New York Giants: Analyzing Jerry Reese’s Tenure as General Manager
2013
Draft Selections:
Justin Pugh, OG
Damontre Moore, DE
Ryan Nassib, QB
Eric Herman, OG
Michael Cox, RB
Notable Free Agency Additions:
Josh Brown, K
Brandon Myers, TE
Notable Free Agency Losses:
Osi Umenyiora, DE
Notable Trades:
7th-round pick (2014) to Panthers for Jon Beason, LB
Missed Opportunities:
Le’Veon Bell (draft)
Travis Kelce (draft)
Tyrann Mathieu (draft)
Jordan Reed (draft)
Glover Quin (free agent)
Sebastian Vollmer (free agent)
Record: 7-9
Postseason: Did not qualify
Analysis:
In the draft, Reese selected Pugh in his attempt to start rebuilding the offensive line, and for a while, Pugh was mediocre at tackle. Pugh was not living up to his potential until he shifted to guard, and has quickly become one of the best (if not the best) left guards in the NFL. Hankins was also a good addition, who was an excellent defensive tackle capable of applying pressure to opposing QBs while clogging the middle.
Moore clearly had the talent, but drew too many penalties which eventually outweighed his positives. Reese traded up for Nassib, which was unnecessary, because he was only supposed to be the backup for Eli Manning. He had strong preseason showings until 2016, where he tailed off and probably won’t be re-signed. The other draft-mates did not last long on the Giants, and did not make an impact.
The big move Reese made in free agency was signing Brandon Myers. He thought Myers would be a sufficient option to replace Bennett, but Myers and Manning never got on the same page. This experiment turned out to be a failure, and his play did not warrant his contract. Letting Bennett go may have been done with financial implications in mind, but his loss was felt by the offense.
For a while, the best move Reese executed in 2013 looked to be the trade for Beason. When he wasn’t injured, he was a clear leader on the defense and played very well. Unfortunately, his injury history caught up to him and his health became an issue again.
The Giants missed out on Le’Veon Bell, who was selected one pick earlier than Hankins, but also passed up on major tight-ends. Both Kelce and Reed were available, but Reese felt confident about Myers being able to get the job done. Tyrann Mathieu was also available, but his past at LSU, might have scared away the Giants. He has been a model citizen since entering the NFL, and a more thorough background check could’ve yielded a great defensive player.
Offseason Grade: C-