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New York Giants News: Stevie Brown Re-Signed

By Kenneth Teape

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New York Giants News: The Giants were finally able to address their safety concerns, bringing back Stevie Brown after he agreed to part ways with the Houston Texans last week.

For the New York Giants, the safety position has been an area of disaster this offseason. They struck out on Devin McCourty in free agency, and let all of their own free agents at the position leave that had started games last year. That left them with a big void and a heavy reliance on youngsters.

Well, most of those youngsters didn’t even make it through training camp, as the Giants have been hit hard by the injury bug at the safety position. They have already lost four players for the season, as Mykkele Thompson tore his Achilles, Justin Currie fractured his ankle, Bennett Jackson tore his ACL and Nat Berhe had surgery on his calf to remove a blood clot. Berhe vows he will try returning this season, but at this point it seems unlikely.

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The Giants have also dealt with injuries to rookie second round pick Landon Collins, the only sure thing playing time wise in this secondary, and Cooper Taylor. Both thankfully were able to return for the regular season dress rehearsal this past Saturday against the New York Jets, which was an encouraging sign.

But, with castoffs such as Brandon Meriweather and Jeromy Miles making up the depth, there was still a need at safety. The Giants may have caught a break for seemingly the first time this offseason, as the Houston Texans came to an agreement to release Stevie Brown, making him a free agent.

He wasn’t one for long, as the Giants swooped in and signed him today. Brown did not like the outlook he had with the Texans, as it looked like playing time would be limited and he wouldn’t be a starter. So, he and the team agreed to part ways so he could find a better situation. That better situation turned out to be his former one, as Brown will return to the Giants, where he spent 2012-2014.

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After passing his physical, Brown seemed elated to be joining his old team, saying, “Pretty exciting. To be able to come back here, seemed like a position of need, seemed like a good fit.

A good fit indeed. The Giants desperately need safety help, but also free safety help. The Giants have a lot of safeties currently on the roster that like to lay the lumber in the run game, but do not excel as much in coverage or playing a centerfield role. That is where Brown excels, and the Giants saw it first hand in 2012 when he stepped in for the injured Kenny Phillips and intercepted nine passes in 16 games and 11 starts.

That promising season put Brown squarely in the equation to start for the following season, but he tore his ACL in the 2013 preseason. He returned for 2014 with the Giants, but he was not the same player, even getting benched early in the year. But, he looked to be regaining his form near the end of the season, as he was moving further away from his ACL surgery.

Now two full years removed from his injury, the Giants are hoping that Brown can return closer to the form he showed in 2012 than he did in 2014. He will come in and compete for a starting spot right away, as he is probably an upgrade over most of the other options on the team despite just being signed today.

“I hear nothing but good things from the guys that I was still talking to during preseason. [Safeties coach Dave Merritt] was just explaining to me a little of the philosophy that he runs out here on defense.. Even though I have mainly been known as a post player, I can still come down into the box here and do what I need to do. Safeties are interchangeable.”

The Giants are certainly going to need that, as they desperately lack versatility at this time in their secondary. But, even more so, the need for a veteran back there was of the utmost importance, and Brown can bring that with him.

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