The New York Giants offense is flush with weapons at Eli Manning’s disposal. If all goes well, this unit could dominate defenses.
There seems to be a consensus about the New York Giants offense this upcoming season. If they can stay healthy, they have the potential to be very good.
In a recent NJ.com report by Matt Lombardo, one anonymous NFL scout had this to say about the Giants weapons on offense:
“They should be a good team, if they stay healthy,” The scout said. “There’s just too many weapons that can stretch the field vertically from Odell Beckham to Evan Engram, and Sterling Shepard. Then you add in Saquon Barkley, and he can do some serious damage as well.”
The scout added that other teams will “…pray for injuries and bad weather,” when speaking about the Giants potential this upcoming season.
This isn’t a surprise, given New York’s additions this offseason. The Giants offense has been rebuilt, along with some returning players that have high expectations. The offense has to the potential to be unstoppable.
The Giant’s added a potentially dangerous weapon with the number two overall selection in April’s NFL Draft in Saquon Barkley. Barkley is a continued trend of NFL teams selecting running backs in the first round of the draft.
Barkley was a standout at Penn State before being taken at the beginning the NFL Draft. He is both elusive and powerful. He possesses a common quality for the modern day running back: he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He finished his college football career with over 100 receptions and figures to get a lot of looks out of the Giants backfield. He should be a big part of the team’s offense behind a rebuilt offensive line.
Speaking of which, the Giants made a few big acquisitions this offseason to fix one of their bigger problems from last year.
They signed one of the better tackles in football in Nate Solder. Solder spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the New England Patriots, where he was a staple in their offense. He started 81 of his 95 career games as the blind side blocker for Tom Brady. The Giants are hopeful that the massive three-year, $48 million contract (the second highest for a tackle in the NFL) will keep their 37-year-old quarterback Eli Manning safe in the pocket. Solder is most certainly a major upgrade over Ereck Flowers, who has struggled mightily in his first three NFL seasons.
The team also drafted Will Hernandez out of UTEP to be their future left guard. Hernandez is a 6-foot-2, 327-pound monster that the Giants expect to be an immediate producer. He started 37 games in four years in college and has been praised for his strong work ethic.
GM Dave Gettleman also signed a major piece from the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line in Patrick Omameh. Omameh will likely line up at one of the guard positions, where he spent most of last season with the Jaguars. Solder, Hernandez, and Omameh will fill huge holes that the Giants offensive line had last season. If the team can find a place for Flowers to contribute at a high level, their line gets that much deeper.
The team also gets back its vocal wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., one of the better wide receivers in pro football. Beckham Jr. has been anything but vocal so far this season as he came into training camp without a holdout. He is currently seeking a contract extension after missing most of last season with a fractured ankle.
The Giants are deep at wide receiver with the return of Beckham. They expect big things from both Sterling Shepard and Cody Latimer as well. Shepard had multiple big games last season with a depleted receiving corps. He had at least five catches in seven of his eleven appearances. Latimer is a new face in training camp this year; he was another one of Gettleman’s signings. He spent the past four seasons with the Denver Broncos and showed signs of promise as a kick returner. Latimer has looked sharp in training camp catching passes from Eli Manning.
The G-Men also expect big things from their second-year tight end, Evan Engram. Engram showed flashes of major potential last season when he snagged six touchdowns. His versatility makes the Giants offense even more dangerous, as he can line up almost anywhere on the field. It should be interesting to see how the team uses him in conjunction with Barkley.
NFL scouts are high on the Giants offense this upcoming season and for good reason. They aren’t the only ones, either. In a piece heading into training camp earlier in July, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked each NFL team’s offensive arsenals. The Giants were ranked second on that list, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs.
No matter how last season ended, the New York Giants offense has high expectations set for this coming year. It is clear the team has the weapons to be successful. We’ll have to see if they can stay healthy and if the weather can hold up.
