As the New York Giants begin preparation for the 2020 season, here are seven storylines worthy keeping a close eye on.
As NFL training camps get ready to open next week, there are still a load of questions surrounding how the league plans on pulling this season off amid the coronavirus pandemic.
That, unfortunately, will be a day-to-day process as the virus will basically dictate how things go. Considering that all things go well and the season progresses as planned, here’s looking at seven non-COVID-related storylines to keep an eye on.
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Joe Judge in first season as head coach
The restrictions put in place due to the virus wiped out any advantage Judge was afforded as a first-year head coach. Not only has he not met his team yet, he’s not been able to get an up close and personal assessment of the talent on the roster.
Judge appears to be a guy in control however, and it is believed that he will come right in and take charge. He has a veteran staff around him who will provide extremely valuable counsel to Bill Belichick’s former right hand man.
Osi Umenyiora has extended New York Giants edge rusher Oshane Ximines an invite to learn from him and potentially train with him.
The New York Giants will enter the 2020 season relying on their defense to create pressure collectively. It’s a style that has worked well for the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, but there is a concern that the Giants simply don’t have enough talented depth to find the same success.
In addition to linebacker Lorenzo Carter, one player who could step up and help fill that void is second-year edge rusher Oshane Ximines, who finished the 2019 season with 4.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits on just 503 defensive snaps.
Ximines certainly flashed some potential as a rookie and in order to refine his game, could find himself working with Giants legend Osi Umenyiora.
On Wednesday, Ximines tweeted that he would love to learn from Umenyiora, which prompted Osi’s immediate response.
Umenyiora was one of the quickest edge rushers off the ball during his playing days, and was equally as gifted against the run as he was at rushing the passer.
At the time of his retirement following the 2014 season, Umenyiora has recorded 85 career sacks, 75 of which came with the Giants. He also recorded 106 career quarterback hits for good measure.
Given Ximines’ speed and athleticism, it would serve him well to learn from and train with Osi. And if he can become even a sliver of what Umenyiora was, it would mean nothing but good things for the Giants.
Many pundits have listed their breakout stars for the New York Giants this upcoming NFL season. Wide receiver Darius Slayton, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and quarterback Daniel Jones have all been identified as players who could take that next step to stardom this year.
Adam Rank of NFL.com adds another name to the mix — second-year outside linebacker Oshane Ximines, who was selected in the third round in last year’s NFL Draft out of Old Dominion.
The “X-Man” as he has become to be known, played in all 16 games last year as a rookie, starting two, registering 25 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and nine QB hits.
The Giants would like to see Ximines jettison to stardom with more playing time in 2020. It won’t be an easy task, as the Giants signed Kyler Fackrell in free agency and are likely bringing Markus Golden back later this month.
“The Giants are going to need to improve defensively (they ranked 30th in points allowed last season) and it’s going to be incumbent on them to get to the quarterback more, as they ranked 22nd in sacks,” writes Rank. “The Giants could have been super frisky in the draft and picked Isaiah Simmons fourth overall, which would have been my choice. (I know he’s not an edge rusher but he did have eight sacks for Clemson last season.) Or they could have paid big money for an edge rusher in free agency.”
Rank thinks the Giants stayed away from adding a top edge rusher this offseason because they are confident that Ximines (and others) can get the job done.
“That leads me to believe the Giants saw enough from Ximines last season to trust him as one of their top pass rushers. Ximines posted 4.5 sacks despite playing less than half the defensive snaps as a rookie. He’s poised to make a huge jump in Year 2.”
The Giants would be in excellent shape if X-Man can come through for them. With talent added all over the field on defense, a quality edge rusher would turn them into a formidable bunch.
Second-year edge rusher Oshane Ximines has been named the New York Giants’ “key homegrown player” entering 2020.
The New York Giants enter the 2020 regular season with some serious questions about their pass rush — questions that will linger even if linebacker Markus Golden ends up returning.
First-year head coach Joe Judge seems content with allowing pressure to be created by scheme instead of personnel, which is a formula the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens have used to success.
However, the Giants do have several intriguing edge rush options such as Lorenzo Carter, Carter Coughlin and Kyler Fackrell. They also have second-year linebacker Oshane Ximines, who was recently named the team’s “key homegrown player” by CBS Sports.
The guy from Queens is hoping to become the next King of New York, and he has the potential to do just that if he can build on his promising rookie debut. The former third-round pick walks into 2020 having delivered nine quarterback hits, five tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in only two starts, hinting at what could be stirring below the surface. He was available for all 16 games in 2019 and new head coach Joe Judge could look to give lean on Ximines heavily if Markus Golden doesn’t return to the club, as the Giants desperately look to replace the potentially lost pass-rush production.
