Giants Prepare for to Get # 6 Seed

Kiss the NFC East goodbye.  I dont even want to talk about that game sunday.  I am in the middle of finals, the game upsets me everytime I think about it, and everyone who wanted to know my opinion has already talked to me.  Bottom line is, this defense is simply atrocious.  BEYOND BAD.  So the Giants can say what they want, that they are going to win out and how for the best blah, blah, blah and all that junk.  The defense might as well call themselevs the Detroit Lions because thats what they resemble right now.  They are ruining a career and breakout year for Eli Manning, Steve Smith, a very productive Kevin Boss, and a playing hurt but yet pretty effective all season Ahamad Bradshaw.  Look, best case scenario the Giants sneak into the playoffs and will either lose in a shootout to the Eagles are Cardinals.  This team is not going any further than that.  In any case, here is what I do ensure none of this happens again.

Fire Bill Sheridan; Hire Wade Phillips...as D-Coordinator

-Ok the first is a given and in addition to that I fire everyone on the defensive staff, even veteren defensive line coach Mike Wauffle.  As players, you dont deserve anything for performing like that, things need to be COMPLETLY SHAKEN UP.  As for Sheridan, he has been lost all year, he sends blitz packages in none blitz situations, sends pass rushers in coverage etc.  The guy has been lost since training camp.  Now, the ladder might come as a surprise.  Wade Phillips will 100% get fired at the end of the season, # 6 seed or not.  Why not hire Phillips to run the Giants defense.  As a Head Coach, Phillips is atrocious.  As a defensive coordinator, he is in fact pretty decent.  Now, after compiling his overall defenses with the Saints, Eagles, Broncos, Bills, Falcons, and Chargers (only as d-coordinator) his defenses have ranked about 13th in the league.  That number is not fantastic, but it is certainly better than what we have been since week 6, which is about 29th in the league.  Plus, Phillips knows the NFC East inside and out, he has been the Cowboys coach for the last three years, and would know everything there is to know on the Dallas Cowboys.  Not too mention, I think he and Coughlin would make a good team combining their knowledge of how to attack the Eagles.  Now its not great, its not like getting Dick Lebeau, but I am being realistic, and I think it is worth a shot. 

Trade Osi

- Some might be saying, "why would you subtract from an awful defense."  I will tell you why.  Osi is a distraction on this team.  Last year they went 12-5 (incl. playoffs) without him and were well on their way to winning the Super Bowl if not for the Plax incident.  Now, if you remember, the pass rush was dipping greatly at the end of the year, but it was still decent, not like it is right now.  And still, the rest of the defense was playing well enought to combat the lack of pass rush.  Certainly, if Osi were around in 2008, I dont know if he would have made that much of a difference.  Pre injury Osi and post injury Osi are two different things.  Since week 1 he has looked flat, and does not have that speed he used to have that made him so great.  He thinks he is a much better player than he is, benefiting GREATLY from Michael Strahan.  From waht I understand he is a complainer, the last of the old guard from the "2006 complain squad" and I think its time for him to go.  Now, I think you can get a 3rd and 5th or 4th and a 6th for him, and honestly I would do either.  The last thing this team needs is a distraction and its not exactly like Osi is helping out on the field either.  In fact, the Giants are worse of WITH him than they are without him.

With the Giants first Four to Five Picks draft a defensive player

-This is a must.  It doesnt all have to be secondary, but it HAS to be defensive players.  The offense for now is ok, getting depth along the offensive line, and certainly a speedy, shifty back would be nice.  O, and a veteran reciever who can catch the ball (where are you Amani) but besides that the offense is pretty much ok for the future.  The defense is a completly different story.  I think the pieces are there, but its still a bit away.  I think drafting Brandon Spikes to replace Antonio Pierce is a given, Todd McShay has him going to the Giants, and I think he should be available for the Giants to take.  From there you have to draft at least two guys in the secondary, another linebacker, and a guy on the defensive line.  I am serious, out of the seven or actually six picks the Giants have for the 2010 draft, five have to be on defense. 

Sign a Free Agent On the Defensive Line

- I need to see the list of FA out their for 2010 but we are headed into an uncapped year, so I think going out and making a smart move for a top defensive player is a given.  It doesnt have to be the best player on the market, but one close to it.

Cut Rocky Benard, Antonio Pierce, C.C Brown, Fred Robbins, Michael Johnson, Gerris Wilkinson, and Danny Clark

- Heads have to roll for the performence of this defense.  Remember after 2006 how the Giants cut Pettitgout, and Arrington as all Giants fans were absolutly shocked?  Well same sort of deal, except these are not as big players.  I would have included Osi but since I traded him, and since his contract is simply to massive, I cannot cut him.  All seven have been absolutly AWFUL this year, some the whole year, others at times.  I would love to do the same to Chris Canty, but remember, its only one year and his contract is way too big.  Clark and Pierce are too old, I would love to have them on the coaching staff, but both think they can still play, which they cant.  Pierce thanks for the memories, and dont let the door hit you on your ass.  Robbins, I think the longest tenured Giant along with Osi, and Jeff Feagles has been a very solid memeber of the Giants.  Again, he is old and his career is almost finished.  Benard was an ENOURMOUS free agent bust, so bad that he was deactivated last game and his tenure with the Giants is almost certainly over.  Brown, Johnson, and Wilkinson are young players who you have to make examples of.  Wilkinson was a complete non factor barely ever played, but was a draft but, Brown was maybe the worst Giant I had ever seen, besting Curtis Deloatch, Tito Wooten, and Frank Walker.  Johnson might come as a shock since he contributed in '07 and '08 but you know what, he was down right bad, check that, AWFUL this year, and was completly exposed for what he is. 

Five moves, follow these guidelines, and the Giants should be ready to do big things come 2010 in the new stadium.

- Lew