Football From The Jersey Swamp – BIG BLUE/GANG GREEN Report

Added by Paul Conroy on February 24, 2013.

All is quiet at the Meadowlands as the 2013 off-season is in full swing, but in the 21^st-century NFL, football season never ends.

BIG BLUE

Don’t be so quick to put David Wilson center stage behind Eli Manning next September. If Andre Brown can stay healthy, he can help to provide the 1-2 punch in the backfield that is so necessary in today’s NFL. Fantasy owners take heed, Wilson may not carry the ball as many times per-game as previously expected.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants’ strength has been their front four, and most agree that upgrading the cornerback position is a major need, but sharing the division with the likes of Robert Griffin and Chip Kelly’s offense in Philadelphia may inspire the Giants to add some speed up front come draft time.

Needs along the offensive line need to be addressed as well, with both Kevin Boothe and William Beatty eligible for free-agency, and both David Baas and Chris Snee recovering from off-season surgery.

The annual “Coughlin To Retire” rumor-mill is starting to turn. Coughlin addressed these rumors with the standard “taking it year-by-year” answer. At age 66, with two rings under his belt, and eleven grandchildren to play with, Coughlin may well ride into the sunset over the course of the next few seasons, but will certainly be on the sideline in 2013.

GANG GREEN

Unfortunately for the Jets, they’ve been making headlines for all of the wrong reasons. There has been too much finger-pointing both within the organization and among former employees regarding who was responsible for the Tim Tebow-experiment, as well as the status of Darrelle Revis, and not enough fundamental off-season strategy being employed.

For a coach who has referred to a “ground-and-pound” offense, Rex Ryan needs to upgrade his running attack. Shon Greene, their best option and hardly an elite running back, is a free-agent. Behind Greene there are question marks. For the balanced attack that Ryan wants, the position is in desperate need of an upgrade, particularly to take some of the pressure off of a weary Mark Sanchez.

Across the line of scrimmage, Gang Green finished the 2012 campaign tied for 25^th in sacks posted with the Saints and Eagles, and only 11 interceptions. As a coach who descended from the father of the 46-defense, Rex Ryan’s pride must be hurt. The Jets are sorely in need of upgrading their pass rush.

No doubt the Jets will add a quarterback. If they pursue and land a quarterback with experience, expect an open competition with Sanchez. If they draft a quarterback, the job will be Sanchez’s to lose. Either way, the writing is on the wall.

The potential for a Darrelle Revis trade may decide their strategy in pursuing a quarterback, whether it’s trading for a signal-caller with starting potential, or obtaining multiple picks for more options come draft day.

Gangreen’s front office would serve the team well by focusing on the fundamentals of draft and free agency preparation, and avoiding the headlines regarding finger-pointing over the status of Revis or the Tim Tebow-experiment.