Between now and the end of August, TGS will offer up a quick snapshot of every NFL team heading into the 2016 regular season. Today, the New York Giants.
2015 in a nutshell: Quarterback Eli Manning has the best season of his career despite the absence of Victor Cruz, but the 32nd-ranked defense gives up 27.6 points per game and the injury-ravaged Giants win just six games for the second year in a row.
Why 2016 could be different: Per Football Outsiders, they were hit harder by injuries than everyone else in football last season, so you’d think the law of averages would help them out a bit in 2016. Plus, the defense looks a lot better.
Major additions: They splurged on defense in free agency, spending big on new key components Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins and Damon Harrison. Oh, and they added a promising young corner in Eli Apple with the No. 10 overall pick.
Major losses: Robert Ayers had nine sacks last season. Nobody else on the roster had more than three. But Ayers signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while former first-round pick and regular starting corner Prince Amukamara left for Jacksonville.
Breakout watch: 2015 second-round pick Landon Collins had a relatively quiet rookie season despite starting all 16 games. Look for him to have plenty of opportunities to take off in his second year, especially if the Giants are willing to be flexible with his role.
Position to watch: Cruz is finally back after missing much of the last two seasons due to knee and calf injuries, but it’s too early to tell if the Giants will be able to rely on him. Beyond that, there’s plenty of hope for rookie second-round pick Sterling Shepard opposite Odell Beckham Jr. If all three deliver, the Giants could have a three-headed monster on their hands.
Prediction: If they stay healthy, I think they’re as good as Washington and better than Philly. A healthy Cowboys team is probably better, but not by a lot, and Dallas is facing some major questions. I’m actually willing to gamble here and give the G-Men a playoff berth, but I’m envisioning a close battle with the Cowboys.
