May 112015
 
Ben Edwards, Richmond Spiders (September 1, 2012)

Ben Edwards – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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New York Giants Sign WR Ben Edwards: The New York Giants have officially signed free agent wide receiver Ben Edwards (University of Richmond). Edwards was invited as tryout player to the team’s three-day rookie mini-camp that concluded on Sunday.

WR Ben Edwards, 5’10”, 197 pounds, 4.56, University of Richmond
Edwards was eligible to play in the NFL in 2014, but sat out the year recovering from an ACL knee injury. Edwards lacks ideal size and timed speed, but he is a quick receiver who plays faster than he times. Edwards runs very good routes, adjusts well to the football, and has good hands. He has experience playing in the slot.

The Giants also confirmed the signings of rookie free agent tryout players running back Kenneth Harper (Temple University), tight end Will Tye (Stony Brook University), and defensive tackle Carlif Taylor (Southern Connecticut State University).

Because of this move, we have updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

New York Giants Cut Three Players: The New York Giants announced on Monday that they have terminated the contract of running back Chris Ogbonnaya and waived linebacker James Davidson and safety Thomas Gordon.

Ogbonnaya was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. Since then he has played for the Rams (2009), Texans (2011), Browns (2011-13), and Panthers (2014). The Giants signed him to the 53-man roster in December 2014.

Davidson was originally signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as a rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft, but waived in August. The Giants signed him to the Practice Squad in September 2014 and the 53-man roster in December 2014.

Gordon was originally signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. The team waived Gordon in August, but re-signed him to the Practice Squad in December 2014.

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Giants.com Q&A with S Bennett Jackson: A video of a recent Giants.com interview with S Bennett Jackson is available at Giants.com.

Articles on the New York Giants Rookie Mini-Camp:

Article on WR Geremy Davis: The Giants may have found David Tyree 2.0 by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post

Sights & Sounds – Best of Rookie Mini-Camp: A “Best of Rookie Mini-Camp” sights and sounds video is available at Giants.com.

Feb 232015
 
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond, New York Giants (August 9, 2014)

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Before the season, many had anticipated that the secondary might not only be the strength of the defense, but the strength of the entire team. The Giants had parted ways with long-time contributors such as Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, and Terrell Thomas and had reinforced the unit with free agents Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie (DRC), Walter Thurmond, Quintin Demps, and Zack Bowman. The team also re-signed Trumaine McBride and Stevie Brown. As for those already under contract, Prince Amukamara appeared primed for his best season, Antrel Rolle was coming off his best season, and Will Hill appeared to be a budding star.

But these high expectations soon began to turn to dust. Will Hill failed yet another drug test and was cut in early June. Jayron Hosley also failed a drug test and was suspended for the first month of the season; when he returned, guys signed off the street quickly passed him on the depth chart. Cooper Taylor looked sharp in the preseason but broke his foot in August and was lost for the year. Injuries then struck hard at corner once the regular season began. Nickel corner Walter Thurmond was placed on Injured Reserve after only two games, followed by  Trumaine McBride and Prince Amukamara. The loss of Amukamara – who indeed was having his best season – was particularly a hard pill to swallow. Without two of their top three corners, more pressure was placed on DRC, who was also dealing with a litany of injury issues to the point where he could not play a full game. A year after playing his best season, Rolle may have played his worst, failing to make many impact plays. And Stevie Brown and Quintin Demps were both disappointing at the other safety spot, both losing the starting job to the other at different points of the season. Stevie Brown’s 2012 season – where he led the team with eight interceptions – appears to have been a mirage.

The Giants were quickly left to scramble and made in-season roster moves including signing Chykie Brown, Mike Harris, and Chandler Fenner. Chykie Brown and Harris performed reasonably well given the circumstances, but overall, the secondary failed to fulfill their preseason boasts as one of the best units in the NFL. The Giants finished 18th in the NFL in pass defense.

THE CORNERBACKS

Although Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie played in all 16 games, hamstring, back, side, and shoulder injuries limited practice and game snaps for much of the season and impacted his play on the field. Nevertheless, Rodgers-Cromartie remained the team’s most physically-talented defensive back and he often shut down his opponent. Rodgers-Cromartie finished the season with 38 tackles, two interceptions, and 12 pass defenses. Rodgers-Cromartie was originally drafted in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011 and signed with the Broncos as an unrestricted free agent in 2013 and the Giants in 2014. Rodgers-Cromartie combines superb size and overall athletic ability, including speed, size, and leaping ability. When motivated and focused, Rodgers-Cromartie is one of the better cover corners in the NFL. But he needs to be more consistent, and he s not a very physical player as a hitter or tackler.

Prince Amukamara, New York Giants (September 25, 2014)

Prince Amukamara – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Prince Amukamara was having his best season before being placed on Injured Reserve in November 2014 with a torn biceps muscle. Amukamara started eight games and finished the season with 45 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 pass defenses. Amukamara was drafted in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Giants, but his initial season was a virtual wash due to a broken foot that required surgery. Amukamara also battled a high ankle sprain and hamstring injuries in 2012. Amukamara is a well-built corner with good overall athleticism and speed. He usually does a good job of keeping his opponent quiet during a game and he finally started making more plays on the football in 2014. Amukamara flashes in run defense with his hitting and tackling.

Walter Thurmond III was placed on Injured Reserve in September 2014 with a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery after playing in only two games. Thurmond was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. He missed much of the 2011 and 2012 seasons recovering from a broken leg (fibula), playing in only eight regular-season games. In November 2013, he was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s drug policy. That year he played in 12 regular-season games, with three starts, and finished with 33 tackles, six pass defenses, and one interception that he returned for a touchdown. The Giants signed Thurmond as an unrestricted free agent in March 2014. Thurmond combines decent size with good speed and quickness. Smooth in coverage, Thurmond is considered one of the better slot corners/nickel backs in the NFL. Thurmond obviously has off-the-field concerns.

Trumaine McBride, New York Giants (December 22, 2013)

Trumaine McBride – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Trumaine McBride was placed on Injured Reserve in October 2014 after thumb surgery. He finished the 2014 season 21 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 pass defense, and 2 forced fumbles in six games with one start. McBride was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. The Bears waived him in September 2009. He has also spent time with the Cardinals, Saints, and Jaguars. The Giants signed McBride to a Reserve/Future contract in January 2013. That season, McBride played in 15 games with 10 starts, and he finished the season with 37 tackles, 15 pass defenses, 2 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble. McBride lacks ideal size and speed, but he plays with good quickness and instincts.

The Giants claimed Chykie Brown off of waivers from the Baltimore Ravens in November 2014. He ended up playing in eight games with four starts and finished the season with 31 tackles and two pass defenses for the Giants. Brown was originally drafted by the Ravens in the 5th round of the 2011 NFL Draft. In four seasons with the Ravens, Brown played in 46 regular-season games with two starts. Brown has decent size and athletic ability. While he struggled in Baltimore, Brown held his own for the Giants in the final month of the season.

The Giants signed Mike Harris off of the Practice Squad of the Detroit Lions in October 2014. He ended up playing in five games with one start, mainly at slot/nickel corner where he performed at a reasonable level. Harris finished the season with 21 tackles, one interception, and two pass defenses. Harris was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. In two seasons with Jacksonville, Harris played in 31 games with eight starts. Harris was waived by the Jaguars in August 2014 before signing with the Lions in October. Harris has decent size and athleticism. He is a good tackler and special teams player.

Zack Bowman, New York Giants (October 19, 2014)

Zack Bowman – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Zack Bowman played in all 16 games with five starts but saw his playing time decrease as the season progressed despite all of the injuries that hit the secondary. He finished the year with 24 tackles, two interceptions, and six pass defenses. Bowman was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Bears. In six seasons with the Bears, Bowman played in 73 regular-season games with 23 starts. The Giants signed Bowman as an unrestricted free agent in March 2014. Bowman is a big, physical corner who can make plays on the football. He lacks ideal speed and quickness and can be beat deep. Bowman is a good special teams player.

Chandler Fenner was signed to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad in October 2014. He played in 11 games, mainly on special teams, and finished the season with seven tackles. Fenner was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2012 NFL Draft. He did not make the team but the Seattle Seahawks signed him to their Practice Squad in December 2012. He missed all of 2013 with a knee injury that landed him on Seattle’s Injured Reserve. The Giants signed Chandler Fenner in August 2014. Fenner has a nice combination of size and athleticism and he plays a physical game.

Jayron Hosley has not developed since being drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He not only received a 4-game suspension for drug use at the start of the season, but he was quickly by-passed on the depth chart by guys signed off of the street when injuries hit the secondary hard. Hosley ended up playing in just six games with two starts. He finished the season with eight tackles and one pass defense. Hosley lacks ideal stature, but he is athletic with good speed and quickness. However, despite his athletic ability, Hosley’s play against the pass actually seems to have deteriorated since being drafted. He has also been very injury prone, missing significant time in both 2012 and 2013.

Bennett Jackson was signed to the Practice Squad in August 2014 and placed on the Practice Squad/Injured List in October 2014 with cartilage damage knee injury that required microfracture surgery. The Giants drafted Jackson in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Jackson converted to cornerback from wide receiver at Notre Dame and could project to safety. He has good size and decent speed for a corner, but may lack ideal quickness for the position. He is a good hitter and tackler. Jackson was a team captain at Notre Dame and a good special teams player.

Josh Victorian was signed to the Practice Squad in November 2014. Victorian was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2011 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, he has spent time with the Patriots (2011), Saints (2012), Steelers (2012-13), Texans (2013), and Lions (2014). He has played in 12 NFL games, four for the Steelers with one start in 2012 and eight for the Texans in 2013. Victorian has average size and lacks ideal overall athleticism, but he is a hard working, instinctive football player.

Travis Howard was waived/injured and placed on Injured Reserve in August 2014. Howard was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Houston Texans after the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent some time on the Practice Squad of the Patriots that season before the Giants signed him to their Practice Squad in December 2013. Howard is a physical corner with good ball skills. He has good size and long arms, but lacks ideal speed and quickness. Howard is a good hitter, but he needs to become a more consistent and reliable tackler.

Antrel Rolle, New York Giants (December 14, 2014)

Antrel Rolle – © USA TODAY Sports Images

THE SAFETIES

Despite starting all 16 games, Antrel Rolle did not have the same impact on the playing field that he did in 2013. Rolle finished the season with 87 tackles, three interceptions, nine pass defenses, and one forced fumble. Rolle was steady but did not make many big plays. Rolle was originally drafted as a cornerback in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. After three inconsistent seasons at corner, the Cardinals moved him to free safety in 2008. Rolle was signed by the Giants in March 2010 after the Cardinals cut him in a salary-related move. One of the better coverage safeties in the game, Rolle has good speed and range. Due to his experience as a cornerback, unlike most safeties, Rolle can play man coverage and has often been called upon to play the slot corner position. He is a good tackler and run defender. Rolle has become one of the key leaders of the defense. He also has been very durable, never missing a game in his five seasons with the Giants. Rolle has been voted to the Pro Bowl twice (2009 and 2010) and named All-Pro twice (2010 and 2013). He also played in the 2013 Pro Bowl as a second-alternate.

Stevie Brown played in all 16 games. He started the first three games of the season, lost his starting job for eight weeks, then regained it for the last five weeks of the season. Brown finished with 38 tackles, one sack, and one pass defense. Brown was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 7th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The Raiders released him in September 2011 and he then spent time with the Panthers and Colts. The Giants signed him in April 2012. Brown had a tremendous season in 2012, intercepting more passes in a single season by a Giant in 44 years. He was placed on Injured Reserve in August 2013 after tearing the ACL in his left knee in the preseason. Brown has superb size for a safety, but lacks quickness and range. Despite his size, he does not stand out as a run defender and tackler. Against the pass, Brown lacks range and quickness, and is prone to making mental mistakes. Contrary to 2012, he rarely made plays on the football in 2014.

Quintin Demps, New York Giants (September 25, 2014)

Quintin Demps – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Quintin Demps begain the season as the Giants’ third safety, was promoted to the starting job for half the season, then lost it again the final month of the season. Demps finished the year with 57 tackles, four interceptions, seven pass defenses, and one forced fumble. Demps was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He has spent time with the Eagles (2008-09), Houston Texans (2010-12), and Chiefs (2013). The Giants signed Demps in March 2014. Demps has a nice combination of size and athletic ability. He’s a frustratingly inconsistent player who flashes play-making ability but also makes too many mistakes in coverage. He does not stand out against the run either.

Nat Berhe, a 5th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, played in all 16 games. Although he was mainly relegated to special teams, he did see some time on defense and finished the season with 10 tackles. Berhe lacks ideal size and speed, but he is a smart, aggressive competitor who plays hard all of the time. In college, Berhe made a ton of tackles against the run, but was not as active in pass defense.

Cooper Taylor was placed on Injured Reserve in August 2014 with a semasoid bone issue in his foot that required surgery. Cooper was impressing with his play during training camp and the preseason. Cooper was selected in the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Giants. A heart condition caused him to slip in the draft. Taylor has an excellent combination of size and athleticism. Taylor missed six games in 2013 with shoulder and hamstring injuries. He played in 10 games that year, serving almost exclusively on special teams.

Thomas Gordon was originally signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. The team waived Gordon in August, but re-signed him to the Practice Squad in December 2014. Gordon lacks ideal height, but he is well-built and a decent athlete. He is a good run defender who hits and tackles well. He started 38 games at Michigan.

Dec 292014
 
Julian Talley, New York Giants (August 10, 2013)

Julian Talley – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Giants Sign 11 Players to Reserve/Future Contracts: The New York Giants have signed 11 players to Reserve/Future contracts. Nine of the 11 were on the team’s Practice Squad:

  • FB Nikita Whitlock
  • WR Julian Talley
  • WR Juron Criner
  • WR Chris Harper
  • OT Michael Bamiro
  • DE Jordan Stanton
  • LB Unai Unga
  • CB Josh Victorian
  • S Thomas Gordon

The team also signed CB Bennett Jackson, who was on the Practice Squad/Injured List with a knee injury and street free agent P Robert Malone.

The Giants signed Nikita Whitlock to the Practice Squad in December 2014. Whitlock, who played defensive tackle in college, was originally signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as a rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. He was cut by the Bengals in their final round of cuts and then signed by the Dallas Cowboys to their Practice Squad. The NFL suspended Whitlock in November for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and the Cowboys terminated his Practice Squad contract. Whitlock was converted to fullback by the Bengals and he flashed in the preseason as a lead blocker with good size.

Julian Talley was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Giants after the 2012 NFL Draft. He did not make the team, but the Giants brought him back for another go in 2013 and 2014. Talley spent most of the 2013 season on the team’s Practice Squad, but was signed to the 53-man roster in mid-December. He played in two games in 2013 but did not have a catch. Talley is a tall, thin receiver with good overall athletic ability. He lacks ideal speed, but is smooth and fluid with decent hands.

Juron Criner was signed to the Practice Squad in September 2014. Criner was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders waived him on August 26. In 13 games with the Raiders, Criner has caught 19 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. He is a big receiver with good overall athleticism, but he needs to develop better technique and consistency.

Chris Harper was signed to the Practice Squad in October 2014. Harper was originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Harper did not make the team and has since spent time with the 49ers (2013) and Packers (2013-14). Harper played in four games with the Packers in 2013 and was cut by the team in August. Harper has a nice combination of size (6’1”, 230lbs) and athletic ability. He is a tough, physical receiver with good speed and hands.

Michael Bamiro was signed to the Practice Squad in November 2014. Bamiro was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent the 2013 season on the Eagles’ Practice Squad before being waived in August 2014. Bamiro is a very raw player with an intriguing combiation of size (6’8”, 340 pounds) and overall athleticism.

