The Giants don’t have a ton of cap room to work with this offseason, but former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo seems to think that there’s enough defensive talent in-house to turn things around.
“We hit the injury bug,” Spagnuolo told Alex Marvez and Bill Polian on SiriusXM. “The most compelling thing to me was having to play five (middle) linebackers throughout the season…That’s no different than having to put five different quarterbacks in there. That’s the guy that kind of runs the show.”
Coach Spags was hoping to be a part of that turnaround and was disappointed to learn that he would not be a part of Pat Shumur‘s staff in New York. For his part, the defensive guru says he is intent on returning to coaching in the NFL.
“I’ve got a lot of football left in me,” Spagnuolo said. “I’m gonna coach again. I want to. I’m passionate about the game. I enjoy dealing with the players, teaching, mentoring — that’s what I think coaching is all about. “Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to sit back for a year. That may happen, it may not. There’s a slight chance of maybe working in 2018 still. But, if not, I’ll use this time wisely.”
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Center/guard Joe Looney didn’t start a game last season, but he’s among the free agents that the Cowboys need to retain, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. On two occasions last season, Looney did a solid job of filling in for guard Ron Leary and he also showed his value as a part of the team’s jumbo package – the formation in which Dallas replaces a tight end with an extra lineman. Retaining Looney shouldn’t cost much as his previous two-year deal paid him a total of $1.675MM.
- Paul Perkins was not the answer for the Giants at running back and they’ll need to invest in the position this offseason. Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com looked at some possible options for the G-Men, including unrestricted free agents Dion Lewis, Carlos Hyde, Frank Gore, Jerick McKinnon, and Isaiah Crowell. Dunleavy notes that McKinnon would be a natural fit for the Giants thanks to his history with Shurmur, though he’s not necessarily built to be workhorse at RB. If the Giants want to go bargain bin shopping, names like LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Eddie Lacy, and Damien Williams might work for their limited budget. Last year’s rushing leader, Orleans Darkwa, is scheduled to reach free agency next month, and it’s not clear whether Shurmur sees him as a fit for his offense.
- The Eagles need to re-sign defensive tackle Beau Allen, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com writes. Allen’s 20 tackles and one sack aren’t eye-popping numbers, but he was a key member of the D-Line and earned a respectable 74.5 overall score from Pro Football Focus. If Allen walks, there is no clear option to replace him, but the Eagles will have to plan carefully as they are roughly $9MM over the salary cap.
- On Wednesday, Redskins safety Su’a Cravens was granted reinstatement by the NFL.
Cowboys didn’t have Ronald Larry last year
Leary
It’s possible that Mr. Links is still thinking the 2017 season is current because the 2018 season hasn’t started. Like someone who says, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” but it’s past midnight, so their internal clock is still on the previous day.
Giants should bring in McKinnon and then draft a RB in the middle or late rounds. Unless they want Barkley. But honestly I don’t know if I trust any of the QB’s, so I would still trade down and acquire more picks. They have too much need right now across the board. They still have 4-5 players on each side of the ball that are solid so I think with the right moves they can be competitive in 2018.
The Eagles need to sign Blount again