New York Giants: Which Players need to step up in the Preseason?
The New York Giants are ready to make a run at a Lombardi Trophy this year. There are a few guys that have to prove themselves in the preseason.
Coming off a strong season which saw the New York Giants make the playoffs for the first time since 2011, there are very few holes on the roster that make fans and coaches question how successful the Giants can be in 2017.
Two of those holes are on the offensive line and at the linebacker positions, which is why two key players are important to watch in the preseason.
D.J Fluker
The 26 year old guard is listed at a whopping 6’5”, 345 pounds and Justin Pugh described him to the New York Post as “…the biggest human being I’ve ever seen.’’
Along with holes at linebacker, the Giants offensive line was a major problem last season. It prevented the Giants from ever establishing a rushing attack, making them a one-dimensional
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team.
All reports out of training camp are that Fluker could be the missing piece on the offensive line the Giants so desperately need. Fluker was part of a 2013 draft class that has gone down as one of the worst in recent memory.
Fluker’s rookie season was a positive one, grading out as one of the best rookie offensive tackles of that class. However, his production started to decline and the Chargers tried to move him to different positions on the line, however they found a similar result.
The Giants are hoping Fluker can return to his rookie form and provide depth on an offensive line that struggles at times. If he can continue to improve, he will at least be a valuable and versatile backup that could push for a starting job at some point in the season. He will no doubt be a player to watch in the preseason for Big Blue.
B.J. Goodson
A 2016 fourth round pick, Goodson saw extremely limited snaps in his rookie season. He appeared in 15 games but only recorded 9 combined tackles and mostly just played on special teams.
The starting middle linebacker spot is Goodson’s to giveaway and linebacker Jonathan Casillas told Jordan Raanan of ESPN, “The Mike linebacker position is a very difficult position to play. And for a young guy to come in and basically be named the starter on a very good defense with some really
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known and integral parts on the back end and the front end — for him to be the middle, which is the glue, the captain, the pilot of our defense — that says a lot.” (http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-giants/post/_/id/52780/b-j-goodson-shows-signs-of-being-the-middle-linebacker-giants-have-been-missing)
It seems as if Goodson has sold his teammates after an impressive offseason but now he will have to sell to the fans that he can be middle linebacker of the future.
If Goodson can prove in his sophomore season that he can bring stability to a position that has lacked it for almost a decade it would make the Giants defense a force to reckon with, if it wasn’t already.
Goodson will most likely see about 20-to-25 minutes of game action in each of the Giants four preseason games. Those minutes will be vital to his progression and for the Giants sake will hopefully be one of massive improvements.
Final Word
The NFL preseason is a time for coaches to evaluate players, units to build chemistry and young players to get experience. Besides the exciting rookies, Goodson and Fluker are two plans fans and coaches will want to keep an eye on in the preseason as both could prove to play a pivotal role in the Giants chase for their fifth Super Bowl championship.