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New York Giants Rumors: Nat Berhe Or Bennett Jackson Taking Over At Safety?

By Kenneth Teape

Aug 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; New York Giants cornerback Bennett Jackson (24) in a preseason NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; New York Giants cornerback Bennett Jackson (24) in a preseason NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Giants Rumors: Could the Giants be turning to options in house to try and shore up the safety position instead of spending in free agency?

New York Giants rumors have quieted in recent days after a fast start to free agency. The Giants got off to a blazing start in the first few hours, spending over $204 million to upgrade their defense. They re-signed Jason Pierre-Paul, adding former New York Jets’ defensive tackle Damon Harrison and Miami Dolphins’ defensive end Olivier Vernon to join him and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.

Further upgrading their defense, the Giants also signed Janoris Jenkins, formally of the St. Louis Rams and arguably the best defensive back on the market. Cornerback wasn’t exactly a need for the Giants compared to other areas of their defense, but Jenkins gives the Giants a solid one-two punch on the outside with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Absent from the list of free agent signings thus far is a safety. The Giants had arguably the worst safety situation in the NFL last season, as they were playing street free agents that weren’t with the team most of training camp in starting spots next to rookie Landon Collins. The Giants decided to allow veterans such as Antrel Rolle, Stevie Brown and Quintin Demps to leave as free agents, but failed to replace their production and experience.

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It resulted in the Giants have one of the worst defenses in the organization’s history, as they struggled to defend the pass all season long. The Giants haven’t made much noise on the safety market, as George Iloka re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was probably the top prize at the safety position, as the Giants have only been linked to one other player, Chris Conte, who re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Giants do not seem interested in veterans Eric Weddle or Reggie Nelson, at least not at this point, as they have other areas on the roster that need to have some money allocated towards it. Because of that, could the Giants turn to someone in house and hope they can shore up the safety position next to Collins?

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Two players to keep an eye on are youngsters Nat Berhe and Bennett Jackson. Berhe was in the running last season for a prominent role at safety, but a quad injury kept him on IR for the season. Berhe is heading into this third season with the Giants, and if he is ever going to have an impact this will be the time for it to happen. NJ.com believes he will have a serious chance at getting a starting spot.

Berhe will probably be fighting for a starting spot with Jackson, who has missed the first seasons of his NFL career because of injuries. The former Notre Dame product was brought to the Giants as a cornerback, but was shifted to safety upon getting to the team. The coverage skills he has from cornerback will be useful for a Giants team that has struggled in coverage in recent seasons. He can also play slot corner, so there could be a lot of Berhe and Jackson on the field together.

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While the Giants had a ton of money to spend this offseason, looking to save at safety could be a smart decision if they have confidence in the players they already have on the roster. With the upgrades they made everywhere else, the concerns at safety could be minimized with production stepping up at other areas on the defense.

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