The New York Giants had a rough year in 2013 after starting without a win over the first six games and heading into this season general manager Jerry Reese has turned over a great deal of the roster, letting names like Justin Tuck and Linval Joseph go on the offensive line, meaning names like the newly signed Mike Patterson as well as Jason Pierre-Paul, Cullen Jenkins, Johnathan Hankins and Damontre Moore must step up.
The Giants opted to bring back Patterson on Monday and the team also signed Zack Bowman to the secondary at cornerback and that continues the trend of Reese remaking the defense this offseason, especially the line and the secondary. According to ESPN.com, the Giants have added 21 free agents this offseason and that has made them one of the busiest teams in the NFL when it comes to free agency. One thing that was an issue last season was the cornerback position and after bringing back Trumaine McBride and adding Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond to join Prince Amukamara, the team should turn that into more of a strength.
Bowman could end up being a versatile player after coming over from the Chicago Bears, as he played cornerback and on special teams and that could be where he really gets to contribute for the Giants. The team allowed over 220 yards per game in the air last season and while that was an improvement from 2012, the team hopes to turn that into a defensive weapon and shutting down receivers will help the defensive line as well, giving them more time to track down the quarterback.
The Giants are known as a team that is strong from the defensive line, but their pass rush has not been as potent as in recent years when they won the Super Bowl and that is why despite getting 11 sacks, Reese allowed Tuck to leave to the Raiders. Patterson played in all 16 games last season and had 23 tackles and now he joins back with Cullen Jenkins and Hankins to give the Giants some size up front against the run. Pierre-Paul needs to have a bounce back season, while Hankins is going to get more playing time and will have to step up in year two.
