The Giants made it all the way to the Super Bowl last season, then lost all
of the brownie points they had built up when they were crushed by the Ravens,
34-7. That caused people to wonder if the Giants deserved to be there in the
first place. The NFC has produced a lot of one-year wonders lately, and New
York could be another if everything doesn't break right for the Giants like
it did last year.
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CAMP AT A GLANCE
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| Kerry Collins threw 22 TDs and 13 INTs last season. |
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Location:SUNY-Albany, Albany, N.Y.
Rookies report: July 26
Veterans report: July 26
Preseason schedule:
Aug. 10: at New England
Aug. 18: Jacksonville
Aug. 25: N.Y. Jets
Aug. 31: at Baltimore
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Even though they caught breaks with good health and an easy schedule, the
Giants weren't a fluke. Their season was marked by the re-incarnation of
Kerry Collins as a frontline NFL quarterback, the emergence of Tiki Barber as
Marshall Faulk Lite and the resurgence of the once-proud defense. However,
reaching 12 wins again will be difficult even if things go right because the
road schedule is brutal and there is a serious lack of depth, particularly on
the offensive line. The Giants have had the usual complement of post-Super
Bowl distractions, but their personnel changes -- such as replacing defensive
end Cedric Jones with big-ticket free agent Kenny Holmes -- were mostly
upgrades.
Man in the spotlight
Lost in Barber's breakout season was the fact that
first-round draft pick Ron Dayne was marginal early and hit the wall late.
Coach Jim Fassel had so little confidence in his 260-pound rookie halfback by
the end that he didn't hand him the ball once in the Super Bowl. Dayne needs
to be quicker and more aggressive as a runner, so he's dropped about 10
pounds, which should also improve his stamina. The Giants must develop a
one-two punch at halfback because Barber isn't big enough to touch the ball
almost 300 times like he did last season.
Key position battle
The weakest link on a strong defense was cornerback,
something that was exposed in the Super Bowl. Although Jason Sehorn was
torched by the Ravens, it was aging Dave Thomas whom the Giants had to
hide all season. This year Thomas will have his hands full holding off the
challenges of rookies Will Allen and William Peterson, the top two draft
picks. Allen, a first-round pick, has great speed and could beat out Thomas
by the opener. If he doesn't, Peterson could because he's taller and perhaps
even more gifted than Allen.
Biggest adjustment
The Giants' Achilles' heel was special teams, leading
to the dismissal of oft-criticized coach Larry Mac Duff. Fred von Appen was
brought in to breathe life into the units, but he'll have a new cast of
specialists. Long-time kicker Brad Daluiso wasn't re-signed, which leaves von
Appen to choose between rookie John Markham, who booms his kickoffs, and
journeyman Jaret Holmes, Daluiso's backup last year. Reliable Brad Maynard
was lost in free agency, which leaves the punting job to unknown Rodney
Williams. It's clear von Appen's job won't be easy.
Rookie report
Besides the cornerbacks, the Giants added valuable defensive
depth with fourth-round end Cedric Scott. The other fourth-rounder,
quarterback Jesse Palmer, has a big arm and a so-so college career on his
resume. By this time next year, he could be Collins' backup.
Giants' complete offseason moves
