SB Nation - Allen Patrick

The Eric DeCosta Scorecard

John Morgan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:32:25 -0000

Eric DeCosta's living resume, in repose.

(What follows is over seven pages and 2,500 words long. If you're interested in the gist of it, scroll down to the end.)

I did an overview on Eric DeCosta, but think I can do better and think you deserve better. Here's an attempt to hold DeCosta by the same standard I held Steve Keim. First I will look at his work as a Midwest scout for the Ravens from 1998-2002, and then his work as the director of college scouting from 2003-2009.

Baltimore did not draft a talent from the Midwest until 2001.

2001

3) 92 Casey Rabach C Wisconsin

4) 126 Edgerton Hartwell LB Western Illinois

7) 231 Dwayne Missouri DE Northwestern

Casey Rabach might remind some of Seattle's Chris Spencer situation. Rabach was drafted in the third round by the Ravens but struggled to break through early in his career. He then signed with the Redskins and became the most consistent player on their offensive line.

Hartwell was a pretty good value for the round he was taken in. He started his second season and from 2002-2004 before leaving in free agency. His approximate value in those seasons is 9, 8 and 9. Atlanta signed him to a six-year, $26.25 million contract before 2005, but injuries sapped his ability and he was cut in 2007.

Missouri is a seventh round pick that never broke through.

2002

2) 52 Anthony Weaver DE Notre Dame

4) 112 Dave Zastudil P Ohio U.

4) 123 Ron Johnson WR Minnesota

6) 206 Javin Hunter WR Notre Dame

6) 207 Chester Taylor RB Toledo

We see the rising influence of DeCosta in this draft, his last as a regional scout before being promoted. Weaver was a solid pick in the second. He was able to start his rookie season and started 16, 15 and 15 games before a host of injuries sidelined him in 2005. DeCosta scores twice on Weaver: For drafting him in the second and acquiring a Lawrence Jackson like end and for not re-signing him after injuries took their toll. Weaver looked like a stud back then, but fizzled away from Baltimore.

If you draft a punter in the fourth, he better stick and he better be great. Zastudil is not, by all accounts. His rookie season with Baltimore, the Ravens were below average punting the ball, and over his four season, he was twice below average and twice above average - almost in equal degrees. I am starting to think it is very hard to evaluate a punter from an outsider's perspective. I disagree with drafting a punter so early, but it seems Zastudil is, if nothing else, a competent punter that can be good.

Johnson never developed as a receiver or returner and was last a linebacker and receiver for the Cleveland Gladiators.

Hunter's career peak was a 63 yard kickoff return in 2002. He is not the same kind of flat bust as Johnson. Hunter started strong in the preseason and started three regular season games as a rookie. He ruptured his Achilles before the start of 2003 and was never the same player. Push.

Chester Taylor started his career as a third down back, but slowly worked himself into the running back rotation. Taylor was buried behind Jamal Lewis, but still produced, was signed by Minnesota in 2006, rushed for 1,200 yards, and was then buried behind Adrian Peterson. Taylor has been valuable throughout his career and is a huge win on DeCosta's resume.

Starting in 2003, we must assume DeCosta took a leadership position in the Ravens entire draft.

2003

1) 10 Terrell Suggs OLB Arizona State

1) 19 Kyle Boller QB California

3) 77 Musa Smith RB Georgia

4) 109 Jarret Johnson DE Alabama

4) 134 Ovie Mughelli FB Wake Forest

5) 146 Aubrayo Franklin DT Tennessee

5) 173 Tony Pashos T Illinois

6) 182 Gerome Sapp DB Notre Dame

7) 223 Trent Smith TE Oklahoma

7) 250 Mike Mabry C Central Florida

7) 258 Antwoine Sanders - Utah

Suggs has been a baller from snap one. He was a situational pass rusher as a rookie and recorded 12 sacks. He has 56.5 for his career, 5 interceptions, 32 passes defended and 18 forced fumbles. Suggs is an elite player, still only 27, and a young 27, and a grand slam pick for DeCosta.

