Big Blue Huddle

https://x.com/BigBlueVCR/status/1787648545538928726

QuoteA handful of teams acknowledged discussing kickoff strategies as part of their pre-draft meetings, with one noting it directly affected at least one of their draft selections.

Running backs Isaac Guerendo (San Francisco 49ers' fourth-round pick), Tyrone Tracy Jr. (New York Giants' fifth-round pick), Dylan Laube (Las Vegas Raiders' sixth-round pick) and Keilan Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars fifth-round pick) are examples of draft picks who also bring with them kick return upside.

A few team officials said they were cognizant of potential new strategies while making their picks but didn't necessarily have a chance to select anyone who would be better suited for the new rules than the old ones. That isn't too surprising. Since the rules are only in place through the 2024 season, some teams acknowledged they've still got time to figure out the variables while being hesitant to make longer-term commitments during the trial-and-error phase.

I thought this was a great quote that could apply to so many changes.

Quote"It's bulls—," a longtime special teams coach said. "This is what the league wanted for years. But you can either complain about it or adapt and find a way."

If you subscribe to the Athletic, you can read the entire article.

https://theathletic.com/5467219/2024/05/06/nfl-new-kickoff-rules-nfl-draft/

These unit-by-unit comparisons are interesting, and I didn't see anything I would strongly disagree with in the article.


Still, as they say, team building is not the same as collecting talent.  I don't have a good answer as to how to best compare teams or evaluate teams to get a better sense of the direction a team is going.   It is something I have been thinking about though-  how to best evaluate a team to get a better sense of the direction it is going in.

Quote from: londonblue on Today at 08:56:21 AMIt cannot hurt. He should also be an asset in assessing appetite for the game as he was a worthy inheritor of the alpha lunch pail mentality from Richie Seubert. It will be interesting to see them if the use him as a specialist for OL and maybe DL or more generally.

In the past, he was a specialist O-line scout for the Jags (when Coughlin was there).   I think there is some merit to the idea of teams hiring position-specific scouting specialists, especially at a position like O-line, which teams are constantly drafting and often miss on. 

Maybe this will end Schoen's swings and misses when it comes to drafting offensive linemen

QuoteOne of the most successful players in Giants history is back with the only NFL team he ever suited up for.

Chris Snee, a starting guard on two Super Bowl winning teams, has returned to the franchise, newly hired as a scout, The Post has learned.

Snee, 42, made no secret of his desire to return to the Giants ever since he retired after the 2013 season.

A reunion nearly took place in 2022, as general manager Joe Schoen, in his first year on the job, was interested in adding Snee as an offensive line scout.

Snee and the team could not come to an agreement on the time commitment aspect of the position.

Bobby and Justin talk about the Defensive Undrafted Free Agents The Giants have signed since the Draft

00:00 intro02:30 Alex Johnson, DB, UCLA
13:11 Casey Rogers, DT, Oregon
25:57 Ovie Oghoufo, LB, LSU
35:45 Jude McAtamney, PK, Rutgers

Quote from: AZGiantFan on May 06, 2024, 03:59:24 PMIs it common for teams to have someone as Head of Medical Services who isn't an M.D.?

I checked a handful of teams.   I couldn't find another team with the same title.

Quote from: jgrangers2 on May 06, 2024, 02:36:30 PMHow they use Tracy is one of the things I'm most excited to see this year. I can see them designing screens for him and even lining him up as a receiver given his background. Plus he'll probably be our kick returner with the new rules. Will be interesting to see how much they trust him in pass pro though given he's only be an RB for one yaer.

and @madbadger   Tracy was a WR at Iowa, so he was taught how to block even before going back to his old HS position of RB

 

Quote from: T200 on May 06, 2024, 01:33:20 PMThe celebrity roasts are notorious for being unabashedly raunchy and raw. There's an old saying... Be careful what you ask for. I think Tom got more than he bargained for. He definitely didn't like the Kraft joke about the massage.

In this day and age of stronger sensativities, I am surprised that they still have roasts

Quote from: Painter on May 06, 2024, 01:45:35 PMYou may have to retire whenever he does, Rich. You won't have anyone else left to blame, or you may just have to abandon the habit. 

Cheers!

I don't think I would characterize holding the man with the Senior VP of Medical Services and Head Trainer title accountable for over a decade of the team being  near the top of the league in lost man-hours due to injury as "blaming".  I would characterize it as "holding accountable"

Quote from: Uncle Mickey on May 06, 2024, 01:55:34 PMLOL, at least Aaron Wellman is back. He was a low-key big loss to the S&C staff.

On another note, I like how our overall staff is shaping up with just two kind of unknowns in Bowen and Ghobriel TBD starting this year.

The offense especially seems to have every critical component in place now (at least in theory) from coaches to talent in the key areas for the QB to have the tools to sink or swim.

Yeah, I like what Wellman did when he was with the Giants.  Hopefully, he can recreate his magic.

https://x.com/EliManning/status/1787478294754967819

BUT nope, he is not retiring, just speaking a college's graduation

            


https://x.com/Giants/status/1787506356649443601

The more snaps he takes the more likely the Giants get a 4th round comp pick rather than a 7th

https://x.com/Schmeelk/status/1787520247370555744

TYRONE TRACY JR., RB, NEW YORK GIANTS
The New York Giants made the (wise) decision to let Saquon Barkley walk in free agency after six years of production. The Giants are in a semi-rebuild, so throwing even more money at a running back who has struggled to stay healthy didn't make sense. Instead, the Giants signed Devin Singletary to a modest contract and didn't select a running back in the first four rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. However, they added one of this class's most intriguing backs in former wide receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Tracy started his career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, appearing in 38 games as a wide receiver. But after modest production, he transferred to Purdue and started five games at receiver (2022). Ahead of the 2023 season, Tracy transitioned to running back, which likely saved his career. In his first year playing the position, Tracy led the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.3) and scored eight rushing touchdowns.

While Tracy isn't ready to be a full-time running back (146 career carries in college), he is an incredible athlete who is a threat to score on any play. He posted a 9.78 RAS score, which ranks 42nd all-time (out of 1,903 running backs) after posting a 40-inch vertical jump at 209 pounds.

Only Singletary is ahead of him on the depth chart, so Tracy should find a role right away. He is the most explosive running back on the roster and could have a Tony Pollard-like impact on the Giants in Year 1.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/day-3-nfl-rookies-who-could-make-instant-impact/