Jump to content

The Giants 2016 $200M Free Agency Splurge. Worth it!

Gmen

By Gmen
in NFL General

Recommended Posts

Gmen

Gmen

Posted
Posted

In 2015 the Giants were one of the worst defenses in the league.  During the offseason they went out and spent nearly $200 million in future contracts on 3 defensive players : Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins.  The general consensus around the league and among fans was that you can't buy a defense, and it would take time for the defense to jell together.  The general thinking was that the Giants were going to hamstring themselves for years to come by giving out those huge contracts.  To even many Giants fan's surprise, their impact was immediate and it was huge. 

2015 : 6.1 Yards per play,  27.6 points allowed per game

2016 : 5.1 Yards per play , 17.8 points allowed per game

The Giants gave up a whopping 10 less points per game in one season.  That's incredible.  Sure some of that can be attributed to the development of Landon Collins and return of JPP, but these three guys have been worth every penny so far. 

Olivier Vernon : 63 Tackles, 8.5 sacks.  2016 2nd team All Pro.  Played over 94% of the Giants snaps, which is incredible for his position.  Was near the top of the league once again in terms of QB pressures.  And he did it with a broken hand for most of the season.  When the Giants signed him to his huge contract, a former coach said you don't have to worry about the money getting to his head.  He's going to give 110%.

57cf3e7428358.image.jpg?resize=500,625

 

Damon Harrison : 86 tackles, 2.5 sacks.  2016 1st team All Pro.  Yes, 86 tackles for a 350 pound NT.  I loved watching the Vince Wilfork and Casey Hamptons play in their prime, and Harrison is just as good, if not better.  He was a one man wrecking crew in run defense.  He also has a charismatic personality and instantly became a respected team leader. 

image.jpeg

 

Janoris Jenkins : 49 tackles, 18 PD, 3 INT, 1 sack, 1 FF.  2016 2nd team All Pro.  Some Rams fans felt he was overpaid because he gambled too much in coverage and was susceptible to giving up the big play.  This past season he limited those issues and became a true shut down guy.  He's a technician at the position to go along with having the athletic ability. 

USATSI_9611486_x9yt5ilq_jzgyujza.jpg

 

It's only been one year, but has there every been a more successful splurge in NFL free agency?

How do you see the Giants performing this year with that defense, and now adding some firepower on offense with Brandon Marshall and Evan Engram?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gmen

Gmen

Posted
  • Author
Posted
7 minutes ago, Crickett said:

They spent 200 million dollars and it bought them 0 playoff wins.  Sounds about as successful as every other free agency splurge.

That's a misleading statement.  The 200 million hasn't been paid out.  They have these guys, who were All-pros in their first year, under contract until 2021.  If they have 0 playoff wins by 2021, then your statement would be accurate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Crickett

Crickett

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Gmen said:

That's a misleading statement.  The 200 million hasn't been paid out.  They have these guys, who were All-pros in their first year, under contract until 2021.  If they have 0 playoff wins by 2021, then your statement would be accurate.

Hey, ask about a free agency splurge one year in, get an answer about a free agency splurge one year in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gmen

Gmen

Posted
  • Author
Posted
2 minutes ago, Hunter2_1 said:

Good D, but you won't be making any playoff wins with that OL and Eli deteriorating. 

We're going to see Eli v. Brady part 3 this upcoming February.  You heard it here first. 

And we all know how that goes. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gmen

Gmen

Posted
  • Author
Posted
33 minutes ago, TVScout said:

Talk about movingthe goalposts! xD

I mean, sure if playoff wins is the only way to measure FA signing success, the Giants had a horrible free agency period. 

Never mind everything I wrote in the post about allowing 10 fewer points per game in just one season, and getting 3 all pros...

@WebmasterHow can we get more emoticons?  I need an eye-roll emoticon because I use a lot of sarcasm in my posts and it really drives the point home. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Crickett

Crickett

Posted
Posted
41 minutes ago, TVScout said:

Talk about movingthe goalposts! xD

Yeah, no it isn't.  Thanks to a lack of clairvoyance on the part of everyone, we have no idea what is going to happen over the next four years.  It's possible the Giants win back to back to back to back Superbowls and Eli goes down as the greatest QB of all time after a quartet of record breaking six thousand yard seasons, aided by the greatest defense of all time.  Or, on the other hand, all three players could suffer dual hat trick ligament tears and never play again.  I don't think either of those things will happen, but we don't know.  All we can discuss is what has happened so far and all the OP discussed was their first season in New York.

 

2 hours ago, Gmen said:

It's only been one year, but has there every been a more successful splurge in NFL free agency?

 

And in that first season, the Giants went 10-6 and lost in the wildcard.   Oh, how successful.  (If we're doing eyeroll emoji's, this is where mine would go)

Bottom line, if anyone comes into NFL general and toots their team's own horn like this without at least going deep in the playoffs, this is the kind of reaction you can expect.  If a Cowboys fan went into the NFL draft forum and made a thread asking if their 2016 draft was the greatest draft of all time after one year (but muh Zeke Elliot 'n Dak Prescott!), you can expect something similar. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
everlong

everlong

Posted
Posted

They're my personal pick to reach the SB. The defense is as good as advertised and Eli is still a competent quarterback. He's is also most dangerous when he has a full trio of receivers, something he hasn't really had since 2011.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Shanedorf

Shanedorf

Posted
Posted

I don't think the OP has really made a very compelling case....looking only at an average of points given up per game is a pretty lazy assessment

Of the 16 teams the NYGs played, how many of them did the multi-million dollar FA defense hold below their season average ?

Of the teams the NYGs held to 17 or fewer points per game, how many of them were talented offenses ? Line up the QBs who scored more than 17 pts vs the NYGs in one column and the QBs who scored less than 17 pts vs the NYG defense in the other. Should be rather illuminating

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyg/2016.htm

In the NFC East division, the Philly Wentzes scored 23 and 24 points vs the NYGs defense - which was pretty much what the Eagles averaged all season. So vs a divisional foe with a rookie QB and talent-depleted skill positions - the Giants were an average defense on both occasions.

How did the Giants defense do vs the other teams they faced ? That involves a bit of work and would have made the OP a lot more credible

The investment paid off at some level, but beating the chumps of the league isn't the goal. Ya gotta shut down the good offenses too. When the NYG defense played the Packers in reg season, they gave up 23 points and 32 rushes for 147 yards. In the playoffs ? Packers scored 38 points on the loaded NYG defense. If NYG fans want to pat themselves on the back over that ROI, knock yerself out. The Giants defense was certainly better, but still not good enough to win in the playoffs....and that's the ultimate arbiter of whether or not it was a "good" investment. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...