Boller is everything I said about Suggs, applied to a quarterback, inverted and intensified. A complete bust that looked the part of a bust, my only tempering of this massive misstep by DeCosta is that Brian Billick pushed hard for Boller, and in those days, Billick was a respected coach, and a force slapdicks shouldn't defy.

Musa Smith looked like a talented back on his way up before Roy Williams effectively ended his career with a horse collar tackle. Smith suffered a compound fracture of his tibia. The play directly led to the banning of horse collar tackles, but the damage was done for Smith. He played sparingly the next two seasons and could never reestablish himself. Push.

Jarret Johnson took a slow path to success, but has been a regular starter in four of the last five seasons. A very good pick that is still paying dividends for the Ravens, notably, Johnson's AV in 2008 was 10, better than Bart Scott.

Mughelli didn't break through right away with the Ravens, but is now considered one of the best fullbacks in football. He was good in his final two seasons in Baltimore, but lured away when Atlanta offered him big bucks. A minor success for what they got.

The hits keep coming: Franklin was a valuable rotational player for Baltimore, even starting once, and is now a starter for San Francisco. Mike Nolan targeted Franklin, which says something about his perceived value, and though he never fully broke through with Baltimore, he was playing behind Kelly Gregg. Not a horn-blowing success, but very good value for the pick.

Pashos is what a right tackle should be: cheap and good enough. A good player for Baltimore and eventually Jacksonville, Pashos is a good run blocker that was a great value for the Ravens.

Gerome Sapp couldn't stick with the Ravens, signed with the Colts and then signed again with the Ravens. He played nickelback. Neither a bust nor hit, but a pick spent on a semi-talented player that just didn't fit on the roster.

Smith, Mabry and Sanders had no noteworthy NFL career.

2004

2) 51 Dwan Edwards DT Oregon State

3) 82 Devard Darling WR Washington State

5) 153 Roderick Green LB Central Missouri State

6) 187 Josh Harris QB Bowling Green State

6) 199 Clarence Moore WR Northern Arizona

7) 244 Derek Abney WR Kentucky

7) 246 Brian Rimpf T East Carolina

Edwards is still a sometimes starter, sometimes rotational end for the Ravens. He is neither a bust nor a hit, but a semi-valuable player acquired with a semi-valuable pick.

Darling never produced for Baltimore, and that's quite an achievement, because the 2004 Ravens leading receiver was Travis Taylor. Taylor had 421 yards receiving. Darling was last in Kansas City. His current whereabouts are unknown, but, presumably, not in Kansas anymore.

Green struggled to produce, was stabbed July 2006, subsequently released and is now out of the league.

The rest of the draft barely made an impact and all four are now out of the league. After ruling draft day, DeCosta's second draft produced no starters, and only one regular.

2005

1) 22 Mark Clayton WR Oklahoma

2) 53 Dan Cody LB Oklahoma

2) 64 Adam Terry T Syracuse

4) 124 Jason Brown C North Carolina

5) 158 Justin Green RB Montana

6) 213 Derek Anderson QB Oregon State

7) 234 Mike Smith LB Texas Tech

Clayton had a strong rookie season, an even better sophomore season and has since spun his wheels into the mud. The 22^nd overall pick, Clayton is not a prize, but surely a value, still young, and maybe has better seasons ahead of him.

Cody was a fine prospect whose career has been eaten by injuries. He started 42 games in college. Best to call this a push, as the injury seemed unpredictable and traumatic.

Terry was a second round selection that never fully broke out of spot starter duties. Terry has not played in 2009. This is another pick muddled by injuries and therefore hard to evaluate.

Jason Brown started his second season and is a highly regarded center. St. Louis threw smarts to the wind and signed him to googolplex dollars this past offseason, but, for three seasons, he was a cheap and very good center for Baltimore.

Justin Green was a special teams contributor.

Anderson was waived his first season and claimed by the Cleveland Browns. He then had one of the great fluke quarterback seasons of all time, before retreating into his well furnished mansion of suck.

Smith contributed briefly for the Ravens on special teams.

