G-Men all in on 2016 season with a new coach, high-priced free agents, and playmaking draft selections

2015 – a season of possibilities quickly turned into a season of what could have been for the New York Football Giants. They finished 6-10 including an NFL record five losses in which they held a lead with two minutes or less left to go in the fourth quarter. This doesn’t take into effect the other five losses on their resume, three of which ended within six points or less.

The defining game of their season may very well have come in Week 15 against the eventual NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. Carolina took a dominating 35-7 lead into the later part of the third quarter, essentially leaving the Giants left for dead. Suddenly Odell Beckham Jr. comes to life after receiving three personal foul penalties in his feud with Josh Norman, and revitalizes this Giants ball club. By late in the fourth quarter, the G-Men have inexplicably tied it up with the then 13-0 Carolina Panthers, proving that their roster is truly talented enough to play with anyone. On the final drive of the game, all knotted up, the Giants' season microcosm reared its ugly head, as their defense absolutely collapsed when it mattered most. Cam Newton ran and threw all over them, as he and the Panthers offense set themselves up for a 43-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to hand the Giants their essentially coffin-nailing eighth loss of the season.

There were plenty of good occurrences and developments for New York last season. However, they were overshadowed by the rather large deficiencies that they so obviously had on the defensive side of the ball and in the running game. Simply put, they didn’t appear to have the leadership in the locker room or a competent enough coaching staff necessary to close out the end of games.

With GM Jerry Reese all but being flat out told by ownership that this is his last chance, he sent out a full court press during this offseason. He compiled a free agent class for the ages, shelling out over $200 million in guaranteed money, while his draft was well received by most, but not without a look of desperation in some of the selections.

High-Priced Additions

Olivier Vernon (DE) – 5 year, $85,000,000

At 25 years of age, the Giants may have gotten themselves a steal in Vernon believe it or not. He’s a twitched up pass rusher, who seems to be improving every year. Over the last eight games of 2015, Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 1 edge player, even above Khalil Mack who went All-Pro at two positions. Most importantly for the Giants is that Vernon proved last year to be the only player in the league who could give Cowboys LT Tyron Smith fits. In late November as a member of the Dolphins last season, Vernon consistently beat Smith – universally recognized as the game’s best blindside protector – off the edge. He sacked Tony Romo once, collected five total tackles, and recorded countless other pressures off of Smith’s edge. Adding this type of weapon will give the Giants a huge advantage in the division.

Damon Harrison (DT) – 5 year, $46,250,000

One of the more unsung signings of the Giants action-packed offseason, make no mistake, the 350 pounder “Snacks” – as he is so affectionately called by fans and teammates – will be worth every penny he is paid over the next five years. Graded by Pro Football Focus as the greatest run stuffer in the history of their existence, Harrison will without a doubt provide the Giants with a presence in meat of their defense. Sure he is built in the mold of a 3-4 nose tackle, but the belief is that he can play a similar style as the starting 1-technique in this Giants 4-3 scheme.

Janoris Jenkins (CB) – 5 year, $62,500,000

By far the Giants' riskiest signing of the offseason is Janoris Jenkins, as he is every bit as much Antonio Cromartie as his new teammate and cousin of Cromartie’s – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. What I mean by this is now with the Jenkins and DRC starting tandem, the Giants will have the biggest gambling defensive backfield in the league. This may pay off, as both can create ample turnovers, but they are also susceptible to allowing big plays. We shall see…

Below is a prime example of the chances he is willing to take. In hopes of jumping a curl out route for a pick six, he completely abandons his deep third responsibility and gets burned for it. Not mentioned here is that the player he allows free is A.J. Green – one of the game’s most dangerous receivers.

Draft Recap

Eli Apple (CB) – 1^st Round

The Giants kicked off the draft with a reach right out of the gates, as they showed desperation by taking Apple far ahead of his projected draft position once Leonard Floyd went off the board. In defense of the selection, however, Apple is a corner who brings a lot to the table at just 20 years of age. He’s got a naturally good build for the position, long arms, and excellent athleticism. My knock on him is that he showed on tape an extremely high propensity to grab receivers further than just at the line of scrimmage, but oftentimes at the top of their routes. Here’s an example of Apple getting overly aggressive with the ball in the air.

His lack of experience and underdeveloped frame allows him to be embarrassed on this play, as he is dragged for nearly an extra 20 yards and is luckily not flagged on top of it for pass interference.

With a proper understanding of NFL route combinations, these issues can be rectified or at least masked. Positively for young Mr. Apple, is that at such a young age, he has a ton of room for improvement, making his ceiling higher than most of the other DB’s in this class.

With the Giants already set at their top two corner spots, Apple can be brought along slower than a normal first rounder is expected to be. Even so, though, in the first, the Giants would have been much better suited taking an instant impact player, especially with a pick within the top 10. A definite reach here, but GM Jerry Reese has made it abundantly clear that he is going to take chances this offseason.

Sterling Shepard (WR) – 2^nd Round

Shepard may very well end up being the best player in this Giants draft class when all is said and done, as he enters the NFL with an already polished route tree and some serious talent after the catch. A true jack-of-all-trades at Oklahoma, Shepard established himself a very distinguished collegiate career. His work out of the slot as a receiver, out of the backfield as a runner, and on special teams both as a gunner and return man, give him instant value to the Giants this season.

