The NY Giants were one of the most active teams in free agency this offseason and while names like Sidney Rice, Jermichael Finley and Chris Johnson remain targets, the team is happy with the free agents they have signed in Agents Rashad Jennings, Mario Manningham, Robert Ayers and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Jerry Reese thinks the team is improved enough to return to the playoffs.
The Giants started 2013 with a 0-6 record and while many called for Tom Coughlin's job, he was able to hold the team together to finish with a respectable 7-9 record and while the end result wasn't great, it could have been much worse. The team now has the number 12 pick in the draft and that should give them an impact player and they have signed 20 free agents and over 10 of those have been from other teams, headlined by Jennings and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who should help shore up the running game and the defensive backfield.
The Giants have signed 23 free agents and the majority has come on defense, but they have also filled a number of needs. The team was inconsistent in the rushing game and the offensive line last season, so to fix that Reese went after Jennings, who led the Raiders in rushing last season, along with John Jerry, JD Walton and Geoff Schwartz and this week the team added Charles Brown. There are still question marks on the offensive line and both Brown and Walton have issues coming in, but the risk reward is solid for Reese with those names and if they work out, the G-men could have a totally revamped offensive line with Justin Pugh and Chris Snee returning.
The team likes Jennings a great deal and he has explosive talent and is a good pass catcher, something the Giants have lacked in recent years and that could be huge. The secondary expects to be much improved with Cromartie as well as Walter Thurmond and Zack Bowman and the team also added Quintin Demps and Trindon Holliday to help on special teams. The Giants have had issues with returns over the past few years and those two players could stabilize that in punt and kickoff returns.
Eli Manning is returning from a terrible season and the team just brought in a new offensive coordinator in Ben McAdoo. The team lost Hakeem Nicks and signed back Mario Manningham and now McAdoo must get the offense back where it was a couple years ago before Manning tossed over 25 picks last season.