Jordan Stanton was signed to the Practice Squad in August 2014, cut, and then added to the Practice Squad again in December 2014. Stanton was originally signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. Stanton earned All-Colonial Athletic Association accolades for recording 56 tackles, 11.5 for loss, 8 sacks in 2013. Stanton has decent size and flashes some ability, but he did not really standout in the 2014 preseason.

Uani Unga was signed to the Practice Squad in late December 2014. Unga suffered a serious injury to his right knee (ACL, MCL, and meniscus) his last year in college in 2013. Unga lacks ideal size and overall athleticism but he is a smart, instinctive, physical, and competitive football player who plays the run well.

Josh Victorian was signed to the Practice Squad in November 2014. Victorian was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2011 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, he has spent time with the Patriots (2011), Saints (2012), Steelers (2012-13), Texans (2013), and Lions (2014). He has played in 12 NFL games, four for the Steelers with one start in 2012 and eight for the Texans in 2013. Victorian has average size and lacks ideal overall athleticism, but he is a hard working, instinctive football player.

Bennett Jackson was signed to the Practice Squad in August 2014 and placed on the Practice Squad/Injured List in October 2014 with an undisclosed knee injury. The Giants drafted Jackson in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Jackson converted to cornerback from wide receiver at Notre Dame and could project to safety. He has good size and decent speed for a corner, but may lack ideal quickness for the position. He is a good hitter and tackler. Jackson was a team captain at Notre Dame and a good special teams player.

Thomas Gordon was signed to the Practice Squad in December 2014. Gordon was originally signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft, but the team waived him in August. Gordon lacks ideal height, but he is well-built and a decent athlete. He is a good run defender who hits and tackles well. He started 38 games at Michigan.

Robert Malone played 31 games for Tampa Bay, Detroit, and the Jets from 2010-13. He has 157 career punts for a 44.5-yard gross average and a 37.8-yard net average.

Articles on the New York Giants Special Teams:

Dec 162014
 
Jacquian Williams, New York Giants (September 8, 2014)

Jacquian Williams – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Giants Place Jacquian Williams and James Brewer on Injured Reserve: The New York Giants placed linebacker Jacquian Williams (concussion) and offensive tackle James Brewer (concussion) on season-ending Injured Reserve on Tuesday. Williams has missed the last five games and Brewer the last two games with their injuries.

The Giants now have 22 players on Injured Reserve.

To fill those vacant roster spots, the Giants signed defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton from the team’s Practice Squad and offensive lineman Adam Gettis from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Practice Squad.

Hamilton originally signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2012 NFL Draft. The Raiders cut him and he was on NFL practice squads in 2012 (Redskins) and 2013 (Redskins and Chiefs). The Chiefs waived him in August 2014 and the Giants signed him to the Practice Squad in September. He spent a few days on the 53-man roster in early December but has not played in a game this year.

Gettis was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. The Redskins waived Gettis in August 2014 and he was signed the Practice Squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers in October. Gettis lacks ideal size, but he is athletic.

The Giants also signed safety Thomas Gordon to the Practice Squad. Gordon was signed by the Giants as a rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft, but the team waived him at the end of August.

Because of these moves, we have updated the Roster, Depth Chart, and Transactions sections of the website.

S Antrel Rolle on WFAN Radio: The audio of Tuesday’s WFAN interview with S Antrel Rolle is available at CBS New York

Articles on the 2014 New York Giants:

Article on Head Coach Tom Coughlin: History says it may not end well for Tom Coughlin and the Giants by Jordan Raanan for NJ.com

Articles on WR Odell Beckham:

Articles on DE Jason Pierre-Paul:

Article on DE Kerry Wynn: What Kerry Wynn did vs. Redskins to impress Tom Coughlin | Giants Film Review by Nick Powell for NJ.com

Sights and Sounds from Giants-Redskins Game: A sights and sounds video from the Giants-Redskins game is available at Giants.com.

Notes: WR Odell Beckham had 23 combined receptions vs. Tennessee and Washington, the highest two-game total in Giants history.

Beckham is the first Giant and the first NFL rookie with at least 12 catches, 140 receiving yards and three touchdown catches in a game.

Beckham has three games this season in which he caught at least 10 passes and gained at least 130 yards. No other rookie in NFL history has even two such game.

Aug 302014
 
John Conner, New York Giants (August 9, 2014)

John Conner – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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The New York Giants made 22 roster moves on Saturday in order reduce the roster to 53 players as required by the NFL.

In addition, the Giants activated linebacker Jon Beason from the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List. Beason passed his physical and can now practice for the first time since injuring his foot on June 12 during an Organized Team Activity (OTA) practice. “He’s ready to practice,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “You need that kind of dynamic leadership. The guy loves the game, he loves to play it. He’ll have the biggest smile on his face come Monday when he trots out there.”

The Giants waived or terminated the contracts of the following players:

  • QB Curtis Painter
  • RB Kendall Gaskins
  • RB Michael Cox
  • FB John Conner
  • WR Julian Talley
  • TE Kellen Davis
  • OL Rogers Gaines (waived/injured)
  • OL Mark Asper
  • OL Jamaal Johnson-Webb
  • OL Adam Gress
  • DE Israel Idonije
  • DE Jordan Stanton
  • DT Kelcy Quarles
  • LB Dan Fox
  • LB Terrell Manning
  • CB Bennett Jackson
  • CB Chandler Fenner
  • S Thomas Gordon

The Giants also placed the following players on season-ending Injured Reserve, although this doesn’t preclude the team from making an injury settlement:

  • WR Trindon Holliday (hamstring)
  • WR Mario Manningham (calf)

The Giants also placed the following players on the Reserve/Suspended List for violating NFL drug policies:

  • OL Eric Herman (4-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs)
  • CB Jayron Hosley (4-game suspension for illegal drugs)

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

“There were a lot of good, competitive positions, even going into Thursday night’s game with New England,” Coughlin said. “Many of the young guys were competing, not only for roster spots but for the practice squad. That is an important concept as well. It is in the best interest of the clubs to be able to go to their practice squad, if the need is there, for a player who has been in your meeting rooms the entire summer and fall.”

With Painter being cut, Ryan Nassib will be the only quarterback on the roster behind Eli Manning. “Ryan Nassib made big strides,” Coughlin said. “I think that his third and fourth preseason games were outstanding. You see definite improvement. You see the work that he’s put in. He’s been a very good student and he’s applied that to the field. What I really liked is he did have a poor preseason game and he came back with two good ones. That showed me, he didn’t do it by talking, he did it by working.”

Speaking of the competition at fullback between Conner and Henry Hynoski, Coughlin said, “Two very good players. Both guys can play in this league. Very, very close. Both of them are physical. They’ll knock the heck out of you. Utmost respect for John Conner, I think he’s a heck of a player and a great competitor and a good man. He doesn’t say a word, just goes and does his job. Give me all of those you can find.”

Preston Parker, New York Giants (August 9, 2014)

Preston Parker – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Coughlin on WR Preston Parker, who made the team: “Preston’s been around a little bit. Preston also has the punt return/kickoff return ability. Right now that’s very critical for us, because Odell Beckham was going to be the punt returner.”

Coughlin on keeping Kerry Wynn over Israel Idonije at defensive end: “We had tremendous respect for Izzy (Idonije) because of the quality of man he is. He came in here and whatever we asked him to do, he did. He battled, he competed. The other night he played a lot of nice snaps. At this point in time, the idea of developing the young player was first and foremost on your minds as we put the roster together…I like the fact that (Wynn) has very good size and he runs well. He flashed in the preseason and he is a young prospect that works hard, studies hard. We think he has a lot of upside.”

“They’re great stories and that’s what this thing is all about,” Coughlin said. “Your needs are much deeper than seven picks in the draft or sometimes you’re not in position to help yourself in free agency because of the cap, so this is still the source. And when a young guy comes along and they look like they’ve got a high end, you’re excited about it. Especially when they work hard, they study hard, it’s important to them and they have great desire. You can see it on some of these kids’ faces that this means so much to them, and quite frankly it re-energizes me.

“Even on a day like this where I have to let people go, when I see what the game means to certain players and when I see that, then I think there’s hope, to be honest with you. I do. Not just hope here, hope for everybody in this world because we’re not going through the motions. They love it. They love what they’re doing, they love the game. That’s how it all starts. For the normal young person that comes along and plays this game, it started with the love of the game. You compete, it’s about competitors. It’s still about competitors and people who are determined to be the best that they can be at what they do. That’s what reinforces me.”

After noon on Sunday, the Giants can sign 10 players to their Practice Squad, if they are not claimed off of waivers first.

“The practice squad is not taken lightly,” Coughlin said. “There are a lot of things that go into making choices and one of the things that’s really important, that has to be stressed, this summer is that we’ve got it to 10. And that’s a very important thing, the fact that we can have 10 practice squad guys means a lot in terms of your ability to prepare. Because as you go through the season and you have the various nicks that occur during the course of it and players can’t practice, at least you can continue to service your first groups with your practice squad players. That helps tremendously because the drain always comes.

“If a two becomes a one, then who services the other side of the ball? That’s a major concern for us at this level, because you have to continue to improve. People don’t realize that, it is about improvement and it’s not just about games, it’s about improving and your chance to improve on the practice field is so important.”

Article on the 2014 New York Giants: Embarking on a New Path by Bill Pennington of The New York Times

NY Post Q&A with WR Victor Cruz: Serby’s Sunday Q&A with Victor Cruz by Steve Serby of The New York Post

Jul 172014
 
Antrel Rolle, New York Giants (November 17, 2013)

Antrel Rolle – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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With the New York Giants reporting to camp next week, BigBlueInteractive.com is breaking down each of the team’s positional groups from now until July 21. Today, let’s take a look at this year’s safeties.

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWNS: Safeties

Will Hill, New York Giants (October 27, 2013)

Will Hill – © USA TODAY Sports Images

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW: Things truly couldn’t have started much worse for the Giants’ safety unit in 2013. In the team’s third preseason game versus the Jets, Stevie Brown injured his knee returning an interception and was lost for the year.

Shades of C.C. Brown began to dance in the minds of fans… then Will Hill happened.

Hill returned from a four-game suspension to take over as the Giants’ starting safety opposite Antrel Rolle. Hill recorded 77 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and scored a game-winning touchdown versus the Lions. For 12 weeks, Hill flashed the play-making ability that made him one of the more coveted recruits out of high school. The safety played with reckless abandon, a never-ending motor and was constantly around the ball. As was the case versus the Redskins when Hill ripped the ball out of the hands of Pierre Garcon on fourth-and-1, preserving a Giants victory.

While the 24-year-old’s season was impressive, so was that of his safety counterpart.

Finally being allowed to play safety full time, Antrel Rolle put together his best season in a Giants’ uniform. The former first-round pick earned Pro-Bowl honors, finished with the team lead in tackles (98) and interceptions (6), recorded two sacks and forced fumble a fumble.

Behind Hill and Rolle, Ryan Mundy was solid in Perry Fewell’s signature three-safety package. The 29-year-old was a force down in the box and recorded 77 tackles, good for fifth on the team. Rookie Cooper Taylor saw limited action, mostly on special teams.

Quintin Demps, Kansas City Chiefs (December 15, 2013)

Quintin Demps – © USA TODAY Sports Images

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: Get this one out of the way early: After captivating the hearts of fans, Will Hill’s unbelievable season won’t get an encore. For the third consecutive year, Hill faced a drug-related suspension after his urine came up positive for marijuana. While the third-year player claimed it was for ‘second-hand pot,’ the six-game suspension was the last straw in a troubled career. The Giants cut ties with Hill, having warned him over and over again he was on his last strike. Ryan Mundy also left when the Giants’ chose not to renew his one-year contract.

The team re-signed Stevie Brown, who looks to have slid back into his starting safety position. Quintin Demps was brought over from Kansas City and Nat Berhe was drafted in the fifth round. C.J. Barnett and Thomas Gordon were brought in as undrafted rookies.

TRAINING CAMP STORYLINES: The health of Stevie Brown and his ability to ‘replace’ Will Hill may be the No. 1 question heading into camp. While Brown did record a league-high eight interceptions in 2012, many were a result of being in the right place at the right time and teams wanted to test the unproven Brown. Does he have the natural athletic ability that Hill has? No. Can he be serviceable? Yes. How serviceable? No one knows.

Cooper Taylor’s progression and the overall talent of Nat Berhe will worth keeping an eye on. Taylor has added muscle in the offseason, per the coaches request, and may be a sleeper to see increased playing time in his second year. In college, Berhe played San Diego State’s ‘Aztec’ position, a hybrid mix of the linebacker and safety positions. If he develops, he may make an immediate impact, but will need to climb the depth chart first.

ON THE BUBBLE: There really isn’t any big-name player that is in jeopardy of being cut. Right now, the Giants have seven safeties on the roster and figure to keep four or five. The odd men out? Most likely C.J. Barnett and Thomas Gordon. Cooper Taylor may be in warm water, but the odds of Jerry Reese cutting last year’s fifth-round pick are slim-to-none.

FROM THE POSITIONAL COACH: David Merritt on what makes Quintin Demps a good candidate as the team’s third safety: “His speed, his ability to actually change directions and burst. Quintin has played back in the post for most of his career. One of the things that he told me when he first arrived was, ‘Coach, I want to be down near the box.’ So when he said that I said, ‘Well you know what, I’m going to give you all of the tools to hopefully help you be successful down around the box.’ His speed, his ability to change directions and burst is one of the valuable assets that he brings to the table.

“Because he’s played back so many years as a deep safety, being back 20 yards. When you’ve been back there for that amount of years you want to get down around the action. I think he probably has seen guys being down around the action, Berry that he played with in Kansas City, Pollard, the kid that was with him in Houston so he’s see all of these guys down around the action where he’s been back just as a safety valve. Now he’s down close to the box and he’s learning the linebacker aspect of it.”

PREDICTIONS:
Connor Hughes – I’m very, very concerned with Stevie Brown heading into the 2014 season. Not necessarily for his health, but simply because I’m not convinced he’s a starting-caliber player in the NFL.

Stevie Brown, New York Giants (October 7, 2012)

Stevie Brown – © USA TODAY Sports Images

What made Brown so good for the majority of the 2012 season was that he was allowed to play back in the ‘Kenny Phillips’ role. Brown would line up 15-20 yards behind the defense, wait for the deep ball and then track it down in the air. When Phillips played the position, teams stayed away from the deep pass. When Brown played it, they attacked him. The result? Eight interceptions.

If Quintin Demps can develop into a player that can play down in the box, as Merritt suggested he wants to do, then Brown can go back to playing the ‘Kenny Phillips’ role. It best suits him as he’s not an incredible player in the box. With that being said, can Demps play in the box? He’s unproven, just like every Giants’ safety not named ‘Antrel.’

I agreed entirely with the Giants decision to cut Will Hill. It was time. You can’t send that message to the locker room keeping him on the team. But looking over the roster, I just don’t see a viable replacement. The revamped and retooled cornerback position is going to have to carry the load. With their paychecks, that shouldn’t be a problem.

With that being said, there will be times Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie guesses wrong, it’s part of his game. Will there be a player behind him to catch his mistake? We’ll see.

Eric Kennedy – Losing Will Hill was a huge blow. The defense dramatically improved in 2013 once Jon Beason and Will Hill were inserted into the starting line-up. Hill looked like a future Pro Bowl free safety. He might have been the best player on the team last season. Now he’s bagging groceries. Stupid is as stupid does. Like Connor, I have my doubts about Stevie Brown. In 2012, he definitely had a nose for the football, but he also was missing in action on some big pass plays. In addition, he doesn’t hit or play the run like a big safety. I’d accept fewer interceptions if you could guarantee fewer big coverage breakdowns and better run defense.

The coaches have been talking up Quintin Demps more than his reputation in Philadelphia and Kansas City should indicate. Demps thinks he is better suited closer to the line of scrimmage and he may be right. Demps has the inside track on the third safety position in the Giants three-safety package. If he stumbles, Cooper Taylor has the physical tools to steal playing time.

