Tight end could be offseason concern for Giants
Despite having won their fourth Super Bowl and becoming the first team in league history to win at least one Lombardi Trophy in each of the last four decades, the Giants' offense, powered by franchise record-setting quarterback Eli Manning, is likely going to be tweaked for next year.
The biggest and most unexpected position that will need to be addressed is the tight end spot, this thanks to the torn ACL injuries suffered by starter Jake Ballard, an exclusive rights free agent who's expected to be retained, and backup Travis Beckum in Super Bowl XLVI.
Both players were said to be headed to surgery around mid-February and both will almost certainly not be ready for the projected start of training camp in August. As a result, look for both to start the year on the PUP list, while restricted free agent Bear Pascoe will be tendered an offer to retain his services.
On the offensive line, New York will be getting its starting left tackle, Will Beatty, back from an eye injury next year; however, right tackle Kareem McKenzie, an 11-year veteran, will be an unrestricted free agent and will probably not be retained.
The Giants have options to replace McKenzie already on their roster, including moving David Diehl, who filled in for Beatty, to the right side; moving Beatty to the right side and leaving Diehl on the left; or plugging in second-year man and last year's fourth-round draft pick James Brewer into the position.
The Giants could also explore plugging Stacy Andrews, who will be an unrestricted free agent, in at the right tackle spot. Andrews finished the season on injured reserve after being diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs, a condition for which he needed blood thinners. His condition was not believed to be career ending. The Giants, who signed offensive lineman Tony Ugoh to replace Andrews, would more than likely try to bring back Andrews over Ugoh, the latter of whom will also be an unrestricted free agent.
At running back, the Giants will have to make a decision about whether to pay Brandon Jacobs a $500,000 roster bonus due in March. Jacobs is due to make $4.4 million in base salary in 2012, a hefty number for a man who averaged just 9.5 carries per regular-season game in 2011.
Jacobs, who has flip-flopped on his position about whether he returns in 2012, most recently said he hopes that something can be worked out.
"I have no idea; I can't worry about that," Jacobs said before the Super Bowl when asked if he thought the game would be his last as a Giant. "I hope not. I want to be here."
Meanwhile, there is some concern about Ahmad Bradshaw, who for the fourth season in a row wore down physically due to issues with his feet. This year, Bradshaw missed four games, leaving some to wonder if he'll ever be healthy enough to make it through an entire season.
However, as is the case with the offensive line, the Giants have options already on their roster at the running back position in the form of last year's seventh rounder Da'Rel Scott and a former fourth-round pick of theirs, Andre Brown.
At receiver, the Giants might not be able to retain soon-to-be unrestricted free agent receiver Mario Manningham, whose Super Bowl performance should land him a hefty contract somewhere. Also scheduled to be unrestricted free agents are receivers Domenik Hixon, who is coming off knee surgery, veteran Michael Clayton, and special teams ace Devin Thomas.
Again, though, the Giants have talent waiting in the wings in the form of second-year man Jerrel Jernigan, who opened some eyes as a kickoff returner with his vision and acceleration. The team also has Ramses Barden, a former 2009 third-round draft pick who this year fell behind Jernigan and Thomas on the depth chart, but who will no doubt be given another chance to step up and earn a higher position on the team's depth chart.
Rounding out the Giants' potential needs on offense is the backup quarterback spot. David Carr is scheduled to be a free agent, and one possibility could be Ryan Perrilloux, who was signed from the practice squad to a 2012 contract.
New York will also likely explore the veterans available if Carr is not retained, though the thinking is they'd like to have Carr back as Manning's understudy.
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