over two years after signing a four-year, $16.8 million contract. He's a good player, but after a broken ankle and fractured leg will the Giants keep him? Will they ask him to take a pay cut? His base salary the next two seasons is $3.935 million annually. They could save roughly $3 million against the salary cap by cutting him.</p>
<p>Beatty is entering the fourth year of a five-year, $37.5 million deal. All of the guaranteed $18 million has been paid. He is due $9.175 million in salary and bonuses in 2016, and there is almost no chance the Giants pay him that much money. Will he accept a pay cut, and what seems like an almost certain move to right tackle? Or, will he hit the free-agent market and look for both a left tackle job and left tackle paycheck?</p>
<p>Can young guys like Bobby Hart or Brett Jones help? Hart, a 2015 seventh-round pick, held his own in the limited time he played. Still, whether he is capable to being anything more than a fill-in at guard or right tackle is anyone's guess. Jones spent the season on IR with a knee injury after being signed from the CFL. He also remains an unknown.</p>
<p>Would the Giants chase a free agent right tackle like Mitchell Schwartz, Joe Barksdale or Bobby Massie if one or all were to hit the open market? Would they look to the draft once again? Would they do both?</p>
<p>The answers are unknown. The Giants, though, are still chasing a complete offensive line.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/21/10793928/new-york-giants-2015-review-offensive-line-weston-richburg-ereck-flowers-will-beattyEd Valentine2016-01-20T08:00:06-05:002016-01-20T08:00:06-05:00Running back a position of need for Giants?
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<img alt="Rashad Jennings" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tN3jCa-bYZlHjxHFl2QKKoL9BbU=/0x111:4476x3095/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48591265/GettyImages-502112444.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rashad Jennings | Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The answer is complicated.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> have made their head-coaching decision, hiring Ben McAdoo. They won't replace their general manager, keeping Jerry Reese. As the Giants begin the work of planning for 2016 let's go position-by-position, review what happened last season and spin forward to next season.We begin at running back, a position the Giants handled in a confusing fashion much of last season.</p>
<h4>2015 in review</h4>
<p>The four-man running back by committee approach the Giants used most of the season drove everyone crazy. The Giants ended up 18th in the NFL in both yards rushing per game (110.9) and yards per carry (3.99), but the rushing attack languished near the bottom of the league until the Giants finally allowed <span>Rashad Jennings</span> to establish himself as the primary back the final four games. In that span Jennings carried 79 times for 432 of his career-best 863 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry over that time.</p>
<p><span>Shane Vereen</span> had a career-high in receptions with 59, although his use was inconsistent. There were eight games where he had two or fewer catches. When he was finally, and briefly, given an opportunity during the middle of the season <span>Orleans Darkwa</span> showed that he could potentially be more than a special teams player. <span>Andre Williams</span> struggled, getting limited opportunities and averaging only 2.9 yards per carry. According to Football Outsiders' DYAR stat (Defense-Adjusted Yards Above Replacement) Williams' score of -83 was third-worst among all backs with at least 20 carries.</p>
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<h4>Is this a position of need?</h4>
<p>That, truthfully, is a good question. Jennings just had the best season of his career. He is good, but not great as both a runner and receiver. He is a solid locker room guy and still appears to have plenty left after seven years in the league. He will, however, be 31 next season. Vereen is a capable receiver and change-of-pace runner but not an every-down back. Williams is an enigma after two less-than-stellar seasons. Perhaps he would flourish if given the chance to be a workhorse, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards with the Giants. He doesn't really offer the versatility of the other three backs. Darkwa is an undrafted player signed off the Miami Dolphins practice squad victimized by the NFL reality that drafted players and those with bigger paychecks will get opportunities before he does.</p>
<p>Could the Giants use an upgrade at running back? Sure, but in my view, it isn't a high priority. With their <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/19/10787010/five-things-i-think-i-think-about-the-new-york-giants-positional-needs-2016">plethora of other needs</a>, it seems like a misallocation of resources to use an early (first two rounds) draft pick on a running back. It is nice to have <span>Adrian Peterson</span> or Tod Gurley, but history shows you can find good backs later and that you don't need a superstar to have a good rushing attack. You need good blocking and capable runners.</p>
<p>The big-name free agents who could be on the market are <span>Lamar Miller</span> of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> and <span>Doug Martin</span> of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a>. If the Bucs let Martin get to the open market my instinct is that GM Jerry Reese might make a play for him. I have always believed that Martin, taken one pick before the Giants selected <span>David Wilson</span> 32nd in the 2012 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>, is the guy Reese really wanted. Martin is just 27, has had two 1,400-yard rushing seasons, is a solid receiver and was named an All-Pro for his play in 2015.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/1/20/10789898/new-york-giants-running-back-rashad-jennings-andre-williams-shane-vereen-orleans-darkwaEd Valentine