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WHILE THE OFFENSE TURNS THE PAGE,
By Aaron Klein Last week, we ruminated over the changes to the Giants' offensive system under new coordinator Ben McAdoo. The system is still being installed as we speak. In fact, wide receiver Reuben Randle let it slip earlier this week that he has talked to coaches about lining up as a slot receiver now and then - or perhaps it was the coaching staff talking to him. Whether or not that happens in a live game situation remains to be seen, but it's yet another wrinkle for the offense, considering that Randle's size/speed is built for the outside spot. The offense is changing and that's good news. Meanwhile, across the line of scrimmage, there will be subtle changes on the defense, yet the biggest issue for that unit is cohesion. Yes, as many pointed out a few weeks ago after I made too harsh a judgment on last season's defensive performance, the unit did improve dramatically by the end of the season. However, there have been personnel changes, both deliberate and otherwise, that lead me to wonder how the new crew will come together, especially in the front seven, which will look much more different than one may realize. There will be two new starters on the defensive line, at least. Gone are defensive end Justin Tuck (Oakland) and defensive tackle Linval Joseph (Minnesota). In their places, look for DE Damontre Moore and DT Jonathan Hankins to take over. Both are entering their second seasons as pros. Cullen Jenkins is expected to retain starting DT spot alongside Hankins, though Mike Patterson, the freshly-signed third-round pick Jay Bromley and veteran Markus Kuhn could see time at either tackle slot. Of course, DE Jason Pierre-Paul will return as the starting weak side defensive end, but at what capacity? A year ago this month, you may remember, he had significant back surgery and though he did make it back to action, he was never the same as he had been in his brilliant rookie season. Gone was his explosiveness and his ability to beat blockers around the edge. His inability to work out as intensely as before left him sluggish and, by appearance, overweight and slow. This year, JPP vows to silence critics, impress the coaches, wow the fans and terrorize the opposition. Well, he had better since the defensive front will rely on his taste for disruption. While the linebacker unit has been shored up a bit, and the three-month loss of Jon Beason leaves the unit a bit short, the 4-3 is designed to pressure the offense and get to the passer. Of course, since the Giants run several fronts, there is more to it than that. There is run stoppage. Often, the defensive ends drop into coverage and sometimes they line up inside as a neo-DT. Still, the reliance on the edge rushers combined with the inside pressure required from the defensive tackles can be shaky if the line doesn't deliver, putting added responsibilities on the linebackers and the secondary. Can the Giants' defensive line win the battles and disrupt the opposing quarterbacks enough? Yes, it can. Will it is another issue. Speaking of linebackers … Yes, Beason is out for the next 12 weeks or so, aiming for a Week 1 return after breaking a sesamoid bone in his foot that will not require surgery though he will undergo intense rehabilitation, beginning with several weeks in a cast, then a walking boot. Will he return at full strength? Let's wait on that, though it's not as though he blew out a knee. He should heal and then get back to it. Lest we not forget, however, Beason is already banged up due to past injuries and keeping him on the field last season was already a big job. In his place, for now, we have already seen free agent Jameel McClain and rookie Devon Kennard, with a spattering of Mark Herzlich. Solid enough, though once the teams begin full out training camp, the veteran McClain must step up as the leader on the field, a job Beason did so well last season. A wild card at MIKE is free agent Dan Fox, someone to watch in July. The outside linebackers are thin, especially since McClain was signed to play alongside Beason as the WILL with Jacquian Williams behind him; Spencer Paysinger is holding on to his SAM spot and will unlikely face any fierce competition. If Beason is out for a significant time, the Giants lose size at the WILL and possibly lose Beason's effectiveness as run stopper with outstanding tackling ability. The Giants effectively lost three secondary contributors from last year's roster when they said goodbye to Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas during free agency, then subsequently waived safety Will Hill, a potential starter, after failing his third substance test in as many years, this time drawing a six-week suspension. The Giants could have waited for him but decided he could not be trusted to do what's necessary any longer. Less than a week after Hill was let go, cornerback Jayron Hosley was hit with a four-week unpaid vacation after failing his second such test (his first being at his NFL Combine). The Giants will wait for him, for now, since he has shown much promise when healthy. In fairness, both Webster and Thomas had below-average performances in 2013, especially the former. Thomas, in his search for new place to play, is finding that teams are more than wary of his three-time surgical knee. Webster, many have argued, didn't have his heart in the game last season, though we don't know that as fact. Maybe his time had come and gone. The good news is that there are fresh faces in the secondary. When the team allowed Webster and T-2 to go, they replaced them with Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, cornerbacks Walter Thurmond and Zach Bowman and safety Quintin Demps in free agency. Then the Giants drafted safety Nat Berhe and cornerback Bennett Jackson. There are also high expectations for safety Stevie Brown, coming off knee surgery, and Cooper Taylor, coming off a less-than-stellar rookie season. That amount of turnover in the secondary is not only impressive, but it was necessary. Moreover, if that defensive line has a subpar season, there will be that much more pressure on the defensive backs, which will likely rely on more Big Nickel and dime coverages. Too bad Hill is gone since his value in that Big Nickel was dramatic. In the end, we can say, "so far, so good" for the Giants' 2014 defense, though the caveat is not only injuries, but the unit's ability to come together well enough to put defensive coordinator. Have something
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