My prediction is that 31-year old Antrel Rolle hasn’t peaked and will have an even better season in 2014. He’s the unquestioned leader of the strongest part of the defense. I expect that to motivate him, as well the fact that he’s entering the final year of his current contract. And I expect the talent at cornerback to allow him to take more chances to make plays on the football. He hasn’t returned a pick for a touchdown yet as a Giant (four times with Cardinals), but I believe he will do that twice in 2014.

FINAL DEPTH CHART
Connor Hughes – Antrel Rolle/Stevie Brown start. Quintin Demps third safety. Cooper Taylor and Nat Berhe reserve. C.J. Barnett, and Thomas Gordon cut.

Eric Kennedy – Antrel Rolle/Stevie Brown start. Quintin Demps third safety. Cooper Taylor reserve. Nat Berhe, C.J. Barnett, and Thomas Gordon cut. My biggest problem is figuring out how the Giants get from 54 to 53. My gut says Nat Berhe makes the team, but I can’t see how the Giants can carry 11 defensive backs in addition to nine defensive linemen, six wide receivers, and five running backs/fullback. Something has to give. I’m guessing they try to sneak Berhe onto the Practice Squad. C.J. Barnett and Thomas Gordon have some talent too.

May 122014
 
Thomas Gordon, Michigan Wolverines (January 1, 2013)

Thomas Gordon – © USA TODAY Sports Images

New York Giants Cut Four Players, Officially Sign Five Rookie Free Agents: The New York Giants announced on Monday that they have terminated the contract of quarterback Rusty Smith and waived linebacker Allen Bradford, cornerback Junior Mertile, and punter Jordan Gay.

The Giants also confirmed that they have signed the following five undrafted rookie free agents:

  • DE Kerry Wynn (Richmond)
  • DT Kelcy Quarles (South Carolina)
  • DT Eathyn Manumaleuna (BYU)
  • LB Justin Anderson (Louisiana-Lafayette)
  • S Thomas Gordon (Michigan)

Head Coach Tom Coughlin said on WFAN that the Giants signed 11 undrafted rookie free agents so the announcement on the other six should be released shortly. Others who the Giants have unofficially been linked to include tight end Xavier Grimble (USC), defensive end Emmanuel Dieke (Georgia Tech), defensive end Jordan Stanton (James Madison), linebacker Dan Fox (Notre Dame), and safety C.J. Barnett (Ohio State).

Scouting reports on the rookie free agents are available in the New York Giants 2014 NFL Draft Review and Rookie Free Agent Signings section of the website. We have also updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Rookies Arriving Sights & Sounds Video: A video of some of the New York Giants rookies arriving at the Timex Performance Center is available at Giants.com.

May 112014
 
Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina Gamecocks (January 1, 2014)

Kelcy Quarles – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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New York Giants Reportedly Sign Nine Rookie Free Agents: According to player announcements on Twitter and multiple press reports, the New York Giants have signed the following undrafted rookie free agents:

  • TE Xavier Grimble, 6’4”, 257lbs, 4.75, USC (Video)
    Grimble has good size and size potential. While Grimble is not overly quick, he is agile and has deceptive speed. As a receiver, he is a solid short-to-intermediate threat with good hands and run-after-the-catch ability. He is more of a position blocker who can struggle to get movement, but he does work at it.
  • DE Kerry Wynn, 6’5”, 266lbs, 4.87, Richmond
    Wynn has a nice combination of size, strength, and overall athletic ability. He needs to play with better leverage to make it at the next level as he is too easily blocked. Team captain.
  • DE Emmanuel Dieke, 6’6”, 261lbs, 4.81, Georgia Tech
    Dieke has a nice size combination of size and overall athleticism.
  • DT Kelcy Quarles, 6’4”, 297lbs, 5.03, South Carolina (Video)
    Quarles was a junior entry who was a 2+ year starter at South Carolina. He lacks ideal size but he has long arms and fine initial quickness and some power to his game. Quarles plays hard and hustles. He makes noise as an interior pass rusher. When he plays with leverage, Quarles flashes against the run. However, at times he far too easily blocked and needs to improve in that area in order to make it.
  • DT Eathyn Manumaleuna, 6’2”, 296lbs, 5.16, BYU (Video)
    Manumaleuna was an extremely versatile 4-year starter at BYU as he played nose tackle and defensive end in the 3-4 and defensive tackle in the 4-3. Manumaleuna lacks ideal size but he is strong, quick, and athletic. He is stout at the point-of-attack and sheds blockers well. Manumaleuna is more of a run stuffer than pass rusher. Competitive.
  • LB Dan Fox, 6’2”, 240lbs, 4.70, Notre Dame
    Fox has decent size, but he lacks ideal overall athleticism for the position. Fox is a smart, tough player who directed Notre Dame’s defense. However, he did not make many impact plays.
  • LB Justin Anderson, 6’2”, 235lbs, 4.70, Louisiana-Lafayette
    Anderson lacks ideal size, but he is deceptively athletic. Anderson was a very instinctive, productive tackler in college from the middle linebacker position.
  • S Thomas Gordon, 5’10”, 213lbs, 4.50, Michigan
    Gordon lacks ideal height, but he is well-built and a decent athlete. He is a good run defender who hits and tackles well.
  • S C.J. Barnett, 6’0”, 203lbs, 4.59, Ohio State (Video)
    Barnett lacks ideal size and athleticism. He is an aggressive, instinctive player. Barnett is a team leader who is very competitive and smart.

It is very important to note that these early unofficial reports on rookie free agent signings are often incorrect or premature.

Giants.com Interview with WR Odell Beckham: The video of a Giants.com interview with WR Odell Beckham, Jr. is available at Giants.com.

NY Post Q&A with WR Odell Beckham: Serby’s Sunday Q&A with… Odell Beckham Jr. by Steve Serby of The New York Post

Article on WR Odell Beckham: NFL draft: NY Giants top pick Odell Beckham Jr. has been a game changer from the very beginning by Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News

May 082014
 

New York Giants 2014 NFL Draft Review

Draft Pick Scouting Reports
Rookie Free Agent Scouting Reports
Eric’s Take on the 2014 Draft

Round Pick in Round Overall Selection Player Selected Video
1 12 12 WR Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU (Video)
2 11 43 OC Weston Richburg, Colorado State (Video)
3 10 74 DT Jay Bromley, Syracuse (Video)
4 13 113 RB Andre Williams, Boston College (Video)
5 12 152 S Nat Berhe, San Diego State (Video)
5 34 174 LB Devon Kennard, USC (Video)
6 11 187 CB Bennett Jackson, Notre Dame (Video)

2014 Draft Pick Scouting Reports

1st Round – WR Odell Beckham, Jr., 5’11”, 198lbs, 4.38, LSU
Odell Beckham, New York Giants (May 8, 2014)

Odell Beckham – © USA TODAY Sports Images

SCOUTING REPORT: Beckham was junior entry but a three-year starter at LSU. Beckham lacks classic size, but he is a well-built receiver with the speed, quickness, agility, and acceleration to separate and threaten defenses vertically. He has an explosive element to his game. Beckham has long arms and big hands, giving him a very good catch radius. Beckham runs very good routes, adjusts well to the football in the air, and has good hands catching the ball though he is guilty of an occasional drop. He is very elusive and dangerous with the football in his hands after the catch. He is a tough, aggressive, physical, competitive receiver who does not shy away from contact. Smart and hard working. Beckham is also a dangerous kickoff returner.

MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video) (Giants.com Q&A)

Odell Beckham, wide receiver and return specialist from LSU. It was a really good pick for us. We obviously wanted to address the wide receiver position, as well as other positions. He was the highest guy on our board, number one, and he brings a lot to the table for us. He’s a dynamic receiver, dynamic punt returner and a dynamic kickoff returner. You are getting a guy that can score touchdowns in three different ways for you. There’s no way we would pass him up.

Q: Were you at all surprised at the way things panned out, I know you said Beckham was number one on your board, but were there other alternatives that could have helped you as well?

A: Yeah, there were a couple more guys up there that we talked about that we liked. Beckham had too much value and need for us at that spot. He is speed on the outside. There are guys he plays with in the SEC, that whatever side [Beckham] goes to, those guys back up. He is that big speed that you need on the outside that can go get that ball. He is almost pro-ready. We obviously think he is going to get better with pro coaching, but we think he is pro-ready now. He is a terrific route runner, and we love the pick.

Q: As you saw the way the round was going, were you really happy at 12 when you saw it was going the way you wanted?

A: I think it went well for us. They came off the board good for us. We were hoping a quarterback or two would go up there, and then when those secondary guys went, that pushed some guys down that we were talking about.

Q: Does the pick speak to the “punch” the offense needed after last year?

A: We are talking about the quarterback needing some help, and this guy is a weapon. He needs a weapon on the outside, and Victor [Cruz] is more of an inside receiver. Victor can’t play outside. Rueben Randle, [Jerrel] Jernigan, and we got Mario [Manningham] back, so we are trying to get the quarterback some weapons. You need weapons in this league. We think this guy is a weapon.

Q: Is [Beckham’s] size at 5-11 what you were looking for?

A: When you look at the Super Bowl, how tall were the receivers [the Seahawks] won with? Tall receivers don’t always correlate to Super Bowl wins. Would you love to have a 6-5 guy that can run routes, and do the things that [Beckham] can do? Sure, but I do not think you need to have that to win Super Bowls. Again I think the Seahawks showed that last year.

Q: Can you describe the emotion in the room when you realized you were going to get the guy that was number one on your board?

A: We just try to keep our composure in there. We saw that it was falling our way, but you never know. We have had several times where the guy that we want gets picked right in front of us. If somebody would have taken him, I think it was Tennessee who picked right in front of us, if they had taken him, we would have been happy with a couple of the other guys we had on our board there.

Q: Did you get any action on the phones for that pick?

A: We got a couple of phone calls, but nothing significant. It was just guys fishing around for cheap moves.

Q: When you pick this early what do you do for the rest of this round?

A: We will just look at it, and see if there is anyone on our board that we really like who starts to fall down. We could possibly trade back into the first round. We will monitor it and watch it and see what happens. If there is a guy up there who we feel can help take us to the next level, and we think we can move back up into the first round, then we would contemplate doing that.

Q: When was the first time you saw [Beckham]?

A: First time I saw him myself was on tape. Obviously we had scouts to see him all year long. We had a lot of eyes on him and I went to his pro day workout. I saw him at the Combine and he has been dynamic every time I have seen him.

Q: Did you talk to Rueben Randle much about [Beckham]?

A: No, I really did not talk to Rueben about him.

Q: But [Randle] knows him?

A: He played with him, so he knows him, but I talked to his coaches and people like that and the scouts obviously. I did a lot of homework on him. He comes from great genes. His mom was a track star and his dad played running back at LSU. He’s got good genes and he’s a good kid.

Q: Are there ever any concerns that two receivers can be too similar. [Beckham] said he models his game after Victor?

A: No, I do not worry about that. Victor is an inside receiver, [Beckham] is an outside receiver. [Beckham] has more speed than Victor on the outside. I don’t think they are similar, I think [Beckham] said he likes Victor because they are similar in size. He is a little bit taller than Victor maybe. His body type and the way he moves around on the field are what I think [Beckham] likes about Victor, but I think they are two different receivers.

Q: In former Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride’s offense, there was always an adjustment period with new receivers. With Ben [McAdoo] do you think [Beckham] can come in and contribute right away?

A: We hope so. Anytime you pick a guy at 12 you expect him to come in and be a contributor for you. He definitely can come in and be your first punt and kick returner right out of the gate. We think that this guy is a lump-in-your-throat kind of kick and punt returner. If he gets some blocks, he can go with it. That was very attractive because you are getting a two-for-one kind of guy. To answer your question, is he going to take some type of adjustment, all rookies take some adjustment to play up here, but we think he’s pretty close to get ready to go.

Q: You now have a pretty good group of receivers. Do you expect them to feed off each other?

A: I hope so. All the research and the word on [Beckham] is how hungry this guy is and he practices hard and works hard. All of the teams use the GPS like we use, and early in camp, they said his GPS registered from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. That is how hard he works. Because he does all of the special teams stuff as well, he gets a lot of mileage on his GPS. He has great stamina and is a hard worker and he’s a hungry guy. The comment I like most is when he comes in he feels like he is a number one wide receiver. He will work to try to prove that to people, so we like those things about him.

Q: You mentioned his return ability. How does he compare to the return guys you brought in during Free Agency?

A: It doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t matter. The more return guys you have in the building, the better. We haven’t had any in the building in some time. The more, the merrier. Whoever wins the job is fine with me, but we have some options there.

Q: How is his speed relative to the guys brought in during Free Agency?

A: [Trindon] Holliday is a fast guy. [Beckham] is a fast guy, but speed kills.

Q: Did you always think you were going to go offense first?

A: We try to stay with our board the best we can, and he was the highest player on our board then. It was an easy pick for us.

Q: Was it safe to say [Beckham] was a top-10 guy on your board?

A: That’s correct.

Q: Was it safe to say [Beckham] was a top-5 guy on your board.

A: Not safe to say that.

MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Giants.com Q&A)

Q: As the whole round went on, the first 11 picks, it seemed like everyone was very happy with the way it transpired.

A: Us? Yeah, for sure. We always, when we meet leading up to the draft, have scenarios that we go over. This was one of the scenarios that we talked about a lot: if these two guys, three guys, four guys that we had there, if they were there, what we would do. It kind of fell the way we thought it would.

Q: Why did he jump off the screen for this football franchise?

A: Well, I mean, we think he’s a dynamic receiver and returner, by far the most versatile receiver in the draft. He can make explosive plays in a variety of ways – receiving, punt returns, kick returns. He’s polished, smart, great work ethic, so he just fit all the criteria that we look for.

Q: Are you sure he has the size for the outside?

A: Sure. He’s not the biggest guy in the draft but his size is fine. There are plenty of receivers that have been extremely successful with similar size. But he can play slot, he can play outside, move him around and he’s done that.

Q: As you look at fixing an offense that John Mara mentioned was broken a few months ago, was what you did in free agency and the particular pick tonight, what do you feel better about the offense right now compared to before all of this?

A: Before the offseason and the draft tonight? I think we’ve gotten better. We’ve solidified the line with some of the free agent signings, we definitely think we’ve gotten a playmaker for our offense tonight and helped out our return game, putting our offense in great field position with Odell being a returner and some of the return guys that we signed in the offseason. So overall, obviously, we’re happy with what we’ve done but there’s still a lot of work to be done and it’s got to play out on the field.

Q: Tom mentioned that Beckham’s interview at the combine was outstanding. You’re nodding. What do you remember about it?

A: When we do those interviews, certain ones stick out as soon as you come in the room, the way they carry themselves, the way they communicate, the way they talk about football. Those are the things we look for. He was outstanding. A humble guy, great upbringing, great pedigree and just talking film, talking football with him, he was one of the sharpest ones that we had.

Q: Usually receivers have a little bit of diva in them. Does this kid have that personality or do you think he’s a little different?

A: Not really. He’s a worker. I wouldn’t call him a diva; I would call him a worker. He loves to compete, he loves to train, he loves to practice, he can run all day. So he’s a worker.

Q: Do you think he’s like anybody? Any other receivers?

A: No. He was one of our ‘watch’ guys. Certain players, ‘Oh yeah,’ instantly but him, him, to us, to me, I think he kind of has a unique skill set. Nobody that immediately I thought of.

Q: Was it a tough call when you were on the clock with him and maybe one other guy?

A: No. We always talk about guys but he was the highest guy on our board, so it makes it easy, at a position that we thought that we could get better at so it made it easy.

MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video) (Giants.com Q&A)

We’re excited, let’s put it that way. This particular individual was somebody that, quite frankly, we favored on the board all along. We had a great impression by him in Indianapolis, the scouts stood up for him. He is a guy that can run kicks back, run punts back, play the wide receiver position. He has great speed, he’s polished, he’s talented, he has big hands, he has played at the top of the level in college football. His head coach speaks very, very highly of him as a worker in addition, as a great example to the other receivers, so we felt like this is someone who would help us a great deal to put the ball in the end zone, be a guy that we can count on to help us score some points, be another weapon that we can utilize as a wide receiver but in addition we can certainly feature him in the kicking game as well. This was one of those deals where you speculate right away as to how they’re going to come off the board. There were a couple of things up there that looked like we had a chance to get the players that we wanted in position there and so when we had the opportunity to pick Beckham we were certainly excited about doing that.

Q: How do you think he compliments Victor Cruz as far as his size and his speed?

A: Speed, again, the ability to make the big play. He’s a crafty route runner; he has a lot of polish with regard to that. He has very good stamina. I think he’ll do a great job in the receiver room. I think he’ll be on the same page with the quarterback right away. He’s intelligent and he’s excited to be here.

Q: You must have been pretty pleased with each pick. If this guy is, you know, going to be there.

A: A lot of the picks were… you set them up that way. The first round looked a lot like that. There were a couple things that happened, the trade coming when it did with Cleveland going back. For the most part it went pretty much the way we thought it would. A couple of the things that happened up there made us feel like the players that we wanted to be in position when we picked would be there and they were, at least two of them were.

Q: When you look at this draft, was getting weapons for Eli a pretty big priority for you?

A: That was a priority. Obviously we did some work in the offensive line in the free agency period, but you know, you look at your roster and you think in terms of how can we put ourselves in position again to be a high-scoring team. The good thing, I would think, as an offensive player coming in here is our veterans have a three-week head start on the rookies, which is not much in learning a new system. I think for a young man of Odell’s skill and his level of intelligence, that he will pick this up relatively quickly.

Q: Can you just speak to already being excited about your offense heading into next year? It took enough criticism coming out of last season so is there a potential for a whole different level of…?

A: Well, obviously we’re excited to think that. I’m not much of a talker, I would rather see us be productive and then talk about it. We’re trying to get there and we’re making progress.

Q: Receivers in this offense, in the offense before, sometimes had trouble getting on the field right away, very technical, a lot of things they haven’t learned. Given the fact that you have a new offense and what you said about this player, do you think an impact right away is very possible?

A: I think you take that position right now with every guy that comes in the door. They better all contribute right away, whether it be on special teams, defense, offense, whatever it is they’re going to be… there’s no waiting around in this game today. We will expect right throughout the draft that there will be a strong contribution from each of the players that select and hopefully it will create the kind of competition that we need as well.

Q: Was Beckham the guy that you had targeted as you were mapping it down?

A: He was one of them, yeah.

MEDIA Q&A WITH ODELL BECKUM: (Giants.com Insider Video)

Q: What’s your reaction to being a New York Giant?

A: I’m still trying to get everything in check. It’s an overwhelming experience. I’m so happy to be a Giant.

Q: What do you think you can bring to this offense right away?

A: I definitely think that I can come in and, if I get the opportunity to play, I could bring a lot of things – a deep threat or whatever the team needs me to do. Hopefully I get to return some punts and kicks.

Q: What do you think it will be like playing with Victor Cruz?

A: It’s going to be great. That’s kind of one of the guys who I style my game after and who I look up to, so to be able to learn from him and the other receivers that they have is just going to be, it definitely will help me improve my game.

Q: What about playing with Rueben Randle?

A: My big brother. He kind of taught me the ropes when I came into LSU and now I’m back with him again. It’s pretty incredible.

Q: What do you think about catching balls from Eli Manning and just tell us a little bit about what you’ve known about him growing up in the same high school (Isidore Newman).

A: I remember walking through the school and seeing his jersey, along with Peyton and the Mannings as well. Every single day it was just kind of motivation to me. I threw with them a couple times, so I know exactly what he has in store and what he has to offer. I’m really looking forward to getting back together with him.

Q: I know it’s been a whirlwind. Have you heard from Rueben yet?

A: Actually I don’t even have my phone with me right now. I heard from him earlier. He told me good luck but he didn’t tell me that they were going to pick me.

Q: Were you hoping that it was going to be the Giants? Did you have in your mind where you might fall in the first round? In your heart of hearts, did you say, ‘Boy, it would be great to be a Giant?’

A: Of course it would be great to be a Giant. I had no idea that I was going to get taken by them. Honestly I hadn’t heard much from them so it was all kind of just a blur to me.

Q: Do you consider yourself a number one receiver? Is that, obviously I would imagine, your goal?

A: To be the number one receiver for the Giants? There are guys there who already have themselves established. I’m really looking forward to coming in and competing, competing for a spot with these guys. Wherever I may fall, I may fall but at the end of the day you always want to be that number one as a competitor, in everything you do.

Q: What do you think you bring in the return game?

A: I’m definitely looking forward to doing punt returns. It’s kind of one of the things I love doing most, just being able to get the ball back there and just use your natural ability. You have guys out there blocking for you, it’s something that I look forward to doing.

Q: Who do you get your athletic ability from more, your father or your mother?

A: Obviously I don’t know. I guess genetically it’s split 50/50. My mom’s got a pretty good track history, my dad played football as well. I won’t make either one of them mad and I’ll say it was a 50/50.

Q: Did you bring enough stuff to stay in New York now or do you have to go back and get your belongings?

A: I’m definitely going to have to go home and come back. I did not bring enough stuff.

Q: Could this have worked out any better for you in terms of the draft? A week ago you were projected 18, 19. You end up 12 overall and you end up with the Giants. Could it have worked out any better for you at all?

A: Absolutely not. It couldn’t have worked out any better. It’s a perfect situation.

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2nd Round – OC Weston Richburg, 6’3”, 298lbs, 5.08, Colorado State
Weston Richburg, Colorado State Rams (November 2, 2013)

Weston Richburg – © USA TODAY Sports Images

SCOUTING REPORT: Richburg was a 4-year starter at Colorado State. Richburg combines decent size with very good overall athleticism for a center. Good pass protector who has the size and strength to anchor against big tackles and the feet and balance to keep up with quick rushers. Richburg lacks ideal power as a run blocker, but he plays with very good leverage and tenacity. Mobile and agile, Richburg, can block at the second level and pull on outside runs. Smart, tough, aggressive, competitive, and a team leader. Versatile, Richburg can also play guard. Richburg played well at the Senior Bowl practices against DT Aaron Donald.

MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)

Richburg, center, Colorado State. A versatile player, a really good athlete. He can play guard or center. High test score. Centers are very important, a very integral part of our new offensive scheme, so obviously we brought J.D. in as a free agent but we tried to create some depth there as well and some competition. This guy is a really good, athletic center. He’s one of those guys, one of those bonus guys. Not a lot of centers can pull, this guy can snap the ball and pull and get out on the perimeter. He was terrific. He was an ideal pick for us, a clean pick. A lot of things we liked about him. I’ll take any questions.

Q: You say an integral part of the new offensive scheme, can you talk a little bit about how that’s different from…?

A: Well, you know, I don’t know how different, I just know that the new coordinator likes the center to be very involved with some of the protection scheme things and this guy is really smart. He was outstanding when we interviewed him at the combine so he fits the mold of what we want, besides being a very good football player.

Q: You mean in terms of making protection calls?

A: Yes.

Q: He had to do that for a while at Colorado State, right?

A: Yeah, I think he’s like a 50-game starter. He’s played a lot of football games out there. What we’re looking for.

Q: How much do you like the size? 6-3, 300 for a center is a little bit bigger than normal.

A: We like big guys. We like big and fast and smart and tough, we like all that. The thing about him, he’s got long arms. His arms are almost 34-inch arms, most centers’ arms are not that long so that’s a bonus in itself.

Q: What does this say about Walton? How has he recovered from whatever injuries he’s had? I know he hasn’t played.

A: He missed last season but he’s been out here and he looked like he was 100 percent out there. He’s doing great for us. We expect him to be the guy who Richburg is going to battle for that center position. Obviously you need depth at every position and that’s the position that we think Richburg will provide for us, some depth at center which is his natural position but we think he could play guard as well. Again, last year we had a couple injuries early on the offensive line and it was pretty devastating, we had to bring some guys in that struggled some at those positions so we’re trying to make sure we have enough depth at every position. This guy will help provide that for us.

Q: Were you intent on getting an offensive lineman in the first two rounds?

A: We were just intent on getting good players. We know what we feel like our needs are and positions that we need to create some depth on our roster but right now we’re focused on getting good football players and he fits the mold of being a good football player for us.

MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)

Q: When you look back at the last three rounds how do you view the picks compared to what you were expecting coming into the draft? A: It went pretty well. First round, for sure, went how we liked; second round, for sure; and even this last pick we had a good idea [Bromley] was going to be there. There were not any shockers like in years past where guys were rated real high and falling. This year we targeted and guys fell right where we thought they would.

Q: Coming into today were [Richburg] and [Bromley] two guys you were zeroed in on?

A: Not zeroed in, but there were a lot of discussions about these being two quality players we would like to have, and we think they will fall right for us.

Q: John Mara said a couple months ago in regards to the draft that he wanted to take fewer risks. Are [Richburg] and [Bromley] more of a sure thing?

A: Yes, these guys are high character, team captains, hard workers, smart, competitive guys with no issues whatsoever. These are the things we look for all the time. It does not always happen. Certain things you take a little more calculated risks on at certain times. This just happened to fall right for us where we felt these guys were at the very highest in regards to character.

Q: What do you like specifically about [Richburg] and [Bromley]?

A: It’s not just one quality. Richburg is a throwback. He’s a football player. He is smart, competitive, a good athlete and he’s going to give you everything he’s got every play. Jay Bromley has been an underdog his whole life, so he is going to come in here and you are going to have to kill him to get him off the field. There is nothing to deter that guy with what he has been through. That shows with how he plays. It’s great when the best asset for a player is determination and desire, and that is Jay Bromley.

Q: Jerry Reese mentioned how good of a fit [Richburg] is with what Ben McAdoo is going to do on offense. How much do you ask [McAdoo] what he is looking for in a center moving forward?

A: Yes when we have draft meetings we talk about everything. The scouts and their reports, coaches talk about their reports of the players and then we talk about how everybody fits and how guys can be used and the value to the team. One thing Ben [McAdoo] talked about was how important the center was. It was not like we elevated Richburg because of that. We already had a high grade on him because of that, so that just added to his value.

Q: Were certain skills stressed in needing to play center in this offense?

A: Yes, I think with this offense the center is more of a communicator, pointing things out. He is the quarterback of the offensive line, and he helps the quarterback out by identifying certain things about the line front and the MIKE.

Q: As a talent evaluator, what skill sets are you looking for in order to successfully play center in this offense?

A: You can just tell a guy by watching them, especially with an offensive lineman in regards to their IQ, how he plays, his savvy and his instincts. With centers you look for how they are pointing guys out or some centers just put their head down and snap the ball. Those are some things Richburg clearly does on tape, and being around him and his interview at the combine was tremendous. The guy scored a 31 on the Wonderlic. This guy is a smart guy. Those are things that were very intriguing.

Q: It is fair to say he was your highest-rated center?

A: Yes

MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)

Good Evening. Second pick was a very good athletic young center. He was a captain and leader while being a four-year starter at Colorado State. All of the scouts raved about this guy. When the coaches got a chance to study him, he can pull, he can block the zone schemes and he makes all the calls. The center position here for us is one of responsibility in terms of dictating to the rest of the offensive line exactly how the scheme is going to go. This guy will fit right in in terms of that. Interesting story about him: He broke his right hand in 2012 and finished the year snapping the ball with his left hand, so you know he can do that as well. We feel like we have a good solid young center who is very smart. He did a good job despite his long arms on the bench press, so he is strong. He is a good worker, and as I said, he has earned his stripes. He is the leader of his offensive line and offensive team. He was voted captain. We are pleased to have Weston [Richburg] on board.

Q: At the extent to who makes the call [for the O-line] Jerry [Reese] just said that could change with the new offensive coordinator?

A: No, the center is very much involved, but in this scheme there will be more responsibility on the center.

Q: How much in regards to responsibility differs for the center? Jerry [Reese] mentioned pulling possibly. He seems more athletic than some of the centers you have had in the past.

A: There may be a possibility of [the center pulling]. He can [pull] if asked to. Whether that happens or not, we will see. He does and has done that in college.

Q: Is [pulling] something that JD Walton cannot do?

A: No. Not necessarily. It is one of the attributes that is very noticeable when you do grade [Richburg], so it is worth mentioning.

Q: [Pulling] was not a trait that you thought was necessary when you think of playing center?

A: Well, it gives you more versatility. Even more, there would be no restrictions in terms of what you would ask [the center] to do. If you were going to pull or there was an opportunity based on the front you’re playing against, where the guard is not in the position to pull, then the center would or could pull. It has been done and you can count on [Richburg] to do that. He would be able to get out in front and make a block etc.

Q: The offense line in the past years has had some versatility. Richburg has had some experience playing guard. How much does that play into drafting him?

A: You always look for versatility if you have it, but this guy is a center. He has been a center, and he is a young center in the fold here. We are first and foremost going to talk about him as a center.

Q: Was he the top player on your board coming into today?

A: I am not going to go into where he was [on our board]. He was among those at the top.

Q: How about his size? He seems to be bigger than most centers at 6-3 300 pounds.

A: Pro Bowl centers are 304-305 [pounds]. He is right in there.

MEDIA Q&A WITH WESTON RICHBURG: (Giants.com Insider Video)

Q: Is this about where you expected to go and were you surprised with the Giants or did you think maybe that was a good chance?

A: I wanted to be the first center selected and it turns out I was. I’m just so excited to be selected by such a great organization.

Q: What was in like when you met with them?

A: I just met with them at the combine, we had a formal meeting at the combine, I got to speak with Coach Coughlin a bit and we talked a lot of football and film. We reviewed a lot my film and kind of just went over X and O details with those guys.

Q: What was your impression from that point?

A: You could tell how professional these guys are and how well-run the organization is. Just after seeing that, I’m so excited to be a part of it.

Q: Why was it important for you to be the first center selected?

A: I’ve always been a guy from a smaller school. Even though Colorado State is a Division 1 school, it’s in the Mountain West so we don’t get a lot of respect sometimes. When it comes to going against other big school guys, it’s always been my dream to be the best center in the country. Today I kind of got that recognition by being the first center selected.

Q: Tom Coughlin seemed to love the fact that you broke your regular snapping hand and finished the season with the other. How tough of an adjustment was that to switch hands?

A: That’s something I take a lot of pride in. You don’t see a lot of guys doing that. It was tough, it was a tough kind of change but I took it with open arms. Looking back at it, it was something that I’m really prideful about.

Q: Did you actually have a club on the broken hand while you were snapping with the other?

A: I did, yeah. A big old, goofy looking cast club type of deal on my hand.

Q: I think you started every game at Colorado State. Have you ever missed a game?

A: In high school I only played offensive line one year, my senior year. I had an ACL injury that kept me out my sophomore and junior seasons and before that I played quarterback my freshman year of high school. I’ve kind of been all over the place but when I got to college I started every game on the offensive line.

Q: Do you think you can play right away in the NFL?

A: I do, I think I can come in and contribute. It’s going to take a lot of work but I think that’s something that’s carried me this far is my work ethic. I enjoy working and now it’s my job, that’s even the cool part about it. It’s my job to lift weights, to watch film, to get better playing football. I want to come in and try to contribute to this year and really help this organization be as successful as it can be.

Q: How much did you pull at Colorado State and how much do you think your athleticism allows you to do that kind of stuff?

A: We pull quite a bit. Since I was able to do that, our coaches felt more comfortable using me in that type of way. It’s something I really enjoyed as well and I think I was athletic enough to get out, quick enough, and get out and set up some good blocks for our running backs on the outside.

