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A common knock on the New York Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman this offseason has been their failure to address the wide receiver position.
In one of the richest receiver drafts in recent memories, the Giants took none. They also passed on signing a big-play outside receiver during free agency, instead choosing to rely on Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton and Corey Coleman this season.
Retired Giant and Super Bowl XLII hero, David Tyree, who left the team last week after serving as the director of player development since 2014, is among those critical of the lacking talent at the position.
“I think when you have a young quarterback talent, you want to have a linchpin to go along with a young quarterback,” told Pat Traina of Giants Country. “When you have an Amani Toomer, when you have a Plaxico Burress — guys who are proven playmakers who have done it on a big scale and have size, strength, and ability, I think there’s something to that, especially more so with a young, unproven quarterback. It gives them confidence (and) a bigger target.”
Tyree doesn’t believe the Giants have that linchpin.
“I don’t think there’s any lack of the ability and playmaking with the receiver corps, especially with Golden (Tate) and Sterling Shepard, and (tight end) Evan (Engram). So I think you have a great set of playmakers there, but from the outside, yeah, I think there’s still something that could be wanted there,” Tyree said.
Tyree doesn’t necessarily think the lack of a security blanket on the outside will stunt the growth of second-year quarterback Daniel Jones, but he acknowledges it’s not going to help, either.
“I think Daniel Jones has a lot of similar attributes,” Tyree said. “Obviously, he’s a little more athletic, but from the standpoint of preparation and grit, there is a lot of promising things.
“But just like when Eli was coming in, it’s going to take time. I feel like he’s on a good track. And I think the franchise from a foundational standpoint has a lot of good pieces to build with.”
The Giants still have some time to add a tall outside receiver before the start of training camp, but a sudden change in philosophy seems unlikely. Instead, they will roll full steam ahead with what they have and hope one of their undrafted rookie free agents step up like Victor Cruz did on the inside in 2011.