If healthy, the left side of the line should be solid, but health is a huge concern. Left tackle Luke Petitgout missed playing time with a back injury and left guard Rich Seubert suffered a multiple fracture to his right leg, which cost him most of the season. Seubert may not be ready for the start of the regular season, and the Giants have prepared as if he will not be available by signing free agent Barry Stokes.
Defensive Line
Michael Strahan is getting a little long in the tooth, but he still managed 18.5 sacks in 2004 and he’s still the cornerstone of this defensive line which features three new starters this year. Osi Umenyiora will line up opposite Strahan and will most likely rotate with free agent acquisition Lorenzo Bromell, but neither looks to me to be an every-down player.
Defensive tackles Cornelius Griffin and Keith Hamilton were lost in the off-season, which thrust Fred Robbins and William Joseph into the starting slots. Joseph has a ton of potential as a one-gap defender, but he had an extremely disappointing rookie season and he is still recovering from a torn pectoral muscle. And Robbins is more of a two-down type player so I would expect him to be used in a rotation with Norman Hand and Glen Steele.
Linebackers
Several questions surround the Giants linebacking corps. SLB Carlos Emmons is one of the better strong-side linebackers in the league, and as long as he shows no ill effects from the broken leg that ended his season in week 16 last year, he should be the strength of this unit. His addition alone should immediately improve what was a horrible run defense in ’03.
The problems come into play on the weak side and in the middle. WLB Barrett Green is unproven, but does have potential. If he continues to improve as he did last year, he could be an adequate replacement. Nick Griesen, however, looks like a liability to me in the middle. There are serious durability issues and at this point, he appears suited for a backup role at best.
Secondary
The secondary is probably the strength of the defense with two very solid corners in William Peterson and Will Allen, and the addition of Terry Cousin gives them a solid No. 3 to cover the slot in nickel situations. Peterson does have durability concerns, but he has the size and strength to be the type of press cover corner that should excel in new defensive coordinator Tim Lewis’ cover schemes.
Frank Walker will probably man the dime corner duties, with a training camp battle deciding the fifth slot.
Shaun Williams is a solid strong safety who will be asked to take a bigger role in the run defense this year, often lining up closer to the line of scrimmage, which should play into his strengths. He is a hard hitter across the middle and very tough against the run. I look for him to have a huge year for the Giants.
Free safety is a bit of a concern with Omar Stoutmire returning as the starter. He doesn’t posses the size and speed teams like in a free safety, but what he lacks in athletic ability, he makes up for by playing smart. He is rarely out of position and he doesn’t miss tackles.
Brent Alexander will man the third safety slot, but he is on the downside of his career. Jason Doering, Jack Brewer, and rookie fifth-round draft pick Gibril Wilson will battle for the fourth spot.
Overall
The Giants appear to be in the rebuilding stages with new head coach Tom Coughlin, and with a rejuvenated Warner sparking the offense, this team could be a surprise in the NFC East. However, I think inconsistencies along the offensive line will not give Warner the time he needs to fully rebound and we will see more of the same QB that we saw the last two years in St. Louis.
I look for Warner to continue to struggle with turnovers and with simply staying on the field. Clearly he hasn’t been the same player, mentally or physically, that he was in his MVP seasons, and without excellent protection and a bevy of receivers capable of stretching defensive secondaries, it’s not likely he will return to MVP form anytime soon.
I’m also concerned with the front seven on defense where six of the seven starters are new. Of particular concern is their strength up the middle with two new starting defensive tackles and a middle linebacker with questionable abilities.
Best case scenario, the Giants could pull out a .500 season. More realistically, they are probably somewhere in the 5-7 win range.
