
Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!
The New York Giants have taken the word “rebuild” and turned it into an everlasting event that has no end. The better phrase would be “eternal rebuild,” considering their current state at 2-8 on the season.
Head coach Pat Shurmur has failed to show he can be a leader and disciplinary, especially in the secondary where a lack of effort has plagued the unit through the first 10 weeks of the season.
However, let’s take a peek at the weakest positions on the defensive side of the ball:
1.) Linebacker
With rookie Ryan Connelly suffering a torn ACL in the waning moments of a week four win over the Washington Redskins, every bit of quality the team had at the position was thrown out the window. Connelly managed to secure the top spot on the team in just four games, overtaking Alec Ogletree with little resistance.
The reality is, Connelly will have to regain his form and develop as if he were a rookie. General manager Dave Gettleman believes he has a solid piece to the puzzle in the Wisconsin product, but he must pair him with another solid linebacker. The only other quality option is Shaq Thompson in free agency, meaning he could look to the draft once again.
2.) Free safety
Antoine Bethea has to go. The glorified strong safety has been an absolute liability in the defensive backfield, but he serves a purpose closer to the line of scrimmage. His astronomical tackle totals are a bad sign for the defense, as it tells a story of missed tackles and bad coverage.
The New York Giants need a better cover safety to lock of deep balls and act as a ball-hawk. HaHa Clinton-Dix could be a solid target.
3.) Slot corner
With Corey Ballentine being chewed up as the Giants’ current slot corner, they must invest in the position further. Grant Haley is great against the run but is a liability in coverage as well, putting the Giants defense at a severe disadvantage against teams with superior slot-receivers.
4.) Pass rushers
Markus Golden has been the only serviceable option for Big Blue at outside linebacker. Logging 6.5 sacks, 15 QB hits and seven tackles for a loss, he has been reliable, but a one-year contract will force the Giants to make a decision on his future. Do they pay big money and retain him or let him walk and allocate the investment elsewhere? They could look to the draft to solidify the position with a player like Chase Young and sign another option to complement him, but if they choose to bring Golden back, I would be satisfied.
Nonetheless–
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