Legendary New York Giants running back Tiki Barber recently spoke on his former team’s 2020 offseason performance.
Coming off a third consecutive losing season is a tough spot to be in, especially in a major market with anxious fans. That’s exactly what the New York Giants are dealing with at the moment. The team just wrapped up a four-win campaign and completed its third head-coaching search in four years.
With that said, every move made prior to the upcoming season is crucial. Big Blue has very much done a fantastic job in those regards though, at least according to a franchise legend
“I’ve really loved this offseason for the New York Giants,” Tiki Barber told Jackson Thompson of Sports Illustrated. “What I’m looking for going into this year is some more continuity with that offensive line. That’s the goal this season with [running back] Saquon [Barkley] — they have to develop some consistency in what they do and do it well.”
The Giants used their first-round pick (No. 4 overall) in last month’s draft to address the offensive tackle spot, a position that’s been at the forefront of their offensive issues for much of the last few seasons. They ultimately selected Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, who may start at right tackle before eventually transitioning to Daniel Jones’ blindside.
They also drafted UConn offensive tackle Matt Peart in the third round as well as Oregon guard Shane Lemieux in the fifth, making it a point to fix this group of “hog mollies.”
New York additionally added a veteran corner in James Bradberry, who was given a three-year deal after entering free agency. Blake Martinez, who the Giants also signed to a three-year contract this offseason, will improve the inside linebacker unit. Martinez racked up 144, 144, and 155 combined tackles for the Green Bay Packers from 2017-19, respectively.
There’s one lingering issue though, and that’s the pass rush. The Giants didn’t draft an edge rusher in one of the earlier rounds or add a big-name free agent. Markus Golden’s future with the team isn’t guaranteed either, as the organization placed the unrestricted free agent tender on him. This means that Golden can still sign elsewhere, but if he doesn’t by July 22, he can only suit up for Big Blue in 2020.