Odell Beckham Jr. finally got his Super Bowl ring, and he may have finally matured in the process with the Rams.
Eli Apple became the victim of some of Beckham’s limited success in the big game, and he also was scorched over social media for his overall showing,
B.J. Hill had three tackles in the Super Bowl, but he had a key intersection in the AFC title game to get them there.
These three ex-Giants played key roles in helping their teams this past season, and gained their share of headlines.
But what about the current Giants? All has been quiet on the Meadowlands front.
Still, there is plenty to talk about.
There have been some initial good vibes frothe hire of new GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll despite the overshadowing of the Brian Flores controversy with the Giants and Dolphins.
Daboll appears to be ready to be cast in the Bill Parcells-Tom Coughlin mold owner John Mara has been seeking in his previous three coaching hires. The Schoen-Daboll has taken a positive spin and the sought unified front apparently has been met.
Bringing former longtime Baltimore defensive coordinator Wink Martindale on board also was good optics. Former Kansas City quarterbacks coach/offensive assistant Mike Kafka also appears to be a sound hire as the new offensive coordinator. It looks like the making of an aggssive defensive and a pass-first offense.
On paper and through the initial lens, there is plenty of reason for optimism,
Since the Super Bowl aftermath has been cleared, it’s time to go to work. And there is a lot of work for a franchise that has produced a 19-46 mark over the past four years.
Schoen has indicated that he wants to rebuild this team through the draft, and he’ll begin with the fifh and the seventh overall picks in April’s draft. Former GM Dave Gettleman had little success with picks in the middle rounds, and Schoen will need to hit a home run there.
Free agency is right around the corner on March 16, and the Giants have 20 currently on the market.
Schoen also noted that he wanted to clear roughly 40 million in cap space, as his team is $11 million over the $208 million salary cap.
He could cut a huge slice into that issue quickly by shedding tight end Kyle Rudolph, cornerback James Bradberry, and wide receiver Sterling Shepard. Even though he is the veteran in the secondary, Bradberry’s play has slipped, and fan-favorite Shepard could be the victim of depth at the position.
Schoen likely will keep linebacker Lorenzo Carter, fullback Eli Penny, long snapper Casey Kreiter, and defensive tackle Austin Johnson, all of whom can continue to play their key roles and can be signed on the lower end of the scale.
The Giants apparently will part ways with safety Jabrill Peppers, guard Will Hernandez,tackle Nate Solder, and tight end Evan Engram, all of whose better days appear to be behind them.
Then there is the ongoing issue of Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Both of their scenarios as future Giants should be determined this upcoming season.
Jones has some of the similar characteristics of Daboll’s former Josh-Allen system, and he has the receivers around him. The quarterback has solved his fumbling problem, but his inconsistency remains a major problem.
This becomes the main project on the board for Daboll and Kafka to see if they can transform him into a Allen-Patrick Mahomes model.
As for Barkley, he might be better suited as a weapon out of the backfield rather than a consistent 20-carry a game back. Daboll didn’t rely on a run-first offense with the Bills.
This new Giants era will begin to spin the wheels soon.
They seemed to have made all the right moves to lead the team on the sidelines. Now it is a matter of creating the right moves to guide the team on the field.