Q: When you came into tonight did you zero in on a spot that you thought you might go? Did you think the Giants were a team that might take you?

A: I knew there were several teams that were looking at a center. I had been hearing the second round was probably a good spot for me. I didn’t really know specifically what team it would be but I knew the second round was probably going to be when I was going to get the phone call.

Q: Do you think it has helped you and your versatility in the fact that you participated in other sports in high school like throwing shot and playing basketball?

A: I think just being involved as much as you can in every sport you can be really helps your athleticism. With me, I tried to be as involved as I could be, shot put, discus, basketball kind of stuff, so yeah, as involved and active as you can be I think can definitely translate over.

Q: Did you watch the draft tonight from home? Where are you tonight?

A: I’m out in Bushland, Texas, my hometown. I’m actually at my classmate Crockett Gillmore’s house. We’ve got our families together and we’re just having a good time right now.

Q: When do you expect to be here in New York?

A: I’ll fly out on Sunday.

Q: How much more of a challenge is it without a rookie minicamp, the veterans are already going kind of into phase two of their offseason program. Have you talked to the organization about how quickly they can get you up to speed?

A: Yeah, I just talked to coach Flaherty and he said it would be kind of more difficult than normal but I think they have an understanding of what we’re going through. We’re going to work through it. Like I said, I’m just so excited to be a Giant and have an opportunity to come in there and really contribute this year.

Q: Are there any centers that you look up to or pattern your game after maybe?

A: I like the Pouncey twins a lot. I think they have a lot of really good athletic traits. I like to kind of emulate them. I like Logan Mankins. Even though he’s not a center, I think he plays really kind of nasty in the interior and I try to get after people like he does.

Q: What do you know about Eli Manning and what are your expectations? You’ll probably be spending a lot of time working with him.

A: Just talking about how great the Giants organization is, they’ve got one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now. It’s kind of crazy, I was just watching the Mannings the other day and now I’m going to have a chance to be snapping to the guy. To be able to learn from a guy like that as a rookie is priceless and I’m really looking forward to being around him and learning from a pro like Eli Manning.

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3rd Round – DT Jay Bromley, 6’3”, 306lbs, 5.06, Syracuse
Jay Bromley, Syracuse Orange (October 12, 2013)

Jay Bromley – © USA TODAY Sports Images

SCOUTING REPORT: Bromley was a 3-year starter at Syracuse. He combines decent size and strength with good athletic ability. Bromley is more of a 3-technique disruptor than 1-technique run stuffer. He has good initial quickness and will penetrate into the backfield against both the run and the pass. Bromley hustles and pursues well. When Bromley plays with good leverage, he can be very difficult to block. But he plays too high at times. Bromley is a very hard worker both on and off the field. Team leader. Giants want him to add weight.

MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)

Bromley, defensive tackle, Syracuse. Size, speed, another team captain. We like team captains. We think this kid has a lot of upside, 10 sacks from the inside position. Lots of things to like about the kid, long arms, all the things that you like for your defensive tackle to have. I’ll take any questions.

Q: Does he compare to any of the recent guys…?

A: I’m not sure, I can’t recall anybody off the top of my head to compare him to.

Q: How much could he do some of the things that Linval Joseph used to do for you guys?

A: Well, this guy, he’s big, he’s got some two-gap ability, he can stand in there and hold the point of attack. He’s got speed, the guy ran 4.9 and some change at the combine so he can get up the field and finish on the quarterback. Like I said, he had 10 sacks. He can hold the point, he can run, he has some range to run lateral and make plays down the line of scrimmage.

Q: Could he line up at defensive end at this level?

A: I don’t think he’s a defensive end. Just body type of sort of reminds me of Canty, a shorter Chris Canty how he looks in his uniform.

Q: When you came into the day was he a guy that you kind of targeted or was it just how the board…?

A: Well it was just how the board unfolded for us. We had him at a value spot and obviously we could use some depth on our defensive line as well. It’s a combination of stuff like we try to get all the time.

Q: Even as a second-round pick?

A: We had him at a good spot on the board to take him right now.

Q: Given the fact that you’ve talked about the importance of the first three picks, you say that a lot, how comfortable, how gratified are you that you’ve got these three guys?

A: We feel good about the… obviously we feel good about the receiver, we have the center who we think will be a starting center at some point. It gave us some depth and will battle right now for that center spot and have some versatility, play guard for us. We’ve got a defensive lineman that can definitely start and jump in our rotation and help us out.

Q: It seemed that the common threads were that football acumen was key; they’re all nearly pro-ready. Are these things that were clearly important on your characteristic chart?

A: They’re all, as you go down, as you get into the later rounds, there’s something wrong with all of them. If they were all clean and perfect, you’d pick them all in the first row. All of those guys you can pick in the first row. None of these guys are perfect but we think they’re all really good football players that are going to help our football team. They’re all clean. Like I said, they’re all captains. They’ve got a lot of things that we like with our first three picks. Those are the kinds of things we look for when guys are going to come in and be good players and good contributors to our football team.

Q: Have you devolved a comfort level at all with Syracuse?

A: I don’t know anything about Syracuse except the football players. It has nothing to do with comfort level. They’re all just good football players. It’s just a coincidence that we’ve had a couple players from Syracuse. You could say that about LSU, we’ve got several players from LSU.

Q: Obviously you do a lot of planning coming into this event, how did this unfold compared to what you were expecting?

A: I think things broke our way pretty good from where we were sitting on the board. It didn’t make sense for us to try to move up or down, we had good players that we like available on the board so we were set where we were and made good picks we think on the players that we picked.

Q: At the end of today you look at it and say, ‘We’ve got a receiver, we’ve got a center and we’ve got a defensive tackle.’ Do you think there could have been any scenario where at the end of this day you would have looked at it and said, ‘We’ve got this, this and this. Humf, I never would have thought of that?’

A: Not really. You never know in the draft. Those are positions that we think can really help us, all three of those positions, but we could have used three positions, three other players at different positions as well. We’re happy to get the three players that we have at those positions but it could have gone a different way and we would have been just as happy.

Q: Was it a goal to go for a defensive lineman somehow?

A: If you don’t have big people, it’s hard to win in this league. If you don’t get big guys, it’s hard to win. Most of the time you’re going to lose so you’ve got to have big people up front, you’ve got to have guys in your rotation on your defensive line, you’ve got to have some depth in your offensive line. That’s where it all starts. You’ve got to have some playmakers. We got a combination of all three of those things I think with our first three picks.

Q: Do you feel Bromley is a playmaker?

A: He had 10 sacks. When you play at a high level of competition, he had 10 sacks, he can run, he has long arms, plays hard. I think our coaching staff is going to really like this kid.

Q: Does what you’ve done so far change anything for how you look at moving forward at this point? Maybe you wouldn’t grab a center but maybe in regards to the other positions are you still… getting more bodies on the defensive line, getting more bodies at wide receiver?

A: We’re just trying to get good players as we move forward. The next best player on our board, in the fourth row, in the fourth round – we’ll try to pick him. It really doesn’t matter that much to me right now what position it is, we’re just trying to get good players to create competition and depth on our team. You may get a starter somewhere in the fourth row. It happens all the time.

Q: Do you seem Bromley as a guy who can come in and play right away?

A: We hope so. He’s a big kid, he’s played at a high level of competition and he’s a strong kid. He had good reps at the combine, big, clean, hardworking, tough football player. We expect him to come in and be part of the rotation.

Q: Was that big to you? Tom mentioned it yesterday that you get guys that can play right away or is that just the way…?

A: Well we try to, we try our best. Most kids are developmental no matter how you cut it. Most college kids that come up and play at this level, they’re developmental in a lot of ways. But the guys that we get that can come in and be contributors for us, we look for that. We hope we can get that because, in this day and age, there aren’t many guys you can sit around and red shirt and wait on for a long time. It happens and everybody… you have to develop players. With all of the young players coming out, the juniors coming out, the draft is younger and younger every year with all of the juniors coming out.

Q: Is that why, I’m not saying targeting but you said you like team captains, seniors…?

A: We like captains. We like captains because we think they’re character guys, they have leadership ability. It’s not easy to be picked captain for your football team and these guys have been captains and that’s attractive to us.

Q: But in terms of accelerating them…?

A: Yeah, we think they’re mature if a guy’s a captain because if you’re a captain on your team, there’s some kind of leadership role that you have to take as a captain. Again, that’s attractive to us.

MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)

Q: When you look back at the last three rounds how do you view the picks compared to what you were expecting coming into the draft? A: It went pretty well. First round, for sure, went how we liked; second round, for sure; and even this last pick we had a good idea [Bromley] was going to be there. There were not any shockers like in years past where guys were rated real high and falling. This year we targeted and guys fell right where we thought they would.

Q: Coming into today were [Richburg] and [Bromley] two guys you were zeroed in on?

A: Not zeroed in, but there were a lot of discussions about these being two quality players we would like to have, and we think they will fall right for us.

Q: John Mara said a couple months ago in regards to the draft that he wanted to take fewer risks. Are [Richburg] and [Bromley] more of a sure thing?

A: Yes, these guys are high character, team captains, hard workers, smart, competitive guys with no issues whatsoever. These are the things we look for all the time. It does not always happen. Certain things you take a little more calculated risks on at certain times. This just happened to fall right for us where we felt these guys were at the very highest in regards to character.

Q: What do you like specifically about [Richburg] and [Bromley]?

A: It’s not just one quality. Richburg is a throwback. He’s a football player. He is smart, competitive, a good athlete and he’s going to give you everything he’s got every play. Jay Bromley has been an underdog his whole life, so he is going to come in here and you are going to have to kill him to get him off the field. There is nothing to deter that guy with what he has been through. That shows with how he plays. It’s great when the best asset for a player is determination and desire, and that is Jay Bromley.

Q: With Bromley, how much could you tell by talking to him how little he has been handed to him in his football career?

A: That is what our scouts do in the fall when they go to the schools and talk to all the people they talk to at the universities. That is their job, to get this information. Throughout this whole process, we do more digging and research. We interview the player. [The scouts] start it off and they establish a foundation and we work from there.

Q: Could you personally tell by talking with [Bromley] that nothing has been handed to him football-wise?

A: Yeah, you could tell with his personality. You get a good feel for how they are. You can tell he is a hungry kid.

Q: Can you develop a comfort level with certain [college] programs?

A: For sure. I think you build a trust level with certain schools as opposed to others where you know the information you are getting based off of how the players have performed once they leave school. When you go in there the next year, you get certain coaches that you trust more than others. It’s not like we targeted Syracuse guys. I know that is probably your follow-up question. It just happens to fall that way. [Justin] Pugh is a guy we really liked as well as [Ryan] Nassib at the time and now Jay [Bromley].

Q: [Jerry] mentioned LSU as well…?

A: Our scouts do a really good job and they have great contacts at most schools. It is not as if LSU and Syracuse are the only exceptions.

Q: Does Bromley remind you of any former Giants defensive lineman?

A: No.

Q: What do you view [Bromley’s] top skill as? Obviously the 10 sacks this past year jump out at you.

A: As I said earlier, his desire and determination on the field. That grit that he has is his number one quality. He is still young and developing some skills such as his pad level and hand use and other things of that nature. He is still a young guy. Really his motor is just tremendous. I think that is his best asset. He is a big guy that worked out really well, and he produced. The motor and determination are his best attributes.

Q: Do you see [Bromley] as a rotational guy along the defensive line or more of a passing down situation type of player?

A: He can do a little bit of both. He is a big body; he will throw them in there. I’m not going to say this guy is going to come in and start right away, but hopefully he develops into that. It is a big man’s game. As many of those big guys that you have, the more successful you are, so hopefully [Bromley] can get in there and bang around and make some plays for us.

Q: Do you see more room for him to grow in his frame?

A: Yes, he can get bigger. He is 307 [pounds] now, but eating right up here and getting great meals and lifting every day, football will become his full-time job. He is going to develop and thicken up.

Q: How much would you like him to weigh?

A: 315-320 pounds. He will probably put that on very easily.

MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)

It’s interesting, Jerry (Reese) comes down and I come down, we’re talking about the same thing, probably using the same references because when you talk about the players that you’re getting ready to draft, what happens is you maybe set aside five or six names and you try to start it early enough where you go to the area scouts and you go to anyone else that’s been asked to go in there and grade the player and then you go to Chris Mara and you go to the defensive coach or the offensive coach, regardless of which side of the ball it’s on, and eventually it comes back to my grade on the individual and Jerry gives his grade on the individual, so there’s a lot of discussion about every player and it’s important that you start out early enough so that you can hear from everybody. That’s usually what we do in this round because it’s five-minute rounds, you’re out there seven or eight picks when you start talking about these guys, so you do hear the comments from the scouts, from the coaches, from Marc Ross, from Jerry, from Chris Mara. You hear all of the comments so that’s why when we come into the room following one another, a lot of what you hear is probably a ditto.

Nevertheless this young man, Jay Bromley, of course, went to a great school, played defensive tackle, had 10 sacks, which is really interesting. You stop and think about it, a kid playing basically a three technique who has 10 sacks, runs very well, he’s quick, he plays hard. He plays hard, he runs well for a defensive lineman, he’s a captain of his football team, he’s well-respected, he’s a quiet guy, he’s some, although you wouldn’t tell by the answer on the phone that I just went through because mom was there and mom was yelling and screaming. And when they heard it was the Giants, being from Jamaica, Queens, they were very, very excited. It’s fun to share in the excitement of someone who is truly, truly… it meshes geographically because this guy is very close to his mom, because he played at Syracuse, because he is a man that’s worked very hard for what he’s got and will be asked to work even harder because he’s around the 310 mark. You’d like him maybe to be a little bit bigger than that and to get back in the weight room and work.

One thing he does do is work so we have no question about this kid’s character, his work ethic, his focus and how serious he is about the job that he’s about to undertake. Those things being said, they speak very highly of what we’ve tried to do throughout this draft up to this point. We’re excited about having this kid. It was great to hear him on the other end of the line and the excitement, which is genuine excitement, with which he answered the phone.

Q: You haven’t talked about the significance of drafting three captains so far. In your experience in football, what does that tell you about a guy when he’s a captain of his college team?

A: It tells me that he is an individual that not only is a good football player but he’s someone that’s well respected and trusted on the part of his teammates. Many times it’s, I remember when I played it was pretty much a selection by the coach. That’s probably not the case most of the time now. The players do have an opportunity to evaluate. When you have an individual, first of all, who is courageous, who is strong of character, strong of belief, an individual believes in the program who’s willing to sacrifice and willing to pay the price when in fact he’s being evaluated by those around him while it’s taking place. Usually it speaks for a guy that gives his all, puts his heart into what he does, is not afraid to be an individual who leads by example that may be helpful to younger players in terms of how they direct themselves. He’s not afraid to do that because he’s putting his best foot forward.

It’s not always perfect, it’s not always the best, but he tries as hard as he possibly can and, by virtue of that, leads by example. Leading by example is the one sure way in which to indicate to people how it’s done. It isn’t about talking; it isn’t about all that stuff. It’s about playing hard, being consistent, having virtues and values that you believe in and are not willing to sacrifice them for popularity. I believe that’s the kind of individuals that we would like to have working for the New York Giants in our program, guys that we can trust, guys that are football players and dedicate their minds and work ethic to becoming the very best that they can be.

Q: How much more of an emphasis was placed on this this year?

A: It’s always an emphasis but I think it’s probably been talked about more this year in the room than maybe last year or two years ago or whatever.

Q: Why do you think that is?

A: Why is it? Because we would like to feel like the people that come here are absolute football players, devoted to it. Let’s face it, where we are, there are areas that could be distractions. We need to have people that can operate in this environment and stay focused and do the job they were brought here for and not get off track.

Q: Is that something that has been a problem?

A: Not necessarily, you’re not going to get any names; you’re not going to get any major discussion. It’s what you want; it’s the desire that you want perhaps when you start at the top of the board. If, in fact, it’s being talked about more now, it’s obviously been talked about by us in the room.