2006

1) 12 Haloti Ngata DT Oregon

2) 56 Chris Chester C Oklahoma

3) 87 David Pittman DB Northwestern State-Louisiana

4) 111 Demetrius Williams WR Oregon

4) 132 P.J. Daniels RB Georgia Tech

5) 146 Dawan Landry SS Georgia Tech

5) 166 Quinn Sypniewski TE Colorado

6) 203 Sam Koch P Nebraska

6) 208 Derrick Martin CB Wyoming

7) 219 Ryan LaCasse LB Syracuse

Ngata is considered one of the best 3-4 linemen in football. He has played end and tackle, is just entering his prime, and should the conditions be right, could be entering a lengthy run of Pro Bowl appearances.

Chester was recruited as a tight end, drafted as a center, converted to guard, converted again to tight end and then converted back to guard again. He has 32 starts in his NFL career, and if never a stand out on his own, has been a good part of some very good offensive lines.

Pittman had two interception in 2007 and a forced fumble. That about summarizes his NFL career. He now plays in the UFL.

Williams is a field stretcher that has never come into his own as an actual receiver. He is not a bad player, and is valuable for his draft position.

Daniels was put on injured reserve prior to his second season and never recovered.

Dawan Landry has started three of the last four seasons, and, apart from 2008, has been a very solid starter for Baltimore since his rookie season. He used to noogie LaRon Landry.

Sypniewski was primarily a blocking tight end, but received some in 2007 after Todd Heap and Daniel Wilcox suffered injuries. He tore his ACL prior to this season.

Koch is the Ravens current punter. This season the team is slightly above average punting.

Martin is a talented young defensive back that was buried in Baltimore and now plays in Green Bay. Baltimore traded Martin for offensive tackle Tony Moll.

LaCasse never factored.

2007

1) 29 Ben Grubbs G Auburn

3) 74 Yamon Figurs WR Kansas State

3) 86 Marshal Yanda T Iowa

4) 134 Antwan Barnes LB Florida International

4) 137 Le'Ron McClain FB Alabama

5) 174 Troy Smith QB Ohio State

6) 207 Prescott Burgess LB Michigan

Supplemental

5) Jared Gaither T Maryland

Baltimore built their left side with this draft and in impressive fashion. Grubbs is a promising young starter and on the short list for best young offensive guards in football.

Yamon Figurs returned a kick and a punt for a touchdown in his first season, but could never stick as a receiver. Once the Ravens found a better return man, Figurs was cut, and is currently a free agent.

Yanda is a spot starter at guard and tackle that may have outright won the right guard position this season after starting the last four games and playing ably. I'm a big fan of Yanda.

Barnes is a rotational linebacker and special teams player for the Ravens.

McClain is a fullback better known for his rushing than blocking, but so what? He was astonishingly valuable in 2008 and the 11-5 Ravens leading rusher. This season he is buried behind Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. McClain's is a curious story to say the least. I am not sure he will ever repeat his 2008 performance, and certainly some of that performance must be credited the Ravens line, but for that year alone, we must credit DeCosta with another fullback find.

Smith was a member of the jobbers row of quarterbacks Seattle fattened against in 2007. He is now a Wildcat quarterback.

Burgess has split time between the Ravens and Patriots, and is, essentially, depth and a special teams player.

Gaither is the crown jewel of this class. DeCosta got Gaither for a fifth round pick in the supplemental draft, and now he is their starting left tackle, and franchise tackle of the future. Gaither isn't in the class of young Turk left tackles taking over the NFL, but he's close, a rare physical specimen (the tallest man in the NFL), a powerful drive blocker with developing pass pro skills. He was available in the supplemental draft because of bad grades, and available in the fifth round of the supplemental draft because a lot of other GMs didn't do their homework.

That leads us to the last draft we'll look at in detail.

1) 18 Joe Flacco QB Delaware

2) 55 Ray Rice RB Rutgers

3) 71 Tavares Gooden OLB Miami (Fla.)

3) 86 Tom Zbikowski FS Notre Dame

3) 99 Oniel Cousins T Texas-El Paso

4) 106 Marcus Smith WR New Mexico

4) 133 David Hale G Weber State

6) 206 Haruki Nakamura FS Cincinnati

7) 215 Justin Harper WR Virginia Tech

7) 240 Allen Patrick RB Oklahoma

Joe Flacco is a franchise quarterback.

