After spending big money to improve the defense, the New York Giants still have some holes on offense. Bringing in Marques Colston would help alleviate some of the issues.
If you missed the first wave of free agency, then you missed the exorbitant spending spree by the New York Giants.
In an attempt to bolster their putrid defense, New York re-signed defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, and signed cornerback Janoris Jenkins, defensive tackle Damon Harrison, defensive end Olivier Vernon and linebacker Keenan Robinson. These additions, most notably Jenkins, Harrison and Vernon, came at lofty prices.
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With so much money allocated to the defensive side of the ball, the Giants should look to improve their offense with the remaining money the team has to work with.
Believe it or not, Odell Beckham Jr. can’t do everything by himself. Last year the Giants relied too heavily upon Beckham’s shoulders, as the uber-talented receiver was the only consistent playmaker for New York’s aerial attack. The team needs help at the receiver position, but there aren’t a ton of options left for the team to sign.
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Although the wide receiver market is dwindling down, a few talented names remain options for the G-Men. Among those names is Marques Colston, who was officially released by the New Orleans Saints on Feb. 29, according to Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.
Colston, who burst onto the scene as a rookie after being selected in the seventh-round of the 2006 NFL Draft, has established himself as one of the most consistent, albeit un-flashy, receivers in the league.
The 6’4″ wide out has caught 711 passes for 9,759 yards and 72 touchdowns in 10 seasons. However, he is coming off the worst statistical season of his career, in which he only caught 45 passes for 540 yards. Colston became New Orleans’ third receiver and fourth option last year, behind Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and tight end Ben Watson.
Still, the soon to be 34-year-old Colston is still worth a look for the Giants, as he would almost certainly take some of the pressure of OBJ. Victor Cruz hasn’t been on a football field for an actual game since 2014, and his status remains very much up-in-the-air.
Adding Colston would add depth to the offense by giving Eli Manning another weapon to throw the ball to.
Despite his age, Colston still has no problem seeking contact after making a catch. His RAC ability makes him a threat, even in his later years. He uses his big body to run through would-be tacklers.
His open-field ability would help him fit in nicely in the Giants west-coast style of offense, since short passes are highly prevalent.
Colston is also still a very dangerous red-zone threat, and that’s an area the Giants can use improvement, as the offense faltered inside the 10-yard-line more than is acceptable. Colston knows how to get into the end zone, which is a trait that’s highly underrated. At the very least, adding Colston would force defenses to focus less on Beckham Jr.
Colston’s demeanor and personality would fit the bright lights of New York perfectly. He’s pretty much the Eli of receivers, just without all of the silly faces.
He almost never talks on the field, choosing to let his actions speak for himself. He can be the ice to Beckham’s fire. While Beckham has certainly learned from his meltdown against the Panthers, it’s never a bad idea to add more veteran leaders.
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If the Giants were to sign Colston, they wouldn’t be getting a 75-catch player who can surpass 1,000 yards. But they would be getting a consistent, hard-working leader who would prove to be a huge upgrade over Rueben Randle.
As long as the money is right — it probably will be, I don’t see any reason why a Giants-Colston pairing wouldn’t pay dividends for the G-Men.