Ximines finds himself battling a more veteran presence in Kyler Fackrell — who had 10.5 sacks in 2018 for the Packers — but the New Yorker has the added motivation of possibly being the savior in his own hometown. Also working in his favor is the fact Fackrell is only operating under a one-year contract, giving Ximines the chance to prove he’s both the now and the later at his position.
Ximines is an intriguing player who flashed at times a season ago, but wasn’t given consistent playing time under Pat Shurmur and James Bettcher. He received just 45% of all defense snaps (31 per game), and even those came with major gaps in between.
In 2020, Ximines will find himself learning yet another new defensive scheme — his third in three years going back to college — which may limit his early production. However, there’s no denying he has the sort of talent and athleticism to make an impact.
Second-year edge rusher Oshane Ximines was recently named the New York Giants’ best-kept secret.
It is widely believed that the New York Giants are lacking a consistent pass rush and that their roster is currently devoid of game-changing talent along the edge, but might they have a gem hiding among that positional group?
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently examined some of the NFL’s best-kept secrets and when it came to the Giants, it was edge rusher Oshane Ximines who got the nod.
“I think you have to use what you have available to you,” Judge said. “Everybody really wants an elite guy. I think that’s a true statement. No one’s going to turn down a good football player. But you have to find ways, if you don’t have necessarily that one elite guy, of getting production out of maybe two to three other players that complement each other.”
The thing is, the Giants might still wind up with one—provided Oshane Ximines continues to improve.
A second-year pro out of Old Dominion, Ximines had just 25 tackles and 4.5 sacks as a rookie. But he showed signs of marked improvement down the stretch, including a two-sack effort against the Eagles in December.
Edge-rushers face a steep learning curve in the pros. That’s doubly true for one from a small program. But Ximines has the talent and ability to be a consistent thorn in the side of signal-callers.
Ximines is no secret to Giants fans, many of whom believe he should see a larger role and buy into his ability to develop into an above average edge rusher.
As Davenport alludes, Ximines flashed at times during his rookie season, but was limited to just 503 defensive snaps as part of the team’s rotation. Now in his second season, this one coming under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Ximines should see increased opportunities as the Giants adopt the New England Patriots’ and Baltimore Ravens’ method of rushing the passer.
New York Giants edge rusher Oshane Ximines is already back to work this offseason, returning to Old Dominion as he prepares for Year 2.
With the New York Giants offseason in full effect, there will be plenty of roster turnover for Big Blue. As for the current roster, the 2019 draft class will be getting their first full offseason with the Giants.
Among those who impressed during their rookie season, Oshane Ximines showed flashes of success in his rookie year. Ximines was tied for second on the Giants with 4.5 sacks.
There may be plenty of time between now and training camp, but many have been putting in their work to improve for next season. Ximines has been working at his alma matter, Old Dominion.
Ximines, like the rest of the team, will be working with a brand-new coaching staff this upcoming season which makes it all more important for him to enter training camp in game shape. Ximines will have to prove in order to get playing time; especially since head coach Joe Judge is starting everyone off with a clean slate.
The Giants are in the market for defenders and in particular, pass rushers via free agency or the draft this offseason since the team left a lot to be desired on that side of the ball last season.
Pass rusher has already been identified as the Giants’ biggest need. It would be a bonus if a young prospect like Ximines emerged as a big pass rusher for the team for years to come.
The New York Giants were recently given a letter grade of A- for their 2019 NFL Draft class courtesy of NFL.com.
The 2020 NFL Draft is just around the corner, so what better time to look back on the 2019 NFL Draft to see how teams and players did one year in?
That’s exactly what Nick Shook of NFL.com did this week when he graded the draft class of all four NFC East teams with the New York Giants earning the top letter grade of A-.
The Giants made the most of their haul from the Odell Beckham trade, which landed them, in part, the 17th overall pick, by selecting Dexter Lawrence, who had a solid rookie season. New York also might have found its franchise QB in Daniel Jones, answering a huge question for the team’s foundation. DeAndre Baker had a tough start but finished strong and stands to make a significant improvement in Year 2. Oshane Ximines was effective in his first season despite making just two starts, recording 4.5 sacks. Julian Love is an exciting young player for the back end of New York’s defense. Darius Slayton was an excellent find in the fifth round. Corey Ballentine struggled with a position change to the slot, but he could improve with more time.
Free agency/combine focus: Is New York going to attempt to retain Leonard Williams, who was acquired via trade with the Jets in October and is headed for free agency? Darius Slayton, who led the team with 740 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches, was a nice find, but with second-leading receiver Golden Tate (676 yards, six TD catches) at 31 years old, more capital needs to be invested at the position in a deep draft class. The Giants also need to decide whether they’re willing to pay to keep linebacker Markus Golden (10.0 sacks) and right tackle Mike Remmers, with the former serving as a pleasant revival and the latter helping bolster what was once New York’s most glaring weakness. The Giants are still going to need to address linebacker one way or another and decide whether to seek additional edge help or invest in Williams.
