One-liner analysis on every significant Giants player and offseason move.

New York Giants

Predicted: 3^rd

2008: 12-4 (1^st NFC East)

Head Coach: Tom Coughlin (6^th year)

Roster Quick View (*new veteran, **rookie)

Offense (coordinator: Kevin Gilbride)

QB: Eli Manning Would it be a cheap shot to call him a “poor man’s Peyton Manning”? (Hey, that still makes him a star.)

RB: Brandon Jacobs A runaway freight train who, when healthy, can be as punishing as any running back in football.

RB: Ahmad Bradshaw Shiftier than 1,000-yard back Derrick Ward, but may not have Ward’s power to consistently fall forward. Still, he’s ready for an elevated role.

FB: Madison Hedgecock His name sounds aristocratic, but he’s actually one of those restricted athletes who fights hard enough to be labeled “blue collar”.

WR: Domenik Hixon Ideally, he becomes Amani Toomer 2.0.

WR: Steve Smith Better at exploiting defenses than beating them. Might start in September, but his best fit long-term is still as an underneath slot receiver.

WR: Hakeem Nicks** Has average build and good but not great speed. Still, worthy of a first-round status because he flat-out understands how to play.

TE: Kevin Boss Remember that quiet kid in the schoolyard who was a little awkward but also somehow surprisingly stellar at every sport?

TE: Michael Matthews Can’t block, but lucky for him, neither can third-round rookie TE Travis Beckum. His No. 2 job may survive one more season.

LT: David Diehl Football dilettantes think he should move back to LG. But hard to justify a change considering that over the last two years, this current O-line configuration has won a division title and Super Bowl.

LG: Rich Seubert Crafty technique and solid mobility make him a critical piece in run-blocking.

C: Shaun O’Hara The fulcrum of the front five. A dogged fist fighter who is coming off a well-deserved Pro Bowl.

RG: Chris Snee Offers unusual power when on the move. In the discussion of Football’s Best Right Guard.

RT: Kareem McKenzie Back spasms are a reason for concern. If healthy, this scheme enables him to thrive as a stationary blocker.

6 OL: Kevin Boothe Might be first off the bench because he at least has a modicum of experience and can play T or G. But Giants have a slew of younger, more intriguing backup prospects.

Defense (coordinator: Bell Sheridan)

LDE: Justin Tuck Can beat you in any which way. Fast off the edge and chasing from back side, efficacious in traffic, powerful inside and extremely well-refined in all fundamentals.

NT: Barry Cofield Better quickness than his rotund body suggests. Brings value as a run-defender.

DT: Chris Canty* For $42 million over seven years, expect the Giants to follow through on their promise to use the ex-Cowboy in a litany of ways.

RDE: Osi Umenyiora Claims to be quicker and stronger coming off reconstructive knee surgery. Scary thought.

3 DT: Rocky Bernard* Powerful one-gap penetrator who will infuse this ultra deep front line with even more energy.

3 DE: Mathias Kiwanuka Thin frame and minimal creativity make him best suited as a situational speed-rusher.

SLB: Danny Clark Fantastic playside run defender.

MLB: Antonio Pierce As smart as any LB in football. Almost never gets taken out of a play.

WLB: Michael Boley* A move to the weak side should enable the finesse ex-Falcon to capitalize more on his speed and agility.

4 LB: Clint Sintim** Expected to compete with energetic Chase Blackburn for nickel role. His blitzing ability adds intrigue.

CB: Corey Webster A goat two years ago and now one of the best pure cover artists in the game. Broke up a league-best 24 passes last season.

CB: Aaron Ross Continues to gradually learn the nuances of NFL cornerbacking. Long arms and raw athleticism are a huge plus.

NB: Terrell Thomas You don’t see many rookies turn in a laudable veteran-like season at nickelback. That’s what this promising second-rounder did a year ago.

SS: Kenny Phillips Looks like a carbon copy of the late Sean Taylor. Get on the bandwagon now––he’s special.

FS: Michael Johnson Mundane athleticism can be a problem at times, though the third-year pro has played fairly well in 21 career starts.

6 DB: C.C. Brown* Classic “experienced veteran” who can hold down the fort as a temporary starter if need be.

Special Teams

K: Lawrence Tynes Injuries and John Carney’s dependability kept him out of the lineup last year. Can be erratic, but coaches love his big foot.

P: Jeff Feagles If he holds really still, he could probably pass as a fossil. No worries, though. The ’08 Pro Bowler is the game’s best placement punter.

RS: Domenik Hixon Good quickness and footwork make him viable on punt returns, though since he’s already a starting WR, Giants could look for other options here.

Offseason Quick Glance

Draft

RD PK (OVR) NAME POS SCHOOL

1 29 (29) Hakeem Nicks WR UNC

2 13 (45) Clint Sintim OLB Virginia

2 28 (60) William Beatty OT UConn

3 21 (85) Ramses Barden WR Cal Poly

3 36 (100) Travis Beckum TE Wisconsin

4 29 (129) Andre Brown RB NC State

5 15 (151) Rhett Bomar QB Sam Houston

6 27 (200) DeAndre Wright CB New Mexico

7 29 (238) Stoney Woodson CB S Carolina

KEY PLAYERS ACQUIRED

DT Rocky Bernard: UFA Seahawks; $16M/4 yrs, guarantee unknown.

LB Michael Boley: UFA Falcons; $25M/5 yrs, $11M guaranteed.

S C.C. Brown: UFA Texans; $1.4M/1 yr, $400,000 SB/$300,000 base guarantee.

DE Chris Canty: UFA Cowboys; $42M/6 yrs, $8.5M SB/$17.25M guaranteed.

KEY PLAYERS LOST

SS James Butler: UFA Rams; $14M/4 yrs, guarantees unknown.

SS Sammy Knight (released).

CB Sam Madison (released).

WR Amani Toomer (FA)

RB Derrick Ward: UFA Buccaneers; $24M/5 yrs, guarantees unknown.

DE Renaldo Wynn: UFA Redskins; 1 yrs, terms unknown.

Analysis

After seeing the stellar D-line subtly wear down last season, GM Jerry Reese decided to augment New York’s front four through free agency. Already armed with two young Pro Bowl DE’s (Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora) and a pair of excellent run-stuffing DT’s (Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield), Reese paid if not a king’s ransom, then at least a prince’s ransom, to bring in Chris Canty. The move robbed division-rival Dallas of its best run-defending downlineman and, at the same time, gave New York a decent pass-rusher who can play all four positions up front. Reese also signed energetic ex-Seahawk Rocky Bernard, which makes up for the possible absence of the underrated Robbins (microfracture surgery).

The loss of Plaxico Burress hurts. One could argue that the Giants needed to address their now glaring wide receiver weakness on the veteran market (namely by trading for Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards). Instead, they went the route of the draft. The hope is that speedy first-rounder Hakeem Nicks can start soon (if not right away) and quickly evolve into the No. 1. However, at 6’1”, 210, Nicks is cut more in the Amani Toomer mold. The second coming of Burress is more likely to be found in 6’6”, 229-pound Ramses Barden. But the third-rounder is raw coming out of tiny Cal-Poly.

OLB Clint Sintim could compete with new pass-defending ace Michael Boley for playing time. William Beatty is a LT who might get moved to the right, depending on how veteran Kareem McKenzie’s back holds up.

The Giants will miss SS James Butler and RB Derrick Ward, though they have excellent in-house replacements for both in Kenny Phillips and Ahmad Bradshaw.