Diagnosing the problems in New York: How the G-men have never recovered from Miami
As we all know, there was an infamous picture taken in Miami where OBJ, Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard along with some of their teammates and for some reason Trey Songz was posing on a boat. This was in January 2017, the Giants under the guide of Head Coach Ben McAdoo finished their season at 11-5. Some of the players eloped to Miami for some much needed R&R before their playoff game at Lambeau Field. The Giants haven’t had more that seven wins in a season since.
In the playoffs, the Giants lost horribly to the Packers 13-38 ending their season. McAdoo was fired a year later along with the entire front office staff.
Fast forward to today. Dave Gettleman, the man who built the Panthers into Super Bowl contenders has announced his retirement from football. His four years in charge as GM can be summed up in one word, dysfunctional. Two head coaches, four losing seasons and a franchise in cap hell doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Gettleman feeling the heat handed out massive contracts in the offseason to free agents Kenny Golliday and Adoree’ Jackson. Golliday has 0 touchdowns and Jackson has 1 interception. However Gettleman is not the only one to blame, Head Coach Joe Judge has been a liability at best. There was rumors of turmoil in the offseason due to Judge’s harsh and brash style, made clear by the sudden retirement of Joe Looney after Judge punished the team with sprints. Judge is a throwback, the wannabe Bill Parcells but this is a different era of football and Judge doesn’t seem able to accept that. Made clear by the addition of Jason Garrett to a highly questionable coaching staff which included fired Browns HC Freddie Kitchens and ousted Tennessee Vols HC Jeremy Pruitt (who was caught in a recruiting scandal). Garrett is an old school mind who couldn’t find offensive success in Dallas unless he had the best players on his side of the field. Yet that is who Judge decided was best to re-ignite a suffering offense with a turnover prone Quarterback and the worst offensive line in the league.
However the blame does not fall solely on Judge either. It falls on John Mara. Mr. Mara who is the idiotic owner of the New York Giants is a product of his environment. A silver spoon child where the term struggle was only found in a dictionary. He has never faced financial hardship or career hardship. His life was handed to him and more the power to him for having such luck. I am not mad at Mara for benefitting from the work of his ancestors, what irritates me is that he thinks like his ancestors. His mind is not in 2022, it’s in 1980. Lawrence Taylor isn’t coming back, Henry Carson isn’t coming back. You got lucky with Coughlin’s two Super Bowl rings, brought forth by players you had nothing to do with. Mara who was the leading force behind the NFL’s new taunting rule has tried to replicate the good ole days on a number of occasions and because it barely worked once, he believes it must work again. Spoiler, it won’t. Dave Gettleman drafted and signed a phenomenal defense in Carolina but the offense was just Cam Newton. Gettleman’s career was defined because Newton went supernova in 2015. By the way, Gettleman didn’t draft Newton and knowing his history, probably would’ve went with Jake Locker.
Now the Giants are in a tough position. It will take years to rebuild and its not getting better considering Joe Judge is coming back for another season. Here’s what I would do.
In order to save money, some players have to go. Daniel Jones, Saquan Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Nate Soldier, Logan Ryan, Jabrill Peppers and Darius Slayton have to go. Either due to money or poor play, the Giants need to get out of cap hell. Kadarius Toney is a weapon which needs to be built around and Kenny Golliday ain’t going anywhere soon. I’m bringing in Marcus Mariota as my bridge QB with Mitch Trubisky to back him up in case he gets hurt. Both mobile and have nice arms.
In the draft, I’m looking to take Tyler Linderbaum (center) from Iowa and Kyle Hamilton (Safety) from Norte Dame with my two first round picks. I also like Khalil Shakir (WR) from Boise St and Sam Howell (QB) from North Carolina as day two picks.
In FA, there’s a lot of things you could do but to me, it’s essential to reinforce that offensive line.
I’m firing Joe Judge, bringing in Brian Flores as head coach and letting him get to work. Yes Flores is a hardass and comes from the Belichick coaching tree but he has the respect of his players and created a phenomenal defensive in Miami despite losing Minkah Fitzpatrick. Miami’s loss in the Giants gain.
To me this is the way to wipe off the stain of that infamous picture.
