The New York Giants have the goods to build a roster capable of winning Super Bowl 52 if the club has another successful offseason.
Back in September, I predicted the New York Giants would win Super Bowl 51. This was no homer pick as I had several reasons to believe Big Blue could accomplish such a feat. New York built a championship-caliber defense during the offseason. The Giants had Eli Manning, as good of a January/February quarterback as you’ll find in the NFL today. I expected wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to continue to improve.
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The Giants ultimately proved me both right and wrong.
New York experienced a rollercoaster year en route to finishing the regular season with a record of 11-5. The Giants, then, were their own worst enemy in a playoff game against the Green Bay Packer at Lambeau Field. New York wide receivers dropped touchdown passes, the defense gave up an inexcusable Hail Mary at the end of the first half and the Giants then completely collapsed over roughly a six-minute period in the second half.
The end of the season was brutally disappointing for a club that could’ve made some noise in January, but the team’s overall body of work suggests the Giants aren’t too far off from pursuing a berth in Super Bowl 52.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan recently touched upon this topic. Manning, as Raanan explained, has proven he has what it takes to win on the biggest stages, and he showed this past month he can still make plays with his arm so long as his pass-catchers don’t fail him. General manager Jerry Reese silenced critics with his actions over the past 12 months. New York’s defense should again be a strength this coming fall.
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With all of that said, I don’t necessarily agree with all of Raanan’s points regarding the Giants improving their chances for winning Super Bowl 52.
For starters, the Giants need to be careful about using a first-round pick on any running back or tight end. Outside of the best players at these positions, talents such as Ezekiel Elliott (who was fortunate to run behind the best offensive line in football his first NFL season) and the likes of Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski, you can find a solid running back and tight end in the later rounds of a draft.
Kelce was third-round pick, and the Patriots grabbed Gronk in the second round. Several veteran tight ends will become available once free agency opens. Martellus Bennett, Jared Cook, Anthony Fasano and Jack Doyle may all be intriguing options for a New York team looking to win now.
Instead, the Giants may want to splash some cash on a lengthy wide receiver. Beckham is arguably the most talented receiver in the NFL, and rookie Sterling Shepard had a great debut season before his performance in the playoff loss to Green Bay left a bad taste in the mouths of fans. Both officially stand under 6-0.
Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor (if the Cleveland Browns don’t keep him for whatever reasons) and Kenny Britt should all be on New York’s radar over the next five weeks. Brandon Marshall and the New York Jets could part ways if the Jets want to save some cash, and Marshall would be a great fit in the offense of the Giants.
As Raanan, other reporters and fans have pointed out, the Giants must upgrade at left tackle. Ereck Flowers clearly isn’t the answer at the position for 2017, as he was a liability throughout his second season in the NFL. Flowers’ immediate future with the Giants is probably on the right side of the offensive line.
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How New York addresses this glaring hole will largely impact other moves the team makes from March through the end of spring. A variety of veteran left tackles will be available in free agency. Those running the club could, however, place a first- or second-round value on an offensive tackle who will fall to the Giants in the draft by the time the end of April arrives.
As much as some fans may not want to read it, I remain unconvinced the Giants must sign Jason Pierre-Paul to a long-term deal. The top ability for any athlete, as the famous saying goes, is “availability.” And the harsh truth is that the Giants haven’t been able to rely on Pierre-Paul over the past couple of years. Spending money on offense may be wiser than locking JPP down this time around.
Helping Manning needs to be New York’s top priority during the first half of 2017. Manning turned 36 years old in early January, and his window to win a title theoretically closes a little more with every month. Father Time will catch up with Manning sooner than later. He needs a championship offense ASAP.
Talented quarterbackss dominated the 2017 NFL Playoffs. Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers will all be in the Hall of Fame before 2030, and Matt Ryan is going to win MVP. Defense is undeniably important, but offense gets a team to the final month of a season more often than not.
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All should remember the Giants collapsed after dominating the Packers for over 25 minutes of play during a road postseason game. That same Giants team swept the Dallas Cowboys during the regular season and notched big wins over the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins in the closing stages of the campaign. Getting past what happened on Jan. 8 may be New York’s toughest task of the offseason.