E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he is one of only three sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls. Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

BITS 'N PIECES: A LOOK AT THE BEST ADDITIONS TO EACH UNIT ...
PLUS A MONTHLY BREAKDOWN OF THE LOOMING SEASON

By Aaron Klein
So during this relatively quiet time, while Organized Team Activities continue - read: light workouts, physical training, classroom work, team-building stuff - we thought it might be a good idea to look at the team and the coming 2017 from every angle possible.

This week, it seemed right to pick out one or two key additions on each unit as a litmus test to gauge how much improvement we can really expect.

MOST SIGNIFICANT ADDITION ON OFFENSE
Tie - WR Brandon Marshall and TE Evan Engram

While the release of Victor Cruz, who signed with Chicago last week, was an emotional one, the addition of Marshall and Engram should drastically improve the offense in more than one way.

For starters, Marshall brings a veteran, professional presence not only to the locker room but the field, instantly becoming the wise, grizzled veteran leader of a wide receivers group that features fourth-year Odell Beckham Jr., second-year Sterling Shepard and a host of back-ups (Tavarres King, Roger Lewis, Darius Powe, rookie Travis Rudolph, etc.). Marshall will have plenty of tasks but it's likely that his top job will occur in the Red Zone, especially on those fade routes in the corner of the end zone.

Engram will be on the seams and must/will bust zone and cover-2 coverages with his 4.42 speed and 6-3, 236-pound frame. So far this spring, Engram has lined up all over the offensive sets, meaning he'll be attacking opposing defenses from all angles. Word has it he's a polished route runner and, while he may never be another Howard Cross, he's more than willing to block, no matter how effective.

MOST SIGNIFICANT ADDITION ON DEFENSE
Rookie DT Dalvin Tomlinson

The Giants made small moves on defense this off-season, signing more for depth than anything else ... except on the second night of the draft when they grabbed Dalvin Tomlinson in the Round 2, fishing out one of the best defensive tackles from the tremendous Alabama defensive line - and maybe one of the best available in the draft. Tomlinson will primarily play the run as a nose tackle or two-gap (5-technique), but he can also generate inside pressure on the quarterback, just like starter Damon Harrison. With the loss of Jonathan Hankins fresh on the minds of the team and the fans, Tomlinson came to the Giants at just the right time. He fits right in and his confidence is such that he almost doesn't seem like a rookie at all.

MOST SIGNIFICANT ADDITION ON SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Aldrick Rosas

Huh? You haven't even seen him kick, but Rosas has been surprisingly accurate in the offseason, so much so that the Giants have yet to bring in any legitimate competition. Rosas, a rookie last year who has never kicked in an NFL game, is stable and apparently unflappable with a strong leg. Could the Giants pick up a veteran once some cuts are made before and during training camp? It's possible. But for every day Rosas is the only kicker on the roster, you can bet that the coaching staff is increasingly becoming more confident in him.

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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
We are about 100 days away from the opening of the regular season and as is the case every year, there will be ups and downs. What games you think may be easy could be difficult, and the ones that could offer the greatest challenge could go swimmingly instead.

Over the four months of the schedule, there are a few stretches that could make or break the Giants and the 2017 season. The Giants have two sets of back-to-back road trips and they'll play four teams coming off bye weeks, the most in the NFL. At this point, it's still fair to say that the Giants have at least six NFC playoff hopefuls and another three AFC teams with an excellent chance at the post-season.

Below is a monthly breakdown of the schedule, home and away, and a little perspective about each.

September: at Dallas (9/10); Detroit (9/18); at Philadelphia (9/24) - Right off the bat, these three games in the first month of the 2017 season, plus the October opener in Tampa Bay, could give the Giants a leg up in the NFC, or send them back into the pack that will scramble for the two wild card playoff spots. Even tougher will be the three road games in the first four, all against conference rivals and two against division opponents. Dallas and Detroit, you maybe remember, were playoff teams.

October: at Tampa Bay (10/1); L.A. Chargers (10/8); at Denver (10/15); Seattle (10/22) - The Giants play one AFC team that just moved to a new city (the Chargers) and a recent Super Bowl Champion from the AFC (Denver), bookended by NFC rivals Tampa Bay and Seattle, each of whom could have an impact on the Giants' postseason hopes.

November: LA Rams (11/5); at San Francisco (11/12); Kansas City (11/19); at Washington (11/23) - Once the Giants hit November, the team could be hitting on all cylinders during a stretch that, at least on paper at this early stage of the offseason, looks like at least a somewhat forgiving stretch of the schedule. The Giants can rack up wins, and a handful of valuable conference victories, before the toughest, meanest and most vital month of the season.

December: At Oakland (12/3); Dallas (12/10); Philadelphia (12/17); at Arizona (12/24); Washington (12/31) - Surely, the Giants will have their hands full (at least), or run into one brick wall after another (at worst) in December, when they face a rising AFC power in Oakland, only to follow up that road trip with four NFC foes Dallas, Philadelphia, Arizona and Washington. It can't get more crucial than that, since each of those NFC teams could have a shot at the playoffs and will try to get in each other's way. Hopefully, the Giants will be ringing in the New Year on a high note.

Questions? Comments? Something to say?
Send it all over to aklein22@verizon.net
and follow me on Twitter @_AaronKlein_
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- Team Giants

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