Ray Rice is one of the best young running backs in football.

Bart Scott's replacement doesn't fill a stat sheet, but Tavares Gooden is starting for a top ten defense in his second season. It's premature to pass judgment on T-Good.

Everyone's favorite boxing white safety is mostly a special teams force, but in three starts this season, he has two interceptions and four passes defended. I liked this pick when it was made, but it's, again, a little early to project his future value.

Cousins has started the last two games at right tackle, but through force of attrition rather than eminent skill. Nevertheless, one injury ravaged offensive line to another, Cousins seems more capable than some of Seattle's replacements.

The next three players are special teamers, and Allen Patrick was cut.

2004 was a hot mess, and, tellingly, occurred after DeCosta swept the 2003 draft. So, all GMs and potential GMs have their highs and lows, but DeCosta's highs certainly seem to outnumber and more than compensate for his lows. If we wanted to put a stamp on his career in Baltimore, I would stamp it a success, but let's attempt something a little more nuanced.

He seems to excel at drafting offensive line talent. He has never invested major resources into the offensive line but still acquired Rabach, Pashos, Terry, Brown, Chester, Sypnewski, Grubbs, Yanda, Gaither and Cousins. He also has had several successes drafting defensive linemen, linebackers, running backs, fullbacks and safeties. His run of backs is particularly impressive. He doesn't trend towards a specific region and seems to have no major leanings towards small schools or big schools. His success at drafting quarterbacks is mixed. Kyle Boller was an inexcusable failure, but Anderson and Smith were decent value for their pick position and Flacco is a young stud. Truthfully, I'm not wild about Flacco's profile, and though he's stepping into this own, the big bodied, big armed profile DeCosta seems to favor is notorious for producing busts.

What excites me most about DeCosta is not his drafting record, but the prolific picks he secures. Few teams enter draft day so consistently stocked with picks throughout the draft, and unlike other GMs that will burn those picks to move up and select their guy, DeCosta stands pat and picks many players. He has benefited immensely from trawling the draft and seeing what value shakes out.

His high profile and history of finding offensive line talent should make him a favorite for the Seattle position. I don't know that DeCosta is the "Z" we desire, but on second inspection, he is a young, well connected executive with a diverse portfolio of success.

Giants do the roster shuffle

Ed Valentine — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:30:24 -0000

Since I know some of you guys are dying to get these, here are your New York Giants' roster moves today. Here is the scoop Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News.

The Giants added a running back today, but it wasn’t the one that was expected.

Rather than promote Allen Patrick from the practice squad, the Giants claimed Gartrell Johnson off waivers from the San Diego Chargers. The 5-11, 218-pound Johnson was the Chargers’ fourth-round draft pick out of Miami. He is considered a powerful inside runner who was could be good in short yardage.

Patrick, meanwhile, didn’t even get to stick around at all. He was cut from the practice squad earlier today.

Johnson, who rushed for 176 yards on 43 preseason carries, clearly must have caught the Giants’ attention because they decided to go with him over a couple of promising players with more experience. The Giants had what one NFL source said was a "sizeable" workout of running backs today, that included Lorenzo Booker and may have included T.J. Duckett, too.

The Giants also cut CB DeAndre Wright and TE Kareem Brown from the practice squad. They replaced them with TE Bear Pascoe (Fresno State) and DB Michael Coe (Alabama State).

To make room for Johnson and linebacker Michael Boley on the active roster, the Giants cut veteran offensive lineman Tutan Reyes and defensive tackle Leger Douzable. Boley was added to the roster after spending opening week on the suspended list.

My take: Typical Jerry Reese to find a player like Johnson, who might have a future, instead of going to a player like Duckett, who has a past. Also, I am very surprised to see Reyes get released. During pre-season I thought of him as the first lineman off the bench. Guess I was wrong!

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Final pre-season edition

Ed Valentine — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

New York Giants wide receiver Sinorice Moss (83) catches a touchdown pass in front of New England Patriots safety Pat Chung (25) in the first quarter Thursday.