Q: Could part of that be because some of the team players — Tuck, Diehl and other guys — are gone, guys that you used to rely on for that kind of leadership in the locker room?

A: That’s a good point. The fact that some of these players that have been looked upon as outstanding leaders have gone on and we have others here who will take that role, I’m sure. But it’s always good to have a self-starter, it’s always good to have somebody that is completely devoted to their job.

Q: Does that maturity also help when you need to get these guys in as quickly as possible and get going in your program without a rookie minicamp, without being able to bring them along as a group of rookies?

A: There are reasons for why there isn’t a rookie minicamp. They will be here. It’s never been done before. In the past you’ve had to work it so that when they came for the minicamp they stayed. Well we’re into the program, we’re on the field four days a week, so to shut this thing down so we can have a rookie minicamp or do something, a one-day camp on the weekend, we could have them on the field Tuesday. It is integrating them right into the program but it’s not a reason for us not to have a rookie minicamp and certainly they’ll be right with our veteran players right from the get-go. That really isn’t a motive behind what we’re talking about. You like to have mature people, no matter what their age is. We’ve all seen it where a rookie comes in and he gets it and we’ve all seen it where they come in and they don’t get it. If I had, if we had our preference, we’d take the ones that get it.

Q: How much of a priority was it to get a defensive lineman in this draft?

A: Well it was very important. We’ve had some people move on, so we have an offensive line and a defensive line and what we’re trying to do is play New York Giant football, get back to the physical aspect of how we play, the camaraderie, the believing in each other, the ability to be the stronger unit on the field.

Q: You said Bromley is at 310. And you want him to put more weight on?

A: I’d like him to be stronger, bigger as he grows a little bit older and spends a lot of time in our weight room. Sure, absolutely – bigger, stronger, faster.

Q: And you’ve envisioned him as mostly a three-technique kind of guy?

A: He’s a defensive tackle. He’ll be asked to do more than there here. That’s what he did play, yeah, he played defensive tackle. He will be a defensive tackle here.

Q: Does he give up some stoutness against the run, with the sacks?

A: No, I don’t think so. That would not be a concern.

MEDIA Q&A WITH JAY BROMLEY:

Q: Congratulations.

A: Thank you.

Q: How surprised were you when your phone rang and you were told it was the Giants on the line?

A: I thought they were joking, to be honest. I was in the grocery store, I thought they were joking.

Q: Obviously you weren’t sitting at that moment expecting for the phone to ring. What was your night like? When did you think you might get a call?

A: Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to go today. I was just expecting, like everybody else, trying to see how many people in my position went in the second and third round and seeing how everything fell. I didn’t’ expect the call at all tonight.

Q: So how long did it take you to realize that it actually was the Giants on the line?

A: When I talked to Coach Coughlin and it was just surreal, it was like, ‘Man, this is really happening right now. This is why I worked so hard.’ It’s just amazing.

Q: I would guess this was the number one choice for you, is that correct?

A: Oh, the home team, my favorite team. It’s crazy, this is my favorite team – Big Blue. And then I get picked by them, that’s crazy. It’s amazing.

Q: What were you doing tonight? What were your plans? You’re in a grocery store at 10 o’clock at night.

A: I was at the grocery story with my girlfriend getting some juice and getting a movie from RedBox. I’m about to get the movie from RedBox and it’s like, ‘Oh, man.’

Q: Who called you and what did they say? What was your response to them at that point?

A: At first it was the Giants scout before he gave me over to Coach Coughlin. He was just like, ‘Is this Jay Bromley?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, this is Jay.’ He said, ‘I’m a scout for the New York Giants’ and I was like, ‘Yeah this is Jay.’ He was like, ‘I’m calling you because we’re about to pick you.’ I was like, ‘No, you’re lying.’ He said, ‘No, we’re not joking.’ I said, ‘Oh, this is crazy.’ He said, ‘Let me get you over to Coach Coughlin,’ and he was just like, ‘Just get ready to come in and get to work.’ I’m just like, ‘I’m ready.’

Q: You said you went to RedBox to get a movie, has the movie night been put on hold a little bit?

A: Oh man, the movie’s been completely put on hold. The movie’s an afterthought now, to be completely honest.

Q: What movie did you end up choosing?

A: I think we were going to watch Gravity.

Q: They talked about you putting on weight, adding more muscle, maybe even getting up to 315, 320. What did you play at last year? What do you feel most comfortable playing and what do you think about getting up to that weight? How hard would that be for you?

A: I played at 296 last year during the season then I played at 307 during the all-star game. As long as I make sure I get in good condition and make sure I put on more muscle than fat and I can still keep my quickness, add some flexibility, I don’t know, maybe 315 might be a good weight for me, maybe not. I’ll just have to wait and see.

Q: What do you view as your strengths as a player? Obviously the sack number pops out. What do you view as some of your top skills?

A: Getting to the quarterback. It’s really fun to me to rush the passer, to learn different moves and to try different moves to get to the quarterback. I feel like that’s an asset that I bring to the team, just getting in the backfield. If I’m not sacking the quarterback, just disrupting the pocket a little bit.

Q: You obviously said you weren’t expecting to get drafted today. Where did you expect to get drafted? What kind of stuff were you hearing even though you ended up being a third-round pick?

A: I’m one of those guys that think in the worst-case scenario, so I didn’t expect to be drafted. I heard four to six, but the way the draft works, players start going and it’s just a whole bunch of sliding scales that I didn’t understand, so I just thought of the worst-case scenario – going tomorrow at the earliest.

Q: What were your plans for tomorrow? Did you plan on that being your draft day or were you going to do your thing tomorrow also the same way?

A: I did plan on that being my draft day. I graduate tomorrow at 4 p.m. so I was just expecting everything, just to get up tomorrow and do the graduation and then the draft in my head as well, just waiting for it.

Q: Coach Coughlin said he heard a lot of screaming when he was talking to you as well. Who was that and what was their reaction?

A: I was with my girlfriend and my teammate and a couple other people I go to Syracuse with and I got the call and I was like, no. I hit them on the shoulder and was like, ‘Bro, this can’t be.’ I was like, ‘No, no.’ Coughlin started talking and I was like, ‘Man, this is real.’ Everybody started going crazy. It was just a dream come true.

Q: Have you spoken to Ryan Nassib or to Justin Pugh about the Giants yet?

A: I haven’t. I look forward to talking to these guys, get to go to a team I’m familiar with the boys I know. I can’t wait.

Q: Obviously you’re a Giants fan, you know about the legacy here on the defensive line. What does it mean to now be a part of that?

A: That’s the thing. The defensive line, that’s why I love the Giants. The defensive line back with Osi and Strahan and it’s like, ‘Man, I grew up watching that.’ When they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl with the sacks they got and with the pressure, it’s just so exciting because I love to sack the quarterback and it’s like that’s what they do.

Q: You’re graduating tomorrow, have they given you any idea of when you’re going to be heading down here to the facility?

A: They told me that we start on Monday and I graduate tomorrow. I don’t know how soon I’ll be there; probably the latest will be Sunday. Then we get things going from there.

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4th Round – RB Andre Williams, 5’11”, 230lbs, 4.56, Boston College
Andre Williams, Boston College Eagles (November 23, 2013)

Andre Williams – © USA TODAY Sports Images

SCOUTING REPORT: Williams led the country in rushing in 2013 with 2,177 yards and 18 touchdowns, but he did not have one pass reception. Williams is a big, powerful, instinctive, north-south, downhill runner with decent speed. He is not terribly quick or elusive but he runs with good balance and body control. Williams breaks tackles and gains yards after contact. Williams has a tough, physical running style. He likes to punish opponents and is a good short-yardage back. Williams obviously needs to become more of a factor in the passing game but he reportedly caught the ball well at his Pro Day. Smart and competitive.

MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)

Andre Williams, running back, Boston College – well-known, big back, a lot of production, power runner, can bang inside and has speed to take it for big runs if he breaks into the secondary. A very good value for us, gives us some more depth at our running back position, creates a lot of competition. We’re still hoping that David Wilson comes back and is able to go, but again, we said out of the gate that we weren’t’ going to count on that until the doctors say that he can practice full-contact and he hasn’t been released to do that. We think he’s going to be there but we couldn’t pass up the value of a running back like this, of this caliber, at this point in the draft.

Q: Were you impressed with the way that Williams handled that workload at Boston College this year? That was a lot of carries but it seems like he came out…?

A: Yeah, he’s got a lot of carries under his belt and the thing about it, he comes through the line of scrimmage and 22 eyes are looking at him and he still rushes for 2,000 yards. We’re very impressed with that and, again, this is the kind of guy that if you want to pound the rock, this is the kind of guy you can pound the rock with. If you get up in a game and you’re trying to run the clock out in that four-minute drill at the end, this is the kind of guy that you can get the ball to over and over and over and he’ll get first downs for you.

Q: Is his blocking encouraging, too?

A: He’s not asked to block. He carries the ball most of the time but the few times you get to see him block, we think he can do that. Obviously he will have to learn technique and pass pro, those kinds of things, but he’s smart and tough so we think he could be a blocker.

Q: He hasn’t caught the ball much in his career, he said it wasn’t something he did much in high school or college. Is that something that you think he can do and just hasn’t had the opportunity or is it kind of raw there?

A: We think, we hope, he can develop and be able to catch. I don’t think we’re going to use him in that role. I’m not the coordinator, they’ll use him however they want to use him, but they really like his skill set. I think mostly he’ll be carrying the football instead of catching the football. All backs need to be able to catch the ball at some point in your offense. You’re right, he hasn’t caught a lot of balls but hopefully he’ll be able to do the few options they have for him as a receiver out of the backfield.

Q: I was going to ask pretty much the same kind of question about his pass catching ability?

A: If it’s a weak point, that’s what it is. They haven’t used him a lot as a receiver out of the backfield.

Q: You’re not going to put a running back on the field unless he can protect the quarterback.

A: Yeah, he has the size, he’s tough, he’s smart so we don’t think he’ll have any problems adjusting and picking up the blitzes and things like that. We expect him to be a guy who can come in and perform those duties.

Q: Any of the four today that dropped into your lap that you were a little surprised?

A: We’re a little bit surprised by the BC running back because he had so much production coming out. He’s a big back, we were a little bit surprised that he was there. He was kind of sticking out. Last night when we looked at the board before we left he was kind of sticking out there.

MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)

Andre Williams, I am sure you have seen or heard that this guy is a big, strong, downhill violent runner. He is going to break tackles and pound out yards. He is going to be physical.

Q: Were you surprised [Andre] Williams was there where he was in the 4th round?

A: A little bit. We were kind of worried he would get taken right before us in the fourth, especially when a couple backs got taken. And then seeing some teams up there that might have needed a back. With his skill set, we think it transfers well up here, and we thought somebody might take him there.

Q: Did you have a 2nd round grade on him?

A: We had a good grade on him. A real good grade. Second or third-ish kind of grade.

Q: In other years would [Andre Williams] be valued higher?

A: It is hard to say. Each year, there have been no first round backs the past two years. Why? I don’t know. Is it just that there aren’t any more great backs or they are getting devalued or is it both? Who knows? We will see what happens in two years, what the trend is and maybe they come back in value if teams start running the ball. You just never know.

Q: Do you think Andre Williams can play right away?

A: He can run the ball so we can just turn around and hand him the ball. He can do that. He has done that pretty well. Of course all these college guys have to learn to pass block. It is rare nowadays where a guy is ready-made to pass block. Throughout camp and pre-season… he is willing, he is a big body and the times he does [pass block] he likes to do it. He should transition to that fairly easily.

MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)

We had Andre Williams in a good spot and we were hoping that we would have a chance to draft him and it did work out. There are so many, they seem to go on runs. There was a run on running backs and he made it through that so he got to us. You’ve already recognized that five of these guys are captains, which is a good thing, weaving through the character, the leadership, the responsibility, the accountability weaving through this group is a good thing.

Q: In other years, I would think a Heisman Trophy finalist and the leading rusher in the country would not have been a fourth-round pick. The way that running backs are, does he look like a fourth-round pick to you?

A: No, not at all. Quite frankly, we had him in at least the second. Some guys had first-round grades on him. You kind of start to accept what is the common verbiage out there, we didn’t have a running back go in the first round. It looked like they were all going to bunch up there in the second round and there were good players, don’t get me wrong. But we had this young man graded high and we were fortunate to be able to get him.

Q: You said at the combine that you had to maintain your commitment to the run. How important is bringing in a guy like Andre to do that?

A: Very, very important. Along with what we currently have here, this is a big, powerful guy, basically a first and second down runner, can run the zone scheme. When you stop and think about what Boston College was able to accomplish this year, I don’t know how much tape you guys have seen, but they would come out sometimes in two or three tight ends, which would bring the entire defense down and actually have the offensive formation contained almost hash mark to hash mark in college football. And yet this kid still rushed for (2,100) plus yards. He’s able to break tackles, he’s fast enough that when he gets in the open he can go all the way. He’s demonstrated that. He runs outside, he runs inside, he’s run the counter game, the gap scheme stuff, the power and he breaks arm tackles, he runs through people, he’s strong, he’s not big, strong legs that allow him to drive through people and fall forward, which is another nice thing. Yes, that does give us a chance. I think that also makes our offensive linemen realize that… you wouldn’t take a guy like that unless you were committed to the run. We’ve got to get going up front again and be the dominating force up front, which can move the defense.

Q: Are you concerned at all that the kid had 355 carries?

A: It’s only one year. That gets talked about. But that was only the one year, I think he had 170 something maybe the year before. That gets discussed, there’s no doubt he’s taken a lot of hits but he’s dished out a lot of hits, too.

Q: With young running backs, you usually nurture them a little bit before you throw them in. The way I hear you talking about Williams, are you expecting him to come in and contribute right away?

A: I said last night or two nights ago that I expect everybody to contribute right away. This is not one of those deals. We need people to come in and play, that’s why we’ve done a good job of selecting them. If there are five captains here, then there is some maturity here. If there’s maturity here, hopefully they can make the adjustment. Sure, it’s new. Yeah, it’s different. Yes, it is a life-long dream. Yes, I have to get over that part of it. I’ve got to realize that it’s hard work, get back to it, but if that’s the case then we’ll have some guys that will be a little bit ahead of the curve.

MEDIA Q&A WITH ANDRE WILLIAMS:

Q: Thoughts on joining the Giants?

A: Honestly, I’m just elated right now. Honestly, the Giants are just the team from the beginning that I really resonated the most with. I had a great interview at the combine with coach Coughlin and everybody, the whole staff there. We really just had a good vibe flowing in the room. I just had a feeling from the moment that this would be the team that would end up picking me up. It’s right in an area that I’m really familiar with in the northeast, so I’m just glad that it worked out this way.

Q: Were you surprised that you didn’t go yesterday? A lot of people were saying that you were possibly a second or third round pick. What was it like waiting yesterday to today?

A: It’s not necessarily when I got picked up, it’s where I got picked up. Like I said, from the start I had a feeling it was going to be the Giants and it really ended up turning out that way. I’m really just glad that it turned out that way. Patience is a really valuable thing. It worked out the best possible way it could, no matter what round it ended up being. Whether it was after the fourth round had I came to the Giants, I would have been just as happy. The round doesn’t really bother me at all.

Q: What do you think it says about the value of running backs in the draft that you led the nation in rushing and were a Heisman finalist and there were 110 guys picked before you?

A: I think the running back position is such a versatile position in the league. The trend might be for them to go later on in the draft but I think they’re just as valuable to an offense. There’s no other position that’s called upon to protect the quarterback, convert downs in hard situations and control the clock. I think the running back is just as valuable as it was back in the day even though the trend is for running backs to go later on in the rounds.

Q:  I noticed you didn’t have any receptions last year, I guess, because of the increase in carries. Did you also do a lot of pass protection for the quarterback?

