Who Should Be The New York Giants’ Captains In 2018?

Oct 15, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; New York Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie (51) before the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Appointing team captains can be a strenuous task for any team, but for the New York Giants, the same players always seem to emerge as the heads for each unit. Eli Manning on offense, Zak DeOssi on special teams, and as of last year, Jonathan Casillas on defense.

In 2018, those names might change, and several new players could find their way onto the captain voting sheet. Newly signed left tackle Nate Solder could surely be one of the Giants’ players to emerge as a potential captain, why? Because he bring s professionalism to the game that not many players have. His appreciation for his abilities and teammates ultimately bleeds over into the locker room. His former players on the New England Patriots detailed Solder as a stellar teammate and overall man.

What has shaped Solder into becoming such an excellent leader?

After battling cancer, Nate returned to the game with something to prove, something that fueled his fellow players and intimidates his opposition. He’s one of the many players general manager Dave Gettleman has added that bring a winning mentality and a skill-set that isn’t just handy on the field.

A New York Giants leader:

Another potential captain could be Alec Ogletree, linebacker from the Rams. His physicality and passion for the game is unparalleled, making him the perfect defensive captain. Usually, I would claim Landon Collins as the captain here due to his seniority with the Giants and experience, but Ogletree brings a sense of maturity and gamesmanship to a team that fell apart at the seams in 2017.

The bottom line, the front-office is making it a priority to stack the team full of leaders, something that’s required to reach the playoffs, let alone a Super Bowl. Let’s flash back to the Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl squad. Just take a look at how many leaders there were on the team: Michael Strahan, Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Jeremy Shockey, David Diehl, Osi Umenyiora, Antonio Pierce, Aaron Ross, DeOssi…I’m sure I missed a few.

How many leaders did the Giants have last season? It seemed like zero to me.

Another interesting point, in the 2007 Super Bowl year, only one player, Umenyiora, made the Pro Bowl. That should give you an idea of how important leadership and confidence are to winning a game.

Sometimes, talent doesn’t guarantee success, but having a team full of players that are willing to put their life on the line to win does.

While captaining new players is usually uncharacteristic, I would assume Solder and Manning head the offensive, Collins and Ogletree the defense, while DeOssie remains the special teams chief.