Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: AZGiantFan on June 15, 2024, 07:40:47 PM

That scene from "Good Will Hunting" was great, but the math scene was better...IMHO


And the professor can't deal with it

If upper body strength was a good measure, Mitch Petrus would have replaced O'Hara, Diehl, or Snee in a heartbeat. Petrus was the poster child for "strong offensive guard". Not sure if he ever saw the field, despite pleas from thousands of fans. That's because O'Hara, Diehl, Snee, were "football smart" and knew how to leverage and out think their opponent. Petrus, not so much

When it comes to offensive linemen, it's what's between the ears that sifts the wheat from the chaff

Quote from: 4 Aces on June 15, 2024, 10:43:54 AMI'm expecting big things.

If you go back to his Oregon days which made him a top 5 pick, he was playing a 43 RDE role. Hand in the dirt pass rusher.

Then he gets drafted into Wink's whacky scheme (a "positionless" defense) where he's just an "O" filling a gap.

He was never good value for Wink's scheme. It's no secret the Giants wanted Sauce Gardner, with the amount of cover 0 Wink plays. When they couldn't get Sauce, they pivoted to Thibs - but ER's are not prioritized in his scheme so he wasn't able to showcase his special ability. How many times did we see him dropping into coverage, working out of a 2 pt. stance, taking an exaggerated looping rush to contain the QB etc.? Wink's pressures are manufactured and he can use anybody to do it.

If you notice, Wink talked up Thibs after he was drafted, but Schoen mentioned one of the things he learned from Parcells in Miami was not drafting scheme-specific players. (Because schemes change.) Knowing what we know of Wink & Schoen now, the Thibs pick seems like Schoen sticking to positional value at 5, and ignoring the lack of mesh with Wink's philosophy. They were quick to "throw Wink a bone" next draft and use the #1 on Deonte Banks.

Summary: The Giants haven't optimized the value out of that #5 overall pick, but they might now, with Bowen's more traditional approach. The front 4 will be expected to provide the pass rush, and Thibs will be attacking off the edge like a DE. Wink's scheme is player-simple and requires no thinking. Thibs is a cerebral, creative football player who I think will thrive in a more cerebral scheme.

Superb analysis 

He makes a VERY good point. I think giving free range to a QB can be attributed to Mahomes, and a little bit in Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson

I remember when the Cowboys ruled the NFL under Tom Landry. Landry had so much faith in Staubach, he basically let Staubach run the offense from the field. It was often said that Staubach's mind and Landrey's mind were so in sync, they were one and the same and Staubach was like having a HC and OC on the field making judgements on the fly

Brady's theory might also suggest that DJ has been over-coached from the sideline on game days. It seems to me that DJ is always trying to do EXACTLY what he's told to do inside his helmet speaker. QBs are not marionettes

Does anyone think that DJ is being coached to "use his own ideas on the field as he sees fit, in the moment"? I don't

Not worried at all. New coach, new guards, and improved linemen to work with. He had his "welcome to the big leagues kid" rookie season, whilst saddled between two (let's call them "less than optimal") guards. He is driven to be the best, and he has the perfect body for a center, and more importantly, the perfect mentality. He's had the "I will be the best center" attitude all through college and is smart and in the process of figuring out the NFL. Playing against Dex in practice week after week only helps him with his mission to be the best. He's "all football" and the game is the only thing that he's interested in. Money can't buy his drive and attitude. He won't be 26th again, and I suspect he'll be a perennial Pro Bowler in the future

Just look at his lower half of his body and tell me that's not perfect for center!

I think he will have a breakout year. Not only because of the presence of Burns on the other side (which is huge), and Dex requiring double/triple teams, it's his attitude. Since day 1, he has been determined to show everyone he should have been the first pick off the board. He has steadily improved his moves, his physical abilities, strength, etc., and managed 11½ sacks last year at 22 yrs old, and spending more time falling back in coverage than going on attack. He has studied his role the way a nuclear scientist studies physics, with a desire to understand every nuance of game strategy. He is never satisfied with where he's at. His mentality is that he wants to be the biggest star on the team and in New York - because of his play, not because of side hobbies or playing up to the media. He is quietly driven...something money can't buy. He has taken the lesson of "how to be a pro", hook, line, and sinker and applied it to the way he carries himself and is "all business", not allowing any side distractions. He has become the pre-eminent professional

NO! A thousand times no

He's been blessed with one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and he still has thrown more interceptions than DJ...by a lot! A turnover machine

Not to mention, he's a choke artist in big/meaningful games

If he can't take the loaded Cowboys to the top while having incredible protection, how's he going to take the Giants to the mountain top?