Browse more photos »

OK, before I get to the good stuff I am giving myself a 'kudos.' Getting to the end of last night's Giants-Patriots exhibition was torture, but I managed. Without even falling asleep once. A miracle! Anyway, here is your final pre-season 'Kudos & Wet Willies.'

Kudos to ...

Lawrence Tynes: Might be the only time other than games after which he kicks a game-winner that a kicker will get first 'kudos.' Tynes kicked a 46-yard field goal and then made a tackle on special teams. Even more impressive for a wimpy little kicker, he threw the returner out of bounds and got himself a 15-yard penalty. Tom Coughlin won't agree, and neither would I in a regular-season game. But, it was pre-season and I enjoyed Tynes' macho moment.
Receivers: What was that about the Giants not having receivers who could make plays? There were a lot of impressive performances last night. Oh, and I said receivers because I am including tight end Kevin Boss among the impressive players. Let's look at some of the top performances.

Sinorice Moss -- Two catches for 35 yards and two touchdowns, one from Eli Manning and one from David Carr. For good measure, Moss added a 31-yard kickoff return. If this indeed was a fight to the finish between Moss and Derek Hagan, Moss wins by TKO. Hagan made a nice special teams tackle, but had just one catch for 8 yards and dropped a potential touchdown pass right on the goal line.
Domenik Hixon made just one catch, but it was a beauty. Hixon made a leaping catch while fighting off a defender for a 38-yard gain.
Hakeem Nicks had just one catch, but it went for 64 yards and a score. Nicks. also well covered, made a beautiful adjustment to the ball, snagged it and ran away from the defense.
Kevin Boss made two nice receptions on the opening scoring drive. I hope the Giants remember to make him a key part of the passing attack beginning Sept. 13 against the Redskins.
Mario Manningham had four catches for 74 yards. He ran good routes, and made the plays on everything thrown in his direction. Can't do much better than that.

William Beatty: The rookie left tackle started in place of David Diehl, played most of the way and held up well. I don't think his name was called all night, and that is a good thing.
Allen Patrick: I still don't think he has a shot at anything other than the practice squad, but he ran hard and totaled 50 yards on just 8 carries.
Antonio Pierce: For just getting on the field. Hooray!
Tutan Reyes: The veteran offensive lineman slid over to center when Adam Koets sprained an ankle, and did the job. I feel much better about the backup center position after watching that.
Travonti Johnson: One bad penalty, but eight tackles and played pretty well overall. I'm still not sold on him, but he has a good shot to be a backup safety.
David Carr: Went 6-for-6 for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Looked composed. David Philips, wherever you are, I know you are smiling.

Wet Willies to ...

DeAndre Wright: Got smoked by veteran Greg Ellis for a long pass that set up a New England touchdown late in the first half. I shouldn't worry about it, though. Wright will be lucky to get a practice squad invite.
Andre Woodson: If there was any doubt about Woodson's fate on the 53-man roster, he sealed it last night. I don't see any chance he makes the team. He threw a first-half Pick Six after locking in on his receiver, and ended up a woeful 6-for-19 for 98 yards. I can't give Rhett Bomar 'kudos,' since he was just 2-for-7 with a goal line interception in a paltry five minutes of work. Bomar, though, had three passes (two to Shaun Bodiford and one to Ramses Barden) that probably should have been completed and he ran twice for 27 yards, including a 16-yard scramble for a first down. He at least looked like a professional quarterback, seemed comfortable and showed he can make the throws.
Kenny Ingram: Made one tackle and whiffed at least twice. Before the game I thought he had a shot at the practice squad. Now, I'm not so sure.

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Yes, it's back

Ed Valentine — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:00:19 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Carolina Panthers' DeCori Birmingham (24) is stopped by New York Giants' Travonti Johnson (36) late in the third quarter of a preseason NFL football game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Monday.

Browse more photos »

Veteran members of Big Blue View Nation know the drill. The morning after each game we review the previous day's proceedings 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style. That means we gives 'Kudos' to the best performers and use 'Wet Willies' to heap scorn upon the worst.