When watching him on tape, it’s clear right off the bat why Shepard was Oklahoma quarterback Baker Fayfield's best friend both on and off the field, as he uses lightning, yet polished footwork to leave man up defenders in the dust. His hands are football magnets -- just eight drops in his four years at Oklahoma, while he also saves a lot of incompletions with circus catches as well. Here you can see what Shepard is all about, as he uses terrific footwork and a deft outside release to bait the corner ultimately allowing him to win inside for the score…

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Overall with Shepard, he is going to face the usual doubters that undersized receivers typically take on during the draft process, but to put bluntly, there aren't really any holes in his game. Sure he might struggle initially in the NFL as an outside receiver against more physical corners, but it is going to be tough to stick with him in the slot no matter who is guarding him. He will eat zone defense alive and has the footwork and short line quickness to go toe-to-toe with anyone man up. He is unlikely to win 50-50 balls due to his lack of height, but concentration drops will never be an issue with him either. Most importantly of all, his presence is going to open things up much more consistently for Odell Beckham Jr. If he picks up the offense quickly enough, 75 catches aren’t out of the question for him.

Darian Thompson (FS) – 3^rd round

As much as Giants fans don’t want to believe it, they are likely going to have to rely upon a third-round rookie as their starting free safety in 2016. Luckily for them, Thompson was a solid value pick in the third round, possessing talent beyond his draft position. Here’s my pre-draft scouting report on him…

“A read-and-react safety all the way. Loves playing in space with the freedom to be the biggest playmaker on the field. With this responsibility came excellent production over his career, and it shows on tape. Explosive -- appearing shot out of a cannon -- when meeting ball carriers and a very sure tackler in the open field. Set conference interception record (previously holder: Eric Weddle) and oftentimes attacked the ball in flight. 

With all of his impressive traits and high production, his main flaw comes in his instincts. It's not that he is lacking in that area, but his reaction time is less than ideal for the position. He tends to use his eyes too much in coverage when trying to read quarterbacks and isn’t afraid to gamble. He can be easily be looked off or ball-faked by more talented QB's. In the run game, he remains in deep space until the last moment possible, not naturally reading a developing play but rather reacting to a cloudy-clear ball carrier. When he finally makes the decision to react, few are better playmakers in this class, but his slow play digestion might get him into trouble at the next level.

Ultimately, Thompson might be the most talented single-high in this class, with an uncanny ability to tackle for the position. He's a huge thumper and great playmaker with the ball in the air, but his slower than ideal reaction time might limit his potential at the next level.” 

All things considered, I think that the Giants got their hands on a pretty good player here, but relying upon a third-round rookie to start right out of the gates is never a safe bet. They would have been better served addressing the safety position initially in free agency, but they just didn’t have the funds after dishing out $200 million on just three defenders. Thompson will give them more talent at the FS position for sure, but adding another gambler to that secondary may end up biting them when all is said and done.

B.J. Goodson (LB) – 4^th Round

There is no question that the Giants desperately needed help at linebacker last season, so the acquisition of a talented one in the fourth round of the draft is a nice haul for them. The real knock on Goodson aside from him being a one-year wonder in college is that he’s not a natural athlete. What he is though is a tough nosed two-down player with enough instincts in zone coverage to potentially contribute on third-and-longs. He has a blood hound’s sense for where the ball is at all times, and should contribute at either Mike or Sam for the Giants once mid-season rolls around in 2016.

Paul Perkins (RB) – 5^th Round

I said that Sterling Shepard “may” end up being the best player from the Giants draft in 2016 because I believe that Paul Perkins has an outside chance to be that guy instead.

My belief entering the draft was that Perkins was the second most talented runner in the class behind Ezekiel Elliott. Yes, I didn’t forget about the Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, I just believe that much in the kid. He’s the most elusive running back I’ve seen since LeSean McCoy, as he possesses a Barry Sanders-esque stutter step and a hop cut reminiscent of Reggie Bush.

Despite his limited size, he appears to be serviceable in short-yardage situations with adequate pad level and leg drive. His vision is on par with just about anyone in the league, leaving his scouting report with very few concerns.

Ultimately his slide in the draft came directly due to his inability to stay healthy throughout his college career, while he also appeared to wear out as games wore on (think Duke Johnson in college). Regardless, with a fifth round value, the Giants may have gotten the steal of the draft here, as he will prove to be an excellent change of pace back at worst early on in his career.

Jerell Adams (TE) – 6^th Round

Known as a bulldog in the run game and a leader in the locker room, Adams was an excellent value selection for the Giants in the sixth round. To go along with those intangibles, Adams is well built at 6-foot-5, 247 LBS, and ran a blazing – for a tight end – 4.64 40-time at the combine this past February. He has evidenced a keen ability to make things happen after the catch, while he has surprisingly soft hands as a receiver. Still raw though, Adams isn’t expected to start, while he will have to compete in camp to even make the team due to the Giants already crowded tight end position.

As it stands now, 2015 – a season in which many believed that the Giants would contend late into the winter – will forever be marked with the stain of the end of an era. Legendary coach Tom Coughlan was relieved of his duties after all was said and done, and left now are a select few aging stars of Super Bowls past and a group of misguided emerging talents looking to right the ship.

With GM Jerry Reese given one more shot to fix this pending fade into mediocrity, he broke the bank in free agency and utilized the draft to obtain high risk/high reward talents. With his fingers crossed, he is betting on Eli And Odell to carry the team once again, while his injection of new high-priced talent on the defensive side of the ball – regardless of scheme fit – will be enough to get the Giants over the hump. He is banking on a new head coach with zero experience – albeit intelligent – to get the job done for him as well. And lastly he will be leaning heavily on his incoming rookie class, loaded with talent yes, but littered with fluctuating value throughout the board.

If all works out, there is a chance that the narrative can change. With the chips completely pushed into the middle of the table, 2015 can be remembered as a small step backward, while 2016 can live on as one Giant leap forward… Or maybe it won’t; only time will tell.