Just two years ago the New York Giants were in more than just a state of peril, they were spiraling towards their demise with no end in sight. Eli Apple and Landon Collins were causing serious issues in the locker room, leaders were deteriorated to their raw self, and management was benching Eli Manning for Geno Smith.
Essentially, the entire state of the franchise was in jeopardy, and it required a complete overhaul in management and personnel. General manager Dave Gettleman and his no-nonsense approach have found a way to not only revitalize the offensive line but has improved the state of the locker room and brought in players to maintain it.
Newly signed receiver Golden Tate has already seen the camaraderie on the Giants, stating:
“You can already tell a week in we have a really solid locker room. It’s been great so far. I’m looking forward to building these relationships.”
Installing fresh leaders that have no relation to the dark days of the past was a priority going into the offseason. Players like Antoine Bethea, Markus Golden, Kevin Zeitler, and Tate will all play a significant role in helping the younger guys develop.
The New York Giants are fighting to succeed:
In addition, extending Sterling Shepard was a great move for the atmosphere of the team. His leadership abilities and skill set will help his teammates elevate their game and improve in any way possible.
The trio of Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman, and Evan Engram have been pushing themselves to improve as well.
Saquon Barkley says he’s challenging teammates to take their game to another level. Mentions Wayne Gallman and Evan Engram, and how all three are pushing each other.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) April 18, 2019
The biggest takeaway from Thursday’s press-conference is simply – the Giants finally seem to be a team and not a group of individuals. It’s often surprising how effective a united club can be even if they have holes in different parts of their game.