So, let's get started with the first 'Kudos & Wet Willies' post of the 2009 season.

Kudos to ...

Tommie Hill: Produced what ESPN termed "the greatest finish in pre-season football history." Hill snagged a ball batted away from Hunter Cantwell by Leger Douzable and ran it about 20 yards for a game-winning score on the final play. Hill probably won't make the team, but he will have a great story to tell.
Ahmad Bradshaw: Watching Bradshaw last night had to bring a smile to the faces of Giants fans. He looked quick. He looked elusive. He looked strong. He looked ready to become the big-time part of the offense many have thought he should have been the past two seasons.
Osi Umenyiora: Flew around right end to strip the ball from a helpless Jake Delhomme, showing that last season's knee injury won't slow him down this season. And, he did not get hurt.

"It felt good. It's great to be back out there. This is a good start," Umenyiora said. "I'm paid to hit the quarterback. That's what I do."

Clint Sintim: Still has much to learn as a stand-up every down linebacker. As a pure pass rusher though, especially from defensive end, Sintim showed Monday night that he can already be a force. Gee, and the Giants sure did need another terrific edge rusher. Now, how do they get him on the field?
Adam Koets: The backup center made it through a whole game without messing up an exchange. Amazing, since I don't think he has made it through an entire practice without leaving a ball on the ground.
Mario Manningham: A nifty 22-yard punt return, and a nice catch on a ball from Eli Manning that was nullified by a penalty.
Travonti Johnson: The backup safety had a team-high seven tackles. I barely noticed him during the game, and that is probably a good thing.
David Carr: Anyone willing to sacrifice his body with a John Elway leap in the first exhibition game gets 'Kudos.' Aside from one play where he bailed out of the pocket too quickly, I thought Carr looked pretty good.
Stoney Woodson: The seventh-round pick had an interception and a fumble recovery.
Jon Gruden: I have never liked the guy. I will give him credit, though. He speaks his mind clearly and thoughtfully, and he seems pretty entertaining in the booth as part of the Monday Night Football crew.

Wet Willies to ...

Lawrence Tynes: Yeah, yeah, pre-season game, he missed a bunch of last week with a minor leg injury, yadda, yadda, yadda. Sorry, not buying. After what John Carney did last season, missing your first effort -- a very makeable 43-yarder with no wind -- is not a good beginning for the Giants' kicker. He made a 46-yarder later, but I was already annoyed with him.
Andre Woodson: The NFL game still looks too fast for the former University of Kentucky star. Woodson has been terrific in camp -- with no pass rushers threatening to decapitate him. In real game conditions last night, however, Woodson threw a bad interception and looked indecisive. He will have to do better than that to hold off Rhett Bomar for a spot on this team.
The punt team: Somebody screwed up a blocking assignment, allowing a Jeff Feagles punt to be blocked. Sadly, I think it was David Tyree. He was the gunner on the play and jumped inside rather than taking the player off the corner, resulting in the kick being blocked. Tyree seems to have little chance to make this team, and special teams mistakes won't help.

Other notables

Danny Ware had a beautiful 36-yard touchdown run on a screen pass. Nice plays from rookie runing back Allen Patrick and defensive end Maurice Evans, as well.

-- Panthers vs Giants coverage
-- Panthers vs Giants box score
-- Cat Scratch Reader
-- Panthers vs Giants recap

2009 Schedule Preview: Week 5 vs. NY Giants

Saintsational — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:10 -0000

The Saints finally finish up their run of three straight New York-based opponents when they take on the Giants in the Superdome during week five of the season. Since last facing each other, the Giants went and won themselves a Super Bowl and became a perennial contender. To be sure, the G-Men will provide a tough test for the Saints, in particular, their agressive defense. Hopefully, the results of this years clash will closely mirror those of the last meeting between these two teams. Something tells me it won't.

Giants Offense

New Orleans native Eli Manning is still running the show in New York but the team around him has seen some change. To offset the loss of their two big receivers, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, the Giants used their first round pick to take Hakeem Nicks in this years draft. They also selected receiver Ramses Barden and tight end Travis Beckum for added depth. Steve Smith (not that one), who led the team in receptions last year, will remain one of Manning's favorite targets while Domenik Hixon should develop quite nicely this season.

