Oct 28, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) during warm up before against the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants trading away superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr. should have hurt their offensive firepower ranking, but it seems as if it has actually bolstered their number.
According to ESPN:
8. New York Giants
2018 rank:Â No. 2 |Â 2017:Â No. 20
“It’s strangely impressive that the Giants managed to be so uninspiring on offense a year ago with one of the best arsenals in football. Obviously, trading away Odell Beckham Jr. is going to make any team’s weaponry worse, but the Giants at least have a short-term solution in Golden Tate, who should help soften the blow of willingly trading away a franchise wideout for … reasons. Both Tate and Sterling Shepard rank in the top eight for receiving yards out of the slot over the past three years, so Pat Shurmur will need to find a way to get both of his starting wideouts time on the inside.”
“The Giants are the first team on this list to rate out as above-average at running back, wide receiver and tight end, though other teams (notably the Packers and Steelers) come close. Evan Engram struggled to stay healthy last season but averaged 9.0 yards per target, which was just ahead of guys like Travis Kelce and Jared Cook. And though Saquon Barkley’s rookie season was less impressive under a microscope, it’s fair to say that the offense was almost entirely dependent upon Barkley for stretches in 2018. With a better offensive line, Barkley could be the most productive back in football in 2019.”
Having Saquon Barkley will help the offense succeed no matter the consequences of losing Beckham. Gaining Tate will also supplement his production to a certain degree.
Nonetheless–
John Fennelly (GMEN HQ) – New York Giants in line for two compensatory draft picks in 2020
Ed Valentine (Big Blue View) – Giants’ 90-man roster: Nate Solder solid, unspectacular at left tackle
Dan Benton (Giants Wire) – Drew Brees thanks Saquon Barkley for setting good example for children
Pat Leonard (New York Daily News) – Giants 2018 film review, week 3: What we learned from Big Blue’s best game of the year
This post was published on 2019-07-13 06:45
