New York Giants: Reaction To ESPN Re-Graded 2016 Offseason

The New York Giants had their 2016 offseason re-graded by ESPN; do you agree with the new grade they received?

The New York Giants had a huge offseason in 2016. The Giants were looking to reload their defense, which was ranked dead last in yards allowed and 30th in points allowed in 2015. They had a ton of money to spend in free agency and they did just that.

Jerry Reese handed out over a quarter billion dollars in free agency. He wasted little time, as Oliver Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, and Damon Harrison all agreed to deals on March 9th. On March 10th, the Giants officially signed them all to five-year deals. In addition to that big three, the Giants retained Jason Pierre-Paul on a one-year deal.

Less than a week later the Giants would sign Keenan Robinson to help at linebacker. In April they added Kelvin Shepard, and in August they signed veteran Leon Hall to help bolster the secondary.

Free agency wasn’t the only area that the Giants added talent. They look to have come away with some excellent talent in the 2016 NFL Draft.

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First round pick, cornerback Eli Apple, was thrown right into the fire. He had some struggles but improved as the season went on. Second round pick, wide receiver Sterling Shepard, started every game alongside Odell Beckham Jr. He had a solid rookie campaign, catching 65 passes for 683 yards and eight touchdowns.

Third round pick Darian Thompson was slated to start at safety but had his season ended prematurely because of injury. B.J. Goodson, Paul Perkins, and Jerell Adams would all receive playing time as well, giving the Giants what looks to be a very productive draft class.

There were plenty of people that liked the talent infusion on the Giants roster. ESPN gave the Giants a very strong grade of a B+ last May. With the season now in the books, the Giants offseason has been re-graded as an A-. Here is what they had to say when re-grading the Giants 2016 offseason.

"Teams that spend huge, desperate money in free agency rarely feel great about it in the morning. The Giants became an exception. The big-money players they landed from outside the organization — Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins and Damon Harrison were the big three — helped defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo pull off an impressive defensive reversal. The Giants jumped from 29th to second in defensive EPA and from 31st to third in scoring defense.With so much focus on defense, the Giants were especially weak at running back and tight end, giving them clear areas of focus for 2017 (there was only so much they could do in one offseason). First-round pick Eli Apple played extensively and was inconsistent, which is not unusual for a rookie corner. Receiver Sterling Shepard was a welcome addition to the offense in the second round and will provide insurance if the team decides Victor Cruz‘s contract no longer fits."

With the foundation being laid defensively last year, this is the time for Reese to strike on the offensive side of the ball. Like last year, the needs for the Giants this offseason are clear.

If the Giants want to take the next step and extend Eli Manning‘s career, they need to invest in the offensive line. Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh are excellent building blocks; the rest of the line is suspect.

2015 first round pick Ereck Flowers has been poor for two seasons, which should prompt a move away from left tackle. If the Giants are able to move him to the right side and sign a veteran left tackle in free agency their offensive line’s outlook improves exponentially.

Finding a third receiver and tight end will probably be near the top of the Giants list as well. They have some players, such as Tavarres King, Roger Lewis Jr., Will Tye, and Adams that can help fill the void, but bringing in a veteran would make some sense.

The running game should improve if the Giants bring in some help along the offensive line. Perkins looks poised to receive a bigger workload next season; the question remains if Rashad Jennings or Shane Vereen will be back or not.

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The Giants do not have as much cap space this season as they did last year. That will make things a little more difficult on Reese, but they can open up more cap space by reworking some contracts.

The needs are clear once again for the Giants; hopefully Reese can execute a good plan once again. If he can, the Giants should once again recieve good grades.

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