Shook also gave the Giants a nod for eventually finding a way to get tight end Kaden Smith onto their roster — a very deserving tip of the cap.
Comparatively, the Washington Redskins also earned a letter grade of A-, while the Philadelphia Eagles were given a “B” and the Dallas Cowboys given a “C-.”
The New York Giants’ 2019 draft class has been ranked fourth overall despite a full year of relentless media criticism.
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The critics were not kind to the New York Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman during and after the 2019 NFL Draft. The general consensus was that they blew it again by over-drafting, specifically when the selected Duke quarterback No. 6 overall, bypassing several much-needed defensive studs still on the board.
But the game is played out on the field and when the Giants’ rookies hit the gridiron, they panned out fairly well. In fact, Pro Football Focus recently ranked their 2019 draft class fourth out of 32 teams.
4. NEW YORK GIANTS
Why they’re ranked here: We graded Daniel Jones as our 24th-ranked quarterback overall, but he had more success than many expected, throwing 24 touchdown passes. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, the Giants’ second first-round pick, had the highest PFF grade of any rookie interior defensive lineman, and the team saw promising starts to the careers of late-round picks Darius Slayton and Julian Love.
How their top pick fared: Jones (No. 6 overall) showed flashes of high-level play, but carelessness with the football is something to work on moving forward. His 31 turnover-worthy plays — the plays our grading deem as riskiest, even if they didn’t always result in a turnover — were fourth-most in the NFL.
Best value pick: Wide receiver Slayton (No. 171 overall) was part of the year of the rookie wide receiver, significantly outperforming his fifth-round pedigree. His 18 receptions of 15-plus yards were fifth among rookie wideouts.
The class had its ups and downs. Cornerback DeAndre Baker, taken 30th overall, was downright awful for most of the season only to turn things around late in the year to somewhat salvage things. Inside linebacker Ryan Connelly was lost early on to a knee injury after showing poise and promise.
Third rounder Oshane Ximines was underused, as was forth-round pick Julian Love. Both have bright futures in this league. they just need to get coached up by the right people, who the Giants believe they finally may have.
New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and moved one step closer to his return.
The New York Giants were back at practice on Thursday and once again, the central focus was on rookie quarterback Daniel Jones and how his ankle would respond to the first-team reps he had taken on Wednesday.
The result? A very positive step in the right direction for both the Giants and Jones, who was again participating with the first-team and did not appear to be hampered at all.
Barring an unforeseen setback, Jones will return as the team’s starter on Sunday against the Washington Redskins, meaning that Eli Manning has very likely taken his final snap in blue.
In addition to Jones, tight end Rhett Ellison (concussion) and rookie edge rusher Oshane Ximines (ankle) were also participating in the portion of practice open to the media for the second day in a row.
Offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (ankle) once again appeared to be limited, but it’s clear he’s half man, half machine and should be good to go come Sunday.
Meanwhile, safety Antoine Bethea was once again among the missing, spending time with his family after he and his wife welcomed a new baby on Wednesday. He is expected to return on Friday.
Below if the official report with designations released by the Giants:
Full participant: QB Daniel Jones (ankle), LB Oshane Ximines (ankle)
Limited participation: G Kevin Zeitler (ankle), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion)
Did not participate: S Antoine Bethea (not injury related)
Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14?
The New York Giants almost had their first win in three months. Almost.
And then the Philadelphia Eagles scored 20 unanswered points and needed overtime to knock off the Giants, 23-17, to send them to their ninth straight defeat.
In the return for Eli Manning, the Giants were oh so close in this one. But in a season of mishap and the unfortunate, even the future Hall of Fame quarterback couldn’t help the Giants on Monday night, even when at times, Manning turned back the clock and looked like the guy we all saw win two Super Bowls.
Instead, the Giants reverted back to their losing ways in the second half and let the Eagles steal steal their sixth straight victory against them.
Whose stock is up and down for the Giants following the loss to the Eagles.
AP Photo/Michael Perez
Stock up: Eli Manning
Manning has been on the bench since mid-September and had been carrying a headset on game days since Daniel Jones took over.
And yet, because of an ankle sprain, Manning was asked to go back into the lineup and try to give the Giants a winning effort. And that’s exactly what he did.
Manning threw for two touchdowns in the first half and breathed a lot of life into the Giants. He kept the mistakes down, the turnovers down, and looked like he had done this job since 2004.
If Jones can’t go next week, Manning proved that he still has something left in the tank and can start next week, and if needed, the rest of the season.
Stock down: Will Hernandez
Hernandez is considered one of the Giants’ best offensive lineman and should continue to get better, but he’s experienced a bit of a sophomore slump at times.
The second-year guard missed a few blocking assignments that lead to Saquon Barkley getting stopped for losses or no gain on Monday night — something that’s becoming a theme.
Hernandez is a better player than this and he should improve. With that said, it hasn’t been his best work on the field.