On the ground, Brandon Jacobs will certainly continue to be the main man for the G-Men, who led the league in rushing last season, but they've lost Derrick Ward, their 1,000-yard backup. Yes, that's right...backup. Ahmad Bradshaw should step up and fill that role in 2009 while a slew of other young backs like Danny Ware, Andre Brown, Allen Patrick and Dwayne Wright all fight for a spot in camp.

This is going to be a tough challenge for the Saints defense but certainly not impossible, especially if improvement really has been made.

Giants Defense

Two years ago the Giants defense was so good they were credited with taking down the almighty and undefeated New England Patriots. So good, in fact, that the Saints used them as a model for getting pressure on the quarterback last season. It didn't really work for the Saints but the Giants kept on rolling with 42 sacks and finished 2008 with the leagues fifth best defense. And all of this without Osi Umenyiora. Now Umenyiora is back and the team has also added defensive tackles Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty to further make their defensive line just scary good.

To help upgrade their linebacking corp, possibly the weakest aspect of their defense, the Giants have added Michael Boley and stole first round prospect Clint Sintim in the second round of this years draft to help veteran Antonio Pierce. This should definitely be an area of improvement in 2009.

In the pass defense department, New York has lost cornerbacks R.W. McQuarters and Sam Madison as well as safeties Sammy Knight and James Butler. The team is hoping that late round draft picks DeAndrew Wright and Stony Woodson along with safety C.C. Brown will offer depth behind Corey Webster, Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson.

New Yorks defense definitely poses a legitimate threat to the Saints powerful offense. Not good.

Giants 2008 Season

12-4 Record

Last Meeting

December 24th, 2006

Week 16	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Saints	3	10	7	10	--	30
Giants	7	0	0	0	--	7

Why the Saints Can Win

They Saints have been known to shut down very talented running backs.

Why the Saints Can Lose

The Giants defense may be too much to handle.

Prediction

Saints 17 - Giants 15

Newly Acquired

TE George Wrighster

DT Chris Canty

DT Rocky Bernard

OLB Michael Boley

S C.C. Brown

2009 Draft Class

WR Hakeem Nicks

OLB Clint Sintim

OT William Beatty

WR Ramses Barden

TE Travis Beckum

RB Andre Brown

QB Rhett Bomar

CB DeAndre Wright

CB Stoney Woodson

Key Losses

RB Derrick Ward

RB Reuben Droughns

WR Plaxico Burress

WR Amani Toomer

TE Darcy Johnson

TE Martrez Milner

OT Shane Olivea

C Grey Ruegamer

DE Jerome McDougle

CB R.W. McQuarters

CB Sam Madison

S James Butler

S Sammy Knight

K John Carney

Linkage

Big Blue View

SB Nation Giants Coverage

Giants @ Saints Coverage

Giants Roster

Giants Transactions

Poll

What worries you more?

The Giants running game

38 votes

New York's defensive line

88 votes

Both of them

101 votes

Neither of them

38 votes

265 votes | Poll has closed

April 21st Sooner Sports Notebook - T.J. Taylor Commitment Edition

dishingoutdimes — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:38:05 -0000

It's Blake Griffin Day in Oklahoma City, so I hope you're all enjoying yourselves!

It's certainly a good year for Sooner athletes. Blake Griffin swept the postseason player awards in college basketball. Sam Bradford took home the most prestigious award in college football - the Heisman Trophy. Add to that all of the records that Courtney Paris set in women's basketball, in addition to carrying them to the Final Four.

Speaking of Blake, it's certain he'll be drafted into the NBA, but for his brother Taylor it's much less certain. The Tulsa World did a nice piece on the pro prospects for Taylor. Interesting that if the whole NBA or European basketball thing doesn't work out, he could always go play ball in Korea. Here's a quote from Taylor:

“I haven’t heard a lot from NBA teams,” Taylor said. “But I’ve heard a lot of positive stuff overseas. I’ve pretty much got an offer from Korea.

