2014 Record: 6-10
2015 Non Division Opponents: AFC East, NFC South, San Francisco, Minnesota
2014 in review: The Giants missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season in 2014, and only had a salvageable 6-10 record after going 3-1 over the last four games. The Giants couldn’t stop anyone last season, as they gave up over 6,000 yards on the defensive side, including 2,162 on the ground. Those stats added with their poor running game led to Eli Manning throwing the ball an absurd 601 times. That is not what the Giants are about. The lone bright spot was the emergence of superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr, who was a highlight reel on a weekly basis.
2015 Free Agency: The Giants didn’t have a ton of cap room, but were able to nab two starters in free agency. Linebacker J.T. Thomas from Jacksonville and OL Marshall Newhouse from Cincinnati. Shane Vereen was signed to be a receiving threat out of the backfield and is an excellent signing. Their other moves were for depth.
2015 Draft: New York had an excellent haul and grabbed two day one starters in the draft. OT Ereck Flowers was the second highest Offensive Lineman on the board (and the first on some boards) and the Giants traded up on Day 2 to grab S Landon Collins from Alabama. Big things are expected from both players right from the start.
Player on the hot seat: This was going to be Eli Manning and his legacy, but instead it has to be Jason Pierre-Paul. Emotions are still running high from his fireworks accident on July 4, but the latest news seems to be him not missing any time, despite having a finger amputated. Pierre-Paul and the Giants were already locked in a bitter contract dispute, and while I don’t expect that to cool down anytime soon, Pierre-Paul knows that the Giants have all the leverage. JPP can’t sit out after this so ultimately he will sign his tender and get on the field. The best thing for him and the Giants is for him to play with a chip on his shoulder all season and have a monster year.
Players you want on your fantasy team: I wrote here about Odell Beckham Jr. You want him on your team, but at the right price. He’s very overpriced at the moment and better production could be had elsewhere. Keep an eye on Victor Cruz before your draft, his value is only going to go up once people see that he is back to form. Shane Vereen is a no brainer in PPR leagues, and could lead the Giants in rushing this year if Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings play like they did last year. Vereen should be the back in all the 3 WR sets, which bodes well for his fantasy value. I don’t expect 600 passes from Eli again, but he is a definite top 12 quarterback and someone you can pencil in every week if you want to grab your backs and receivers first.
Season Prediction: The possibility of a real dynamic offense is there and with a little improvement on defense and this team could be back in the hunt again. SFTB Prediction: 9-7