At the beginning of the 2017 season, it was thought that free safety Darian Thompson would earn the starting job for the New York Giants. Thompson proceeded to start every game, but he struggled consistently throughout the season, blowing coverages and missing tackles leading to big gains.
Backup safety, Andrew Adams, played well, sparingly, and was assumed to be the front-runner for the starting safety job in 2018. That idea is now seriously in question, as new acquisition Curtis Riley, has displayed impressive ability on the practice field, potential earning him a leg-up over Thompson and Adams.
According to Big Blue View:
“We’re gonna give those guys an opportunity to go out there with the first group and see how they do, and really it’s a rotation,†defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo said on Monday. “As we get deeper into camp, it’ll be more merit-based on, hey, we’re playing in some games and we’re actually tackling people and we’ll see how it goes, but we won’t find out who the best ones are unless we give them a chance, so that’s how we’re doing it.â€
6. There is definitely a competition at free safety (as there should have been last year). It's probably too early to say who's in the "lead" but I will say I've been impressed by what I've seen from Curtis Riley.
— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) July 28, 2018
Riley is a third-year pro that spent his first two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, amassing seven total tackles and one interception over the course of his career. His production has been limited due to a lack of playing time and injury, but he’s getting his fair share of opportunities with the Giants.
Can Curtis Riley be the guy for the New York Giants?
The former Titan converted to safety after struggling to make a name for himself at cornerback. This move might have been career-saving, as he’s shown good vision and tackling ability thus far in camp.
“Riley’s done a really good job,†Shurmur said. “He’s back there, he’s moving around, he understands the calls he’s gotta make. He’s done a nice job.â€
Shurmur wants his free safety to be a leader and a communicator. Being able to read the offense and rely on his instincts will be something the new head coach looks for in his secondary.
Now, the safety position battle will require the remainder of the pre-season to shake out, but so far, there’s more competition that previously anticipated.