Quote from: Bob In PA on June 14, 2024, 08:17:00 AMJolly: "Return To Me" was excellent all around. Thanks for mentioning it. Cast, acting, story line are all 1st-rate (there's at least one other similar story but I can't remember the name of the movie).  Bob

Glad you enjoyed it. I was a little worried because I haven't watched that movie in years, I just remember that I really liked it and the plot was so much different than any Rom-Com I had ever watched. Tastes evolve over time, so I was nervous suggesting it once you said you were going to watch it. The one thing I remember was that Carrol O'Conner passed away right after that movie was finished, and I thought it was a nice way to see him in a role other than Archie Bunker. And I thought Minnie Driver was superb in her role. I had only seen her in "Good Will Hunting" (also superb movie) as "Will's" love interest. Truth is, her and Matt Damon ("Will") dated for a couple of years after making that movie, but it faded out. But she is talented

Okay, I constantly hear (actually read) the term JAG   

I know that in the military it has something to do with Army lawyers or military court or something like that. But I see it a lot on the internet, and I've even seen it on this board (not lately, but I just thought about it when seeing JAG advertised on TV), but it has nothing to do with the military

For instance, football player "A" is called a JAG (apparently, a negative connotation). I've been interpreting that in my head as "Just Another Giant"  , but considering the context for which it has been used, it doesn't make sense...not to mention, what is "just another Giant"? Is that a bad thing to some fans?

I know it colloquial for something, I just don't know what it is. I try to keep up with the latest acronyms and lingo, at least the most common ones. But I'll be damned if I know what a JAG is if it isn't about military law and its court system

When a strong Southern accent gets a man in trouble






I was going to show Frank the Tank streaking in "Old School", but the clip is a little too crass for the board

Quote from: Bob In PA on June 13, 2024, 12:50:54 PMJolly: Yes, that is the other side of the coin.  Every year, while the Giant rookie reported to be "movin' on up" and a pleasant surprise is fizzing out at training camp (falling to Earth), there is ONE team that actually HAS grabbed a true hidden gem, a player well under the radar on draft day who rockets to stardom. My point is... at least one year in my life I expect that to happen to the Giants... and somehow, although I might continue to refuse to believe it, I am beginning to suspect this might be the year, and that might be the guy.  Last time the Giants even came close to a "home run" in this category, it was also a running back who turned out to be very very good, although IMO not a true home run...  Ahmad Bradshaw.  Bob

Bradshaw was a great 7th round pick. A couple of others that could be mentioned are Mark Bavaro (4th rd), and David Diehl (5th rd), but the real gem was Victor Cruz (UDFA). I guess you just never know. Hopefully, this is the year the Giants beat the odds

Quote from: Bob In PA on June 13, 2024, 09:41:53 AMSquib:

2) Man and woman don't like each other but they are forced to work together or travel together. You know they are going to fall in love by the end of the movie so why bother.

Don't bother ever tuning in to the Hallmark Channel.    Bob

There are some excellent Rom-Coms worth watching IMHO (maybe I'm a bit of a sap because I like them). A great one with a different twist is "Return to Me" (free on Prime). 5-stars. Not your old, "man hates woman who hates him back, then falls in love theme". One of the nice things about the movie is it is the last film in which Carroll O'Connor plays a role (and he's not Archie Bunker this time, LOL)

Quote from: Bob In PA on June 13, 2024, 09:40:47 AMI'm very surprised at the amount of attention and speculation that has surrounded this player ever since draft day. It's unusual, even for media-centric New York. Is it possible we have actually hit the jackpot and got a player who will be a major surprise?  Every year there is a story about a possible hidden gem unearthed by the Giants' scouting department, but there is something that sets this story apart from the usual rot to which we're exposed annually during the "dullest six weeks" of the football year.  Anyone else sense it? Bob

Yeah, I sense it. Your observation is like a slap in the face to startle me into reality. Every team in the league thinks they stole a sleeper late and are shocked no other team noticed a star player sitting there in round 5 or 6 or whatever. The reality is, after the first couple of rounds, it gets dicey. Third rounders sometimes become great, but after that it's about getting guys to go through professional development for a couple year process. Sure, sporadically a surprise happens (Puka Nacua - 5th rd; Brock Purdy - 7th rd; Ivan Pace Jr. - UDFA, etc.) came up huge, but that is not the norm, as statistics and history confirm

I have big, big hopes that Theo Johnson pans out and that he fell through the cracks right into our lap, but I have to temper my enthusiasm because it's a big step from college to the pros, and Penn State didn't really use him as a pass catching TE, so his step is even bigger, learning the routes and other intricacies of NFL play

Tracy might surprise...I sure hope so, anyway. His athletic numbers indicate that the coaches have a lot to work with (as his RAS score shows), and his experience as a WR makes him a dual threat



...but again, "are we getting ahead of ourselves?". I hope not

Quote from: Jclayton92 on June 12, 2024, 12:51:36 PMThe problem or big question for me cutrently is finding a way to keep the specials guys on the roster.

Like how many wrs can we keep with gunner and Boykin being special teams aces. Plus how many Mike's etc and how does that hurt the rest of the depth.

Good question. It would seem to me that if you were vying for one of the last spots on the WR squad, being a ST ace sure doesn't hurt one's chances

As for me, I'm just glad (or so it appears anyway) that Schoen is fed up with poor ST play and is addressing it in a major way. Hopefully it bears fruit

From all I've read, we could very well lose Hartenstein because of our cap...and Minnesota (flush with cap) wants him badly...and unfortunately, money talks. Oklahoma is also suddenly in the bidding. I-Hart no longer flying under the radar. He would love to stay a Knick, but is he willing to forfeit millions to stay a Knick? I don't want to lose him and I think we should do anything and everything to keep him

So...if we lose him, we'll be bundling picks and players to get a big man in the draft 

IMO, these are the untouchables: Brunson, Anunoby, Hart, Hartenstein, Deuce, and Divi. Keep them and do what is necessary to build around them