"I know there are a lot of teams in Japan that like me. I’ve heard there are a lot of teams in Europe that like me. Korea and Japan traditionally offer better money, but from what I hear it’s not as competitive."

Staying with the men's basketball team, they added their first 2010 commitment today in 6'3" combo guard T.J. Taylor. Taylor is from Denison, Texas and chose OU over Arizona State and Marquette. For what it's worth, he averaged 26 points per game last season in high school. OU still has a scholarship to give for the 2009 class. No word on whether that will be used yet, but if it does it may go to a JUCO transfer.

Quotable

“I see myself playing the role of a playmaker,” [T.J.]Taylor told Rivals. “I can score when I need to, and I also like to pass the basketball.”

In The News

Rose Hammond and Jenny Vining, both guards, will transfer from the OU women's basketball team. It appears as though they are both looking for more playing time. I don't blame them necessarily given the rise of Danielle Robinson and Whitney Hand this year. Best of luck to them whereever they decide to go.
OU Freshman Will Claye was named Big 12 athlete of the week (Track & Field). Congratulations to him.
OU's baseball team looks to rebound from a weekend sweep in Austin when they face the Wichita State Shockers on Wednesday.
Apparently Phil Loadholt's draft stock is rising. The NFL Draft is this weekend.
Trent Williams checks in at #14 on Tim Griffin's list of the top 40 best players in the Big 12.
OU Athletics has a new policy regarding athletes' facebook and myspace pages. Probably not a bad idea.
Here's a great article from the Oklahoman about how Sooner stars don't necessarily have that success translate to the NFL.
The Oklahoma State student newspaper has an article up about their defensive prowess in the spring game. Worried yet?
The Killeen Daily Herald does an interview with Juaquin Iglesias in preparation for the NFL Draft. Also in preparation for the NFL Draft, the Oklahoman catches up with Reggie Smith and Allen Patrick. I knew that Smith was with the 49ers, but I didn't know Patrick had gone to the Browns.
USC has named sophomore Aaron Corp as the starting quarterback through the summer. Tough luck for Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain, who appears to be buried at #3 on the depth chart.
The Mountain West Conference continues its BCS crusade.

Secondhand Reports & Rumors

Saying this is a popular internet rumor would be an understatement, but apparently a lot of people are saying that Chris Fowler and Lee Corso are going to be replaced on College Gameday. But wait, as with some rumors, this could turn out to be completely false. See this link (includes a mention of an email from ESPN).
It seems as though Jeff Capel has been trying to fire up Ray Willis by talking about how it would be nice to see him make a good jump next year. Here's to hoping Ray can be a productive guard and help round out some depth behind Warren and Tommy Mason-Griffin.
The street by Putnam City North High School has been renamed "Sam Bradford Drive".
Remember Robert Marve? If not, he is the Miami quarterback who decided to transfer after this past season. Apparently he's looking at both Nebraska and Texas Tech, and both schools are in his top 5.

Browns Sign RB Patrick; Crennel Still Won't Play Youngsters

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:53:37 -0000

The Cleveland Browns promoted running back Allen Patrick from the practice squad Thursday, bumping tight end Jed Collins down to the practice squad in the process. Patrick has been on the Browns' practice squad for the past 13 weeks, and had originally been with the Baltimore Ravens in training camp.

The promotion was likely made due to Jerome Harrison's nagging hamstring injury. Now, if Crennel suddenly gives Patrick a ton of carries this Monday night, I will be fuming again, simply because it'd be another "slap in the face" to Harrison (who hasn't been utilized enough all season).

With that said, will Crennel's philosophy change regarding the playing time his rookies receive? Apparantly not. This week, Crennel cares about winning.

"We're going to look to try to win a game," Crennel said. "That's why you coach. Now, if a younger guy gives you a chance to win, then you can do that and you can maybe try to mix him in to maybe try to give him a play or two.

"...you can do that and you can maybe try to mix him into maybe try..."

Buffoon.

"Part of the problem is getting them [rookies] into the games when it counts," Crennel said.

I'm literally speechless here folks...maybe my friend to the right can convey my feeling a little bit better.