A: I did do a lot of pass protection last year and in years past. I’ve been through about five different offensive coordinators, different offenses I was called upon to do different things. This year I was just called upon to run the ball and we had a lot of success with that. I think I am solid in pass protection.

Q: You only caught 10 passes in your career, how much was it that you weren’t given the opportunity and how much did teams, when they worked you out, asked you about that and tested you on that?

A: Catching the ball has not been my strong point in my career. I wasn’t called upon to do it a lot in high school or in college just because I was such a great runner but it is something that I’ve continued to work on throughout the years and especially in the last offseason a lot. It’s something that I’m continuing to get better at.

Q: When you met with the Giants and had their interviews, did they give you any indication how they might use you if they picked you or what they expected of you?

A: I don’t think the interview really went that in depth.

Q: Do you compare yourself to any running backs? Did you have a running back that you looked up to growing up?

A: I don’t compare myself to any running backs but growing up I did really watch Adrian Peterson a lot. I drew a lot of inspiration from him in high school and in college. Marshawn Lynch as well.

Q: What do you think you bring to the team?

A: I think I’m going to bring consistency to a team, competitiveness on every down. When I get the ball I’m going to have the potential for a big play every time just because of my size and speed. I’m just going to be a great team player.

Q: You carried the ball 355 times last year; I guess that shows a lot about your durability. Did that take anything out of you? Or do you feel like you’ll be ready to perform here at this level with the same type of durability?

A: I did take a lot of carries this year but the last three years that I played before that I didn’t take nearly as many carries. I think it was good for me to take that many carries, to be so close to the professional level at that time, it was good to get that many carries and show that I could be durable, I could take a lot of carries. My body is built for it. I’m 230 pounds. It doesn’t really faze me to take that many carries. It was a lot of fun doing it this year.

Q: The thing that keeps rookie running backs off the field a lot is pass protection. That seems to be one of your strengths. Do you think you can come in and contribute right away?

A: Absolutely. I’m just going to come in this offseason and compete and work as hard as I can and push everyone around me and have everyone push me as well. If that translates for me getting on the field early, then I’m welcome to that idea.

Q: Have you already worked on plans of getting down here, when you’re going to be down? Do you expect to be able to jump right into the program?

A: I’m really excited. I’m really excited to jump into the program. It’s funny because I’m at my house right now, everybody is looking at this moment as the biggest moment in my career, but really I’m more focused on what’s coming after because I know that the work starts here. I’m just really excited to get up there and meet everybody and get into the program and have some stability in my life over the next four years and however long my career with the Giants will last, just ingrain myself in the program.

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5th Round – S Nat Berhe, 5’10”, 195lbs, 4.56, San Diego State
Nat Berhe, San Diego State Aztecs (December 20, 2012)

Nat Berhe – © USA TODAY Sports Images

SCOUTING REPORT: Berhe was a 4-year starter at San Diego State where he played a hybrid safety/linebacker position. He projects to safety or slot corner in the pros. Berhe lacks ideal size and speed, but he is an instinctive, tough, aggressive, productive defender who plays hard all of the time. Berhe is a fluid athlete. He flies around the field and plays faster than he times. Berhe hits hard and makes a ton of tackles. He does not make many plays on the football in the air. A team leader, Berhe is a very competitive, smart, and confident player who loves the game. He should do well on special teams.

MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)

Berhe is a safety from San Diego State. This guy is really productive, a tackling machine, a little bit undersized but you just can’t deny how this guy is a football player. We use the term ‘football player;’ this guy is one of those guys, a football player. He’s all over the place; he’ll play on all of your special teams. You expect guys like Andre Williams to play on special teams as well. Very productive, a really good football player.

Q: In past years we’ve seen you guys taking kind of some height, weight, speed guys like Cooper Taylor and Jacquian Williams. It seemed like this year a guy like Berhe is a little bit undersized.

A: He’s the only guy that’s not a height, weight, speed guy. He’s the only one.

Q: Like Andre Williams, he’s a height, weight, speed guy?

A: Absolutely.

Q: Where do you see Berhe kind of fitting in and playing? Free safety, strong safety, in the nickel, corner?

A: Wherever Perry Fewell wants to use him. Obviously, again, he’s one of those kids that’s a football player. He gets his uniform by playing on special teams first and I think he can back up and spot play at either one of the safety spots. How they used him at San Diego State, they used him close to the line of scrimmage.

Q: It seemed like he had a lot to do with calling the defense there at San Diego State?

A: Yeah, he’s smart, he’s a good leader. He’s kind of the patrol back there.

MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)

[Nat Berhe] is a football player. This guy is a team captain. He plays a hybrid role as a safety, corner and linebacker role where he is all over the place. Different defenses call it something different, but this guy knows multiple positions and again it is a guy that plays hard and has a high motor. He is very instinctive and physical for a small guy, but that is his trait. He is very physical.

Q: How does the Aztec position that Nat Berhe plays, how does that transition to how you would use him here?

A: Well, you can compare it to the third safety role, that Deon Grant role as we’ve called it. That would be the most natural fit. This is what [Berhe] did and this is what that role was. Whatever Perry [Fewell] wants to do, if he wants to play him high, if he wants to play him at wherever, it is up to them. We like that he is just a player.

Q: Is the [Aztec] position becoming more of an actual position that players are specializing in?

A: Yes, I think so. You are seeing more hybrid positions at all positions. With the nature of these offenses, the spread offenses, you are seeing defensive ends who are smaller and are linebacker size, and linebackers who are smaller, more DB size, and safeties and corners that are interchangeable because of the nature of being spread out. It is basketball-on-grass kind of deal that is going on now.

MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)

The safety is an all-around football player that we think can come in and right away be a backup and help us on special teams. He is a throw-your-body-around kind of guy, really sharp, loves football, the whole deal. He was a guy that stood out on the board and would be used in that capacity.

MEDIA Q&A WITH NAT BERHE:

Q: What are your immediate thoughts on coming to the Giants? Did you have much interaction with them throughout the process?

A: Not really. I got a phone call from them a week ago. They asked for my phone number. They wanted to make sure it was the right phone number to reach me on draft day. I knew they needed safeties, but that was about it.

Q: What would you say your greatest quality is to come in here and have a chance to contribute?

A: My instincts. I have great eyes. You watch my film, and I am able to dissect plays and get to the ball. I led the team in tackles two years in a row. Getting to the ball and being very disruptive on the defensive side of the ball are what I do really well.

Q: Are you more of a strong safety? A free safety? Can you play both?

A: I can play both. At San Diego State, I played the Aztec position. The Aztec position plays linebacker and blitzes off the edge. I played a little bit of free safety and kind of did it all. I am very comfortable playing either role.

Q: What’s the Aztec position? Give us a little background on that and how it is different from a natural safety or a natural linebacker?

A: The Aztec position used to be called the Lobo, and was played by Brian Urlacher at New Mexico. His coaching staff came over to San Diego State and we implemented it there, and called it the Aztec. It basically is a hybrid linebacker/safety. It can be used in different ways, such as blitzing off the edge or being brought down in the box as an extra linebacker. He can play deep pass or safety or line up in the slot and play guys man-to-man. The position makes a lot of the adjustments on defense as well. He has to be a smart guy.

Q: What have teams told you about where you will play, how you kind of transition to the pro level position wise? Do they view you as a free safety or a strong safety?

A: I’ve heard multiple things. I’ve heard strong safety. I’ve heard nickel. I’ve heard free safety. I have heard it all, honestly.

Q: Your bio said you had a lot of experience on special teams. Was that by design? Was that something that you wanted to do?

A: I think that was by design. At my school I played a lot of special teams in my freshman and sophomore years. My junior and senior years not so much. I think that is just how the coaches wanted it to be done. I played almost every snap both years. It was kind of a thing that just happened.

Q: What were your expectations here in the draft? What were you being told about where you thought you would be going?

A: You hear multiple things from different teams. I heard from the Steelers that if I was available in the third round they would get me in the third or the fourth. I heard fourth of fifth. It was all in the same area. I mostly heard fourth or fifth.

Q: I saw some of your tweets right after you got picked; it seemed like you had a bit of a chip on your shoulder. Do you play like that?

A: Absolutely, if you look at my film, I try to be the biggest and baddest dude out there every time. It is just the way I play. It was the way I was taught to play. I just play with a lot of emotion and anger and I try to take people’s heads off, it’s what I do. I think that is how the safety position is supposed to be played.

Q: Obviously you’re not the biggest guy in the world, do you compensate for your lack of size with aggression and intensity?

A: When you talk about my size, what are you exactly talking about? If you look at some of the guys out there, like Earl Thomas, he’s 5-10. Devin McCourtney is 5-11. If you look at some of the safeties that are starting in the NFL, they are 5-10 or 5-11. I have actually put on weight. I now weigh 200-201 [pounds].

Q: Is that weight where you’d like to play at or do you want to put on even more weight than that?

A: During the season I played at 202 [pounds]. I mean it just varies on what the coaching staff wants me to do.

Q: Were you a team captain at San Diego State?

A: Yes, sir.

Q: What does that mean do you think? What does it show teams when you’re a team captain?

A: It shows them that you are a leader. You are a guy willing to stay after and get extra reps in, whether it is in the film room or the weight room. To be a great leader, what I have found out is that you have to be willing to serve. I did stuff like setting up team barbeques and paying with my own money. You have to be willing to get the guys together and willing to give your time.

Q: Do you already have your travel plans? When you’re planning on heading here?

A: Yes, I am going to make sure I have everything correct. [The Giants] said they are going to fly me out tomorrow. I will get there and then Monday I will start working out with the team. I will double-check that and make sure.

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5th Round – LB Devon Kennard, 6’3”, 249lbs, 4.69, USC
Devon Kennard, USC (September 21, 2013)

Devon Kennard – © USA TODAY Sports Images

SCOUTING REPORT: Kennard is is DE/LB ‘tweener who played 4-3 defensive end, strongside linebacker, and middle linebacker, as well as 3-4 outside linebacker at USC. He has good size and strength for a linebacker, but lacks ideal overall athleticism for the position. Kennard has long arms, good strength, and plays with leverage. He tackles well and is not bad in coverage. He has been injury prone with significant injuries to his knee (ACL), thumb, hip, and chest in his career, all requiring surgery. Team captain and highest GPA on team at USC.

MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)

Kennard, the linebacker from USC, we feel like he’s a versatile player. He’s a nine-sack guy, led the team in sacks. He played middle linebacker at one point for them and then they moved him outside with the coaching change so we think he can play all three positions for us. He can be a rusher, a situational pass rusher for us and obviously play on all of the special teams. A hard-nosed football player. A bunch of these guys, again, are captains as well. Captains, clean guys.

MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)

[Devon] Kennard has great blood lines. He is another guy that is physical and tough. He has played outside backer in the 3-4. He’s played middle backer in a 4-3 under a couple different defensive coordinators. We had him in here on a visit. This guy is one of the sharpest guys that we have had in terms of football knowledge. Another captain. Face of the program. Leader of the team.

Q: With Devon [Kennard] how much does his experience at defensive end kind of help him move back to outside linebacker and was that a factor in selecting him?

A: Sure, you always like versatile players, and just the fact that he was able to do that and transition to those positions easily each year shows you his football sense and IQ and that was one of the most intriguing things when we had him here was his ability to communicate about all positions up on the front. It was very impressive. Hopefully going forward when we get him here, he is a guy that in the middle of a game, middle of a week, whatever, we can say go here, go here, go there and he will be able to do it very easily.

Q: Is that what you see [Devon] Kennard as, a hybrid type of guy?

A: He can rush the passer from the edge and he has been in the middle so we are going to throw him in there and see if he can play middle backer, outside backer, SAM and put his hand down sometimes, too. It is up to Perry [Fewell] how he wants to use him, but he has done all three and we feel like he definitely right away can be thrown in at middle [linebacker] and then go from there.

MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)

Kennard, we had a guy that when he came and visited with us he made a great impression. He’s played multiple positions. He’s a tough, hard-nosed football player. He was great on the board, he did an excellent job of that. He really convinced the coaches that he was a really sharp football player, a multiple position guy, a guy that would come in here and play the linebacker position for us, which is what he’ll do. So we’re excited about that.

MEDIA Q&A WITH DEVON KENNARD:

Q: Did you have any high expectations coming into the draft and where you might fall? What is your reaction about coming to the Giants?

A: I didn’t really come into the draft with any high expectations, I just wanted an opportunity; the earlier, the better, of course. I just wanted to go to a good fit and a great opportunity. That’s what the Giants have given me. I couldn’t be happier. I had a great visit when I visited them and I really connected with the coaching staff. I’m very excited to go contribute and help win.

Q: What was the motivation behind your move from defensive end to outside linebacker? Do you prefer playing in either spot? Do you think you’re a better fit in either spot?

A: I definitely feel like I have the ability to do both, but I feel very comfortable at the outside linebacker spot. Being able to drop into coverage and blitz at times and do different things like that is something that I feel very comfortable with and it provides me more versatility. I think I’m a smart player, so I feel like I could bring something on that aspect to the Giants organization.

Q: What kind of defensive front have you played in your college career, a 3-4 or 4-3?

A: I played in both, but for the majority of my career it was a 4-3, and I played a lot of different positions. I came in as a defensive end and then I played SAM linebacker in a 4-3 and then defensive end in a 4-3, middle linebacker in a 4-3 and then this past season I played outside linebacker in a 3-4. I feel very well-versed doing a lot of different things.

Q: What kind of feedback did you get back from teams that run a 4-3 a a position for you?

A: Pretty much every team, including the Giants, saw me as a SAM, a SAM in a 3-4 or a 4-3 team. That’s what I definitely feel most comfortable with, that’s what I feel like my athleticism and versatility allow me to do. I think it’s a very good fit for me.

Q: When did you come in for a visit and who did you meet with? What was that like?

A: It was a couple weeks ago. I came in, got to meet the whole coaching staff, the head coach, the GM, everybody, the linebackers coach and it was a great experience. We had some great conversations and I got to show them my football knowledge. I feel like, with all of the different things I’ve done in college, I really have a good understanding of football and defenses and understanding concepts. I was able to kind of really express that message in some of the meetings.

Q: Where else did you visit, and when you left here, did you feel it was a strong possibility?

A: I definitely felt like the conversations were great. Everyone kind of keeps what they do in the draft close to their vests so it was hard to tell but I knew the conversations went great and I felt like I had a great relationship with the linebackers coach and the coordinator and the head coach. I think I left them with a good impression, too. When my name came across I definitely wasn’t surprised it was them, but I was very grateful.

Q: You had some injuries throughout your career. Did you sense teams were taking an extra look at you because of that and did you need to prove anything to them health-wise?

A: I’ve had a few injuries, like you said, but they were all unfortunate deals. If you play this game long enough, you’re going to get a few injuries. I think it’s more important to look at how I responded to all of those injuries. I’ve had a couple of injuries and I’ve only missed one college season and it was because I tore my pec right before the season. All of the other injuries, I came back and played from right away. If you go and talk to anyone at USC, they’ll tell you about my work ethic and the kind of person and the kind of character and intensity I bring every day. I think those are the things you really have to look at.

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6th Round – CB Bennett Jackson, 6’0”, 195lbs, 4.48, Notre Dame
Bennett Jackson, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (October 26, 2013)

Bennett Jackson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

SCOUTING REPORT: Jackson converted to cornerback from wide receiver at Notre Dame and could project to safety. He has good size and decent speed for a corner, but may lack ideal quickness for the position. His overall instincts have been questioned, but Jackson seems to make a lot of plays. He is a good hitter and tackler. Team captain at Notre Dame and a good special teams player.

MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)

Jackson, cornerback from Notre Dame. Formerly a wide receiver, played a couple years at corner. We think he has some upside, has some intangibles that we like – height, weight, speed. I think we could hit on a guy like this. Again, he’s our kind of guy, he’s a captain, a leader, going to play on all of your special teams while he’s developing into a corner.

MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)

Bennett Jackson: Another captain, size, speed corner who is still kind of developing into his position. He is a former wide receiver. We think he has a lot of upside, one of these guys late in the draft. These big corners that have been taken that can run and you work with, you hit on. making their way on teams for a couple years and then you got a player.

MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)

Bennett Jackson is also a captain who is a guy who had played the wide receiver position, he’s a defensive corner and will help us on special teams. He’s long, he’s very fast, he’s played at the highest level of competition so we’re very pleased with that.

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Rookie Free Agent Scouting Reports

TE Xavier Grimble, 6’4”, 257lbs, 4.75, USC (Video)
Grimble has good size and size potential. While Grimble is not overly quick, he is agile and has deceptive speed. As a receiver, he is a solid short-to-intermediate threat with good hands and run-after-the-catch ability. He is more of a position blocker who can struggle to get movement, but he does work at it.

OT Adam Gress, 6’7”, 300lbs, 5.43, Penn State
The Giants signed Gress in August 2014. Gress tried out with the Steelers in May after the 2014 NFL Draft but was not signed. Gress has good size but lacks athleticism.

DE Kerry Wynn, 6’5”, 266lbs, 4.87, Richmond
Wynn has a nice combination of size, strength, and overall athletic ability. He needs to play with better leverage to make it at the next level as he is too easily blocked. Team captain. In 2013, Wynn started all 10 games in which he played and finished with 56 tackles, 5.5 tackles for losses, and 2.5 sacks.

DE Emmanuel Dieke, 6’6”, 261lbs, 4.81, Georgia Tech
Dieke has a nice size combination of size and overall athleticism.

DE Jordan Stanton, 6’4”, 262lbs, 4.94, James Madison (Video)
Stanton earned All-Colonial Athletic Association accolades for recording 56 tackles, 11.5 for loss, 8 sacks in 2013.

Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina Gamecocks (January 1, 2014)

Kelcy Quarles – © USA TODAY Sports Images

DT Kelcy Quarles, 6’4”, 297lbs, 5.03, South Carolina (Video)
Quarles was a junior entry who was a 2+ year starter at South Carolina. He lacks ideal size but he has long arms and fine initial quickness and some power to his game. Quarles plays hard and hustles. He makes noise as an interior pass rusher. When he plays with leverage, Quarles flashes against the run. However, at times he far too easily blocked and needs to improve in that area in order to make it. Named first-team All-Southeastern Conference.

DT Eathyn Manumaleuna, 6’2”, 296lbs, 5.16, BYU (Video)
Manumaleuna was an extremely versatile 4-year starter at BYU as he played nose tackle and defensive end in the 3-4 and defensive tackle in the 4-3. Manumaleuna lacks ideal size but he is strong, quick, and athletic. He is stout at the point-of-attack and sheds blockers well. Manumaleuna is more of a run stuffer than pass rusher. Competitive.

LB Dan Fox, 6’3”, 233lbs, 4.70, Notre Dame
Fox has decent size, but he lacks ideal overall athleticism for the position. Fox is a smart, tough player who directed Notre Dame’s defense. However, he did not make many impact plays.

LB Justin Anderson, 6’2”, 235lbs, 4.70, Louisiana-Lafayette
Anderson lacks ideal size, but he is deceptively athletic. Anderson was a very instinctive, productive tackler in college from the middle linebacker position. In 2013, he led his team with 131 tackles.  Named first-team All-Sun Belt.

S Thomas Gordon, 5’10”, 213lbs, 4.50, Michigan
Gordon lacks ideal height, but he is well-built and a decent athlete. He is a good run defender who hits and tackles well. He started 38 games at Michigan.

S C.J. Barnett, 6’0”, 204lbs, 4.59, Ohio State (Video)
Barnett lacks ideal size and athleticism. He is an aggressive, instinctive player. Barnett is a team leader who is very competitive and smart. He started 37 games at Ohio State.

S Kyle Sebetic, 5’11”, 194lbs, 4.53, Dayton (Video)
The Giants signed Kyle Sebetic as an undrafted rookie free agent in June 2014. He tried out with the Giants and Chicago Bears in May after the draft but was not signed. Sebetic played cornerback at the University of Dayton, where he started 11 games his senior season and accrued 63 tackles and one interception. Sebetic may project to safety at the pro level. He is a bit of cornerback/safety ‘tweener as he lacks ideal size for safety and ideal speed for cornerback. He is a good hitter and tackler. Smart.

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Eric’s Take on the 2014 Draft

The New York Giants are not reloading; they are rebuilding. And while this rebuilding project does not reach down to the foundational level (head coach and quarterback), the offensive coaching staff was almost completely revamped (three new coaches, two re-assigned); core players have retired or been allowed to leave via free agency; an unprecedented 16 players were added in veteran free agency; and an additional 18 players have been added since the draft started.

Despite all of these roster additions, the New York Giants were not able to address every need in the 2014 NFL Draft. Team leadership was surprisingly candid about this immediately after the draft.

“In personnel, sometimes you can’t get everything,” said General Manager Jerry Reese. “You can’t just waive a magic wand.”

“You get seven picks, and you can’t take everything you need,” said Marc Ross. “You can’t have first round picks at every pick that you want and things that you think you need.”

How does a team that has added 34 players in the past three months still have significant holes? Because for a variety of reasons, too many picks in the last six NFL Drafts have not worked out and are no longer with the team. Hence the need for a major rebuilding project.

So before we look at what the Giants accomplished, let’s look at what they did not accomplish.

Ideally, the Giants would have liked to have added premium draft picks at the offensive tackle, tight end, defensive end, and linebacker positions. But as Reese and Ross said, you can’t do everything you want in one draft when you have so many needs.

Tight end has gotten more attention from fans, but the Giants have a glaring question mark at tackle. Will Beatty is coming off of a bad season and a significant injury that will hamper his preparation for the 2014 season. If he isn’t ready or struggles again, the passing and running games will suffer. Charles Brown, a former 2nd round pick of the Saints who was brought in for depth and insurance, struggled in New Orleans with inconsistent pass protection and penalties. The Giants could shift Justin Pugh to left tackle, but then who plays right tackle? Geoff Schwartz? Even he admits he is a better guard. James Brewer? He hasn’t taken the bull by the horns since drafted in 2011. Brandon Mosley or Stephen Goodin? Still relative unknowns.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin was surprisingly honest about his desire to add a tight end in the draft. “It has to work out for you and all of a sudden, bang, a couple guys were gone in that 2nd round and you say, ‘Wait a minute, how deep is that position and then who?’ Two of them (who we liked) are (drafted by other teams),” said Coughlin. “Yeah it’s a concern.”

So the Giants will have to hope that one of the following step up: journeymen Daniel Fells or Kellen Davis, or the talented but so far disappointing Adrien Robinson or Larry Donnell. I still would not write off the possibility of signing free agent Jermichael Finley if he can pass a physical.

On paper, the strength of the Giants defense seems to have shifted from the defensive line to the secondary. If true, I can’t recall at time when that was ever the case. Now the Giants must pray that Jason Pierre-Paul regains his 2011 form after two bad seasons. They must also pray that Damontre Moore develops into a quality pass rusher. Mathias Kiwanuka and Robert Ayers are not bad players, but they don’t scare anyone. Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck are just memories now. In 2014, the Giants may struggle to rush the passer.

Jerry Reese learned a valuable lesson in 2013: a good linebacker can dramatically improve the entire defense. Jon Beason proved to be an impact addition, not just because of his play, but perhaps more importantly due to his leadership. But Beason has had some significant injuries and the Giants still lack big-time playmakers at the outside positions. In a perfect world, the Giants would have added a top linebacking prospect. Jameel McClain may help, but he was just a guy in Baltimore. The Giants can get by with what they have (Spencer Paysinger, Jacquian Williams), but there is little depth and no special players.

OK, so let’s look at what the Giants did accomplish in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Adding an impact wide receiver was critical and the Giants appear to have done just that with the selection of Odell Beckham, Jr. in the 1st round. Last season, teams simply took Victor Cruz out of the game and dared the other receivers and tight ends to hurt them. They couldn’t. If Beckham develops into the player as hoped, the Giants will have the outside threat they have lacked since Week 2 of the 2012 NFL season when Hakeem Nicks became a shadow of himself. Beckham has it all except height. Since Eli Manning tends to throw the ball high, additional height would help but Beckham is very quick and fast, runs great routes, can make circus catches, and perhaps most significantly in the new Giants offense, is a tremendous run-after-the-catch receiver. Eli Manning has worked with Beckham in passing camps and fully endorses the selection. Unusually, there already seems to be chemistry there. Most encouraging is that there are reports that at least a half-dozen teams were trying to trade up to snag Beckham. He was picked right where the rest of the NFL seems to have expected him to go. Now if Rueben Randle could just develop, the Giants will be in very good shape at wide receiver.

In round two, most fans thought the Giants would draft an offensive tackle or tight end. But many were also thinking guard or center and the Giants arguably picked the best center in the draft with the selection of Weston Richburg. Richburg lacks ideal size, but most NFL centers are in the same size range (6’3”, 300lbs). He has everything else – strength, agility, quickness, smarts, work ethic, leadership qualities. Temperament wise, he has been compared favorably to Richie Seubert. J.D. Walton may start, but Richburg has the look of a 10-year starter. The Giants may even consider moving Richburg or Walton temporarily to guard if necessary. Richburg was expected to be drafted in this area of the draft and the only criticism that can be leveled here is that he was a “luxury” pick given the needs at tight end and tackle.

Fans debated before the draft how big a need was the defensive tackle position, especially given the free agent departure of Linval Joseph. Some said it was a big need. Others said they were relatively comfortable with the players behind Cullen Jenkins and Joseph’s replacement, Johnathan Hankins. But with the selection of Jay Bromley in the 3rd round, the Giants made it clear they wanted to add another quality prospect to compete with Mike Patterson and Markus Kuhn, as well as groom behind the 33-year old Jenkins. Bromley is the most controversial selection by the Giants. Most “draft experts,” and even Bromley’s agent, expected him to be drafted in rounds 4-6. Fans such as myself who have watched YouTube clips of him (always a dubious exercise) have come away with mixed evaluations. Some see a prospect who struggles at the point-of-attack while others have seen a guy who can penetrate and disrupt. Regardless, how Bromley develops or doesn’t develop will be a big factor in how this draft is evaluated years from now. To be brutally frank, the Giants have really struggled with their 3rd round selections (Jayron Hosley, Jerrel Jernigan, Ramses Barden, Travis Beckum, Gerris Wilkinson) not to mention bad luck with others (Chad Jones and Jay Alford). What we do know about Bromley is he is a guy who is easy to root for (see this outstanding New York Daily News article), he’s a New Yorker who grew up a Giants fan, and he does have good quickness and tenacity for the position. In addition, Bromley was a team captain at Syracuse. The Giants feel he can get bigger and stronger without affecting quickness. Jerry Reese went so far as to compare him to a shorter version of Chris Canty. In my personal view, ultimately, for Bromley to work out, he has to play far more stout at the point-of-attack then I saw on the limited YouTube video that I watched.

There was an intriguing post from BigBlueInteractive.com contributor Ross. Through the grapevine, he heard the following from a former employee of the Philadelphia Eagles:

Each year, teams think they found a few guys that are off the radar and can get them later in the draft for various reasons: injury, small schools, overshadowed etc. This year, one of those guys was Bromley. He said there was a buzz about him in recent weeks and thought he would get drafted earlier that the so called draft experts projected. He’s a “sleeper” and thought many teams wanted him. He said that he is the type of guy that no one talks about as so many teams are interested and they hope he slips. He said no one will work harder than him and Giants got a really good player. Said he was a sure 3rd round pick in his mind and also used the Chris Canty comparison as player type. Thought the Steelers or Bears would grab him in the 3rd which means that he didn’t think it was a reach at all.

As disappointed as many fans were with the “reach” of Bromley, they were equally excited about the Giants drafting RB Andre Williams, the nation’s leading rusher and Heisman Trophy candidate, in the 4th round. Name recognition goes a long way in making the average fan happy around draft time. That said, Williams looks like a very good value selection. A little oddly, running back was not perceived as big need by most Giants fans. This probably had to do more with talent issues at other positions than the true state of affairs, especially given David Wilson’s unsure status. In addition, while I’m a fan of Rashad Jennings, it’s still unknown if he can be the “bell cow” at running back. Williams is a throwback. He’s a big, powerful, bruising running back who seems more out-of-style in today’s pass-happy game. The biggest knock on Williams is his hands. He did not have a single reception in 2013 at Boston College. He also needs to hold onto the ball better (10 fumbles in three seasons). The Jennings-Williams duo gives the Giants backfield an entirely different feel. This is a sledgehammer combination that can wear down a defense if – and this is big “if” – the Giants can block for them up front.

Nat Berhe, the first of the Giants two 5th rounders, is an undersized heat-seeking missile who loves the physical side of the game. He is a big hitter and aggressive tackler. He also is another smart guy and former team captain. At worst, he should excel on special teams. At best, he could become the new in-the-box safety/linebacker in Perry Fewell’s three-safety package. “Well, you can compare it to the third safety role, that Deon Grant role as we’ve called it,” said Marc Ross. “That would be the most natural fit. This is what (Berhe) did and this is what that role was (in college).” The biggest knock on Berhe, other than his size, is that does not make many plays on the football in the air (five interceptions in three seasons).

The second 5th rounder, Devon Kennard, is one of those DE/LB ‘tweeners who the Giants have liked to draft in recent years, but who may not be a good fit for a 4-3 defense. Kennard is big, physical, smart, a team leader, and flashes as a pass rusher. But what we don’t know is if he has the quickness, agility, and speed to play linebacker at the pro level against pass-happy NFL offenses. I envision him as the equivalent to Mathias Kiwanuka (when he played at weakside linebacker), but the Giants have talked about him possibly being a candidate at middle linebacker. I question if he has the overall athleticism for that move. Some had projected Kennard to be drafted much earlier than the 5th round so this at least appears to be a good value selection.

The Giants final pick – CB Bennett Jackson in the 6th round – is also a good value pick. He was projected by some to go higher than this as well. Jackson is a former wide receiver who was converted to corner for the last two years of school at Notre Dame. Another team captain, he was limited his senior season by a shoulder injury. He is size-speed project with good intangibles but he faces stiff competition and numbers at the corner position on this roster. His best immediate prospect may be the Practice Squad unless he kicks ass on special teams in the preseason.

As for the 10 rookie free agents signed after the draft, the three most intriguing are TE Xavier Grimble, DT Kelcy Quarles, and DT Eathyn Manumaleuna. Safeties C.J. Barnett and Thomas Gordon also started a ton of games in the Big 10. Even had the Giants not had a huge need at tight end, Grimble would be an interesting signing. He has a nice combination of size, overall athleticism, and hands. His productivity at USC was hampered by injures and Lane Kiffin’s offense. He could surprise. Quarles was expected by some to be drafted as high as the 2nd-3rd round, but some have questioned his maturity and character. Manumaleuna may lack ideal size and athleticism, but he’s a disruptive football player who can play the run. The Giants also loaded up on defensive ends (Kerry Wynn, Emmanuel Dieke, and Jordan Stanton) and linebackers (Dan Fox and Justin Anderson), hoping one may be a diamond in the rough. Interestingly, 9-out-of-10 of the rookie free agent signings were on the defensive side of the football. None were on the offensive line.

Overall, this appears to be a respectable group. The Giants look like they have future starters in Beckham, Richburg, and Williams. Much depends on Bromley. Did the Giants reach again in the 3rd round or find a gem? The Giants will have to wait until 2015 to address their other needs at offensive tackle (unless Beatty rebounds), tight end (unless someone surprises), defensive end (unless Damontre Moore turns into a stud), and linebacker. The rebuilding project continues.

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